Chapter 8: Light Stealing Fist

Ji Ren frowned when he received the news of the battle. It was easy for him to step in as a judge for the battle but he didn't wish for the fight to happen. He knew how his nephew was and it wouldn't be a pretty fight for Wudi, and he didn't wish to stir the pot between the two families.

Regardless, the fight was made public now, and if he refused to judge it, they would just find someone else. At least with him there, he could somewhat control the situation. It didn't take long for everyone to arrive. Ji Ren sighed when he saw the kids already on stage. Wudi had an expression as if he didn't care about the fight, while Ji Xuanming had an ugly look from being treated as air.

Reaching the platform, Ji Ren knew the fight was unavoidable, but at least the two weren't dumb enough to involve a family feud and made it look like a friendly spar, even if it was only on the surface. Nodding at the two and activating the formation around the stage, he sat down in the judge's seat and waited for the two to start.

Seeing the formation was activated, Ji Xuanming pulled his sword and said, "On Quilin peak, fighting my cousin, I wasn't able to use my weapon, so I hope Brother Wudi doesn't mind that I show some of my paltry sword skills to the outer disciples attending their first year."

Nodding lightly with a nonchalant face, Wudi said, "That's fine. I suppose I can give you a chance to show off a little." Hearing this made Ji Xuanming seethe, and he said, "Many thanks, Brother Wudi. Don't mind if I do!"

Ji Xuanming performed the light feathered steps he learned from the academy and quickly reached in front of Wudi. He did a forward thrust of the sword. Wudi simply extended his palm and did a light slapping motion. It looked slow and didn't appear to be a martial technique at all, but to the crowd's bewilderment, sparks shot out and Ji Xuanming pulled the sword back. Shocked, Ji Xuanming only noticed a slight white mark from his blade on Wudi's palm.

Wudi slowly retracted his palm and an uproar happened, "Wasn't that the Ji clan's Earth Shocking Sword Technique?" someone exclaimed from the crowd. Someone else commented and said, "It definitely was." Ji Wen had a weird look on his face. The move Ji Xuanming performed was the first move in their clan's Earth Shocking Sword Technique. To take the hit with flesh was surprising, considering that Ji Xuanming put his cultivation behind the technique, and it was clear he wasn't holding back when he performed the move.

Ji Xuanming was just as shocked. He didn't put any special Qi in the move, but he did perform the move with his whole cultivation. Smiling, Wudi said, "Brother Xuanming can perform the next move in the Earth Shocking Sword Technique now. It's also my first time seeing it." Nodding lightly, Ji Xuanming said, "No problem Brother Wudi, this time I'll be using my fire Qi, so please be careful." Nodding, Wudi said, "Thanks for the warning Brother Xuanming." He might have been smiling, but Ji Xuanming was pretty upset as he took a step back and began to circulate his Qi.

Ji Xuanming knew that the dao bone wasn't for show and that it had a subtle glow. It clearly put Wudi's hand near the same level as his sword. Ji Xuanming took two steps forward and released a slash straight down. It had a red trail and looked like the tail of a phoenix. Wudi this time balled his fist and pushed at the incoming blade. Besides a subtle glow on his fist, it looked just like a normal punch. Wudi was again able to push the blade back, but his hand was now bleeding.

Seeing this, Ji Xuanming started doing a flurry of moves while looking as graceful as can be. Wudi, just the same, was deflecting each move as it came and eventually pushed Ji Xuanming back. Everyone in the crowd was shocked because Ji Xuanming's cultivation was higher. Laughing hard and feeling his hands tingle from the backlash of the blade, Ji Xuanming said, "Impressive brother, but do you think you might want to try my next move?"

It was at this time that a powerful aura escaped Ji Xuanming and a deep red color surrounded his blade. Someone in the crowd yelled, "Ji Xuanming actually cultivated a fire type intent!" Someone else yelled out, "It's definitely not an ordinary intent either. Definitely stronger than a usual one you'd see in the martial Insight realm."

This revelation was surprising because it wasn't easy to form intents while in the martial insight realm. Typically, one would gain insight on an intent and then form one in the martial dao realm. It was clear that Ji Xuanming was very close to breaking through the martial dao realm and he'd be pretty powerful too, and would eventually form a second one in the martial dao realm. This showed he had a very strong foundation despite his cultivation speed.

In the crowd, Shuang Hua looked a little worried but held back from doing anything. After all, she didn't know Wudi very well, and it would be odd if she just jumped out to say something on his behalf. Laughing lightly and standing tall with blood dripping from his fist, Wudi said, "Bring it" with a smirk on his face. This made Ji Xuanming smile menacingly and say, "Fine!"

He stepped forward and did a horizontal slash aiming for the torso area, knowing Wudi wouldn't have time to dodge and intending to cripple his fist. It was here that the light that had been building up on Wudi's fist completely disappeared. Ji Wen stood from his seat and yelled, "Be careful!"

Wudi's fist seemed like a black hole and sucked all the light from the surroundings. Even the light from Ji Xuanming's flames on his sword dimmed. Despite there now being no light on Wudi's fist, it gave the impression that it was radiating, as if it stole the attention from all other things. It smashed through Ji Xuanming's sword technique, ending the sword flying as it hummed and smashed into Ji Xuanming's chest, sending him flying into the formations barrier and causing him to bounce off. This also happened to be near Ji Xuanhao, who was Ji Xuanming's target in the past, whom Ji Xuanming sent flying with a similar punch and stance.

Ji Xuanhao, thinking it wasn't a coincidence, looked at Wudi shocked. It wasn't that Wudi wanted to help Ji Xuanhao take revenge or anything. He just wanted to see Ji Xuanming's expression afterward. Ji Xuanming, barely able to stand, immediately noticed Ji Xuanhao looking at him mockingly and looked back at Wudi to see the same stance he made after knocking Ji Xuanhao out of the ring previously. And just like before, Wudi stared at Ji Xuanming with an arrogant expression.

Ji Xuanming coughed up a mouthful of blood and passed out right then. Ji Wen, only now coming out of his stupor, turned off the formation and yelled "Tian Wudi wins" before landing next to his nephew and picking him up. The crowd looked shocked, and many people started to congratulate Wudi on the fight and his martial intent. Many thought he'd already comprehended his martial intent prior to the fight, and Wudi didn't correct anyone and began walking away while still making small chats on his way to the registration line.

Ji Wen passed Ji Xuanming off to a colleague for treatment and looked at Wudi's back in surprise. Others may not have noticed, but he saw that Wudi had definitely comprehended his martial intent in that moment and even suspected that the move he performed was a martial technique he was creating. It didn't look like the technique was done yet, but it was clearly close. Thinking of the ordinary moves he'd been performing, he was now almost certain they weren't as ordinary as they seemed.