Chapter 75

## Chapter 75. Astonishing Talent

Gongsun Shou completely relaxed, thinking the sparring match was over. The spectators watching also felt the same.

No one there had expected that the young boy would not admit defeat and attack from behind.

“Gaaaah!”

“Huh!”

Gongsun Shou hastily turned around and swung his wooden sword.

However, he was no match for the young boy's full-force double palm strike.

Crack!

The wooden sword broke, and Gongsun Shou was sent flying, spitting blood from his mouth.

The young boy did not stop there.

“Despicable old man! I'll kill you!”

With bloodshot eyes, the young boy pulled out a dagger from his robes and lunged at Gongsun Shou, who was spitting blood. He had completely lost his senses.

“Die!”

The people around the sparring platform screamed in unison.

“What a lunatic!”

“Someone, stop him!”

At that moment, two people simultaneously leaped onto the sparring platform.

The one who arrived first knocked the young boy's dagger away.

Clang!

The young boy, who was pushed back, looked at his opponent.

Wei Jitian was gritting his teeth, glaring at the young boy.

“What are you doing?!”

“Hah. You dare to stop me?”

A sneer formed on the young boy's lips.

Wei Jitian's hand, which held the sword, was visibly trembling. He was undoubtedly terrified.

“I'll kill you if you don't move right now!”

The young boy, roaring savagely, charged like a wild beast released from its cage.

“Forgive me...”

Wei Jitian's face, which usually looked innocent and a bit timid like a country boy, suddenly showed a cold smile.

“Do you really think you can kill someone?”

“This brat!”

At that moment, Wei Jitian vanished from the young boy's field of vision.

“What?!”

The young boy frantically looked around for his suddenly disappeared opponent.

A cold voice came from right behind him.

“If you're ready to kill someone, you should also be prepared to die, right?”

“Gaaaah!”

Startled, the young boy wildly swung his dagger.

Swish, swish, swish, swish!

The sword qi cut through the air, creating dozens of afterimages.

However, Wei Jitian was already gone.

Thud!

After dodging all the attacks, Wei Jitian leaped up.

He twisted his body in mid-air, spinning like a somersault, and pointed his head downward.

Their eyes met in mid-air.

Only Wei Jitian's eyes were smiling.

“Now it's my turn, right?”

In Wei Jitian's transparent eyes, the young boy's terrified face was reflected.

“D-Damn...”

Before the young boy could finish his sentence, the trajectory of Wei Jitian's sword cut through his left arm.

Swoosh!

Blood splattered into the air, followed by a scream.

“Gaaaah! My arm! My aaaaarm!”

The young boy, whose left arm was severed, screamed.

Wei Jitian slowly walked toward him, chuckling.

“I left your right arm. Then you can keep fighting, right?”

“H-Hic! Hic!”

The sudden hiccups wouldn't stop.

The Wei Jitian standing in front of the young boy was not the boy he had underestimated.

“S-Spare me, spare me...”

Thud.

The young boy, who was backing away, finally fell on his bottom, his face covered in tears and snot. His pants were soaked.

Many people were watching his pitiful state, but he couldn't care less right now.

‘I, I'm going to die.’

The young boy instinctively knew.

He would die at the hands of the death god approaching him.

He would be too terrified to resist.

The only thing he could do was bow his head and beg for mercy.

“Please spare me...”

“No.”

Wei Jitian ignored the young boy's trembling plea and approached him.

‘Kill him.’

The sword in his heart whispered to the boy.

He had a good reason to kill him for harming someone precious to him.

‘Kill him.’

There was no hesitation in killing.

He had killed enough to be familiar with it.

‘Kill him!’

Wei Jitian followed the sword's voice.

“Die.”

He didn't think about anything else.

With the intent to deliver a fatal blow, he swung his sword.

At that moment.

“Stop!”

Clang!

Wei Jitian was pushed back several steps by the strong resistance from his sword.

“Ah...”

His concentration was disrupted, and the voice of the sword disappeared. His momentarily dazed mind cleared up.

“I told you to stop. Didn't you hear me?”

