Chapter Seventy-Four: The Ninefold Whirlpool

Immediately after, Duan Xingyun appeared high in the sky, the Star Sand Azure Dragon Ring shining at its brightest. He looked down to see Fang Ping standing on the ground, seemingly exhausted, which filled him with delight. With a wave of his hand, the star sand surrounding his body swept down to envelop Fang Ping. To be safe, he ascended several more yards, as if standing atop the clouds—lofty and unapproachable—like a high official surveying the masses beneath him.

"Go!"

He threw down a small, round magical artifact that radiated a golden light. Though not large, it left a profound impression. Especially when the light around the artifact faded slightly, all who saw it were struck speechless. People have an innate sense for treasures; though they couldn't discern the artifact's exact level, their exclamations of shock made their amazement clear.

"Is that... the Golden Hoop of Wishes?" Liu Tao asked in disbelief. He had heard of this artifact, but only in legends—such treasures would never appear in a place as humble as Nine Rocks Town.

Mysteriously, Xuan Xingzi only smiled, but the excitement flickering in his eyes confirmed that Liu Tao was correct.

"Senior Brother Xuan Xingzi, isn’t this a bit much?" Fang Chuhan could no longer contain himself and exploded with rage. The Golden Hoop of Wishes was also a white Nether artifact; once thrown, it could ensnare a person, shrink, and clamp down mercilessly—especially if it trapped someone's head, it could crush the very brain from their skull. Once ensnared, unless one wished to die, there was no escape except to pray inwardly. Understanding this, Fang Chuhan was furious. "Duan Xingyun and Xue Qiming may be strong, but they’re not worthy of wielding such Nether artifacts. By giving these to them, you’re blatantly cheating!"

Though everyone felt a trace of indignation at Xuan Xingzi’s actions, none dared say it aloud. Fang Chuhan’s words changed the atmosphere at once. Wang Yu and Liu Tao, the weakest among the four great families, immediately chose neutrality, not daring to speak further; Jiang Yuehai, elder and respected, frowned deeply and chided, "Don’t be angry, Master Fang. Everyone knows the Langya Guild’s strength. If Senior Brother Xuan Xingzi wants to bestow treasures on his disciples, all we can do is look on with envy—how could we object? Besides, if we had such treasures, we’d likely give them to our own disciples as well. Let’s keep the peace—a contest shouldn’t harm harmony."

Xuan Xingzi did not respond, but his taut face betrayed how angry he was. Clearly, had Fang Chuhan spoken one word further out of turn, Xuan Xingzi might well have struck him.

"Yes, brother, harmony above all," Fang Yichen interjected with a mocking smile. He held Fang Chuhan’s actions in contempt. The four great families appeared imposing, but in truth, they constantly endured the Langya Guild’s pressure. To provoke the Guild at this moment was like drawing fire upon oneself—nothing good would come of it.

Fang Chuhan was about to retort, veins bulging on his forehead, but just then, Fang Ping’s actions drew everyone’s attention, unwittingly averting a clash among these titans.

Duan Xingyun’s Golden Hoop of Wishes was a treasure, but not for defense, nor could it attack like a flying sword or staff. Though a white Nether artifact, it needed to catch an opponent unawares; otherwise, it could be dodged or blocked, making it difficult to use. It was a specialized tool.

Yet now, Duan Xingyun believed Fang Ping had nearly exhausted his Nether power escaping the star sand and was in the midst of recovery. Using the Golden Hoop at this moment would be, if not a guaranteed hit, at least a near certainty.

"The outcome is decided."

So Duan Xingyun thought, his gaze already searching for his next target.

But suddenly, the situation shifted!

At that very instant, surges of powerful Nether energy erupted from Fang Ping, forming two mighty hands of swirling force. Each hand shaped its fingers into a sword, like two daggers, stabbing fiercely at Duan Xingyun and the Golden Hoop, seizing the artifact in an unyielding grip.

