Heaven Refining physique-Chapter 39: First Duel

Although she knew that Jiang Hao asked her out of curiosity, it was really embarassing to hear it because her restriction were a special type of arrays which were inscribed on her robes.

To remove her restriction, all she had to do is remove her robes, which is impossible to do in front of him.

Another thing is that she doesn’t want to tell him about it now as it would become even more embarassing for her, she might seem to tease him sometimes but she won’t be able to handle this one herself.

So, she can only lie about it right know.

"Sorry Junior brother, master has forbidden me to remove my restriction without her instructions, so I won’t be able to do it even if I know how to do it"

Jiang Hao nodded after he heard that, but why was her face red? He didn’t know and didn’t tried to ask about it.

Well it won’t change anything, they still can spar easily and since senior sister at Mid stage , even without full strength she will be strong.

"Senior sister would like to spar with me?"

When Ming Yue heard that her eyes shone brightly too, she aslo wanted to fight with Jiang Hao.

When they meet first time he always hid his strength and let her do all the battles and second time she didn’t visited to see him and missed her chance to see his real strength again.

Although she heard about it, It wasn’t enough to satiate her curiosity which she had developed because Jiang Hao always hides he strength.

This is perfect opportunity to see if for herself how good Junior brother is so she nodded immediately.

"Offcourse Junior brother why wouldn’t I, Infact I was going to ask you the same as I was missing some the real battel to practice my sword skills"

With how enthusiastically she accepted his purposal, Jiang Hao knew that Ming Yue also loved fighting, he smiled and entered the training area.

A full moon hung high in the sky, casting a silver glow over the clearing where two figures stood facing each other.

Jiang Hao, clad in a simple white robe, stood with his hands relaxed at his sides. His dark eyes held a calm focus, and his breathing was steady. He had no weapons as he doesn’t know how to use any of them. His hands are enough though, he had refined his fighting skills in the wilds and he was quite confident about it.

Opposite him, Ming Yue held her sword with single hand, its slender blade shimmering in the moonlight. She wore a deep blue robe, her long hair tied back neatly. Her eyes, sharp and observant, studied Jiang Hao carefully. Unlike him, she wielded a weapon, but she knew that his bare hands were far from ordinary.

She had heard how he bare handed defeated 110 Foundation Establishment cultivators so she didn’t underestimated him infact she had never underestimated him from the time she had met him, but tonight was different. There was no audience, no expectations—only the two of them, testing their skills against each other in the quiet embrace of the night.

Ming Yue took a slow breath, her grip on the hilt tightening. "Shall we begin?"

Jiang Hao nodded. "Come."

Ming Yue made the first move. She stepped forward with swift, practiced footwork, her sword slicing through the air in a quick, controlled arc toward Jiang Hao’s shoulder. It was a probing attack, meant to test his reflexes.

Jiang Hao didn’t move until the very last moment. Shifting his weight slightly, he twisted his upper body just enough for the blade to miss him by a hair’s breadth. The moment it passed, he stepped forward, closing the distance between them in an instant.

Ming Yue’s eyes flashed as she reacted swiftly, pivoting on her back foot and swinging the sword in a horizontal slash. Jiang Hao ducked low, his movement fluid and precise, avoiding the blade while bringing his palm up toward Ming Yue’s wrist.

Feeling the danger, she loosened her grip just enough to rotate the sword in her hands, redirecting the angle of her attack. With a twist of her wrist, the flat of her blade struck Jiang Hao’s outstretched hand instead of being disarmed.

The force sent a sharp vibration through Jiang Hao’s palm, but he merely smiled. "Not bad."

Ming Yue smirked. "I won’t make it easy for you."

Neither used overly flashy technique—just pure martial ability enhanced by spirit qi as they were only in Foundation Establishment. Jiang Hao’s movements were smooth and efficient, his control over his body refined to the extreme. He relied on speed, precision, and adaptability to counter Ming Yue’s swordsmanship.

Ming Yue, on the other hand, was like flowing water—her swordplay was elegant, yet practical. She never wasted a movement, and each strike carried a refined sharpness. Her spirit qi coursed through her veins, reinforcing her strikes, giving her blade an almost ethereal sharpness.

