Pei Jing kicked off from the ground, his figure light and dashing as he leaped onto the arena.
"Gong Ci, you’re up."
The Zhou Kingdom’s Forbidden Army Instructor also called out a name, and a refined-looking youth likewise jumped onto the arena, facing Pei Jing.
"The rules are: no armor, only Protective Talismans may be worn, and any long or short weapon can be used. Within half a quarter-hour, if you achieve a theoretically effective crippling strike, or force your opponent out of the arena, you are the victor."
Xue Che briefly introduced the rules and took out two Protective Talismans. These talismans, too, were crafted by the Academic Palace Talisman Master, consuming a great deal of energy and Spiritual Power, and were costly. Not only did they possess protective functions like ordinary talismans, but when hit by an external force, they also produced a red ripple. The stronger the force of the external hit, the brighter the light, making it easier for the referees to judge.
Pei Jing received the talisman, proceeded to the weapons rack, and stood firm. After pondering for a moment, he chose a Han Sword with a cross-shaped sword guard and an oval shield.
His opponent, on the other hand, chose the Zhou Kingdom’s two-handed, long-handled knife—similar to Yu Country’s horizontal knife, with a narrow blade and small tang.
"Why did Xue Siye not choose an actual Body Refining Student, instead picking Pei Si?"
Below the arena, Yang Yu could not help but express his confusion. "Logically, Body Refining Students should have an advantage in the Military Attack segment, right?"
"Probably because the main theme of this class is Martial Arts."
Li Wei closely observed Pei Jing’s preparations on the stage, especially the way he moved his sword and weighed the center of the Han Sword, and said softly, "The fourth son of the Pei family primarily focuses on Sword Dao. However, I heard that before coming to the Academic Palace, he practiced martial skills at home for nearly ten years. Furthermore, his instructors were all among the best retired military trainers. Ignoring the enhanced physical quality from Body Refinement, just in terms of martial skills, he might be stronger than the others."
Yang Yu exclaimed in surprise, "Including you?"
Li Wei nodded, with no trace of embarrassment on his face. His family didn’t have much background. He earned military merits by fighting bandits and raiders on the front lines of the border town, which led to him being noticed by a General and gaining the opportunity to study at the Academic Palace. His martial skills had been taught by military instructors, which certainly weren’t comparable in quality to the one-on-one careful guidance of professional instructors.
Indeed, as Li Wei had said, once armed with the sword and shield, Pei Jing seemed like a completely different person. He wielded his sword without the slightest bit of the elegance and grace typical of a young noble. Instead, his moves were crafty and ruthless, the blade constantly seeking his opponent’s weak spots.
The Zhou Kingdom youth, wielding the two-handed horizontal knife, was momentarily flustered and retreated several steps. With a sullen expression, he attempted a counterattack. However, each attempt was either blocked by the shield in Pei Jing’s hand, or he was forced by the pressure from the Han Sword to retract and alter his strike.
Having attended a year and a half of Body and Military Studies, Yang Yu could see that Pei Jing was dominating the fight, and he said in awe, "Pei Si has kept his skills well hidden. Why haven’t I seen him use them in class before?"
"Probably because there was no need," Li Ang said casually, watching the fierce combat on the stage, "This sword and shield art is designed for extreme situations, for defense and to protect one’s life. Pei Jing might have decided early on to major in Sword Dao. Once his cultivation advances, he could use the Flying Sword against enemies, making these sword and shield techniques unnecessary."
Accompanied by a crisp sound, Pei Jing struck at an odd angle with the Han Sword through the gap under his opponent’s armpit, stabbing at his chin and causing the Protective Talisman to burst forth with dazzling red light. Had there been no Protective Talisman, the sword would have penetrated the chin and gone halfway through the skull.
Below the arena, Dou Chi, Ashide Tumen, and others cheered loudly. Even the students from Zhou Kingdom had to admit that the strike was indeed beautiful.
Pei Jing put away his sword and shield, took a half step back, and saluted politely with clasped hands.
The youth from Zhou Kingdom, clutching his horizontal knife, pressed his lips together to steady his breath, put away the frustration on his face, and returned the salute.
"Heh—COUGH COUGH," Xue Che had intended to chuckle, but he caught himself and quickly coughed instead. "Pei Jing, do you still have strength?"
Pei Jing didn’t rush to answer. He flicked his sword in a flourish and, after taking stock of his energy, finally nodded at Xue Che. "Yes." Get full chapters from novel✶fire.net
"Good, then let’s have another round."
Xue Che turned to look at the instructors from the other countries. "Which country’s student will go next?"
The instructors frowned slightly. Although this was an academic exchange between academies from different countries, lacking significant utilitarian motives, the relations between Yu Country and its neighbors were delicate. Occasional friction occurred at the borders, and the sentiment between their peoples was not particularly friendly. In a minor sense, this was just an informal platform for student practice, but on a grander scale, it involved national dignity and honor.
Speaking was the guard of the Turkic Khan. "Ashina, can you?"
The Turkic students below all turned their heads to look at a young man.
Li Ang arched an eyebrow. Ashina... That’s a prominent Turkic surname. It means ’noble wolf’ and also ’blue,’ referring to the highest Heavenly God in the Turkic faith. The Ashina Clan generally intermarries with the Ashide Clan, the two families jointly controlling the various Turkic tribes. The current Old Khan of the Turkic people is from the Ashina Clan. This young man’s status isn’t low; he’s presumably some relative of the Khan.
The young man took a deep breath and was about to come forward when a young Turkic woman by his side had already stepped out first, declaring, "I’ll go."
The young man named Ashina Que Teqin was utterly astonished, but his sister, Ashina Galuo, just smirked coyly and bounded onto the platform in a few quick strides.
"How come it’s a little girl?"
Dou Chi frowned, turning to his friend Ashide Tumen beside him, and asked, "Brother Tumen, is she your relative?"
Ashide Tumen’s face bore a complicated expression. He was a friend of Pei Jing and the others and a cousin to the Ashina siblings. He whispered, "Her name is Ashina Galuo, the Khan’s grandniece, the most gifted student among our generation from the Wolf Garden."
And also the smartest, Ashide Tumen silently added in his mind. Pei Jing just defeated his peer from the Zhou Kingdom. If Ashina Que Teqin were to go up now, it would be a no-win situation, regardless of victory or defeat. If Que Teqin won, outsiders would likely say it was only because Pei Jing had already expended some energy. If Que Teqin lost, it would be even more unseemly—he was, after all, the Khan’s grandnephew and represented the dignity of the Ashina family. It was much better to let Galuo go up. However, he couldn’t directly explain all these calculations to Dou Chi and the others, so he had to keep them to himself.
"Your opponent is me, you know."
Ashina Galuo smiled sweetly, imitating the etiquette of Yu Country, and performed a standard salute with hands folded in front. Her figure was petite and her features exquisite. Hair as smooth as silk was tied into a ponytail that rested on her shoulder. Her neck and wrists were adorned with strings of jade and wolf tooth decorations. The skin visible on her arms and calves, peeking out from her sleeves, had a delicate wheat complexion.