A shake of the long halberd caused the green jade stones to crack.
Zhu Qimo's large hand clamped the silver-white halberd shaft, and his feet instantly created afterimages as he pressed towards Ning Yue.
The cold gleam flashing from the halberd's tip was three times brighter than the sunlight!
"Swish! Swish! Swish!" The long halberd cut through the air, stirring up ripples of air that surged like giant waves, continuously crashing forward.
Zhu Qimo's voice was calm, and there was no fluctuation in his tone as he advanced to meet the enemy.
"If you are willing, there will be a place for you in the Heavenly Policy Army!"
Ning Yue smiled, spreading his hand, and the Whispering Blade seemed to be unsealed, emitting a buzzing, strange cry.
In an instant, wolf-like howls and ghostly wails, the enemy's laments, the calls of loved ones, the screams of comrades, and even the orders of the messenger, countless sounds came flooding in, blocking Zhu Qimo's hearing and even causing him to experience various unrealistic illusions.
"Then what position should I hold? What mission should I undertake?"
Ning Yue became interested and asked curiously.
The long blade, however, drew lines of saber light, etching faint traces in the void.
The blade's edge cut through layers of airwaves, and the martial true intent of Qi Condensation into Threads depicted the rules of this battlefield; dense threads crisscrossed the sky, as if painting with the heavens, weaving into a net.
However, the martial threads unleashed in this instant were many times more complex than when he fought Mo Yingshuo.
All attacks stopped before him, and all killing intent directed at him missed.
It was clearly an ordinary strike, yet it seemed to have been imbued with supreme magical power; no matter how fiercely the long halberd thrust forward, it remained impenetrable.
Ning Yue stood in a small space, without wind or rain.
However, Zhu Qimo was not in a hurry; his hands moved continuously, the long halberd parrying the martial threads, cutting openings in the giant net Ning Yue had woven.
Then he took a step forward!
Roar!!
A tiger's roar echoed across the high platform.
The silver-white flying fish robe billowed, its wide back hem seeming to obscure the sunlight, accompanied by a roaring tiger.
Zhu Qimo moved through the air, looking down at Ning Yue, and smiled slightly. Holding the long halberd with both hands, he had already closed to within ten feet of Ning Yue, and the long halberd chopped straight down!
"Naturally, below me."
A sudden gust of wind rose, and layers of airwaves surged like crashing waves, making Ning Yue's tight-fitting combat attire cling to his bulging muscles. However—
His skin, at some unknown point, had begun to glow with a faint golden light, making the silver-white flying fish robe appear golden.
With a shift of his feet, a milky-white halo rippled across the green jade stone. Ning Yue's back was arched like a great crossbow, as if a giant Dragon was coiled within him.
Ning Yue stepped forward, his body instantly straightening, like a giant Dragon emerging from a gorge, a Dragon leaping to the heavens!
"Ang! Roar!" Dragon and Tiger contended in an instant, and Zhu Qimo's fierce Tiger martial stance was instantly forced back into his body!
Ning Yue twisted his body, extended his left hand, and two fingers, wreathed in dazzling golden light, like gold and jade, met the incomparably sharp halberd tip without evasion.
It sent Zhu Qimo flying back and caused a great halberd to fly askew!
Ning Yue said with a half-smile, "If I lose today, this matter is certainly acceptable."
"However, if your cultivation is so meager, you needn't speak so presumptuously!"
"Ding! Zeng—" The long halberd struck the ground and flew askew, carving a straight white line on the high platform, and green jade stone fragments scattered.
Under the astonished gaze of the crowd below, the distance between the two widened again.
Zhu Qimo retreated back to his starting point!
"Bang!" With a loosened grip, the long halberd embedded heavily into the ground, standing upright.
The Tiger Might City Breaking Halberd weighed over two hundred catties; only those with natural divine strength could wield it!
