One Sword Kill

Seeing Ning Ze arrive, Zhai Yanko's gaze instantly turned savage as he stood on the arena platform.

Several District Chief Directors in the second-floor VIP room spoke up in turn.

"Interesting. We actually ran into something this lively."

"Judging by the mood downstairs, that young man and woman should be from the Limitless Martial Arts School."

"The Limitless Martial Arts School is bound to lose. Isn't Wan Dong right here?"

"It's actually that kid?"

Hearing this, the three turned their heads. Old Zhang pointed at the screen and asked, "You know him?"

Pu Nan nodded lightly. "That kid is the son of Golden Fire Bear from the Limitless Martial Arts School. The little guy on the stage is probably going to lose. We should get Wan Dong ready."

"Hmm? Golden Fire Bear? You mean that cripple? His son is that capable?"

"You're certain without even seeing them fight? Golden Fire Bear is only a Beginner Warlord. How outstanding could his teaching be?"

"What do you mean? Do you know some inside information?"

Pu Nan pondered briefly before saying, "There's something strange about this kid. The reason I know him is because he was cultivating Gene Energy on a train."

"The first time someone senses Cosmic Energy, even a genius needs several hours, perhaps nearly an entire day."

"Cultivation requires a quiet, stable environment. A train is not only noisy, but the carriage itself is constantly shaking."

"I watched that kid for an hour back then. He truly entered a cultivation state. Being able to cultivate continuously for an hour already proves his talent, let alone in that kind of environment."

The atmosphere fell slightly silent. If his talent was truly that exceptional, even Wan Dong might find it difficult to defeat him.

"Hahaha! You nearly fooled me." Old Zhang suddenly laughed.

Seeing the puzzled looks on the others' faces, he explained, "I just checked. That kid is called Ning Ze. He only signed an A-level Contract with the Limitless Martial Arts School. After absorbing Cosmic Energy for the first time, his strength increased by 1,200 kilograms. He's nowhere near Wan Dong's level!"

"Oh, so that's how it is. Then we can relax. Even Zhai Yanko down there is stronger than him!"

"Pu Nan must have seen it wrong. Maybe the kid was sleepwalking on the train. Even ordinary people passively absorb Cosmic Energy, let alone martial artists. Perhaps he just got lucky and sensed Cosmic Energy while half-asleep."

The three did not take it seriously, and even Pu Nan began to feel uncertain.

He had only sensed energy fluctuations. Could it be that the kid had merely assumed the posture before falling asleep afterward?

In the first-floor hall.

Ning Ze had already stepped onto the arena platform. Smiling, he cupped his hands toward the people around him and said, "Zhai Yanko chose this venue for our match. I have no intention of provoking anyone. This is simply a private grievance."

"We are all human martial artists. Though we belong to different martial arts schools, our goal is the same. Our enemy is the monsters. I hope the seniors will not misunderstand."

"Oh, and... please stay farther away from my girlfriend. Otherwise, it would be rather unbecoming."

Hearing this, the martial artists' expressions gradually softened. At the last sentence, they burst into laughter.

A powerful martial artist immediately shouted, "Stay away from that girl! You useless lot! You're disgracing our Thunderclap Martial Arts School!"

"Don't let them make a joke out of us! You bastards, if you don't have women at home, go find one! Whoever tries to crowd closer, I'll chop him up!"

Very quickly, an empty ring formed around Shu Yi. She looked at Ning Ze with a radiant smile, little stars seeming to shine in her eyes. It felt wonderful to be cared for.

Ning Ze cupped his hands again in thanks, then said, "I was rushed into this fight during a date. There is no need for Combat Suits in a simple match. I need a Light Swan 5 Series practice sword. Thank you."

"Kid! Catch!"

A thunderous shout rose from below.

Then, a silver-white streak shot rapidly toward the platform.

Ning Ze's eyes narrowed. He suddenly reached forward and grabbed it, only for the immense force transmitted through the sword to change his expression.

After steadying the sword, even his hand trembled.

Ning Ze looked toward the person who had thrown him the sword with a wry smile.

A towering, muscular man stood out from the crowd with his arms crossed. His head was raised high, his nostrils pointed at the sky, and he wore an arrogant expression as though looking down on everyone.

