Wild cultivation begins with wielding the Taiyin talisman.

"Star Team Leader, watch out!"

Hu Shan gave a low shout and launched the first attack.

Ning Che's sword, which had been hanging at his waist, was now in his hand, and he assumed the stance of the Thick Earth Edgeless Blade. Although he hadn't fully mastered this sword technique yet, it was quite handy for testing purposes.

The next moment, Hu Shan's blade suddenly lit up, and a dazzling blade of light pierced through the air. Ning Che's stance was directly broken, but fortunately, the Jade Rabbit Breathing Technique neutralized the force of the strike, preventing the Crescent Moon Blade from slipping from his hand.

But Hu Shan's knife had already arrived; the old fox was ruthless and gave him no chance to breathe.

People in the audience were already cheering, but Ning Che didn't pay attention to them.

The white light froze, and he seemed to be wearing armor, with tangible runes appearing on the plates of armor covering vital areas such as his chest and throat. The blade struck those plates, producing a deafening roar.

The Golden Armor Technique was also broken.

Even though Hu Shan was an eighth-rank expert with years of experience, breaking through his Golden Armor Technique would inevitably cause a momentary pause.

Hu Shan was well aware of his advantages; he intended to use force to break through the laws and crush Ning Che with his eighth-rank cultivation.

If it were the Ning Che of the past, he probably would have had to use a single burst of Lung Gold Sword Qi to neutralize this fierce attack.

Things are different now; this moment is already quite ample. Ning Che swayed his body, dodging the blade, and swung his sword upwards, aiming straight for a vital point, while simultaneously spitting out sword energy.

Hu Shan still had some strength left and dodged the Crescent Moon Blade.

But the sword energy tore through the frost, piercing his left shoulder. Blood seeped from his back, drawing a very thin red line in the morning light. Upon closer inspection, one would see that it was blood that had congealed into ice crystals.

He winced in pain, his eyes narrowing slightly, but it didn't affect his movements. He cleanly and swiftly drew his sword back, unleashing another flash of light. At the same time, he twisted his wrist, the blade slashing down at a tricky angle, aiming straight for Ning Che's neck.

The timing was perfect; the two attacks, one in front and one behind, seemed to surround Ning Che single-handedly, preventing him from using his footwork skills effectively.

Especially in times like these, one must not back down, otherwise what awaits him will be a relentless and suffocating pursuit.

But how can a single knife withstand two attacks from completely opposite directions?

Ning Che's answer was: counterattack.

His body suddenly lowered, crawling on the ground, and at the last second, he caused the blade's light to miss, while simultaneously slashing upwards with the crescent moon.

Hu Shan immediately changed his move, twisting the blade and slashing down.

when--

The two blades clashed, and their magical powers clashed violently, flashing with dazzling yellow and white light.

The battle had reached Hu Shan's forte: he was on higher ground, pressing down hard with his knife. With a single hand, he forced Ning Che to lower his arms, making him tremble uncontrollably.

The audience erupted in cheers.

Everyone saw Ning Che's knees bend. Some people cheered him on, while others applauded Hu Shan.

Ning Che had already pushed his Moon Rabbit Breathing Technique to its limit, but he still couldn't hold on. Hu Shan's technique probably had an amplification in power, making it incomparable to the likes of Lin Ye.

Finally, he knelt on the ground, as if he were about to be defeated.

Hu Shan's eyes lit up with joy. He leaned forward, mobilized all his magical power, and increased the force in his hand, ready to secure victory.

But this was the moment Ning Che had been waiting for.

When Hu Shan's power reaches its peak, it is also the hardest time for him to stop.

The blade tilted, and Hu Shan's strength was not enough to be withdrawn in time, causing his body to involuntarily freeze.

He certainly still had room for maneuver, but Ning Che didn't speak this time.

The second sword aura shot out from between his noses, thinner, faster, and more concealed than the first. Moreover, when the mountain guardians saw him use this move, they all opened their mouths first, a deliberate misdirection by Ning Che.

Hu Shan could no longer dodge; the sword energy, so close at hand, precisely pierced through his knee and shattered the bone.

This exacerbated Hu Shan's body shift, and he no longer had time to exert force to adjust his position.

The third sword energy was then unleashed, striking Hu Shan's blade.

He instinctively wanted to grip the knife tighter; his magical power was overwhelmingly superior, and he still had a chance—

Ning Che had already stood up, the tip of the knife pressed against his heart, but it hadn't penetrated his flesh.

Only now was Hu Shan finally able to grip his sword tightly again. His eighth-grade cultivation and mid-grade magic weapon gave him the ability to directly withstand the sword energy.

It may never have become a reality. The reality is that if Ning Che didn't want to, then he wouldn't have been able to handle it either.

"...I lost."

Hu Shan spoke, his voice low, but everyone in the training ground heard him.

Ning Che sheathed his sword, and the entire arena fell silent.

The next moment, he heard Zhao He lead the cheers, which sparked a sparse chorus of applause.

Ning Che didn't look down at the audience; he looked at Hu Shan.

Where Hu Shan's right knee was pierced by the sword energy, there was a hole that was transparent from front to back, with ice crystals forming around the edges.

But he did not loosen the handle.

He met Ning Che's gaze, his expression complex, as if he had thought of many things, and then asked, "...Why?"

Ning Che did not answer.

Hu Shan continued, "The third sword strike hit the blade, not me."

His voice was broken by the pain: "You can hit my heart. You can hit my throat. You can hit my—" He paused, his Adam's apple bobbing, "You can hit the knife."

"What happens to the bet if I kill you?" Ning Che asked calmly.

Hu Shan seemed unsatisfied with this answer and pressed further, "Then aren't you afraid I won't admit defeat, or that I have a backup plan?"

"Then let's fight again. If I were afraid, would I be standing here?" Ning Che changed the subject. "Your injuries can be treated at the Zhong family's clinic. Perhaps it's not too late."

He turned around and walked towards the audience.

Zhao He grinned and stepped forward, "Hiss—Brother Xing, well done! That was satisfying!"

"Be careful not to tear your wound open," Ning Che said with a smile, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. He then spotted Zhong Hongyao in the crowd, looking in their direction.

She noticed Ning Che's gaze, quickly turned her head away, and fled as if escaping.

Ning Che withdrew his gaze and walked towards the barracks with Zhao He and Chen Mu.

Zhao He kept talking the whole way:

Ning Che's heart was in his throat when Hu Shan's blade struck him, and he hadn't even seen the sword energy emanate from his nose. Ning Che listened, occasionally responding. Chen Mu walked on the outermost side, his right arm hanging down, and remained silent.

When Chen Mu reached the entrance of the barracks, he suddenly stopped.

"Brother Xing," he said, head bowed, "thank you."

Ning Che patted his left shoulder—his right shoulder was still injured and couldn't be patted.

Then he pushed open the door and went inside.

He placed the Crescent Moon Blade on the bedside table, re-condensed his Lung Metal Sword Qi, and prepared to devote himself to a new day of cultivation.

After all, every moment is precious. People often say that time will give us a chance, but what he lacks most is time.

Before he could even condense his lung-golden sword energy, there was a sudden knock on the door.