Chapter 39: Chapter 38: Fighting Jiang Ziyou

"A single battle to decide life and death. Jiang Ziyou, do you dare to fight?"

Jiang Chen held his sword in one hand, its tip pulsing with a sharp glint as he pointed it at Jiang Ziyou and declared with arrogance.

His voice was resonant and powerful, carrying clearly to everyone’s ears.

For a moment, all the experts near the sacrificial altar turned to look at Jiang Ziyou.

Even experts like Lin Shengfeng and Xu Ying, who harbored killing intent for Jiang Chen, were filled with doubt when they saw how calm he was as he challenged Jiang Ziyou to a deathmatch. ’Could it be? Is it just as Jiang Chen said? Has Jiang Ziyou been behind this all along?’

In everyone’s minds, Jiang Chen’s strength was far inferior to Lin Yu and the others.

Therefore, when Jiang Ziyou claimed Jiang Chen had killed Lin Yu and the others in a sneak attack, they had all subconsciously chosen to believe her. But if it was as Jiang Chen claimed—that he wasn’t the good-for-nothing she made him out to be, but possessed absolute, dominating power—then he could have killed Lin Yu and the others in a direct fight. He would have had no need for sneak attacks or assassinations.

That would prove Jiang Ziyou was lying!

At this thought, Lin Shengfeng narrowed his eyes and looked at Jiang Ziyou. "Miss Ziyou, to prove your innocence, why not accept Jiang Chen’s challenge?"

"That’s right! Jiang Chen is just a good-for-nothing. It would be effortless for Miss Ziyou to defeat him!" Chen Tianrun added, his eyes darting as he picked up on Lin Shengfeng’s thoughts.

Xu Ying and Jian Shisan also turned to look at her in unison.

Jiang Ziyou’s face alternated between pale and ashen. She had never expected Jiang Chen to pull such a move, taking the legs out from under her. It caught her completely off guard and left her struggling to respond.

’Damn you, Jiang Chen! I didn’t think you’d be so ruthless, forcing me into a dead end! If you had challenged me a couple of days ago, I might not have dared to accept. But now...’

Jiang Ziyou stared intently at Jiang Chen, killing intent surging within her. Her slender hands clenched into fists, her sharp nails digging so deep into her palms that they drew blood, yet she seemed not to feel the piercing pain. The corners of her mouth curled up into a cold, confident sneer. ’I’ve already fully refined the Dragon Tiger Qi Condensing Pill, and my cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds. You’re no match for me at all!’

With this in mind, Jiang Ziyou took a deep breath, and with a flash, she leaped onto the sacrificial altar.

She strolled leisurely toward Jiang Chen until only ten meters separated them.

The two stood face-to-face on the altar, their gazes meeting. It was as if their tangible stares clashed in the empty air, sparking the fiery flames of battle.

Two towering auras of battle intent collided fiercely.

Jiang Chen held his sword in one hand, a faint killing intent rippling out from him like a breeze. His black hair fluttered without any wind as he said coldly, "Jiang Ziyou, I said it back when you and your father drove me out of the Jiang Family and stole my Saint Martial Order. Anyone who dares to touch what belongs to me, Jiang Chen, I will kill them. For the past two months, I have been looking forward to this battle day and night!"

Jiang Ziyou’s long dress fluttered as a formidable killing intent enveloped Jiang Chen without restraint. "Jiang Chen, I have to admit, you’ve surprised me. In just over two months, you’ve actually managed to grow to your current level. But it’s a pity. Your opponent today is me, Jiang Ziyou. The outcome of this fight was determined from the very beginning. The one who loses can only be you!"

Every word was like the tip of a needle against a blade’s edge, sharp and confrontational, fanning the flames of battle even higher.

"Miss Ziyou, kill that pretentious brat!"

"Jiang Chen, you’re a loser! How dare you dream of challenging Miss Ziyou? You don’t know your place!"

A clamor of noisy shouts erupted around the altar. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Everyone was nearly in a frenzy, unanimously supporting Jiang Ziyou.

It couldn’t be helped!

Jiang Ziyou was famous, a goddess in the eyes of countless people. She also had the halo of the Saint Martial Sword Sect surrounding her. How could her popularity be compared to Jiang Chen, who had been a good-for-nothing for more than a decade?

Important figures like Sima Tao and Lin Shengfeng fixed their gazes on the two on the altar. When they looked at Jiang Chen, they all shook their heads slightly.

They clearly didn’t think highly of his chances.

"One is the favored daughter of heaven, so famous that even the Saint Martial Sword Sect sent a special envoy to recruit her. The other is a useless piece of trash with a Yellow Tier First Grade Martial Soul. The strength of these two is on completely different levels." Yun Haoran said with a look of indifference, glancing at Bai Ling beside him. "Junior Sister Bai, it looks like your one hundred thousand taels are about to go down the drain!"

Only Bai Ling smiled faintly and said lightly, "The battle hasn’t begun. It’s not yet known who will emerge victorious."

"Hahaha, don’t tell me, Junior Sister Bai, that you still think Jiang Chen can win?" Yun Haoran scoffed.

