The censor asked the question, and he had no choice but to answer.

"Master, the technique I have mastered is indeed the ninth style of the Wind-Chasing Sword, called ‘Wind Chase.’" Jiang Xuan respectfully said, facing Lei Hong.

"How many styles have you mastered?" Lei Hong asked again.

"The first four and the ninth," Jiang Xuan replied.

"I see." Lei Hong nodded. He understood now that Jiang Xuan had skipped the other styles of the Wind-Chasing Sword and had directly forced himself to practice the ninth style, which he actually managed to perfect. This demonstrated Jiang Xuan's talent in swordsmanship, which was extraordinary.

Lei Hong didn't ask further questions.

Originally, only a few people had figured out or guessed which technique Jiang Xuan was using, but with Lei Hong’s question, everyone present now knew. The whole arena was in an uproar.

"The ninth style! He’s mastered the ninth style!"

"Even Jiang Hanfeng only mastered eight styles of the Wind-Chasing Sword!"

"According to the Black Swamp Mountain Warriors' rankings, if I’m not mistaken, the last person from the Jiang clan to master the ninth style of the Wind-Chasing Sword was Jiang Hun, who did so 160 years ago. He was also the greatest on Black Swamp Mountain at the time…" The warriors of various tribes were all moved, and a flash of fear passed through their eyes.

The situation on Black Swamp Mountain was about to change.

"Fifteen years old! No! This is impossible! He must have used some forbidden drugs or some other underhanded methods!" No one understood the significance of mastering the ninth style more than Jiang Jing Sheng. He was the highest-ranking person in the arena—complete innate perfection, unity of man and sword! And he had mastered the seventh style of the Wind-Chasing Sword!

Jiang Jing Sheng truly doubted it.

He knew how difficult it was to master the ninth style! Let alone the ninth, he couldn’t even enter the eighth style in his entire life!

How could Jiang Xuan have done it?

But he had.

Rather than disbelief, Jiang Jing Sheng felt fear.

After watching the three years of life-and-death battles, when it seemed like the Shentu tribe was about to win, he had joined them! But in just a month, the Jiang clan was about to counterattack, a counterattack by one person! According to the rules of the life-and-death battle, it could be overwhelming!

"Hahaha! The head of the Jiang clan’s swordsmanship is world-renowned! A true hero!" The one-eyed elder of the Nalan clan suddenly burst out laughing, causing a wave of praise.

"We’re leaving!" Wei Yuanlang turned sharply, his face darkened.

No need to watch anymore! Although the life-and-death battle today had not yet ended, Jiang Xuan had already killed Shentu Lie with one move. How could the Shentu clan possibly win against him?

One battle or a hundred, the result would be the same.

The two walked out of the training ground and toward the main city gates.

"Actually," Cao Tai thought and said, "Although Jiang Xuan’s killing move is extremely powerful, it only applies in the arena. The rules of the life-and-death battle gave him an advantage. The arena is small, and it’s large enough for his techniques to cover all of it, leaving no way to avoid them, as if he had a cannon in his hand—its power is great, and it doesn’t allow the enemy to leave the attack range…"

"But if it were a running battle, like in the forest, where there is more space to maneuver, one could avoid his sharp edges and fight in a way that relies more on superior physical strength and faster movements. They could definitely defeat him! Shentu Lie lost in the arena because he was overconfident! If it had been in the forest, Shentu Lie would not have retreated immediately, and he would have died!"

"And if Shentu Lie knew in advance that Jiang Xuan had this killing move, and they fought in the forest or in an open area, then... the outcome is uncertain. I believe Shentu Lie would have a greater chance of winning."

"Jiang Xuan’s realm is still too low, that’s the problem."

Cao Tai gave a full analysis of Jiang Xuan’s situation.

After his speech, Wei Yuanlang’s mood didn’t improve.

"If Uncle Cao went up to the arena, how confident would you be to win against him?" Wei Yuanlang asked.

"Ten out of ten," Cao Tai answered calmly and confidently.

"What if he practiced for another five years?" Wei Yuanlang asked again.

"This... it’s hard to say!" Cao Tai realized. Jiang Xuan was only fifteen this year. Even if he was twenty in five years, he was still too young! And Cao Tai, the top innate warrior in Feixue City, wasn’t confident he could win!

This was the problem.

"From my understanding of the cultivation methods of the tribes, Jiang Xuan, born from a millennia-old tribe, has such talent that uniting man and sword won’t be a problem for him. But mastering the 'Heavenly Man’s Will'—he might master it by the time he’s eighteen or nineteen, or thirty, or perhaps never at all!"

Cao Tai shook his head. "The cultivation methods of the tribes are actually flawed and underdeveloped! They lack proper guidance, and the system is not clear enough. This is why, despite their historical inheritance, the overall strength of the tribes is far weaker than the city dwellers."

The two continued their conversation as they arrived at the city gates, took their horses, and left the city.

"Uncle Cao, let’s not go back to Feixue City yet. Since we’re out here, how about we visit other cities?" Wei Yuanlang proposed.

"Good! As you wish, Young Master Yuanlang!" Cao Tai did not object.

