Chapter 240: Chapter 199 Withdraw quickly, or Zhang Jian will be executed! [Vote for monthly tickets!]
"Again?"
"It’s him again!"
"Using that move again?!"
"This man should have been slain by Night Shura, and before that, Roaring West Wind Wang Tuan should have also died—both saved by this man."
"With him around, the Six Great Sects can win solo duels easily, but killing someone becomes much harder."
"Unless they kill this swordsman first."
...
Sword light suddenly flared, sending Zhang Jian flying and rescuing Li Qingshan.
Whoosh.
The gazes of Jianghu people all turned toward Chen Jichuan, buzzing with discussion.
"Boom!"
Water splashed explosively.
Zhang Jian once again burst out of the water, steam rising all around him. His eyes locked on Chen Jichuan, suppressing his fury, he said coldly: "Since you’re itching for a fight, how about stepping onto the field and facing me, Zhang, directly? Sneaking a sword from behind—what kind of skill is that?"
Twice, his killing intent had been thwarted. Twice, he’d been sent flying in embarrassment.
Even Zhang Jian couldn’t suppress his anger.
With a wave of his long saber, he pointed at Chen Jichuan, challenging him.
These incidents arose both times amidst full-force confrontation, his carelessness leading him to this humiliating state. Zhang Jian was confident that if he faced the young swordsman head-on, he could undoubtedly dominate the battle.
The man may save others from him, but let’s see if he can save himself!
"Senior Brother, come back and catch your breath. Let Little Yan go up and stretch his legs."
Chen Jichuan ignored Zhang Jian, raising his voice toward Li Qingshan, still shaken on the Beiyin River, then nodded toward Wang Yan, who was eagerly waiting on the side.
"Wang Yan of the Taixu Sword Sect seeks enlightenment through your skills!"
Wang Yan shouted lightly, brandishing his sword as he stepped into the arena, swapping places with Li Qingshan.
"Senior Brother."
Chen Jichuan called out to Li Qingshan as he exited the field.
Li Qingshan, holding his spear, smiled bitterly: "Six hundred years seem like the blink of an eye, and the world has changed. It’s truly hard to adjust."
Before his slumber, he was invincible across the lands.
Upon awakening, he lost the first battle and almost perished.
This left Li Qingshan slightly dazed, with an overwhelming sense of defeat that was hard to shake off.
"Victory and defeat are commonplace in the art of war."
"Senior Brother merely slept too long and got a little rusty. This is the perfect opportunity to hone your skills—you might even achieve a breakthrough."
Chen Jichuan comforted him.
"Hmm."
Li Qingshan nodded thoughtfully. He had indeed gained significant insights from the previous battle.
He stayed silent, observing the battle while quietly digesting his new understanding.
On the field.
Wang Yan, sword in hand, stepped forward and introduced herself.
At the sound of her name, Zhang Jian’s frown deepened: "Taixu Three Ancestors, ’Heavenly Tribulation Sword’ Wang Yan?!"
Eight hundred years ago, when the Taixu Sword Sect unified the world, the names of its three patriarchs—most notably ’Seven-star Sword Saint’ Wang Shan and ’Five Elements Spear’ Li Qingshan—were renowned.
But ’Heavenly Tribulation Sword’ Wang Yan was no lightweight.
Her ’Little Four Nine Heavenly Tribulation Sword Technique’ was as fast as lightning and thunderous in power. In those times, unrivaled across the lands save for Wang Shan and Li Qingshan.
Back then, top-tier masters were sparse.
Coupled with the fact that Wang Yan was named one of the "Revival Three Ancestors" of the Taixu Sword Sect, her fame in the Central Earth Seven States far exceeded her actual prowess.
Zhang Jian immediately recognized her identity just by her name.
But whether it was genuine remained a different matter.
"Whoever you are, show me you can withstand my blade!"
Zhang Jian, among the top masters of the era, had his pride. He was unshaken by Wang Yan’s reputation and immediately raised his saber, clashing with Wang Yan.
These two.
The former had consecutively defeated Wang Tuan and Li Qingshan, two powerful late-stage Void Nether opponents. If not for Chen Jichuan’s intervention, he might have killed them both in succession. His saber technique was ferocious and unpredictable.
The latter, however, was only early-stage Void Nether.
The disparity between their cultivation levels was immense.
But Zhang Jian had already fought two intense, evenly matched battles, exhausting his energy. Now, he had to force himself into action, far from his peak state.
Meanwhile, Wang Yan had observed the battles for a long time and was in perfect condition.
She wore the ’Reincarnation Armor,’ acquired during the White Horse Lake battle years ago when Chen Jichuan slew Xingyi Sect’s Old Ancestor ’Sealing the Four Seas’ Lu Zheng. It was part of the same set as Li Qingshan’s ’Reincarnation Spear,’ forged by Northeast King Lu Fanchen from rare metals and nurtured with mana for years—absolutely peerless weaponry.
Over the years.
’Reincarnation Armor’ had been refined extensively by Chen Jichuan, imbued with numerous Array formations, making it a top-tier First-order Magical Treasure with exceptional defensive capabilities.
Aside from ’Reincarnation Armor.’
The ’Heart Like Sword’ wielded by Wang Yan was the pinnacle of Chen Jichuan’s artifact refining mastery cultivated over centuries.
Armor and blade alike were of supreme quality.
Together, they compensated for gaps in cultivation and battle experience.
Clang clang clang!
Boom boom boom!
Zhang Jian’s saber was like a gale, forcing Wang Yan into retreat time and again. Yet Wang Yan relied on the Reincarnation Armor; even when she occasionally revealed openings and was struck by the saber, she remained unharmed, her ability to fight untouched.
On the contrary, Zhang Jian had to exercise extreme caution, recognizing the sharpness of Wang Yan’s sword. He dared not endure its strike nor risk using his saber for a direct clash with her blade, which would require expending more mana to fortify his weapon and prevent it from shattering.
The battle was frustrating.
He couldn’t break Wang Yan’s armor, rendering his blows ineffective. Simultaneously, he needed to divert energy to defend against Wang Yan’s sharp sword and safeguard his own weapon.
Despite Zhang Jian’s dominance, he couldn’t conclude the fight swiftly against Wang Yan.
...
Night faded, and dawn arrived.
The sky brightened as a red sun slowly ascended.
By late morning.
Wang Yan, finally drained of energy, was no longer able to defend her vital points against Zhang Jian’s relentless strikes.
The saber flashed ruthlessly.
She seemed on the brink of tragic demise.
Clang!
Suddenly, a flash of sword light knocked Zhang Jian’s saber away, sending him flying.
This Night Shura, within only two days, was thrown into the water for the third time, crashing heavily once again.
...
"Junior Master."
"That Zhang Jian is truly formidable."
Wang Yan smiled brightly as she returned to the southern bank, standing before Chen Jichuan and speaking.