Xu Xiangqian spoke with full confidence in Jiang Wang, and Jiang Wuqi, hearing this, was not annoyed either.
He simply smiled: "If he wins, he is still a Great Qi warrior; if he loses, he is still a Great Qi warrior. Let us wait and see."
It must be said, this air of magnanimity surpassed Jiang Wuyong by an immeasurable degree.
However, a stocky but sturdy man of short stature beside him spoke up: "You only see the height of this mountain, but not the distance of that mountain. For you, naturally it is difficult. Little do you know, for those on the mountain, it is quite easy."
This person was Lei Yikun, from the Lei family, his mother's clan, and his style of conduct had always been forceful.
The Lei family was also one of the strong supports for Jiang Wuqi's bid for the position of Crown Prince.
Others might not know Zhang Yong's strength, but as Jiang Wuqi's trusted confidant, he naturally knew, and had considerable confidence.
Xu Xiangqian grinned: "When the Eleventh Prince speaks, he doesn't leave himself without room to retreat like you. Later, hold your face tight, lest it hurts."
Li Longchuan remained silent beside them. He did not ask Xu Xiangqian what would happen if Jiang Wang lost.
Because he was very clear, if Jiang Wang lost, this lanky scholar would simply act as if nothing had happened. Losing face... what face was there to lose?
Meanwhile, in the Cloud Sea, Zhang Yong and Jiang Wang stood facing each other.
For him, this was the first battle for the Zhang Family of Fengxian to re-enter the eyes of the Qi people. He must win, not lose.
As for the favor Jiang Wang had shown him by helping him out of trouble outside the Heavenly Secret Realm, and visiting him in Fengxian County... that could be considered a favor?
Upon entering the Cloud Sea, he immediately assumed his stance, simply saying: "Please!"
Jiang Wang said no more, flicked his long sword, and opened with the 'Vast Sea of Humanity' sword technique.
Sword light surged like a tide, rapidly closing in.
Zhang Yong reached out and grabbed.
"I am good at cultivating my Haoran Qi!"
White qi surged upward like a soaring dragon, fiercely clashing with the sword light.
The Thorn Crown flashed and vanished atop his head. Jiang Wang seized the moment, unleashing a Five Qi Restraining Tiger!
And almost simultaneously, Zhang Yong brought his fingers together like a blade, sweeping across before him.
"This line cannot be crossed!"
A dotted line formed where his finger passed.
The ancients used the blade as a brush, carving all things.
The Cloud Sea was even cleaved into two distinct sides, neither flowing into the other.
But drawing a line to divide boundaries—this was a purely Legalist school method!
Such methods, at profound levels, could even confine one within a drawn boundary, imprisoning them for life.
Right on both sides of this dotted line.
Jiang Wang's sword thrust forward, but was halted before the line. A tangible power of statute constrained him.
And on the other side, Zhang Yong's five qi instantly became unbalanced, surging and coiling, binding him from within.
This forced him to abandon his prepared follow-up, turning inward to suppress his five qi.
Just as his five qi were barely calmed, Jiang Wang had already breached the boundary. Sharp light flashed, a sword slashed horizontally across his neck!
However, a colossal tree materialized out of thin air, its branches drooping to block before him.
Jiang Wang's sword light arrived without deviation, and only wood chips flew as several branches were sliced through.
Then the branches regrew, connecting to the ground to form a tree.
This was precisely the Grade A Lower Dao technique: Lone Tree Becomes a Forest!
On the corridor walkway, Li Longchuan sighed softly: "It seems the technique that made the Zhang ancestors famous has been completely lost."
The ancestral technique of the Zhang Family of Fengxian was always renowned for its agile movement and powerful physical body; otherwise, the Zhang ancestors could not have fought nine battles and returned nine times amidst the rebel armies.
Yet Zhang Yong, this time, had successively displayed the Confucian Haoran Qi, the Legalist statutes, and even Dao techniques, but conspicuously lacked the Zhang family's ancestral technique.
It seemed that the massacre had completely severed the lineage of the Zhang Family of Fengxian. For the Stone Gate Li clan, which had once been mentioned in the same breath as the Zhang Family of Fengxian, this could only be a regret and a warning.
The trees grew wildly, densely packed, almost instantly about to envelop both of them.
But at the moment the trees encircled—bang! bang! bang! bang! bang!—a series of explosions rang out. Jiang Wang transformed into a Flame Meteor, bursting free from within!
