Ban Ji’s expression was somewhat grim, unable to conceal his heavy heart.

Since the calculations for the ancestral fate’s crucial chain had already been made, Ban Ji had started preparing several years ago.

He had spent a great deal of time and effort diligently practicing two close-combat weapons, the saber and the sword, and also possessed commendable hand-to-hand combat skills.

All of this was for the upcoming Xingyun Xiaoshi of the Jiu Chong Xuanbing Jia.

For him, the Xuanbing Jia held far greater significance than for most people. It would be of immense help in overcoming each instance of his Xianzi attacks.

This was evident.

“The more bronze weapons I defeat now, the more they will all be my gain.”

“If I can reach nine in the second round, I will directly be in first place.”

“But this difficulty is too high. According to my calculations, my limit is a maximum of seven bronze weapons. I must reach the third round, seize the Xuanbing Jia from others, and collect nine to claim first place.”

First place was Ban Ji’s goal.

Even with body cultivators and martial cultivators of the Jindan level as competitors, Ban Ji had a great deal of confidence.

This was because most of the trials in the Xuanjia Cave restricted cultivation, greatly reducing the gap between Jindan and Zhuji stages, allowing for direct confrontation. If Qi Refining stage cultivators participated in the Xiaoshi, they would be empowered by formations. In short, the cultivators organizing the Xingyun Xiaoshi would reduce the gaps in cultivation and other aspects, striving to highlight the roles of martial arts and divine sense.

Ning Zhuo’s arrival put pressure on Ban Ji.

Ban Ji thought carefully: “The first two rounds are solo challenges, so I definitely have an advantage. I will only confront Ning Zhuo in the third round.”

“By then, I will surely teach Ning Zhuo a lesson he’ll never forget. I’ll seize all the Xuanbing Jia from him, helping me collect nine and become the first place winner!”

“Before that, I need to collect as many Xuanbing Jia as possible.”

Clearly, the more Xuanbing Jia a cultivator refined and mastered, the greater their advantage in the third round, and the more likely they were to win first place.

Ban Ji’s hope was to acquire bronze swords and bronze sabers in the initial few skirmishes. These were the weapons he was most skilled with and could perform combined saber-and-sword martial arts techniques, allowing him to fully display his personal combat prowess.

But now, he had already reached the third bronze weapon, and he hadn’t even seen a trace of a saber or sword.

“Actually, throwing knives also count as knives—what a load of nonsense!”

Ban Ji was quite frustrated and also puzzled.

“It shouldn’t be like this.”

“By common sense, sabers and swords are the most common weapons, so even if they appear randomly, their numbers should be the highest, the most frequently seen.”

It was precisely because of this that Ban Ji chose the saber and sword as his primary practice.

He looked at the throwing knife and chain hammer in his hands and was vexed. Both of these belonged to the category of unusual weapons. Then he looked at the eager-to-fight bludgeon in front of him, and he was even more speechless.

“I hope the fourth and fifth bronze weapons include a saber and a sword.”

“But the bronze weapons that appear in the second round get progressively harder.”

“I can’t fully utilize my combat power, so I won’t be able to make it to the later stages. My optimal limit is seven weapons, but I definitely won’t reach it this time.”

This meant Ban Ji only had three more opportunities: the fourth, fifth, and sixth.

Ning Zhuo faced the bronze saber.

The next moment, the saber’s edge cut through the air, thrusting directly at Ning Zhuo.

The trajectory of the saber tip was as straight as a ruler, clearly a standard thrust.

Ning Zhuo raised his wrist, and the bronze sword in his palm directly met it.

“Clang!” A crisp sound rang out, and sparks flew.

The tip of the bronze sword struck the tip of the saber with incredible precision.

Ning Zhuo himself didn’t have such pinpoint accuracy, but the basic sword techniques within the bronze sword helped him calibrate, causing every sword move he executed to be perfectly standard.

Although Ning Zhuo possessed the sword-fighting techniques of many cultivators, these were not his own.

There were many differences between these experiences and himself.

For example, physical qualities varied: some had longer arms, some were taller, some had more stamina, and some had greater strength.

Another example was differences in temperament. When facing the same moves, some preferred defense, some immediately considered evasion, while others used offense as defense.

So, experience was experience. For Ning Zhuo, there were situations where it didn’t perfectly fit.

At the same time, experiences also conflicted with each other.

This was why, for the cultivation he needed to transform and absorb, Ning Zhuo required time to digest this treasure.

Such practical combat was especially demanding.

In close combat, offense and defense switched extremely rapidly. A moment’s carelessness would create a flaw, leading to bitter defeat. Therefore, Ning Zhuo had to be fully focused, with no time to overthink. Often, his choices—whether to dodge, block, or prepare a counterattack—came from his heart, from his very nature.

This allowed him to quickly filter through the various options provided by experience.

A force of recoil traveled along the bronze sword to Ning Zhuo’s arm, and then to his shoulder.

Ning Zhuo quickly retreated.