Clearly, no matter how politely Ning Ze spoke, it could not change the fact that he was a martial artist from the Limitless Martial Arts School. Expecting a good attitude from them was wishful thinking.

After steadying himself.

Ning Ze looked up at his opponent.

Zhai Yanko stood across from him with a curved blade in hand, slightly bent forward in a diving combat stance.

Ning Ze lowered his gaze. He had originally wanted to teach this bastard a proper lesson, but since he was at the Thunderclap Martial Arts School Jiangnan Headquarters, he could not go too far.

Defeating him was fine. Humiliating him was out of the question.

There were countless Warlord-level experts below the stage. If he stubbornly refused to leave any room for dignity, he would not merely be slapping one person in the face.

If Ning Ze earned the resentment of so many powerful experts, Zhai Yanko would probably be delighted to death!

More importantly, Ning Ze had no seniors from the Limitless Martial Arts School accompanying him.

"No more nonsense. I'm ready."

The muscular martial artist with his nose in the air turned to look at Zhai Yanko.

"I've been waiting for a long time! You're definitely going to lose this time."

Ning Ze snorted and made a sword-drawing motion. A curved flash of silver light streaked through the air as his sword slanted behind him, ready for battle.

The martial artist with crossed arms looked left and right, then shouted, "The match begins!"

The instant his words fell.

Zhai Yanko charged forward fiercely. A savage smile spread across his face, and his eyes brimmed with cruelty.

Ning Ze lowered his eyes even further. If there had not been so many people present, he would have wanted to beat this bastard to death.

Forget it. I'll end this quickly!

A sharp light flashed in Ning Ze's eyes. Strength surged through his feet as he charged forward as well. He did not dare humiliate Zhai Yanko too excessively, but neither would he leave him any face. In a normal fight, no one could criticize him for it.

In the arena, the martial artist watching with crossed arms frowned slightly. Ning Ze was too fast, and an ominous feeling rose in his heart.

"Clang!"

Blade and sword collided with a clear ring.

The crowd saw only a flash of silver-white sword light. Ning Ze swept his sword aside, knocking away the curved blade, and the tip of his sword was already aimed directly at Zhai Yanko's throat.

Zhai Yanko's face was full of shock as he stared ahead in disbelief. A silver-white blade had passed through the gap between his two swords.

Following that pale sword light upward, past the outstretched arm.

Ning Ze stood with one hand behind his back, straight as a sturdy pine. He held his head slightly high and looked down ahead, his eyes utterly calm, as though that sword strike was not worth mentioning.

That lofty attitude clearly showed his utter disdain.

He had lost!

He had lost in a single sword strike!

Zhai Yanko's mind went blank.

"Riiing! Clink!"

Ning Ze slowly withdrew his sword. Blade and sword gave off a clear, ethereal scrape of metal against metal. Holding the sword in both hands, he cupped his hands in salute and said calmly, "You let me win." With so many experts from the Thunderclap Martial Arts School present, he still had to observe proper etiquette.

Zhai Yanko remained dazed. He had carefully planned everything and entered the fight believing he held the advantage, only to be defeated at the first exchange.

"This..."

"One move?"

"This kid!"

The Thunderclap Martial Arts School martial artists were instantly stunned.

That sword strike had indeed been sharp and tricky. Even they would have needed to defend seriously against it.

But with enough combat experience, it could have been avoided entirely.

The problem was that Ning Ze was only a new martial artist. How could he possess such superb Sword Art?

The loss was far too humiliating!

When they looked at Ning Ze again, the people from the Thunderclap Martial Arts School felt their teeth ache.

Before, he had been graceful, courteous, and measured in his conduct. They could still laugh it off. Victory and defeat were common in battle; even if their side lost after a fierce fight, they could accept it.

But they had not expected this kid to put on such a complete act. Once he struck, he showed absolutely no mercy.

He had killed his opponent in a single move. If word got out, the Thunderclap Martial Arts School martial artists would not be able to hold their heads up for days.

On the second floor, in that same VIP room.

The four District Chief Directors were all frowning.

The Chief Director with the gloomy face said in a deep voice, "Their strength and speed are not too far apart, but the gap in combat experience is enormous. I feel there is something unusual about the Secret Manual this kid cultivates, but I cannot discern its origins in such a short time."

