Chapter 552 - 187: Underestimated Him

Miss Jinlian had long heard from her good friend Wang Xiao about the power of Su Muyuan, a core disciple from Jintai Prefecture. Right now, her heart was in her throat, filled with worry for Yang Jing. Her palms were slick with a thin layer of sweat.

Beside her, Wang Xiao folded her arms, sizing up Yang Jing on the arena stage with a look of keen interest.

She was truly curious about what kind of person Yang Jing really was.

’To think he came from a remote little place like Yuhe County... and in such a short time, fought his way to where he is now, even standing as an equal to a prodigy like Su Muyuan.’

In her eyes, a place like Yuhe County was a godforsaken backwater, scarce in resources and devoid of renowned masters. ’How could it possibly produce a True Dragon like Yang Jing?’

’I’ll have to see for myself,’ she thought, ’just how this man from the countryside performs under Su Muyuan’s powerful assault.’

...

On the arena stage in Fushan Square, Yang Jing and Su Muyuan had ascended the platform one after the other.

The two stood on opposite sides of the arena, facing each other from dozens of feet away.

The Qi and blood in Yang Jing’s body surged as he subtly gathered power in his palms. His contained aura was as deep as an abyss, as unmovable as a mountain.

Su Muyuan, on the other hand, held a longsword with its tip angled toward the ground. The aura around him was condensed like a blade, its edge faintly perceptible.

Between them, unseen yet tyrannical auras pulled and pushed against each other in a direct confrontation. A heavy, oppressive atmosphere filled the vast arena, making the very air feel stagnant.

Below the stage, many disciples were shouting and cheering for both Su Muyuan and Yang Jing, the waves of sound rising and falling.

This was a battle that had everyone’s attention.

One was an established master, long-famous for his sublime Swordsmanship. The other was a dark horse who had shot up out of nowhere, his potential seemingly limitless. This showdown was destined to be spectacular.

What surprised Yang Jing, however, was that when he listened closely, the cheers for him seemed to be even more numerous than those supporting Su Muyuan.

He paused, slightly taken aback. ’When did I become so famous?’

What Yang Jing didn’t know was that his recent rise had been swift and ferocious. Having fought his way through every challenge and defeated numerous powerful opponents, he had long since earned the admiration of many of the sect’s younger disciples.

Though many of them had never met him, they were eager to support the man they saw as daring and tenacious. They admired his fearless, unstoppable drive.

Across from him, Su Muyuan’s brow furrowed slightly, and his fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword.

Even with his usually calm and unflappable demeanor, standing on the arena and hearing the thunderous cheers for his opponent, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of annoyance and frustration.

A faint, vicious aura began to emanate from him.

At this moment, Steward Xue cleared his throat and announced loudly, "Let the match begin!"

As his voice faded, Steward Xue turned and quickly walked off the stage, leaving the vast arena entirely to the two opponents.

A cold glint flashed in Su Muyuan’s eyes. The unending cheers for Yang Jing grated on him like tiny needles, fueling his irritation.

He made a decision. ’I’ll teach this arrogant upstart a lesson today. I’ll show them all that the foundation of an established prodigy is nothing a dark horse who just appeared out of nowhere can hope to match.’

SHING—

A clear ring like a dragon’s cry echoed across the square as Su Muyuan’s longsword left its sheath. The gleam of the blade was as clear as autumn waters, yet it held a biting edge.

He flicked his wrist, and the longsword transformed into a flowing cloud, sweeping towards Yang Jing.

This was the Su Family’s ultimate technique, the Flowing Cloud Sword Technique. Its movements were agile and ethereal, constantly shifting and unpredictable. The afterimages of the blade stacked upon one another, resembling roiling clouds on the horizon.

Seemingly gentle, it concealed a deadly intent. Each strike was aimed at an opponent’s opening, making it impossible to defend against.

A faint hiss followed in the wake of the blade, as if the very air was being torn asunder.

Yang Jing’s eyes narrowed, his pupils shrinking abruptly. Seeing the sword shadows that blotted out the sky, he acted without the slightest hesitation.

Within his Dantian, two completely different streams of Inner Qi surged into action.

One was the tyrannical and fierce Inner Qi condensed from the Mountain-Breaking Seal; the other was the deep and enduring Inner Qi refined by the Indestructible True Skill.

The two streams of Inner Qi converged with a roar in his Dantian, merging into an even more potent force that surged powerfully toward his fists.

He had already revealed his strength—that he had broken through to the Qi Eating Realm with two True Skills—in his previous match against Ma Guoliang. There was no longer any need for him to conceal it.

Besides, Su Muyuan was exceptionally powerful, the strongest opponent he had ever faced. ’Holding back now would be suicide.’

So, from his very first move, Yang Jing held nothing back.

The fused Inner Qi was almost tangible, wrapping around Yang Jing’s fists in layer after layer. A faint light shimmered on their surface, powerful enough to withstand a direct clash with even a Divine Weapon.

Now, Yang Jing channeled all of the fused, dense Inner Qi into the techniques of the Mountain-Breaking Seal. Facing the sky-blotting sword shadows, he fearlessly smashed his fist forward.

BANG!

Fist and sword collided with a deafening boom.

Su Muyuan felt an overwhelming, immense force surge up the blade. The longsword in his hand trembled, and the Inner Qi he had infused into it was thrown into disarray by this tyrannical power.

He staggered backward several steps, both to dissipate the incredible force and to deliberately put distance between himself and Yang Jing, avoiding a close-quarters brawl.

At the same time, Su Muyuan’s expression changed. He snapped his head up and stared at Yang Jing in astonishment, his eyes filled with disbelief.

’I knew he’d trained two martial arts to the Qi Eating Realm, but I assumed the second one was just some common, easy-to-learn Low-grade True Skill.’

’But now, feeling this power firsthand, I realize just how wrong I was.’

’The sheer depth of this Inner Qi... the tyrannical might of this force... there’s no way a Low-grade True Skill could produce this! It has to be a Mid-grade True Skill, maybe even something higher!’

Su Muyuan’s expression turned completely grave. He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, a thin layer of sweat slicking his palm.

He knew he had ultimately underestimated Yang Jing. ’This won’t be an easy, one-sided victory,’ he thought. ’It’s going to be a tough fight, and the outcome is anyone’s guess.’