Chapter 46: Close-Quarters Combat

Under the gaze of eyes both obvious and subtle, this year's Three Cities Dao Discussion officially began on the tenth day of the tenth month.

Naturally, cultivators of one, three, and five years were separated for the discussion. For example, the two one-year cultivators from Maple Forest City would each battle the one-year cultivators from Three Mountains City and Viewing River City.

After the first round, the remaining three victors would engage in a round-robin format. That is, A battles B, B battles C, and C battles A. A win earns three points, a tie earns one point, and a loss earns zero points. The one with the highest score would be the top of the one-year cultivators in the Three Cities Dao Discussion.

In this way, it was not only a test of individual strength but also of the overall strength of the Daoist academies. After all, if two people from the same Daoist academy were left in the final round-robin, they could calmly conserve their strength to target the other person.

The one-year cultivators' discussion started first. Three cities, six cultivators, three battles starting simultaneously.

The competition venue was arranged in the square in front of the City Lord's Mansion. Because this place was often used as a venue for the City Guard to swear an oath before setting off, it was also called the Drill Ground by the common people.

The one-year cultivators from the city's Daoist academies were basically in the state of having just established their foundation. The battles mainly consisted of Daoist techniques, but martial arts coordination was also essential. It was the kind of competition that the common people could understand the most, so it was even more popular among them.

Early in the morning, the place was packed. The people of Maple Forest City brought their families and gathered around the Drill Ground like they were going to a fair. The City Guard was mobilized to barely maintain order.

On this day, Jiang An'an's school was also closed, so Linghe naturally brought her to watch the competition.

Because there were too many people, Jiang An'an sat on Linghe's shoulders. At this moment, she was clapping her little hands and cheering loudly for her brother.

Zhao Rucheng and Huang Azhan were naturally also watching Jiang Wang's match first. However, someone as wealthy as Zhao would naturally not do something that would damage his demeanor like shouting and yelling himself. Not far away, a dozen burly men he had hired were shouting at the top of their lungs.

"Jiang Wang, victory is certain! Jiang Wang, victory is certain!"

There were also two large banners waving in the wind -

The left one read, "Beats Three Mountains with fists, and sees no rival in sight."

The right one read, "Tramples Viewing River underfoot, who claims to be a hero?"

Although Jiang Wang certainly wouldn't appreciate it.

For a time, the shouts for Jiang Wang overwhelmed the entire field. This discussion seemed to have become Jiang Wang's personal performance. People occasionally whispered to each other, asking who this Jiang Wang was. After learning that he was a Maple Forest City contestant, the simple and honest people of Maple Forest City also let out cheers.

Jiang Wang stood on the competition field and felt... very awkward.

The three matches were all close together, and all six cultivators were on the field. From the glances those people were intentionally or unintentionally throwing, Jiang Wang realized that he had become a public enemy. If it weren't for the rules, he would probably be fighting five at once right now. This also included the senior brother from the same Maple Forest City Daoist academy.

"What a showoff, what's with all the flaunting!" Lin Zhengli from Viewing River City was the most dissatisfied. He didn't pay attention to his opponent but instead spat in Jiang Wang's direction.

The sound wasn't too loud or too soft. Jiang Wang ignored it.

The entire Drill Ground was divided into three battle arenas, with a large buffer zone between the lines.

A cultivator from the Prefecture Academy served as the chief referee, and two instructors from the Maple Forest City Daoist academy served as the deputy referees. Battles were simple: the one who fell lost, so there was no need to worry about the referees being biased. In fact, the main role of the referees was to prevent young cultivators from losing control and causing deaths or injuries.

Jiang Wang's opponent was from Three Mountains City.

This person was short and stout, but sturdy. He wore close-fitting martial clothing, and his muscles were as thick as stones.

The two sides performed the Daoist salute and stood still.

At the referee's command, Jiang Wang drew his sword!

Like a dragon rising, the sword pierced through like a meteor.

Almost at the same time as the Three Mountains City cultivator began to form his Daoist seal, Jiang Wang's sword was already close.

Decisive, fast.