With a backhand flourish, Flame Flowers bloomed, a profusion of flowers becoming a sea.
This was the Sea of Flame Flowers, a technique combining illusion and lethality.
Above the Cloud Sea, a forest was born, and outside the forest, a sea of flowers unfolded.
Visually alone, this scene was magnificent and dreamlike, intoxicating.
However, for both combatants, they had already recognized the difficulty of their opponent.
Occasionally, Flame Flowers exploded within the forest, and new trees were generated, searching for Jiang Wang's position within the sea of flame flowers.
Lone Tree Becomes a Forest was a powerful Grade A Lower Dao technique combining defense and trapping the enemy. The Sea of Flame Flowers, after all, was only an enhancement of the Grade B Upper flower sea technique, and was inherently somewhat insufficient.
The trees proliferated, and it seemed the Sea of Flame Flowers was about to be 'burst open.'
Jiang Wang had prepared for a long time. His thumb and forefinger touched, then his middle finger, ring finger, and little finger bloomed in succession. Like the process of a flower opening, also like... the blossoming of a flame.
The Qi Court rewards merit, and the national treasury grants rewards.
Grade A Lower Dao technique: Jealousy Fire!
'Jealousy' contains the character for 'woman', but in reality, there is no distinction between men and women. Fire rises from within the hearth, scorching resentment and burning the heart—this is Jealousy Fire.
Within the protection of Lone Tree Becomes a Forest, Zhang Yong's eyes reddened, and an nameless fire suddenly ignited in his heart.
Hatred! Resentment! Fury!
"Why, they get to enjoy the best resources, receive the best guidance, cultivate in peace without any worries?"
"Why, the people here can live in peace and prosperity, undisturbed, without the calamity of fierce beasts?"
Envy, a heart and mind filled with envy.
Everything he saw and felt made his eyes burn with jealousy, giving him an impulse to destroy.
The continuously maintained Lone Tree Becomes a Forest technique wavered slightly, meaning he had temporarily lost complete control over the Dao technique!
And Jiang Wang seized the moment, plunging his sword forward, straight into the forest!
Above the Cloud Sea was a sea of flowers; within the sea of flowers, a forest of trees was encircled.
And within the forest of trees, Jiang Wang charged forward with his sword, cleaving wood to decide fate.
That extremely sharp cold intent was perceived by Zhang Yong a step ahead.
At this critical juncture of victory or defeat, even life or death, Zhang Yong, drawn by the aura, suddenly widened his eyes!
Jiang Wang saw—those eyes were as profound as the night!
A massive sense of crisis surged in his heart.
Without hesitation, his body followed instinct, already triggering his backup!
With the two layers of the forest of trees and sea of flowers overlapping, those on the corridor walkway observing the battle could actually only judge the general situation from the fluctuations of Dao essence, not seeing every detail.
They only noticed the Dao technique Lone Tree Becomes a Forest waver, and then Jiang Wang crashed into the forest formed by the Dao technique.
And then...
They heard...
Chirp chirp chirp, chirp chirp chirp!
At first, it was just a dense and urgent sound like bird calls.
In the next instant.
Dong dong!
Dang dang!
Zheng zheng!
Wu wu!
...
Chime bells, flute, great drums, pipa, guqin, se, yu, sheng...
Eight sounds played together, eight tones resonating as one!
The entire Cloud Mist Mountain, from top to bottom, was enveloped by a grand symphony.
The defensive power of the astonishing Grade A Lower Dao technique Lone Tree Becomes a Forest... exploded!
Even the Sea of Flame Flowers that Jiang Wang himself had laid down also exploded.
The Cloud Sea churned and exploded, and the houses and terraced fields below the mountain were momentarily all exposed to view.
In an instant, heaven and earth were clear and expansive, the scenery all distinct.
This was...
The result of Jiang Wang's recent travels to the four great famous establishments, his travels between various towers, his lavish spending on famous teas, and his painstaking research. An advanced creation of the Dao technique Explosive Flame Sparrow—the Eight-Tone Flame Sparrow!
Whether Li Longchuan or Yan Fu, Gao Zhe, or Jiang Wuqi, Gongsun Yu, Lei Yikun—all of them lost color!
Because they could all distinctly feel it.
This single Dao technique already possessed the power of Grade A Middle.
This was a solid, complete strike with the intensity of the Inner Palace realm!