Sword Momentum

The weapon rack was carried up onto the arena, laden with swords, spears, staffs, forks, axes, halberds, hooks—every kind of weapon.

Nie Xiaoyue went straight for a longsword. The moment it entered her hand, her entire presence seemed to grow by a great deal.

Yu Feng took a long spear. From the way he held it, it was clear that his skill with weapons fell far short of Nie Xiaoyue's. Add to that the fact that his cultivation was a level lower, and he had little chance of winning this fight.

"Yu Feng, watch out. I won't hold back!" Nie Xiaoyue warned him, then immediately launched her attack.

Her goal was simple: first place on this year's Youth Ranking. Anyone who stood in her way would be kicked aside without hesitation, and Yu Feng was no exception!

"Look at that! Nie Xiaoyue's Nie Family Sword Technique has already reached this level. Combined with her inner force, it makes the technique far more powerful. Yu Feng will have a hard time winning!"

"Exactly. Nie Xiaoyue has practiced swordsmanship since she was little. Who would've thought it would come in handy today?"

"She really is the pride of Zhushan Town. If you ask me, the Dragon Tower Master will surely recommend her for admission to the empire's Huilong Academy."

Yu Feng met her with his spear, twirling it in his hands as he struggled to fend off Nie Xiaoyue's sword techniques. His spear skills were poor, but he understood one thing: he absolutely could not let Nie Xiaoyue get close!

So he focused even more on defense. Before long, even the little bit of order his spearwork had possessed was gone. Several times, he nearly got pierced by Nie Xiaoyue's longsword.

"This won't work. I have no chance of winning!" Yu Feng furrowed his brows. If they weren't using weapons, perhaps he could have relied on his experience in hand-to-hand combat to beat Nie Xiaoyue. But now he was losing even in technique, and his chances of victory were practically zero.

"Do I really have to use that move?" Yu Feng was reluctant.

Once he used that Forbidden Technique, he would have no strength left to face Jiang Feng. The move would only sustain him for a brief moment. Afterward, he would injure himself and need a long time to recover.

"No. If I use that move to defeat Xiaoyue, I'll have to face Jiang Feng right afterward. I won't be his match then. If Jiang Feng fights Xiaoyue next, I won't just lose the Meridian Opening Pill—I'll put Xiaoyue in danger. If Jiang Feng beats her, he'll take the championship and the Meridian Opening Pill. I can't—I absolutely can't let Jiang Feng get it."

"If I lose to Xiaoyue here, she'll still have to fight Jiang Feng next. Win or lose, I'll face Jiang Feng in the third match. If I use that move to beat him, Xiaoyue will still have a chance at the championship. At least I can secure second place."

After weighing his options, Yu Feng made his choice. No matter what, he wouldn't get the Meridian Opening Pill. In that case, he could only do everything in his power to help Xiaoyue win.

"I concede!" Yu Feng suddenly retreated and shouted.

With his strength, he could have held on a little longer, but he knew there was no point. It would only waste both their energy. He needed to make sure Nie Xiaoyue had enough strength to face Jiang Feng and defeat him in one fell swoop.

Nie Xiaoyue lowered her sword. Yu Feng's surrender had surprised her, but she knew that if they kept fighting, he would lose without a doubt.

Yu Feng stepped off the arena as Jiang Feng rose and walked toward it. The two passed shoulder to shoulder.

At last, the moment had come!

Nie Xiaoyue looked at Jiang Feng, and the two met each other's gaze, their expressions entirely different.

Jiang Feng wore a calm, untroubled expression, as though he didn't take this match seriously at all. His eyes were so deep they were frightening, like a bottomless pool of stagnant water that filled anyone who looked into it with dread.

Nie Xiaoyue snorted. Beside Jiang Feng's calm, she felt somewhat uneasy. She didn't know why. She clearly had the cultivation of the second level of the Yellow Martial Realm and an overwhelming advantage over her peers in Zhushan Town. She'd even thought Jiang Feng posed no threat to her. Yet now that they were facing each other, she actually felt a flicker of fear!

"Nie Xiaoyue, do you remember the promise we made three days ago?" Jiang Feng asked as he stopped three feet in front of her.

"Of course I remember!" Nie Xiaoyue said sternly. "I'm waiting for you to kneel before me!"

"Good." Jiang Feng said no more. "Let's begin."

"Wait..." Nie Xiaoyue frowned. "You're not using a weapon?"

Jiang Feng nodded. "I've never used a weapon before, so I'll do without one."

Nie Xiaoyue was taken aback. Where does he get that confidence?

Weapons were called weapons because they made attacks more threatening. Yellow Martial Realm Martial Artists couldn't project their inner force outward. Even someone who didn't know how to use a weapon would strike harder with one than with bare fists and feet!

Jiang Feng had actually said he wouldn't use a weapon. Was he looking down on her?

"What?" Wei Changqing was stunned. "He's not using a weapon?!"

A sense of unease rose in Wei Changqing's heart. Could this kid really be that strong?

With Nie Xiaoyue's swordsmanship, even a fourth-level Yellow Martial Realm Martial Artist couldn't fight her barehanded if she went all out. Where did Jiang Feng get the courage and confidence?

