Chapter 172: Chapter 169: August 15th, The Pinnacle Battle
A Spirit Realm Master—and possibly the only one currently in the Cyan Cloud Country.
And Ning Jiang had the audacity to ask what that was worth?
"Such reckless words, truly reckless..."
The faces of the surrounding people changed again and again. A Grandmaster could not be insulted, and a Spirit Realm Master even less so!
"He’s still too young and full of himself. Does he think he can dominate the Cyan Cloud Country just because he defeated two Kings? It seems he doesn’t understand the power of a Spirit Realm Master. He truly overestimates himself," someone sneered.
Even Kings like Duan Wuya and Meng Bubai wouldn’t dare to offend a Spirit Realm Master.
Once a Martial Artist stepped into the Spirit Realm, their power was on a completely different level. The gap between it and the Innate Realm was like the difference between heaven and earth.
No matter how strong Ning Jiang was, they believed there was no way he could contend with a Spirit Realm Master.
"Insolence."
Lin Baixuan’s expression turned cold. He said angrily, "It seems you think defeating two Kings gives you the right to spout such nonsense. Let me tell you, a Spirit Realm Master cannot be insulted. For that sentence alone, you deserve to die!"
"I deserve to die?"
Ning Jiang’s expression was indifferent. "A Spirit Realm Master cannot be insulted, but I can be insulted even less! Who the hell do you think you are, daring to speak to me like that?"
"Good, good!"
Lin Baixuan laughed in fury. In his entire life, he had never met anyone as arrogant as Ning Jiang.
Normally, the mere mention of the Lin Family’s name was enough to stop anyone from showing the slightest disrespect.
As for the Lin Family Master, he was a paramount figure in the Cyan Cloud Country. It was his presence that allowed the Lin Family to become the number one Noble Family in the Cyan Cloud Country.
"Ning Jiang, you dare to insult my Lin Family’s Master. It seems you intend to make an enemy of our Lin Family, is that it? I advise you to think carefully. Come with me to the Lin Family now, bow your head and admit your mistake to the Master, and your transgression might still be forgiven," Lin Baixuan said coldly.
"If your Lin Family Master were here, he might have the right to speak with me. But a mere junior of the Lin Family like you dares to threaten me?" Ning Jiang’s expression was calm, betraying no emotion.
Nearby, Meng Bubai and Duan Wuya didn’t seem surprised.
’Who is Ning Jiang?’
’He is Young Master Wushuang, peerless in this world. Below the Spirit Realm, he has virtually no equal.’
’Who the hell is Lin Baixuan? Just a junior from the Lin Family. What right does he have to threaten Ning Jiang?’
’Did he think that hiding behind a powerful name would be enough to make someone like Ning Jiang bow his head?’
’If that were the case, Ning Jiang could never have reached his current level of achievement.’
Lin Baixuan’s face was ashen, his heart pounding with rage. "You don’t know what’s good for you! In that case, just wait until I return home and report this to the Master. Let’s see what you do when the Master takes action."
"Return home?"
Ning Jiang gave a cold smile. "First, you should think about how you’re going to leave this place today."
As soon as he spoke, a silence fell over the area.
Shock appeared in everyone’s eyes. ’Does Ning Jiang’s comment mean he’s going to kill Lin Baixuan?’
This was a member of the Lin Family!
Unlike Young Master Qingjiang and Young Master Floating Snow, whose backgrounds were merely Noble Families. Killing them was one thing; those Noble Families couldn’t do anything against Ning Jiang’s terrifying might.
But the Lin Family was different. They were backed by a Spirit Realm Master.
Lin Baixuan had come representing the Lin Family. If he were killed, it would be a direct slap in the face to the Lin Family Master behind him.
’Surely Ning Jiang wouldn’t be that crazy?’
"What do you mean? You want to kill me?"
Lin Baixuan’s expression changed, then he sneered. "I doubt you have the guts, unless you have a death wish."
He was from the Lin Family; he simply couldn’t believe Ning Jiang would dare to kill him.
Even Meng Bubai and Duan Wuya wouldn’t dare.
But he didn’t know that Ning Jiang was Ning Jiang!
He was fearless.
Even if a Spirit Realm Master stood before him, he would not back down.
"Die."
With a flick of his finger, a sliver of Gang Qi transformed into a Wind Blade and sliced across Lin Baixuan’s neck.
"You..."
Lin Baixuan’s eyes flew open. He stared at Ning Jiang in disbelief, his gaze filled with unwillingness to accept his fate.
Even in death, he couldn’t believe that Ning Jiang had actually dared to kill him.
He had come wielding the might of the Lin Family, backed by a Spirit Realm Master. Who could possibly withstand such overwhelming power?
Even top-tier Kings would have to avoid a direct confrontation.
