Chapter 132: Chapter 123: Unity

“Yu Jiaxin has decent aptitude, but he’s nowhere near as talented as his grandfather, Yu Guangrong.”

Sensing Chu Lingguang’s worry, Feng Junyi offered some reassurance.

“Lord Feng, if Yan Chengdu were to take the Martial Arts Examination in Jin City, what rank could he achieve with his level of skill?”

Chu Lingguang asked.

“Well…”

For a moment, Feng Junyi was at a loss for words. Was it because he lacked confidence in his judgment, or did he not have a firm grasp on the abilities of Jin City’s candidates?

“Could Yan Chengdu’s Ultimate Killing Saber Technique counter Yu Jiaxin’s shipboard spear technique?”

Chu Lingguang narrowed the scope of his question.

Feng Junyi understood that Chu Lingguang was asking if Yan Chengdu was strong enough to make it into the top ten in Jin City. He thought for a moment before answering seriously, “Yu Jiaxin is not only proficient with his Spear Technique, but he also possesses the Water Unloading Skill. If Yan Chengdu were to face him, I don’t believe he would be a match. Furthermore, Yu Jiaxin’s Qi Power surpasses both yours and Yan Chengdu’s. He lifted four hundred ninety jin in the Qiao Pass. If you want to back out, now is the time.”

Feng Junyi saw Chu Lingguang as pure and eager to learn, and he knew the young man had been dragged into this because of him. He couldn’t bear the thought of Chu Lingguang being defeated by Yu Jiaxin. If that happened, his reputation would be ruined, and he’d be ostracized for the next month of training at the academy.

Chu Lingguang fell silent.

He was reeling from the revelation.

’The lowest-ranked person in Jin City’s top ten has a Qi Power of four hundred ninety jin… In that case, if Yu Jiaxin had taken the Martial Arts Examination in South City, wouldn’t it have been an absolute slaughter?’

’I originally thought Yan Chengdu had left Jin City to take the Martial Arts Examination in South City because he knew he couldn’t take first place there. But now, it seems he avoided Jin City because he wasn’t even confident he could break into the top ten.’

’There’s always a heaven beyond the heavens, and always someone better.’

Chu Lingguang held his master Guo Wei’s teachings to heart and always acted with caution, but he had never imagined the disparity between South City and Jin City was so great. No wonder all of the top ten from Jin City could train at the Qiling Governor’s Mansion Academy, while South City was only allotted three spots for its top three candidates.

’So it wasn’t favoritism from the Noble Families or the Government Office at play. The top ten candidates from Jin City had all truly earned their place.’

Chu Lingguang suddenly realized that this battle was no longer just about vindicating Feng Junyi. It was about fighting for his own honor and for that of every candidate from South City. If he were to lose, he feared the examinees from South City would never be able to hold their heads high in front of their Jin City counterparts again.

’The number-one student losing to someone merely in the top ten… what would there be to be proud of?’

The pressure on Chu Lingguang was immense.

Fortunately, his mastery of the Heart Guarding Skill was profound, so he wouldn’t lose his composure.

“Lord Feng, please rest assured. Even if the man I had to face were the top student from Jin City, I would not go back on my word. I believe that if my master were here, he would want me to rise to the challenge, not act like a coward.”

Chu Lingguang declared, his voice firm and resolute.

This match wasn’t a life-or-death struggle. A Martial Artist needed to practice Guarding the Heart, but they also needed a heart without fear. Chu Lingguang hadn’t understood this in the past, but as his power grew and he absorbed Guo Wei’s teachings, he gradually became aware of his own weaknesses.

“Good! If you lose, I will take full responsibility for all the criticism,”

Feng Junyi exclaimed, his voice filled with emotion.

“If you’re ostracized at the academy, I, Lin Longde, will stand by your side.”

Lin Longde added.

He, too, realized that this confrontation between Chu Lingguang and Yu Jiaxin was tied to the honor of the candidates from South City. If Chu Lingguang won, the Jin City students would likely be dismissive; there was nothing to brag about when a top-ranked student beat someone from the top ten. But if he lost, the South City students would be completely disgraced.

In this battle, Chu Lingguang was defending the last shred of honor for the South City candidates.

“Alright.”

Chu Lingguang nodded. He and Lin Longde had been covertly competing against each other the whole time, but now, they were finally on the same side.

At once, Feng Junyi explained all the finer points of the Yu Family’s shipboard spear technique and Water Unloading Skill. Chu Lingguang committed every word to memory, but it was hard to say how much he truly understood.

“Take this Qi Blood Pill.”

Feng Junyi then took out a lustrous, round Qi Blood Pill of astonishing potency and secretly handed it to Chu Lingguang.

“If I win, Lord Feng, you can award me this Qi Blood Pill then,”

Chu Lingguang said with a smile.

He made no move to take it.

The Jin City candidates were watching like hawks. If he took the Qi Blood Pill, even if he managed to beat Yu Jiaxin, others would say it was an unfair victory.

It would tarnish Guo Wei’s great name and bring dishonor to the students from South City.

“Very well.”

Feng Junyi put the Qi Blood Pill away, ashamed. He was known for being fair and upright, but in truth, when his own reputation was at stake, he couldn’t resist trying to gain an unfair advantage.

「A short while later.」

Chu Lingguang and Yu Jiaxin stood in a spacious courtyard within the Government Office.

“Please!”

The two men saluted each other with clasped fists.

Yu Jiaxin attacked first.

He executed a move, Flying Flower and Leaf Picking, aiming for Chu Lingguang’s shoulder, nose, and throat. Chu Lingguang parried with his spear. The explosive, all-out battle that he had expected—one that would turn white-hot and end in an instant—never materialized.

Instead, both fighters began by testing each other’s defenses.

The Yu Family was powerful and had Fan Zhibian’s support, so Chu Lingguang didn’t dare to advance rashly.

And while Chu Lingguang might have been a Lower-class Youth, he was still the top student from South City and the one who had defeated Yan Chengdu. Yu Jiaxin might have been scornful in his words, but he didn’t dare to actually underestimate Chu Lingguang.

BOOM!

Both of their Spear Techniques had reached the Form Realm.

The movements of their Spear Techniques stirred the air like rolling thunder. When the long spears collided, two evenly matched forces exploded from within the weapons.

Chu Lingguang was the first to act, employing the first level of Skillful Force: Spring and Vibrate.

With both his Basic Spear Skill and Skillful Force at the Perfection realm, Chu Lingguang held an advantage in this area. His long spear knocked Yu Jiaxin’s weapon back. But just as he moved to press his advantage, Yu Jiaxin executed a Turn Back and Look at the Moon, unleashing the second level of Skillful Force: Entangle and Enter.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep