Chapter 960: Brotherhood
Fang Yuan’s spear technique was the only reason he was able to challenge the higher-ranked young lords. His power and lethality were greatly reduced once this was out of the equation and the rhythm of his attacks disrupted. No longer able to attack, he resigned himself to fate and went on the complete defensive.
Jiang Chen wasn’t in a hurry to use his ultimate moves, as he didn’t have a bad impression of his opponent. It was impossible for Fang Yuan to withstand the Torrent of Ten Thousand Swords now that Jiang Chen was at the eighth level sage realm. The Divine Five Thunderclap Sword Technique contained much profound meaning and encompassed exquisite sword techniques. However, he didn’t have the time to polish these techniques due to the tightly-packed schedule of the tournament. He felt Fang Yuan could be used as validation of his mastery over the technique.
How would Fang Yuan ever have imagined that he’d become Jiang Chen’s sword-testing dummy? An hour later, he was finally brought to his knees. The results had already been set in stone when Fang Yuan’s spear was countered. However, his loss had still caused some commotion within the crowds. After all, he hadn’t even been able to put up the slightest fight.
The crowd was also incredibly awestruck by the profoundness of the techniques used within the battle. This was a different kind of battle. There was no use of heaven-defying equipment or trump cards. It was purely a clash of martial methods and martial dao. Clashes like these were the most entertaining and sophisticated of battles.
The audience much preferred exciting battles like these over displays of trump cards. Trump cards and heaven-defying equipment didn't necessarily correlate to a cultivator's cultivation, nor did it reflect a cultivator's true talent and skills. It was only a reflection of the strength and power of the cultivator’s patron. Not only was a pure clash of martial dao the most rewarding, but it also provided them with inspiration for their own cultivation. This was the reason why the crowd hadn't jeered at Fang Yuan after his loss. In fact, they even gave him a huge round of applause. He had lost this battle honorably without losing his temper or resorting to underhanded tricks. Jiang Chen naturally received an even larger round of applause. He too had defeated his opponent honorably and used no underhanded tricks.
Geniuses were greatly revered in the world of martial dao for their talent and finesse. They weren't revered for their heritage, and definitely not for the power behind their backs. Jiang Chen hadn't just won over the crowd; he'd won over their respect and adoration. The entire Veluriyam Capital, including those who had criticized him in the past, now admitted that he was definitely a worthy successor to Sacred Peafowl Mountain. The rumors began to seem substantial after this battle.
Jiang Chen's victory meant that this was the end of Fang Yuan’s climb in the ranking. His placement at the 26th rank in the Ranking of Young Lords was now set in stone. The ranking battles continued. Jiang Chen didn’t have to entertain another challenger today. Every young lord was only allowed to be challenged once per day. This was done to protect them from being endlessly challenged by multiple opponents. None of the subsequent challengers were able to create another miracle.
This situation continued all the way until the 23rd ranked young lord. He picked Ji San, who was the 21st ranked young lord, as his opponent. Ji San seemed to have expected this as well. He entered the arena with the fires of battle burning inside of him. There was no doubt that he possessed incredible talent since he was able to defeat Gu Zhenshan.
Jiang Chen could also tell that the clan lord had also given his brother some special training during the short period of rest. He was immediately impressed by the might of Ji San’s attack as soon as the battle had started. Brother Ji’s battle potential is extremely startling. His chances of winning are definitely higher now that the clan lord has given him some pointers. With his potential, I’m optimistic that he can obtain a position within the top half of the rankings. Jiang Chen’s deep familiarity with martial dao allowed him to conclude after less than ten rounds of exchanges that Ji San had a sixty percent chance of winning.
The odds were quite reasonable. After all, the Coiling Dragon clan lord had set his sights on becoming the eighth great emperor faction in Veluriyam Capital. A powerful successor was needed for this goal. Liuxiang had proven to be less than useful during crucial moments, while Ji Zhongtang was too young to bear such heavy responsibilities. Ji San was his best choice for a successor.
