Mountain Collapse

"Lu Chuan, do you dare to spar with me?"

As soon as these words left the mouth, quite a few senior apprentices around wore expressions of eagerly waiting to watch the show.

Jiang Hao had been a prominent figure ever since he entered the Martial Arts Hall. In the past, people only ever saw senior apprentices of the Second Qi and Blood feeding him moves, and he had never truly fought anyone at his own realm.

Zhou Ming Chuan frowned, wanting to say something, but seeing Lu Chuan's calm profile, he swallowed his words back down.

Though Lu Chuan looked calm on the surface.

Inwardly, he was cursing Chen Mo Bai a thousand times over.

This dead fatty, with a single breezy comparison, had brought him such a huge trouble.

Fighting Jiang Hao brought no benefits upon winning.

The other party was Old Zheng's dearest disciple, and any bump or scrape would be a big deal.

Losing would be even uglier; with so many people watching, how could he ever hold his head up in the Martial Arts Hall in the future?

It might even expose his trump cards.

His true Qi and Blood realm, along with Major Success saber technique, were things that should not let people know.

Yet... conceding on the spot?

That was simply not his style.

Just as Lu Chuan hesitated, Old Zheng spoke up.

"Jiang Hao, your realm holds the advantage, you're putting him at too much of a disadvantage."

The realm Lu Chuan had just displayed was only Initial Success First Qi and Blood, but Jiang Hao had long since reached Perfection.

Jiang Hao replied proudly instead:

"This disciple's realm can be suppressed to the threshold of the Blood Pass, taking no advantage in Qi and Blood, relying solely on saber technique."

"The few saber strikes he used to defeat Wang Yun just now, this disciple saw very clearly; it's saber technique, not brute force."

At this, Old Zheng said nothing, merely looking toward Lu Chuan.

Clearly, Old Zheng not stopping him meant he actually wanted to see the specific level of the two as well.

Following that, everyone's gazes turned over in unison.

Lu Chuan looked at Jiang Hao, who was filled with backbone before him, and the corners of his mouth split open:

"Fine, I accept."

Since Jiang Hao was willing to give up his Qi and Blood advantage and instead compete with him in saber technique, Lu Chuan naturally would not back down.

He could also just use this opportunity to reshape his comprehension and talent in everyone's eyes.

Hearing this, the corners of Jiang Hao's mouth curved slightly.

Of course he could see through that little trick of Chen Mo Bai's shifting the trouble elsewhere.

Arrogant as he was, he wasn't stupid; how could he not know when he was being used as a spear?

Knowing was knowing, though, and he was willing to play this part.

For one thing, his relationship with Senior Brother Chen was already quite good, and on ordinary days Chen Mo Bai took care of him quite a bit, so he had to give this face.

For another, he needed an opportunity.

Ever since entering the hall, everyone said he was a genius, but the name of a genius wasn't enough just to be said by others—it had to be earned by oneself.

Lu Chuan had just shown his face and was riding a wave of momentum; stepping on him to climb up right now, wasn't that just right?

Jiang Hao took the long saber handed over by a nearby disciple, then flicked the tip of the saber, pointing it at Lu Chuan.

"You make the first move."

Lu Chuan didn't stand on ceremony with him, drawing his long saber as well.

The sound of discussion rose from the sidelines once more.

Those Outer Disciple in the front yard huddled together, their voices kept very low, yet unable to suppress that excitement of watching the fun.

"How many moves do you reckon Lu Chuan can hold out for?"

"Hold out for how many? Senior Brother Jiang said he's suppressing his realm, but his saber technique is just a hair's breadth away from Major Success too. With his saber technique realm right there, what's Lu Chuan going to fight with?"

"That's true... but those few saber strikes Lu Chuan used against Wang Yun just now seemed to have Initial Success strength, right?"

"So what if it's Initial Success? You've got to see who he's comparing to—comparing to Senior Brother Jiang? Far too short of it."

Over by the backyard, several Formal Disciple were also conversing in low voices.

"Lu Chuan's saber technique really is not bad. I reckon he's had Initial Success for a fair while now; his foundation is quite solid."

"Reaching this point in four months counts as a genius."

"What a pity, though. The one in front of him is Junior Brother Jiang. I've heard Master Zheng mention that Junior Brother Jiang's Mountain Splitting Saber is only separated from Major Success by a single layer of window paper."

"Then today's spar..."

"Let's watch. With his realm suppressed, it won't be so easy for Junior Brother Jiang, but winning shouldn't be a problem."

Naturally, Lu Chuan wouldn't take what others said to heart. Gripping his saber, he said indifferently:

"Please."

