Jiang Tong’s soft sword did not even come close to Jiang Shuxuan’s Seven Frost Blade. Even so, it still belonged to the top ten deadliest weapons of the ancient martial arts world, especially when wielded by its user, a person who has attained the level of Tongmai.
A user on her level possesses the ability to link up with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
She was just one step away from unlocking the level of Xiantian.
That was the next level she’d attain should she get stronger. This point was where only a handful of people from the ancient martial arts world ever reached, one of them being Jiang Shuxuan the monster.
The difficulty of every subsequent level after Tendon Forging grows exponentially; it was extremely rare for the ancient martial arts world to see the rise of someone as strong as Jiang Tong.
Her swordsmanship was unrivaled, with much variety in terms of striking and parrying. The air surrounding her blade distorted as it danced, which made the elder outside the ring gasp in surprise. “Swordplay! No wonder she’s able to breach level 62!”
The crowd went silent upon hearing what he said. They then stared up at the ring with eyes full of disbelief.
They knew that Jiang Tong was powerful, but had no idea it was to this extent. Swordplay, to be able to unlock this skill meant that she was already halfway through her journey toward reaching the level of Xiantian. So this was the reason she was able to reach level 62 in the Trial Tower within such a short span of time!
The moment Jiang Tong unsheathed her blade was when the suspense of the battle died off.
Tang Wenbo shook his head. “To be defeated by the blade shouldn’t be that humiliating for Miss Gu.”
Shu Chen, who stood next to him, heard what he said but she kept her eyes glued onto the ring. The both of her hands were tightly clenched. She was not as powerful as the both of them so she wasn’t sure who was truly stronger. However, that did not faze her. While staring at the fight, she responded, “The battle isn’t over yet.”
“Madam Jiang, Tong Tong has mastered the art of swordplay. Apart from Young Master Jiang, no one else in the ancient martial arts world could match up with her!” Jiang Tong’s friend from before smiled oddly at Shu Chen. “I still sense nothing from Miss Gu’s body. I’m guessing she hasn’t even reached the level of Bone Refinement, right? You could have ten of her and they’d still be no match for Tong Tong!”
Many of the spectators agreed with her words. They snapped out of their mental haze and started debating amongst themselves about the challengers.
“Miss Jiang Tong’s way too strong!”
“This is swordplay we’re talking about! I’ll be satisfied with my existence if I had half the skill the demon girl possesses!”
“Hmph! Dream on sucker! How dare you even compare yourself with her!”
“…”
And yet, it was at this moment that a pair of delicate fingers clamped down on Jiang Tong’s paper-thin blade. It didn’t matter how much force there was when the blade was brought down, it simply could not move down by even half an inch.
There was not even a single scratch on her fingers despite how powerful the chi of Jiang Tong’s sword was. So effortlessly was Gu Xiqiao able to bring the blade to a complete halt.
The noise from the crowd faded away. It was now so silent that one could hear a pin drop. Every pair of eyes in the area were glued onto the hand that held back the soft sword.
The shock had yet to register in their minds. Suddenly, a dark cloud materialized above the both of their heads. It spun around so quickly and violently that it almost seemed like a tornado was about to form. Purple lightning with the girth of a human arm lit up the air.
Boom!
An ultra strong bolt of energy shattered the barrier surrounding the ring that Baili Bin had put up. Under the immense force of nature, everything the lightning ever touched turned into dust. The spectators watched in awe at the sparks above their heads. After the barrier had been broken down like a fence made of matchsticks, the horrifying energy spreading from the ring made the spectators shuffle backward in fear.
The elder of the Jiang family was the one who remained stationary. He watched as the girl donning the fox fur coat smack away her opponent’s soft sword before reaching up to grab one of the lightning bolts.
“She’s reached the level of Xi… Xiantian.” The elder could hear himself choke up as he said that.
A person on the level of Xiantian was able to manipulate the forces of nature.
The last time they met, the lightning that Gu Xiqiao manipulated was one which was drawn from the chi of her own body.
And yet, half a month later, she was now successfully able to summon the force of nature, to make it bend to her will.