The other three fell silent. The loss had indeed been too ugly. None of them had expected it.

Pu Nan frowned tightly. "I told you there was something strange about this kid. His strength does not match the intelligence at all. He hid his true strength! Otherwise, that Zhai kid would not have lost so quickly."

"Now that we cannot figure out his background, even if Wan Dong steps in, it may be difficult to turn the situation around."

The muscular man frowned and said heavily, "Getting killed in one move is too humiliating. The other martial artists are all veterans, so it is not suitable for them to step in. Let Wan Dong go. His strength is greater, so he should have a chance of winning."

"Old Zhang, what do you think? Geniuses have to lose sooner or later. It is not too late for him to lose now. I heard the Limitless Martial Arts School also recruited a genius yesterday."

Old Zhang was silent for a moment. It was normal enough for a genius to lose, but a genius who kept losing would ultimately suffer in cultivation.

A sharp glint flashed in Pu Nan's eyes. "Wan Dong is already down there. From the looks of it, that kid wants to fight. But Ning Ze and the Zhai kid have a wager. If Wan Dong steps up, he does not have the money for it. Hehehe, this is interesting."

Old Zhang gritted his teeth and agreed. Unpolished jade would not become fine jade.

"I'll send Wan Dong a message right now. It's only 20 million Huaxia Coin."

In the first-floor martial artist hall.

A group of muscular men surrounded Ning Ze and Shu Yi in the center, clearly not intending to let them leave.

Ning Ze smiled bitterly. "Seniors, isn't this against the rules? I only came to use the venue. Zhai chose which martial arts school we would come to. I have no intention of stirring up conflict between the schools."

"There is a grievance between the two of us. This was a normal fight, and I have not offended any of you. As fellow martial artists, I hope you seniors can understand."

Shu Yi hugged his arm and hid behind him, nodding obediently. Her large innocent eyes seemed to be explaining everything.

She had sensed earlier that choosing this place was a bad idea, but she had not expected her boyfriend to be this impressive. A one-move kill had left all these seniors present unable to save face.

She wanted to laugh right now, but the gazes around her were far too frightening. How could she dare laugh? She could only feel proud inside.

This time, the Thunderclap Martial Arts School martial artists around them did not listen to Ning Ze's nonsense.

They had lost so much face that anyone with even a little collective pride could not stand it. At such a time, they could die for their honor. It was clear just how indignant the martial artists present were.

Still, they did not go too far. They were simply waiting for the genius of the Thunderclap Martial Arts School.

They had to fight another match.

If Ning Ze killed another person in one move, then they would have to properly get to know him. Was he here to smash their establishment?

"Kid, stop talking! Fight another match before you leave! Do you think using our venue is free?"

"That's right! Your business is your own business, but this idiot disgraced us. You have to show us something we can accept! Bring out your real skills, and no one will have anything else to say!"

Ning Ze fell silent for a moment. He certainly was not afraid of competing.

His Movement Technique was at the Microscopic Level.

His Force Generation was doubled, equivalent to having cultivated a top-tier Secret Manual to the Second Layer. Three layers, seventy percent strength stacked with 2.1 times Force Generation.

There simply could not be a genius of that level, at least not a new martial artist here.

Among those of the same level, he was invincible!

The scene fell quiet for a time.

Just then, a low voice rang out. "I'll do it!"

Everyone looked toward the voice. It belonged to a somewhat lean young man holding a Ghost Moon Blade, with a birthmark on his face.

"Who is that?"

"If you can't do it, don't go up there and disgrace yourself. This is no joke. Once is fine, twice is tolerable, but not a third time. Our Thunderclap Martial Arts School still has pride."

"He's Wan Dong! The District Chief Director told him to go up."

As soon as those words were spoken, the hall fell quiet. If these martial artists had not been so much older than Ning Ze, they would have challenged him long ago.

At last, the genius of the Thunderclap Martial Arts School had arrived.

Delight flashed in Ning Ze's eyes as he said politely, "Let us have a normal match and a friendly exchange. Forget the wager money. I only have a grudge against Zhai."

After saying that, he turned to look to the side.

Zhai Yanko stood there with his head lowered. Earlier, he had made a grand show of setting up the arena, only to be killed in one move. If there had been a crack in the ground, he would have wanted to crawl into it.