Yet Ning Jiang killed him without a second thought.
"You... you... How dare you?! The Lin Family will never let you go!"
The members of the Jiang and Cheng Families were scared silent, utterly dumbfounded.
They thought that by latching onto the Lin Family’s coattails, they could make Ning Jiang hesitate and even stand against him. But Ning Jiang showed no quarter whatsoever, killing as he pleased.
"The pathetic Lin Family is nothing. Even if the Lin Family Master himself came, do you think I wouldn’t dare to kill him? As for you lot, colluding with the Lin Family and daring to capture my people... you’re courting death."
SHING!
As Ning Jiang spoke, the Red Lotus Sword left its sheath.
"Slash!"
He swung the sword, and a massive Sword Aura descended, blanketing everything.
"Block it!"
The eyes of the Jiang and Cheng Family members were practically splitting with fury as they all unleashed their strongest techniques to block Ning Jiang’s attack.
But how could the members of these two families possibly stop Ning Jiang?
Not unless they possessed the combat prowess of a King.
"No!"
Amidst shrill cries of despair, countless people watched helplessly as the massive Sword Aura cleaved downward like a hot knife through butter, crushing all defenses until it completely engulfed the figures of the two families.
BOOM!
The massive ship was split in two by this single strike, and all the members of the two families were dead!
HISS...
A collective gasp went through the crowd.
"The Jiang and Cheng Families were too foolish. Young Master Wushuang is called peerless for a reason. In his entire journey, has he ever feared anyone? How could they possibly think they could afford to offend someone like him?"
A member of a Noble Family shook his head and sighed.
’The Lin Family and Ning Jiang are two behemoths. The Jiang and Cheng Families were just tiny ants caught between them. The wrath of either side could crush them completely. The best course of action would have been to stay out of it from the very beginning.’
’Unfortunately, the two families chose to offend Ning Jiang, and so they were courting death.’
"Young Master Wushuang, spare us!"
After the leaders of the Jiang and Cheng Families were killed, the remaining members of the two clans on the other ships all dropped to their knees, kowtowing and begging for mercy.
"Scram."
Ning Jiang didn’t slaughter them indiscriminately. If he really were to kill them all, any one of those families had over a thousand members. The waters of the Qingjiang would be dyed red.
Afterward, on one of the ships in the Jiang Family’s fleet, Ning Jiang found Kunlun, Ning Yu’an, and the others who had been taken captive.
To Ning Jiang’s relief, Ning Yu’an and the others were unharmed.
"Sigh... If our Young Master can’t break through to Innate Invincibility, then this man’s rise will be unstoppable."
On both banks of the Qingjiang, some people were discussing this in hushed tones.
They were the Soaring Dragon Guard.
As subordinates of Young Master Soaring Dragon, they had always been figures of high standing. Unfortunately, Ning Jiang had burst onto the scene, and even Young Master Soaring Dragon had been suppressed and put at a disadvantage.
"Deliver the Young Master’s letter of challenge!"
said a Vice Commander of the Soaring Dragon Guard.
"Young Master Wushuang, Ning Jiang! We, on behalf of Young Master Soaring Dragon, have come to issue a challenge: on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a battle for the peak!"
When the Vice Commander of the Soaring Dragon Guard announced the challenge in front of everyone, the entire scene erupted in an uproar.
Young Master Soaring Dragon, once the number one of the younger generation, was actually challenging Ning Jiang!
"Young Master Soaring Dragon has always been domineering and believed himself to be supreme. With his personality, he would never tolerate someone standing above him. It’s only natural that he would challenge Ning Jiang."
The several members of the Nine Great Young Masters present were not surprised. They were among those who understood Young Master Soaring Dragon the best.
"Could it be that Young Master Soaring Dragon has already broken through to Innate Invincibility? Is that why he dares to challenge Ning Jiang?"
"Impossible. If Young Master Soaring Dragon had already broken through, he would have appeared here right now and fought Ning Jiang directly, instead of waiting for the fifteenth of the eighth month."
"That’s right. He specifically chose the fifteenth of the eighth month. Perhaps he wants to use the pressure from Ning Jiang to force his own breakthrough."
The group speculated.
"The fifteenth of the eighth month is also the date of the once-every-four-years gathering of geniuses. It seems Young Master Soaring Dragon wants to reclaim his title as the number one of Cyan Cloud’s younger generation."
"I accept," Ning Jiang responded.
"Now this is getting interesting. On one hand, Young Master Soaring Dragon is challenging Ning Jiang. On the other hand, a member of the Lin Family was killed by Ning Jiang in public, so they will definitely be coming for him. I wonder how the Lin Family Master will react."
The crowd buzzed with discussion. They had a premonition that a massive storm was about to arrive.
And the protagonist at the center of this storm was Ning Jiang!
