Chapter 185: Chapter 185: I Want You to Admit Defeat Tomorrow
Yuwen Jianchi began to explain, "I know that Shen Daoxing is no match for you, but just in case, take this Divine Soldier. This sword is named Taotie, and it’s ranked second on the list of World Divine Soldiers. It can devour all Divine Weapons in the world, and the more it consumes, the stronger it becomes. Since its appearance, it has already devoured numerous Divine Soldiers and Demon Soldiers. The weapon Shen Daoxing holds is the Poisonous Fiend, ranked ninth among Demon Soldiers. With Taotie in hand, you will surely be able to completely counter him."
The Ancient Sword Marquis looked down at Taotie but didn’t reach for it. "Senior Brother, I want to defeat him with my own strength."
Yuwen Jianchi frowned. "Tomorrow’s battle is extremely important for our Steward Hall!"
"I am confident!"
the Ancient Sword Marquis said coolly.
Since it had come to this, Yuwen Jianchi put away Taotie without another word. A light breeze drifted through the room, and his figure vanished.
...
Lv Yunsheng was still chattering endlessly in Shen Daoxing’s ear. The miserable state of Shen Mo Feng today had brought him great satisfaction. After finally saying goodbye to Lv Yunsheng, Shen Daoxing returned to his room, preparing to cultivate as usual.
"KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!"
Suddenly, there was a knock on his door.
Shen Daoxing was a bit surprised. He opened the door, only to see Fu.
Before Shen Daoxing could speak, Fu spoke first. "Young Master Shen, this old servant was blind and failed to recognize your greatness. Please forgive my disrespect."
Seeing Shen Daoxing remain silent, Fu continued, "Young Master Shen, I swear that nothing like this will ever happen again. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, Young Master Shen, please do not hesitate to ask me. As long as it is within my power, I will certainly do it."
As he spoke, Fu moved to kneel.
Shen Daoxing was not a petty person. He quickly reached out to help Fu up. "Fu, you’re being too serious. It’s all in the past."
"You are truly magnanimous, Young Master Shen. My gratitude is endless."
Seeing Shen Daoxing brush the matter aside so casually, Fu’s eyes couldn’t help but turn red. This time, his feelings were genuine.
Afterward, Fu and Shen Daoxing chatted for a long time, like old friends from different generations. They talked about many things before Fu finally, and reluctantly, took his leave.
Shen Daoxing realized Fu wasn’t a bad person at heart; he was just overly concerned about the Commandery Princess.
After Fu left, Shen Daoxing closed the door and turned, preparing to return to his bed to continue cultivating.
But at that moment, a breeze suddenly stirred in the room without any warning.
Then, Shen Daoxing saw a man with sharp eyes appear before him, his arms crossed over a sword. It was none other than Yuwen Jianchi.
After appearing, Yuwen Jianchi stared coldly at Shen Daoxing without speaking.
Shen Daoxing felt like a small animal being stared down by a ferocious beast, in danger of being swallowed whole at any moment.
After what felt like an eternity, Yuwen Jianchi finally spoke slowly, "Your strength is indeed impressive!"
Shen Daoxing was a bit surprised and was about to offer some pleasantries, but Yuwen Jianchi’s tone shifted abruptly. "But you’re still a far cry from the Ancient Sword Marquis."
"What brings you here, Sword Fool?"
Shen Daoxing asked coolly.
Although he didn’t truly want to join the Celestial Profound Sacred Land, he had passed the assessment and earned Shangguan Yiran’s approval. On the surface, he was a disciple of the Celestial Profound Sacred Land, so calling him ’Senior Brother’ was not out of place.
"I want you to concede tomorrow!"
Yuwen Jianchi said coolly.
Hearing this, Shen Daoxing found it rather amusing. "Sword Fool, didn’t you just say my strength is far inferior to the Ancient Sword Marquis? Why ask me to concede?"
"Tomorrow’s match is crucial for our Steward Hall. We can’t afford any mistakes, so you must lose!"
Yuwen Jianchi simply said coolly, "As long as you’re willing to concede directly, our Steward Hall can give you a hundred Spirit Stones as compensation."
"And if I’m not willing?"
Shen Daoxing shook his head.