The elder’s hands and feet were growing increasingly shaky, in addition to momentarily losing his ability to speak. Here he was, thinking that he had a pretty good idea of how powerful she was. Never would he have foreseen how much one could grow in a matter of weeks!
The elder did not lower his voice when he mumbled to himself, meaning most of the people present had already heard what he said.
In fact, his voice sounded to them as if he was speaking through a loudspeaker. His words echoed in their ears, making them take in a deep breath out of surprise. They peered up in shock at the girl on the ring.
Jiang Tong was already plenty powerful. How could there be someone even stronger than her!?
Xiantian? How could she be on that level?
With their eyes wide open, they watched as Gu Xiqiao rolled the seemingly uncontainable force of nature into a ball.
Then, she flung it toward Jiang Tong’s body.
Boom!
A large crater was formed on the ring, which they previously assumed was indestructible.
Everything within a fifty-meter radius was affected by the resulting shockwave. There were quite a lot of ancient martial arts rookies watching the fight and there was only one outcome for them after being exposed to such forces. Like the formation, they’d all disintegrate into dust.
Gu Xiqiao narrowed her eyes and immediately raised a barrier around the ring.
As the powerful shockwave slammed into her barrier, the energy vanished into thin air.
“I’m sorry, perhaps I was a little too heavy-handed.” Gu Xiqiao waved apologetically at the spectators, who only stared up with their mouths wide open at her. Seeing the odd look on their faces, she couldn’t help but ask, “Are you guys alright?”
The violent winds and lightning bolts have now dissipated. The Great Elder could now let out a sigh of relief. He gazed at the young girl’s face, and couldn’t help but wonder if such powers really did flow out from her hands.
“The battle has concluded.” The Great Elder announced as he wiped the sweat off his face.
The rest of the elders giggled. “That’s right, I almost wet myself, thinking that I’d get cut down by lightning.”
After they were done laughing, the feeling of shock swelled up in their hearts. For so many years they have lived and excluding Jiang Shuxuan, no one else has ever surprised them to such a degree. For Jiang Shuxuan, it was understandable as he was a prodigy from the very beginning. And yet, how old could this girl be? Twenty?
There were indeed only a handful of individuals in the ancient martial arts world that was on the level of Xiantian.
Out of that group, she was pretty much the only one to be of such a tender age. This means that she was on par with the monsters of the ancient martial arts world that were only heard of in ancient poetry.
“Grandpa Tang, what about the items that I have wagered?” Gu Xiqiao slowly walked up to Tang Wenbo. With a bright smile on her face, she stretched her arm out toward him.
Tang Wenbo inhaled deeply and he glanced at Jiang Tong before coming back to Gu Xiqiao.
Gu Xiqiao’s other-worldly show of force stunned him. Her strength really was… unheard of before. Of course, it wasn’t just him who felt this way. There was no one in the area that wasn’t stupefied by how intense the battle had turned out to be.
Tang Wenbo contemplated for a moment before allowing Gu Xiqiao to receive the items which she had won fair and square.
With just a snap of her fingers, the treasures, which many drooled for, vanished into thin air.
Despite how high-value the treasures were, none of them dared to mess with this monstrous being.
Have you ever seen a mere twenty-year-old reach the level of Xiantian?
“Miss Gu, have you already reached Xiantian a long time ago?” The Great Elder failed to quell his curiosity.
Everyone froze up the moment they heard the Great Elder’s question. They too, were waiting for her reply excitedly.
Gu Xiqiao shook her head. “No.”
No? Then she probably hasn’t reached that level then. That’s good to hear.
The crowd stopped holding their breath. The difference between someone who has reached Xiantian and someone who had not was astronomical. Although Gu Xiqiao was powerful enough for them to look up at her, everyone was relieved to hear her answer. At the very least, the hit to their pride was significantly lighter.
Gu Xiqiao continued to speak only after a second. “I merely broke through to Xiantian just now.” Her tone sounded as if she was dissatisfied with her achievement.
Dissatisfied? How could you possibly be!? “Merely broke though?”
Nearly everyone present almost spat out blood in response.
They were pissed. Royally.
Many of them had to go through hellish training for one, two or even a decade, just to linger around Chi Induction. To achieve Bone Refinement was already a feat enough for them to brag about, and yet Gu Xiqiao’s dissatisfied that she had only reached Xiantian?!