The bronze sword moved ahead of Ning Zhuo, guiding his wrist to twist, channeling the recoil force out through the sword’s movement.

At the same time, it blocked the bronze saber’s second attack.

The bronze sword once again provided Ning Zhuo with crucial assistance.

If it were entirely up to Ning Zhuo, he definitely wouldn’t have been able to dodge the subsequent attacks of the bronze saber and would have surely been injured.

The bronze sword reacted autonomously in combat, extremely swiftly, making the correct response ahead of Ning Zhuo.

Such a response made Ning Zhuo remember it deeply, his eyes gleaming: “I’ve learned it!”

It was as if a teacher was personally guiding him in practical combat, allowing Ning Zhuo to gain something with every breath.

The bronze saber’s subsequent attack was deflected by the bronze sword.

The blade followed the momentum, moving close to the ground, changing from a thrust to a sweep, aiming at Ning Zhuo’s ankle. The transition between saber moves was seamless, without any delay.

Ning Zhuo’s pupils contracted slightly, and in a rush, he could only jump back again, pulling his leg up.

He jumped a bit hastily, bending at the waist in mid-air, leaning his upper body forward, causing the bronze sword to whip up a brief sword screen for defense.

The bronze sword assisted in calibration, helping Ning Zhuo barely deflect this insidious saber sweep.

However, a thin cut appeared on his trouser leg, and the hairs on Ning Zhuo’s calf stood on end, feeling a chilling coolness.

Before he could steady himself, the bronze saber pounced, clinging to him like a leech.

The blade continuously hacked, forming a combo.

Wave-Breaking Triple Saber!

The first strike was incredibly heavy. Ning Zhuo parried with his sword, his arm shaking violently and going numb, forcing him to retreat repeatedly.

The second strike, changing from a direct chop to an upward slash, the blade flickered like a venomous snake’s tongue, cutting at Ning Zhuo from an tricky angle. Ning Zhuo had been forced to raise his hand after blocking, exposing his left ribs.

Seeing that he was about to be struck, Ning Zhuo could only twist his body awkwardly, the spine of the saber narrowly grazing his waist.

“Rip!” Fabric tore, and a line of blood appeared on the skin of his waist, cut by the blade.

The third strike, changing from a slash to a thrust, using the momentum of the twisting and turning, rapidly jabbed at his right shoulder.

Because Ning Zhuo twisted to dodge, his center of gravity was unstable, making it difficult to dodge this time.

The next moment, blood sprayed, and a large, bone-deep gash appeared on his right shoulder.

Ning Zhuo quickly switched the bronze sword to his left hand, and his sword dance became swift, unleashing his full power.

Under the guidance of the bronze sword, a series of defensive moves—swinging, blocking, deflecting, and thrusting—were executed perfectly, blocking the bronze saber’s subsequent attacks.

But intense pain constantly radiated from his right shoulder, and blood quickly stained Ning Zhuo’s robes.

Ning Zhuo felt it profoundly: “The bronze sword only offers basic sword moves, but with the bronze saber, it’s a level higher. Not only are they basic saber moves, but they are faster, more fluid between moves, and even include combos!”

Just now, it was a small combo formed by three basic saber moves.

Chop, slash, and thrust were interlinked, strength layered upon strength, the rhythm suddenly shifting, anticipating Ning Zhuo’s response and thus causing damage.

Ning Zhuo felt as if he was hit by three consecutive waves, giving him no chance to catch his breath.

The wound on his right shoulder had already stopped bleeding on its own.

The intense pain from the saber wound was also rapidly subsiding.

Ning Zhuo’s eyes gleamed, and the various experiences in his memory came alive because of the profound experience he had just undergone.

The images of many demonic cultivators using saber moves, and confronting saber moves, assaulted his mind at this moment, superimposing upon each other and bringing him an indescribably powerful insight.

Time continued to flow. After enduring the most difficult initial skirmishes, Ning Zhuo stabilized his footing.

His close-combat sword techniques quickly adapted to a stronger opponent, helping Ning Zhuo fight back and forth.

A scene similar to before once again unfolded before the cultivators.

“He’s learning in actual combat again!”

“His progress is truly visible to the naked eye.”

“I understand!” A cultivator suddenly exclaimed, striking his palm with his fist, “That’s why he won first place in two Confucian cultivation Xiaoshi. It must be this powerful learning ability of his!”

These words immediately resonated with many.

“Indeed. Chu Xuangui’s Xiaoshi was about imitation, and Confucian scholars who had a greater grasp of calligraphy were at a disadvantage.”

“And Song Taosheng directly taught the two spells of ‘suspending head from beam, pricking thigh with awl’ in the Wen Miao, both of which are learning methods, perfect for Ning Zhuo to showcase his abilities.”

Some cultivators also noticed his physique.

“His physical foundation is very strong. I’ve rarely seen such a powerful physique at the Zhuji stage.”

“I think, besides primarily cultivating the Five Elements cultivation method, he must also cultivate the lower Dantian’s Jinghai. Or even, he’s putting on a facade, primarily cultivating Jinghai and secondarily cultivating Qihai!”

