At the international spell conference, besides discussing some cooperation matters and exchanging magical tools and materials, there was also the most crucial part: the spell competition.
Masters of spells were not beings who stood above worldly affairs. They also fought for power and profit, competed for superiority, and cared about fame and rankings. Naturally, there were frictions.
Because the Dragon Group did not rank the spell world, it could even be said that spellcasters were even more combative than martial artists.
“On such-and-such a day, at such-and-such a place, I beat so-and-so to the ground! He was totally useless in battle! Hahaha!”
Whoever defeated another master of spells would definitely hold a grand banquet and show off wildly, making sure everyone knew about it.
Especially on an occasion like this, issuing a challenge to an opponent and defeating them in front of everyone would undoubtedly establish one’s status and position. It was also a glorious and satisfying thing.
Xu Mozhai was a master of the talisman school and had always been unconvinced by Zhou Xingchen of Singapore, who was also skilled in the same field.
So he had just issued a challenge to Zhou Xingchen. Unexpectedly, he was defeated in just a few moves.
But he could tell that during the duel, Zhou Xingchen had not only used traditional Daoist talismans, but also some witchcraft methods, which made his defeat extremely frustrating.
“Grandfather, wasn’t the Chinese Association always cooperating with dark arts masters?” the little Daoist nun in the apricot-yellow Daoist robe asked in confusion.
“There were indeed some Southeast Asian dark arts masters who joined the Chinese Association before, such as Oyela and others, but they weren’t first-rate masters!”
Xu Mozhai looked at the several tall figures below the high platform and smiled bitterly. “But this time, the Blood Witch Sect, Fire Witch Sect, and Snake Witch Sect—all major witchcraft sects—have joined. It’s said that the massive Black Witch Sect behind them might also be allying with Wang Chongyan!”
A trace of deep fear flashed through his eyes. He sighed and said, “Most of these major sects come from Myanmar, Thailand, and other places. There are many spell masters among them who have reached the Tongxuan level!”
“With so many powerful figures brought in, isn’t Wang Chongyan afraid they’ll turn the tables and take over?” the little Daoist nun asked with a frown.
“Wang Chongyan is no fool. Naturally, he has ways to keep them in check. Besides, over the years he has associated with Southeast Asian dark arts masters, sparring and verifying techniques with them. He cultivates both spells and martial arts. His martial arts have reached the peak of Huajing, and his spells have reached the late Tongxuan stage. He is a terrifying existence comparable to a half-step Divine Realm expert!”
Xu Mozhai sighed and lowered his voice. “The battle at Mount Everest probably dealt a heavy blow to the Chinese Association. He’s very anxious too. This time he’s gone all in. These dark arts masters have all joined as honored guests!”
Just as everyone was chatting and laughing, suddenly, with a loud boom, a earth-shaking crash came from the mountain gate.
A voice surging like an angry tide came crashing over: “Wang Chongyan, roll out here and die!”
For a moment, the whole hall was shocked. Everyone’s faces were astonished, and they all turned to look outside the gate.
“Insolent! Who dares trespass into the headquarters of our Singapore Chinese Association! Do they want to die!”
Wang Chongyan’s expression changed drastically. He slammed his hand on the armrest of his chair and rose to his feet. With that one slam, the stone chair collapsed instantly, and the armrest shattered.
“This guy must have a death wish! How dare he show disrespect to President Wang!”
Many Southeast Asian dark arts masters also rose to their feet, each one radiating killing intent, ready to give this ignorant brat who spouted nonsense a bloody lesson.
…
“A Huaxia person? From the accent, he sounds like he’s from the mainland!”
“One sword strike broke the mountain gate. Could he be a martial arts expert from Huaxia?”
At the entrance to the headquarters, the guards saw Jiang Tian break the mountain gate with a single sword and were terrified out of their wits, unable to believe it.
“No matter who he is, anyone who dares offend the headquarters of our Singapore Chinese Association must die!”
