On the Arena.
Lin Qingyi's voice echoed in Jiang Ning's ears, and he immediately turned to look at the viewing platform.
There, he saw Lin Qingyi sitting in a corner, shrouded in shadows.
Seeing Jiang Ning's gaze, Lin Qingyi's eyes showed a hint of guilt.
"Sorry!!" Her voice rang in Jiang Ning's ears again.
All of this happened in an instant.
Then.
Jiang Ning smiled at Lin Qingyi and turned back to the black-clad swordswoman in the arena, Xie Xiaojiu.
"I heard you're skilled with the sword?" Jiang Ning said.
"Indeed!" Xie Xiaojiu nodded slightly.
"Good! It seems you want to test my skills with weapons," Jiang Ning said, nodding.
Then he turned to the referee. "Sir, I need a sword."
"No problem!" The referee said, grabbing a sword from the weapon rack on the arena and tossing it to Jiang Ning.
"Here you go! Show us what you've got!"
"Thank you!" Jiang Ning caught the sword and thanked him.
As soon as the sword was in his hand, the "Sword and Man as One" trait took effect.
The sword felt like an extension of his arm, moving as he willed.
Jiang Ning also knew the weight of this sword eighty-five jin, three feet seven inches long.
"Do you know why I stepped onto the arena?" Xie Xiaojiu suddenly asked.
"Does it need a reason?" Jiang Ning asked.
"Of course it does!" Xie Xiaojiu tightened her grip on her sword and continued, "Sister Qingyi has been mentioning you repeatedly in front of me recently, saying my talent isn't as good as yours. I'm not convinced!"
"So!!" Xie Xiaojiu emphasized, slowly drawing her sword. "So... I want to prove to Sister Qingyi that her judgment isn't worse than Shen Congyun's! And that I, Xie Xiaojiu, am not inferior to you, Jiang Ning!!"
"I see," Jiang Ning nodded, then said, "If you lose, how about joining my team?"
"Deal!" Xie Xiaojiu agreed without hesitation.
Jiang Ning was slightly surprised.
Then he smiled. "Then let's begin!"
At this moment, Jiang Ning felt a bit pleased.
Xie Xiaojiu's strength was undeniable, at least at the eighth rank.
As a prodigy favored by Lin Qingyi, she undoubtedly had both talent and strength.
After today, whether he secured the squad leader position or the deputy commander position, he would need capable people.
Xie Xiaojiu was a capable candidate.
After all, she had a connection with Lin Qingyi, and his relationship with Lin Qingyi seemed decent.
Moreover, Xie Xiaojiu was quite attractive fair-skinned, beautiful, and tall.
Having such a subordinate would be pleasing to the eye, as everyone appreciates beauty, not to mention she was one of the few martial prodigies in Luoshui County.
At this moment, Xie Xiaojiu lightly swung her sword.
Hum
The sword trembled, emitting a faint hum.
"Are you ready?" Xie Xiaojiu asked.
"Let's go!" Jiang Ning swung his sword lightly.
Whoosh
The sound of the blade cutting through the air rang out.
In an instant.
Xie Xiaojiu tapped her toes, and her figure instantly turned into a black shadow, charging toward Jiang Ning.
So fast!
Jiang Ning's eyes narrowed.
As soon as Xie Xiaojiu moved, Jiang Ning could tell her movement technique was extraordinary.
She must have trained specifically in movement techniques, and that technique was undoubtedly of a high level.
"Miss Xie's speed is incredible!"
"Indeed! Her movements are like shadows. Her Willow Catkin Movement Technique must be at least perfected, if not mastered!"
"Is this what a martial prodigy looks like? Not even twenty years old, yet she's already reached the eighth rank, with such exceptional movement skills. Most importantly, Miss Xie Xiaojiu is known for her natural talent with the sword!"
"Such a prodigy! No wonder the owner of Wanhua Tower, Lin Qingyi, recognized her potential early on!"
For a moment, the crowd below was abuzz with admiration.
Meanwhile, in the arena.
The ten-zhang distance was crossed in an instant by Xie Xiaojiu.
Clang
As Xie Xiaojiu closed in, her sword gleamed like snow.
By the time the crowd could see clearly, Xie Xiaojiu's sword tip had been blocked by Jiang Ning's horizontal blade.
Moreover, Jiang Ning's upper body leaned back slightly, using the strength of his core to dissipate the force of Xie Xiaojiu's thunderous thrust.
With this move, both fighters paused momentarily.
"Such strong force!" Jiang Ning's eyes narrowed as he felt the immense power transmitted through Xie Xiaojiu's sword tip.
Xie Xiaojiu likely had nearly three thousand jin of strength.
