Chapter 31: Once Struck, It Startles the World (Part 1)

"Win, win, win." Mu Zishuo stood outside the sealing formation, watching Ji Ning seated on a stone pillar in the distance, his eyes burning with fervor and anticipation. "He must win." Having lost two matches in a row, he felt aligned with Ji Ning, both being newly promoted disciples.

The senior disciples, following 'tradition,' were teaching them, the newcomers, a lesson. Having lost, he naturally longed for Ji Ning to win and salvage some pride for the two of them. Moreover, the stakes that Yinxue Wenjian had set were far too high.

"Junior disciple Ji Ning is pitiful."

"Senior disciple Wenjian set the stakes high enough; he didn't hold back at all."

The senior disciples murmured among themselves.

Jiu Lian, standing there, carefully observed Ji Ning within the sealing formation and said softly, "Fellow disciples, don't speak too soon. It's still hard to say who will win between Wenjian and Beiming."

"Senior disciple Wenjian has been in the sect for years; can he really be inferior to this Ji Ning?"

"Senior sister Jiu Lian, it's unlikely Ji Ning will win."

The surrounding disciples, including Mu Zishuo, were surprised that Jiu Lian would say such a thing, as she was technically on the side of the senior disciples.

"Just watch." Jiu Lian's face still bore a faint smile.

...

Yinxue Wenjian sat cross-legged on a stone pillar, noticing that Jiu Lian's gaze outside the sealing formation lingered more on Ji Ning, which made his eyes grow even colder.

"Once the protective layer of the puppets you two control is broken, it means defeat." The white-haired elder watched from afar, speaking loudly.

Ji Ning nodded slightly.

The puppet was like his own body; if its protective layer was broken, it would be akin to being killed in a real life-and-death battle. Naturally, that meant defeat.

"Since you understand, then... begin!" As the white-haired elder's voice fell,

within the vast arena of the sealing formation, the two puppets moved simultaneously.

Ji Ning controlled the Thousand Sword Puppet, while Yinxue Wenjian controlled the Big Dipper Puppet.

"Swish!" "Swish!" Both puppets retreated, creating distance.

Neither wanted the puppet to get too close, as once the protective layer was pierced, it meant defeat.

"Junior disciple Ji Ning, be careful!" Yinxue Wenjian, seated cross-legged on a distant stone pillar, shouted loudly. Immediately, one of the seven flying swords on the Big Dipper Puppet he controlled, a sword brimming with fierce killing intent, flew out, and dense blood light appeared in the midair around it.

"Alkaid Breaks the Army!"

"Senior disciple Wenjian starts with Alkaid Breaks the Army; his killing intent is truly strong." The other disciples watching from afar were startled.

The flying sword streaked across the sky, and wherever it passed, it was as if an iron-blooded army marched, with waves of blood light and faint sounds of battle cries.

It slashed directly toward Ji Ning's Thousand Sword Puppet.

"His killing intent is indeed strong."

Ji Ning sat cross-legged on the stone pillar, watching and merely smiled lightly. "I'll just extinguish this killing intent."

"Go."

Clang!

One of the densely packed small swords on the back of the Thousand Sword Puppet flew out. At first, it was no larger than an embroidery needle, but it soon grew to the size of a palm. As this sword light flew out, flowing water appeared around it with a rushing sound, and the sword light merged into the flowing water.

"Slash!" Yinxue Wenjian's face darkened.

The flying sword, carrying boundless killing intent, did not dodge at all and slashed directly into the flowing water. This Alkaid sword... required this very momentum! The momentum could not be weakened!

The flying sword struck directly at the flowing water. Splash, splash, splash—the water shattered, but the broken fragments swirled and coiled around the sword again. As the saying goes, 'Cut water with a sword, and it flows even more.' No matter how tempered the steel, when it meets the endless sword-light of water, it must turn into softness around the finger.

