Free Web NovelChapter 248: Chapter 167: Do They Have a Grudge Against Me? To Besiege Me Like This
Jiang Man was quite surprised to see Zhuo Ling and her two companions.
Although he couldn’t discern their exact strength, he could tell from the aura spilling from them.
They were the strongest opponents he had encountered so far.
"That’s Zhuo Ling, ranked in the top twenty of the First Courtyard. The man beside her is Chen He, and the woman is Zhao Yue—they’re both in the top thirty," Su Qinya whispered.
’All of them in the top thirty, and one in the top twenty.’
Even Jiang Man felt the pressure from such powerful adversaries.
’If all three of them were to attack me at once, could I even last for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, even with the Celestial Heart Seal?’
’It would be even more troublesome if they went after Gao Rong and the others.’
"Jiang Man?" Zhuo Ling asked, looking at the man before her.
Jiang Man nodded. "I am."
"I wish to face you alone," Zhuo Ling said, her gaze fixed on Jiang Man. She paused before continuing, "If you can defeat me, we will consider it your team’s victory. What do you say?"
Jiang Man glanced at the two people beside her.
They gave a slight nod.
They had no objections.
They weren’t concerned about their ranking.
Their ranks would naturally climb later on.
Right now, they all wanted to see what this so-called sleepless prodigy from the Seventh Courtyard was really made of.
There was no harm in letting Zhuo Ling test his mettle.
"Very well," Jiang Man agreed without hesitation.
’Fighting all of them would be exhausting.’
’If they surrounded me, I’d likely be worn down to exhaustion.’
’And if they didn’t, it would be even more troublesome.’
With that, Jiang Man took two steps forward.
Zhuo Ling did the same.
She wasn’t content with the arrangements her clan sister had made.
So she needed an opportunity to prove herself.
But she wasn’t foolish enough to make a true enemy of him.
"Forgive my offense," Jiang Man said softly.
"It’s fine. They say you’re a prodigy, and a prodigy has their pride. Just come at me with everything you’ve got," Zhuo Ling replied.
She was also saying those words to herself.
She had her own pride.
She didn’t want to just give up.
Defeating Jiang Man would be the first step.
The moment the thought crossed her mind, she caught sight of an approaching palm strike in her peripheral vision.
Without daring to hesitate, she met it with a palm strike of her own.
BOOM!
The forces collided, and they were both pushed back.
Immediately after, a ray of brilliant light descended upon Zhuo Ling.
’The Purple Mist Divine Light?’ Holding her sword, Zhuo Ling instantly caused its light to flare, raising it to block just as the brilliant light was about to strike.
RUMBLE! freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
The instant the light flared, Jiang Man’s Attack was upon her.
The powerful impact forced the Spirit Sword to bend, but it failed to break through her defensive stance.
Countless rays of sword light then erupted from the blade.
They carved arcs through the air as they shot toward Jiang Man.
Jiang Man could only fall back, occasionally swatting an Attack away with his hand.
’Taking all these rays of sword light head-on would consume too much Spiritual Qi.’
He was already beginning to channel the True Martial Skill.
’I have to activate the True Martial Skill as quickly as possible. Otherwise, winning will be extremely difficult, at least not within the time it takes an incense stick to burn.’
Meanwhile, Zhuo Ling launched her own assault. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
She wielded her Long Sword, activating a Magic Skill that conjured eight phantoms of herself around her.
Then, they all attacked.
Her goal was to interrupt Jiang Man’s attempt to channel his True Martial Skill while she channeled her own.
Her Sword Skill was both elegant and deadly. Jiang Man sidestepped, retreated three paces, then turned to evade once more.
But a Long Sword was already upon him.
There was no way to dodge.
He shot out two fingers and struck the flat of the blade, redirecting the Long Sword to evade the blow.
Jiang Man’s movements weren’t fast, but he had to mobilize all his Spirit and the strength of his Physical Body just to barely evade her attacks.
Zhuo Ling’s Attack speed was incredible. Her phantoms flickered past as the sword hummed through the air.
Even by coordinating his entire body’s strength, he could only protect his vital points; his arm and back were still being wounded.
After a moment of evasion, her attacks grew even more relentless. Finally, seizing an opening, her Sword Intent flared dramatically.
All the phantoms merged back into Zhuo Ling.
"This is the end."
She thrust her sword forward.
It was a strike of otherworldly grace.
Jiang Man watched the inescapable strike approach, his expression calm.
He raised a hand, and a golden light began to emanate from his body.
A red sun rose.
Brilliant light landed on the tip of her sword.
He followed with a palm strike.
The golden light converged on his palm as his Palm Skill fused with the brilliant light.
BOOM!
The tip of the sword arrived, only to be stopped dead an inch from his palm.
Power surged between them.
Then, with a great RUMBLE!
The force exploded outward, sending them both flying back.
But Jiang Man had his True Martial Skill active, and being on solid ground, he was a step faster.
He stomped his foot. Bengliu Technique.
Zhuo Ling was still in the air when earthen spikes erupted from the ground, aiming to impale her.
She twisted in mid-air to evade them.
The instant she landed, she sensed an incoming Attack from the Shadowless Palm.
She had no choice but to retreat.
"She can’t retreat!"
Zhao Yue, who was watching from the sidelines, cried out involuntarily.
But it was too late.
Zhuo Ling quickly discovered why. On the exact path of her retreat, Jiang Man had somehow appeared.
He seemed to have been waiting there for her all along.
At that moment, Jiang Man reached his right hand back over his left shoulder, adopting the posture of someone about to swing a sword. But his hand was empty.
At the same time, the Spirit Sword that had been plunged into the ground behind him was blasted into the air by the Bengliu Technique.
At the exact moment Jiang Man reached back, the sword flew perfectly into his waiting palm.
He gripped the sword.
Then he swung, unleashing a slash that carried the force of a hurricane.
Jiang Man used the flat of the blade, not its edge.
Once this blow landed, the match would be decided.
However...
Just as the sword was about to strike a stunned Zhuo Ling in the face, there was a CRACK...
The Spirit Sword let out a sharp, mournful cry.
Then, with a BANG...
It shattered on the spot.
The Broken Sword swung wide, completely missing Zhuo Ling.
She, in turn, easily evaded the Attack.
Everything came to a halt.
Zhuo Ling’s first instinct was to counterattack, but she hesitated.
With a heavy sigh, she lowered her head in resignation. "I have lost."
Jiang Man, meanwhile, simply stared, stunned, at the Broken Sword in his hand.
