Word about Wu Jian’s duel with Luo Feng spread like wildfire. It wasn’t long before the entire Heavenly Sword Sect was aware of what happened, but of course, with each retelling, the story of how Wu Jian challenged Luo Feng became bigger.

In one of the retellings, Wu Jian had stormed Mount Hongse like a madman, beating up disciples left and right before Luo Feng confronted him. In another, Wu Meiying had been kidnapped by the evil Luo Feng and Wu Jian journeyed into the Crimson Swords’ stronghold to save her--the result of which ended in this duel. Those were some of the more exaggerated stories, but most weren’t that different.

As news of the duel spread, more people became interested in Wu Jian. They all wanted to see what made this young man so special. Rumors had it that he had stolen the heart of the Lady Oracle, that he had won the International Power Ranking Tournament with one hand tied behind his back, that he had fought dragons and slayed cultivators far beyond his level. That last one was somewhat true. He had fought a dragon and killed cultivators at a higher cultivation than him, but no one here could have known that.

When the day of the duel finally arrived, the stadium where all duels took place was packed to bursting with people. Even cultivators who would normally never attend such an event were in attendance. Wu Meiying was pointing them out to Wu Jian as they stood in the waiting room. They were not alone. Youmei, Feng Tiansheng, and Húndàn Wang were with them.

“You see that young man up there? The one with silver hair? That’s Lan Xiu of the Azure Moon. And the one next to him is Lei Jin of the Thunderstrike Brotherhood. The Azure Moon specializes in illusory blade techniques, while Thunderstrike Brotherhood places a heavy emphasis on lightning techniques. Several rows over is Yue Lan. The Astral Serpents faction that he leads is not very well-liked because they use poison and the other factions look down on them for it, but you would do well not to underestimate them. You already know Gao Shen of the Iron Mountain Battalion. If you look near the roof, however, you’ll see a mysterious figure cloaked in darkness. That’s Wei Ying of the Silent Shadow.”

Wu Jian looked up, and while he couldn’t see the person Wu Meiying was talking about, he did notice an area that had writhing shadows. He thought he saw a figure within, but it was hard to tell. It felt like his eyes were playing tricks on him.

Silent Shadow was the most mysterious of the seven factions within the Heavenly Sword Sect. They never went on missions, never showed themselves in public, and even their faction headquarters was hidden away from the sect. Nobody knew much of anything about them. Wu Meiying was probably the only person outside of the sect master who knew what they were and what they did.

Assassination.

They were the assassins of the sect. According to Wu Meiying, only the sect master himself could employ them, and they were only used when someone who posed a threat to the sect itself had to be taken out covertly.

Assassins were looked down on in the world of cultivation; people who used them were seen as weak. A cultivator who can’t take his own enemies head on? Pathetic! However, assassins were used much more frequently than the average person believed, and the ones who used them most often were larger sects and nations.

Oftentimes, assassins were used to gather intelligence, neutralize high-value targets who posed a threat to someone’s interests but couldn’t be killed overtly, eliminating traitors, and political maneuvering. The Heavenly Sword Sect valued honor and open combat, but the world of cultivation was complex and required a wide range of tools to protect its interests and maintain its position of power. Despite their shadowy nature, assassins were a pragmatic method of doing just that.

“You certainly know a lot, Missy.” Master Feng Tiansheng crossed his arms. “I guess that’s why they call you the Lady Oracle.”

Wu Meiying said nothing to the man, which caused him to grumble.

The door to the room suddenly opened and everyone turned as a young man walked in. It was Zhe Fēnglì. Wu Jian hadn’t seen much of him, but Wu Meiying told him that the young man was often out on long-term missions.

“Young Master, welcome. I did not expect to see you,” Wu Jian said with a martial bow. The others followed suit, even Youmei, who didn’t understand what was going on, and Master Feng Tiansheng, whose arrogance was well-known.

“There’s no need to stand on ceremony with me right now.” Zhe Fēnglì waved a hand as though warding them off.

