Chapter 495 - 238: Battling Zhang Junyi

Chapter 495: Chapter 238: Battling Zhang Junyi

"Brother Xie, your cultivation is profound and your Divine Skill is peerless. I concede!"

Xie Yuan threw his head back and laughed.

"That was exhilarating, truly exhilarating!"

That duel was incredibly exhilarating!

His voice was a little hoarse, and a flush had risen to his cheeks.

Watching from the sidelines, Monk Huie Jue remarked dryly:

"Xie Yuan, why are you still putting on the airs of a Grandmaster? Your Golden Bell Shield is broken, isn’t it?"

Xie Yuan shot him a sidelong glance and scoffed,

"Yours would’ve broken too! I say you’re just jealous."

Zhang Junyi’s Heavenly Thunder Divine Sword was immensely powerful—a true Daoist art, almost on par with his own Sweeping a Thousand Armies. But it had significant drawbacks. Zhang Junyi’s mastery of it was imperfect, and he still needed to chant an incantation to use it.

Against opponents of his caliber or stronger, he would never get the chance to cast it. Against weaker foes, he wouldn’t need to.

Xie Yuan had faced the storm of the two colliding ultimate attacks head-on. While it had looked impressive, he had sustained some minor injuries.

’I could have dodged, but we agreed it would be the final blow. It wouldn’t have felt complete if I hadn’t taken it head-on!’

’Throughout the entire battle, I didn’t use the Celestial Concealment Skill or the Celestial Illusion Skill. Wasn’t the whole point to see what my true strength was without them?’

The results of this test were deeply satisfying.

’Even against Zhang Junyi—a genius whom the world’s second-ranked Grandmaster had accepted as a closed-door disciple, a true successor of the Xuanzhen Sect who was permitted to descend the mountain—I could fight and win, holding the upper hand the entire time!’

’Just over a month ago, even if I could have won, it wouldn’t have been such a decisive, straightforward victory.’

The improvement in his strength since then was obvious.

’My cultivation, once my greatest weakness, has finally caught up. With the combined power of my two Inner Power arts, I can overwhelm opponents with sheer volume, even if the quality of my Cultivation Technique is inferior to Zhang Junyi’s.’

Xie Yuan felt a surge of excitement. His progress in cultivation had finally been tangibly proven. This duel truly had been exhilarating.

In truth, Xie Yuan had a natural advantage over Zhang Junyi.

The Daoist’s main focus was, after all, Swordsmanship. No matter how formidable the Xuanzhen Sect’s techniques were, they had flaws when executed by a mortal—flaws that were suppressed by Xie Yuan’s Sword Heart. Furthermore, while the Dragon Slaying Sword was a high-grade weapon, Zhang Junyi had not yet achieved the realm of a Grandmaster in its use. Xie Yuan’s Cloud Dragon Nine Forms, however, was a bona fide Grandmaster-Level Swordsmanship technique, and his innate talent had already allowed him to achieve a fair degree of mastery.

While Xie Yuan’s cultivation was no longer a weakness, his Cultivation Technique was still a step behind. The Sword Intent Scripture was a perfect match for his Swordsmanship, making it a near-top-tier Inner Power art. Supplemented by the Body Nurturing Art, his disadvantage in Inner Power was minimal. However, the lower grade of his Golden Bell Shield became a glaring weakness when faced with a top-tier technique.

Fortunately, the Xuanzhen Wuji Gong cultivated both the internal and external, resulting in a harmonious balance that didn’t specialize in Blood Qi. While it was still far superior to the Golden Bell Shield, the gap wasn’t as pronounced as it would be against a Buddhist Divine Skill focused on Qi and Blood.

’If I were to fight Huie Jue, it would likely be a much tougher battle.’

’Of course, I haven’t used my true killing moves yet, either. But then again, it’s impossible to say if Huie Jue was holding back.’

He glanced at Huie Jue, who wore a peculiar expression, and considered this.

When Huie Jue saw him looking, he took a step back, his face a mask of vigilance. He said:

"Xie Yuan, wasn’t the Daoist enough for you? Don’t get any funny ideas. Daoist, Daoist! Get over here and apologize."

Zhang Junyi, still lost in the afterglow of their spectacular battle, paid him no mind.

The young Daoist stood quietly for a moment before looking up at Xie Yuan. He took out a Copper Coin.

"Brother Xie, please take this."

He tossed it over. Xie Yuan caught it with a puzzled expression.

"Daoist, what’s this?"

