Chapter 107 - 52: Jiang Xuan: You Let Your Guard Down After All

Chapter 107: Chapter 52: Jiang Xuan: You Let Your Guard Down After All

The quiet advancement of the *Nine Breath Qi Ingestion Technique* within Jiang Xuan was not a forced breakthrough made in desperation.

Because he was bound by the Dao Foundation Contract, his attunement to the Cultivation Technique had reached a state of one hundred percent perfection—a level of compatibility that perhaps not even its creator could have achieved.

This fateful opportunity of perfect, tailor-made attunement directly reduced the difficulty of his Cultivation of this technique countless times over. ℴ

As early as half a month ago, just after he entered Four Seasons Valley, Jiang Xuan’s Cultivation Technique had already reached the Third Realm.

Since then, whether he was sitting, lying down, walking, or even deep in sleep, the technique operated silently in the background, making steady progress. Each time it ran, the cultivation progress indicated by the system often didn’t just increase by a point or a half-point, but climbed steadily by two or three points at a time.

Besides, during his time cultivating in Four Seasons Valley, Jiang Xuan spent most of his days holed up in the Scripture Pavilion. The books he read were all-encompassing, covering everything from exquisite Swordsmanship to the secret techniques of Four Seasons Valley.

And since the *Nine Breath Qi Ingestion Technique* was the foundational Cultivation Technique for all Shenxiao Sect disciples, the Scripture Pavilion naturally contained a wealth of cultivation notes from those who came before. With the empowerment of Heart·Sincerity (Sword), he gained tens, or even hundreds, of cultivation experience points for every set of notes he studied.

With this triple assistance—a perfectly compatible Cultivation Technique, ceaseless round-the-clock Cultivation, and the boost from his predecessors’ experience—Jiang Xuan’s progress with the *Nine Breath Qi Ingestion Technique* advanced by leaps and bounds.

Long before he ever set foot in the Martial Arts Arena, he had already been a single step away from advancement. His breakthrough now was not a desperate, last-minute eruption, but the inevitable, natural result of steady accumulation!

It was just that Jiang Xuan was currently unaware of any of this. The pressure of his dire situation, the empowerment of the Three Purification Mantra: True Communication, and the fixation of Heart·Sincerity (Sword) meant that in his eyes, there was only the enemy before him and the sword in his hand!

The girl on the other side didn’t dwell on what had just happened. Her red lips parted as she spoke, her tone carrying a hint of arrogance. "If one strike misses, I’ll just deliver another!"

Relying on her complete superiority in basic Attributes like speed, strength, and Magical Power, the girl saw her first attack had failed and immediately slashed out again, her sword’s momentum as fierce as a thunderclap.

BANG!

Much to her surprise, this powerful, heavy blow was once again firmly blocked by Jiang Xuan.

CLANG CLANG CLANG...

Just like that, under the twilight sky and beside a patch of reeds, the two engaged in a fierce duel.

Sword light flashed and starlight flowed. In the span of a dozen or so breaths, their blades clashed dozens of times, the sound of metal on metal ringing out ceaselessly.

Throughout this process, Jiang Xuan, whose foundational strength was inferior, was undoubtedly on the back foot.

Fortunately, his half-month of arduous Cultivation had not been in vain. Moreover, from the time he’d spent holed up in the Scripture Pavilion, Jiang Xuan had not only grasped many Mystical Techniques of Swordsmanship but had also comprehended the essentials of countless other Techniques.

Through the clarity of Heart·Sincerity (Sword) and the empowerment of the Three Purification Mantra: True Communication, he had mastered a great many Techniques and could now manifest them at will, using his sword as a medium.

Such was the case now. In the brief pauses during his duel with the girl, a variety of Techniques emerged one after another from Jiang Xuan’s sword.

WHOOSH...

His longsword spun, barely blocking the girl’s fierce attack. In that same instant, Jiang Xuan formed a hand seal, and the Power of a gale immediately coated his blade. It was the Golden Autumn Gale Technique from Four Seasons Valley, which he had empowered with the Frosty Winter Cold to evolve it into his own exclusive Technique, Breath of the Frosty Winter.

BOOM!

As Jiang Xuan’s Sword Momentum suddenly surged upward, a piercing, bone-chilling squall swept out, rushing straight for the girl’s face.

Although the bone-chilling cold was completely blocked by the glowing starlight surrounding the girl, the violent force of the wind still compelled her to take a half-step back, giving Jiang Xuan a chance to catch his breath.

SWISH!

Jiang Xuan seized the opportunity to retreat one step. Innumerable Ice and Snow Flying Swords suddenly materialized, shooting toward the girl like a torrential downpour. This was One-Nine Frost Shadow Companion.

While the Ice and Snow Flying Swords kept the girl occupied, a biting white mist spewed from Jiang Xuan’s mouth with every breath he took.

In addition to this, two mirrors suddenly appeared on either side of him. With a flash of light, Jiang Xuan’s figure split into four within the white mist.

Lacking in raw power, Jiang Xuan had to use every trick up his sleeve just to hold his own against the girl.

