Immortal Sword Master

Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Competition, I Want Your Life

Once a Martial Artist’s Cultivation reaches the Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer: Training the Seven Apertures, their senses become exceptionally sharp, their ears able to hear sounds from a hundred paces away.

Although Ning Yu’an’s words were just a quiet mutter, they still reached the ears of a few particularly attentive individuals, drawing several gazes filled with displeasure.

"Huh? It’s you two again."

A voice rang out. It was the young man with the Jade Ring from before. "You’re truly a pair of siblings. One arrogantly claims he’ll buy the Bamboo Sea Manor, and the other arrogantly says this elixir is nothing special. You’re making a complete fool of yourselves. Your little brother wants to compare himself to Yan Ziling? He’s not even in the same league."

Hearing Ning Jiang being belittled like this, Ning Yu’an couldn’t stand it. Her expression turned cold. "And how would you know my little brother can’t compare to Yan Ziling?"

"Hahaha! Forget comparing him to Yan Ziling. He can’t even hold a candle to me," the young man said, his face a mask of arrogance.

"Is that so? And just who are you?" Ning Yu’an scoffed.

"My young master is Fei Hai, son of the Alchemy Master Fei Yanqing," a servant standing behind the young man announced proudly.

Upon hearing the name, the middle-aged man nearby looked somewhat surprised.

Fei Yanqing was the second-ranked Alchemy Master in Luoyang. His son, Fei Hai, was also exceptionally talented in Alchemy, nearly on par with Wei Yanran.

Among the younger generation of Luoyang, the Ten Great reigned supreme in Martial Arts.

In Alchemy, the leading figures were Wei Yanran and Fei Hai.

The color drained from Ning Yu’an’s face. An Alchemy Master. Although she didn’t know who Fei Yanqing was, she knew that any individual who earned the title of "Master" could single-handedly rival the power of a second-tier family.

"Miss, if I may be so bold," the middle-aged man spoke again, "you don’t seem to know much about Alchemy. For Yan Ziling to refine a High Grade Elixir, he can already be considered an Alchemy Master. He’ll be respected wherever he goes. To reach this level at his age... his talent easily ranks among the top five in all of Cyan Cloud Country. I’m afraid your little brother can’t compare."

Ning Yu’an was stunned. ’Top five talent in all of Cyan Cloud Country? What an incredible assessment!’

A person like that was a true prodigy.

"Little brother, did I say the wrong thing?" Ning Yu’an asked, looking at Ning Jiang, suddenly unsure if she had been right or wrong.

"Sister An, you weren’t wrong at all. These elixirs are far inferior to what your little brother can make. As for this Fei Hai... I’ve never even heard of him."

Ning Jiang laughed. Normally, he wouldn’t care what others thought of him, but Ning Yu’an had gotten into an argument, and it was on his behalf. He couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.

He could endure a few insults and let others look down on him, but he would never allow Ning Yu’an to be wronged in any way.

A Martial Artist should be magnanimous and tolerant when possible. But once a line is crossed, they should kill without hesitation.

And Ning Yu’an was his line.

"Insolent brat."

Fei Hai’s eyes narrowed, his gaze turning hostile. Ning Jiang’s casual tone was a clear sign he didn’t take him seriously at all.

"Since you’re so arrogant, let’s compete. If you lose, you’ll get on your knees and apologize," Fei Hai said icily.

"You’re not qualified," Ning Jiang said, casually flicking his fingernails.

"Are you scared? Is that why you’re putting on a brave face? I’ve seen plenty of your kind. You’re just a coward," Fei Hai sneered.

"Forget you. Even your father isn’t qualified to compete with me," Ning Jiang said calmly.

"Bastard! How dare you insult my father!" Fei Hai roared, a cold glint shooting from his eyes.

His furious roar was so loud it immediately drew the attention of everyone present.

"Fei Hai, what is all this shouting about?"

Fu Shan, who was standing near the high platform, frowned. He was on good terms with Fei Yanqing and recognized Fei Hai.

But this was Yan Ziling’s Pill Conference. Moreover, Yan Ziling had just defeated Wei Yanran, capturing everyone’s attention. It was highly inappropriate for Fei Hai to cause a scene at such a moment.

"Master Fu, Brother Ziling, my apologies. I lost my composure. Brother Ziling, to have entered the ranks of Alchemy Masters at the young age of twenty is truly admirable. I have no doubt you will one day ascend to the rank of Grandmaster."

Fei Hai first calmed himself, then bowed with cupped hands toward Yan Ziling, showing him ample respect.

"Fei Hai, I know of you. You and Wei Yanran are leading figures among the younger generation of Alchemists. What was that about?" Yan Ziling asked with a nod.

"I was overcome with anger just now, and it’s all because of this arrogant fool."

A cold glint flashed in Fei Hai’s eyes as he pointed at Ning Jiang. "This brat was just spouting nonsense, claiming the elixirs refined by Brother Ziling are far inferior to his own. I couldn’t stand for it, so I argued with him and challenged him to an Alchemy competition. But he said I wasn’t qualified. I could have let that slide, but he kept running his mouth, even claiming my father isn’t qualified to compete with him!"

His words immediately sparked outrage among the crowd.

"Where did this madman come from?"

"Fei Yanqing is the second-ranked Alchemy Master in Luoyang! How dare he insult such a figure? What an insolent brat."

"Not qualified? It’s obvious he’s just scared!"