Zhu Qimo finally stopped his movement, then lightly exhaled a turbid breath, and replied with a smile, "I truly underestimated Xiaoqi Ning!"
"Click! Click! Click!"
"Bang!" Zhu Qimo casually removed his armor, and pieces of iron armor from his flying fish robe fell to the ground, making loud thuds on the stone slabs.
The eyes of the crowd in the stands gleamed with various expressions.
"Hehe, no wonder Zhu Qimo's movements were sluggish just now; he actually tied who knows how many catties of iron plates to his body, binding himself to temper his martial arts!" Chu Qianhu said first.
"Speaking of which, I've never seen him fight without his armor. This time, our Ning Xiaoqi might be in danger." Another person said gloatingly.
"Hey! This little Zhu really knows how to hide things; his martial true intent hasn't been revealed even now. Who knows when he plans to show it?!"
Zhu Qimo's combat performance and accumulated military merits were already considered outstanding among the Zongqi; his lack of promotion was only because his strength had not yet broken through the Bone Forging realm.
With his strength, dealing with a newly promoted Ning Yue should not be too difficult, no matter how one looked at it.
Of course, Ning Yue being able to persist until now, and even force Zhu Qimo to remove his armor, already showed considerable strength. If not for everyone being determined to suppress the Xue Family today and prevent their rapid rise,
the promotion of a Xiaoqi officer without power or influence to Zongqi would not have aroused such hostility from the generals.
Thus, upon seeing Zhu Qimo remove his armor, those who had previously harbored doubts all changed their expressions, showing both regret for Ning Yue and absolute confidence in Zhu Qimo.
Xue Zhenfu at this moment glanced indifferently at Xie Hua, seeing a hint of joy in his calm gaze, clearly also very confident in the turn of the battle.
"I heard that Zhu Zongqi and Young Master Xie are close friends, inseparable?"
Xie Zhenfu smiled faintly upon hearing this, "Not exactly; my son is sincere, and he just gets along well with that little Zhu."
"Oh?!" Xue Zhenfu nodded, looking at Xie Yanming, who had been worried just moments ago but was now beaming with joy again, then looked at Xue Ren, his gaze full of provocation.
Xue Zhenfu smiled faintly, "Indeed, sincere."
......
"I am on the verge of a breakthrough. When we fight later, I might not be able to control myself and accidentally injure my opponent. I ask the two Qianhu to provide ample protection."
Zhu Qimo, now stripped of his iron armor, spoke in a voice three shades lighter, and his figure became leaner, but his martial aura surged steadily!
At a certain moment, he even surpassed Mo Yingshuo, who had just broken through during the battle.
The two patrolling Qianhu nodded upon hearing this, saying nothing more.
Zhu Qimo then turned his gaze to Ning Yue and said, "This great halberd of mine weighs two hundred and eighteen catties. It's a family heirloom, and I could only wield it after I advanced to Yijin (Tendon Changing)."
"Later, I comprehended the true intent of 'lifting heavy as if light,' and when this true intent became refined and reached minor accomplishment, this great halberd truly became as easy to use as an arm and finger."
Zhu Qimo actually revealed his own martial true intent without hesitation, even directly stating his cultivation progress. Such magnanimity was probably unmatched among the Zongqi.
Ning Yue's gaze was solemn, and he also spoke bluntly, "In terms of martial true intent alone, I am far inferior to General Zhu; my Qi Condensation into Threads has not yet reached minor accomplishment."
Zhu Qimo shook his head, discussing seriously, "Your talent is above mine. Your martial true intent is also stronger than mine! I once tried Qi Condensation into Threads, but I didn't succeed!"
He sounded a bit regretful, both sighing and emotion, "Now I can only rely on my slightly superior cultivation to defeat you. I hope your blade is sharp and strong enough to help me break through the shackles of this outer world!"
Ning Yue smiled and refused, "Breaking through is fine, but defeating me—that won't happen!"
......