He understood that Wei Yuanlang wanted to "avoid the matter"!

Originally, he had come here as a witness to watch Jiang Xuan die and to bring good news back to Wei Hongkuo. He had come to make sure this matter went smoothly for Wei Hongkuo, but now... he was only going to report good news and not bad! Whoever wants to go back and report can do so! He was going to hide for now!

Anyway, within a day, someone else would report this matter to Wei Hongkuo.

On the day of the life-and-death battle, ten rounds of fighting were scheduled each day. After each fight, both sides rested for half an hour. The victorious side could choose to swap out fighters or not, or even skip the rest.

After the arena was cleaned, Jiang Xuan jumped back onto the platform and looked coldly at the Shentu clan, saying nothing.

After Shentu Lie died, some members of the Shentu clan had completely collapsed mentally. Their feelings couldn’t be described as anything less than being struck by a thunderbolt.

Especially Shentu Yu, her world truly had collapsed.

At this moment.

The Shentu clan stood in complete silence. Shentu Yu, pale and bloodless, stood holding a box containing her father’s head, her gaze hollow.

"Shentu Clan! Come on! Are you all cowards?"

"Don’t you have any men left in the Shentu clan?"

"Come on!"

The voices came from the Jiang clan, and the women of the Jiang clan were all incredibly excited, their emotions becoming more and more intense. Some even shouted while crying. They were the ones provoking and mocking the Shentu clan.

"I’ll go!" A man from the Shentu clan stepped forward.

A burly man in his late forties with a hawk-like nose, sharp eyes, and a scarred face, missing two fingers on his left hand. He looked like a battle-hardened character.

"Shentu Donghu, middle stage of innate realm."

"In terms of seniority, he should be Shentu Lie’s uncle."

Shentu Donghu pulled down a disassembled long spear from his back, joined the two parts together, and locked them into one long spear. Many of the older generation liked to use such detachable spears because they were easy to carry during training in the mountains.

"The Shentu clan has no cowards!" Shentu Donghu jumped onto the platform and stared expressionlessly at Jiang Xuan. Then, with a mighty step, he charged toward Jiang Xuan, his spear raised like a hungry tiger attacking its prey.

"Let’s fight!"

Jiang Xuan didn’t waste words and also charged at Shentu Donghu. His long sword was drawn, and the sword energy was like a fine thread, humming as it collided fiercely with Shentu Donghu’s spearhead. The spear was heavier, its force far surpassing that of the sword. The sword was more flexible and unpredictable. Even with the same realm, the sword would lose in a direct clash with the spear, especially since Jiang Xuan was only in the early innate stage.

However, due to his special technique, Jiang Xuan was able to match Shentu Donghu’s strength without using all his power.

"I was able to fight to exhaustion with my aunt Cuiyun in the middle stage of innate when I was in the half-innate stage. Now that I am in the innate realm, using only about twenty percent of my strength, I can already match the strength-focused Shentu clan's middle stage innate fighters. However, the spear's application of strength is far superior to the sword, and Shentu’s spear is as thick as a wrist…" Jiang Xuan thought quickly during the battle!

The clash of sword and spear was ear-piercing.

Jiang Xuan retreated three steps, and Shentu Donghu also retreated two. Neither of them hesitated, and they advanced to continue the fight. Jiang Xuan used incredibly fast speed, and although his technique was not fully polished, he continued to improve in real-time, adapting to Shentu Donghu’s movements.

"What's happening?" someone asked.

"Why isn’t Jiang Xuan using that move?"

"Could it be that his innate power is running low? That can’t be! He could have rested for half an hour, but he didn’t, so it’s not a lack of innate power."

"He’s not using that move! Jiang Xuan, even in the early stage of the innate realm, is still fighting fiercely against someone in the middle stage of the innate realm!"

"He's truly a freak of nature! His father, Jiang Hanfeng, fought against someone in the middle stage of innate at the early stage of his own innate realm without losing, and now Jiang Xuan has surpassed him. He’s already on par with someone in the middle stage of the innate realm. It’s no surprise. But Shentu Donghu is a battle-hardened veteran with a fierce reputation. His physical strength and innate power will only make things harder for Jiang Xuan the longer this goes on."

"Why doesn’t he just kill Shentu Donghu already?"

"Is he... practicing his sword techniques?"

The one-eyed elder from the Nalan clan, who had seen countless life-and-death battles, squinted his remaining eye in disbelief. Despite all the battles he had witnessed, he had never seen anyone so bold as to practice sword techniques during such a crucial battle. This kind of reckless behavior could lead to death at any moment!

"Interesting." Lei Hong’s finger tapped the armrest of his chair as he observed the battle, muttering to himself. It had been a long time since the life-and-death battle had become so intriguing.

"Fifth style of the Wind-Chasing Sword! He’s practicing the fifth style!" Jiang Jing Sheng shouted.

"Quick! Attack his lower body! Don’t let him turn around! Hurry! Force him to keep fighting you!" Jiang Jing Sheng was frantically giving instructions to Shentu Donghu, his voice desperate. He had been practicing the fifth style of the Wind-Chasing Sword for decades, and there was no one in the arena who understood it better than him.

