Chapter 129: The Touchstone (Requesting Monthly Votes)

"Huh?"

Jia Wen, having just stepped off the bluestone arena, looked with a puzzled expression at the War God realm powerhouse standing in the void. Under normal circumstances, the War God Palace did not arrange for students to fight consecutively. After all, the first stage of the Azure Dragon Ranking tournament lasted a full month, and each participant only needed to face one hundred opponents—roughly three or four a day—leaving plenty of time.

Consecutive battles were rare, but since the War God realm powerhouse serving as the referee had already announced the lineup, Jia Wen had no choice but to step back onto the bluestone arena despite his confusion.

"My turn?"

Below the arena, upon hearing his name called, Ke Bei was slightly stunned. He patted Luo Ling’s arm, signaling her to let go for a moment.

"What a coincidence."

"Don't worry, Ling'er, I'll defeat him for you."

Seeing the faint look of concern on her small face, Ke Bei smiled and ruffled her hair before calmly and steadily walking toward the arena.

"Big brother, do you think Ke Bei can win?"

Watching Ke Bei walk onto the platform, Luo Ling gripped her hem tightly and asked Luo Han in a nervous whisper.

Jia Wen was, after all, the fourth-ranked powerhouse on the Azure Dragon Ranking. Although Luo Ling had great confidence in Ke Bei's strength, now that the battle was actually happening, she couldn't help but feel a flicker of anxiety.

"I don't know."

Luo Han was a simple, honest man who struggled to lie. Being able to say "I don't know" was already a significant effort for him, as deep down, he believed it was impossible for Ke Bei to win.

How long had Ke Bei been at the Jiujiang Talent Training Camp? Barely four months. Luo Han felt that no matter how gifted Ke Bei was, he could not possibly have the strength to rival Jia Wen, the fourth-ranked student, in such a short time.

Back then, Ke Bei had nearly been killed by Hei Qin, who was only ranked twenty-ninth. Jia Wen’s strength was more than ten times greater than Hei Qin’s!

Unless Ke Bei’s strength had increased a hundredfold in four months—which was impossible—he had no chance of victory. Luo Han had never seen anyone progress that quickly, and he was certain he never would.

At the summit of Mist Gold Mountain, on a protruding slab of bluestone, the Blood Wind War God, dressed in blood-red armor, sat cross-legged, staring emotionlessly down at the arena.

"Blood Wind, this touchstone of yours seems a bit heavy," a thin old man said. He hovered in the void, his green robes fluttering in the wind. He floated silently before the Blood Wind War God, his gaze piercing through layers of mist to watch the two on the arena with a calm expression.

"Old Qing, how many levels of your 'Clear Wind Sword' has that little guy mastered?" the Blood Wind War God asked, his voice low and raspy, his eyes still fixed on the arena.

"About three levels," the thin old man in green replied with a faint smile.

"Hmm. If he can master three levels of the 'Clear Wind Sword,' this touchstone should be sufficient. Unless that kid Ke Bei has the cultivation of an invincible Mortal Transcendence realm warrior, it will be hard for him to defeat that boy, Jia Wen." The Blood Wind War God nodded slowly.

"Hahaha, Blood Wind, you doubt the Palace Master's words?" The thin old man laughed heartily.

"It’s not doubt; I just want to see how strong that little guy Ke Bei really is. The Gu Tang base has five little monsters at the invincible Mortal Transcendence level. Unless Ke Bei can defeat two of them single-handedly, it’s unlikely our Jiujiang base will win this time."

"Let's see. Since the Palace Master said there is hope, then there must be hope!" The old man smiled and turned his gaze back to the arena.

...

On the bluestone arena, Jia Wen and Ke Bei stood ten meters apart.

"Brother, do you remember me?" Jia Wen asked with a smile, recalling Ke Bei’s naive demeanor from their first meeting.

"You?" Ke Bei paused. The man looked familiar, but he couldn't immediately place where he had seen him.

"Forgotten? Back at the green stone stairs leading to the War God Palace, my sister explained the low-level God race strongholds to you," Jia Wen reminded him.

"Oh, it's you!" Ke Bei realized, his expression clearing.

"Heh, you're impressive, brother. Your girlfriend is very beautiful," Jia Wen said with a smile, giving a thumbs up.

