Immortal Sword Master

Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Leave an Arm, Then Get Lost

The moment Ning Jiang’s gaze fell upon Li Jie, the hairs on Li Jie’s entire body stood on end. He was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, utterly terrified.

His nerves instantly tensed.

That pair of eyes, as calm as still water, now placed him under an immense and unprecedented pressure.

”Li Jie, your muscles are tense, and your pupils have changed. Are you afraid of me?”

Ning Jiang’s eyelids drooped slightly, his tone betraying no hint of his feelings.

”Maybe we had some misunderstandings before. I don’t want the Pure Essence Fruit anymore. I’ll leave right now.”

Li Jie had no will to fight. He knew his own limits. The four corpses on the ground made it perfectly clear just what a terrifying figure this young man was.

He didn’t believe he could block that Life-taking Swift Sword.

”Leave?”

Ning Jiang’s eyes were filled with indifference. ”Originally, there was no grievance or enmity between us, but you insulted me time and again. When we were with the Chen Family’s Medicine Collection Team, I didn’t hold it against you. I already spared you once.”

”A Martial Artist should be tolerant and magnanimous, but that doesn’t mean they should suffer insults for no reason!”

”If I am repeatedly insulted and still do nothing, how will others respect me? They will only think I am weak and easily bullied.”

”Those who debase themselves will be debased by others.”

”Those who respect themselves will be respected by others.”

”This time, you want to just walk away. If I let you go again, it wouldn’t be magnanimity, but self-debasement.”

Ning Jiang’s gaze suddenly sharpened, like the glinting edge of a cold blade, its sharpness fully revealed.

”What do you mean?”

Li Jie’s expression changed abruptly. Facing Ning Jiang’s eyes directly, he couldn’t help but shudder.

What cold, indifferent eyes they were, as if all living beings were nothing but insects to be swatted and killed at will.

”Leave an arm behind, then get lost,” Ning Jiang said flatly.

The color drained from Li Jie’s face.

”I’ve already agreed to leave, yet you’re still so aggressive. Don’t you think you’re taking things too far?” Rage surged in Li Jie’s eyes.

”You insulted me first. That’s the cause. I’m demanding your arm. That’s the effect. This is simply retribution. How am I the one going too far?”

Ning Jiang said, ”In truth, we both understand that this is ultimately a world ruled by strength. You saw my strength was low, so you insulted me repeatedly. You see my strength is high, so you respect and fear me. This current situation is all of your own making. You have no one to blame but yourself.”

”I don’t want to waste any more words. Do it yourself, or I’ll do it for you!”

Li Jie trembled and looked toward the other Martial Artists.

”We have no interest in getting involved in the grudge between you two.”

The Martial Artists stated their positions one by one. Before Ning Jiang acted, they had all thought he was an easy target. Who could have guessed he’d turn out to be an iron plate.

Four Martial Artists had been killed. No one wanted to be the fifth.

Only Zhang Yao remained. Li Jie looked pleadingly at this candidate for the Ten Great.

”The strong cannot be insulted.” Zhang Yao had no intention of helping Li Jie. She had only met him by chance and had no connection to him. Why would she care if he lived or died?

On this point, she strongly agreed with Ning Jiang.

If anyone dared to insult her, she would also show no mercy.

”Your arm, or your life!”

Ning Jiang spoke again. In that instant, those five short words revealed a sharp aura like that of a merciless God of Slaughter, who could kill as he pleased, cutting down men like grass.

Li Jie’s face turned deathly pale. A struggle appeared in his eyes before he gave a wretched laugh and viciously swung his blade at his own left arm.

SLICE.

His left arm fell to the ground, blood gushing from the wound.

”Is this enough?!” Li Jie’s body trembled, cold sweat pouring down his face.

”Get lost.”

Ning Jiang waved his hand, his eyes indifferent, as if dismissing an ant.

He had arrived arrogant and dismissive of Ning Jiang, but now he was leaving with a severed arm, a wretched sight.

”Your strength is great. Even I misjudged you. I’ve never heard of a character like you in Luoyang City. It seems Luoyang City is truly full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers.”

The strong have always commanded respect.

