I can only beat noobs.

Chapter 171 The next generation is terrible
The next morning, the person sent by Yu Haitang arrived; it was an old acquaintance, Ji Qianxing. This young genius, ranked seventh on the Qingyun Ranking, had actually become her bodyguard and errand runner.

Chen Ming always felt that Yu Haitang might have some kind of leverage over him.

"Thank you for last time."

He was referring to Qiu Xiang and Dong Xiang, and he hadn't had a chance to thank them since.

Ji Qianxing maintained her indifferent expression, saying, "It was nothing."

After getting into the carriage, he asked again, "Where are we going now?"

"You'll know when it arrives."

Chen Ming didn't say anything more, placed the "Mingfeng Sword" across his knees, and closed his eyes to rest.

……

Half an hour later, the carriage drove into a quiet courtyard.

As soon as Chen Ming got out of the car, he knew where he was—Yu Haitang's place, which he had visited before.

"Come with me."

Ji Qianxing called out and walked towards the backyard.

After passing through several gates, we arrived at a large courtyard. There stood a middle-aged man who looked somewhat down on his luck.

Ji Qianxing said to the middle-aged man, "My master said that as long as you can defeat him, he will not hold you accountable for your mistake."

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man looked up at Chen Ming, his gaze instantly turning sharp, which made Chen Ming feel immense pressure.

The middle-aged man, who had previously looked down on his luck, suddenly changed his demeanor, exuding the air of a master. With a flick of his wrist, he produced a short blade and said, "Make your move."

Seeing that he didn't give his name or ask for his own, Chen Ming didn't waste any words and drew his sword.

"What a sword!"

The middle-aged man's eyes lit up.

At this moment, Ji Qianxing had already stepped aside.

"Be careful!"

After Chen Ming finished speaking, he thrust forward with a move called "Crimson Shadow Piercing the Forest," a seemingly ordinary move, yet it was incredibly fast.

After reaching the second level of "Phoenix Dance in the Nine Heavens", his speed increased dramatically, and combined with his swordsmanship, its power was greatly enhanced.

The middle-aged man's expression instantly turned serious. He slashed with his short blade, striking the tip of the sword that was thrusting towards him with perfect precision.

A loud clang rang out.

Chen Ming retreated rapidly.

This person's skill level far surpasses his own; it's not advisable to engage in a direct confrontation.

In a flash, he twisted his body and charged forward again, this time with a sword strike three times faster than before.

His cultivation level is a weakness, making him unable to fight for long. Therefore, he must finish the battle quickly. If he cannot defeat his opponent within twenty moves, he will be at the mercy of others.

……

In the vast courtyard, Ji Qianxing was the only spectator, watching with utmost concentration. He saw the two fighters moving with lightning speed, locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle, and his fists clenched involuntarily, the veins on the back of his hands bulging.

This shows how unsettled he was.

He lost to Chen Ming in the "Qingyun Ranking" competition more than a month ago, and has regarded him as the most formidable opponent in his life ever since.

Yesterday, Chen Ming's sword strike had already shocked him greatly. Among the fifth-rank cultivators, no one could withstand that sword strike.

Seeing him sparring with that fourth-rank expert, Ji Qianxing's heart was in turmoil, and he finally believed what he had said yesterday.

He truly has the ability to overcome the weak and fight against opponents of higher ranks.

The strength Chen Ming displayed filled him with deep despair.

Is this his true strength?
Or perhaps his cultivation level has advanced by leaps and bounds in the past month?

After ten moves, the middle-aged man was actually suppressed by Chen Ming. Each sword strike was able to pierce his weakest point, and with each strike, he had to take a step back.

Seeing this scene, Ji Qianxing was momentarily stunned. She thought to herself, "Brother, I've met a genius even more monstrous than you..."

As the middle-aged man retreated to the eighth step, he suddenly threw down the short blade in his hand, and said with a bitter expression, "I lost." After saying that, he turned and left. His departing figure was indescribably desolate.

Chen Ming breathed a sigh of relief. If he hadn't admitted defeat, he would have had no choice but to use his sword intent.

You have defeated a level 68 enemy and gained 39000 experience points.

Upon seeing this notification, his confidence soared, and disregarding Ji Qianxing's presence, he sat down cross-legged to regulate his breathing.

Those dozen or so moves had greatly depleted his inner energy.

……

Two hours later, Chen Ming had almost fully recovered. He didn't rush to get up, but instead opened the panel and added another 50,000 points to "Phoenix Dance in the Nine Heavens".

This lightness skill did indeed greatly enhance his combat ability, but it wasn't enough. He still couldn't win against a master like the middle-aged man from before.

So we need to keep adding more.

【Level: 55】

Current points: 533000

[Techniques: Iron Horse Stake (Fifth Level Completed), Five Elements True Skill (Missing) (Fifth Level 990000/1500000)]

[Martial Arts: Three Talents Fist (Mastery), Eight Trigrams Saber Technique (Mastery), Zhuang Family Flying Knife (Mastery), Swallow Return Sword Technique (Mastery), Vermilion Bird Sword Technique (Mastery), Phoenix Dance in the Nine Heavens (Second Level 50711/200000)]

[Secret Technique: The Art of Disguise (Mastery)]

Chen Ming sat for a while longer, digesting the increased strength he had just gained, before standing up and saying to Ji Qianxing, "Next."

