Chapter 82: 3 Battles and 3 Defeats
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! In the martial arts training ground, Shangguan Jiannan's figure was like a flying swallow in the wind, shuttling back and forth, leaving a trail of blurry afterimages, and then gradually blending into the air.
When he stopped and took a breath, his face was filled with joy that was hard to conceal.
Sweat fell like drizzle, but he paid no attention to it.
"After these days of unremitting hard training, I finally stepped into the second level - the realm of Phantom Trace."
He let out a breath, his eyes revealing a sense of relief and ease.
The road to practicing physical skills is long. Even if he works day and night, he has only touched the threshold of the third level. There is still a long way to go before he can reach the legendary return to the true self.
"Although the path of cultivation is difficult, the speed of the body movement is breathtaking."
There was a gleam of surprise in Shangguan Jiannan's eyes, and he felt sincerely satisfied with the significant improvement in his speed.
“We need to work harder to move to the next level.”
After saying this, he started moving again, leaving behind a series of erratic tracks in the training ground.
…As time flies, challenges and competition within the inner sect become increasingly fierce.
Every day, new disciples emerge and some strong ones on the elite list are eclipsed.
The entire inner courtyard seemed to be ignited by an invisible force, and the disciples were all crazy.
"Time is running out, there is only one month left."
In the practice room, Shangguan Jiannan sat quietly with his eyes closed, his brows full of anxiety.
As the deadline approached, his mood became more and more urgent.
Although he has currently ranked 14th in the inner courtyard and has become famous, this is far from enough for him.
His goal is the glorious top ten position.
"Eighth place, Huang Yuerong of Jade Flute Sword..." He stared at the information on the desk, muttering to himself, with a determined light flashing in his eyes.
He knew that the next few days would be a critical moment for him to sprint with all his strength and challenge himself.
Then, a long, heavy sigh escaped from his lips.
Speaking of Huang Yuerong, she holds the eighth spot on the elite list. She stands out from the crowd with her five-star sword king status. With the flute in her hand, once she plays a tune, the martial arts world trembles, and no one can match her.
Just by the sound of the flute, he could kill people without anyone noticing, so it was known as the "Jade Flute Sword" and became famous far and wide.
Shangguan Jiannan was full of confidence at first, thinking that he could easily defeat his opponent, but the reality was like a cold water poured over his head, catching him off guard.
"Three battles, three defeats. Three challenges, three defeats."
He pondered secretly in his heart, and the scenes of every confrontation flashed through his mind like a kaleidoscope, and his face became increasingly gloomy.
His body movements were agile and his shadow escape technique was superb; his swordsmanship was a combination of "Tianxuan" and "Dark Night Heart", which was extremely sharp and powerful.
However, facing Huang Yuerong, all these seem to be useless.
She didn't even draw her sword, but just the sound of the flute was enough to make Shangguan Jiannan uneasy, hinder his profound skills, and defeat him without any chance to fight back.
"It seems that it is time to adjust our strategy and find another opponent."
Shangguan Jiannan pondered secretly, his eyes focused on the information in his hands, reading it carefully, looking for new possibilities.
At this time, hurried footsteps were heard in the hall, and Manager Li came in hurriedly, holding a thick ranking book in his hand.
"Young Master, this is the latest ranking of the elite list."
As he spoke, he handed the booklet to Shangguan Jiannan.
Shangguan Jiannan's eyes lit up when he heard this. He immediately put down the old book in his hand, took the new one, and began to read it carefully.
The situation on the elite list is constantly changing. Although most rankings remain stable, undercurrents are surging and competition is fierce.
While lamenting the cruelty and ruthlessness of the martial arts world, he had to constantly guard against challenges from below while planning how to climb up.
Among the many inner disciples, the changes between ranking 30th to 50th were particularly dramatic.
When his eyes fell on Huang Yuerong's name, he couldn't help but feel a sense of surprise.
"It turns out that she hid it so deeply!" he thought to himself.
But soon, Shangguan Jiannan calmed his mind, put all distracting thoughts behind him, and focused on the information in front of him.
His goal is to be among the top ten elites.
At this moment, he is silently analyzing every opponent who may become his next challenge.
Shangguan Jiannan calculated carefully in his mind, set his sights on the top ten seats, and secretly assessed the possibility of a challenge.
"Zhang Leqing, the pear blossom spear master, ranks ninth, maybe worth a try."
He whispered, a look of determination in his eyes.
Zhang Leqing, a senior inner court disciple famous for his spear, has been in the Tianjian Sect for fifteen years. His strength is firmly established at the level of a six-star spear king. His ranking has also been climbing up due to the war clouds in the Netherworld. In the past, he was only hovering outside the top ten.
"That's him, Zhang Yueqing, the Pear Blossom Spear."
Shangguan Jiannan felt reassured and the pressure was slightly relieved.
There is still a month before the challenge, so he is not in a hurry to succeed. Even if he fails in the first battle, it will not be a big deal.
"Manager Li, please draft a declaration of war for me, targeting Zhang Yueqing, the pear blossom spearman."
He gave the order calmly, then let out a long sigh and looked sideways at Manager Li, who had already understood his intention and silently took the order and left.
The news spread like wildfire. Within half a day, the news of Shangguan Jiannan's challenge to Zhang Leqing spread like wildfire in the Tianjian Sect.