Immortal Sword Master

Chapter 234: Chapter 231: The Ranking Battle Begins

BANG! BANG! BANG!—

On the tournament stage, blades flashed and swords danced. Weapons clashed, sending dazzling sparks into the air.

These were the ranking battles for the top one hundred.

The ranking battles for the top ten would be held tomorrow. This was partly to give the contestants time to rest and adjust, and partly to finalize the rankings for everyone below the top ten.

”I didn’t expect Tang Lin from the Yanyue Sect to be so skilled. He’s actually holding his own against a Half-Step Giant.”

”He challenged a young giant earlier. It looks like he gained a lot from it; his moves are clearly more polished than before.”

The surrounding crowd buzzed with discussion, commenting on the fights on the stages.

Besides Tang Lin’s stage, battles were raging on the other nine stages as well.

Ning Jiang paid no mind to these battles. While the ranking matches were underway, he made his way to the Ten-Mile Sword Intent Area within the Celestial Sword Grand Canyon.

He was currently standing at the Ninth-Mile mark, silently comprehending the Sword Intent that had lingered here for hundreds of years without dissipating.

For a Sword Cultivator, comprehending Sword Intent was an incredibly high threshold to cross.

Not one in ten thousand Sword Cultivators could comprehend Sword Intent. Any Sword Cultivator who managed to do so was a supreme Swordsman, earning the admiration of all.

However, comprehending Sword Intent was easier said than done.

Throughout history, countless Sword Cultivators had never even managed to touch the threshold of Sword Intent.

But once a Sword Cultivator comprehended Sword Intent, their combat prowess would multiply. A Sword Cultivator with Sword Intent held an Innate advantage over other Swordsmen.

CLACK. CLACK. CLACK.

Someone walked in and stood within the Nine-Mile Region.

Besides Ning Jiang, the only other person who could step into this area was Jian Xinghe.

Jian Xinghe stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes closed. Just like Ning Jiang, he began to comprehend the Sword Intent.

The two of them stood there, motionless, as if neither was concerned with the other’s presence.

Ning Jiang’s breathing was calm, as if he had become one with the canyon wind. His perception continuously spread and expanded.

”Your strength is impressive, being able to enter the Nine-Mile Region. But when you face me in the top ten battle, you’d best just surrender.”

Jian Xinghe finally broke the silence, his tone as confident as ever.

Although Ning Jiang was indeed unfathomable—to the point that even his Sect was sending experts to probe his true abilities—he still believed he would win.

It was a confidence he had cultivated since childhood, for he had never lost to anyone.

”Before a frog jumps out of its well, it believes the patch of sky it sees is the entire world,” Ning Jiang said, his voice as faint and calm as a clear, flowing spring.

He was implying that Jian Xinghe was a frog in a well, ignorant that there were heavens beyond the heavens, and people stronger than him.

”Perhaps I am in a well, but I am no frog. I am a dragon. And once a dragon flies out of the well, it can still command the blue sky.”

Jian Xinghe lifted his head, a look of absolute arrogance in his eyes as he gazed down on everything. ”I have warned you. Since you won’t listen, then during the ranking battles, I will show you the gap between us.”

With that, he turned and left.

After he was gone, Ning Jiang also left the area.

Outside, the ranking battles for the top one hundred were drawing to a close.

”Ninth Elder, you’ve returned.” Grand Elder Meng Nanfeng was all smiles. ”Tang Lin performed exceptionally well this time, fighting his way to twenty-second place.”

”Zi Yunfei didn’t do poorly either, ranking thirty-sixth.”

”Xiang Yinghao is at fifty,” the other Elders chimed in.

The Yanyue Sect’s top three prodigies had all achieved decent rankings. Tang Lin’s performance was especially eye-catching; he had punched above his weight during the ranking battles, defeating a Half-Step Giant and causing a great stir.

Among the many ranked positions, the Star Sword Sect lived up to its name as the head of the Five Great Sects, claiming nearly a quarter of the spots.

The remaining spots were divided among the other Four Great Sects and some of the smaller sects.

After a full day of stage battles, the sky had grown dark.

Stars dotted the sky.

The Martial Artists did not leave. They remained in the Celestial Sword Grand Canyon, sitting in scattered groups of two and three, discussing the day’s events.

”Tsk, tsk. Today’s top one hundred battles were truly spectacular. Even though I didn’t get a rank, this trip was a real eye-opener. Compared to those geniuses, I’m still lacking so much.”

”As exciting as the top one hundred rankings were, they’re nothing compared to tomorrow’s top ten battles.”

”In the battle for the top ten, I wonder who’ll take first place?”

”The top ten rankings are extremely important. They’re tied to a Secret Realm, so everyone will be giving it their all.”

”Why don’t we make some guesses? I still think Jian Xinghe will be number one.”

”Ning Jiang has a chance to win it all, right?”

Countless Martial Artists engaged in heated discussions.

It was like this every year for the top ten battle. Before the fighting even began, people would argue endlessly over who was stronger.

The names that came up most often in everyone’s conversations were, by far, Ning Jiang and Jian Xinghe.

Jian Xinghe had always been the number one talent of Qing Province’s younger generation. His strength was immense, his talent demonic. Naturally, many people were optimistic about his chances of winning.

Meanwhile, Ning Jiang was a dark horse who had risen out of nowhere, shrouded in mystery.

These two were undoubtedly the favorites to win.

”Hmph! Who does Ning Jiang think he is? If he wants to win, he’ll have to get past our Senior Brother Yuwen first,” someone from the Fire Cloud Sect snorted.

With so many people favoring Ning Jiang, the ones most displeased were, of course, the Fire Cloud Sect.

The Fire Cloud Sect and the Yanyue Sect were mortal enemies, their deep-seated resentment making them as incompatible as fire and water. Moreover, Yuwen Chi had recently been suppressed by Ning Jiang, causing the Fire Cloud Sect’s prestige to plummet.

If Yuwen Chi could defeat Ning Jiang, it would be a powerful shot in the arm for the Fire Cloud Sect’s morale.

That night, many of the Martial Artists stayed awake, eagerly awaiting the coming day.

Meanwhile, the ten great powerhouses were each adjusting their condition, ensuring their mental states were at their absolute peak.

Finally, the sky began to brighten.

When the sun was high in the sky, Ge Changming, under the expectant gazes of the crowd, took a step forward and appeared in the air.

He looked out and saw that both sides of the canyon were a sea of people, a dense, surging mass of heads.

This was the allure of the battle for the top ten!

This was the grandest event in all of Qing Province!

”Everyone, I don’t think I need to say much more. You all know what’s about to happen. That’s right—the ranking battle for the top ten is about to begin!”

Ge Changming’s words pushed the atmosphere to a fever pitch.

Countless people cheered wildly, freely unleashing their deep-seated excitement.

Ge Changming was also caught up in the atmosphere, a look of anticipation on his face. He looked at Ning Jiang and the others before him and said, ”The ten of you have been assigned numbers one through ten based on the original groupings. In the upcoming ranking battles, each of you will have to fight the other nine. It will be incredibly grueling, so be prepared.”

”For every match you win, you will accumulate one point.”

”The order of the fights will be decided by drawing lots.”

After briefly explaining the general rules, Ge Changming drew two Jade Tokens from a set of ten.

Seeing the numbers on the two Jade Tokens, a strange look appeared on his face.

”The first battle: number one, Jian Xinghe, versus number two, the Twin Sword Sons.”