Volume Two: Travels in the State of Qi - Chapter 153: A Single Sword Strike

Seeing that there were already two challengers on the martial arena's viewing platform, the official flew up to take charge.

"The next match features the Void-Return Stage Tier 2 newcomer Gu Debai against Void-Return Stage Tier 2 Tang Jishi. The duel will begin in a quarter of an hour. Everyone, you may now place your bets."

Odds for Gu Debai winning were 1 to 0.8, while Tang Jishi winning was 1 to 1.2. Noticing that this Gu Debai was together with Qing Mu, the martial arena personnel made a preliminary judgment that this individual should also possess the ability to challenge opponents of higher tiers.

Zhang Heng's odds were quite high. Qi Sisi once again staked her entire net worth. Mu Wanqing, however, made no move; she was not a greedy person. Ten spirit essences were already enough for her needs.

Right now, while watching Zhang Heng on the platform, she silently adjusted her breathing.

"Kid, how do you want to wager?" Tang Jishi looked at Zhang Heng and asked with extreme arrogance.

Zhang Heng smiled. "You name the stake. Whatever amount you say, I will match." Zhang Heng had no idea what kind of wealth the man possessed. If he named too much, he feared the other party might not have it. If he named too little, he would run at a loss. It was better to leave the initiative to the other person.

"Twenty spirit essences." Steeling his heart, Tang Jishi blurted out this number. He had just witnessed Zhang Heng win thirty spirit essences with a stake of twenty earlier. He knew that the kid in front of him was by no means lacking in spirit essences.

Having lost his previous duel, he only had two or three pieces left on him, but he was entirely convinced that he would not lose, which was why he dared to set twenty pieces.

"Fine, I'll match you," Zhang Heng said indifferently. Although the spiritual energy within spirit essences was not as effective as spirit liquid, Zhang Heng knew that his future cultivation would undoubtedly require an enormous amount of spiritual energy. Therefore, saving some in advance was a good precaution against any eventuality.

A quarter of an hour passed in the blink of an eye.

Seeing that the time had come, Tang Jishi immediately brandished a long spear. With a loud roar, he confidently charged toward Zhang Heng to kill him. As someone who had spent years making a living in the martial arena, how could he possibly fail to deal with some arrogant brat?

Zhang Heng drew an ordinary long sword from his spatial ring, held it in his left hand, and stood quietly.

Tang Jishi's speed was very fast. After all, he was a Void-Return Stage Tier 2 cultivator.

However, he came fast, and he left even faster.

His long spear thrust toward Zhang Heng. Yet, suddenly, he realized something was terribly wrong. An unprecedented wave of pressure abruptly materialized. The long spear that had accompanied him for many years snapped into two halves just like that. His body was sent flying through the air in an instant. Lying flat on the ground, he instantly lost all vital signs.

Before his death, he only caught a glimpse of the young cultivator named Gu Debai. With a gentle flick of his left hand, an earth-shattering sword qi suddenly appeared.

This single strike shocked everyone in the martial arena. They had never felt such powerful sword qi before. When the crowd looked back at the kid on the platform, their gazes were no longer filled with playful mockery, but with fear—deep, chilling fear.

It was not because of his cultivation level, but because of that ultimate martial arts will.

"Is this the gap between us?" Mu Wanqing, who had been watching Zhang Heng the entire time, smiled inexplicably. To be fair, if she went all out, she could defeat Tang Jishi; yet Zhang Heng had accomplished it with a casual, understated sword stroke. Was this truly the gap?

Witnessing this sword strike from Zhang Heng, Qi Sisi finally understood why Qi Xuan and Mu Wanqing had both acknowledged that day that Zhang Heng was stronger than them, and why Qi Xuan had repeatedly claimed after facing Zhang Heng that he was no match for Zhang Heng no matter what.

Although Zhang Heng had won the duel between him and Qi Xuan that day, both of them had fought an extremely brutal battle. At best, it could only be said that Zhang Heng's will was slightly stronger. Having witnessed this sword strike now, everything finally became clear to her.

Zhang Heng stood holding his sword, calm and composed, ignoring the corpse lying on the ground and paying no attention to the discussions rippling through the crowd.

Judging by his posture, others thought he was using the sword in his hand, but in truth, he was using the sword in his heart.

The martial arena staff quickly carried Tang Jishi's corpse away. However, they found a little over three spirit essences on his body. They tossed all those spirit essences to Zhang Heng without saying much else. After all, the man was dead; the martial arena certainly couldn't be expected to make up the difference out of their own pockets for the remaining balance.

