# Chapter 27: The Battle of Peak Geniuses
"Jian Meng'er, get up here!"
The cold, explosive shout, still carrying an echo, rang out across the training grounds again and again, lingering for a long time.
Below the high platform, the peerlessly beautiful girl in snow-white clothes abruptly raised her head at this moment. With a single step, she swept up onto the high platform.
Two figures stood facing each other on the high platform, less than ten meters apart. Their two towering battle intents collided fiercely and head-on at this moment.
The longsword behind Jian Wushuang had already left its sheath. A faint sword intent spread outward like wave after wave of tide, and the icy blade pointed directly at Jian Meng'er. Emotionless words spit out coldly: "I said that two months from that day, I would come find you! Today's battle is unavoidable. Between you and me, there must be a resolution."
Jian Meng'er's face was cold as frost. Her white robes fluttered without wind, and the aura of Great Completion Peak of the Sea Transformation stage swept out without the slightest restraint, unrestrained and domineering.
"Jian Wushuang, I don't know what method you used to raise your strength to this level in just two months. But I'll say it again—in this world, strength is supreme, and reason always stands with the stronger party. Since you desire this battle with me so much, then let us fight!"
This simple exchange instantly ignited the atmosphere to its hottest extreme.
"Oooooh!!!"
Excited, expectant roars continuously erupted from around the training grounds. These Sword Marquis Manor disciples were practically driven mad.
There was no helping it—this battle was simply too eye-catching! Too worth anticipating!
"One of them has long been publicly acknowledged as the Sword Marquis Manor's super genius, a once-in-a-century prodigy, a phoenix among men, who reached Great Completion Peak of the Sea Transformation stage at only sixteen years of age. The other, though previously unrecognized—even only condensing his spiritual power two months ago—has risen at an unbelievable speed over these two months to rival Great Completion of the Sea Transformation stage, a monster-level existence who stunned everyone in this competition. A battle between these two..." Even the great figures in the viewing stands were now gazing intently, incomparably anticipatory of this battle.
A battle of peaks—this was a battle between peak geniuses!
If everyone in the Sword Marquis Manor had previously thought Jian Wushuang challenging Jian Meng'er today was a colossal joke, merely inviting humiliation, then after the two rounds of competition, no one dared say Jian Wushuang was indulging in fantasy anymore.
In the sword dao, he had cultivated the Layered Wave Sword Art to the eleventh strike—a genuine sword dao prodigy.
In spiritual power cultivation, he had lit up the ninth layer of the spiritual power crystal, already on par with Jian Meng'er, likewise at Great Completion of the Sea Transformation stage.
He had the qualifications to challenge Jian Meng'er, and the outcome was even difficult to predict.
"Everyone, who do you think will come out on top in this battle between these two youngsters?" Bai Chong asked with a smile.
"Hard to say." Situ Qingyue was the first to speak. "In terms of spiritual power cultivation, Jian Meng'er has already stepped into Great Completion Peak of the Sea Transformation stage, a whole level above that little fellow called Jian Wushuang. But in swordsmanship, Jian Wushuang is clearly much stronger. Relying on his advantage in sword arts, he can absolutely fight Jian Meng'er head-on, and his chances of victory are considerable. So without truly watching them fight, it's genuinely impossible to judge who is stronger."
"I agree as well." Ye Xiu also nodded. "Although spiritual power cultivation is the foundation of the martial path, when the difference in cultivation isn't too great, the strength of one's martial techniques can also be a decisive factor. With his advantage in swordsmanship, Jian Wushuang can absolutely clash head-on with Jian Meng'er—the outcome is hard to predict."
"Shui Hanxin, what do you think?" Bai Chong suddenly turned his gaze to Shui Hanxin beside him.
"This battle—Meng'er will win," Shui Hanxin stated directly.
"Oh? You're that confident in your disciple?" Bai Chong's lips curled slightly.
"Mr. Bai Chong, did you not just notice?" Shui Hanxin glanced at Bai Chong and smiled. "That little fellow called Jian Wushuang—although he lit up the ninth layer of the spiritual power crystal in the earlier test, I could see that the ninth layer lit up very reluctantly. So I'm certain this Jian Wushuang has not yet reached Great Completion of the Sea Transformation stage. His spiritual power cultivation should be somewhere between Great Completion Peak of the Lesser Sea Transformation stage and Great Completion of the Sea Transformation stage."
"Indeed." Bai Chong nodded; he had noticed this as well.
"Moreover, we all know this little fellow hadn't even condensed his spiritual power two months ago. Now, two months later, his cultivation has improved this much—there must be considerable external factors involved," Shui Hanxin said in a flat voice.
"For example, recklessly and madly swallowing and absorbing pills or treasures that forcibly boost spiritual power cultivation, relying entirely on medicinal force to raise his cultivation. Such an improvement, though it does indeed raise one's spiritual power, will also cause his foundation to completely collapse. Not only will his chances of becoming a strong expert in the future be slim, but in terms of displaying his strength, being able to bring out two or three tenths of his full power would already be considered good!"
Hearing this, the brows of those in the viewing stands all lifted.
Indeed, they had all considered this possibility. After all, Jian Wushuang's spiritual power cultivation had improved too quickly, too unbelievably. If he hadn't used pills or heaven-and-earth treasures, it simply wouldn't conform to common sense.
Yet in truth, they didn't know that Jian Wushuang was cultivating in reverse from the start—his cultivation simply couldn't be judged by common sense.
"Of course, setting aside these two points, most importantly, I have absolute confidence in my disciple. I know my disciple better than anyone. Finding a genius of the same age who can defeat my disciple in a mere place like the Sword Marquis Manor—that is simply impossible." Shui Hanxin's expression was indifferent, absolute confidence between her brows.
"Quite decisive. But I believe the winner of this duel will likely be that little fellow called Jian Wushuang," Bai Chong said with a smile.
"Since Mr. Bai Chong believes so, then let's wait and see," Shui Hanxin said with a faint smile.
"Look—those two youngsters have engaged!" Ye Xiu in the viewing stands abruptly remarked, and everyone's gazes immediately turned over.
On the high platform, Jian Meng'er struck first.
Threads of baleful energy burst from her Three Kill Sword. Jian Meng'er stepped forward, her longsword flicking upward, the blade's edge irresistible wherever it pointed.
"Sword Like the Tide!"
The longsword swept out horizontally, and in an instant, like an unbroken tide, it surged forth carrying wave after wave.
Sword Like the Tide—an extremely fearsome technique within the Thousand Water Sword Art. The surging, layered waves were the essence of this move. Normally, if one mastered this technique to Great Completion, one could unleash six layers of waves. But the waves Jian Meng'er displayed now numbered a full eight layers!
"Ridiculous."
Jian Wushuang chuckled lightly and met it with his sword—a very ordinary strike. But the moment it touched those layers of waves, Jian Wushuang's longsword drew along with their momentum, then swept again. Simple and plain, yet using force to dissolve force, he effortlessly neutralized the eight layers of sword intent waves. Then Jian Wushuang likewise took a step forward.
Hua!
Sword light surged like the tide, stirring up layer upon layer of waves.
What Jian Wushuang displayed was also none other than "Sword Like the Tide." But as his sword art unfolded, those overlapping waves of sword intent actually burst forth with a full twelve layers in an instant!
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