Feelings of envy and hatred had already faded away from their hearts. This was because the discrepancy between them and Gu Xiqiao was so great that there was simply no point in harboring any ill feelings toward her. At this point, they had nothing but respect for her.
“Miss Gu, tell me, how did you train to reach such heights?” asked the Great Elder.
A flash appeared in Gu Xiqiao’s hand and out came the jasper bracelet that once belonged to Jiang Tong’s friend. In a casual manner, she replied, “Well I practiced, I guess. And here I am.”
“… Well it’s fine if you don’t want to disclose any private information.” The Great Elder replied with a painful smile. Who could ever believe what she said? Regular practice? Bullcrap!
Even their Trial Tower won’t guarantee one success by merely practicing.
Gu Xiqiao was a little taken aback by the Great Elder’s reaction. There was no secret technique. She really did just practice up until today.
Tang Wenbo’s birthday ceremony was still far from over. However, it was evident that the guests’ attention had already shifted over to Gu Xiqiao. None of them were feeling like celebrating the occasion anymore.
***
Jiang Tong was still lying in the crater. Apart from her father, the ancient martial arts world had long forgotten about the little demon girl.
“Jiang Tong’s powers are indeed surprising.” The second elder of the Jiang family sat at the table in the corner. He fumbled around his waist and pulled out wine gourd which he sipped from. He then let out a long sigh. “If she was born in another time, no doubt, she’d be recognized as a rare talent.”
The Great Elder shook his head. “What a shame that she has to live in the same period as Miss Gu and Young Master Jiang. Everyone, and I say everyone, pales in comparison to these two.”
“Say, how do you think she trains?” The third elder asked. “She really…I have never seen such a person before.”
The Great Elder glanced back at him but he remained silent.
She came alone today. One must never forget about the Peace Squad that was under her direct control.
She alone was able to rock the entire ancient martial arts world through her innate power. She had earned their deep-founded respect but if she had brought her ten-man squad today, then…
The Great Elder was reminded of the defence guards who fought in a skirmish against the Peacekeepers, and how desperately they wanted to wipe their memory of their opponents after losing the battle.
If the Peacekeepers were to attend today’s ceremony, then no doubt, the people of the ancient martial arts world would lose their minds!
Wait, no. Perhaps they wouldn’t go insane. Instead, the younger generation of the ancient martial arts world would either have their egos shattered, or they’d all be beaten to death, or tormented to death. The Great Elder leaned back into his chair. His will to live had never been so weak.
***
Gu Xiqiao had no idea that such thoughts were racing through the Great Elder’s mind.
Still, this was what she intended to do when she entered the ancient martial arts world.
Rubbing her chin, she began thinking.
Baili Bin and the rest were seated next to her. Watching her fingers play with the bracelet, he couldn’t help but ask, “Don’t tell me your whole match with Jiang Tong was just for this thing?”
“Clever boy.” Gu Xiqiao nodded her head.
So much effort, just for this slightly more special piece of rock? Murong Feiye’s mouth twitched. “Why do you even want this thing for? You probably don’t know this but your little sparring match has destroyed the morale of many of our talented juniors.” He said this because it applied to him also.
“I want to feed it to Dog Feed.” Gu Xiqiao rubbed her chin. “It has stopped consuming meat now. Instead, it much prefers special rocks like this one.” How troublesome, she thought. Fortunately, she had tons of money to afford that thing’s insatiable appetite.
It also feels great to pwn someone when the situation arises.
“You’re talking about that man-eating flower?” asked Baili Bin. All that effort, for that darn flower?
Wanqi Jue glared at her. “You’re feeding that flower this thing?” Despicable! What a waste!
Murong Feiye, Cecily, and the rest stared at the bracelet. Judging from the aura that was emanating off of it, it was pretty sought after in the ancient martial arts world. And she’s feeding it to a damn flower? Oh the decadence!
Miss Gu, are you looking for flowers? The handsome type from the ancient martial arts world?
Gu Xiqiao paid no heed to the chatter. Instead, she looked eastward silently.
“What are you looking at?” Noticing the unusually-serious look on her face, Cecily couldn’t help question Gu Xiqiao.
