Chapter 266 - 266: Beat Him Up!
It was early morning. The gentle sunlight illuminated the courtyard as Jiang Hao arrived at the gate.
A young man there. He looked more mature than his age implied.
Ming had already turned twenty-four. Jiang H?o had first met him when he was only eighteen.
More than five years had passed since then. His cultivation and his personality had both developed quite rapidly.
A True Disciple at the late stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm at only twenty-four years of age was an extraordinary feat. It had given the Cliff of Broken Hearts quite a reputation.
Unlike Jiang Hao, who supposedly reached the late stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm with the help of external treasures and assistance, Han
Ming had done it on his own.
He made a name for himself through countless battles.
“Junior Brother Han, it’s been so long since I last saw you. I wanted to thank you for everything you did for me,” said Jiang Hao.
Han Ming had taken on challenges that had been meant for Jiang Hao. Jiang Hao had intended to visit him to thank him, but he had been caught up with curses and such.
Having just advanced to the late stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm, it was only natural that he needed time to refine his cultivation. It seemed that he was done refining it.
“Senior Brother Jiang, I have also reached the late stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm like you,” said Han Ming. “Therefore, I’ve come here today to challenge you.”
“A challenge?” Jiang Hao wasn’t surprised. “Junior Brother Han, would you like to challenge me right now, or should we set a date?”
“Do you have time now?” Han Ming was surprised.
In truth, Han Ming wanted to choose another day. However, if Jiang Hao said he had time right now, he couldn’t back out.
“I have time.” Jiang Hao nodded.
“Then, Senior Brother Jiang, are you prepared? Unlike you, I have taken on challenges and fought many people. I have gained a lot of combat experience. You should be careful. I’m not the same as before.”
“I would never underestimate you, Junior Brother Han. You have exceptional
talent. ”
Shortly after, the two stood by the river.
One held a sword, while the other gripped his saber.
As they faced each other, their auras disrupted the gentle breeze.
At this moment, Jiang Hao could see that Han Ming’s aura was stable, but beneath that stability, there was an underlying surge. His power was ready to erupt at any moment.
Sure enough, as Han Ming made his move, his aura surged and exploded.
His sword was unsheathed, and he rushed forward like lightning.
Jiang Hao swung his saber.
Clang!
He wanted to fight Han Ming as an equal opponent. He had earned that. So, he used the first form of the Heavenly Blade: Moon-Slaying.
He swung his saber again.
Han Ming couldn’t withstand it.
On the third strike, Han Ming’s sword flew into the air and impaled itself on the ground.
Jiang Hao’s saber was resting on Han Ming’s neck.
“Junior Brother Han, you have my respect. You have become so much stronger.” Jiang Hao retracted the knife and sheathed it.
Han Ming stared at Jiang Hao and then picked up his sword. “I only lag behind you slightly. Once I refine my cultivation even more, I will come back to challenge you again. I hope you don’t mind.”
After saying that, he turned and left.
Jiang Hao smiled. He would perhaps extend the fight to five strikes next time. That way, he could acknowledge Han Ming’s efforts and his talent.
Defeating Han Ming constantly wouldn’t attract unwanted attention. There was always a chance for that, after all.
Jiang Hao quickly made his way to the challenge that was supposed to happen today.
The place wasn’t familiar to Jiang Hao. He wondered if it was Bai Ye’s residence.
At the Hundred Bones Forest, he could already see that so many people had already gathered.
The challenge to win the title of a top disciple had attracted considerable attention.
“Junior Brother Jiang, it’s been so long since I last saw you.” Liu Xingchen approached him.
‘ Senior Brother Liu, hello! Are you also here to watch the contest?”
“Of course. I want to see how strong a top disciple is.” Liu Xingchen smiled.
Jiang Hao nodded. He noticed a faint, dark red aura around Liu Xingchen. It was different from the aura of the remnant soul of the true dragon and the sorcerer.
‘Did he already find the third remnant?’
He didn’t rush to find out. He wanted to watch the fight first.
It wasn’t surprising. The mines were strange. It was rumored to be an ancient battlefield. So, it wasn’t as surprising to think that stray remnant souls could be residing there.
Another place was the Devil’s Den, but the mines were relatively safer.
A short while later, the two arrived outside the valley. The arena was inside. No one went near it.
The fight between two disciples at the late stage of the Primordial Spirit Realm was bound to be impactful. Nobody ventured near the arena.
Jiang Hao observed the surroundings. The most important thing right now was to find out where Bai Ye lived.
Hong Yuye had warned him, so he couldn’t continue with the curse. Knowing where the enemy lived would turn out to be handy.
In two months, he might be able to advance to the late stage of the Primordial Spirit Realm. He would then come to find Bai Ye.
However, if Bai Ye became one of the top ten disciples, things would get complicated.
“When does the fight begin?” he asked.
“It’s hard to say. There is no set time. It depends on when Manlong arrives,” said Liu Xingchen.
Jiang Hao nodded.
“By the way, I heard that people from the Divine Corpse Sect are visiting our sect. It seems they want to cooperate with us,” Liu Xingchen said.
“The Divine Corpse Sect wants to cooperate with us?” Jiang Hao looked surprised.
Zhuang Yuzhen, one of their teachers, was still imprisoned in the Heavenly Note Sect, and yet they wanted to cooperate!
It could mean that they had something else planned. What were they seeking in the sect?
“I heard it’s related to the Corpse Realm Flowers,” Liu Xingchen said.
Jiang Hao nodded. It made sense.
The Corpse Realm Flowers could open a special passage to an unknown realm.
The people from the Divine Corpse Sect might be planning to enter that realm, so they wanted to cooperate to get the flowers back.
The Heavenly Note Sect couldn’t refuse their proposal. Their sect’s power was formidable, after all. Fighting would be detrimental to everyone.
In any case, as a member involved in interrogating Zhuang Yuzhen, he should maintain a low profile and avoid attracting their attention.
They waited for some time. The crowd grew larger. He saw some familiar faces in the throng of people.
Ning Xuan was also in the audience.
At that moment, a tall man stood on slightly elevated ground in the valley. He appeared to be at the late stage of the Primordial Spirit Realm.
But in Jiang Hao’s eyes, his cultivation had been forcibly improved and consolidated through the use of some pills.
The person bore traces of a curse, and his aura fluctuated unpredictably.
Jiang Hao knew the moment he saw Bai Ye that his curse was successful.
Bai Ye’s cultivation was not only affected but was also regressing to some extent.
This curse, which caused self-damage but inflicted greater harm on the enemy, was indeed effective. If it weren’t for Hong Yuye’s intervention, he would have been tormented by the curse himself. Bai Ye would likely continue to suffer for a long time.
Boom!
Suddenly, a figure descended from the sky.
Manlong appeared in front of Bai Ye.
People cheered for him.
“Senior Brother Manlong, beat him up!”
“No one is a match against Senior Brother Manlong. I heard that Senior Brother Bai Ye is a cross-level cultivator. He can’t possibly win!”
Jiang Hao observed Manlong.
He noticed that his spiritual energy was vast, and his aura continued to surge. He practically shone with vitality.
In comparison, Bai Ye seemed somewhat insignificant..