"Junior Brother?"
A tall, handsome, and aloof man curiously asked Han Ming, "Is something making you happy?"
"Senior Brother Mu," Han Ming smiled and said, "It's nothing big. I just went to find Brother Jiang, and he agreed to spar with me."
"Oh?" Mu Qi showed some interest, saying, "I remember Junior Brother Jiang. He's quite reserved and only knows about managing the Spirit Herb Garden. Does he not know you've advanced to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment?"
"He should know," Han Ming pondered for a moment before speaking. "I haven't hidden my cultivation level, and he seemed to have realized it as well."
"Then you should be careful," Mu Qi kindly reminded him, "He's likely just returned from the demon cave, full of chances for encounters. There's a possibility he encountered something significant. Otherwise, he wouldn't necessarily agree to spar with you. Of course, it might merely be a reluctant acceptance. But it's always good to be cautious."
After saying this, Mu Qi turned and left.
Han Ming furrowed his brow, thinking that even with fortuitous encounters, his opponent couldn't possibly defeat him while in the middle stage of Foundation Establishment. Nonetheless, being careful was still necessary.
As fellow disciples of similar age and cultivation, underestimating one another could result in endless regrets.
Yet, he remained confident he could win effortlessly.
——
The next day.
[Blood Qi +1]
[Cultivation Level +1]
[Cultivation Level +1]
[Strength +1]
Jiang Hao collected the bubbles in the courtyard and waited at the door.
He was expecting Han Ming to arrive.
Yesterday, he'd gone to sell talismans, but sadly, there were too many goods and he couldn't sell them all, earning only about a hundred spirit stones. Deducting the costs, the profit was less than a hundred.
Today, he expected to sell even less, so he decided not to go, thinking he would visit every three to five days instead.
Upon returning, he bought a not-too-bad blade with a hundred spirit stones: the Crescent Moon Blade, a silver-white long blade. He planned to use it to practice the first form of the Heavenly Blade.
Last night, he activated the Clear and Tranquil Heart state to comprehend the Heavenly Blade's First Form, Moon Slash.
The progress was minor, and he expected it would require some time to fully comprehend.
He wasn't in a rush; mastering the Demonic Sound Slash had taken him some time, and the first form of the Heavenly Blade would naturally take longer.
"Senior Brother." At this moment, Han Ming descended from mid-air, holding his spirit sword with great poise.
"Junior Brother Han is quite early," Jiang Hao remarked.
Han Ming eagerly replied, "I wouldn't dare to keep Senior Brother waiting."
"Where does Senior Brother plan to spar?" he inquired.
"Right here," Jiang Hao said softly.
"Here?" Han Ming glanced at Jiang Hao's dwelling, puzzled. "Isn't Senior Brother worried about collateral damage?"
Jiang Hao shook his head, "It shouldn't come to that."
"As long as Senior Brother doesn't mind," Han Ming said, gripping his sword tightly, his Foundation Establishment aura fully displayed, "Then, I apologize in advance."
Buzz!
Han Ming's long sword crackled with thunder; he began with his strongest technique, the Heavenly Thunder Sword. Following Senior Brother Mu's advice, he aimed for a decisive victory.
Jiang Hao watched calmly as Han Ming attacked, gripping the Crescent Moon Blade and then slashing downward.
Boom!
Demonic Sound Slash!
Han Ming's Heavenly Thunder Sword clashed with Jiang Hao's Demonic Sound Slash.
However, the blade shadow pierced through the thunder sword, sweeping across.
Bang!
The Heavenly Thunder Sword shattered, and the blade shadow surged toward Han Ming.
In the nick of time, Han Ming used his spirit sword to block.
A rumbling sound erupted.
Han Ming was sent flying backward, using his long sword to brace himself on the ground and barely stand.
Yet, he saw his sword covered in cracks and felt pain in his chest.
With just a single move, he realized the vast gap between himself and Jiang Hao.
"Junior Brother Han, you've let me win," Jiang Hao said politely, sheathing his blade.
Initially, Jiang Hao intended to win barely, but human nature is peculiar. Facing someone slightly stronger brings many thoughts, unlike when faced with overwhelming strength, which inspires awe.
Thus, he chose to defeat Han Ming with a single stroke. Understanding the disparity would make future challenges infrequent and lessen the trouble.
The only downside was becoming too prominent to his master, which could complicate things if his stroke of luck couldn't remain concealed. However, upon seeing the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower, his concern lessened. Any issues could be attributed to this flower, sending his master to find Elder Bai Zhi.
After a long recovery, Han Ming looked at Jiang Hao with a mixture of fear and respect.
"Senior Brother Jiang has advanced?" he asked bitterly.
"The demon cave had a few encounters, so I was lucky to win against you, nothing more," Jiang Hao replied slowly.
"Thank you, Senior Brother, for holding back," Han Ming expressed his gratitude.
He could tell that Jiang Hao's cultivation in the middle stage of Foundation Establishment was more solid than his own.
"This was just a private spar, no need to dwell on it, and I won't mention it to others," Jiang Hao stated in retreat.
"Thank you, Senior Brother." Han Ming thanked him before turning to leave.
Watching his figure fade away, Jiang Hao activated his Divine Ability.
Appraisal.
[Han Ming: True Disciple of Broken Hearts Cliff, Heavenly Sound Sect, with top-notch potential, at the mid-stage Foundation Establishment, favored by the Spirit of the Mountains and Rivers, bearing a mighty inheritance. Although defeated, he's determined to surpass you and prove his 'lucky' statement false.]
Jiang Hao: "......"
Is this person narrow-minded or broad-hearted?
One might expect resentment, yet Han Ming merely aimed to reclaim his standing.
Unexpectedly, it seemed he took particular offense at Jiang Hao's remark about 'luck.'
"I meant to be modest; could he perceive it as boasting?"
Jiang Hao shook his head, tidied up, and headed to the Spirit Herb Garden.
There was much to do lately, with Heavenly Joy Pavilion and the Heavenly Fragrance Dao Flower like two swords hanging over his head.
Strength was the only way to remove these threats.