"Old dog! Shut up!" Jiang Xuan shouted furiously at Jiang Jing Sheng.

"Traitor! You deserve to die! Once Jiang Xuan wins this battle, you all will die!" the women of the Jiang clan shouted with anger.

Jiang Jing Sheng ignored them. He was focused on survival. If Jiang Xuan didn’t die, he would. He didn’t care how despised he was, as long as he could stay alive.

"Yes! Yes! Keep him cornered! Hahaha! He can’t adjust! The ninth style was just recently mastered, and he hasn’t even perfected it! If you force him, he won’t be able to use it! Kill him! Kill him!" Jiang Jing Sheng was beyond excited.

"Master Lei!" Jiang Cuiyun shouted towards the observation platform in the north, kneeling down as she looked at him.

This was clearly unfair, but the imperial law didn’t have any rules about keeping quiet during life-and-death battles. Everything was under the control of the Inspecting Master, and whatever he said went.

Lei Hong glanced at Jiang Cuiyun, then at Jiang Jing Sheng.

With a cold, detached gaze, he gave a brief look toward Jiang Jing Sheng, who immediately felt like he had been marked by a wild beast. His hair stood on end, and his spine turned cold! He lowered his head, afraid to even glance up at Lei Hong again.

Suddenly, the entire scene became much quieter.

However, because Jiang Jing Sheng had already given instructions on how to break Jiang Xuan’s moves, Jiang Xuan now seemed to be "on the edge."

Shentu Donghu, being extremely experienced, immediately understood Jiang Jing Sheng’s instructions and adjusted his attack, putting Jiang Xuan in a difficult situation. His movements became less fluid, and Shentu Donghu began to press the advantage. Shentu Donghu’s offensive moved to sixty percent, while his defense dropped to forty.

Jiang Xuan, on the other hand, found himself defending sixty percent of the time and only attacking forty percent.

The longer the battle lasted, the more Shentu Donghu’s advantage grew, and he began to overpower Jiang Xuan.

Jiang Jing Sheng raised his head to look at the platform.

"This..." he murmured.

"Is he...?"

"There’s also the move from the seventh style, which is both offensive and defensive. It can be used to defend and attack..."

Jiang Jing Sheng was becoming more anxious as he watched. The longer he watched, the more urgent he became.

Jiang Xuan was still practicing his sword techniques! And judging by the techniques Jiang Xuan had been using, it wasn’t because he was at a disadvantage and slowed down, but rather because he wasn’t yet familiar with the technique, and he was still attempting to master it.

"Doesn’t anyone see this? What’s going on with Shentu Yan and the others? You’ve all sparred with Jiang Hanfeng. You’ve seen these techniques before! Remind Shentu Donghu to fight for his life!" Jiang Jing Sheng thought urgently but dared not speak. Lei Hong had already given him a warning look.

Shentu Donghu, believing he could gain the upper hand against Jiang Xuan, started to press harder.

But in reality, he didn’t have the advantage. It was all an illusion! If he didn’t fight with everything he had, using his ultimate moves, he wouldn’t win!

Otherwise, Jiang Xuan only needed to create some distance and he would be able to effortlessly use the ninth style to kill Shentu Donghu.

Lei Hong could tell Jiang Xuan was still practicing his sword techniques with ease.

Whoosh!

A figure suddenly appeared on the observation platform.

It wasn’t a space shift but a figure moving so fast that it seemed to materialize out of thin air.

"Why are they still fighting? The first round hasn’t finished?" The old man with a goatee frowned as he looked around. He had come from the main city, expecting the life-and-death battle to be over by the time he arrived, so he could discuss matters with Lei Hong, but he didn’t expect the fight to still be going.

"This is the second round. In the first round, Jiang Xuan killed Shentu Lie," Lei Hong answered calmly.

"What?!" The old man gasped in surprise.

Lei Hong explained briefly, and the old man nodded, deeply impressed. "A true swordsmanship genius! Genius! But his realm is still lacking."

"His realm is also second-tier," Lei Hong replied.

"Lei, I need to speak with you alone." The old man with the goatee looked at Lei Hong.

Lei Hong glanced at him and nodded, then stood up. This was an action he hadn’t taken in three years. "Let’s end this fight early. I have something to handle."

"Yes, sir." Jiang Xuan was certain that Lei Hong was speaking to him.

Shentu Donghu also realized... Lei Hong wasn’t talking to him!

"Are you messing with me?" Shentu Donghu shouted angrily.

"You’re the one who’s going to die," Jiang Xuan said coldly.

"Hahaha! If I die, then so be it! Come on! Use your Wind-Chasing style to kill me! After sixteen years, I’ll still be a warrior! Come on!" Shentu Donghu attacked with sudden ferocity, truly fearless.

Jiang Xuan responded with a fierce slash! This strike used eighty percent of his power—four times the power of his previous strikes!

Clang!

Shentu Donghu’s spear was knocked away.

Jiang Xuan quickly reversed his sword and danced it in a flourish, effortlessly sheathing it.

"Wind-Chasing style? You think you’re worthy of it!" Jiang Xuan said indifferently.

Shentu Donghu’s neck immediately started to bleed.