Fantasy: Immortality Begins with Absorbing Demons

Chapter 461 Martial Arts Sparring (Part 4)

"It's nothing. We've known each other for a long time, no need to be so polite," Chen Lingmo replied expressionlessly, holding his wine glass low.

Fang Shouming didn't take it to heart. Chen Lingmo was a stable person who rarely smiled. He would only reveal his inner emotions when he achieved or accomplished his goal.

"Come on, Brother Lingmo, try this dish. Although the ingredients are ordinary, they are fresh, and the chef's skills are superb. It's best to eat it while it's hot." Fang Shouming diligently served Chen Lingmo some food.

Flower carp is a type of fish that lives and thrives in the deep waters of Flower Lake. Its flesh is thick and delicious, and it grows extremely slowly, taking several years to reach a weight of one kilogram.

This braised carp is golden in color, with only a piece of fish meat left from the belly. Dozens of carp were used for this dish. The chef fried the spices and poured hot oil over them, then garnished it with finely chopped herbs to remove any fishy smell. It is incredibly rich, fragrant, and delicious.

"It tastes good." Chen Lingmo also readily complimented him.

After a meal of drinks and food, and some boasting, the two started to get down to business.

"Brother Lingmo, speaking of which, did your Three Mountains Sect really come here for friendly sparring and exchange?" Fang Shouming asked.

"You believe that?" Chen Lingmo asked back.

“Of course I don’t believe it.” Fang Shouming smiled. “Even if the purpose is simply a sect exchange meeting, we should choose the Yangzhi Academy, the strongest of our inner courtyards. As for the Jiuqu Academy… it’s a lower-ranked and weakest inner courtyard. If you go there, wouldn’t that be crushing them? It’s completely meaningless.”

He smiled ambiguously, "What's more, your opponent is Zhong Han, the chief senior sister of Jiuqu Academy... If it weren't for that matter... I don't believe it." "Brother Shouming really understands me." Chen Lingmo smiled slightly, "I heard from my father that Jiuqu Academy has softened its stance. As long as I can defeat Zhong Han in a head-on competition, they will agree to my marriage proposal."

"Just as I expected." Fang Shouming showed no surprise.

Although rumors circulated that this was just an ordinary exchange and sparring between sects, he, as the son of the deputy sect leader, had obviously received inside information long ago.

He laughed and stood up, raising his wine glass: "Come, come, Brother Lingmo, let me toast you, wishing you success in winning the heart of your beauty."

When the matter was mentioned, even Chen Lingmo, with his temperament, couldn't help but smile slightly: "For a while before, it was thanks to Brother Shouming's mediation and assistance that this matter was settled so quickly."

"Not at all, it's all thanks to Brother Ling Mo's handsome appearance and extraordinary abilities that we were able to achieve our goal in the end." Fang Shouming said with flattery, and the two clinked glasses and drank it all in one gulp.

"Speaking of which, Brother Ling Mo, are you confident about this competition?" Fang Shouming asked with a smile.

“Hmm… According to the information you provided earlier, the difference in skill level between me and Zhong Han is not that great.” Chen Lingmo thought for a moment, “But there is one thing she is inferior to me in: I already know her martial arts moves. On the other hand, she knows very little about my side of the information. Based on this calculation, if we really go to the arena, I have a 70% or 80% chance of winning.”

As the saying goes, if you know yourself and your enemy, you will never be imperiled in a hundred battles.

When martial arts masters spar, the most important thing is intelligence gathering.

The effects and characteristics of the opponent's true skills, their proficiency in fists and feet, swords, or clubs, as well as their trump cards, secret techniques, and killer moves.

Once this information is known, even if your cultivation level is a level higher, you will likely be defeated if the opponent deliberately prepares to restrain you.

Fang Shouming, a member of the Jingtian Manor's elite family who grew up with Zhong Han, was extremely familiar with their martial arts routines and secret techniques. He had already revealed all this information to Chen Lingmo long ago.

Chen Lingmo's strength was already on par with Zhong Han's, and even slightly superior. With this information, he was naturally full of confidence.

"Seventy or eighty percent chance... In other words, there's still a possibility of failure..." Fang Shouming murmured a few times, then suddenly smiled mysteriously and whispered, "Brother Ling Mo, if I had a plan that would give you a 100% chance of winning this battle... what would you say?"

"A 100% certainty?!" Chen Lingmo raised an eyebrow, clearly somewhat skeptical.

A 70-80% win rate in a fight between two martial artists is already extremely high. A 100% certainty of victory is practically a sure thing. A 100% success rate, however, is nothing short of a pipe dream for two martial artists of similar skill levels.

Jingtian Manor is, after all, one of the five major powers in Yunzhou. Even if it's considered a minor power, it's still a force to be reckoned with. The Seven Academies of Jingtian are the core pillars of Jingtian Manor, with each branch comparable to a small sect.

The fact that Jiuqu Academy is weak in overall strength among the seven inner academies does not mean that its chief disciple is weak.

Zhong Han is exceptionally talented. She has received meticulous training from Zhong Yunxiu since childhood. As the chief disciple of Jiuqu Academy, she is no ordinary person who can stand out among all the disciples.

Among the young generation of experts in Jingtian Manor, Zhong Han's strength ranks firmly in the top three compared to the other chief disciples.

The only ones who could be confident of defeating her were Zong Wu, the chief of the Yangzhi Academy with the "Explosive Fire Palm," and Qian Jue, the chief of the Chongyin Academy with the "Golden Rainbow Hand."

Therefore, even though Chen Lingmo's natural talent is not bad, and he has been secretly trained since childhood with very little information leaked about his fights, it is impossible for him to be certain of defeating Zhong Han.

Unless it's a master like his father, Eagle Claw King, who can crush Zhong Han with absolute strength at a higher level and personally deal with him, he wouldn't dare to make such a boast.

"Brother Fang's meaning..." He looked at Fang Shouming with a puzzled expression.

"Ah... let's drink, let's have another drink." Unexpectedly, at this crucial moment, Fang Shouming started to keep everyone in suspense.

Left with no other option, Chen Lingmo clinked glasses with Fang and asked again, "Brother Fang, are you absolutely certain? Is it true or false?"

"Since I dare to say this, it means I have full confidence." Fang Shouming laughed heartily, "I can not only guarantee that you, Ling Mo, will successfully win the heart of your beauty, but you won't need to waste a single bit of your energy. You won't even need to participate in this meaningless sparring match."

"This...?!" Chen Lingmo's pale yellow pupils darted around in their sockets, clearly stunned.

If at first he thought Fang Shouming would leak important information and take down Zhong Han in one fell swoop, he was somewhat prepared. But if it was said that it could be done without a competition, he couldn't guess what Fang Shouming was really up to no avail.

"Brother Fang, please speak frankly." He looked steadily at Fang Shouming. "If this matter succeeds, I will owe you a great favor. If you ever need anything in the future, my father and I will repay you tenfold!"