At this moment, Zhang Yao held not a shred of contempt for Ning Jiang. ”I’ll pass on the Pure Essence Fruit. However, the annual gathering is approaching, and I’d like to test my own strength. So, I would like to exchange three moves with you. We’ll stop after that, no hard feelings. What do you say?”

Although the aura Ning Jiang projected was only that of the Postnatal Late Stage, he had just killed four men in the blink of an eye. Zhang Yao admitted that even at the Postnatal Peak, she would find that difficult to do.

She was now like a hunter who’s spotted rare prey, seeing Ning Jiang as a rare and worthy opponent.

”The path of a Martial Artist is forged through constant training and battle. In truth, a worthy opponent is often hard to find. I understand your desire. Let’s begin,” Ning Jiang nodded.

”Excellent.”

Zhang Yao planted her feet and settled into a horse stance.

”First move, Tiger Roar Fist!”

She held no weapon in her hands; she cultivated a Fist Technique.

For a woman, she cultivated an incomparably strong and fierce Fist Technique. It was no wonder she didn’t have the slightest trace of gentleness about her. Instead, she was valiant and heroic, like a female general on a battlefield.

ROAR!

The Postnatal Gang Qi in her body surged. Her explosive roar was like that of a savage tiger, shaking the forest. The massive sound wave was enough to shatter a person’s eardrums.

Ten Steps of Impermanence!

Ning Jiang’s steps were like a phantom’s. With a flash, he easily dodged.

”Second move, Hidden Tiger Fist.”

Zhang Yao stomped the ground, launching herself high into the air. She struck like lightning, pouncing like a tiger. Violent Postnatal Gang Qi billowed around her entire body. This single blow was enough to punch through steel.

Ning Jiang’s expression remained unchanged. With a light shift of his feet, he dodged the attack.

”Is dodging all you can do?!”

Zhang Yao barked. The fact that she couldn’t even touch the corner of Ning Jiang’s clothes after two consecutive attacks made her so frustrated she could spit blood.

’This is the advantage of a fast Body Technique. No matter how you attack, you can’t hit your opponent’s body. How are you supposed to defeat someone like that?’

”I won’t dodge this time. Give it your best shot. Come on,” Ning Jiang said.

”You’re the one who said it! All Beasts Fall!”

Zhang Yao let out an explosive shout, stomping her foot hard on the ground. She exerted all her power, and with a CRACK, the ground shattered into pieces. The aura around her surged to its absolute peak.

An astonishing scene unfolded. The Postnatal Gang Qi from her entire body condensed onto her right hand, bursting with a dazzling light before coalescing into a tangible form as she struck.

The solidified Postnatal Gang Qi actually took the shape of a ferocious tiger, so lifelike it was terrifying.

The tiger is the king of all beasts.

When this move was unleashed, the tiger’s might soared to the heavens, subjugating all other beasts and firmly establishing its place as their king.

The tiger-shaped Postnatal Gang Qi shot out from her body, like a true king of beasts opening its great maw to bite Ning Jiang. Its heaven-shaking roar was enough to crush any thought of resistance.

Postnatal Realm Martial Artists were already capable of projecting their Postnatal Gang Qi out of their bodies, up to a distance of a hundred feet.

But now, with Zhang Yao using her Martial Technique, the ”All Beasts Fall” she unleashed was more than ten times stronger than a normal projection of Postnatal Gang Qi.

”Amazing. I saw Zhang Yao use this move at last year’s annual gathering. She seemed to struggle with it back then, not at all as relaxed and natural as she is now. Its power has increased.”

”Even an expert who is also a candidate for the Ten Great would have difficulty taking that attack head-on.”

”That’s right. Unless it’s an Innate Realm expert. Relying on their powerful and condensed Innate Gang Qi, they naturally wouldn’t be afraid.”

”He said he wouldn’t dodge just now. I bet he’s about to go back on his word.”

The surrounding Martial Artists stood at a distance, discussing amongst themselves.

Ning Jiang was clearly strong to have killed four Martial Artists, but his kills had primarily showcased his elusive Body Technique and exquisite Sword Technique.