Ji Qianxing's gaze was slightly complicated. She nodded and went to call for help.

The second opponent was a woman in her forties or fifties, whose weapon was a whip. She attacked without mercy, her long whip moving like a venomous snake, striking in all directions with feints and real attacks, making it impossible to defend against.

This was the first time Chen Ming had encountered such a weapon, and he almost suffered a great loss right from the start.

This is where the benefits of improved agility became apparent; with each turn and leap, the whip couldn't even touch the hem of his clothes. After seven or eight moves, he finally figured out the pattern of the whip's attacks and began to counterattack.

In Ji Qianxing's eyes, Chen Ming seemed to have improved after the battle just now, and it was obvious that his movements were smoother than before.

He was greatly surprised, and an unbelievable thought flashed through his mind: "Could it be that he improves after each fight?"

The idea was too absurd, but the contrast before and after was too obvious, so he couldn't help but think it that way.

At this moment, the battle situation between the two had turned around. Chen Ming broke the opponent's whip technique with a single sword strike, slicing off a section of the whip.

After that, he kept getting closer to the other person.

The woman tried desperately to stop him, but to no avail. After another piece of the whip in her hand was cut off, Chen Ming was less than three feet away from her.

"Humph."

After the "Phoenix Sword" was pointed at her throat, the woman angrily threw down the whip in her hand and said resentfully, "You're just relying on the advantage of a divine weapon."

Clearly, she was not convinced of her defeat.

You have defeated a level 63 enemy and gained 29000 experience points.

Chen Ming sat cross-legged on the ground again and continued to regulate his breathing.

……

Nearly two more hours passed, and Chen Ming's true energy had almost recovered. He opened the panel again and added another 50,000 experience points to "Phoenix Dance in the Nine Heavens".

In the second battle just now, he was able to easily defeat that woman because of his agility.

Movement skills do not directly increase the power of swordsmanship; their great benefits can only be felt during actual combat.

Especially when facing an opponent of similar strength, a slight difference in speed can be the deciding factor in victory.

After Chen Ming stood up, he asked Ji Qianxing, "Is there anything else?"

Ji Qianxing's gaze towards him became more complicated, and she said, "There's one more."

The third opponent was an old man. Judging from his attire, he looked like an accountant. He was thin and had a goatee, and there was no indication that he was a fourth-rank master.

Ji Qianxing said to him, "Master said that as long as you can defeat him, he will personally recommend your granddaughter to join the Cangyue Sect."

The old man's hunched back straightened instantly, and a glint of light shone in his cloudy old eyes, as if he had shed his disguise. "Young master, I'm sorry."

Ji Qianxing then asked, "Do you need a weapon?"

"Need not."

The old man took out his weapon: an abacus.

It looks like an ordinary abacus.

Chen Ming felt a chill run down his spine. If this old man dared to use such a weapon, he must have some skill; it was most likely a hidden weapon.

whoosh-

Sure enough, several abacus beads imbued with powerful energy shot towards them.

Chen Ming did not take the hit head-on; instead, he dodged the seven abacus beads with a series of quick movements.

Puff puff……

Seven beads pierced through the courtyard wall behind him.

Before Chen Ming could even regain his footing, a sudden warning struck him. In an impossible moment, he twisted his body and dodged several beads that were shot at him silently.

This was an extremely skillful use of concealed weapons; it not only avoided his blind spots but also left no trace. Had it not been for his exceptional intuition, he would have already been hit.

Seeing that he had dodged even this move, the old man tore the abacus in half, scattering nearly a hundred beads like a rain of snow, which shot towards Chen Ming.

This move is completely unreasonable, with an extremely wide coverage area, making it impossible to dodge.

Clearly, the old man, with his seasoned experience, had seen his greatest weakness—his protective aura was too weak, and he had no protective aura to shield him.

Those nearly one hundred beads were all enveloped in indestructible qi, forming a net-like structure that left the opponent with no way to escape.

Without protective qi, the opponent's fate was predictable.

A confident smile had already appeared on the old man's face.

"What a formidable and inescapable trap!"

Chen Ming was somewhat amazed. Those hundreds of beads blocked every blind spot. No matter how he dodged, he would have to face at least five or six beads.

At his speed, there was absolutely no way he could escape the bead's attack range before it got close.

Ji Qianxing, who was standing to the side, could also see it and had to admire the old man's combat wisdom, as he had found the winning strategy so quickly.

"So, how will Chen Ming respond?"

Faced with the sky full of beads, Chen Ming did not draw his sword, but instead reached into his robes.

In an instant, a bright golden light shone forth.

ding ding ding...

Amidst a series of rapid impacts.

The wall not far away collapsed with a loud crash.

Chen Ming stood there, completely unharmed.

Ji Qianxing had just seen it clearly: Chen Ming had shot out more than a dozen flying knives, which accurately hit the dozen or so beads in front of him.

Although all the throwing knives were deflected, the dozen or so beads were also deflected, flying past him by the slightest margin, none of them able to harm him.

The old man's smile froze, and he muttered, "What a fine throwing knife! Truly, the younger generation is formidable!"

Then, he turned and left dejectedly.

He could tell that the young man's cultivation level was only at the fifth rank.

Having bullied the weak and failed to defeat the opponent in three moves, how could he possibly have the face to make another move?

(End of this chapter)