With just one move, Jiang Ning quickly assessed her strength.
So strong!
Xie Xiaojiu, looking at Jiang Ning up close, was also momentarily shocked.
She was well aware of her strength.
Two thousand eight hundred jin.
For a woman to achieve this level of strength at the eighth rank was no small feat.
If she weren't the Ninth Miss of the Xie family, if she didn't have exceptional martial talent and the support of her family, if she hadn't been favored and aided by Lin Qingyi without any one of these factors, she wouldn't have been able to reach this level of strength as a woman at the eighth rank.
Originally, she thought her strength would at least make her stand out among eighth-rank martial artists, if not dominate them.
She never expected that her first real challenge would end in defeat.
After all, she had put her full strength into this thrust, aiming to defeat Jiang Ning in one move.
With the momentum of her charge, the speed and explosive power of this thrust were 20-30% higher than normal.
Yet Jiang Ning, standing still and blocking with his sword, easily withstood her strongest attack.
After the initial shock, Xie Xiaojiu quickly realized.
Her strength was inferior to Jiang Ning's.
Otherwise, Jiang Ning wouldn't have been able to block her strongest thrust so effortlessly, without even stepping back.
At this moment.
As their eyes met, only the two of them understood the other's strength.
To the outside world, they could only see Xie Xiaojiu's swift movements and Jiang Ning's calm composure under pressure.
In the next moment.
Jiang Ning's right arm, holding the sword, trembled slightly, and a surge of force transmitted through the blade. Xie Xiaojiu's expression changed again, and her body floated backward like a willow catkin.
Whoosh
The blade cut through the air, the sharp sound of wind whistling.
Facing this strike, Xie Xiaojiu's body in mid-air seemed like a willow catkin, swaying slightly under the wind generated by the blade's swing.
A small difference could lead to a huge gap.
The blade brushed past Xie Xiaojiu's shoulder.
Suddenly.
The blade paused mid-swing.
Then, with a twist of Jiang Ning's wrist, the blade shifted from a slash to a horizontal cut.
This strike was aimed directly at Xie Xiaojiu's shoulder.
As the blade paused, Xie Xiaojiu's cool eyes narrowed, and she leaned back, her upper body bending backward.
Xie Xiaojiu's flexible waist was on full display as her ponytail brushed the ground, narrowly avoiding the horizontal slash.
The blade grazed Xie Xiaojiu's soft waist, cutting off a corner of her black tight-fitting outfit.
Then.
As the blade passed halfway, it paused again, and Jiang Ning prepared to shift from a slash to a downward strike.
But Xie Xiaojiu had already anticipated this move. As her waist bent backward.
She tapped her toes lightly, her calves exerting force.
Like a windmill, she circled Jiang Ning, moving to his side.
"Miss Xie's adaptability and movement skills are incredible!"
"Indeed! Her Willow Catkin Movement Technique must be perfected! To have even her movement technique perfected, Xie Xiaojiu's martial talent is truly extraordinary!"
"Not just Xie Xiaojiu, Jiang Ning is much stronger than everyone expected!"
"True, such swift swordplay, yet so smooth and precise Jiang Ning's swordsmanship is not to be underestimated!"
"Speaking of which, I've always had a question. Did Jiang Ning just start training a few months ago?"
"That must be true! I have a friend who drank with Jiang Ning, and he told me so himself."
The crowd buzzed with excitement as they watched the thrilling exchange in the arena.
Meanwhile, in the arena.
Xie Xiaojiu used her movement technique to circle Jiang Ning, positioning herself at his side. Then, her sword flashed, aiming for Jiang Ning's right arm.
Sensing this.
Jiang Ning twisted his blade, and the speed of his sword increased dramatically.
Although his combat experience wasn't extensive.
Most of the time, Jiang Ning had ended his previous fights in just a few moves.
But now, Jiang Ning didn't let his guard down.
To him, combat was simple.
If your reactions were fast enough, and your speed was fast enough, you could overcome any lack of experience.
Fast reactions meant you could handle any attack from your opponent with ease.
Fast speed meant you could strike first, even if your opponent initiated the attack.
At this moment, Jiang Ning's senses were incredibly sharp.
Every move Xie Xiaojiu made every slight change, was instantly detected by him.
Even behind him, just by the sound of the wind and the changes in airflow, Jiang Ning felt as if he had eyes on the back of his head, easily sensing everything around him.
Clang
Sword met sword, sparks flying.
Xie Xiaojiu's expression changed drastically.
Jiang Ning's sudden increase in speed completely caught her off guard.
The force transmitted through this strike also shocked her.
With one blow, her right arm went numb, almost losing grip on her sword.
