Many of the cultivation teachers were shocked speechless.
Ding Ning’s move was completely natural and perfect in its timing. Even a cultivator immersed in the sword path for decades, like them, could not easily achieve such perfection. Most cultivators in the world could not achieve such perfection during their lifetime.
Yet, a young person had managed to do this. In the view of these cultivators, this had nothing to do with acquired cultivation or birth, just talent. This was truly peerless talent.
The wound was shallow. When He Zhaoxi landed on the ground, only some fine blood beaded on his skin. Yet this wound seemed to have been inflicted on his mind.
He stopped and looked at Ding Ning, paling. “Why is it like this?
Ding Ning did not continue to attack and stopped. He said, “You are the strongest in your endurance, your endurance is enough to let you wear down many people, but this is of no use to me. Your vital energy and the sword manuals you know are too mediocre so, regardless of how much effort you use, I do not need to use much effort to deal with you.”
All of the students and cultivation teachers were listening intently to Ding Ning’s words.
Most of them thought that Ding Ning was correct. He Zhaoxi’s greatest weakness was the sword forms he had mastered were too mediocre compared to other top geniuses. Even so, all of them thought that Ding Ning’s words were unreasonable.
Because, no matter how mediocre… from He Zhaoxi’s performance, he had reached realm four, and used the powerful sword moves of Green Vine Sword School.
A realm four cultivator could not force a realm three cultivator to use full power. A realm three cultivator saying a realm four cultivator’s sword forms and vital energy was too mediocre… This was absurd!
At this time, Ding Ning looked at the pale He Zhaoxi and said, “Can your vital energy be stronger? Have you comprehended more profound sword manuals?”
The valley was silent.
Ding Ning’s words were calm, but most students felt uncomfortable hearing it.
Previously, when Ding Ning had been fighting Duanmu Jingzong, he said, “Could you be faster?”
Duanmu Jingzong could not be faster, so he lost.
Ding Ning’s meaning was clear. If your vital energy cannot be stronger, if you do not have more profound sword manuals than the Green Vine Sword Manual, you can forfeit.
This calm tone revealed arrogance and impudence to look down at his opponent.
“I know you are strong, but not so strong.”
Dugu Bai turned to the dazed Zhang Yi and laughed, saying, “You underestimated your junior sect brother.”
Zhang Yi seemed to be in a dream. He had seen much of Ding Ning’s calm, but never him burning like a wildfire.
“Next, I will challenge you. I will let you know while Xie Changsheng is not here, your words will still become a joke.”
Ding Ning turned his head minutely and said to Gu Xichun.
Gu Xichun’s expression turned cold. “Really?”
“You will not have any other ending.”
Ding Ning looked at him and then turned around, raising his sword slowly towards He Zhaoxi.
Either he had to forfeit or attack. He was using his actions to force He Zhaoxi to make a choice.
He Zhaoxi’s mind was blank.
He instinctively thought of a sword move, one that he had comprehended on the sword embryo previously.
This was a sword move much more profound than others. Of course, he did not want to admit defeat. So, he naturally used this sword move.
Zzt! His large sword gave off a buzzing sound.
The small sword at the sword spine left the blade again, turning into an astounding azure meteor shooting towards Ding Ning. At the same time, he swung his large sword madly. The sword energies spun like windmills, turning into spilling cyclones.
The fog thickened in the night as the wild wind gathered the mist to form wet cyclones. They leapt towards Ding Ning from all directions.
He Zhaoxi’s vital energy had reached its limit, almost on the verge of activating the poison in his body. His body started to shine.
The stones on the ground exploded where the wild wind passed. He Zhaoxi’s body sprinted forward. His sword shone brightly in the wild wind like lightning.
This sword was the “Ten Directions Thunderstorm” of the former Wei Imperial Palace. While it was not used along with the “Thunder Dragon Sword” of that court swordsman, the move was still extremely powerful in He Zhaoxi’s hands.
Seeing Ding Ning disappear in the wild wind, many students thought that they could not withstand such a blow.
Yet, in this instant, everyone heard a clear ring.
Then to their shock, they saw a patch of dense white flowers suddenly appear through one of the cyclones.
He Zhaoxi’s pupils contracted. His breathing completely stopped. The wild wind scattered. Ding Ning’s body broke through the wind, with a sword at He Zhaoxi’s throat.
Seeing his Ten Direction Thunderstorm almost ineffective, the coldness He Zhaoxi felt could not be described in words. In this moment, he still managed to respond beyond his usual speed.
He forcibly turned away the sword in his hand, and swept it towards Ding Ning’s arm like a pole!
Ding Ning suddenly drew his sword back and held it in a parry.
There was another loud sound.
Ding Ning fell backwards like a bird with a broken wing into the numerous cyclones behind him.
He Zhaoxi’s broadsword was vibrating rapidly, and gave off a strange buzz.
This blow managed to force Ding Ning back into the Ten Directions Thunderstorm. It appeared like his victory, but he inexplicably felt something was wrong.
His breathing suddenly stopped.
An azure light shot out of the scattered wind and entered his abdomen with a pop. Bloody mist sprayed out of his abdomen.
He Zhaoxi screamed in shock and some bewilderment. His body unconsciously fell backwards.
Gasps sounded.
A small hiltless sword had gone deep into He Zhaoxi’s abdomen, and the tip appeared out of He Zhaoxi’s back.
Blood quickly flowed along the sword tip.
He Zhaoxi hung his head. Only now was he sure that the sword had stabbed into his abdomen was the son-sword from his own sword.
A few breaths ago, he had been very energetic, but as the enormous pain from the sword reached his mind, he felt that his strength seemed to have been emptied as he took a few steps back.
“Why is it like this?”
He looked ahead and screamed.
Many cultivation teachers had the same thoughts. They inhaled deeply, looking at the turbulent thunderstorm. They instinctively felt reverence, just like how they looked at Jin Liuli with reverence even though they were Jin Liuli’s elders.
They could understand what had created this result.
Ding Ning had defeated this Ten Directions Thunderstorm. He had hit the small sword, minutely changing its movement path. The last parry caused the mother sword to vibrate violently, causing its energies to shake, and stop it from catching the small sword that had returned.
But they could not figure out how Ding Ning had managed to do this.
**
Lin Suixin, who had not had many expressions before this, laughed.
Ding Ning’s voice sounded again, reaching everyone’s ears.
“This is a sword move from the sword embryo. I saw it and you still dared to use it? Also, you are very unpracticed. Before I said what I did, I knew you would use a move from the sword embryo.”
Ding Ning’s figure slowly walked out of the wind and shadows, entering everyone’s sight once again.
Everyone’s gaze seemed to freeze.
“Did he manage to understand all the sword forms in such a short time?”
A student suddenly shouted in a daze.
“It’s not important if he understood.”
Jin Liuli took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. She mumbled to herself. “The key is that he understood, and was able to capture the other’s weakness, easily defeating it. He truly knows how to use this sword.”
Ding Ning turned and looked towards Gu Xichun.
Behind him, He Zhaoxi fell dispiritedly to the ground.