Chapter 37: The Two-Claw Yinglong Guard

Qinghe stood up from the stone pillar in the distance, cupped his hands, and said, "I lost, and I accept it wholeheartedly."

Ji Ning also stood up and cupped his hands. Then he swept his gaze across the entire hall, looking at the fellow disciples, and said loudly, "Is there any senior brother or sister who wishes to offer guidance?"

His clear voice echoed throughout the great hall.

"Alas." Qinghe shook his head with a sigh, leaped a hundred zhang, and landed directly beside the white-haired elder, placing two jade bottles in front of him. This was the wager he had lost. Then he turned and left.

The hall of discourse fell silent for a moment, with no one stepping forward.

"Even Junior Brother Qinghe has lost."

"This discourse is about the comprehension of the Dao and the execution of techniques. It has nothing to do with one's elemental power. Even among the many Wanxiang Adept fellow disciples, many are only on par with Junior Brother Qinghe."

"Those who are confident in defeating Junior Brother Ji Ning are probably those who have comprehended the realm of multiple Dao domains."

There were certainly those who could defeat Ji Ning!

And not a few.

For example, among the Wanxiang Adept disciples, the three reincarnated immortals and those who had comprehended the complete 'Dao' could easily crush Ji Ning. Even those who had comprehended 'multiple Dao domains' were numerous, but who would step forward?

"Is there any senior brother or sister who wishes to offer guidance?" Ji Ning stood on the stone pillar and said loudly, "If no one offers guidance, I will withdraw."

At this moment, Ji Ning was filled with boundless pride.

How exhilarating.

Facing a group of peerless geniuses, a newly initiated disciple like himself challenging them in such a manner was indeed exhilarating.

"Since no other fellow disciple is stepping forward, I will make a fool of myself." Accompanied by a clear, cold voice, a young man in white robes with white hair walked out. With a single step, he turned into a streak of light and entered a side hall. Soon, a puppet followed him out.

"It's Senior Brother Bloodshadow!"

"Senior Brother Bloodshadow excels in divine demon body refinement and close combat. He's not skilled in puppet discourse!"

"I heard that Senior Brother Bloodshadow has already become a 'Two-Claw Yinglong Guard' in the Yinglong Guard. In real life-and-death battles, he might be no less than ordinary Primordial Daoists. But his main techniques are the divine demon body refinement 'Bloodshadow Indestructible Body' and many divine abilities, along with his divine demon blood-refined weapon! If he only controls a puppet, he might be somewhat inferior."

As soon as the white-robed, white-haired young man appeared, the entire hall buzzed with discussion.

Ji Ning's ears twitched.

He was secretly startled.

This Senior Brother Bloodshadow had quite a background. The divine demon blood refinement technique... although a tribe like the Ji clan had never heard of it, it was available in the Black-White College, requiring five hundred Black-White pills to exchange.

"And he's even a Two-Claw Yinglong Guard." Ji Ning marveled.

Joining the Yinglong Guard as an ordinary 'One-Claw' Yinglong Guard would earn a reward of one thousand Black-White pills from the Black-White College.

Becoming a Two-Claw Yinglong Guard would earn a reward of five thousand Black-White pills.

Becoming a Three-Claw Yinglong Guard would earn a reward of fifteen thousand Black-White pills.

...

However, becoming a Two-Claw Yinglong Guard was very difficult, generally requiring the combat power of a Primordial Daoist. Only some exceptionally talented Wanxiang Adepts could achieve it. Compared to this Senior Brother Bloodshadow, the so-called genius 'Xue Hongyi' of Snowdragon Mountain was far inferior.

"Swoosh!"

Senior Brother Bloodshadow's figure flickered, and he was already on the stone pillar opposite.

"Junior Brother Ji Ning." Senior Brother Bloodshadow faced Ji Ning from afar, "I am more accustomed to close combat, and I am not very skilled in long-range attacks with magic treasures. But I am still a bit stronger than Junior Brother Qinghe. You must be careful."

"Please guide me, Senior Brother." Ji Ning said solemnly.

No joke. Even a freak who had become a Two-Claw Yinglong Guard, even if he followed the divine demon body refinement path, would not be weak in controlling magic treasures. Fortunately, it was through a puppet... If his divine body and divine abilities were all usable, there would be no need for a competition; he would have to admit defeat.

"Begin!" the white-haired elder shouted loudly.

Rumble~~~ The sealing formation once again enveloped the entire combat area.

Ji Ning sat down cross-legged.

Senior Brother Bloodshadow also sat down cross-legged.

"Be careful, Junior Brother!" Senior Brother Bloodshadow shouted coldly. Immediately, the strange flying swords behind the Nine-Sword Puppet flew out one by one. Nine strange flying swords, as they flew through the air, began to emit a dense blood light. The flying swords' blood light connected, and soon a huge...

...with enormous cicada wings, a triangular head, a long, blade-like proboscis, and fierce light flashing. Its killing intent was even more terrifying than the 'Drinking Blood Asking Sword' when it manifested the Greedy Wolf.

"A mosquito?" Ji Ning was startled when he saw the manifested beast. It looked just like a giant mosquito.

Whoosh!

The blood mosquito, exuding overwhelming baleful aura and appearing cold, came whistling over. Its sharp proboscis was actually one of the flying swords. The immense pressure made Ji Ning's heart tighten.

"New Three Talents Lotus Sword!" Ji Ning did not hesitate to use his strongest sword technique.

Immediately, three flying swords flew out from behind the Thousand-Sword Puppet, quickly transforming into a huge sword light blooming with lotuses, stabbing directly at the blood mosquito with its overwhelming baleful aura.

"Boom!"

Both were as fast as lightning, colliding in midair in an instant.

