"Junior Brother?"
A tall, handsome man with an aloof demeanor looked at Han Ming curiously and asked, "What's making you so happy?"
"Senior Brother Mu," Han Ming replied with a smile. "It's nothing major. I just went to see Senior Brother Jiang, and he agreed to spar with me."
"Oh?" Mu Qi showed some interest. "I remember Junior Brother Jiang. He's quite aloof and seems to care only about tending the spiritual herb garden. Doesn't he know you've advanced to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment?"
"He probably does," Han Ming said after some thought. "I didn’t hide my cultivation level, and he seemed to notice it."
"Then you should be careful," Mu Qi kindly advised. "He recently returned from the Demon Cave, which is full of opportunities. There’s a chance he might have had some fortuitous encounters. Otherwise, he might not have agreed to spar with you. Of course, it could also be that he had no choice. Either way, caution is always a good idea."
After giving his advice, Mu Qi turned and left.
Han Ming furrowed his brows. Even with fortuitous encounters, there’s no way he can defeat me, a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Still, caution was indeed necessary.
As fellow disciples, with similar ages and cultivation levels, underestimating an opponent could lead to disastrous consequences.
Even so, he was confident he could win with ease.
The next day.
[Vitality +1][Cultivation +1][Cultivation +1][Strength +1]
After collecting the energy bubbles in his courtyard, Jiang Hao stood by the gate, waiting for Han Ming to arrive.
Yesterday, Jiang Hao had gone to sell talismans. Unfortunately, there were too many on the market, so he only managed to sell a portion, earning just over 100 spirit stones. After deducting costs, his profit was less than 100 spirit stones.
He decided not to go again for a while, perhaps every three to five days instead.
On his way back, he spent 100 spirit stones on a decent blade called Half-Moon, a silver-white long blade he intended to use for practicing the first form of the Heavenly Blade Techniques.
Last night, he had activated the Empty Mind technique to comprehend the first form, Moon Slash.
His progress wasn’t great, and he estimated it would take some time to fully understand it.
But he wasn’t in a hurry. After all, even mastering the Demonic Sound Slash had taken a while. The first form of the Heavenly Blade Techniques would naturally take longer.
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“Senior Brother.”
Han Ming descended from the sky, landing in front of Jiang Hao. He held a spiritual sword and radiated confidence.
“You’re early, Junior Brother,” Jiang Hao remarked. Han Ming’s enthusiasm was evident.
“I wouldn’t dare keep Senior Brother waiting,” Han Ming replied with a smile. “Where do you plan for us to spar?”
“Here will do,” Jiang Hao said calmly.
“Here?” Han Ming glanced at Jiang Hao’s residence, looking puzzled. “Aren’t you worried about damaging your home?”
Jiang Hao shook his head. “It shouldn’t come to that.”
“As long as Senior Brother doesn’t mind.” Han Ming unsheathed his long sword, fully unleashing his Foundation Establishment aura. “Then forgive me for any offense, Senior Brother.”
Zzzap!
Han Ming’s sword sparked with thunder, and he immediately unleashed his strongest move: Heavenly Thunder Sword.
He had taken Mu Qi’s advice to heart and decided to defeat Jiang Hao with his full strength right from the start.
Jiang Hao observed Han Ming’s attack with an unchanged expression. Then, he raised the Half-Moon blade and swung it downward.
Boom!
The Demonic Sound Slash erupted.
Han Ming’s Heavenly Thunder Sword clashed with the demonic blade strike, but the latter overwhelmed it, slicing through the thunderous sword energy.
Crash!
The thunder dissipated, and the blade's shadow swept toward Han Ming.
In a desperate moment, Han Ming raised his spiritual sword to block.
Boom!
The force sent Han Ming flying. He barely managed to stay upright by stabbing his sword into the ground, but his chest throbbed in pain, and he noticed cracks spreading across his weapon.
Just one move had revealed the vast gap between him and Jiang Hao.
“Thank you for letting me win, Junior Brother,” Jiang Hao said as he sheathed his blade.
He had initially planned to secure a narrow victory, but human nature was tricky. If the gap was small, people would hold grudges and keep challenging. However, if the difference was overwhelming, they would instead feel reverence.
For this reason, Jiang Hao had decided to defeat Han Ming in a single strike.
Understanding the disparity, Han Ming would likely stop seeking challenges, making future troubles less likely.
The only downside was that his master might notice this display and question his rapid improvement, making it harder to conceal his fortuitous encounters.
But when Jiang Hao glanced at the Heavenly Fragrant Dao Flower, he felt reassured.
If suspicions arose, he could always attribute his growth to the flower and let his master investigate Elder Bai Zhi instead.
Han Ming, after a long moment, finally looked up at Jiang Hao. This time, there was a trace of fear and respect in his eyes.
“Senior Brother Jiang… have you advanced in cultivation?” he asked bitterly.
“I had some minor fortuitous encounters in the Demon Cave. That’s all. Today’s victory was just luck,” Jiang Hao replied slowly.
“Thank you, Senior Brother, for showing mercy,” Han Ming said, bowing in gratitude. He could sense that Jiang Hao’s mid-stage Foundation Establishment aura was far more stable than his own.
“This was just a private sparring match. No need to dwell on it, and I won’t mention it to others,” Jiang Hao added, retreating tactfully.
“Thank you, Senior Brother.” Han Ming expressed his gratitude once more before leaving.
As Jiang Hao watched Han Ming’s dejected figure disappear into the distance, he activated his divine ability.
[Han Ming: True disciple of the Cliff of Severed Emotions in the Tianyin Sect. Talent: Superior. Cultivation: Mid-stage Foundation Establishment. Favored by the Spirit of Mountains and Rivers. Possesses a legacy from a powerful being. Defeated by you, he feels unwilling. He plans to advance in cultivation and challenge you again to prove that your victory was only ‘luck.’]
Jiang Hao: “…”
Is this guy narrow-minded or broad-minded?
One would expect some resentment after a loss, yet Han Ming seemed solely focused on reclaiming his honor.
Was he offended because I called my victory ‘luck’?
Shaking his head, Jiang Hao turned and returned to his tasks. There was still much to do.
The Tianhuan Pavilion and the Heavenly Fragrant Dao Flower loomed over him like swords hanging by a thread.
The only solution was to grow stronger and remove these threats.