Jiang Hao exhaled slowly and adjusted his stance. The ground beneath him cracked slightly as he pushed off with explosive speed, closing the distance in an instant. His fist shot forward, aiming for Ming Yue’s center.

Ming Yue raised her sword to intercept, but Jiang Hao wasn’t aiming to strike directly. Instead, his fingers brushed against the flat of the blade, redirecting its angle just enough to create an opening. His other hand came in low, fingers curled into a palm strike aimed at her ribs.

Reacting swiftly, Ming Yue twisted her body, using the motion to guide her sword in a swift counterattack. The tip of her blade grazed Jiang Hao’s sleeve as he barely dodged in time. They separated again, neither having landed a clean hit.

The wind carried the sound of their breathing, steady and measured. Both were enjoying this exchange of skill, this test of control.

Ming Yue knew she couldn’t let Jiang Hao dictate the pace. Shifting her stance, she moved with newfound aggression, her sword dancing like a streak of silver. She launched a flurry of rapid thrusts, her spirit qi refining each strike’s precision and speed.

Jiang Hao’s eyes gleamed with challenge. His arms moved in a blur as he deflected the attacks with his palms and forearms, redirecting the force rather than absorbing it. His feet glided across the ground, never remaining in one place for too long.

Then, he saw his chance. Amidst Ming Yue’s relentless offense, she left a brief opening when retracting her blade. Jiang Hao stepped in, his arm wrapping around hers in an attempt to control the sword’s movement.

Ming Yue reacted instantly. Instead of resisting, she flowed with his movement, pivoting her body to use his own momentum against him. She twisted, bringing the pommel of her sword toward his side.

Jiang Hao barely managed to block with his elbow, the impact sending a dull shock through his arm. He grinned. "Close one."

Ming Yue smirked. "There’ll be more."

They continued to exchange blows, neither gaining the upper hand for long. Jiang Hao’s fists struck like hammers, each attack precise and powerful. Ming Yue’s sword was like the wind—swift, unpredictable, and relentless.

Spirit qi flickered around them subtly, enhancing their movements, but neither allowed their power to overwhelm their skill. This was a battle of technique, not brute strength.

As the duel reached its peak, both moved faster than before. Ming Yue’s sword sliced through the air in an upward arc, aiming for Jiang Hao’s shoulder. He leaned back, narrowly dodging, then surged forward with a powerful palm strike.

At the last second, Ming Yue twisted her sword to catch his strike against the flat of the blade. The impact sent a shockwave through both of them, forcing them apart. They landed gracefully.

Ming Yue exhaled, lowering her sword.

Neither had won. Neither had lost. But that was never the point.

"Senior sister you aren’t tired are you?"

"I was going to ask you same Junior brother"

Jiang Hao smiled when he heard that.He didn’t said anything and moved swiftly towards her as this spar is far from over.

They continued their fight for long time, eventually Ming Yue was the first one to feel exhausted, as she was practicing before they started their duel.

They stood under the moonlight, Their duel was over for now, but they both knew—this was only one of the many they will have from now on.

"It was amazing junior brother, I haven’t have this good fight in very long time"

"Likewise senior sister"

It was really amazing, he was finally able to loose his muscles. He only fought long battles like this in mountains beside his village.

Although this was only spar, it was still quite better than the fight he had with Foundation Establishment disciples as he only used his brute strength when he beat them up.

"Are you hungry Junior brother?"

Jaing Hao become stunned when he heard that, they are already Foundation Establishment realm cultivators so normally they won’t feel hungry unless they used almost all their qi.

Even if they used up all their qi and were quite exhausted, simply cultivating they can recover and won’t feel hungry.

Looks like senior sister really loves eating food, even if she doesn’t need it. Is she a glutton? He couldn’t help but look towards her stomach which looke flat through her robes.

"What are you looking at junior brother, you are definitely thinking something bad aren’t you? Out with it"

"Cough..I was just thinking about what we are going to eat senior sister".