Jiang Tong’s soft sword did not even come close to Jiang Shuxuan’s Seven Frost Blade. Even so, it still belonged to the top ten deadliest weapons of the ancient martial arts world, especially when wielded by its user, a person who has attained the level of Tongmai.
A user on her level possesses the ability to link up with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
She was just one step away from unlocking the level of Xiantian.
That was the next level she’d attain should she get stronger. This point was where only a handful of people from the ancient martial arts world ever reached, one of them being Jiang Shuxuan the monster.
The difficulty of every subsequent level after Tendon Forging grows exponentially; it was extremely rare for the ancient martial arts world to see the rise of someone as strong as Jiang Tong.
Her swordsmanship was unrivaled, with much variety in terms of striking and parrying. The air surrounding her blade distorted as it danced, which made the elder outside the ring gasp in surprise. “Swordplay! No wonder she’s able to breach level 62!”
The crowd went silent upon hearing what he said. They then stared up at the ring with eyes full of disbelief.
They knew that Jiang Tong was powerful, but had no idea it was to this extent. Swordplay, to be able to unlock this skill meant that she was already halfway through her journey toward reaching the level of Xiantian. So this was the reason she was able to reach level 62 in the Trial Tower within such a short span of time!
The moment Jiang Tong unsheathed her blade was when the suspense of the battle died off.
Tang Wenbo shook his head. “To be defeated by the blade shouldn’t be that humiliating for Miss Gu.”
Shu Chen, who stood next to him, heard what he said but she kept her eyes glued onto the ring. The both of her hands were tightly clenched. She was not as powerful as the both of them so she wasn’t sure who was truly stronger. However, that did not faze her. While staring at the fight, she responded, “The battle isn’t over yet.”
“Madam Jiang, Tong Tong has mastered the art of swordplay. Apart from Young Master Jiang, no one else in the ancient martial arts world could match up with her!” Jiang Tong’s friend from before smiled oddly at Shu Chen. “I still sense nothing from Miss Gu’s body. I’m guessing she hasn’t even reached the level of Bone Refinement, right? You could have ten of her and they’d still be no match for Tong Tong!”
Many of the spectators agreed with her words. They snapped out of their mental haze and started debating amongst themselves about the challengers.
“Miss Jiang Tong’s way too strong!”
“This is swordplay we’re talking about! I’ll be satisfied with my existence if I had half the skill the demon girl possesses!”
“Hmph! Dream on sucker! How dare you even compare yourself with her!”
“…”
And yet, it was at this moment that a pair of delicate fingers clamped down on Jiang Tong’s paper-thin blade. It didn’t matter how much force there was when the blade was brought down, it simply could not move down by even half an inch.
There was not even a single scratch on her fingers despite how powerful the chi of Jiang Tong’s sword was. So effortlessly was Gu Xiqiao able to bring the blade to a complete halt.
The noise from the crowd faded away. It was now so silent that one could hear a pin drop. Every pair of eyes in the area were glued onto the hand that held back the soft sword.
The shock had yet to register in their minds. Suddenly, a dark cloud materialized above the both of their heads. It spun around so quickly and violently that it almost seemed like a tornado was about to form. Purple lightning with the girth of a human arm lit up the air.
Boom!
An ultra strong bolt of energy shattered the barrier surrounding the ring that Baili Bin had put up. Under the immense force of nature, everything the lightning ever touched turned into dust. The spectators watched in awe at the sparks above their heads. After the barrier had been broken down like a fence made of matchsticks, the horrifying energy spreading from the ring made the spectators shuffle backward in fear.
The elder of the Jiang family was the one who remained stationary. He watched as the girl donning the fox fur coat smack away her opponent’s soft sword before reaching up to grab one of the lightning bolts.
“She’s reached the level of Xi… Xiantian.” The elder could hear himself choke up as he said that.
A person on the level of Xiantian was able to manipulate the forces of nature.
The last time they met, the lightning that Gu Xiqiao manipulated was one which was drawn from the chi of her own body.
And yet, half a month later, she was now successfully able to summon the force of nature, to make it bend to her will.