Fang Ping then channeled his Nether energy, which whirled around him, lifting him aloft. Countless threads of power shot out, weaving into a tightly knit, impenetrable net that sprang up and ensnared Duan Xingyun.

From his lips, one could discern the name of this move: "Fishing Net."

A crude name, but for an assassin like Fang Ping, names were mere labels—as long as the technique killed, it sufficed. This was his first time unleashing such a large-scale Nether technique, and it made everyone’s eyes light up. They began to wonder: would Fang Ping next strike for a lethal blow as before, or would he, like Jiang Feng and Duan Xingyun, wield something both dazzling and effective?

Fang Ping soon answered them with action.

His body vanished once more. Trapped in the great net of Nether power, Duan Xingyun was seized by panic. He tried to evade, but his face changed dramatically, contorted in an expression of terror so out of character that all watching felt it did not belong on him.

“Duan Xingyun is afraid!” Xuan Xingzi’s heart skipped a beat, unease welling up within him. Without thinking, he sprang from his seat.

Duan Xingyun flailed helplessly, entirely forgetting his own Nether techniques. Like prey caught in a hunter’s snare, he lost all reliance on skill and resorted only to primal struggling. Yet even if he used his best Nether arts, he could not break this net. The harder he fought, the tighter it drew, pressing against his skin. And what was his specialty? Star Sand Burst. If he tried that here, his own body would be obliterated before the net could be broken.

A cold sensation pressed to his throat—he couldn’t tell if it was Fang Ping’s dagger or the chill it summoned. All he knew was that death was close at hand. Despite so long in the Starlight Soul Array, he had not grown much. Disappointment filled his heart, and closing his eyes in regret, he prepared to meet his end.

"Xuan Xingzi!" Fang Chuhan cried out.

Duan Xingyun waited several heartbeats. If it had been anyone else, he might have waited longer, but Fang Ping was a killer—these few moments felt like an eternity. Unable to wait, he opened his eyes—and was astonished. "Master!"

Before him stood Xuan Xingzi.

"Fang Ping, your tactics are too ruthless. If you continue like this, you’ll strangle all hope for Nine Rocks Town’s future," Xuan Xingzi declared, his hand aglow with faint light, within which rested Fang Ping’s dagger!

Fang Ping trembled, trying to wrench his dagger free, but it was as if nailed into that glowing aura—utterly immovable. Angrily, he looked up into Xuan Xingzi’s deep, hollow eyes, and fear seized him. His body went rigid, paralyzed in midair.

"No wonder they say the disciples of the Langya Guild are privileged," Fang Chuhan sneered. "Faced with danger, they have their masters to save them. Look at all those Nether practitioners Fang Ping has slain—Xuan Xingzi never even blinked, as if their lives meant nothing." He was not worried that Xuan Xingzi would actually kill Fang Ping. This was only a tournament; if Xuan Xingzi killed him, he’d lose all standing in both the Guild and Nine Rocks Town.

Jiang Yuehai, however, sympathized with the Guild. "What elder does not protect his own? Master Fang, are you saying that if Fang Ping tried to kill Duan Xingyun, Xuan Xingzi should not intervene? May I ask: if Fang Ping were the one being killed, would you just stand by and watch your descendant die?"

His meaning was plain—if Fang Chuhan held fast to his argument, Fang Ping’s true identity would be clear: not a Fang family descendant. That would damage the Fang family’s status and reputation in Nine Rocks Town, lowering their ranking among the four great houses.

Jiang Yuehai’s words left Fang Chuhan speechless.

"A true master of the Jiang family—growing more fearsome with age. In this tournament, the Fang, Wang, and Liu families have all lost some standing, but the Jiang family has advanced steadily, perhaps even rising in prestige."

Fang Yichen placed his palms together, his expression solemn, but his words were venomous: "Patriarch Jiang, I disagree. In the face of rules, personal feelings should not exist. If we all acted as you suggest, wouldn’t this competition descend into chaos?"