Bai Ling shrugged her shoulders. "And why not?"

Yun Haoran gave a cold smile and thought to himself: ’Bai Ling, oh Bai Ling, for all your calculations, you could never have known that Junior Sister Ziyou received my Dragon Tiger Qi Condensing Pill and her cultivation has greatly improved. There is no way Jiang Chen can be her opponent!’

An idea struck him, and Yun Haoran said, "Junior Sister Bai, since you have so much confidence in Jiang Chen, do you dare to make another bet with me?"

"Bet what?" Bai Ling glanced at him.

Yun Haoran said, "I know Junior Sister Bai has a Profound Tier Sword Technique, the *Floating Snow Sword Technique*. If Jiang Chen loses, you’ll give me the *Floating Snow Sword Technique*. Of course, if I lose, I’ll give you my *Gale Step*! How about it?"

"Oh?"

Bai Ling’s eyes flashed. Both *Gale Step* and the *Floating Snow Sword Technique* were Profound-Tier High-Level Martial Skills. Even in the Saint Martial Sword Sect, they were considered precious secret manuals. For Yun Haoran to be willing to wager his *Gale Step*, it showed he had immense confidence in Jiang Ziyou.

However...

Bai Ling glanced at Jiang Chen. Thinking of the instructions given to her by the person backing her before she left, she couldn’t help but smile and say, "Alright, I’ll take that bet!"

"Hahaha, Junior Sister Bai, you’d better get the *Floating Snow Sword Technique* ready for your senior brother!" Yun Haoran laughed heartily, brimming with confidence.

Their bet naturally caught the attention of Sima Tao and the others. When they heard that the stakes were Profound-Tier Martial Skills, they all felt a wave of dizziness.

The highest-grade martial skills in all of Yandu City were merely Yellow Tier High-level Martial Skills. Yet, these two were betting with Profound-Tier Martial Skills. The stakes were simply terrifying.

’So this is the foundation of the Saint Martial Sword Sect!’

Everyone was filled with endless envy. Just then, their gazes suddenly focused on the altar. "Look, the two youngsters are fighting!"

On the altar, Jiang Ziyou was the first to act.

Jiang Ziyou took a graceful step forward, covering several zhang in a single stride. Her figure was as nimble as a wild goose, gliding horizontally just above the ground.

The sword in her hand shot out in a smooth motion, its edge covered with slivers of sharp Sword Qi. Wherever the longsword pointed, it was unstoppable and incomparably sharp!

"*Canglang Swordsmanship*—*Overlapping Waves Technique*!"

Jiang Ziyou shouted, a cold killing intent erupting from her eyes. Waves of Sword Qi swept out like a surging tide, rolling toward Jiang Chen to crush him.

The *Canglang Swordsmanship* was the Jiang Family’s signature Sword Technique!

It was a Yellow Tier High-level Martial Skill. When one’s Swordsmanship reached Great Success, every strike could summon continuous waves of sword energy like a vast ocean. One wave followed another, each carrying a destructive power that could topple mountains. It ranked among the top three most powerful Martial Skills in all of Yandu City!

As Jiang Ziyou executed the Sword Technique, the faint sound of crashing waves could be heard, a clear sign she had cultivated the *Overlapping Waves Technique* to the Great Success Realm!

Even some Jiang Family Elders who had been immersed in the Martial Arts Seventh Stage or Eighth Stage for many years might not be able to cultivate the *Canglang Swordsmanship* to the Great Success Realm. For Jiang Ziyou to achieve this at the tender age of fourteen was a testament to her incredible talent.

"Jiang Chen, you can die proud, knowing you fell to my *Overlapping Waves Technique*!" Jiang Ziyou said with an arrogant and confident expression.

"How ridiculous!"

Jiang Chen sneered, the corner of his mouth curling up in deep disdain. "Jiang Ziyou, that’s not how you execute the *Canglang Swordsmanship*! Today, I’ll let you see what the real *Overlapping Waves Technique* looks like..."

Before his voice had even faded, Jiang Chen had already drawn his sword to meet her attack. His strike was without any flourish, a simple and direct forward thrust.

But just as the tip of his sword touched Jiang Ziyou’s sharp attack, Jiang Chen’s arm trembled violently, and an overwhelming power poured into the blade’s edge. Wave after wave of sword energy surged wildly from the blade, utterly destroying Jiang Ziyou’s confident strike with unstoppable force.

"How is that possible?" Jiang Ziyou blurted out, her eyes filled with horror.

"Nothing is impossible," Jiang Chen sneered. Without pausing, he struck again. "Jiang Ziyou, now it’s your turn to take a blow from me."

WHOOSH—

He thrust his sword, and it transformed into a blinding flash of light. The sword gleam was like lightning, there and gone in an instant.

What Jiang Chen had just executed was none other than the *Flowing Light Technique* from the *Aurora Sword Technique*. The strike surpassed Jiang Ziyou’s understanding of the Sword Dao. Her pupils constricted violently as she watched the flowing light of the sword’s shadow grow larger and larger in her eyes...