The next moment, the guards flew into a rage. After all, they were all masters of spells and martial arts, brave and ruthless people, extremely proud. If they were scared off by a single opponent, that would be too humiliating.
“Brat, you dare break the mountain gate of our Blue Shirt Society? Go to hell!”
The guard captain even shouted angrily and took the lead, charging at Jiang Tian.
He leaped down like a cheetah, holding a ghost-head saber. With one slash, sharp and brilliant blade lights connected into a single sheet, layer upon layer. It could cut even a car in half.
“Hmm! Wang Chongyan’s disciple Song Yuanjian. His martial arts have already reached the level of Great Achievement in internal energy. In mainland Huaxia, he could be called a martial arts master!”
Around them, some onlookers smiled proudly, their eyes certain, as if Jiang Tian was already dead beyond any doubt.
“No!” Only Guo Lili shook her head with a regretful expression, her mouth open but unable to speak. She had wanted to stop him but it was too late.
Wang Zhibo cultivated both spells and martial arts. His martial arts had reached Minor Achievement in Huajing, and he could be called a minor grandmaster. Yet even he was no match for Jiang Tian. This man coming forward was just seeking death.
Chi!
Jiang Tian slashed through the air with his sword. The black sword light swept across like a blade cutting through water, directly shattering the ghost-head saber that could split a hair blown against its edge, and cut the utterly shocked Song Yuanjian in two at the waist.
“Ahhh!!”
Blood surged. Song Yuanjian’s body fell to the ground, and blood splattered all over the people around him.
But he did not die immediately. He let out a heart-rending scream that made one’s hair stand on end.
“This…” For a moment, everyone was stunned, unable to believe it.
This was Wang Chongyan’s personal disciple, a martial arts master! Yet he couldn’t even withstand one sword strike from the opponent.
“Could he really be a Huajing grandmaster? But how is that possible? Huajing grandmasters are as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns in Huaxia. Looking across all of Huaxia, there are only a few dozen!”
Someone still shook their head in disbelief.
“Kill him!”
“How can the Singapore Chinese Association be insulted so lightly? Everyone, attack together! Chop him up and feed him to the dogs!”
“Yes! Kill him!”
But more guards leaped high and low, swarming forward, attacking Jiang Tian one after another.
Most of these people had internal energy cultivation and had received Wang Chongyan’s guidance. There were more than twenty of them. Even if Jiang Tian was a true Huajing grandmaster, with their superior numbers, they were not afraid at all.
More importantly, Wang Chongyan was extremely strict with his subordinates. Those who showed cowardice in battle would definitely receive severe punishment, even direct execution. How would they dare retreat?
Wang Chongyan had made his name at home and abroad during the Republic of China era, debuting even earlier than Lin Zhenyu. He was an old-school grandmaster of the same generation as Ye Zhantian’s father, Ye Tianren. He cultivated both spells and martial arts, mastered all methods, and absorbed everything.
His disciples each had their own specialties.
Some with powerful physiques chose close-quarters combat. Some with vigorous qi sent internal energy through the air, killing from a distance. There were hidden weapon experts whose flying darts and sleeve arrows shot out from long range. There were also sword and blade experts attacking with their weapons…
More than twenty people attacked together, all of them masters above the internal energy level, and even several at Minor Achievement in Huajing. This wave of attacks was overwhelming, with endless might. Even powerful figures like Huo Qingtian and Lin Zhenyu would have to treat it cautiously and carefully.
“Heh heh, let me show you the power of a flying sword!”
Jiang Tian smiled calmly, and his flying sword shot out with a whoosh.
A dense round of screams suddenly rang out, sharp and shrill like ghosts wailing and wolves howling.
The flying sword turned into a streak of dark light, refracting along curves, incredibly agile, as if it had a spirit of its own. Some guards had their chests pierced through, some were directly decapitated, and some were even cut in half at the waist, their intestines spilling all over the ground, dying instantly.