The first burst carries the momentum; the second, it wanes; the third, it is exhausted.

“Not good.” Yinxue Wenjian’s expression shifted slightly. He realized that Ji Ning had blocked him with just a single flying sword.

“Impressive.”

“With just one flying sword, he held off Junior Apprentice Brother Wenjian’s ‘Yaoguang Pojun Sword.’ Ji Ning’s strength is not far from Junior Apprentice Brother Wenjian’s.”

The green-robed man Bu Ying frowned and said, “That’s the ‘Flowing Water Sword’ from the *Minor Five Elements Sword Manual*.”

“The *Minor Five Elements Sword Manual*?”

“Senior Apprentice Brother Bu Ying, are you sure?” The others looked at Bu Ying, their faces full of doubt. They had all heard of the fame of the *Minor Five Elements Sword Manual*, but none of them specialized in swordsmanship, so they were unfamiliar with its techniques.

Bu Ying nodded: “I’m sure. I’ve studied the *Minor Five Elements Sword Manual*. This move is indeed the ‘Flowing Water Sword’… I didn’t expect that Junior Apprentice Brother Beiming, having just joined, has already comprehended the *Minor Five Elements Sword Manual*.”

Jiu Lian listened from the side, watching with a light smile.

…

Yinxue Wenjian could not hear the discussions of the other disciples outside, but he could guess them.

Both sides had used only a single flying sword, yet Ji Ning had blocked him. How could this not humiliate him? After all, he had been a disciple for many years.

“Junior Apprentice Brother Ji Ning, take my ‘Big Dipper Greedy Wolf Tears the Sky’!” Yinxue Wenjian roared angrily.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The other six flying swords on the Big Dipper puppet rose simultaneously, joining the returning sword to instantly form the Big Dipper Sword Formation. Rumble… In the midair around them, enormous stars began to appear. Seven massive stars formed a ladle shape, and then one of the swords blazed with light.

“Roar—” With that sword as the core, a massive black wolf phantom materialized out of thin air.

The Greedy Wolf raised its head and let out a furious howl.

Then it charged with a whoosh, leaping toward Ji Ning. Though it seemed like a single leap, inside it, the seven flying swords attacked simultaneously.

“Go!”

Ji Ning shouted coldly.

Eight more flying swords flew out from behind the Thousand Swords puppet, joining the one that had been sent out earlier to instantly form a simple ‘Nine Palaces Sword Formation.’ Ji Ning had exchanged for the treasure ‘Nine Yang Sword Formation’ in the Water Mansion. The Nine Yang Sword Formation itself contained some mysteries, and though it was not as complex as the Lesser Thousand Swords Formation, it was still extraordinary. Ji Ning had considerable achievements in formations, and the ‘Nine Palaces Sword Formation’ he executed was quite impressive.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Nine beams of sword-light howled as they met the massive Greedy Wolf phantom. As they flew forward, the nine beams instantly transformed into a dense mass of over a hundred sword-shadows, which then turned into over a hundred raindrops. Like a hundred meteorites, they viciously crashed into the enemy.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Over a hundred raindrops struck in succession, each carrying terrifying power.

“Not good.” The green-robed man Bu Ying outside the sealing formation suddenly stood up, shock in his eyes. “How could he…”

Each raindrop was devastatingly powerful.

Rumble… With irresistible force, they smashed the ferocious Greedy Wolf into scattering and also shattered the seven flying swords.

“How is this possible!” Yinxue Wenjian, seated on the stone pillar and controlling everything, changed expression drastically.

Swoosh!

Just after shattering the Greedy Wolf phantom, several flying swords continued unabated, instantly reaching the Big Dipper puppet. With a slash, they cut across it. The black rock protective layer on the puppet’s surface was instantly torn open, revealing the fiery red inner layer.

“Ji Ning wins!” The white-haired elder in the distance announced loudly.

Yinxue Wenjian’s face turned deathly pale.

…