Volume Two: Travels in Qi Chapter 136: The Big Shot Makes an Entrance

Wu Hong flew into the arena and announced in a booming voice, "Congratulations on successfully advancing. You thirty-three are the finest geniuses of your generation and have earned the qualification for the Grand Tournament. The true competition begins tomorrow. That is all for today; you are dismissed."

A fifth-tier alchemist carries an air of absolute authority; even with such a blunt dismissal, no one in the arena dared to utter a word of objection. Everyone offered a respectful bow before departing.

Knowing the real trials would begin tomorrow, these geniuses left early to ensure they could adjust their states to the peak of perfection. Zhang Heng, however, lingered. Before long, only he and Qi Xuan remained in the martial arts arena.

Seeing that the others had left, Qi Xuan quietly approached Zhang Heng. Shortly after, the Emperor of Qi and Wu Hong arrived, accompanied by their guards.

Upon seeing the Emperor, Zhang Heng stepped forward and offered a slight bow. The Emperor’s bloodline had been tainted by that dark miasma, yet he had feigned normalcy for hours, sitting through the proceedings. *Is he not exhausted?* Zhang Heng wondered.

"We shall discuss this back at the palace," the Emperor said, offering only those few words. The group maintained a tacit silence as they made their way to the Emperor’s private chambers.

Once inside, the Emperor’s imposing, regal facade crumbled. His face turned deathly pale, his breathing became erratic, and he collapsed weakly into his chair. Qi Xuan and Qi Sisi rushed to support him, leaving even Zhang Heng bewildered.

The one hundred thousand citizens of Xunhuan City had been exposed to the dark miasma for quite some time without any ill effects, yet the Emperor of Qi, a powerhouse at the Heaven Origin Realm, was being tortured so severely in such a short span.

"Zhang Heng, are you not prepared yet?" Qi Sisi asked, her heart burning with anxiety as she watched her father suffer. Although Qi Xuan said nothing, his eyes were full of silent entreaty.

With everyone’s gaze fixed upon him, Zhang Heng had no choice but to consult the System. Yet, as always, the damned thing went silent at the most critical moment.

"Your Majesty, you are a master of the Heaven Origin Realm, and thus the dark miasma within you is of a different gravity. I am not yet fully prepared, but please rest assured—once the Imperial City Grand Tournament concludes, I will take action to save you immediately."

Zhang Heng had no other option; the System insisted it was not yet time to cure him but refused to explain why, leaving him to pacify them for the time being.

"Zhang Heng..." Qi Sisi began, but the Emperor raised a hand to silence her.

"Sisi, I am fine. I can hold on for a while longer. Zhang Heng has already done his best; do not pressure him further."

"Your Majesty, to endure such agony and attend the Grand Tournament just to prevent panic among the people of Qi—you are a true monarch. I am deeply impressed, and I will do everything in my power to heal you."

"Hahahaha! Good lad, do not be so nervous. I won't be dying just yet. Tomorrow is the true Grand Tournament—a rare opportunity to compete against the geniuses of your age. If you were to miss it because of this old bone of mine, I would feel terrible. Now, go and prepare." The Emperor waved him away.

"Understood. I shall take my leave then." Zhang Heng offered a polite salute and retreated.

The Emperor was a cunning old fox; he surely realized that Zhang Heng intended to prioritize the Grand Tournament before providing a cure. However, he could not possibly know that this was not Zhang Heng’s own will, but a requirement imposed by the System. Zhang Heng cared little for what they thought, as long as they stopped bothering him for the time being.

Though the palace gardens were filled with exquisite scenery and beauty, Zhang Heng had no time to appreciate them. He returned straight to his quarters. Lying on his bed, he began to organize his thoughts.

The Emperor’s infection was likely the work of the Yin God Sect. Zhang Heng had come here specifically to eradicate that sect; once they were destroyed, the System would surely reveal the method to save the Emperor. Furthermore, according to the System’s design, he had to secure first place in the Grand Tournament before the sect could be dismantled. Thus, his current mission was clear: cultivate diligently and win the tournament through his own strength.

Currently, without using the Heart-Protecting Sword, he estimated his combat prowess to be roughly at the eighth level of the Origin Core Realm. If he encountered a master at the ninth level, he could use the "Little Aurora Phantom" movement technique to stall them.

But that was far from enough. There were at least five participants at the ninth level of the Origin Core Realm, and they were all peerless geniuses, each capable of fighting beyond their rank. Qi Xuan and Mu Wanqing, in particular, likely already possessed the combat power of the Returning Void Realm. Zhang Heng needed to maximize his strength in the shortest time possible.

*Brother System, since you want me to take first place, you’ll surely help me out, right?* Zhang Heng probed.

"Ding. Of course."

To his surprise, the System actually responded. Zhang Heng had assumed it had gone mute. He realized then that the System ignored questions about the black miasma but was quite eager to answer other queries.

*Very well then. How do you plan to increase my combat power? With my current strength, I’d be defeated by Mu Wanqing or Qi Xuan in two or three moves. How am I supposed to win first place?*

"Ding. The System has already formulated a strategy for the host."

The night passed in silence. The next morning, Zhang Heng rose early. Today was the day of the true Grand Tournament, an opportunity to compete on the same stage as the other geniuses. After grooming himself, he strolled toward the martial arts arena.

Upon arriving, the sight before him left him stunned. This was a true gathering of the hundred schools of thought, a stage for ten thousand techniques. Looking around, he saw sect elders, leaders, young masters, clan heads, and nobility all assembled. A rough estimate suggested there were over a dozen powerhouses at or above the Heaven Origin Realm present.

*I see,* Zhang Heng thought. The major sects had not cared about the preliminary rounds of the previous two days. The ten thousand young cultivators who participated in the open trials were talented, but they hadn't been worth the attention of these big shots. They only truly cared about the elite geniuses who had made the final cut.

He joined the lineup of participants. There were only thirty-three of them left—thirty-three young geniuses, looking out over the hundreds of thousands of spectators with an air of mysterious confidence. Zhang Heng stood among them, looking slightly out of place with his mere third-level Qi Sea Realm cultivation.

The dignitaries watching from the stands were shocked. They had heard their disciples mention a third-level Qi Sea genius with heaven-defying combat power and extraordinary aptitude, but they had been skeptical. Now, seeing him with their own eyes, they silently assessed him, wondering who this youth could be. Those who had seen Zhang Heng at the Alchemist Pavilion finally understood why a fifth-tier alchemist like Wu Hong was so invested in this junior.

Shortly after, the Emperor of Qi arrived, greeting the crowd. While commoners and low-level cultivators were deeply respectful, the heads of the great sects only offered a slight nod. This was understandable; excluding the Qingdong Realm, the strength of the Qi royal family could not compare to these great sects.