Maiden Of The Splitting Moon

Hu Baihe took out her sword which nearly matched Drifting Sky in length but was thicker and wider several times over. Ming Yue followed, unsheathing her sword and putting her scabbard into her spatial ring. 

"The Guardian Fang, Hu Baihe, will be your opponent."

She wielded her sword with one hand, spinning it with ease. A helmet emerged from her spatial ring and she put it on, taking her stance. With the sword in one hand, she faced Ming Yue head on. 

"Ming Yue of Heaven's Gate."

With Drifting Sky out, she readied herself. 

"Hah, I knew we were going to fight her", Xue Yue spoke out excitedly. 

Commander Bi looked at the two, making sure these two were prepared. After a quick glance, he nodded and spoke. 

"Remember, this is not a fight to the death but a test of strength and skill. You are not to kill each other. Begin!"

At the sound of those words, Ming Yue moved first and reached Hu Baihe before the latter had even reacted. She dashed and leaped upwards, aiming to chop down with her whole weight.

However, Hu Baihe would not go down so easily. She brought her sword forward, clashing it with Drifting Sky and stopping the attack in its track. The strike had pushed Hu Baihe back a step but Ming Yue's initial momentum was lost.

Rhe Guardian Fang pushed forward, throwing Ming Yue back with her sword. . 

"You're fast but is that it?" 

Hu Baihe spoke confidently before marching forward. 

She swung from the right and the sword came whistling by as it cut through the air. Ming Yue did not dare take the strike and stepped back before countering. She moved forward only to find Hu Baihe's other hand move. Her fingers curled into a fist as she punched Ming Yue's abdomen. 

"Gah!"

She coughed out as the blow pushed her back even further, punching air out of her lungs. 

"Come on! No one will wait for you!"

Hu Baihe yelled out as she advanced. 

Ming Yue gasped for breath but immediately moved, recovering as quickly as possible. She gripped her sword with two hands and walked forward to meet Hu Baihe. With each step her aura began to wither and vanish as her body disappeared from sight. 

Hu Baihe suddenly tensed up, her eyes sharpened as she searched for Ming Yue. 

But this seasoned warrior took a second to react and Ming Yue needed less than that. 

Just as quickly as she vanished, Ming Yue reappeared. Her body leaned forward and close to the ground as she attacked, striking the shins and vanishing once more. It was quick and elusive for Ming Yue attacked a different part at every instant. 

Just as she felt a tinge of pain in her shins, Hu Baihe felt her right shoulder driven down as Ming Yue smashed Drifting Sky into her pauldron. Before she could even react, Ming Yue disappeared once more, leaving a noticeable dent on her armor. 

Hu Baihe endured the strikes and waited. WIth her armor, Ming Yue's attacks did not have much of an effect. But as special as this armor was, Drifting Sky was a Divine Grade sword and soon the blade began to bite deeper into the thick armor. 

Waiting even more would bring her closer to defeat but Hu Baihe moved about, constantly changing her position and buying more time. 

In seconds, small bits of metal began to fall as Ming Yue dug deeper into the armor. 

After a half minute, this soldier made her move. 

Ming Yue attacked, this time aiming for the neck. As it it struck the armor, Hu Baihe suddenly grabbed out with her open hand, taking ahold of the sword. 

'"I've caught your timing! Haah!"

The Guardian Fang pulled the sword and Ming Yue towards her. With her monstrous blade, she thrusted forward at Ming Yue's shoulder but the latter let go of Drifting Sky. She took out the Pearlstone Dagger and her other hand was encased in wind as the Zephyr Claws formed. 

A burst of wind propelled her forward as she lashed out, manging to avoid the strike. 

The Pearlstone Dagger flashed as it dug into the cracks between her helmet and chest armor, loosening it. Following it was the Zephyr Claws from which she grabbed the helmet and pulled it off of Hu Baihe, revealing her face. 

With the helmet out of the way, the Pearlstone Dagger moved towards the neck only for the match to stop. 

"That's enough! I've seen what I needed to see." 

Commander Bi suddenly rushed forward, placing his bare hands on the two blades before they moved any further.

The Pearlstone Dagger was inches from Hu Baihe's neck and the Guardian Fang's sword was seconds from cleaving into Ming Yue's side. 

Commander Bi looked at the two with a vigilant look as their grip on their weapons loosened. 

"Good, let's go back to the tent then."

Having lost their battle intent, their weapons were sheathed and they quietly followed the commander back. They left behind a crowd of soldiers who had been taken aback by the fight. There was silence and then discussion erupted. 

"Who was that fighting the Guardian Fang? Such a young girl can take on a seasoned soldier like her?"

"From what I hear, she's from Heaven's Gate. That would explain the clothes and techniques. They'e nothing like I've ever seen before."

"That fight was so quick. My eyes could barely catch up. Still, who do you think would have won that last exchange?"

To Human Realm Soldiers like them, a fight like this was difficult to keep up with. Still, to see such a fight seemed to have ignited their spirit. That was especially so when it came to the topic of who would've won.

"Surely not the girl, even though she avoided the sword thrust, the Guardian Fang immediately changed it to a swing. If not for the Camp Commander, that girl would have been cleaved in half."

"I would think otherwise! The girl's dagger was only inches away from the neck. How are you sure that the dagger would not have reached first?"

"Stop it! You understand that this was a friendly fight, not a death battle. Neither of them were using their full strength. There's no point in speculating."

As these talks continued to grow, more and more people learned of this match. 

As for those at the center of it, they were simply strolling back to the main tent. Ming Yue wasn't even bothering with that could have been the result but the fight itself. 

This had been the first time she used the dagger. A beautiful white colored blade resembling pearls that was nine inches in length and double-edged at that. This dagger was on par with her Changing Clouds Armor as the material made from it was known as "Pearlstone", hence the name. Pearlstone is a rare material found at the depths of the sea and known for its beautiful color. More importantly, it was extremely durable and sharp beyond imagination. 

Not to mention, it had a rather unique effect to it too. 

If thrown, the Pearlstone Dagger would triple in speed and if empowered, that speed could go even further. Unfortunately, she had yet to test it out in battle. 

Still, Ming Yue found that battle to have brought some weaknessed into light. She began to ponder these things all while being led back into the tent to which Hu Baihe stood outside. 

The Camp Commander walked to the war table, glancing at it before looking towards Ming Yue. 

"Given your strength, the Demon Continent shouldn't be much of an issue.. With that said, I will be sending you off tomorrow but before that, I must inform you of the current situation as it has changed."