Chapter 160 - 102: Tomb of the Qi Dao Grandmaster, For a Martial Artist, Why Spar? The Stakes Must Be Life and Death

Chapter 160: Chapter 102: Tomb of the Qi Dao Grandmaster, For a Martial Artist, Why Spar? The Stakes Must Be Life and Death

Forget the Thirty-Six Professions—even if you counted all the Daoist Schools and other Schools combined, those who reached such a level of Martial Dao mastery at this age... were few and far between!

Moreover, most of them had already entered Skin Refining, striving to extend their Great Limit with a Purple Ribbon Immortal Robe. They were the leading figures in the Mansion Courtyards, strong contenders for the next Prefecture Examination!

A figure like that was unrivaled among their peers. It was said that Ye Ningzhi was a natural-born martial arts fanatic with a pure heart for the Dao. Among the Thirty-Six Professions and the Prefecture City’s Daoist Schools, she believed there were very few young people her age... who could defeat her!

And yet...

’She was being pinned down and beaten... by that "little junior brother" of hers, whom she had just met for the first time!?’

"Do you yield?"

Ji Xiu’s breathing was ragged. He never expected this young woman to be so ferocious. If he hadn’t absorbed the Dragon Blood, unlocking his Blood Marrow and unleashing a torrent of Dragon Force, he truly might not have been able to beat her!

Besides...

This woman’s attacks were vicious. No wonder Cai Ling’Er would grind her teeth in frustration whenever she was mentioned.

Who could stand being beaten up like that since childhood?

Ye Ningzhi stubbornly remained silent, turning her face away.

BANG!

Ji Xiu didn’t indulge her, landing another punch!

He had no intention of going easy on a beautiful woman.

’This woman...’

’Her skin is tough! Even tougher than mine!’

’This bit of force isn’t even enough to break her skin!’

"Do you yield?"

"..."

BANG!

"Do you yield!?"

"..."

After a while, Ye Ningzhi’s hair was disheveled and her eyes were red. Seeing this, Ji Xiu’s intensity waned. He found it boring.

"You don’t even have the courage to face defeat. In the end, you’re just a sheltered noble lady from the Prefecture City, ignorant of the ways of the world."

"Forget it. It doesn’t matter if you yield or not."

"Ultimately, you will never have another chance to win."

Ji Xiu rubbed his wrist, got up, and began to walk away.

But upon hearing his words, Ye Ningzhi, who had been completely silent, began to tremble all over.

"You...!"

"You what!"

Cai Ling’Er put her hands on her hips, gloating.

"You’re always fighting everyone, calling yourself the ’future number one of Jiangyin’s younger generation.’ Who’d have thought you couldn’t even handle someone from a mere County?"

"Serves you right!"

Hearing Cai Ling’Er’s undisguised mockery, Ye Ningzhi stubbornly bit her lower lip and looked at the youth in his martial attire ahead of her.

"Next time... I’ll win!"

"I..."

Ji Xiu’s brow furrowed, and he glanced back at Ye Ningzhi.

"Miss Ye, you helped me out once at the docks. Out of respect for that, I didn’t get serious."

"Otherwise, just for showing up unannounced, I could have summoned the County Soldiers in an instant. They would have come with their Powerful Crossbows and riddled you with holes. It wouldn’t matter what Extreme Realm you’ve cultivated; it would be useless."

"You claim to be seeking revenge..."

"This time, I won’t kill you."

"But next time..."

Ji Xiu’s eyes gradually transformed into a pair of Golden Pupils burning with light, radiating indifference and majesty.

"Are you prepared to wager your very life?"

"If not, then don’t come here playing these sparring games of noble ladies and gentlemen."

"I rose from nothing, a country bumpkin. I don’t understand what it means to hold back."

"My Master taught me the blade."

"From the very beginning, I’ve only known one thing—"

"A Martial Artist cultivates what is, at its core, a ’Killing Skill’!"

WHOOSH!

As soon as he spoke, an immense pressure threatened to crush Ye Ningzhi.

Their realms were similar, and they were evenly matched, with Ji Xiu only winning by a narrow margin. But...

The difference in their state of mind...

...was worlds apart.

It left her in a daze. Her mental fortitude, which she had been desperately holding onto, was shattered by his words. Coupled with the pressure from his Divine Soul, she couldn’t hold on any longer and collapsed into the snow.

A moment later, she finally spoke in a small voice:

"I yield."

Watching this, Cai Ling’Er secretly clicked her tongue, unable to help but feel a pang of pity.

"Hey, Ji Xiu, wasn’t that a little too harsh? Her background is significant. You’d better not have just destroyed the Martial Arts Zen Heart of this generation’s Qilin Maiden from the Embroidery Lineage, or else..."

Cai Ling’Er walked to Ji Xiu’s side and poked his arm. In response, Ji Xiu gave a half-smile and caught her hand.

"Instead of worrying about others, my dearest friend, Miss Cai Ling’Er, perhaps you should think back and recall something..."

"The reward you mentioned..."

"...shouldn’t you be telling me about it now?"

Cai Ling’Er’s expression froze.

’Oh no.’

’Time to open my purse strings again.’

(PS: I stayed up way too late last night and couldn’t hold on, so I just fell asleep. I only finished this after getting off work. This Chapter is over six thousand characters long, with over a thousand of them being extra free words I added. T_T I really can’t be pulling all-nighters...)