In just one breath, Jiang Tian easily killed twenty-four guards in a row. Not a single one escaped!
“Who are you? How dare you kill disciples of our Singapore Chinese Association! Have you grown tired of living?”
At this moment, a guardian elder shot out from the great hall and stood atop a tall rockery, looking down at Jiang Tian.
“Guardian Elder Fang Jian has come out!”
“Elder Fang is at Great Achievement in Huajing! Ten years ago, while on a mission in Lingnan, Huaxia, he encountered Mo Haoxiong and defeated him with a single palm strike!”
“Yes! Since then, Mo Haoxiong went into seclusion and never dared call himself a Huajing master again! So many martial arts figures even thought there were no grandmasters in Lingnan!”
Seeing the guardian elder come out, many members of the Singapore Chinese Association felt as if they had gained great support. Their hearts settled considerably, and their eyes were expectant and excited, as if Jiang Tian was certain to lose this time.
“With your level, you don’t deserve to know my name. Tell Wang Chongyan to come out and face death!”
Jiang Tian’s eyes were indifferent. Holding the blood-dripping sword pointed downward, he advanced toward the great hall, still saying the same thing.
“So it’s you!”
At this moment, Wang Chongyan’s eldest disciple Fantian also came out. Seeing it was Jiang Tian, he was terrified out of his wits and involuntarily cried out.
“Brat, you’re too arrogant! Even Wei Feilong wouldn’t dare speak to me like this!”
Before Fantian could say anything, the furious Elder Fang Jian had already struck!
Swish! He pulled a soft whip from his waist and lashed it toward Jiang Tian with a howl.
This whip unfurled like an iron curtain, cold light flashing, pressing across the void, bringing with it a terrifying whistling sound. Where the whip curtain passed, fierce winds rose, sand and stones flew, and boulders the size of basketballs rolled along the ground and scattered in all directions.
“Oh? This whip is not bad. It just so happens that Old Ghost’s White Ape Bone Whip broke. I’ll take it and give it to him!”
Jiang Tian’s eyes lit up with delight. His large hand reached out and grabbed the tip of the whip, while at the same time his flying sword shot through the air.
Fang Jian was at Great Achievement in Huajing. This whip was infused with exceptionally powerful true qi. Not to mention having it grabbed in the middle of battle, even when motionless, an internal energy master might be killed just by touching it.
But Jiang Tian had actually grabbed it. Fang Jian was terrified out of his wits.
Before he could even try to snatch it back, his vision went dark, and a streak of dark light pierced through, already at his chest.
This dark light was too fast, like black lightning. He hadn’t even clearly seen what it was!
“Ah!”
Fang Jian let out a fierce shout and executed a crisp iron bridge, bending his body backward from the knees, leaning back to the limit, his head almost touching the ground.
He thought he had been fast enough and had surely dodged this black light.
But suddenly he felt a chill and then heat in his chest. A feeling of weakness enveloped his whole body. He looked down and found his chest had already been pierced through by a black sword, blood pouring out like a fountain.
“How is this possible?”
Fang Jian muttered in a daze, simply unable to believe it.
With a chi sound, Jiang Tian beckoned, and the little black flying sword brought out a spray of blood as it flew back into his hand.
Elder Fang Jian fell to the ground, dead.
In the Singapore Chinese Association, Fang Jian could be considered a giant, on par with Oyela. Yet he was killed by Jiang Tian with a single sword.
“Who is this man? How is he so powerful…”
With Fang Jian dead, none of the hall masters, elders, guards, and experts of the Singapore Chinese Association who rushed out dared to step forward anymore.
Most of them were below the Huajing level. Even Fang Jian had been killed. Going up would be throwing their lives away for nothing.
But even now, they couldn’t figure out Jiang Tian’s identity, nor understand why the Singapore Chinese Association had provoked this god of death.
