Chapter 19 – Muyi’s Doubts
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The Sky Fortune Kingdom held martial arts in high esteem, especially in the military. A tournament would be held every three years, for the selection of talents into higher positions, and to raise the fighting spirit of the martial warrior.
The requirements for this tournament were that one had to be less than thirty years old and had achieved at least the third level of body transformation. Thousands of competitors would enter in, and after several tests and three rounds, only fifty would remain.
Now the third and final round of the competition was beginning. The competitors had gone through their rounds, and soon there would be only fifty remaining.
This was the last battle. The contestants would put forth all their hidden abilities and fight with all their might! The stage would fill with the aura of a raging fire as each man made their last stand!
However the start of the competition had not caused the higher ups to pay much attention. The competitors on the field so far either had low strength, or too much of a disparity between them. It had reached the twentieth round so far and there hadn’t been any rousing fights. All Qin Xiao cared about so far were the results.
The competition now had two sides. One was the son of a general, a handsome 29 year old man at the peak of bone forging. The past few years this man has gone on numerous missions and earned many medals and awards for his service. His strength had been strengthened by these events, and in his possession were even two treasures; a saber and a suit of armor. The saber also had an engraving on it from an inscription master; its strength was no small matter!
But on the other side was a birth soldier of humble origins. His name was Tie Feng. His talent wasn’t outstanding, but he practiced diligently to the point it left one breathless. He was fearless in battle; not even the threat of death could cause him to waver. He had killed many enemies and earned himself many merits, even more so than the general’s child! Now, Tie Feng was also at the peak of bone forging.
It was rare for two soldiers to have such a similar and high cultivation at their age. After slaughtering their enemies in the battlefield, in the future it was possible that they would enter the pulse condensation period and become pillars of the country!
As the referee announced the two competitors, a silver emblazoned general smiled with happiness and gratification. The one going on stage was his son!
“Haha, old man Li, your son really did you proud this time.” Qin Xiao smiled as he said this. This silver emblazoned general had once been under his command and they were old friends.
“Commander is too polite. This poor son of mine has grown up with many rare medicines and still hasn’t shown much promise; he really isn’t making an effort to succeed.” Although the silver emblazoned general said this with deprecation, he couldn’t conceal his smile. He was very satisfied and proud of his son.
“Mm, this Tie Feng has had very good results, but he will find it difficult to win today.”
Qin Xiao said so because of the difference in martial skills and the disparity in rare equipment.
The silver emblazoned general’s son had two rare treasures, and they also had the engraving of an inscription master to bolster their strength. This Tie Feng came from a humble background; naturally he wouldn’t have such things.
This battle didn’t seem fair, but Sky Fortune Kingdom’s tournaments have always been so. Treasures and equipment were considered part of a soldier’s inherent strength! In the midst of the battlefield, because of the disparity in equipment, if you were cut down by the enemy, could you then complain that it was unfair?
It was impossible for the army to supply each soldier with rare equipment, thus is if a soldier wanted to prepare, then their family background also became a part of their strength, and even an important part.
When Tie Feng came on stage, he drew out his four foot sword. Qin Xiao turned to Muyi who was sitting beside him, “Mister Muyi, is that Tie Feng’s sword also a treasure?”
Muyi stroked his beard and nodded, “Treasure indeed, but it is damaged.”
“Oh, damaged?” After Muyi said that, Qin Xiao also saw that the sword missed the tip. It really was a damaged sword.
Muyi said, “Damaged equipment is of course worse than a whole one. Not only that but it is Tie Feng’s only treasure, whereas Li Qi has two. Their two levels of cultivation may be similar, but Tie Feng’s martial skill manual is inferior to Li Qi’s’. This battle, Tie Feng will lose.
Qin Xiao said, “Although he will lose, that this Tie Feng managed to get this far with a damaged sword is also amazing. If in this next battle he can manage to take twenty moves, I might promote into the armies martial hall. Xingxuan, take a good look at this battle; you too will enter the fifth layer of body transformation. Although you practice a specialized martial skill for women, all creatures are the same, so if you watch carefully it will help you.”
Qin Xiao’s last few words were to Qin Xingxuan. She politely nodded and said, “Yes, grandfather.”
