Chapter 74: Battle!

There had been no reply from the Jia family, and there was no movement from the side of the Aberrants either.

Before the storm, the calm was often so oppressive that it became unsettling.

Ning Xiu felt a mounting sense of unease, an urgency deep within that pressed ever more heavily upon his heart.

He needed to increase his strength as quickly as possible, but even if he wished to pour resources into it, he simply had no means; he hadn’t even managed to scrape together enough for a single ten-fold draw.

The only alternative he could conceive was to fight his way forward, hoping for insight, for a breakthrough to come to him in the crucible of battle.

With his current strength, the only ones in all of Lingnan County who could stand as his opponents were the Four Great Grandmasters. Of these, Xiao Wanli—whose cultivation had already fallen—had long since perished by Ning Xiu’s hand, and Li Tiexin had met his end in that uncanny cave at Songfeng Ridge.

Now, only Cold Blade and the Overlord of the Halberd remained.

These two, moreover, were the county’s sole remaining Grandmasters. They might possess understandings of the legendary Supreme Realm that even Wei Junkun could not match.

After some thought, Ning Xiu had Yuan Hao deliver a formal challenge to the Great River Society.

After all, this was merely a bout, not a life-or-death struggle; there was no need for aggression or for sowing enmity everywhere.

…

Great River Society.

Wang Ce, the Society’s leader, was busy with administrative matters. The incident from some time ago had dealt their organization a heavy blow as well.

At his level, he could see far more than ordinary people. He knew full well that the current calm was only because the conflict between the ghostly organization, the Nether Alliance, and the Jia family had yet to reach its conclusion.

The main battlefield simply wasn’t here.

Wang Ce shook his head softly, reflecting that perhaps it was time to consider an exit strategy.

“Leader, you have a letter,” a trusted subordinate announced, stepping forward.

Wang Ce frowned slightly. “From whom?”

“From Elder Ning Xiu of the Bamboo Grove Society,” the subordinate replied.

“Ning Xiu?”

“What could he want with me?”

Wang Ce accepted the letter, broke the seal, and scanned its contents. His pupils contracted slightly.

There were but a few lines, written in a bold, flowing script:

“It is said among the ‘Blade, Spear, Sword, Halberd’ Grandmasters, you, Leader Wang, are the most forthright, and your halberd the most domineering.

Tomorrow at noon, I wish to come with my sword and seek with you the Supreme Realm of martial arts.

Respectfully, Ning Xiu of the Bamboo Grove Society.”

“Leader, what is it?” his attendant asked carefully.

“Tomorrow at noon, Ning Xiu wishes to spar with me,” Wang Ce replied, handing over the letter. “Make arrangements for it later—the venue will be my private courtyard.”

“Yes, sir!” The attendant bowed and withdrew.

“The Supreme Realm… It’s been so long since I last heard those words,” Wang Ce murmured.

He rose, made his way to the rear hall, and gazed at the great halberd hanging upon the wall. A faint smile touched his lips as he spoke softly to himself.

…

A duel between Grandmasters—if word of this were to spread, all of Lingnan’s martial world would be in an uproar.

Yet neither party intended to make it public.

The duel was to be held in Wang Ce’s private courtyard.

Only two people would have the fortune to witness this legendary battle: Yuan Hao, whom Ning Xiu had brought with him, and Wang Ce’s own personal disciple, whom he intended to pass his legacy on to.

“My thanks to Leader Wang for granting this match,” Ning Xiu said, looking at Wang Ce.

“Elder Ning,” Wang Ce replied with a booming laugh, “for you to write of ‘seeking the Supreme Realm of martial arts’—those eight words alone leave me no reason to refuse.”

“But let’s be clear: in this contest, I will not hold back,” Wang Ce’s smile faded as he spoke, his tone growing heavy.

“Of course,” Ning Xiu agreed. “Otherwise, how could we truly seek the Supreme Realm? Nor will I hold back.”

“Let me witness what gives you the courage to speak of the Supreme Realm!”

Wang Ce shouted, tightened his grip on the halberd, strode three steps forward, and brought it crashing down toward Ning Xiu.

The force was immense, domineering, brimming with overwhelming presence.

Ning Xiu felt the gale whip against his body, his robes billowing madly.

“Well struck!”

He laughed aloud; behind him, the Divine Sword sang from its scabbard. In a flash, Ning Xiu’s form flickered, and his sword slashed down at an angle.

It struck precisely at the halberd’s weakest point.

A clear, metallic clang rang out as sword and halberd collided.

Wang Ce’s heart leapt; it was said Xiao Wanli had died by this man’s hand, and now he could see it was no idle rumor.

That strike—its speed, timing, power, and angle—was flawless, beyond reproach. For one so young to have reached such heights—it was no wonder he dared speak of the Supreme Realm.

Wang Ce gazed at Ning Xiu, a surge of heroic spirit rising within him. He laughed aloud: “Take this next move of mine!”

With a deft twist of his halberd, he unleashed a sweeping blow with earth-shattering force.

…

With a thunderous crash, a rockery in the courtyard exploded under the sweep of Wang Ce’s halberd.

Fragments of stone flew as a figure shot forth, dazzling sword-light trailing behind.

Wang Ce’s pupils contracted at the sight of the dense web of sword strikes before him, but rather than retreat, he pressed forward.

The Halberd’s way brooked no rivals—unyielding, advancing relentlessly.

A rapid series of metallic clashes rang out, too fast for the eye to follow.

On the sidelines, Yuan Hao and Wang Ce’s disciple were dazzled; their eyes could barely keep up with the lightning-fast movements.

Sword-light and halberd-flare intertwined.

Waves of force sent the pond’s water spraying, shattered the rockery, and toppled flowers and trees.

Neither Ning Xiu nor Wang Ce adopted a defensive posture—yet their offense was in itself the perfect defense.

“Exhilarating!” Wang Ce shouted. This battle, so far, had been sheer delight; his whole being felt invigorated. He looked at Ning Xiu, his spirit soaring, and roared, “Take this—Blazing Sun Halberd!”

Blazing Sun Halberd was Wang Ce’s most devastating technique, his ultimate killing move. Clearly, he intended to settle the contest with this strike.

Suddenly, the halberd in his hands seemed to ignite, flames flaring, crimson light reflecting off his face like an overlord descending upon the world.

A torrent of energy surged through the courtyard.

Wang Ce’s disciple watched with fervor in his eyes, more impressed than ever by his master.

Yuan Hao, meanwhile, felt cold sweat prickling his palms for Ning Xiu’s sake. He knew Ning Xiu was formidable, but his opponent was, after all, a Grandmaster—a figure who, in the heart of every martial artist, was unshakable.

Ning Xiu looked up at Wang Ce, his expression finally turning grave.

In his eyes, it wasn’t just the halberd that burned; Wang Ce himself was ablaze.

Since stepping into the Grandmaster realm, it had been more than ten years since Wang Ce had faced an equal. The blood he thought long stilled now surged anew.

He was certain that this halberd strike would mark the pinnacle of his martial path.

The halberd fell.

Blazing rays, like shards of sunlight, erupted forth, engulfing Ning Xiu completely.