Her balance was completely disrupted by Jiang Ning's single strike.
This strike also knocked Xie Xiaojiu's sword aside, leaving her wide open.
In the next moment.
She saw Jiang Ning's left hand shoot through her open guard, landing on her chest.
"It's over," Jiang Ning's voice rang softly in her ears.
Then, Xie Xiaojiu felt an overwhelming force transmit through Jiang Ning's palm onto her chest.
Her body was sent flying, heading toward the edge of the arena.
Thud
Her unbalanced body landed solidly on the ground outside the arena.
"I concede," Jiang Ning said.
"Thank you," Xie Xiaojiu stood up, giving Jiang Ning a deep look before turning to leave.
Even though her chest ached slightly, she knew Jiang Ning had held back.
If he hadn't, given the strength she felt from him.
A single palm strike could have shaken her internal organs, making her spit blood.
Instead, she only felt a faint pain.
At this moment, feeling the pain in her chest, Xie Xiaojiu wanted to rub it.
But considering the public setting and the crowd, she could only suppress the thought.
Rubbing her chest in public, especially as a young woman, would be quite improper.
On the Arena.
"I underestimated her a bit. Miss Xie is quite impressive!" Jiang Ning thought to himself.
Then he added in his mind.
But that was a bit rude.
I hope she keeps her promise.
Xie Xiaojiu's strength was much greater than I had imagined.
Even Shi Xiaoyuan in his transformed state might not be her match.
Below the Arena.
The crowd was already buzzing with discussion.
"That's it? Is it over?"
"It's over! Xie Xiaojiu was a bit careless. Jiang Ning landed a palm strike on her chest, and since she was near the edge of the arena, she fell off and lost!"
"You can't say that! A loss is a loss. There's no such thing as carelessness!"
"She was careless! Can't you see? Xie Xiaojiu is known for her swordsmanship, but she didn't even use her full strength before falling off the arena. This wasn't her true power!"
"Speaking of which, I envy Jiang Ning! He got to take advantage of Miss Xie in public."
"Brother, that's a bit perverted!!!"
Meanwhile.
Zhou Xing's mouth hung open. "Junior Brother Jiang is this strong??"
"Junior Brother Jiang is indeed impressive!" Li Qing said, her tone slightly sour.
"Good! Well done!!" Wang Jin's face was filled with joy.
Especially when he saw the surprised expression on Yu Yuan's face, he felt even more delighted.
A disciple's excellence brought honor to the master.
At the positions of the Cao, Liu, and Xie families.
"Xie Xiaojiu lost?" Cao Zijian's face showed surprise.
"Damn it! That kid just took advantage of Xiaojiu!" Liu Zhaonan cursed.
"Pfft!" Cao Zijian couldn't help but laugh. "Brother Zhaonan, are you angry?"
Liu Zhaonan said, "It's not anger, it's jealousy!!"
Then Liu Zhaonan added, "Xie Xiaojiu is so beautiful, talented, and the Ninth Miss of the Xie family. How could such a good thing happen to him!"
"Brother Zhaonan, you're quite the straightforward person!" Cao Zijian managed to say after some thought.
Among the Martial Academy students.
The sallow-skinned He Jinyun also showed a hint of surprise.
"This guy is quite impressive! Not only is his movement technique outstanding, but his mastery and use of the sword have reached a level where his intent and movements are one. His swordsmanship is extraordinary!"
"Indeed, impressive!" Qin Xuan nodded slightly, then added, "If no real strong challengers step up, Jiang Ning will likely become the first squad leader from Luoshui County."
"Unlikely, unless he can also defeat Lü Renyao," He Jinyun said indifferently.
"Lü Renyao?" Qin Xuan, dressed in a black robe with gold trim, looked surprised.
"Look over there," He Jinyun said calmly.
Qin Xuan followed his gaze and saw Lü Renyao walking forward.
"Is he going to challenge Jiang Ning?"
"Definitely," He Jinyun nodded. "Lü Renyao is a vengeful guy. During the first round of testing, he approached Jiang Ning, and Jiang Ning brushed him off. With Lü Renyao's personality, he'll seize the chance to retaliate."
Qin Xuan glanced at Lü Renyao's back and smiled. "If Lü Renyao loses, it'll be quite entertaining!"
"For Lü Renyao to lose is too difficult! He's not as strong as you or me, but he's stronger than Liu Sansheng. Lü Renyao's strength is said to be over two thousand five hundred jin, and with his perfected movement technique and Cloud-Piercing Palm, how could he lose to someone from such a small place?"
"I think Lü Renyao might lose," Qin Xuan said.
"Oh? You're that optimistic about this kid from Luoshui County?"
"He gives off a different vibe!"
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