Chapter 151 Easily Defeating the King's Sword

Recognizing the intent-to-kill blade aura, Wang Jian reacted instantly.

The youth before him was none other than Ling Chi, the formidable young prodigy he had been waiting for through many bitter days. He casually tossed the unconscious Zheng Yu aside and shouted.

Seeing Ling Chi's blade light still hurtling toward Zheng Yu, Wang Jian had no choice but to unleash his full cultivation base, drawing his longsword and crossing it with the scabbard to block the executioner's blade with all his might.

"Young Master Ling, please restrain your anger. I am Wang Jian, an executive elder of the Northern Cold Palace. I will surely give Young Master Ling a satisfactory explanation for all this."

Gritting his teeth, Wang Jian poured the entirety of his Triple Spirit Pearl realm cultivation into the defense against Ling Chi. Inwardly, he was shaken to the core; despite being two minor realms higher than Ling Chi, he had been forced to use his full strength.

Exploding with metal-attribute spiritual Qi, he prepared to force Ling Chi back so they could talk things out properly.

However, Ling Chi did not budge an inch. The thunder spirit pearl within his dantian slowly rotated, releasing endless arcs of lightning.

His consistent habit was always to knock his opponent down first and reason with them slowly afterward—provided the opponent was reasonable.

"The explanation I want is not something you give me. I am accustomed to taking it with my own hands."

"Hah!"

Enveloped in purple lightning, his eyes flashing with brilliant arcs of electricity, had he not intentionally held back, this single strike alone could have blown this large river vessel to pieces.

From the moment Ling Chi kicked the door open to his clash of strength with Wang Jian, it had all occurred in the span of a breath. The deafening roar echoed throughout the entire ship, causing numerous martial artists to hurry over and watch from a distance with trembling hearts.

As the pressure of two Spirit Pearl realm auras radiated outward, the cultivators retreated even further. Fights between Spirit Pearl realm experts were a rare sight indeed; if one could comprehend even a single move or stance, it would be immensely beneficial.

"Senior venerables, please hold your hands! I am Dong Zhang, the captain of the Sea River Vessel. I beg both of you to spare us for the sake of the hundreds of lives on board."

A group of bald, sturdy men clustered around the captain and shouted toward the scene.

Living out on the water for long periods, they had no attachment to growing long hair. The traditional saying that one's body and hair are gifts from one's parents did not apply here, as long hair would hardly protect them from illness.

Dong Zhang looked with a splitting headache at the two figures locked in a contest of strength, his bald head covered in beads of sweat.

The destructive power of Spirit Pearl realm experts when they fought was terrifying; they could easily send this large vessel of his to the bottom of the river with a flick of their wrists. In the eyes of these two, his mere Sea River Gang possessed not the slightest bit of deterrence.

Dong Zhang could sense that neither of them wished to harm the innocent and were intentionally restraining their destructive force. Thus, he could only voice a plea for them to show mercy and take their fight up into the skies.

"Heh, how about a battle in the skies?"

Surging with battle intent, Ling Chi issued his challenge to Wang Jian.

"Young Master Ling, you..."

"Very well, this old man shall accompany you for a spar!"

Wang Jian had no choice but to agree; otherwise, he had no idea how this day would end.

With a wave of his executioner's blade, Ling Chi soared into the air amidst crackling lightning.

With a stomp of his foot, Wang Jian wrapped his entire body in sharp spiritual Qi and followed closely behind.

Only the green-robed Lian Yi was left behind in the shattered room, watching the two figures in mid-air with a nervous expression.

Naturally, she hoped her master would emerge victorious. After all, her master possessed the cultivation of the Triple Spirit Pearl realm, pressing down upon Ling Chi by a head.

Yet, at the same time, she found herself reluctant to see the youth named Ling Chi defeated too miserably. The moment this thought arose, even she herself was startled.

"Golden Profound Sword Qi!"

A cry echoed from mid-air, causing Lian Yi's heart to leap. Why would her master unleash his signature ultimate technique the moment the fight started? Could he have been driven to it by that fierce youth? Her mind instantly descended into chaos.

Following Wang Jian's furious roar, a dazzling sword aura assailed Ling Chi at a speed invisible to the naked eye.

Ling Chi pressed a palm against his chest as his Undying Body activated instantly. Pure purple radiance spread across his entire body, and without dodging or evading, he charged straight toward his opponent.

The longsword in Wang Jian's hand erupted with golden light, instantly unleashing hundreds of sharp sword auras that struck Ling Chi's body with a flurry of metallic clangs.

