Chapter 15: The Duel (Part One)

Amid the crowd, thousands of men clapped their hands and cheered loudly.

Bai Ling was speechless.

Ji Jiu’er slowly opened her beautiful eyes and softly said, “Very well.”

Then, Ji Jiu’er’s expression turned surprised, then blank as she spoke deliberately, word by word. “I never expected you to truly awaken your bloodline. It seems, by some twist of fate, I have awakened the power within your heart…”

“Heh, so what if you joined the Sacred Yuan Immortal Palace? Today, you will suffer a crushing defeat!” Bai Ling’s eyes were cold as blades.

After a brief silence, Bai Ling suddenly hurled the twin mandarin duck fragrant sachet in his hand toward Ji Jiu’er.

Ji Jiu’er’s gaze sharpened as she swept her right arm through the air.

Boom!

The fragrant sachet surged upward three meters on a wave of primordial energy before exploding into fragments with a loud bang, scattering like fireworks as the fragrant aroma drifted down.

The scent wafted into both their noses, causing each to furrow their brows.

Suddenly, a terrifying aura of primordial energy erupted from Ji Jiu’er, only to dissipate in an instant. A flash of discomfort crossed her face but vanished moments later.

Bai Ling stared at Ji Jiu’er before him, now radiating the same realm as himself: First Level of the Initial Yuan Realm!

A faint smile appeared on Bai Ling’s face.

The crowd erupted in uproar.

“What! Ji Jiu’er has lowered her cultivation to match Bai Ling’s realm for this battle!”

“Are you kidding? She’s a disciple of the Sacred Yuan Immortal Palace. If she fought Bai Ling at the peak Tenth Level of the Spirit Yuan Realm against this mere First Level Initial Yuan Realm novice, what dignity would the Sacred Yuan Immortal Palace have left?”

“Even if Ji Jiu’er is at the same level, I don’t think she stands a chance. Her combat experience and cultivation methods far surpass Bai Ling’s!”

“Truly inviting suffering. Even if Bai Ling cultivates diligently for another thirty years, he might still not defeat Ji Jiu’er…”

...

Bai Ling moved.

Clenching his fists tightly, the humiliation from three days ago blazed within him like a roaring flame.

At this moment, he had but one goal: to defeat the woman before him, his former fiancée, Ji Jiu’er.

“Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west?”

“Today, I will prove to you with facts that you need not wait three years, thirty years, or even a hundred years. I—Bai Ling—need only three days!!!” he roared as he sprinted forward, his expression resolute, brimming with an indescribable confidence.

Striding forward, he leapt and swung his right fist, carrying the weight of three days’ humiliation straight toward Ji Jiu’er.

Whoosh!

Boom!

Within a single breath, Bai Ling closed the ten-meter gap and unleashed a punch within a meter of Ji Jiu’er.

Surprise flickered across Ji Jiu’er’s eyes as she waved both arms, deflecting Bai Ling’s right fist to the left and sharply increasing the distance.

“Ah… impossible!!!”

“What incredible explosive power!”

“Hiss… that speed is hardly something a First Level Initial Yuan Realm cultivator could achieve.”

The assembled crowd erupted with countless exclamations, astonished by this sudden burst of speed.

The Initial Yuan Realm marks the beginning of Yuan cultivation, and the First Level is the lowest rung in this world.

One who has just awakened their bloodline senses the primordial energy in heaven and earth, retaining it within their body. Within lie ten primal gates, corresponding to ten sub-levels. The First Level Initial Yuan Realm is only marginally stronger than an ordinary person; their physique and soul remain largely unchanged.

Yet Bai Ling’s explosive power stunned everyone, leaving them puzzled. Having awakened his bloodline merely three days ago, his performance far exceeded what one would expect from a novice at this stage.

Only Bai Zhentian and Xuan Ningyue knew that this young man, who had just awakened, had been carrying several hundred pounds of heavy sacks back and forth nearly a hundred times up the mountains behind Liuyue City in these three days!

A broader smile spread across Bai Ling’s face. Without the heavy load, he felt light as air, and the speed of his burst made him feel almost euphoric.

He swung his arm again and looked at Ji Jiu’er several meters away, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Ji Jiu’er, unleash your full strength. Don’t disappoint me.”

Immediately, Ji Jiu’er’s eyes grew icy cold, her fists clenched tightly as a wave of primordial energy surged from her like a tidal force.

With a cold snort, Ji Jiu’er launched the first attack, appearing before Bai Ling in an instant and striking his chest with a palm.

At this moment, Ji Jiu’er’s sudden burst of speed drew gasps from the crowd. Even having lowered her cultivation, among the cultivators of Liuyue City, few young men who had just awakened their bloodline could match the speed of these two combatants.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The two began a fierce close-quarters battle, each collision eliciting exclamations from onlookers. Their fists and palms struck with thunderous force, shaking the air.

Every heavy blow from Bai Ling was effortlessly parried by Ji Jiu’er, and the speed she displayed stunned him. Bai Ling had achieved his explosive power only after three days of grueling weighted training, yet Ji Jiu’er’s speed and endurance at the First Level Initial Yuan Realm matched his exactly.

At the same time, Ji Jiu’er was equally shocked. Bai Ling, newly awakened, fought like a wild beast from ancient times, with speed and power comparable to a Third Level Initial Yuan Realm cultivator.

After half an hour of combat,

During their final exchange, the two suddenly separated by twenty meters.

Bai Ling looked at Ji Jiu’er coldly. “Warm-up’s over.”

With that, Bai Ling vanished like a bolt of lightning, reappearing within a meter of Ji Jiu’er.

A flicker of shock crossed Ji Jiu’er’s eyes as a cold smile curled on Bai Ling’s lips.

He gathered his strength into his arm and unleashed a fierce strike!

“Ahhhh… such… terrifying speed! What cultivation technique is that?” The crowd leaned forward dumbfounded, mouths agape, emitting low, frightened roars.

“I fear that I have no chance at all against Bai Ling right now!” a Fifth Level Initial Yuan Realm cultivator exclaimed in terror.

Bai Ling once again shattered everyone’s expectations. Not only did he possess incredible speed and endurance that left newly minted Initial Yuan Realm cultivators envious, but the lightning-fast speed he just displayed could only be explained by some special cultivation technique.

“Is this really someone who just awakened their bloodline?” the crowd murmured.

Ji Kun’s wine jug clattered to the ground as he stared blankly at Bai Ling, who now seemed almost demonic. This Bai Ling far exceeded his understanding. Shocked, he turned to Bai Zhentian, eyes wide. “Hiss… did you teach him?”

Bai Zhentian shook his head, glanced oddly at Xuan Ningyue, then turned back with a wry smile. “He taught himself. I haven’t had the chance to teach him yet.”

Ji Kun was left speechless.