"This is the coin to buy back my life."

Zhang Junyi explained earnestly:

"My master told me that if I was ever defeated or on the verge of death, I should use this coin to pay for my life. Since I have lost, this Copper Coin is now yours, Brother Xie."

"Huh?"

Xie Yuan was utterly baffled, but seeing Zhang Junyi’s serious expression, he simply examined the copper coin—which looked completely ordinary—and put it away.

A glint flashed in Huie Jue’s eyes, gone in an instant. He intoned the Buddha’s name:

"Amitabha! If that’s the case, then after watching such a clash of titans, this humble monk cannot be stingy. I must add to the stakes."

He rummaged around in his wide sleeve for a while before pulling out a Buddhist amulet and handing it to Xie Yuan.

"Xie Yuan, I give this amulet to you as a gift. Chant the name of the Buddha frequently, and it will ward off all evil."

Xie Yuan was once again taken by surprise. He felt that the two of them were completely unpredictable.

He took the amulet and looked at the simple, crudely made Buddha figure on it. It looked like something bought from a street stall. Sucking air through his teeth, he said:

"Monk, I appreciate the thought. But this amulet... you didn’t just find it on the side of the road, did you?"

"Amitabha! Xie Yuan, it’s the thought that counts."

Huie Jue’s eyes crinkled into a smile.

"Besides, Xie Yuan, you have deep roots of wisdom and an affinity with the Buddha. This amulet has its own karmic purpose and can help you perceive the essence of Buddhism."

What?

Hearing this, Xie Yuan was startled, and his head snapped toward Huie Jue.

The monk wore a look of pure innocence, as if he had merely spoken casually, leaving Xie Yuan to wonder at his true meaning.

But Xie Yuan felt that every action of this wily monk was laden with deeper meaning. He stared at him for a moment longer, and he treated the amulet with newfound care as he put it away.

He glanced at the sky, then turned to the other two with a smile.

"All good things must come to an end. It has been my honor to meet you both here in Jinling. The world is wide and our paths are long, but I hope we will meet again someday."

Zhang Junyi looked reluctant to part. He sighed and said:

"Brother Xie, I truly admire your heroic spirit. I only regret that I cannot travel by your side, punishing evil and protecting the innocent. This journey from the mountain was short, but meeting you—and, ah, Master Huie Jue—has been immensely rewarding. It’s time for me to return to my cultivation. Brother Xie, Monk Huie Jue, we will surely meet again. When I next descend the mountain, I believe I will have broken through to the Qi Blood Third Transformation Realm. I look forward to discussing martial arts and the Dao with you both then!"

Huie Jue’s eyes crinkled in a smile.

"Amitabha! This humble monk will not fall behind you, Daoist. We part today only to meet again. Nothing more needs to be said."

He placed his palms together, gave a slight bow, and then turned and walked away without a moment’s hesitation.

Xie Yuan shook his head and chuckled.

’What a monk!’

He and Zhang Junyi exchanged a smile, then solemnly clasped their fists in salute. They turned and departed in opposite directions.

The bamboo forest fell silent once more. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, sending them spiraling to the ground.

Jinling City was as bustling as ever.

Some time had passed since the Young Dragon Tournament, and while it was still a topic of conversation, the initial fervor had died down.

But the teahouses and taverns were always buzzing with new gossip—one day it was a great hero slaying a villain, the next it was a famous martial artist whose wife was caught in an affair.

Yet, whenever the martial artists of Jinling Prefecture gathered, their conversations inevitably circled back to one name: the Yao family.

A great family like theirs was a towering mountain. Here in Jinling City, nestled beside the Great River, they were impossible to ignore—a landmark visible the moment one looked up.

So when a swordsman in white suddenly appeared before the gates of the Yao Mansion, staring up at the plaque in silence, he immediately drew the attention of many onlookers.

A guard at the Yao Mansion frowned at the Swordsman standing squarely in the center of the main gate. He stepped forward and spoke in a low, stern voice:

"Who are you? State your name so I may announce your presence. Do not block the main gate!"

His tone was polite enough, but if the man couldn’t give a satisfactory answer, he’d be dragged inside and taught a lesson simply for blocking the Yao family’s gate.

The Swordsman stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze lingering on the magnificent golden plaque that read "The Yao Clan of Jinling." After a long moment, he slowly lowered his head and smiled at the wary guard.

"I am Li Xingtuo of the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect. I am here to call upon the Yao family of Jinling."