Jiang Yuehai snorted but said nothing more.

Suddenly, a flash of light—and Xuan Xingzi appeared, Duan Xingyun in his grasp.

"Haha, Senior Brother Xuan Xingzi’s skills are truly extraordinary. I didn’t even see him move," said Fang Yichen, currying favor with a sycophantic smile.

Xuan Xingzi had worried that his blatant favoritism would earn the scorn of the other patriarchs, but Fang Yichen’s quick flattery gave him a graceful way out. His dark expression lightened, and he replied humbly, "Merely a minor trick, not worth mentioning."

Fang Yichen nodded, hands together, his gaze resting on Duan Xingyun. "Young Master Duan’s cultivation is truly exquisite. Though eliminated, in my eyes, he’s still the champion of this tournament!"

Hypocrisy, in all its glory, was perfectly embodied by Fang Yichen.

Duan Xingyun clearly wanted nothing to do with him. He snorted, turning away, "Thank you, but a loss is a loss. It’s just that Fang Ping’s Nether techniques are vicious and cunning—he doesn’t fight like one of our own generation. To me, he seems more like..."

"Xingyun!" Xuan Xingzi interrupted sharply, shooting him a fierce glare. "No wild speculation. Nephew Fang Ping has been training abroad; naturally, he is different from you."

Duan Xingyun wanted to argue, but seeing his master’s forbidding look, he swallowed his words and suppressed his doubts. Then he suddenly recalled something urgent: "Master, what about Jiang Feng? Has he been eliminated?"

Had he not asked, the others might have forgotten about Jiang Feng entirely.

Xuan Xingzi paused, shook his head, "Not yet, I think. Let’s see what’s happening."

They quickly turned their attention to Jiang Feng and Xue Qiming’s duel—and were all stunned.

Jiang Feng had burst free from a massive block of ice, his Nether energy now even more abundant than at the tournament’s start, and his movements far faster than before. He seemed to have unleashed all his potential, like one who had swallowed tiger bone or wolf’s blood.

Nether energy poured endlessly from the Ninefold Chainblade within him, while Jiang Feng’s expression remained calm, almost statue-like—so cold and expressionless that outsiders thought he had lost his senses. Only those close to him knew he was searching for the hidden Nether technique within the Ninefold Chainblade.

Finally, just as Xue Qiming’s Wishful Heaven Staff swept toward him, Jiang Feng’s eyes flashed, and he looked up in excitement.

The Twenty-fifth Shadow Dance Soul-shattering Step came as a reflex, his speed matching even Fang Ping’s earlier display. Jiang Feng’s quickness was pure speed, without the eerie quality of Fang Ping’s. Though Fang Ping’s seemed more extraordinary, insiders knew that Jiang Feng’s speed was the more advanced and difficult to achieve—for often, the simplest moves are the hardest to master.

Dodging several strikes in a row, Jiang Feng finally stopped fleeing, summoned all his Nether energy, and forced his way through the barriers of the Ninefold Chainblade within.

One by one, the obstacles in his body gave way, his muscles bulging and then bursting, Nether energy from the blade fusing forcibly with his flesh. Jiang Feng stood up straight, body shaking, muscles writhing like serpents, swelling outward and sending shockwaves that sent nearby stones whirling through the air. This was pure muscle force, no Nether energy required. Yet in the next instant, the Nether power swelling inside him broke through his apertures and poured out madly.

His blood and energy cycled like a raging river, a faint Nether power reaching his mind—he knew then that a new Nether technique was about to emerge.

Ha!

With a sudden shout, he condensed his Nether power into a giant hand and slammed it into the ground.

Instantly, a handprint the size of three or four sheets of paper appeared on the earth, and Jiang Feng felt his power surge once more!

At that moment, Liu Tao, head of the Liu family, cried out in shock, "The Ninefold Vortex?!"