The elder’s hands and feet were growing increasingly shaky, in addition to momentarily losing his ability to speak. Here he was, thinking that he had a pretty good idea of how powerful she was. Never would he have foreseen how much one could grow in a matter of weeks!
The elder did not lower his voice when he mumbled to himself, meaning most of the people present had already heard what he said.
In fact, his voice sounded to them as if he was speaking through a loudspeaker. His words echoed in their ears, making them take in a deep breath out of surprise. They peered up in shock at the girl on the ring.
Jiang Tong was already plenty powerful. How could there be someone even stronger than her!?
Xiantian? How could she be on that level?
With their eyes wide open, they watched as Gu Xiqiao rolled the seemingly uncontainable force of nature into a ball.
Then, she flung it toward Jiang Tong’s body.
Boom!
A large crater was formed on the ring, which they previously assumed was indestructible.
Everything within a fifty-meter radius was affected by the resulting shockwave. There were quite a lot of ancient martial arts rookies watching the fight and there was only one outcome for them after being exposed to such forces. Like the formation, they’d all disintegrate into dust.
Gu Xiqiao narrowed her eyes and immediately raised a barrier around the ring.
As the powerful shockwave slammed into her barrier, the energy vanished into thin air.
“I’m sorry, perhaps I was a little too heavy-handed.” Gu Xiqiao waved apologetically at the spectators, who only stared up with their mouths wide open at her. Seeing the odd look on their faces, she couldn’t help but ask, “Are you guys alright?”
The violent winds and lightning bolts have now dissipated. The Great Elder could now let out a sigh of relief. He gazed at the young girl’s face, and couldn’t help but wonder if such powers really did flow out from her hands.
“The battle has concluded.” The Great Elder announced as he wiped the sweat off his face.
The rest of the elders giggled. “That’s right, I almost wet myself, thinking that I’d get cut down by lightning.”
After they were done laughing, the feeling of shock swelled up in their hearts. For so many years they have lived and excluding Jiang Shuxuan, no one else has ever surprised them to such a degree. For Jiang Shuxuan, it was understandable as he was a prodigy from the very beginning. And yet, how old could this girl be? Twenty?
There were indeed only a handful of individuals in the ancient martial arts world that was on the level of Xiantian.
Out of that group, she was pretty much the only one to be of such a tender age. This means that she was on par with the monsters of the ancient martial arts world that were only heard of in ancient poetry.
“Grandpa Tang, what about the items that I have wagered?” Gu Xiqiao slowly walked up to Tang Wenbo. With a bright smile on her face, she stretched her arm out toward him.
Tang Wenbo inhaled deeply and he glanced at Jiang Tong before coming back to Gu Xiqiao.
Gu Xiqiao’s other-worldly show of force stunned him. Her strength really was… unheard of before. Of course, it wasn’t just him who felt this way. There was no one in the area that wasn’t stupefied by how intense the battle had turned out to be.
Tang Wenbo contemplated for a moment before allowing Gu Xiqiao to receive the items which she had won fair and square.
With just a snap of her fingers, the treasures, which many drooled for, vanished into thin air.
Despite how high-value the treasures were, none of them dared to mess with this monstrous being.
Have you ever seen a mere twenty-year-old reach the level of Xiantian?
“Miss Gu, have you already reached Xiantian a long time ago?” The Great Elder failed to quell his curiosity.
Everyone froze up the moment they heard the Great Elder’s question. They too, were waiting for her reply excitedly.
Gu Xiqiao shook her head. “No.”
No? Then she probably hasn’t reached that level then. That’s good to hear.
The crowd stopped holding their breath. The difference between someone who has reached Xiantian and someone who had not was astronomical. Although Gu Xiqiao was powerful enough for them to look up at her, everyone was relieved to hear her answer. At the very least, the hit to their pride was significantly lighter.
Gu Xiqiao continued to speak only after a second. “I merely broke through to Xiantian just now.” Her tone sounded as if she was dissatisfied with her achievement.
Dissatisfied? How could you possibly be!? “Merely broke though?”
Nearly everyone present almost spat out blood in response.
They were pissed. Royally.
Many of them had to go through hellish training for one, two or even a decade, just to linger around Chi Induction. To achieve Bone Refinement was already a feat enough for them to brag about, and yet Gu Xiqiao’s dissatisfied that she had only reached Xiantian?!
