I Outworked the Entire Cultivation World

Chapter 80: Chapter 69: Fight Me

”Hey, your jade ring, all the books and jade scrolls inside are accounted for, but I made many annotations. I exchanged thirty thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones for three hundred Mid-Grade Fire Spiritual Stones for you, the extra is considered interest. Also, I brought you my homemade Four Seasons Spiritual Wine, which can quickly restore Spiritual Energy.”

Jiang Yuebai slapped the jade ring into Xie Jingshan’s hand, and Xie Jingshan was dumbfounded — he hadn’t really meant for her to pay him back.

In fact, he hadn’t planned for her to pay back at all.

Xie Jingshan casually took out a book, flipped through a few pages, and was immediately overjoyed.

The book was filled with Jiang Yuebai’s insights and analysis of its meanings, more valuable to him than the three hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.

When it came to studying, he was indeed far behind Jiang Yuebai.

”Very good, very good.” Xie Jingshan chuckled as he put away the jade ring.

Jiang Yuebai gave Xie Jingshan four gourds of Spiritual Wine but used a storage bag to pack eight gourds for Lu Nanzhi, raising an eyebrow and passing it to her.

Lu Nanzhi smiled with her eyes, raised an eyebrow in response, and accepted the storage bag.

”What are you two exchanging glances about?” Xie Jingshan squinted suspiciously, ”Wait a minute, I feel like I’m missing something. Jiang Yuebai, why are you on Heavenly Killing Peak? And that token at your waist... When did you become an Inner Sect Disciple?!”

Xie Jingshan’s eyes were as wide as an ox’s, his mind buzzing.

Lu Nanzhi pulled Jiang Yuebai’s hand and looked her up and down, laughing, ”Congratulations, Little Bai, but what is your cultivation level now? I can’t see through it.”

”Just Qi Cultivation at the Eighth Layer. You’re also at the Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer. Wouldn’t calling you Senior Sister be unfair? Why don’t I call you... Anan from now on?”

Lu Nanzhi nodded, ”Fine, the elders in the family call me Nanzhi, which I dislike. Anan sounds much better.”

Xie Jingshan was still processing the shocks from Jiang Yuebai and only reacted when he saw her and Lu Nanzhi calling each other Little Bai and Anan.

”What?! You’re at the Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer, you’ve absorbed Immortal Qi!”

The sound echoed up to the sky, drawing many eyes from the practice field. They saw two Inner Sect Qi Refinement Realm prodigies with an unfamiliar girl, also at Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer?

The whispers spread, and the curious stares from the crowd made Jiang Yuebai uncomfortable.

”Anan, where do you live? Let’s chat at your place.”

Lu Nanzhi nodded, ”At Heavenly Sword Peak, let’s go.”

”Wait a moment, don’t go yet.” Xie Jingshan stopped the two. ”Since we’re on Heavenly Killing Peak, Jiang Yuebai, how about a duel with me? I’m curious to see how you’ve cultivated all these years.”

Jiang Yuebai smiled and saluted, ”Junior Brother Xie, you’re a hero without rival, mighty and extraordinary. I am no match for you, I concede! Let’s go, Anan, don’t follow us yet, let us talk about some private matters first.”

Xie Jingshan:......

Private matters, can’t he listen to them?

Midway up Heavenly Sword Peak, deep in a pine forest.

Lu Nanzhi loved peace, living in a secluded place.

A simple courtyard with three rooms, a stream behind, and a small path in front leading to a clearing. Surrounded by rocks and trees marked with sword scars, it was where Lu Nanzhi practiced her sword techniques.

At this moment, Lu Nanzhi and Jiang Yuebai stood facing each other. Lu Nanzhi’s Ice Crystal Sword hovered at her side, while Jiang Yuebai leaned on her spear, bemused.

”Anan, can we not fight? I don’t care who’s stronger.”

Lu Nanzhi replied seriously, ”I care. In the past five years, whenever I slacked off, I would remember our time in seclusion. I’d think about how you wouldn’t waste a second to cultivate, and it would motivate me to persevere.”

”Within the Inner Sect Qi Refinement Realm, there’s no one who sparked my interest until I learned of your return. I know you’ll participate in the upcoming competition in six months. You can’t reveal your strength publically, so let’s fight here. No matter the result, it’ll be known only to the two of us, and I won’t utter a word.”