The sword light blooming with lotuses began to tremble and become unstable.

"It's about to collapse."

"Even with flying swords, which he is not skilled in, Senior Brother Bloodshadow can still suppress a newly initiated junior brother without difficulty."

"He's won."

Many senior brothers and sisters nodded inwardly.

Mu Zishuo clenched his fists and watched from afar, extremely anxious, wishing he could rush up himself: "He must win, he must win."

"Not good." Ji Ning immediately realized the terrifying penetrating power of the blood mosquito's proboscis as soon as they clashed.

"Bang!"

The blood mosquito was as fast as a phantom. Soon, another collision occurred, and the lotuses scattered, sending the three flying swords flying aside.

But Ji Ning, having anticipated this, had already controlled the Thousand-Sword Puppet to send six more flying swords flying from its back.

"Go, go, go." A wild look burst from Ji Ning's eyes.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Every three flying swords formed a sword light blooming with lotuses. Even the three scattered flying swords re-formed into a huge sword light. In an instant, three huge sword lights appeared in midair, each blooming with lotuses, flying in a triangular formation, all attacking the blood mosquito.

A wild look was in Ji Ning's eyes as he controlled them with all his might.

"What!"

"He can simultaneously execute three Three Talents Lotus Swords?"

"How is that possible?"

The surrounding disciples were in an uproar.

Executing top-tier sword techniques consumes a great deal of mental energy. For the Three Talents Lotus Sword... executing one was already enough. Executing three simultaneously was somewhat absurd.

...

In a corner of the hall of discourse.

The Immortal Diancai nodded slightly.

"Simultaneously executing multiple sword techniques." The short old man beside him shook his head, "There are two possibilities. One is that the realm of the Dao far surpasses the sword technique, making it easy to execute, allowing multiple sword techniques to be performed simultaneously. Another possibility is that his soul is extremely powerful, and the burden of this sword technique is easily bearable, enabling him to execute multiple sword techniques."

Either his realm was extremely high, or his soul was extremely strong.

"Your disciple's soul is at the divine sense level, right?" the short old man asked, looking at the Immortal Diancai.

"Yes." The Immortal Diancai nodded.

"As expected." The short old man said softly, "If his 'soul' is at the divine sense level, he might be able to execute two or three more sword lights. In this match, your disciple will probably win."

...

The huge blood mosquito flickered and turned into three smaller blood mosquitoes, each facing one of the three Three Talents Lotus Swords.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

In midair, the three Three Talents Lotus Swords and the three smaller blood mosquitoes turned into phantoms, clashing and intertwining repeatedly. They each tried to pierce the other's puppet protective layer, but also intercepted each other... For a time, they were evenly matched.

"Go, go!" Ji Ning's eyes were bloodshot, and veins bulged on his forehead, showing he was exerting all his strength.

Immediately, six more flying swords flew out from behind the Thousand-Sword Puppet.

Soon, two more Three Talents Lotus Swords appeared in the air, making a total of five, which directly surrounded and attacked.

"Hmm?" Senior Brother Bloodshadow, who was sitting, changed his expression. He immediately willed the three blood mosquitoes to transform back into one huge blood mosquito. The huge blood mosquito's thin, cicada-like wings flapped, directly enveloping the Nine-Sword Puppet, while its proboscis repeatedly stabbed at the Three Talents Lotus Swords.

The five New Three Talents Lotus Swords frenziedly attacked.

"Five!"

"Five Three Talents Lotus Swords?"

The watching senior brothers and sisters were somewhat shocked.

They knew well how great the mental pressure was to simultaneously execute five powerful sword techniques. For an ordinary mortal, doing two things at once was difficult, let alone executing top-tier sword techniques with divided attention... and five at that!

"Junior Brother Ji Ning's realm is probably very high. Or his soul is very strong."

"He cannot be underestimated."

"Senior Brother Bloodshadow will probably suffer a loss."

...

Prolonged defense inevitably leads to a lapse. Under the siege of Ji Ning's five New Three Talents Lotus Swords, the huge blood mosquito failed to block once, and the puppet's protective layer was pierced.

"Ji Ning wins!" the white-haired elder announced loudly.

Only then did Ji Ning relax his mind.

He had won.

He had actually won against a Two-Claw Yinglong Guard! Although this Yinglong Guard specialized in divine demon body refinement and divine abilities, and the competition was only about the realm of the 'Dao' and the ability to execute techniques, being able to defeat a Two-Claw Yinglong Guard senior brother still filled Ji Ning with immense joy.

"I lost." Senior Brother Bloodshadow, sitting on the distant stone pillar, stood up and shook his head with a smile, "Junior Brother, you are so accomplished right after joining. Your future achievements will surely be no less than mine."

"Senior Brother flatters me." Ji Ning also stood up, "If it were a real life-and-death battle, I fear I couldn't withstand even one move from you."

Bloodshadow smiled.

This junior brother was extremely talented, humble, and clear-headed. He did not become complacent because of his victory in the discourse. His future achievements would probably be astonishing, and he was worth befriending.

"Haha..." Senior Brother Bloodshadow laughed, flickered, and was already outside the arena, directly handing two jade bottles to the white-haired elder.

Ji Ning took a deep breath. In the battle with Senior Brother Bloodshadow, he had already exerted all his strength. The sword technique he used was his strongest, and he had even relied on his powerful soul to desperately execute five Three Talents Lotus Swords! This had reached his limit. He had no more trump cards... He would probably lose the next match.

But since he was fighting, he wanted to fight to his heart's content.

"Is there any senior brother or sister who wishes to offer guidance?" Ji Ning looked around the entire hall and said loudly, his voice echoing throughout every corner of the hall.

...