Feelings of envy and hatred had already faded away from their hearts. This was because the discrepancy between them and Gu Xiqiao was so great that there was simply no point in harboring any ill feelings toward her. At this point, they had nothing but respect for her.
“Miss Gu, tell me, how did you train to reach such heights?” asked the Great Elder.
A flash appeared in Gu Xiqiao’s hand and out came the jasper bracelet that once belonged to Jiang Tong’s friend. In a casual manner, she replied, “Well I practiced, I guess. And here I am.”
“… Well it’s fine if you don’t want to disclose any private information.” The Great Elder replied with a painful smile. Who could ever believe what she said? Regular practice? Bullcrap!
Even their Trial Tower won’t guarantee one success by merely practicing.
Gu Xiqiao was a little taken aback by the Great Elder’s reaction. There was no secret technique. She really did just practice up until today.
Tang Wenbo’s birthday ceremony was still far from over. However, it was evident that the guests’ attention had already shifted over to Gu Xiqiao. None of them were feeling like celebrating the occasion anymore.
***
Jiang Tong was still lying in the crater. Apart from her father, the ancient martial arts world had long forgotten about the little demon girl.
“Jiang Tong’s powers are indeed surprising.” The second elder of the Jiang family sat at the table in the corner. He fumbled around his waist and pulled out wine gourd which he sipped from. He then let out a long sigh. “If she was born in another time, no doubt, she’d be recognized as a rare talent.”
The Great Elder shook his head. “What a shame that she has to live in the same period as Miss Gu and Young Master Jiang. Everyone, and I say everyone, pales in comparison to these two.”
“Say, how do you think she trains?” The third elder asked. “She really…I have never seen such a person before.”
The Great Elder glanced back at him but he remained silent.
She came alone today. One must never forget about the Peace Squad that was under her direct control.
She alone was able to rock the entire ancient martial arts world through her innate power. She had earned their deep-founded respect but if she had brought her ten-man squad today, then…
The Great Elder was reminded of the defence guards who fought in a skirmish against the Peacekeepers, and how desperately they wanted to wipe their memory of their opponents after losing the battle.
If the Peacekeepers were to attend today’s ceremony, then no doubt, the people of the ancient martial arts world would lose their minds!
Wait, no. Perhaps they wouldn’t go insane. Instead, the younger generation of the ancient martial arts world would either have their egos shattered, or they’d all be beaten to death, or tormented to death. The Great Elder leaned back into his chair. His will to live had never been so weak.
***
Gu Xiqiao had no idea that such thoughts were racing through the Great Elder’s mind.
Still, this was what she intended to do when she entered the ancient martial arts world.
Rubbing her chin, she began thinking.
Baili Bin and the rest were seated next to her. Watching her fingers play with the bracelet, he couldn’t help but ask, “Don’t tell me your whole match with Jiang Tong was just for this thing?”
“Clever boy.” Gu Xiqiao nodded her head.
So much effort, just for this slightly more special piece of rock? Murong Feiye’s mouth twitched. “Why do you even want this thing for? You probably don’t know this but your little sparring match has destroyed the morale of many of our talented juniors.” He said this because it applied to him also.
“I want to feed it to Dog Feed.” Gu Xiqiao rubbed her chin. “It has stopped consuming meat now. Instead, it much prefers special rocks like this one.” How troublesome, she thought. Fortunately, she had tons of money to afford that thing’s insatiable appetite.
It also feels great to pwn someone when the situation arises.
“You’re talking about that man-eating flower?” asked Baili Bin. All that effort, for that darn flower?
Wanqi Jue glared at her. “You’re feeding that flower this thing?” Despicable! What a waste!
Murong Feiye, Cecily, and the rest stared at the bracelet. Judging from the aura that was emanating off of it, it was pretty sought after in the ancient martial arts world. And she’s feeding it to a damn flower? Oh the decadence!
Miss Gu, are you looking for flowers? The handsome type from the ancient martial arts world?
Gu Xiqiao paid no heed to the chatter. Instead, she looked eastward silently.
“What are you looking at?” Noticing the unusually-serious look on her face, Cecily couldn’t help question Gu Xiqiao.