Yuwen Jianchi’s eyes instantly turned cold. "If you’re not willing, then don’t blame our Steward Hall for being merciless. You’ll only suffer a miserable defeat tomorrow."
"Forgive me, Senior Brother, but I can’t agree."
Shen Daoxing shook his head.
Yuwen Jianchi’s face suddenly darkened. "Then suit yourself. Even if you don’t concede, we’ll still win tomorrow."
With that, a breeze blew past, and Yuwen Jianchi was gone.
Shen Daoxing shook his head, finding the whole encounter baffling. He then went to his bed and sat down to meditate.
...
「The next day.」
The entire Heroes Tower was bustling with extraordinary excitement, more so than any of the previous days. The Cloud Platforms surrounding the terrace were already packed with people. Even the heads of the great families of Ancient Moon City had arrived.
A prodigy comparable to Dugu Sheng from a thousand years ago, the Ancient Sword Marquis, and the most unexpected dark horse, Shen Daoxing—all eyes were fixed upon these two.
Many of the most brilliant talents of the East Continent had come. A duel between two supreme prodigies like the Ancient Sword Marquis and Shen Daoxing would surely be of great benefit to the spectators, who might even gain some enlightenment from it.
To get a view of the duel, the buildings surrounding the terrace were also filled with people.
On the largest Cloud Platform directly opposite, Yue Wuchen sat in an elegant seat, his gentle and cultured appearance seeming quite amiable. Beside him, however, Yuwen Jianchi wore a cold expression, his sinister gaze enough to make one’s blood run cold.
Below the two of them were Shangguan Yiran and Dongfang Wan’Er.
Shangguan Yiran’s expression was serene and unreadable, while Dongfang Wan’Er watched the Ancient Sword Marquis as if in anticipation of something.
Shen Daoxing and the Ancient Sword Marquis each made their way to the terrace.
"The final match: Ancient Sword Marquis versus Shen Daoxing! The duel begins now!"
with Zhao Wufeng’s command.
Shen Daoxing cupped his fist in a respectful salute. "Shen Daoxing, of Baiyun City, Martial Kingdom."
The Ancient Sword Marquis returned the salute. "Ancient Sword Marquis, of Chaoming City, Daqi."
As their words faded, a tremendous BANG echoed in the sky above the terrace, as if two unseen things had violently collided. A flash of white light followed.
And yet, down below, neither Shen Daoxing nor the Ancient Sword Marquis had moved a single step.
"They’ve started!"
"Did you see how they attacked?"
An uproar went through the crowd.
Amidst the crowd’s discussion.
"BANG!"
"BANG!"
"BANG!"
More sounds of collision rang out from the sky, accompanied by flashes of white light.
But below, the two combatants still hadn’t moved an inch.
The crowd, however, was completely dumbfounded, unable to see how Shen Daoxing and the Ancient Sword Marquis were attacking at all.
"It’s Sword Intent! It’s Sword Intent!"
Someone finally realized what was happening and pointed at the Ancient Sword Marquis. "One strand, two strands, three... ten! The Ancient Sword Marquis has already comprehended ten strands of Sword Intent at such a young age! And every single one is an Upper Grade Sword Intent! That’s incredible!"
"Shen Daoxing is no slouch either, look!"
Someone looked toward Shen Daoxing. "One strand, two strands, three... It’s also ten strands of Sword Intent! Shen Daoxing has also comprehended ten strands! Heavens, isn’t he only eighteen?"
While the crowd was marveling, Shen Daoxing and the Ancient Sword Marquis had both deployed their Sword Intents and had been fighting fiercely for some time. The entire sky looked like a brilliant fireworks display, scattering light everywhere.
"You’re even stronger than I imagined!"
the Ancient Sword Marquis said coolly.
"You too!"
Shen Daoxing replied.
With that, both of them suddenly vanished from their spots.
"BANG!"
A massive sound erupted. The crowd could only see two blurry figures in the sky crash into each other, creating a burst of dazzling sparks, before separating again at extreme speed.
"BANG!"
"BANG!"
"BANG!"
The figures of Shen Daoxing and the Ancient Sword Marquis would suddenly appear on the terrace only to vanish again. Countless sounds of impact echoed from every corner of the terrace, leaving the spectators utterly dazzled.
