At opposite ends of the arena, the two faced each other from afar, their breathing steady and their fighting spirit rising once more. Recognition and wariness toward their opponent shone in both their eyes.
After a brief silence, Li Tai looked at Yang Jing, who stood tall across from him, his aura vast and his combat prowess overwhelming despite his youth. The flippancy faded from Li Tai's face, and he spoke slowly with heartfelt admiration. "Yang Jing, I truly admire you."
"You're several years younger than me, yet you've come this far on the Martial Path and attained such terrifying strength. That's truly rare in this world. Remarkable."
His words came straight from the heart.
He had traveled through many prefecture domains and crushed countless Heavenly Prodigies of his generation, yet he had never seen anyone possess such solid foundations and such frightening combat prowess at this age.
Across the arena, Yang Jing raised his brows slightly at those words. Meeting Li Tai's appreciative gaze, he answered calmly, "You're strong too."
Yang Jing was not offering empty courtesy. His recognition came after several exchanges and contests of skill.
Ever since he had set foot on the Martial Path, he had trained bitterly and tempered himself in battle, fighting countless formidable enemies and crushing countless peers. Even Jiang Yun, who had previously stood at the pinnacle of the prefecture domain's younger generation, had never given him such oppressive pressure.
Only Li Tai before him possessed a physique as powerful as his own, cultivated a higher-grade art, and maintained a battle-hardened composure as steady as a rock. His attacks, defenses, advances, and retreats were watertight. Every saber strike precisely seized the critical point of the battle, forcing Yang Jing to defend at his limits and unleash his full power.
This pressure of