Chapter 438 - 229: Jianzhen Lake, The Disruptor (Part 3)

Chapter 438: Chapter 229: Jianzhen Lake, The Disruptor (Part 3)

The reward was tempting to others, but its benefits might be limited. For someone with Xie Yuan’s cultivation speed, however, it was a different story. He could achieve half a year’s worth of progress in just ten days. The allure was irresistible.

As for Ning Zi, her mind was naturally set on the path to becoming a Grandmaster.

Unlike someone with Xie Yuan’s talent, for whom the path to becoming a Grandmaster was practically wide open, Ning Zi’s future was less certain. Though her own talent was extraordinary, she couldn’t say for sure she would ever reach the Grandmaster realm. Without some fateful opportunity, it was entirely possible for her to toil away for decades with nothing to show for it.

Nothing was ever certain on the path of cultivation. Countless people practiced for ten, even thirty years, only to remain stagnant, unable to cross a single minor threshold for their entire lives. Such stories were all too common.

Aside from a few lucky souls, cultivation was never smooth sailing. No one had ever heard of a person who could clear every obstacle in their path and never once face a bottleneck... Well, almost no one.

The opportunity to enter Jianzhen Lake was right in front of her. It could very well be the key to her breakthrough to the Grandmaster realm, and Ning Zi’s heart naturally yearned for it.

Her eyes began to sparkle as she clenched her fist.

"I’m taking first place in this Junior Hidden Dragon Tournament, no matter what!"

Seeing that his junior sister was indeed more motivated, Qin Zhenyang smiled and nodded.

"Go for it, Junior Sister Ning. I believe in you."

"You can do it, Senior Sister Ning!"

Her fellow disciples all offered their encouragement. Xie Yuan also hoped this cheerful, fiery senior sister would achieve her goal. She had always been a vibrant presence on Cloud Mountain.

After all this talk, it was about time for the matches to begin.

Yao Qinglai went on stage again to say a few words. Then, the true Junior Hidden Dragon Tournament on the second day officially began.

"First match: Ning Zi of the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect versus Shao Wensheng of Qu Ning Academy! Will the two of you please come to the stage."

Ning Zi’s spirits lifted. She waved to her fellow disciples and, amidst a chorus of cheers, headed down to the arena below.

The Qu Ning Academy’s seats were also on the third floor. On her way down, she ran into her opponent: Shao Wensheng, a Second Transformation Realm expert from the academy.

Shao Wensheng looked refined and gentle. His face was fair and handsome, radiating a scholarly air. Even if one didn’t know he was a disciple of Qu Ning Academy, a single glance at his face would suggest he was a scholar.

From the neck down, however, his frame was incredibly brawny. His scholar’s robes were stretched taut across his physique. If you ignored his face, you would think he was a butcher.

All the disciples of Qu Ning Academy seemed to share this same contradictory quality, making one wonder what on earth the Sect’s guiding principles were.

When Shao Wensheng saw Ning Zi, his eyes lit up. He bowed with clasped hands.

"I am Shao Wensheng of Qu Ning Academy. A pleasure to meet you, Miss Ning."

Ning Zi was always aloof with outsiders. She gave a slight nod.

"Ning Zi. A pleasure, Brother Shao."

"Heh, I hope Miss Ning will go easy on me later."

"You’re too kind, Brother Shao."

With her large eyes wide, Ning Zi walked straight onto the arena platform.

Shao Wensheng took his position opposite her. They each performed a salute, then drew their swords. A moment later, they heard the referee call out:

"Begin!"

The audience below waited with bated breath.

As exciting as yesterday’s matches were, they were only clashes between cultivators at the Qi Blood First Transformation Realm.

Though many in the audience couldn’t even break through the stage of External Training themselves, that didn’t stop them from looking down on the fighters, feeling that the First Transformation Realm was a bit lacking and that the combatants still had a long way to go.

But the Qi and Blood Second Transformation Realm... well, that was something worth watching.

There weren’t nearly as many Second Transformation Realm experts competing as there were First Transformation practitioners. Many of the smaller sects and schools had no young disciples skilled enough to take the stage. Those who did qualify were almost exclusively from Major Sects, their cultivation built on orthodox foundations. And since they were a full realm higher, their techniques were expected to be far more exquisite than what was seen yesterday.

And sure enough, the moment the referee gave the command, Ning Zi stepped forward. A light thrust shot straight for Shao Wensheng’s face.

The thrust seemed effortless, yet its speed was astounding—far faster than Yao Tianchuan’s crowd-stunningly fast opening move from the day before. The moment she raised her hand, the blade was already at Shao Wensheng’s face!

This single move revealed the enormous gap between the Qi and Blood Second Transformation Realm and the First Transformation Realm. Yao Tianchuan’s cultivation was already near the peak of the First Transformation Realm, yet compared to even this probing strike from Ning Zi, the difference was immeasurable. And this was despite the fact that Yao Yue Peak’s swordsmanship wasn’t even known for its speed.

The audience below barely had time to react before the Long Sword was pointing at the space between Shao Wensheng’s eyebrows.

But upon seeing this sharp opening strike, Shao Wensheng’s expression tightened. He remained completely unruffled, raising his broadsword to cover his face and completely block Ning Zi’s attack.

TING—

A piercing metallic ring echoed out. Ning Zi’s Long Sword made contact with Shao Wensheng’s blade for only an instant before retracting. In a flash, it traced an arc, bypassing the broad blade. The cold glint of the Sword Edge, like an autumn crescent moon, slashed straight toward Shao Wensheng’s neck.

Shao Wensheng’s expression shifted. He hadn’t expected such a clever follow-up to her opening strike. The transition between moves was incredibly fluid. ’She must have anticipated my block.’

His expression turning grim, he angled his vertical blade slightly and knocked it to the side, blocking Ning Zi’s sharp sword just before it reached his neck.

A greater force than he’d anticipated traveled up his arm. Although he knew that beneath Ning Zi’s charmingly cold exterior was an expert of the Qi and Blood Second Transformation Realm, her level of power still took him by surprise.

Fortunately, the disciples of Qu Ning Academy were known for their physical strength. His hand trembled for only a moment before steadying. Tightening his grip, he pushed back with explosive force, launching a counterattack!

With Shao Wensheng’s strength behind it, this explosive burst of power was extremely dangerous. If Ning Zi were even half a beat too slow to react, her own Long Sword would likely be driven back into her throat.

’Of course, being a gentleman who cherished beautiful women, he would certainly stop at the last second...’

But just as he was thinking this, what he expected failed to happen. The instant he exerted his strength, Ning Zi withdrew her Long Sword. A moment later, Shao Wensheng felt a sudden chill before his face.