“Did you just get back from a mission, Young Master?” asked Wu Meiying.

Zhe Fēnglì grimaced a bit when Wu Meiying called him “Young Master” but tried to retain his smile. “Indeed I did. Imagine my surprise when, upon arriving, I hear a rumor that you--” he pointed at Wu Jian “--challenged Luo Feng to a duel. I decided to see what the fuss was about myself and came here.”

Wu Jian knew a lie when he heard one. There was a grain of truth to the words, but he was certain the biggest reason Zhe Fēnglì had come was because he hard that Wu Meiying was with him. Beauty always attracted the powerful. Zhe Fēnglì was not a bad person, but he was weak to the same desires as other powerful men.

“You’re free to stick around,” Wu Jian offered. “You can watch me kick Luo Feng’s ass.”

“Ah ha ha ha. Confident, aren’t you? Well, you did defeat all of your opponents in the tournament, and I can tell you’ve gotten stronger. I’m sure you’ll do fine.” He paused briefly to glance at Wu Meiying. It was just a second, but Wu Jian caught it. “I guess I’ll stick around.”

I’m sure you’ll use this opportunity to talk with Mei.

Wu Jian wanted to shake his head. Wu Meiying had already looked into Zhe Fēnglì’s future and in none of the timelines did he cause a problem for either of them, meaning it was safe to assume he was a good man who wouldn’t interfere once he realized there was no hope of him ever successfully courting Wu Meiying. That didn’t mean Wu Jian liked it when someone tried to flirt with her. He had always been possessive of the young woman ever since they were kids. That was natural. Normal even. She was one of the biggest reasons he had worked so hard to get stronger.

“Welcome one and all!”

A loud shout from the stage interrupted his thoughts; he turned with the others to find a cute young woman standing on a floating platform above the stage. She was an exquisite young woman with almond-shaped eyes that were dark yet friendly, set beneath gracefully arched eyebrows. Her raven-black hair was tied in a ponytail to better showcase her slender neck and collarbone. She spoke in a clear, melodic voice that carried effortlessly across the stadium.

“I’m sure many of you know this, but my name is Li Mingxia, and I will be your host for today’s duel. Please treat me well.”

The young woman winked and the crowd went wild, particularly the boys, who began screaming and chanting her name as they stomped their feet. Wu Jian had to blink several times. This was the first time he had seen a reaction like this. Then again, most of the people who refereed duels were old men, so maybe having a beautiful young woman doing it made for a refreshing change of pace.

“Today’s duel is one for the ages! Our newest disciple, Jian Wu, has challenged Luo Feng of the Crimson Swords! Not many people would have the guts to do that! Is this a sign of his indomitable will or stupidity? I guess we’ll find out soon enough! Not only has Jian Wu challenged Luo Feng, but he has even offered a handicap! What balls! Before the main event, Jian Wu will be fighting against Bai Qiang and Hong Liang!”

As she spoke, two people emerged from a door on the other side. Bai Qiang and Hong Liang looked like they had seen better days. There was nothing wrong with them physically, but the way they walked, as though they were barely restrained balls of fury, spoke volumes to Wu Jian.

Since the two had come out, Wu Jian left the others, stepping outside and making his way toward the stage amidst the crowd’s screams. He couldn’t tell if the people were cheering for him or trying to boo him. It was all a jumble of noise, but he did his best to ignore it as he jumped on the stage. Bai Qiang and Hong Liang glared malevolently at him from across the stage as though he had insulted their ancestors.

“The same rules as a normal duel apply to this one” Li Mingxia began. “Winners are decided by forfeit, knockout, or ringout. I can also decide a match is over if I believe there’s no guarantee of victory for one side. If both parties understand, then please bow to your ancestors, now bow to me, and now to each other.”

Wu Jian, Bai Qiang, and Hong Liang did as instructed, though he would admit it felt weird to show respect toward someone who was clearly not an elder… or was she? She lacked the gravitas he expected of an elder, but you never knew. There were people who were hundreds of years old but didn’t look a day past twenty. Perhaps she was one of them.

