Chapter 217

Looking at the broken and weak woman on the platform, Gu Xuyang felt no shame or anger at losing due to such an accident; instead, there was considerable respect in his eyes: "Sect Master Shen is remarkable."

Shen Tang smiled slightly: "I took a shortcut."

Gu Xuyang shook his head: "I was conservative in combat and failed to adapt. Rules are rules; you won."

Speaking then via voice transmission: "The Imperial Scripture that Shocks the World lives up to its reputation as a Super-grade Divine Art. Now I understand why Your Majesty issued such a strange decree, heh..."

Shen Tang merely clasped her hands: "I yield to your skill."

The Imperial Scripture that Shocks the World cannot be hidden; once a conflict arises with others, experts will eventually recognize it... Yet Gu Xuyang's attitude was strange; instead of publicizing it, he used voice transmission. Could he be trying to use this to hold something over her?

Gu Xuyang paid no heed to her thoughts, did not bid farewell to Shi Tielong, and directly soared away on clouds.

Damn, losing while maintaining face and pretending to be cool isn't easy. Now that my Life-Root Treasure is destroyed, I must immediately find a place to repair it, or I'll be finished if I encounter an enemy.

Seeing the combatants acknowledge the outcome, Lu Xingzhou ran onto the arena like a flying bird, immediately stopped Shen Tang's bleeding and fed her medicine, then summoned a wheelchair and helped Shen Tang sit properly.

Shen Tang's face was pale; turning her head to look at Lu Xingzhou's stern face, her beautiful eyes seemed to glance unintentionally at Ye Tinglan in the stands, and she said softly: "The final sword strike... I wasn't sure."

Ye Tinglan knew what she meant.

With that final strike, if she hadn't switched to a palm push, there actually would have been a chance to truly defeat the opponent, rather than relying on the rules for a shortcut as she did now.

But the certainty would have been much lower... The opponent had only suffered backlash injuries, not lost combat capability; the final outcome was uncertain. After all, this was not a life-or-death battle but an arena contest; Shen Tang ultimately chose the safer palm push to shove the opponent off the platform, winning first and worrying later.

Yet Shen Tang herself still felt regret in her heart, having failed to truly achieve what Ye Tinglan had done back then.

This girl probably recognized me... You recognized me and still tore me apart!

Ye Tinglan gazed somewhat absent-mindedly at Shen Tang's pale face, thinking silently that the Sword Art of the Heavenly Traveling Sword Sect corresponds perfectly to the Qian Trigram and also aligns very well with the Imperial Scripture that Shocks the World. From the perspective of the trigrams, Shen Tang faced a first-grade opponent without asking for his help and actually won, truly achieving the self-improvement of a gentleman.

The Qian Trigram...

Undoubtedly the trigram of rulers.

This observation seems to have yielded a result.

What Shen Tang thinks in her heart doesn't matter; at this moment, in the hearts of all onlookers, she won.

Even covered in wounds and drenched in blood, even relying on the rules for a shortcut, a win is a win.

At this moment, Shen Tang in the minds of the onlookers was like a celestial being.

Lu Xingzhou said nothing, merely focusing on stopping the bleeding and healing injuries. Shen Tang said softly: "Are you blaming me for fighting so desperately unnecessarily?"

"No." Lu Xingzhou finally replied: "I am just heartbroken, but proud of you."

Shen Tang smiled brilliantly.

After finishing his examination, Lu Xingzhou said softly: "Though you look drenched in blood, it is all external wounds, easy to treat. Internally, you are merely exhausted; take some pills and rest for a while. If we speak truly, Gu Xuyang's injuries are worse than yours; the backlash injury from a shattered Life-Root Treasure is far more troublesome than yours... In that regard, you also won."

Shen Tang scolded playfully: "There's no such comparison..."

Zhang Zhang Rongzhi's voice came from the platform: "Seeing Sect Master Shen's condition, she should rest first... Guild Master Shi, have you chosen your third combatant?"

