Wang Yigao thought this guy must have been kicked in the head by a donkey. It wasn't unheard of for people to win through Level-Skipping Combat, but those were all geniuses who also had Top-Level Techniques and the guidance of master teachers. Lin Ming was just a poor kid; he was lucky to have found even a low-level Cultivation Technique, and his talent was poor. 'And he still thinks he can beat me? Did he not get enough sleep last night? Is he sleepwalking?'
He asked with a mocking smile, "What do you propose?"
"If I win, I want two Centennial Blood Ginsengs, plus five hundred taels of gold!"
Two Centennial Blood Ginsengs, plus five hundred taels of gold! The onlookers clicked their tongues in astonishment. 'This kid is no pushover.' Two Blood Ginsengs were worth three hundred taels of gold, which brought the total to eight hundred taels. This was no small sum, but he'd have to be alive to collect it.
"Eight hundred taels of gold?" Wang Yigao snorted coldly. "Are you even worthy? Do you think your arms and legs are worth eight hundred taels of gold?"
In Tianyun Country, the status of nobles and commoners was completely unequal. Even if Wang Yigao accidentally killed someone, he would just be sentenced to confinement and then pay a compensation of only one hundred to two hundred taels of gold.
Lin Ming said slowly, "To a Martial Artist, their limbs are priceless. If you're not willing, I can forgo the gold. You can just cripple your own tendons and ligaments."
"Fuck! You're courting death!" Wang Yigao roared in anger and whipped out the Longsword at his waist.
Lin Ming's expression didn't change as he said, "You still haven't answered me."
"Hmph! It's just eight hundred taels of gold. So what if I give you one thousand taels? Will you be alive to take it? I'm going to cripple you right now. If I can't finish you in three moves, I'll write my name backward!"
Wang Yigao was utterly infuriated. Lin Ming rejoiced inwardly. 'He's even raising the stakes himself.' "Good," he said. "One thousand taels it is!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Wang Yigao was already slashing his sword at Lin Ming!
The sword carried a faint golden light, and the sharp sound of it cutting through the air could be heard dozens of meters away.
A Martial Skill!
A Combat Technique that used True Essence and physical strength to attack and kill an enemy was a Martial Skill. Wang Yigao's vicious threat to finish Lin Ming within three moves wasn't just a moment of anger; he had an ace up his sleeve—a Martial Skill! Only disciples of large families or a Martial Mansion had the opportunity to learn such Combat Techniques. Ordinary people had no way to learn them.
Once a Martial Skill was used, it was difficult for someone who didn't know any to resist. Especially since Wang Yigao and Lin Ming were separated by a whole Realm, there was no suspense. Wang Yigao was completely confident he could decide the match in a single blow. Saying it would be within three moves was just leaving himself some leeway in case of any accidents.
Wang Yigao had guessed correctly. To this day, Lin Ming had indeed never learned any Martial Skills. He could only use ordinary Techniques to face Wang Yigao's attack.
Everyone watching saw this move and thought the outcome was already decided. Lin Xiaodong's heart tightened. 'How can Lin Ming possibly block that sword strike!'
Lin Ming stared with absolute focus at Wang Yigao's descending sword. Ever since he began his Cultivation of the True Essence Technique from the Chaos Gang Fighting Scripture, his Perception had become several times sharper. In his eyes, Wang Yigao was now like a pouncing beast! In recent days, Lin Ming had dismembered countless beasts. Although those beasts were already dead, to dismember them, he still had to find the gaps between their tendons and bones, and his knife had to be fast, accurate, and ruthless!
In the instant Wang Yigao's Longsword came down, Lin Ming made his move. Without calculation or excessive thought, relying purely on instinct, his knife thrust upward diagonally, following a gap in Wang Yigao's Technique.
A sword strike with a sharp Sword Light met a knife thrust so plain it couldn't be plainer. Yet the result of the exchange was completely unexpected. Lin Ming sidestepped, dodging the edge of Wang Yigao's sword, and the knife in his hand stabbed into Wang Yigao's side from an unbelievable angle!
CLANG! Wang Yigao was struck by the knife and let out a muffled grunt. He was sent flying backward, tumbling through the air before crashing to the ground!
What just happened? The onlookers hadn't understood the secret behind that knife strike and were all stunned.
At that moment, a foot-long gash had been torn in Wang Yigao's clothes from his chest to his ribs, but there was no blood. Inside his clothes, something glinted with a faint silver light.
'Soft Armor?'
Lin Ming inwardly cursed his luck. Wang Yigao was wearing Soft Armor under his clothes. If not for that armor, the last strike would have robbed Wang Yigao of his ability to fight.
"You!" Wang Yigao was both shocked and furious, his eyes turning bloodshot with rage. He had actually been hit! Stabbed by someone with a lower Cultivation than him, and in front of everyone! This was something his pride absolutely could not accept.
"I'll kill you!"
Logically speaking, that last exchange should have counted as Wang Yigao's loss. But how could Wang Yigao, now at the height of his fury, possibly admit defeat? He once again swung his Longsword and slashed at Lin Ming!
He activated his Martial Skill again!
And Lin Ming was like an experienced Hunter, flawlessly identifying every weakness of the pouncing beast!
CLANG! The previous scene replayed itself. This time, a gash was torn on the right side of Wang Yigao's outer robe. As a result, his fine robe became a tattered vest hanging from his body.
The onlookers were dumbfounded. The result of this battle was unbelievable. How could this be happening? As the saying goes, an inch longer is an inch stronger. Wang Yigao's Longsword was much longer than Lin Ming's Bone-Stripping Dagger. Moreover, he knew a Martial Skill and had a higher Cultivation. But in a real fight, he was stabbed twice in a row by the same move—a move that looked completely unremarkable.
"That kid... His body speed and his knife speed are both faster than Wang Yigao's!" a Martial Artist in the crowd suddenly exclaimed. "For someone at the Body Cultivation First Layer to be faster than someone at the Body Cultivation Second Layer is truly extraordinary!"
Lin Ming's speed was indeed faster than Wang Yigao's, and by a significant margin. This was the effect of the Chaos Gang Fighting Scripture! Before cultivating this Cultivation Technique, Lin Ming's knife strikes were already extremely precise and his perception was very keen. But his speed and strength had been severely lacking, so it would have been impossible for him to defeat Wang Yigao of the Body Cultivation Second Layer.
But now, with the Chaos Gang Fighting Scripture, everything was different!
"AHHHH!" Wang Yigao was going insane. He ripped off his outer robe, revealing the silver Soft Armor underneath. 'I'm actually losing to a kid at the Body Cultivation First Layer! If I don't redeem myself today, I'll have no face to show in Tianyun City ever again!'
"I'll slaughter you!" Wang Yigao desperately channeled the True Essence in his body. The narrow, sharp edge of his sword shone with a light more brilliant than before as he aimed straight for Lin Ming's head. If this strike landed, Lin Ming would die instantly.
Yet at that moment, Lin Ming did something that astonished everyone. He threw away his dagger and faced his opponent empty-handed!
The onlookers didn't understand. Wang Yigao's strike was clearly a final, desperate gamble, infused with all his strength. Why would the kid throw away his Weapon at such a critical moment? 'The Attack Power of a Weapon is always greater than a fist, right? And in a crisis, it could at least be used to block the opponent's sword.'