As soon as the referee commenced the start of the fight, that man named Li Qi rushed forwards with several fierce strikes. He hoped to end the battle as soon as possible. He had the advantage in every aspect! The quicker he finished this, the better!
He began to utilize the secret skill passed down through the Li family, the ‘Five Sacred Mountains Saber Art’! This kind of swordsmanship was overwhelming as if a mountain were falling down upon you. Each slash and thrust was accompanied by an incomparably imposing sense of power. It was able to instantly overwhelm anyone of a lesser cultivation level. Even with an equal cultivation, it was difficult to defend against this strike that crushed down on you like innumerable mountains. Most would just succumb to the demolishing heavy attack.
As soon as Li Qi wielded his saber, the air filled with the whistling of the wind, as if an entire orchestra were playing a battle song. The saber in his hand was 500 jins; it was the perfect combination to display the overwhelming power of the ‘Five Sacred Mountains Saber Art!’ If the enemy’s weapon quality was less, then the weapon would simply break apart!
Tie Feng saw Li Qi’s come chopping down and his eyes hardened, his complexion changing. He knew of Li Qi’s secret move. He sunk his waist and steadied his legs. With both hands gripping the broken sword, his body erupted with a flood of turbulent true essence that poured into the blade!
Facing Li Qi’s overwhelming strike, he could only meet him head on with all of his strength!
But as Tie Feng poured his true essence into the sword, his heart gave a slight skip. The true essence was flowing as if…as if it were much smoother than before!
Tie Feng had already had this sword for several months. Before now, when he poured his true essence into the blade, it was like pouring water into a drainage ditch. The sword couldn’t absorb much true essence, and in fact wasted a lot. But this time the blade was sucking up his true essence like an eddying current. The smoothness of absorption was incomparable, and there wasn’t a single feeling of waste!
How can it be like this?
Tie Feng didn’t have any time to think with Li Qi’s saber coming down on him, so he simply cried out and cut his blade upwards!
With his common low-grade army martial skill ‘Total Annihilation Strike’, he met Li Qi’s secret high-tier martial skill passed down through his family, the ‘Five Sacred Mountains Saber Art!’ Their blades collided any a loud explosion filled the air. The collision of true essence erupted into the air, and the floor of the area was smashed apart. Li Qi was forced backwards three or four feet, but Tie Feng was also forced back a few steps!
Evenly matched!
Tie Feng gasped and looked at the blade in his hand, his face filling with color of disbelief. He had never fought before with Li Qi before, and had only heard of him. After that strike now, he finally realized how fearful this man truly was! Before, he would have suffered some light wounds, not how he had managed to keep that saber of his in check!
He knew with absolute certainty that it was not his own strength that increased, but this sword of his had changed…was it because of the inscription symbol from yesterday?
Tie Feng did not understand exactly how inscriptions worked, but knew that they could strengthen weapons. Tie Feng thought they might increase the sharpness of the blade, but after testing it out yesterday on several trees he did not feel anything different, so he had been disappointed. He had never realized that the inscription technique used true essence to enhance the strength of the weapon!
Was this really the inscription symbol of an apprentice? How could it be so fierce? Although he did not understand the pricing of most inscriptions, in his heart he absolutely knew that with such strength and such a powerful effect, there was no way that this inscription could be bought with only 100 gold taels!
With just a collision, Li Qi had been struck back down to reality. This man had taken his saber strike with that broken blade and had come out even…perhaps even higher! This man…was terrifying!
“Good!” Qin Xiao praised, “The ordinary army martial skill was able to keep off Li Qi’s ‘Five Sacred Mountain Saber Skill’ with a broken blade. This Tie Feng is good! Very good! Mister Muyi, what do you think?”
Muyi wrinkled his brow and was at a loss for words. Although he and Qin Xiao had about the same level of cultivation, he was also an inscription master, so his understanding of treasures naturally exceeded Qin Xiao. In that brief strike a moment ago, he clearly saw that Tie Feng’s broken blade was not any less amazing than Li Qi’s saber! And that was because the true essence that poured from that blade had even shocked him!
How could it be like this? Looking at the damaged blade, he could see that it wasn’t a high grade treasure.
Could it be because of an inscription symbol?