"Fine. If you're bent on dying, I'll grant your wish!" Nie Xiaoyue snorted and thrust her sword at him.

Earlier, while seated, Jiang Feng had watched Nie Xiaoyue and Yu Feng's match closely. Her swordsmanship was indeed good, but he had already studied it thoroughly. He knew its flaws and weak points inside out.

To the spectators, Nie Xiaoyue's swordsmanship looked as fluid as flowing clouds and running water. Her longsword darted in every direction, its shadow trembling in the air.

"What powerful swordsmanship."

"Nie Xiaoyue is so young, yet not only is her cultivation exceptional, she's also managed to find the time to train her swordsmanship to this level."

"Exactly. She really is the pride of Zhushan Town."

Jiang Feng's asking for trouble. He's arrogant enough to face Nie Xiaoyue's sword without a weapon!

"Right! Look at him—he's nearly died beneath her sword several times already."

Relying on his footwork, Jiang Feng dodged Nie Xiaoyue's longsword. To the spectators, though, it seemed as if he only barely escaped each time by sheer luck.

At first, Nie Xiaoyue had been fiercely confident. But the longer they fought, the more she realized that after all her effort, she hadn't even touched the hem of Jiang Feng's clothes.

"What's going on?" Nie Xiaoyue was just as baffled. "My sword has threatened him so many times, yet why is he still so calm and composed? My sword... It hasn't just failed to hurt him—it hasn't even touched the hem of his clothes!"

"Is this guy really that strong? I don't believe it!"

Nie Xiaoyue rallied with all her might, her inner force surging as she drove her swordsmanship to its limit. Her sword's path filled with layers of sword shadows. It even pierced the air, ringing out with a metallic chime.

"What a formidable sword!" Even Wei Changqing on the viewing platform had to praise it. For someone of Nie Xiaoyue's age and cultivation, her swordsmanship could be called perfect.

"She's already showing signs of forming Sword Momentum. At such a young age, she's truly impressive!"

Sword Momentum was a realm of swordsmanship. Only those with an exceptionally deep understanding of the sword could hope to grasp it. Anyone caught within its reach would find it difficult to dodge an attack.

"Looks like I can eliminate Jiang Feng with Nie Xiaoyue's help after all. This is all but certain!" Wei Changqing congratulated himself inwardly.

The crowd below the arena was buzzing with discussion as well.

"Nie Xiaoyue's swordsmanship has grown even more ferocious than before. Jiang Feng is relying on his footwork to dodge, but sooner or later he'll lose."

"Right. As long as she beats Jiang Feng, Nie Xiaoyue will be champion."

"Miss Xiaoyue, keep it up! Beat that despicable bastard!"

"That's right! Show him what you can do."

On the viewing platform, Nie Hu and Wei Changqing looked especially tense. With their experience, how could they fail to see that Jiang Feng was still dodging with easy, unhurried steps even while caught beneath Nie Xiaoyue's Sword Momentum?

In truth, if Jiang Feng had wanted to beat Nie Xiaoyue, she wouldn't have made it past his second move. He was only drawing out the fight to conceal his strength. Defeating Nie Xiaoyue was nothing important to him. He didn't want to reveal too much and invite suspicion or trouble.

"Damn it, why is he still so calm?" Though Nie Xiaoyue had been attacking from a position of advantage all along, doubt had already begun to rise in her heart.

"I've practiced swordsmanship since I was little. At thirteen, I caught my first glimpse of the rudiments of Sword Momentum. I can't maintain it for long yet, but I'm certain I could use it to fight even a fourth-level Yellow Martial Realm expert. But Jiang Feng... Is he even human?"

"And... and I actually feel like he isn't using all his strength!"

As the one fighting him, she knew perfectly well that Jiang Feng wasn't incapable of counterattacking. He was deliberately holding back!

If Jiang Feng counterattacked, she would have almost no way to resist!

"No! I won't accept this!" The more Nie Xiaoyue thought about it, the angrier she became. "I, Nie Xiaoyue, am the pride of heaven. How could I lose to a good-for-nothing beggar like him?" The sword in her hand grew faster and more violent, but she had lost all semblance of form. Her Sword Momentum crumbled.

Consumed by anger, Nie Xiaoyue lost her footing!

She, Nie Xiaoyue, had been surrounded by glory since childhood. When had she ever suffered such humiliation? The mere thought that Jiang Feng might actually defeat her made her mind even more unsettled.

For this day, she had taken a Flesh Pellet. In an incredibly short time, she had opened her Dantian Qi Sea and unbelievably gained a naturally open meridian. Yet... yet even after all that, she still couldn't beat Jiang Feng!

If she lost today to someone else, like Yu Feng or Xiang Pang, perhaps she could have accepted it. But why did it have to be Jiang Feng?

Jiang Feng, Jiang Feng! That loathsome little beggar—he... he was actually going to trample me beneath his feet!

"Jiang Feng, you bastard! Die!"

Nie Xiaoyue suddenly let out a furious shout and thrust her sword straight ahead. At the same time, she summoned every bit of inner force in her body. Her longsword shot toward Jiang Feng's throat at incredible speed, its edge vibrating as the air shuddered with a buzzing hum.

In an instant, its momentum surged!

This strike contained every emotion she felt!

She could not lose!