Jiang Yuebai sighed, ”Alright, but I draw blood when I strike; I don’t know how to hold back.”

”Do your best.”

As soon as she finished, the Ice Crystal Sword beside Lu Nanzhi transformed into a clear spring, rippling with waves, interspersed between her and Jiang Yuebai.

Jiang Yuebai squinted, noticing the hidden ice crystals in the water, and grasped her spear, arcs of electricity entwining it.

Lu Nanzhi’s eyes sharpened, and the water surged, transforming into over ten longswords, crackling with menacing energy, shooting towards Jiang Yuebai.

As the swords neared, the cold intensified.

Jiang Yuebai swept her spear horizontally, shattering the longswords.

Lu Nanzhi remained calm, forming a summoning technique with her fingers. The swords exploded in the air, turning into countless needle-like Ice Crystal Sword Auras, densely interwoven, pressing down.

Using her Water Technique to control ice, Lu Nanzhi fashioned a tidal force from the Ice Crystal Sword Aura, each wave stronger than the last, increasingly difficult to defend against with time.

Jiang Yuebai maintained a stoic demeanor, retreating half a step, as the Thunderbolt Charge unleashed brilliant lightning, secreting a hidden killing intent.

As dusk settled, the shadows of trees danced around.

Break!

Jiang Yuebai thrust her spear forward, like thunder itself.

The colossal wave of Sword Aura split open instantly. Before Lu Nanzhi could react, she was engulfed by a chilling killing intent, her throat stinging, blood flowing.

Lu Nanzhi raised her chin slightly, immobilized, the spear tip at her throat, the electric light leaving her paralyzed.

Seeing blood, Jiang Yuebai’s murderous intent quickly dissipated. She retracted her spear in haste, realizing she’d already held back thirty percent of her strength but still managed to injure Lu Nanzhi.

”I’m sorry, Anan. Are you okay?”

Lu Nanzhi, pale and shaken, trembled as the thought of the spear’s halted advance at her throat while its intention seemed to pierce through evoked a sense of terror.

”Why?”

Lu Nanzhi’s voice was raspy; she didn’t understand. In terms of momentum, her move dominated every step, yet Jiang Yuebai with nothing but a spear, using straightforward strikes, easily countered and overpowered her.

In her five years in the Inner Sect, she’d never felt so helpless, no matter how hard she fought, she couldn’t contend with Jiang Yuebai.

Jiang Yuebai quickly pulled out a self-made wound ointment, applying it to Lu Nanzhi, blowing gently to ease the pain.

Lu Nanzhi tilted her head to avoid her, ”I’m fine. But tell me, what exactly happened, or I won’t let you leave today.”

She clung stubbornly to Jiang Yuebai’s arm.

Jiang Yuebai spoke in a coaxing tone, ”I’m not leaving; I’ll stay in your house tonight, sleep in your bed, tuck under your quilt, and talk with you all night, is that okay? Let’s tend to your wound first.”

Finally, Lu Nanzhi reluctantly nodded, allowing Jiang Yuebai to treat the injury on her neck.

Afterward, they returned to the courtyard, brewed a pot of tea, and conversed deeply.

Jiang Yuebai said, ”I don’t quite know how to explain. Watching a few fights today on Heavenly Killing Peak, their moves just seemed overly flashy. Do you get what I’m saying?”

”You’re saying they might be impressive to look at but lack substance?”

”Exactly, flashy but hollow, easily broken with just a stab.”

Lu Nanzhi furrowed her brows, ”That’s the norm for Inner Sect disciples. The grander the battle method, the more advantageous it is to demoralize the opponent before the fight even begins.”

”But that’s why you’ll lose. How many people have you killed until now?”

Lu Nanzhi stared intently at Jiang Yuebai, her throat tightening. The question was how many, not if she had killed.

Indeed, Lu Nanzhi had taken lives.

In the past two years, during missions, she’d encountered traitors, but invariably a Great Power would intervene at critical moments, seemingly arranged by Xie Jingshan.

Thus, she’d never truly experienced a life-and-death solo fight, yet she sensed Jiang Yuebai had killed many, so much so that she seemed numb to it.