His physique, which had been tempered once again by the *Great Freedom Thunder Classic*, proved its worth. Bathed in the baptism of the Golden Profound Sword Qi, Ling Chi remained entirely unscathed.

"What kind of secret technique is this? To actually withstand this old man's Golden Profound Sword Qi head-on?"

Wang Jian's eyes were filled with disbelief. As his trump card, the Golden Profound Sword Qi had helped him slay formidable enemies on numerous occasions, yet now it returned empty-handed against Ling Chi. What kind of little monster was this?

He lightly bit the tip of his tongue, forcefully suppressing his racing thoughts, and engaged Ling Chi in a flurry of blows, each sword strike faster than the last.

Claps of thunder rang out one after another. A massive lightning dragon roared as it descended vertically, accompanied by the Executioner blade in Ling Chi's hand.

The terrifying might made the space between Wang Jian's brows jump wildly. Was this a friendly spar or a life-or-death battle? By any measure, it looked entirely like someone trying to claim his life.

His protective spiritual Qi shattered at the sound of the impact. The moment he came into contact with the lightning, Wang Jian went completely numb, and his stiffened body plunged straight down from the sky.

At the very last moment, Ling Chi reined in his lightning; otherwise, with that final strike, Wang Jian might well have ceased to exist altogether.

"Master!"

A sweet, anxious cry rang out from below.

Ling Chi flew forward, scooped up Wang Jian just as he was about to plummet into the river, and leaped back onto the Sea River Vessel.

The bald members of the Sea River Gang watched in shock as Ling Chi landed back on the ship, automatically parting to clear a path. From the start of the battle to its conclusion, not even thirty breaths of time had passed.

Moreover, the victor was merely a youth. They couldn't help but sigh, feeling that they had lived out their advanced years in vain.

"Is he that Fierce Tiger Ling Chi who has been causing such a stir recently?" the members of the Sea River Gang whispered among themselves.

"Are you out of your mind? If you want to die, don't drag us down with you! What kind of cultivation do you have that gives you the nerve to call him the Fierce Tiger?"

Dong Zhang glared at Ling Chi, then slapped the forehead of his subordinate.

"Doesn't everyone call him that?" The struck gang member rubbed his bald head, utterly puzzled.

"You lot, mere pulse-opening realm rabble, ought to address him as a senior. Regardless of his young age, do you have any idea how many people he has killed?" Dong Zhang said with a mysterious air.

"A few days ago, I heard merchants coming from Guan County say that in the battle of Guan County, Young Master Ling single-handedly slaughtered the greater part of the Black-Armored Cavalry—fully a thousand men. The blood stained a vast stretch of land."

"Why did I hear it was three thousand men?"

"Wasn't it five thousand?"

The Sea River Gang members began arguing heatedly in the background.

Ling Chi dragged Wang Jian back into the shattered cabin.

Lian Yi watched as Ling Chi grabbed her master, the stone in her heart finally beginning to settle. However, seeing her master's charred and miserable state, her worry flared up once more.

"His injuries only look severe; he will recover within half an incense stick of time."

Ling Chi's icy, cold voice reached Lian Yi's ears.

Before boarding, she had only caught a hurried glimpse of him, but now Ling Chi stood right before her. The youth possessed handsome features, an extraordinary bearing, and star-like eyes that seemed capable of capturing one's soul.

"What's wrong with this green-robed woman? Her master is still hanging in my hand, yet she's standing there in a daze, wondering who knows what."

A strange feeling washed over Ling Chi as he looked at Lian Yi. What an unfilial disciple, he thought.

"Ahem!" Ling Chi gave a light cough, interrupting Lian Yi's wandering thoughts.

Lian Yi snapped back to reality as if waking from a dream, her pretty face flushing crimson.

She hurriedly reached out to catch the stiff form of Wang Jian, standing frozen in place at a complete loss for what to do.

"Put your master down."

Ling Chi shook his head, reached out, and flicked a tiny arc of electricity into Wang Jian's chest. The latter instantly jolted awake with a loud shout:

"Young Master Ling, hold on!"

Wang Jian's memory was still frozen in the moment before the lightning struck.

"Master, are you alright?"

Lian Yi's delicate face appeared before Wang Jian. Only then did he realize that he had somehow already returned to the large vessel.

The lingering sensations of numbness and pain told him that being struck by lightning earlier had been entirely real. He was shaken to his core; despite being an expert of the Triple Spirit Pearl realm, he hadn't even lasted half an incense stick of time before Ling Chi.