Some cultivators nodded, while others shook their heads.

“That possibility cannot be ruled out.”

“Ning Zhuo has a strong background. A genius like him, even if he doesn’t primarily cultivate Jinghai, must have ample means and secret techniques to help him further enhance his physical foundation, though at a high cost.”

“You can imagine people like Situ Xing and Ban Ji; they are the faces of major powers at the Zhuji stage. Aspects not covered by their primary cultivation methods will also be enhanced with various secret techniques, albeit at a high cost.”

As the crowd discussed, Ning Zhuo suddenly lunged forward, the tip of his sword striking the bronze saber, directly knocking it to the ground.

This was a golden opportunity to subdue it, but Ning Zhuo did not seize it. Instead, he took a step back, continued to hold his sword, and stood ready.

When the cultivators saw this, some immediately sighed: “Here we go again! Ning Zhuo isn’t tense at all; he’s still learning here. If this continues, he’s sure to end up in last place.”

Others, however, saw Ning Zhuo’s intention: “I actually think he made the right choice. Imagine if he had quickly refined the bronze sword when he faced it. Would his close-combat strength have improved? He probably would have been defeated by the small combo when facing the bronze saber just now.”

Someone interjected: “This is indeed a steady approach. As a first-rate genius, Ning Zhuo has his own ideas.”

“But if he continues like this, he won’t catch up with the others, and it’s very likely that he’ll be eliminated in the second round because he runs out of time.”

“Sigh, I hope he knows what he’s doing.”

Although the cultivators had just met Ning Zhuo, they had a natural liking for such a righteous individual. At the same time, they were even more eager to witness the confrontation between Ning Zhuo and Ban Ji; missing such an exciting event would truly be a pity.

Ning Zhuo was engrossed in learning through practical combat, while the cultivators at the same Zhuji stage as him were widening the gap.

Zhang Wangxing faced a bronze saber, laughing heartily, completely fearless.

He patted his chest: “Come on, cut me!”

The bronze saber struck his body, and his body was like soft mud, as if it had no bones, directly collapsing and then tightly enveloping the bronze saber.

The bronze saber’s momentum was exhausted, and it tried to pull back.

Zhang Wangxing directly gripped the saber handle with both hands, holding it firmly. At the same time, his arms melted, forming flowing flesh that covered the blade.

The bronze saber struggled to resist, thrusting and withdrawing within Zhang Wangxing’s body.

Puff, puff, puff—

Zhang Wangxing’s face was pale as he endured repeated sharp pains, but his grin widened, and he laughed even more wildly.

The bronze saber’s attacks quickly diminished, and soon, it was refined by Zhang Wangxing.

Zhang Wangxing primarily cultivated the Xue Rou Duobian Jing, deeply controlling his own flesh and blood, allowing it to undergo various incredible and drastic deformations, while also shifting bones and internal organs.

“The Xingyun Xiaoshi of the Jiu Chong Xuanbing Jia is nothing more than this! Hahaha!”

Zhang Wangxing obtained three bronze weapons in a row, surpassing Ban Ji’s progress and taking the lead among the Zhuji cultivators present.

Wave-Breaking Triple Saber!

The bronze saber’s momentum surged again, unleashing its small combo.

Ning Zhuo’s gaze was focused; instead of retreating, he advanced. The bronze sword trembled slightly, slashing diagonally upward to meet the heavily chopping first strike.

“Zheng—!”

Amidst the ear-piercing clang, Ning Zhuo did not retreat. The bronze sword in his hand grazed the saber’s body at a subtle angle.

The feedback force reached Ning Zhuo’s arm and shoulder. Ning Zhuo fully absorbed it, and then, seizing the moment, executed a sword move to deflect the bronze saber’s power.

The interval between the exhaustion of the first strike and the beginning of the second strike of the “Wave-Breaking Triple Saber” was seized by Ning Zhuo, directly disrupting it!

A bright light burst forth in Ning Zhuo’s eyes. The bronze sword moved swiftly, forcing the bronze saber to retreat step by step. Just as it tried to resist, Ning Zhuo deflected its force, leaving the saber twisted and weak like a child, completely devoid of its previous powerful appearance.

The bronze saber fell to the ground; this was the thirty-second time.

Unlike before, Ning Zhuo stepped on the bronze saber, injecting a large amount of divine sense and magical power, directly refining it.

Ning Zhuo bent down and picked up the bronze saber.

Saber in left hand, sword in right!

His breathing, which had been rapid, slowed down.

Sweat trickled down his temples, dripping onto the saber and sword.

He couldn’t help but think of Ban Ji: “Can I also emulate Ban Ji, performing combined saber and sword techniques? That way, I’ll have another means to intercept him in the future.”

Elsewhere.

Ban Ji dragged the bronze bludgeon, walking forward with a gloomy expression: “Saber! Sword!”

What appeared before him was a nunchaku.

“I…”

Ban Ji’s eye twitched continuously, his face flushing red.

He was infuriated.