Shi Tielong let out a long sigh.

Aside from Shen Tang, the most capable fighter in the Heavenly Traveling Sword Sect is Zhang Shaoyou; facing Zhang Shaoyou, he still had some confidence. Rising to the platform, he said: "Then I, this seat, will request to learn the high skills of the Heavenly Traveling Sword Sect. Who from your sect will fight, Hall Master Zhang?"

Before Zhang Shaoyou could speak, Lu Xingzhou on the platform replied first: "Guild Master Shi is quite amusing. Can you not see there is already someone on the platform?"

Shi Tielong was stunned: "You?"

"Precisely this humble one." Lu Xingzhou straightened his body and said calmly: "Why use an ox-cleaver to kill a chicken? Guild Master Shi is only fit to play with me."

The crowd erupted in uproar.

Lu Xingzhou's cultivation is only mid-fourth grade, while Shi Tielong is mid-third grade.

It looks like merely crossing one realm, but the gap between them is the great chasm of the upper three grades, a distance as vast as a heavenly tribulation!

This isn't even the same fundamental realm; he can fly while you cannot. Isn't that beating a son? How dare you?

Lu Xingzhou could only say that ignorance breeds surprise; is third grade so awesome? I've even been there; it does sound good when shouted.

Bai Mao even killed a third-grade cultivator across realms in the Demon Subduing Domain, and did so without a scratch. One can only say that after seeing so many freaks, one's own standards begin to become freakish too; otherwise, one would always harbor self-doubt about whether one is worthy of them.

My blessings have been abundant; speaking purely of the Immortal Bone, it is something Shi Tielong could never possess, and I cultivate a Super-grade Art. If I dare not fight, how can I be worthy of Shen Tang's celestial-like performance just now?

Lu Xingzhou ignored the fire-breathing Shi Tielong on the platform, first pushed Shen Tang to the stands, and said softly: "I will be back shortly."

Shen Tang did not say he shouldn't be reckless; she knew what the man was thinking, and simply gave a soft "Hmm": "Be careful."

Lu Xingzhou returned to the platform and bowed slightly: "Guild Master Shi, please."

Shi Tielong's expression held some contempt; he lightly pushed off with his feet and flew straight up, hovering high in the air, looking down: "You... can you even hit me?"

Lu Xingzhou: "..."

Many around were laughing; someone whispered: "Guild Master Shi is not being honorable. I thought he would defeat his opponent head-on, showing some dignity. Yet he resorts to such humiliating tricks."

Another replied: "Shi Tielong has lost his temper; he cannot afford to lose again."

Those nearby who heard nodded; indeed so.

Shen Tang broke through second grade and first grade in two consecutive battles, her momentum like a soaring dragon; all onlookers were boiling with bloodthirsty excitement. If Shi Tielong were to be challenged and defeated across realms again, even if he won the remaining seven matches, it would mean nothing; the king in people's hearts would only be the Heavenly Traveling Sword Sect.

Shi Tielong must use the most humiliating method against his opponent to cut down their momentum and reclaim the arena.

Lu Xingzhou looked up and sighed: "Must you play like this?"

"Not only that." Shi Tielong summoned his flying sword: "Because you cannot hit me, but I can hit you."

Lu Xingzhou smiled: "Old Shi, if you had been this annoying earlier, I might have quite liked you."

"Then I do not need your liking; you should just like your own Sect Master." Shi Tielong grinned and waved his hand casually.

The sword light was brilliant, rushing straight down toward Lu Xingzhou.

It must be said, Shi Tielong's flying sword was quite strong, imposing and magnificent, with dazzling radiance.

However, everyone had not yet fully recovered from Shen Tang's feast; looking at the quality of this sword light, they felt a bit unmotivated.

"Boom!" The sword light plunged into the floor beside Lu Xingzhou; the arena, reinforced by formations, still shattered with flying stones and rising dust.

"Huh... Why did it pierce the floor? I didn't see Lu Xingzhou move."

