Chapter 103: An exciting battle

"A gamble! I am fine with that. Let me see what game you are playing", Zi Nuan spoke while gritting her teeth. She knew she was playing into Zhan Chen's hands but her anger got better of her. Moreover, she was not afraid of a mere sixteen year old boy.

"Thank you princess for agreeing to my request. As for earlier words, I am aplogizing for angering you", Zhan Chen smiled towards Zi Nuan. She was looking so pretty when she was angered. Zhan Chen didn't want to anger her further unless she blew up.

"Say it. What do you want?", Zi Nuan looked towards Zhan Chen.

"Princess, how about fighting with me? If you can defeat me, then you win the gamble", Zhan Chen spoke.

Zi Nuan stood stunned for a moment after hearing Zhan Chen's words. A smile came to her pretty face after hearing Zhan Chen's words.

"Are you kidding me?" Zi Nuan asked. She had a look on her face as if she was considering Zhan Chen as a fool.

"No princess, I am dead serious. You should also take it seriously. I am planning for establishing ancestral vow to prove both of our integrity for the gamble", Zhan Chen looked towards Zi Nuan.

"I don't know what game you are playing. But it is undeniable that you are impudent and your behaviour is not proper infront of me. Initially, I am not planning to not do anything to you. I feel it will be good as long as you can make Ming'er happy. But now you are taking things too far", Zi Nuan looked towards Zhan Chen. She wanted to see through the the thoughts of Zhan Chen but Zhan Chen's eyes were crystal clear. She couldn't see through the intention of Zhan Chen.

"Then princess, we should take the vow. Then we can proceed to fight", Zhan Chen spoke.

"Brat, do you dare to take the vow outside? I want to show your Zhan family how impudent you are", Zi Nuan spoke.

"Princess, I will do whatever you like. Let's go to the practice field of our Zhan family. You can invite whoever you want for our battle", Zhan Chen replied. He had no problem with fighting infront of his family. No matter what Zi Nuan was thinking, he knew she couldn't do anything to him.

-----------------

"I don't know what this brat is thinking but it will good if princess teaches him a lesson", Zhan Chen's second aunt spoke. All of Zhan Chen's aunts had come to see the battle between Zhan Chen and Zi Nuan. Zhan Chen's father and Zhan Chen's uncles also came to witness the battle.

"Although it is amusing to trouble the elder princess but what is the need to take things so far? There is no way little Chen can defeat her", Zhan Fan spoke.

"You thinks he is doing something for fun?", Zhan Huan, the eldest uncle of Zhan Chen looked towards his second brother. Zhan Long also felt curious as he looked towards his elder brother.

Zhan Fan threw a questioning gaze at his elder brother. He was not that sharp like his elder brother. So, he had yet to understand the works of Zhan Chen.

"Second brother, little Chen is not simple as you think. Just watch. It will be fun to see little Chen fighting elder princess", Zhan Huan spoke with s smile but didn't explain much.

Zhan Fan nodded his head with confusion and looked towards the center of the practice ground. Zhan Long also did the the same as he focused his gaze on his son and Zi Nuan.

Almost all the members of Zhan family were present to see the battle between Zi Nuan and Zhan Chen. Third princess of Red cloud kingdom was also present as she focused her gaze on Zhan Chen and her aunt.

"Princess, should we establish the vow?", Zhan Chen looked towards Zi Nuan.

"Do whatever you want. Now that everyone is here, I just want to see what tricks you are playing", Zi Nuan spoke.

"In the name of my Zhan family ancestors, I Zhan Chen vow that I will stick to my words after battling princess Zi Nuan. Whoever wins among us can order his or her opponent to do anything. May heaven smite me, if I renege from my promise", Zhan Chen spoke while keeping his fist above his chest.

"What a serious vow! What is need to do such things?", Jie Ranqing muttered. Other aunts of Zhan Chen and Li Qingzhao didn't speak anything but the looks on their faces became much more serious.

"In the name of my royal ancestors I, Zi Nuan, the daughter of Zi Guang vow that I will abide to all the conditions proposed by Zhan Chen. May heaven smite me, if I renege on my words", Zi Nuan spoke.