“Okay! Let’s get this show on the road! You may begin the battle… now!”

[Rapid Crimson Flash]

A new technique?

Wu Jian was immediately forced on the defense as Bai Qiang blitzed toward him and unleashed a series of attacks so rapid that it was hard to tell how many strikes there were--for a normal person at least. He weaved through them as he summoned Pale Moon into his hands. He could tell the man had become stronger since their last battle, but he was not that much stronger.

[Earthshaker]

Hong Liang attacked after Bai Qiang, striking the ground with his sword and sending a shockwave rippling through the stage. Wu Jian narrowed his eyes as he focused his Sword Intent into Pale Moon and swung. A golden beam of energy erupted from his blade, slammed into the shockwave, and split it in two.

“What?!” Bai Qiang shouted in shock.

“Impossible! Was that Sword Intent?!” Hong Liang was just as surprised.

Wu Jian rushed forward and attacked Bai Qiang, who was closer. He swung his sword, sharp and swift, forcing Bai Qiang to raise his own weapon to block.

“Urrrgggghhh!!!”

His attack was so powerful that Bai Qiang was lifted off his feet and sent sailing backwards. He landed back on the stage, feet sliding across the floor. Wu Jian tried to capitalize on his lack of balance, but Hong Liang was already moving to intercept him, his hand on his sheathed sword.

[Sundering Avalanche]

With his sword held high, Hong Liang swung down, unleashing a cascading effect of successive blows that were so heavy they would have crushed someone weaker. It wasn’t just their power that pushed Wu Jian back. Like all quick-draw techniques, these blows were fast.

Fast and heavy.

A dangerous combination.

Wu Jian was undeterred; he took the attack head on, swinging his own sword and unleashing another bright burst of energy. Pale Moon sliced right through Hong Liang’s technique and even his sword. The once beautiful blade was removed entirely, leaving just a hilt. As Hong Liang stared at his bladeless hilt, befuddled, Wu Jian planted his sword into the ground and unleashed a heavy kick. His attack caught the man in the temple, rattling his brain. Hong Liang dropped like a sack of bricks.

“Liang!! Damn you!!”

Bai Qiang had recovered his balance and charged at Wu Jian with rage burning in his eyes. One hand held his sheathe and the other was on the hilt of his sword.

[Tempest Fury]

Bai Qiag whirled his sword around in a furious cyclone, creating a storm of razor-sharp energy blades. An attack like this would have been great against multiple opponents.

Wu Jian leapt backward and launched another golden energy projectile of pure Sword Intent. The attack sliced through Bai Qiang’s storm and struck his sword, knocking him off balance. While Wu Jian tried to capitalize by closing the distance and swinging his blade, the man had learned his lesson and quickly leapt back. That was fine. Wu Jian launched several more projectiles that forced Bai Qiang to move quickly, lest he find himself diced to pieces.

[Gale Strike]

Bai Qiang swung his sword so fast and with such incredible speed that it created a powerful gust of wind, negating Wu Jian’s last projectile. Then he re-sheathed his sword and rushed forward.

[Thunderclap Flash]

Bai Qiang struck at Wu Jian again and again with his quick-draw technique. Each time he did, the attack became faster, stronger, and sharper. It was like the momentum of his assault was allowing him to accumulate more power. Wu Jian narrowed his eyes as he focused on the sword, waiting for the perfect opportunity.

It came when Bai Qian tried to launch an overhand strike. This must have been his technique’s finisher. Wu Jian sidestepped the attack, thrust his own weapon forward, knocking Bai Qiang off balance once more, then slamming the flat end of his sword into the other man’s head. Bai Qiang’s eyes rolled up in the back of his head as he pitched face first to the ground.

He didn’t get back up.

Amidst the now heavy silence, Li Mingxia’s voice echoed.

“We have a winner! Jian Wu has won!”

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