Who among them in the future would still have the courage to oppose Jiang Ning?
"We must advance!" Xiao Hongyuan, who had remained silent all this time, now spoke with resolute determination, "If we four are scared away by him, we will truly become a laughingstock in Dongling County!"
"Alright then, letâs have a duel with him and see what kind of confidence this young man has, daring not to hide despite knowing weâre coming!" Shangguan Guyun said.
Then.
He lifted his leg and walked forward.
The other three immediately followed.
...
In the forest.
The evening glow shed through the gaps, casting slight brightness over the dark earth of the forest.
"Theyâre here!" Jiang Ning heard the commotion from the front and immediately smiled slightly.
A moment later.
A figure emerged from behind a large tree.
The visitor was Shangguan Guyun.
"Lord Jiang, what nerve!" Shangguan Guyun said as he looked at Jiang Ning, who was waiting calmly in place in front.
"You are... Shangguan Guyun?!" Seeing the silhouette appear ahead, Jiang Ningâs mind raced and immediately guessed the visitorâs identity.
"Correct, I am indeed Shangguan Guyun!" Shangguan Guyunâs eyes locked firmly onto Jiang Ningâs.
Seeing the flame-burning pupils in Jiang Ningâs eyes, he immediately understood why Jiang Ning was able to detect their arrival beforehand.
"And the other three? Still need to stay hidden?" Jiang Ning asked.
"Come out! Thereâs no need to hide!" Shangguan Guyun said.
Seeing the unusual sight in Jiang Ningâs pupils, he completely understood that their previous actions were utterly meaningless.
With his words falling.
Three figures instantly appeared with the wind whistling from the left, right, and behind.
"I am Xiao Hongyuan!"
"You can call me Spirit Snake Young Master!"
"This old one, Shui Lan Fairy!"
The three of them appeared, forming a cornered formation with Shangguan Guyun surrounding Jiang Ning while introducing themselves.
Hearing the words of these three, only information about Shui Lan Fairy emerged in Jiang Ningâs mind.
Shui Lan Fairy, a Grandmaster of the Mitian Sect.
He was not very familiar with the other two.
"Seems like external reinforcements!" A thought flashed in his mind, then his gaze swept over the left and right. When it passed over the right side, his eyes immediately narrowed.
Because he had seen this person on the right before, the night of the attack on Zhao Yulong.
"Shui Lan Fairy is the main culprit of the attack on Zhao Yulong that night!" Seeing Shui Lan Fairy, he immediately understood.
At that time, he had punched Shui Lan Fairy back. After she fled, he used the Heavenly Eye to see through her disguise, revealing her true appearance as an approximately fifty-year-old woman.
Now the faces of both overlapped in his mind.
At this moment.
Shui Lan Fairy looked at Jiang Ning, seeing the flame vision in Jiang Ningâs eyes.
Her pupils couldnât help but contract.
"Itâs him!!" She was immediately shocked in her heart.
Recalling the night she attacked Zhao Yulong, how a mysterious powerhouse had followed her out of the city.
Initially, she didnât take it seriously.
After all, she was truly an old Grandmaster, one who had achieved three blood transfusions.
Looking across the entire Dongling County, there werenât many who she took seriously.
Even fewer who could surpass her.
But that night, that mysterious powerhouse shattered her confidence with just one punch.
After the event, she was always puzzled by who that mysterious powerhouse was.
When had such a top Grandmaster appeared in Dongling County?
Today, seeing Jiang Ningâs true appearance and his fiery eyes, she immediately understood the mysterious powerhouseâs identity from that night.
It was indeed Jiang Ning, the Patrol Envoy of Dongling County, whose fame had recently skyrocketed.
Recalling the formidable presence Jiang Ning displayed that night, she couldnât help but feel fear in her heart.
Even at this moment, in addition to her, there were three old Grandmasters, and their strength was no weaker than hers.
But it still failed to provide much sense of security.
The so-called old Grandmasters were merely Grandmasters who had aged, with deteriorated blood, no longer capable of their peak prowess.
And she had personally experienced Jiang Ningâs punch back then, knowing Jiang Ningâs true strength was not afraid of being surrounded by them.
Thinking of this, she was about to speak.
"Lord Jiang, I am Xiao Hongyuan, prepare yourself!" Xiao Hongyuan beside her spoke, his eyes filled with fighting spirit.
Seeing Jiang Ning, he realized Jiang Ning was a formidable enemy, not one who bluffed.
This instead made his fighting spirit surge.