"Yan Ziling refined a High Grade Elixir, and this guy says it’s far inferior to his own? He must be insane."

"It’s good for a young man to be proud, but too much pride is just arrogance and foolishness. I say we just throw him out."

A chorus of curses rose from the crowd, drowning out Ning Yu’an and Ning Jiang.

Ning Yu’an’s expression grew increasingly grim. She knew this was all her fault—her thoughtless words had made Ning Jiang the target of everyone’s condemnation.

A wave of guilt washed over her.

As if sensing her thoughts, Ning Jiang squeezed her hand. "Sister An, don’t blame yourself. How could these people possibly know what I’m capable of? They’re just a bunch of fools."

"Everyone, if I may have a word."

Yan Ziling’s voice cut through the clamor, silencing the crowd. He looked at Ning Jiang. "You spoke rudely just now, insulting Master Fei Yanqing, Fei Hai’s father. I believe an apology is in order, don’t you?"

"If I were in the wrong, I would certainly apologize. Unfortunately, I was merely speaking the truth," Ning Jiang replied evenly.

"The truth? It seems you’re quite confident in yourself. But sometimes, overconfidence is simply arrogance. You’re not welcome here. Leave," Yan Ziling ordered.

"Letting him leave would be getting off too easy, wouldn’t it?" someone suggested. "If he’s so arrogant, saying Brother Ziling’s elixirs are far inferior to his, then he should prove it and compete against him!"

"He isn’t qualified to compete with me," Yan Ziling said, shaking his head, clearly uninterested in Ning Jiang.

"Enough talk! Just throw him out!"

"That’s right, throw him out!"

"Get out! You’re not welcome here!"

"If you don’t get out now, believe me, we’ll teach you a lesson!"

"Hahahaha! Some Pill Conference this is. Just a gathering of third-rate Alchemists making a mess of things. Yan Ziling, forget you—even your master, Tan Jinglin, is nothing in my eyes!"

His words only served to further infuriate the crowd.

Yan Ziling’s expression darkened. "I originally thought you were just arrogant and wanted to throw you out. But since you dare to insult my esteemed master, you will come up here and compete. I’ll make you understand that in my presence, you’re nothing but a buffoon. And my master is an existence you could never hope to reach."

"He doesn’t even dare to compete against me. How could he possibly dare to challenge Brother Ziling?" Fei Hai said scornfully.

"Do you dare to compete!"

Yan Ziling stood upon the high platform and roared. With his hands clasped behind his back, he cut an imposing figure, inspiring admiration in many.

"Why wouldn’t I dare?"

In that instant, an unprecedented, sharp glint flared in Ning Jiang’s calm eyes. frёewebηovel.cѳm

He took a single stride, and in a few quick steps, he was on the high platform.

Wei Yanran was still on the high platform. Seeing Ning Jiang, she frowned slightly. "For Zhao Peng’s sake, if you apologize to Yan Ziling right now, I can still help mediate this. Otherwise, if you keep this up, you’ll only ruin yourself."

"No need."

Now that Ning Jiang had come up on stage, he had no intention of backing down.

"When will you ever change that arrogant nature of yours? Even I am nowhere near Yan Ziling’s level of Alchemy. You’re being stubborn and insisting on a competition. You’re only asking to be humiliated," Wei Yanran said, slightly angered.

"Your skill level is nothing more than child’s play. Believe it or not, I could perform Alchemy with my eyes closed and still be better than you," Ning Jiang said with a faint, mocking smile. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

"You!" Wei Yanran huffed. "Fine. If you won’t listen to reason, then I’m done with you."

She put away her Pill Cauldron and stepped down from the platform.

"Since this is a competition, there must be stakes. You insulted my esteemed master, an unforgivable offense. If you lose, I’ll take your life!" Yan Ziling’s gaze was as sharp as a sword.

No one in the crowd thought his words were the least bit out of line.

A Grandmaster cannot be insulted!

These five words were a universally acknowledged truth in Cyan Cloud Country.

"And if you lose?" Ning Jiang retorted.

"Heh, I won’t lose. But of course, if I were to lose to someone like you, you wouldn’t have to lift a finger. I’d kill myself," Yan Ziling said, his face dripping with disdain.

With that, he looked down from the platform and addressed another man. "Master Lü Dong, I was actually hoping to compete against you today as well. I wonder what you think of the idea? I’m willing to wager a Thousand-year-old Blood Lingzhi. Of course, you don’t need to put up anything, Master Lü Dong."

A Thousand-year-old Blood Lingzhi. Hearing this, a peculiar glint flashed in Ning Jiang’s eyes.

’That’s exactly what I need!’

The master named Lü Dong, however, looked slightly troubled. He was ranked last among the eight Alchemy Masters of Luoyang City.

If he were to lose to a junior today, his reputation would be in tatters.

"A competition it is, then. You may be a Grandmaster’s Disciple, but I won’t go easy on you," Lü Dong huffed.

"Now this is getting interesting. Yan Ziling is already at an Alchemy Master’s level, and Lü Dong is a veteran Alchemy Master. The match between them is sure to be spectacular."

"Heh heh, it’s obvious Yan Ziling doesn’t even see that brat as a threat. His real target for this competition is Master Lü Dong."

"That kid is just a joke. Daring to look down on Grandmaster Tan Jinglin... Once this competition is over, he’ll be losing his head."

The competition hadn’t even begun, but the voices in the crowd around the platform were already united in their lack of faith in Ning Jiang.