"Cough, cough." Seeing the mischievous grin on the young man’s face, Ke Bei felt embarrassed and cleared his throat to hide it.

"Are you confident you can beat me? Your girlfriend seems very sure of you," Jia Wen said, a playful smile tugging at his lips.

"Of course!" Ke Bei replied with calm, firm conviction.

"Hahaha, then let's begin. I can't wait!" Jia Wen laughed, his long black hair fluttering. He understood Ke Bei; after all, every man wanted to show his strength in front of his partner.

"Make your move!" Ke Bei frowned, deep in thought. He was considering how best to defeat Jia Wen. He felt a sense of camaraderie toward this boy, who seemed around his own age, and didn't want to hurt him.

After a moment, Ke Bei decided to rely solely on physical strength. The force of his *Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms* was too immense, and the sword qi of his *Six Meridian Divine Sword* was too sharp; he feared he might accidentally injure the boy.

"Haha, don't worry, brother. I'll make sure to save you some face," Jia Wen said, interpreting Ke Bei’s thoughtful look as nervousness. He winked and spoke softly.

"Eh?" Ke Bei was stunned. He realized Jia Wen had misunderstood, but he couldn't be bothered to explain.

"You use a sword, so I'll use my fists," Ke Bei said, clenching his hand.

"Good! Come on!" Jia Wen smiled, and a green wind began to swirl around him. His innate ability was wind-attribute!

"Here I come!" Ke Bei warned. With a light step, his raw physical strength exploded. He didn't use the *Lingbo Micro-steps*; it was just a casual step. But his power was so vast that even this simple movement propelled him to over six times the speed of sound, reaching Jia Wen in an instant.

*Bang!*

Ke Bei was too fast. Before Jia Wen could react, a deafening sonic boom echoed, and Ke Bei’s fist struck his abdomen.

"Damn! You were playing the pig to eat the tiger!" Feeling the surging power in his stomach, Jia Wen’s expression shifted. A deep green wind-force erupted, and he pushed off the ground, retreating dozens of meters to dissipate the massive force behind the punch. He wiped cold sweat from his forehead, his expression turning grave.

"Heh, I wasn't playing the pig. You were just too careless," Ke Bei said with a slight smile. He didn't pursue, deciding to return the favor since the boy had intended to be merciful.

"Heh, my mistake." A breeze ruffled Jia Wen's black hair. He smiled, his eyes narrowing as he raised his ancient sword.

Ke Bei’s strength far exceeded his expectations. He knew Ke Bei had held back, and if he didn't go all out, he might truly lose!

Deep green energy poured from Jia Wen’s body, and with a crisp sound, his faintly glowing ancient sword was unsheathed.

"'Clear Wind Sword': Wind Sweeps the Clouds!" Jia Wen’s expression was solemn as he traced mysterious patterns with his blade.

"Wind Arise!"

Following his shout, the green wind energy around him surged tenfold. Sharp, howling vortices appeared around the sword, slicing through the air.

"Clouds Scatter!"

Jia Wen shouted again, pointing his sword to the sky. The vortices intensified.

"Sword Descends!"

As he uttered the final word, he swung his sword downward.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

The green vortices shattered the surrounding air. The energy merged into the sword, turning the blade a dark, ominous green. The wind suddenly stopped, as if the sword had absorbed it all.

For a moment, the world went silent, save for that simple-looking, dark green sword descending toward Ke Bei’s chest.

"Not a bad sword," Ke Bei remarked with a smile. It was merely "not bad" to him. Having mastered the full *Diamond Indestructible Body*, even if this sword hit him, it wouldn't leave a scratch.

However, as the sword fell, Ke Bei extended a finger. His silver combat suit wouldn't withstand the blow, so to protect his gear, he had to act.

*Boom!*

Ke Bei’s finger, glowing with a faint golden light, tapped the dark green sword. A thunderous sound rang out. The sword, just three inches from his chest, shuddered, and a surge of solidified dark energy erupted. It wobbled before striking again.

"Oh?" Ke Bei murmured. The power of the sword exceeded his expectations. He flicked his finger again, shooting an invisible sword-qi. With a crisp *clack*, the energy collided with the blade, sending it tumbling to the bluestone arena like a toy struck by a giant hammer.