Chapter 478: Sparring Min Ling

Chapter 478: Sparring Min Ling

Jack floated in space. The Death Boat floated to the side, a looming behemoth, while the Bone Belt surrounded them in all directions, partially hiding the stars beyond. On a careful glance, Jack noticed this wasn’t the same part of the Bone Belt they’d been at before. The Death Boat had moved since his breakthrough. It made sense—he’d raised quite a ruckus.

“Ready when you are,” his opponent called out. She raised her spear, pointing it straight at his nose. Red lightning danced on its tip. She grinned. The crowd cheered.

Min Ling was a pale-skinned, dark-haired woman Jack had first met while training at the Cathedral. They’d been C-Grades then, with her being at the very top of the rankings. Despite that, she was not an asshole—a stark difference from many other cultivators.

The two of them had adventured together in the Green Dragon Realm and spent three years meditating in a cave. They were good friends.

Now, they had both reached the early B-Grade. Their once-uneven cultivations had caught up, and any clash between them would depend entirely on talent. That was what Min Ling wanted. She didn’t think she could win, but she was a warrior. Facing the unprecedented genius of Jack Rust, she wanted to see how she stacked up. Her anticipation was through the roof. She’d never been more excited.

So was the crowd. They also didn’t doubt the conclusion of this spar, but who would miss the opportunity to see two great talents go head-to-head?

Who would miss Jack Rust’s first battle since entering the B-Grade?

Jack smiled. “Prepare yourself, Min Ling. Here I come.”

“No need to warn me! And, just so you know, I will be going all-out. If I accidentally kill you, it’s your fault.”

He laughed. “You can try your—”

The spear point was between his eyes. Power blasted out of Jack, slowing her down just enough to let him duck, dodging the strike. It zipped over his head, unleashing a straight thurst which penetrated the entire Bone Belt for a thousand miles. Rock and dust went flying. Space frothed like water currents.

Jack narrowed his eyes. That was fast!

His already clenched fist shot out, faster than Min Ling’s spear. A cage of sparks appeared to block it. Intense lightning snaked into his body through his arm, trying to paralyze him or slow him down, but he easily shook it off. His fist kept going, smashing into Min Ling and sending her flying. She’d barely managed to block with the body of her spear.

“Again!” she shouted. Her body blurred. Three Min Lings spread across space, each moving in a different trajectory. They flew in a complex pattern. Even Jack’s accelerated perception couldn’t differentiate them.

This wasn’t just an application of Space Dao, but more of her extreme speed. Even Jack had to admit that, on this subject, he was outmatched.

But speed was just one facet of battle.

He also blurred. Two Jacks appeared, smashing into the three Min Lings. Spears met fists. By this point, Jack’s knuckles were hard enough to clash directly against the tip of her spear. They were by far the most tempered part of his body.

Blows rained from either side. The two Jacks and three Min Lings maneuvered around each other. It was a spectacular sight.

“Look, she’s winning!” an audience member cried breathlessly.

“No, you idiot. Can’t you see he’s pushing her back?” another replied.

Though there were two Jacks and three Min Lings, in truth, it didn’t matter at all. Jack didn’t practice this technique. He was purposely matching her strong attribute with his weak one, but even that wasn’t enough. As the two sides struggled, Min Ling was pushed further and further back. She was faster than Jack, but not enough to secure an advantage. Meanwhile, he was stronger, more durable, with deeper insights into the Dao, and with significantly more energy at his disposal thanks to his larger inner world.

Jack burst with power. The feeling was almost ecstatic. He no longer needed to use the ambient Dao as he did in the D and C-Grades. It flooded out of him, an exorbitant amount of energy perfectly attuned with his Dao. It filled every spot of his body with firecrackers. This power was so explosive, so potent, that he moved at the speed of thought. His punches cracked out. Starry purple aura flowed outside his limbs, splashing back every time he attacked. To the spectators, he looked like a god.

Min Ling was a boat in a storm, struggling just to stay afloat. She fell into a defensive position. “Hah!” she shouted, her joy evident, as she pulled back to disengage. Her form-fitting leather armor was torn at places—her hair was disheveled, and she was panting, but her eyes remained spirited.

“You’re good, Jack!” she shouted. “I’ve never lost to someone at the same cultivation level, and I don’t plan to start now!”

Jack turned and gave the man a thumbs-up. Starhair snorted.

“Good fight,” Min Ling said, appearing in front of Jack. “I lost fair and square. It was my honor.” She extended a hand.

Jack looked into her eyes and shook it. “The honor was all mine,” he replied. “You fought well. It wasn’t as easy as it seemed.”

The crowd erupted in cheers. Unlike most of Jack’s battles, there weren’t any bad feelings involved here. It was just a wholesome show.

She stuck out a tongue. “Liar. You didn’t use a single skill.”

“Thunder Body is a skill.”

“Yeah, but you only used it for show.”

He winked. “Really though. It seemed I was just dodging everything back there, but it was pushing me to the limit. You are by far the strongest opponent I have ever faced at the same level.”

“I’m not as great as you make me out to be,” she said. “Spoon once lowered his cultivation level to the early B-Grade and sparred with me. He completely kicked my ass.”

“Really?” Jack felt a sudden interest.

“Yeah. But, he already told me he won’t do that for you. He wants to fight you at full power once you reach his level.”

“Who says I haven’t?”

She laughed. “Trust me, Jack. He’s a whole different beast. When he reached eight thousand miles during his breakthrough, it was because he had an accident mid-way. The Elders thought he could have gone higher. Much higher.”

Jack turned his head to the side. Sovereign Heavenly Spoon sat there, calmly sipping on his tea. They crossed eyes. “I’m ready whenever, big guy,” Jack messaged him. Spoon smiled and ignored him. Jack smiled.

Sovereign Heavenly Spoon had been the Head Envoy of the Black Hole Church since he was at the middle B-Grade. That meant he was the strongest B-Grade around. Now that he’d reached the late B-Grade and was approaching the peak level... Just how strong could he be?

Jack felt a rare hint of excitement rising inside him. He really looked forward to fighting that man. Of course, if Spoon didn’t feel like it, he couldn’t force it.

“Next time,” the sovereign’s reply finally reached Jack’s mind, and he nodded, satisfied.

“Next time.”

“Jack,” a new voice came. It was Elder Boatman’s, though it sounded oddly weakened. “Come to the throne room. It’s almost time for you to go.”

Jack looked around. Besides his master, he didn’t have anything tying him down to the Death Boat. Dorman, who’d arrived here alongside Jack, had already left to join the front lines. Even the Spoon Squad would depart soon. He turned his gaze to the Sage, who was sitting there as if untouched by anything.

A clone of Enas... Jack thought. He shook his head. Whatever was going on there was beyond his current paygrade. Once the time came for him to be involved, hopefully things would become clear.

He looked back at Min Ling. “I gotta go,” he said. “I’ll see you around?”

She smiled. “You bet.”

The two exchanged a hug, then he teleported away.