"Pick your weapon", Zi Nuan looked towards Zhan Chen after seen her words. Zhan Chen nodded his head and threw a glance towards the sword of one of the guards. 

The guard understood the meaning of Zhan Chen's gaze and threw his sword to Zhan Chen. Zhan Chen caught the sword with one hand and looked towards Zi Nuan.

"I don't need a sword to defeat you but I will keep my cultivation at your level and see how capable you are", Zi Nuan spoke. He stretched her hand and took out her sword from her back.

Her sword was thin and long. She pointed her sword towards Zhan Chen. Zhan Chen brought his sword infront of him and threw an inviting glance towards Zi Nuan.

Within blink of an eye, their battle started as the sound of swords clashing reveberated in air.

An astonished expression appeared on the face of Zi Nuan as she kept clashing her sword with Zhan Chen's. Zhan Chen's sword moves were simple but they appeared perfect to the eyes of Zi Nuan.

"You are already at True essence realm?", Zi Nuan looked towards Zhan Chen with an astonished expression on her face.

Zhan Chen nodded his head as he had nothing to hide. Aura of a True essence realm warrior came from his body as he imbuded his sword with true essence energy.

"True essence realm?", Jie Ranqing exclaimed as she looked towards her other sisters with surprise. Li Qingzhao also looked towards her son with amazement. The faces of other spectactors were also same as Zhan Chen revealed his True essence realm cultivation infront of everyone.

"You are being overconfident just because you have reached True essence realm?", Zi Nuan looked towards Zhan Chen. She also imbuded her sword with true essence energy and attacked Zhan Chen.

Zhan Chen blocked the sword blow of Zi Nuan easily and countered her move with one of his own. 

The difference between True essence realm and Meridian opening realm was the ability to channel the essence energy outside body. It would be difficult for five peak stage Meridian opening realm cultivators to stop a beginning level True essence realm warrior.

Zhan Chen channeled his true essence energy to his sword and kept attacking Zi Nuan. Zi Nuan also countered Zhan Chen with her sword moves.

Essence energy clashed with eachother and both Zhan Chen and Zi Nuan fought eachother skillfully. Zhan Chen had a leisurely appearance on his face but Zi Nuan found herself in a disadvantaged position.

"Let me raise my cultivation slightly. There is no need to keep playing with you at your level", Zi Nuan spoke.

She raised her cultivation by few stages and attacked Zhan Chen. Zhan Chen still had a leisurely appearance as he countered the essence energy of Zi Nuan effectively.

Despite raising her cultivation level, Zi Nuan couldn't find any opportunity to push Zhan Chen. After battling for a while, she couldn't resist anymore as the aura of a Core condensation realm expert came out from her body.

"Core condensation realm?", Zhan Huan looked Zi Nuan with surprise in his eyes. "This brat is done for", Zhan Fan murmured as looked towards the direction of Zhan Chen and Zi Nuan.

The difference between True essence realm and Core Condensation realm was significant as one could use various essence attacking techniques at this stage.

"Zhan Chen, surrender. I will not do anything to you", Zi Nuan spoke as she released the aura of a Core condensation realm warrior completely.

"I have long known your cultivation level but still decided to fight you. True fight between us yet to begin. Let me see your real battle prowcess", Zhan Chen spoke.

"Then you can't blame me", Zi Nuan spoke. She waved her sword and a green coloured energy snake came towards Zhan Chen.

Everyone thought Zhan Chen was done for and Zi Nuan also thought the same. But after the energy snake came near Zhan Chen, Zhan Chen vanished from his place.

It was not really vanishing as Zhan Chen used a vary high level movement technique. He appeared near Zi Nuan's location. Another sword fight started between Zhan Chen and Zi Nuan as Zhan Chen didn't give any time to Zi Nuan to lauch her attack.

"What kind of movement technique this is?", ZI Nuan thought to herself as Zhan Chen kept avoiding her sword easily with his movement technique.

Zhan Chen suddenly stopped on his track as Zi Nuan found another chance to lauch an attack. "Wind snake of western mountain", she let out a low cry and a thick energy snake moved towards Zhan Chen.

Zhan Chen grinned towards Zi Nuan and used his movement technique. "Wind cutting sword technique", he roared out and launched himself towards Zi Nuan.