It was only natural that Ji San would improve greatly now that the all-powerful clan lord had decided to focus all his efforts into guiding him. He was no longer the same person that he’d been two years ago. Jiang Chen thought quite highly of his battle methods as he watched further. There was no hesitation at all in the young master’s attacks. His fighting style was a little harder to fathom. The stronger his opponent, the more powerful he became. There were times where his strength would even exceed his innate talent!
This was only bolstered by his brazen, yet meticulous nature. His attacks would often seem impulsive, but he always seemed to plan for every contingency. Most importantly, his dao heart was extremely firm and resolute. Ji San’s opponent was also very strong, but he wasn’t as confident in himself.
None of the young lords were easy to deal with. Ji San’s biggest disadvantage right now was the fact that he was not as experienced in fighting young lord ranked geniuses. Even though he was genuinely stronger than his opponent, the lack of experience had caused him to miss many opportunities that would have otherwise won him the fight. Thus, it became a drawn out battle with a great deal of back-and-forth exchanges.
Ji San wasn’t afraid of prolonged battles. The reason the Coiling Dragon Clan could become the foremost clan in Veluriyam Capital was due to the special lineage they possessed. Their lineage allowed every clan descendent to maintain their strength and power during lengthy engagements. In the end, Ji San managed to squeeze out a win after a long and arduous battle.
The sky had darkened by the time they were finished. The battles were done for the day. Jiang Chen immediately visited Ji San to praise his brother for what he’d done right, and to give advice on his errors. Ji San gained much from the conversation, and his martial dao knowledge reached new heights. His high comprehension won Jiang Chen’s praise and surprise. They’d had many conversations with each other as sworn brothers, but they hadn’t conversed much about martial dao.
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Jiang Chen had only just realized that Ji San’s talent and comprehension of martial dao was actually no less than that of the young lords. He was surprised, but not as much as Ji San was. Ji San had seen many of Jiang Chen’s battles and therefore knew about his monstrous talent in martial dao. However, his knowledge and foundation in martial dao surprised the young master even more so.
“Brother, how were you taught by your master? Why does it seem like you are no less knowledgeable than my clan lord in martial dao?” Ji San couldn’t be blamed for being so surprised. Jiang Chen had inadvertently revealed his monstrous knowledge and observation skills when giving advice.
Jiang Chen smiled but said nothing else. He handed a small bottle over to his brother. “Brother Ji, I will give this to you on the grounds that we’re brothers. It’s very important that you don’t tell anyone.”
“What is it?” Ji San seemed a little startled.
“The blood of a true dragon.”
“What? Blood from a true dragon? You’re joking!” Ji San thought that he’d heard misheard him.
Jiang Chen took back the bottle and smiled wryly. “You don’t want it? Never mind then.”
Ji San quickly grabbed his arm. “S-stop fooling around! Is it… really true dragon blood?”
“Your Coiling Dragon Clan possesses a dragon lineage. However, the bloodline is no longer as pure as it used to be due to the passage of time.”
“That’s our clan’s secret! How did you know?” Ji San was astonished.
“Is your Coiling Dragon Clan’s bloodline a secret?”
Ji San laughed. “The outside world has always had their conjectures, but we’ve always denied them. The truth is, we really are a dragon clan lineage. However, as you’ve said, our bloodline is no longer pure due to the passage of time."
“The thing inside this bottle should be of use.” Jiang Chen nodded.
“The blood of a true dragon?!” Ji San stared at the bottle with his eyes wide open. He was still arrested by disbelief.
The blood of a true dragon! Such rumors had once circulated in the Upper Eight Regions, but nobody had truly heard about it for the past few thousand years. How could a young person like Jiang Chen possess true dragon blood? Did his teacher give it to him?
“The true dragon blood can cleanse and increase the strength of your bloodline. You will also be able to summon the heritage of a true dragon. If you manage to awaken these powers, you will definitely surpass every genius in Veluriyam Capital one day. This is absolutely no exaggeration,” Jiang Chen said confidently.