Damn it, I should have anticipated this. The guy never looked like someone who could casually pull out twenty spirit essences. This time, I've taken a huge loss.

A martial arena official flew up onto the platform. "Congratulations to the newcomer Gu Debai on his victory. Which of our Void-Return Tier 2 friends would like to come up and challenge him next?"

Zhang Heng swept his cold gaze across everyone present. Those Void-Return Tier 2, Tier 3, and even Tier 4 cultivators all lowered their heads in secret. Based on that single strike from just now, unless they possessed the strength of Tier 5 Void-Return, none of them dared to climb up onto that platform.

Clearly, the martial arena personnel had anticipated this outcome as well. Unable to leave, he could only fix his gaze on Zhang Heng.

Zhang Heng smiled indifferently. "Any cultivator in the Void-Return Stage may come up to the platform and challenge me."

What? As soon as these words were spoken, they instantly caused a massive uproar.

Cultivators in the Void-Return Stage could all come up? Void-Return Tier 1 was the Void-Return Stage, and likewise, Void-Return Tier 9 was also the Void-Return Stage.

This Heaven-grade arena was a specialized venue for Void-Return Stage cultivators, and almost everyone here was a Void-Return powerhouse. Zhang Heng's move was equivalent to offending everyone present.

"What? Does no one dare to come up? Would you like me to broaden the conditions even further?" Zhang Heng looked down upon everyone with an air of proud defiance.

In any case, he was wearing a mask right now, and his aura was altered. Others had no idea who he was. Therefore, he could act as domineering as he pleased here. He also wanted to find out where the limit of his combat power using the Heart-Protecting Sword truly lay.

Down below, Qi Sisi secretly worried for Zhang Heng. In her understanding, no matter how strong Zhang Heng was, he was only twenty years old after all! Could Zhang Heng possibly be even more monstrous than the legendary Yan Yuntian, the Crown Prince of the State of Yan and the number one prodigy among the Seven Ancient Nations?

Mu Wanqing also wore a complex expression. She could tell that Zhang Heng had not used his full strength. She also knew that Zhang Heng was a prudent person. Yet, she still refused to believe that Zhang Heng could possess the combat power of a Tier 9 Void-Return cultivator.

Because that was simply impossible.

Unless he came from a Holy Land,

or those two super sects.

"Kid, you are far too arrogant." Zhang Heng's words clearly showed contempt for everyone present. These people were all vicious characters; naturally, they would not swallow such an insult lying down. Thus, a Void-Return Stage Tier 7 cultivator leaped up onto the stage.

The martial arena official announced, "The next match features Void-Return Tier 2 Gu Debai versus Void-Return Tier 7 Guan Caibang. The duel will begin in a quarter of an hour, and everyone may now place their bets."

Odds for Gu Debai winning were 1 to 0.3, while Guan Caibang winning was 1 to 1.7. The martial arena personnel could also tell that Zhang Heng had not unleashed his full strength. Therefore, for the most part, this Gu Debai should still be able to defeat this Void-Return Tier 7 cultivator.

The Void-Return Tier 7 cultivator named Guan Caibang felt secretly displeased upon seeing that his own odds were actually this high.

As soon as the duel began, he gathered all his spiritual energy and charged toward Zhang Heng to kill him. Zhang Heng still stood holding his sword, gazing coldly at his opponent.

Just as the man launched his attack right in front of him, Zhang Heng made a casual, empty slash with his left hand.

A seasoned expert and Tier 7 Void-Return cultivator perished on the spot.

This? The spectators watching from below were shocked once again.

One sword strike! Yet another single sword strike!

Obliterating a Void-Return Tier 2 cultivator with a single strike was somewhat understandable, but wiping out a Void-Return Tier 7 cultivator with a single sword stroke? How could this be possible? Did this kid really possess combat power capable of looking down upon all Void-Return Stage cultivators?

Down below, seeing Zhang Heng wipe out a Void-Return Tier 7 cultivator with a single sword strike, Mu Wanqing's heart was filled with intense complexity. She prided herself on being the number one prodigy of the Spirit Feather Palace, carrying the hopes of a great grand sect. She had cultivated to the peak of the Yuan Dan Stage at age twenty, possessing the combat power of a Tier 3 Void-Return. She had originally thought that was already enough.

But now, she found herself filled with doubt.