This move, however, demonstrated peerless power and unstoppable momentum. It was the embodiment of ”brute force trumps all skill”—the idea that no matter how exquisite your Sword Technique or how nimble your Body Technique, you would be crushed by overwhelming Power.

At this moment, everyone felt that the best way to deal with this move was to dodge it!

But Ning Jiang never went back on his word. If he said he wouldn’t dodge, he wouldn’t dodge.

His gaze was placid, as if it would never waver. He lightly pointed his sword forward. The blade flashed like autumn water and, in an instant, pierced the center of the tiger’s forehead.

BANG.

Before the tiger could even display its might, its body disintegrated and vanished.

The entire crowd was in an uproar, their mouths hanging open.

”How is that possible?!”

Zhang Yao was completely astonished. Her ”All Beasts Fall” was so ferociously powerful that it should have been able to smash through Ning Jiang even if he were a wall of iron.

”I’ve fought against the Ten Great before. Even when they break this move of mine, they use their Innate Gang Qi to counter force with force, strength with strength. How did you do that?”

Zhang Yao was deeply shocked. She had never encountered a situation like this before.

”There’s nothing to be surprised about. This method is called ’breaking a surface from a single point.’ A thousand-mile dike can be destroyed by an ant hole. No matter how solid something seems, as long as it has a single weak point, destroying that point will cause the entire structure to collapse.”

Ning Jiang said, ”To put it simply, your move has weaknesses. I found a weakness, targeted it, and broke the surface from a single point.”

The principle was simple. It was just like when Ning Jiang fought Liu Feng and saw through the weakness of the Golden Snake Step Technique at a glance, then stomped on its ’seven-inch’ point.

It was the same now; he had seen through the weakness of ”All Beasts Fall.”

Zhang Yao’s face paled. ’My Martial Technique, the one I’ve always been so proud of, actually has a weakness?’

’And I never even noticed!’

”You don’t need to be disheartened. I can tell you plainly that this Martial Technique is only at the Great Success stage, which is why I saw a total of five weaknesses. If you can cultivate it to the Perfection stage, there will only be one weakness left. At that point, no one besides me will be able to break it from a single point,” Ning Jiang said.

’This boy is truly terrifying!’

The surrounding Martial Artists had thought they already had an impression of Ning Jiang’s strength, but now they realized they had still greatly underestimated him.

’To see through a weakness... what terrifying Eye Power is that?’

”Bai Qi of the Ten Great cultivated the Cloud-Piercing Eye, and he’s very good at seeing through the weaknesses of Martial Techniques. Could it be that this guy also cultivated that kind of eye-based Martial Technique?” a Martial Artist secretly speculated.

But just now, there was absolutely no change in Ning Jiang’s eyes, whereas when Bai Qi activates his Cloud-Piercing Eye, a light appears in his pupils.

”Regardless, with this skill alone, that kid can basically walk uncontested among anyone beneath the Ten Great,” a Martial Artist said, causing a chill to run through the hearts of many.

Zhang Yao was a candidate for the Ten Great, yet Ning Jiang had broken her signature killing move with a single sword strike. With such strength, he could indeed walk uncontested among those below the Ten Great.

”Don’t forget, there are many candidates for the Ten Great, but there’s only one ’Number One Below the Ten Great,’ and that’s Gao Jin. If those two were to face off, I wonder who would be stronger?” someone said.

In the distance, Li Jie, who had already staunched the bleeding from his arm, looked even paler.

When he heard that Zhang Yao was going to fight Ning Jiang, he couldn’t help but stay behind to watch.

In his heart, he had naturally hoped that Zhang Yao would defeat Ning Jiang and vent his anger for him. But in the end, Ning Jiang had the upper hand from start to finish, and his final sword strike was exquisite beyond compare.

With Ning Jiang’s strength, he had no hope of ever getting revenge in this lifetime.

”Thank you for the guidance.”

Zhang Yao took a deep breath, her emotions stabilizing. ”I never thought there was someone like you in Luoyang City. You’ll be participating in this year’s annual gathering, right?”

”I will,” Ning Jiang replied.

”Eh? You’re all still here? Looks like I won’t be leaving empty-handed today after all, HAHAHAHA.” Suddenly, the figure of a burly man shot out from the woods.