After leaving Dongling County for over thirty years, venturing into secret realms, finding ancient great drugs, and successfully completing three blood transfusions.
But he had also reached a level where he could advance no further.
Now, he only wanted to seek new insights during combat, hoping to have his Sword Intent breakthrough and reach the level of communication with Heavenly Personas, thus completing a fourth blood transfusion.
He was still young now, so he still wanted to fight desperately, striving for a chance to achieve the Second Grade Great Grandmaster.
And his Martial Arts True Intent was his biggest threshold to entering the Second Grade.
In his cultivation, he knew it was too difficult to make a breakthrough on his own, so in recent years, he craved formidable opponents, knowing that only the purest battles could help him gain more insights.
Thus, he had repeatedly invited notable Grandmasters for sparring and exchanges.
But due to positions and nature, it never reached the pure and intense battles he sought.
Now, with a formidable enemy before him, he couldnât care less about anything else, just wanting to exert full power and enjoy the purest fight.
Clangââ
As he drew the long blade from his back, he gripped it with both hands and slashed at Jiang Ning fiercely.
The blade energy was over three zhang long, bright white as if the sky pillar had collapsed, coming fiercely at Jiang Ning.
In an instant.
Even before the blade energy had fallen, the powerful wind pressure had etched the ground with long knife marks.
Jiang Ning, looking at the blade energy about to fall overhead, slightly narrowed his eyes.
"Beginning to embody Sword Intent, but still far too inadequate, far less powerful than the Sword Intent Xiao Qiushui had mastered back then!!" He made an assessment in his heart.
The next moment.
A golden light appeared around Jiang Ning.
"Perfection level Vajra Immortal Body!!!" Shangguan Guyunâs pupils shrank.
Instantaneously.
The intersecting blade energy had fallen, engulfing Jiang Ning in an instant.
Xiao Hongyuanâs long blade in his hands continued with undiminished force, slashing fiercely at where Jiang Ning stood.
Clangââ
With a resounding clash like the striking of metal against metal, Xiao Hongyuan was immediately shaken into the air, and the long blade he held tightly was now almost impossible to grasp.
Feeling the feedback from the long blade in his hands, he was immediately filled with shock.
At this moment, Shangguan Guyunâs pupils also shook greatly.
As the sword light dispersed, Jiang Ningâs body was still enveloped by the golden glow.
Having withstood Xiao Hongyuanâs domineering strike, at this moment Jiang Ning remained completely unharmed.
"Attack together!" Shangguan Guyun immediately shouted.
As his words fell.
Buzzââ
The sound of a sword singing rang out, and a three-foot green blade instantly appeared in his hand.
The long sword broke through the air, heading straight for Jiang Ningâs brow.
From behind.
The Spirit Snake Young Master also drew the soft sword that had been coiled at his waist, the silver light flickering as the soft sword in his hand was like a venomous snake, silently stabbing toward Jiang Ning.
Xiao Hongyuan steadied himself, gripping with both hands, and once again slashed out at Jiang Ning with a stronger blow than before.
In just an instant, the three attacked Jiang Ning with all their might.
Only Shui Lan Fairy was still hesitating, her gaze fluctuating as she looked at the faint golden glow on Jiang Ning.
"Shui Lan, what are you still hesitating about!!" Shangguan Guyun immediately shouted angrily.
"Fine!!" Shui Lan Fairy sighed inwardly, her figure moved, unexpectedly arriving last, with a soft hand extending, delivering a gentle palm strike toward Jiang Ning.
At this moment.
Facing the full force attack from the four Grandmasters.
Jiang Ning didnât feel the slightest pressure.
With the Fire Eye scanning through, he could see every thread of energy flow on them, could see the uneven distribution of power in the techniques they used.
"I seem to... be too strong!" A thought flashed in Jiang Ningâs mind.
Facing the encirclement of the four, Jiang Ning did not dodge or evade.
The three-times limit-breaking Vajra Immortal Body had already formed four layers of imperceptible defense on him.
The full-force strike from Xiao Hongyuan just barely broke through his first layer of defense, and immediately it was restored as before.
"Arrogant!!!" Detecting Jiang Ningâs intention, Shangguan Guyun grew furious, his momentum growing stronger by three points.
He attacked without holding back.
He knew, if all four attacked with full strength and still couldnât suppress Jiang Ningâs arrogance, then the four would have only one choice.
And that was to flee!
The faster and farther they escaped, the safer it would be.
Now, this attack was the last attempt made by the four with all their might.