The girl, for her part, was surprised by Jiang Xuan’s performance and even felt a flicker of recognition.

Her initial impression of Jiang Xuan had not been good. While duels in the Martial Arts Arena permitted the use of any means necessary, a sinister sneak attack was ultimately contemptible.

This was why she hadn’t suppressed her strength at the outset.

That’s right. From start to finish, the girl before him had viewed herself as his superior. This was not a deliberate insult or expression of contempt, but a truth etched into her very bones.

Hailing from a top-tier great family and the daughter of a Dharma Lineage Master, the girl had enjoyed endless advantages from the moment she was born.

Soon after her birth, her parents sought out the Three Lights Divine Water to baptize her, making her Soul Spirit pure and her Flesh Body immaculate. As she grew, her parents found countless Heavenly and Earthly Treasures to solidify her foundation, including the highly-praised Spiritual Treasure, Star Stone.

The Star Stone was a rare and wondrous treasure. Having worn it for years, her physique had reached the level of the Spirit Core Middle Stage even without any deliberate Cultivation. Her acupoints, furthermore, were infused with Starlight Power, making their resilience and quality two to three times greater than those of an ordinary Cultivator.

It could be said that the girl’s starting point upon entering the Daoist School was an endpoint that countless Cultivators would struggle to reach even after years of arduous Cultivation.

The girl’s current Cultivation was actually only at the Spirit Core Initial Stage. Yet by relying on this profound foundation, she could not only ignore Jiang Xuan’s Frosty Winter Cold Qi, but also completely overwhelm him in strength, speed, and Magical Power.

This was the advantage of a daughter from the direct line of a great family. The legacy their family had accumulated over hundreds of years was not something a son of the Lower Classes like Jiang Xuan could hope to surpass in a short amount of time.

Of course, the girl knew her own situation was special. For someone like her to go all-out against a son of the Lower Classes could even be seen as a case of the strong bullying the weak.

Normally, her temperament would have led her to hold back at the beginning, dueling Jiang Xuan with pure Swordsmanship alone.

But Jiang Xuan’s earlier sneak attack had thoroughly enraged her, erasing any intention of holding back.

But to her surprise, even when attacking with her full strength, she couldn’t take Jiang Xuan down quickly. He was beaten back again and again, his body covered in blood, yet he gritted his teeth and persevered from start to finish, never once retreating. His resilience sparked a trace of admiration in her heart, and even more curiosity.

’Let me see just how long you can hold out. Besides, only by beating you into complete submission will I be able to...’

At this thought, the girl’s assault didn’t slow down; instead, it grew even more fierce and swift.

"Starfire Eye—open!"

As the girl formed a hand seal, her sharp, clear pupils immediately began to glitter with crystalline starlight.

As the starlight flowed, the girl’s entire body grew even more dazzling, and she faintly exuded a sacred aura.

But these Alien Pupils of hers made Jiang Xuan’s heart sink.

’My Illusion Technique and my Fog Concealment Technique are about to be broken!’

The truth was just as he had predicted. With her eyes wreathed in a fluorescent glow, the girl seemed capable of seeing through all the world’s illusions. None of Jiang Xuan’s ploys could hide from her sight.

She could even see the hidden, transparent Ice and Snow Flying Swords with perfect clarity. This Starfire Eye had also been refined using a precious Spiritual Liquid.

Relying on this pair of eyes, the girl ignored all obstructions and charged at Jiang Xuan once more.

CLANG CLANG CLANG...

The sound of metal on metal rang out once more. Jiang Xuan was knocked back again and again by the force of the blows. After a dozen more exchanges, his acupoints could no longer withstand the impact. The girl’s physical strength was simply too immense. Even though Jiang Xuan’s *Nine Breath Qi Ingestion Technique* had advanced to the Fourth Realm, allowing him to circulate the incoming Power throughout his body so the impact could be shared by his Flesh Body and acupoints, the dispersed Power still made his acupoints tremble, causing him unbearable, intense pain.

As his acupoints trembled, Jiang Xuan’s Magical Power circulation inevitably faltered, creating an opening. The girl caught this subtle flaw instantly. The corner of her mouth curled into a slight smile, her expression one of someone who had expected this all along.

"Your Swordsmanship is truly exceptional, and your resilience is far beyond that of a normal person. But the gap in our raw strength is not something you can bridge with tenacity alone."

"Let this next strike end everything."

As the thought crossed her mind, the longsword in her hand erupted with a dazzling light. To show respect for Jiang Xuan’s resilience, and more importantly, to carry out the next step of her plan, the girl unleashed her finishing move—a secret Mystical Technique she had only recently mastered.

"One Moment, Thousand Stars!"

Because she had only recently mastered this secret Mystical Technique, the girl needed to charge it for a moment before she could unleash the strike.

But in the very instant she began gathering her power, a bone-chilling glint of light suddenly shot out from the eyes of Jiang Xuan, who stood bathed in blood with a face as pale as paper. Those eyes had been icy and indifferent the entire time.

"You... let your guard down!"

"Hm?!"