"Sword Mastery"
Lin Jiu crashed to the ground, clutching his pierced abdomen while letting out ragged cries. The Azure Righteous Sword flicked off its bloodstains and returned to Zhang Luan’s side.
*“That’s all you’ve got?”*
The taunt made Lin Jiu grit his teeth in fury. He pushed himself up with his sword—but before he could take two steps, blood gushed from his mouth. He collapsed, unconscious. His HP had plummeted to critical levels. Without immediate treatment, he’d bleed out fast.
*“Take him for treatment. Or don’t, if you hate him.”*
The young warriors fell silent after Lin Jiu’s defeat. He’d been among their strongest—yet felled in one strike. What chance did *they* stand?
Two of Lin Jiu’s comrades scrambled forward, hoisting him onto their backs and sprinting away. The others avoided Zhang Luan’s gaze, terrified he’d remember their earlier provocations.
Seeing no challengers left, Zhang Luan regretted ending it too quickly. He’d planned to grind quests using these fools. But that guy… was he really the future *Jade Rakshasa*? Zero combat sense. Just swinging his sword wildly overhead like an amateur.
Riddled with openings. One clean strike ended him. Pathetic.
*Sword Mastery* was formidable—speed and power both exceptional. Not as overwhelming as *Stellar Flame* or the *Force of Creation*, but still a high-tier skill.
*“No takers? You were all so eager to defy me earlier. Where’s that big talk now? Scaredy-cats?”*
Zhang Luan’s jeers met only silence. The youths dared not retort, fearing they’d be next to feel that sword pierce their guts. The loudest hecklers from before now shrank into the back, mute.
*“Then allow this humble one to spar with the Holy Son.”*
Zhang Luan’s eyes locked onto the speaker—the old warrior. He’d baited the youths precisely to draw *him* out. This man was their mentor. After players arrived, he’d become the most beloved NPC for Qi Warriors, freely teaching them skills.
What fun was crushing weaklings? True thrill lay in fighting the strong.
As Zhang Luan studied the elder, data flickered before his eyes:
**Name:** Yanat
**Race:** Human
**Level:** 33
**HP:** 110,000
**Qi:** 3,000
**ATK:** 100
**DEF:** 2,000
**Class:** Hypergravity Warrior
**Talents:**
【Gravity Armor】: +5% to all stats and +10% DEF per 10kg of equipped gear weight.
【Hypergravity Adaptation】: +45% movement/attack speed and +30% magic resistance in high-gravity zones.
**Skills:** 【Hypergravity Net】【Hypergravity Suppression】【Hypergravity Charge】【Hypergravity Shockwave】【Unmovable Mountain】...
Yanat dwarfed Elder Muhong in strength. His talents and skills made him a terrifying heavy warrior. Zhang Luan’s gaze lingered on two abilities:
【Hypergravity Net】: Creates a gravity field slowing all movement by 30% and increasing stagger chance by 10%.
【Unmovable Mountain】: Enters defensive stance—+100% DEF, +40% resistances, and heals 5% max HP per second for 5 seconds. 60s cooldown.
These skills crippled both burst and sustained damage dealers. But mistaking him for *just* a tank would be fatal. His other three skills—Charge, Suppression, Shockwave—dealt massive damage within the Net’s slowed zone, where hits landed effortlessly.
No wonder Yanat was the early-game Qi mentor. Formidable.
Even Zhang Luan found him tricky—but tricky didn’t mean unwinnable.
Yanat met Zhang Luan’s stare, solemn.
*“Holy Son, I am Yanat—Guardian Instructor of the Sacred Temple. The youth you defeated was my apprentice. He disrespected you; I apologize for him. But I must also seek redress for his injuries. Forgive my boldness.”*
A flawless speech. An apology for his disciple, yet a demand for justice. If the junior erred and no senior intervened, the junior was simply worthless.
But Lin Jiu *wasn’t* worthless. So Yanat stepped forward.
*“Fine. But sparring’s dull. Let’s wager something.”*
Yanat’s brow furrowed. He disliked gambling. Challenging the Holy Son already breached doctrine—he couldn’t afford another misstep.
*“What does the Holy Son wish to wager?”*
Zhang Luan tapped the Azure Righteous Sword at his side.
*“This Rare-grade blade. Sufficient stakes?”*
A ripple of shock ran through the youths behind Yanat. *Rare-grade?* They couldn’t believe Zhang Luan owned such gear.
Yanat had no choice but to accept. Refusing a Rare-grade wager would insult the Holy Son. After a pause, he pointed to the dark emerald gem embedded in his chestplate.
*“This gem is also Rare-grade. It reflects attacks. I offer it as my stake. Is it acceptable?”*
Zhang Luan shrugged. The wager was impulsive anyway.
**[D-Rank Quest 【Duel】 upgraded to B-Rank 【Wagered Duel】: Defeat Yanat. Reward scales with performance.]**
The quest update thrilled Zhang Luan. A B-Rank classification meant Yanat posed real danger.
But he had one fatal flaw: outside his Hypergravity Net, he’d be like a fish out of water.
Forcing him out of his domain *could* work—but it wasn’t optimal.
Yanat hefted a massive tower shield, gripping a battle-axe taller than a man. His voice held genuine warning:
*“Holy Son… be careful.”*
*“You should be.”*
Silence snapped.
BOOM! A thick wave of dark green energy erupted from Yanat, spreading into a pulsing gravity field.
He lunged—*now*!