The Violet Qi Comes East Sword Art was almost overwhelmingly advantageous in battles before transcendence.

During the previous selection within the Maple Forest City Daoist academy, he had defeated Fang Huling with such a move, and now it seemed that he was about to repeat the old story.

But to Jiang Wang's and the audience's surprise, the Three Mountains City cultivator did not dodge!

He didn't even move, his eyes fixed on Jiang Wang's approaching sword, and his hands were so steady, his Daoist seal formed under such gaze.

In this situation, he either had to abandon the seal and dodge, or simply admit defeat. But with the speed Jiang Wang had shown, he would have even less of a chance to launch his next Daoist technique after dodging.

And he made a completely different choice from Fang Huling!

Earth element spiritual energy frantically gathered. Jiang Wang felt a force erupting from the ground, and he certainly knew what it was.

He was confident enough to pierce his opponent's heart with a sword before the earth spikes arrived, but his feet would also be pierced by the rising earth spikes.

Trading an injury for a kill, he would still win. But he didn't want to win like that.

Jiang Wang turned his longsword and separated from the violently protruding earth spikes beneath his feet, and he took advantage of the momentum to flip back to his original position.

At this time, the dense, sharp earth spikes had just covered the area around the Three Mountains City cultivator.

This cultivator from Three Mountains City, the guy who was scornfully called a mountain barbarian, had just won a turning point with his life.

He immediately kicked out several times, breaking the earth spikes in front of him and kicking them away. The earth spikes whistled towards Jiang Wang like throwing spears.

And the Three Mountains City cultivator followed behind the whistling earth spikes, launching a charge towards Jiang Wang.

In Jiang An'an's nervous gaze, Jiang Wang turned like the wind, lightly shifting through the incoming earth spike swarm, unharmed.

And the Three Mountains City cultivator was close.

His short, stout body leaped high, his fist gradually solidified into stone, swelling into a giant fist like a small mountain.

Stone-Covering Fist!

Offense and defense reversed!

He couldn't take it head-on. Jiang Wang held his sword horizontally in front of him, using the sword's surface to contact the stone fist, wanting to use the force to drift away and find another opportunity.

In any case, foundation-building cultivators had limited Dao essence and couldn't use too many Daoist techniques. As long as he delayed, he would be guaranteed to win with his swordsmanship.

But the stone fist suddenly flipped over, grabbed the sword in Jiang Wang's hand, and crushed it!

Stone-Covering Fist was only a Grade D Superior Daoist technique. Although Jiang Wang hadn't mastered it, he was very familiar with it. He had never thought that this Daoist technique had such agile variations!

In an emergency, Jiang Wang abandoned the sword hilt, hugged the stone fist that had crushed the longsword with both hands, and twisted it with force.

The powerful physical strength brought by the Four Spirits Body Refining Technique was unreservedly poured in. With the twisting force, gravel flew.

Jiang Wang touched the ground with his toes, and his whole body retreated rapidly in a backward posture. At the same time, he avoided the sudden explosion of the stone fist!

While Jiang Wang was destroying the stone fist, the Three Mountains City cultivator simply detonated it, using it as another means of attack. But he hadn't expected Jiang Wang to react so keenly and still avoid it at the first moment.

The explosion of the stone fist wasn't without impact on him. Even though he had tried to control it, his entire right arm was still covered in wounds, dripping with blood.

But he didn't seem to feel the pain. He just didn't say a word and went straight after Jiang Wang.

He didn't form any more Daoist seals, and he didn't have time to use Daoist techniques. Or rather, he realized that with the Daoist techniques he had mastered now, he couldn't defeat his opponent.

Then, he would try his body that had climbed over mountains, and the fists and feet he had used to fight lions and tigers.

Elbow strikes, knee jabs, head butts!

Jiang Wang also couldn't distance himself anymore. He didn't even have a sword, so he couldn't use his swordsmanship.

Punches, kicks, shoulder slams!

The two of them engaged in close-quarters combat!

In a small space, the most intense, most direct, most wild!

Many ordinary martial artists in the audience who knew a few moves were boiling!