Humiliation filled his heart as he clenched his fists. His eyes were cold and sharp, yet also carried a trace of helplessness and madness. No one knew what he was plotting.

Wan Dong glanced at his phone, then silently slipped it into his pocket. "No need!"

"There was never any wager between us. If there is no stake at all, it will make the Thunderclap Martial Arts School look as though we are using our influence to bully you."

"If you win, you take 20 million Huaxia Coin. If you lose, I will not take your 10 million Huaxia Coin either."

Seeing Wan Dong's movement with the phone, Ning Ze immediately understood that Wan Dong was not the one paying. The Thunderclap Martial Arts School's higher-ups were stepping in.

He quickly said seriously, "All right. I will definitely give it my all!"

The two stood on the arena platform. Wan Dong's gaze was extremely wary as he guarded against that sharp first sword strike.

Ning Ze's gaze held a touch of helplessness. He definitely had to win. To refuse a gift from Heaven was to invite punishment; why would he refuse money being handed to him for free?

The only question was how to make the Thunderclap Martial Arts School martial artists feel that they had saved face. That was an art.

The battle began.

Blade light and sword shadows flashed as impacts rang out without pause.

At that moment, a truck was parked outside the entrance to Bright Moon Residential Area.

The truck was filled mostly with old furniture. There were even some strange stones, a cheap wooden sword, and a wheelchair resting on top.

Six armed soldiers stood straight on both sides of the entrance, their gazes sweeping over the surroundings.

"Stop!" One of the soldiers immediately raised his assault rifle, aiming it at a taxi in front of the truck.

The taxi quickly came to a stop. A young man about 1.75 meters tall stepped out, followed by a weathered middle-aged couple from the back seat.

Hearing the commotion, Jiang Nian turned his head over. His eyes lit up, and he hurried out from the Bright Moon Residential Area guard duty room with a smile. "Luo Feng is here."

"Coach, were you waiting for me?"

Luo Feng was somewhat surprised. He said gratefully, "I've really troubled you, Coach. Is there something else you need from me?" It was because of this coach's recommendation that he had been able to sign an S-level Contract and move out of that shabby tenement building. He was deeply grateful.

Jiang Nian smiled broadly. "Yes, there is a small matter."

"Please tell me, Coach. If there is anything I can help with, I definitely will not refuse." Luo Feng had a very good impression of Jiang Nian and did not think he would deceive him.

Jiang Nian waved his hand with a smile. "It's not a big deal."

Luo Feng's heart tightened. This matter did not seem small at all. At the very least, Coach Jiang Nian clearly cared about it greatly.

"Today at work, I told a colleague about you. As it happens, he also lives in Bright Moon Residential Area, so you can get acquainted. As it happens, his son also became a martial artist not long ago, though his strength is not as great as yours. So the two of us discussed whether we could let you two have a match."

"You've only just arrived, while his family has always lived here. It's healthy competition within the martial arts hall, so there definitely won't be any trouble. You young people should interact more, and it'll also give everyone a chance to get to know you. It'll help you settle into the environment sooner, which will be good for you in the future."

By then, Luo Feng understood. It was just a sparring match, and with another young person who had only recently become a martial artist.

No matter where one went, talent and background mattered. If he could display some talent, his relationships with the neighbors would improve as well.

And Instructor Jiang Nian had said there would be no trouble, so that family must have had a good reputation. Luo Feng had nothing to worry about. He was also looking forward to fighting someone his own age.

"Alright, I agree. I'll leave the arrangements for the sparring match to you, Instructor."

Jiang Nan smiled and shook his head, saying happily, "Since you live in the same place, show a little mercy when you strike. But don't hold back too much either. We're all one of our own, so just spar normally."

He turned around.

"Come help move the things. This is a genius from our neighborhood, so all of you should get acquainted with him. It'll make communication easier when you're providing services later," Jiang Nian said with a smile as he turned back. "Leave the moving to them. Outside vehicles and outsiders are prohibited from entering the martial artist residential district. The facilities and staff here are comprehensive. You only need to focus on training."

Luo Feng beamed brightly. He had been here before; the neighborhood was beautiful! Now that his family would be living here too, he felt a great sense of accomplishment.