Nangong Shu, who had drawn his sword, stood in front of Wei Jitian with a stern expression.

A moment ago, the palm of his hand holding the sword that deflected Wei Jitian's attack was tingling.

‘Where did such a monster come from...’

Of course, he didn't use his full strength. Otherwise, it would have been a counterattack, not just a defense.

Still, he thought he had applied enough force to make Wei Jitian drop his sword...

‘Just pushing him back is all I could do.’

Nangong Shu felt goosebumps at Wei Jitian's overwhelming talent.

But talent is just talent.

If not properly honed under a competent master, it will wither.

Nangong Shu looked at Wei Jitian with unhidden greed in his eyes.

“A martial artist has lost an arm. Isn't this enough?”

“Why...”

“Who taught you swordsmanship? Do you want to learn properly from me...”

“A! Master!”

“...”

Ignoring Nangong Shu's words, Wei Jitian immediately ran to Gongsun Shou.

Gongsun Shou, who had just regained consciousness, was sitting with a pale face.

Wei Jitian approached him with a face that looked like he was about to cry and helped him up.

“Are you okay? Does it hurt a lot?”

“Haha... It's bearable. Thanks to you, I got to see a good show. Jitian, you... are really strong.”

Gongsun Shou forced a smile despite the pain. Blood was trickling from the corner of his mouth.

“Rely on me. I'll take you to a doctor right away.”

Wei Jitian, who had been acting like a bloodthirsty sword demon, returned to his usual self. He carefully helped Gongsun Shou off the sparring platform.

“Wait! Let us through!”

The spectators, who had just seen the boy wield his sword, hurriedly moved aside to make way.

Murmurs.

“Wei Jitian...”

“Wasn't his name Wei Jitian?”

“Is that kid taking the entrance exam with us?”

“He's a complete monster...”

People whispered in shock.

By the next day, rumors about the boy named Wei Jitian would surely stir the Qinglong Academy.

“Wei Jitian...”

Nangong Shu stood on the sparring platform, watching until Wei Jitian's figure disappeared.

“M-Master...”

Turning his head, he saw the young boy applying pressure to his severed arm, his face pale and terrified.

“I'm sorry. I got too excited during the sparring and...”

Crack!

The young boy rolled on the ground after being slapped.

Everyone was startled by the sound, but Nangong Shu didn't care about their gazes.

“Pathetic.”

“Ugh...”

The young boy, with his head bowed, trembled.

Some people felt pity for him, being slapped by his master with one arm severed, but most looked at him with even colder eyes than Nangong Shu.

“You didn't accept the result of the sparring and tried to kill your opponent from behind. If this had happened within a sect, you would have no excuse for having your limbs' tendons cut and your dantian sealed, leading to your expulsion.”

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!”

The young boy, whose face had turned pale, prostrated himself and begged. He finally realized what he had done.

Nangong Shu looked down at the trembling back of his head and said coldly.

“Be grateful that you're still young and inexperienced. You should consider yourself lucky that it ended with just one arm.”

“Yes...”

Gritting his teeth, the young boy barely answered, but his eyes, still bowed, were burning with anger.

Seeing what he was thinking, a deep frown appeared on Nangong Shu's forehead.

‘I thought I'd try to cultivate him because of his talent...’

This one is also a failure.

All interest in the young boy disappeared from Nangong Shu's eyes.

He ordered Nangong Shi and Jin Jin, who were standing behind the young boy.

“Take him to the doctor. We'll deal with the punishment later.”

“Yes.”

The two bowed and dragged the young boy away.

“Tsk...”

Nangong Shu's expression was far from satisfied as he watched his disciples leave.

They all had outstanding talent, but they fell short of Nangong Shu's standards.

‘For the first time, I envy Baisu Long.’

The image of Wei Jitian, who had surprised him with a single sword strike, kept flashing in his mind.

Along with it, the image of Baisu Long, who had annoyingly smiled and said,

- Mr. Nangong, if I win, how about I take over one of your classes this semester?

“Damn.”

Nangong Shu muttered a curse and turned away.