A flash of saber light.

The first strike.

Jiang Hao raised his saber to block, a crisp clang ringing out as the two sabers struck, each parrying the other away.

Jiang Hao's brows twitched slightly; the weight of this strike was trickier than he had imagined.

If you can't find the book title, try searching for the author instead; perhaps it just changed its name!

Without a word, he immediately returned a strike.

Lu Chuan sidestepped to evade it, the blade grazing past his lapel as he flicked his backhand upward, aiming straight for Jiang Hao's ribs.

Jiang Hao withdrew a step, pressing his saber down.

The second strike, the third strike, the fourth strike...

Saber lights intersected, the sound of clashing metal so dense that no gaps could be heard.

The sidelines gradually quieted down, and those who had just been discussing "how many moves to victory" now kept their mouths tightly shut.

No one had expected that this punk Lu Chuan could actually fight Jiang Hao to a standstill!

Quite a few senior apprentices thought resentfully in their hearts:

"These two are simply monsters. To train to this level in four months of initiation, are we older disciples supposed to live or not..."

Ten moves, twenty moves, thirty moves...

Jiang Hao's expression began to change.

He had originally thought he was handling it with ease.

With every strike he delivered, he felt that the opposite Lu Chuan would be driven to exhaustion, subsequently revealing a flaw.

Yet this person opposite him...

Blocked every single strike.

Not only did he block them, but after every strike, he was able to counterattack.

And his counterattacks grew heavier with every single blow.

Fine beads of sweat seeped from Jiang Hao's temples. He stared fixedly at the hand with which Lu Chuan grasped his saber, watching the trajectory of the blade's edge every time it cleaved down.

He thought of these past four months, training day and night without rest, with Senior Brother Chen accompanying his practice, Master Zheng personally instructing him, over a hundred Qi and Blood Pills consumed, and restorative tonics eaten like meals.

He had thought he was in a tier of his own among ordinary disciples.

Yet this Lu Chuan opposite him...

This hardship-enduring fellow practiced martial arts every morning and still had to go up the mountain to hunt every afternoon.

He didn't have Senior Brother Chen feeding him moves hand over hand, much less a hundred-odd Qi and Blood Pills.

Yet his saber technique realm was not a whit inferior to his own!

Jiang Hao's breathing began to grow hurried.

Those fluid transitions from before now paused from time to time.

Meanwhile, Lu Chuan opposite him still maintained a very calm gaze.

Seventy moves.

Eighty moves.

Ninety moves.

The sidelines were already dead silent.

Those Outer Disciple had long since been rendered speechless.

They stared with wide eyes, watching the two intersecting figures in the arena, watching Lu Chuan's saber momentum gradually suppress Jiang Hao...

Even Su Tang took note of this obscure Outer Disciple for the very first time.

After all, why would someone as proud and lofty as her actively strike up a conversation with Jiang Hao?

Was it not because she was carrying out her lineage's orders to pull talented individuals to their side?

Yet now, she honestly hadn't expected that Lu Chuan could actually fight Jiang Hao to this extent.

One hundred moves.

Jiang Hao's saber momentum completely fell into disarray.

He bit down hard on his back molars, the web of his thumb buzzing with numbness, and the fingers gripping his saber began to tremble uncontrollably.

Ever since he began practicing martial arts, he had never been suppressed and beaten like this by anyone.

The gazes around him began to change.

The surprise emotion gradually emerging in those eyes was...

"Junior Brother Jiang seems to be... going to lose?"

Jiang Hao noticed these kinds of eyes as well, and a furious emotion suddenly erupted within his eyes.

With the next strike, he no longer suppressed his realm.

"You piece of trash, go down!"

The Qi and Blood within his Dantian poured turbulently into the saber body, the blade tearing through the air with a force far exceeding the threshold of the Blood Pass, fiercely slashing toward Lu Chuan!

A cold light flashed in Lu Chuan's eyes.

He had originally felt it was enough to simply maintain this saber technique that kept the other guy suppressed, but as it turned out, this fellow couldn't take it anymore and wanted to resort to dirty tricks now?

Lu Chuan held back no longer either, his entire body's Qi and Blood surging forth like a breached flood, rushing madly into his arms and ultimately condensing at the blade's edge.

Mountain Collapse!

The next moment, a tremendous roar of clashing metal rang out!

Jiang Hao's thumb web went numb, his entire arm feeling as though it had been struck by an iron hammer.

The long saber slipped from his grip, flying off at an angle.

Dead silence filled the arena.

If you can't find the book title, try searching for the author instead; perhaps it just changed its name!