"Did Guild Master Shi hold back?"

"Fool, Lu Xingzhou moved; you just didn't see it."

Those who understood the art already saw it: Lu Xingzhou's foot shifted slightly; he didn't seem to move much, yet the sword light grazed past him. Not only did he appear utterly at ease, but he also displayed extraordinary confidence and judgment.

If Shi Tielong wanted to humiliate him, then he naturally had to show off.

Amidst the dust and smoke, Lu Xingzhou's left foot suddenly stamped down.

Countless people stared blankly as fire erupted from beneath Lu Xingzhou's feet, shooting him into the clouds like a firework. One might call it a sky-rocket, which isn't very elegant, yet the posture was inexplicably beautiful...

He shot upward.

Actually, any Wu Xiu who reached fourth grade could do this, but it couldn't be sustained, nor could they control themselves in mid-air; it was not on the same level as true flight after reaching third grade, where one rides the clouds. Logically, such an uncontrollable ascent against someone who could truly fly was just going up to get beaten.

Shi Tielong also smiled, waved his hand, and the flying sword on the ground rushed back, thrusting straight at Lu Xingzhou's lower body. At the same time, he slapped his palm toward Lu Xingzhou's skull: "Go down."

Lu Xingzhou moved like lightning, chopping his palm against Shi Tielong's wrist.

Logically, with such an obstruction, he should have fallen. Yet everyone watched with their own eyes as he not only didn't fall but drifted sideways along the momentum, just avoiding the flying sword rushing up from below, as if he could truly fly.

"How is this possible!" A roar erupted from below: "He hasn't reached third grade; how did he do it?"

"It's a Floating Talisman!" Someone with sharp eyes saw it: "He has a Floating Talisman stuck to his back."

"But a Floating Talisman can at most suspend him in the air without bearing force; how can it withstand the Sect Leader Shi's attack?"

"I don't know; it's like seeing a ghost..."

Only Ye Tinglan knew that a single Floating Talisman wasn't enough, but adding his connected Immortal Bone, plus the Water-Fire Spiral power, it was barely sufficient.

The so-called shedding of the mortal flesh is itself a prerequisite for feathering and ascending; since his bones are immortal and spiritual, they are naturally light and clear. The Immortal Bone plus the Floating Talisman allowed him to fly, while the Water-Fire Spiral was used to support the force and adjust direction. With the hard cultivation of a mid-level fourth grade, he forcibly accomplished something only possible at third grade.

It just required immense mental focus to control, and he couldn't kick his legs, which might not be advantageous for the battle situation... but as for the act of showing off, he succeeded.

Even the discussion and reaction triggered by Shen Tang didn't seem as intense as this; Ye Tinglan was truly torn between laughter and tears.

But showing off isn't enough; you have to win!

Just as the discussion below was in full swing, Shi Tielong didn't care about any of that; he reached out to catch his flying sword and immediately delivered a horizontal slash.

Let you fake-fly!

Lu Xingzhou blocked Shi Tielong's arm with one hand, while with the other he delivered an elbow strike, throwing his whole body into Shi Tielong's embrace.

Shi Tielong sneered, chopping his left hand against Lu Xingzhou's elbow; the first formal clash of energies exploded loudly in the sky.

Amidst everyone's stunned silence, the one pushed back was... Shi Tielong!

A third grade fighter pushed back a fourth grade fighter head-on!

Shi Tielong had no words for his bitterness; where was Lu Xingzhou's strength so great?

It was black flames from who-knows-where that silently attached to Lu Xingzhou's elbow; upon contact, they nearly burned his palm to ruin. Fortunately, his cultivation was formidable; his primal qi suddenly erupted, shaking the black flames apart.

But Lu Xingzhou had already followed like a shadow, throwing his body into a fist that struck straight at the center.

Shi Tielong condensed his primal qi to protect his fist and met it with a punch.

With a "Bang," the two fists collided.

The violent Taiji Tian Gang suddenly erupted.

Shi Tielong thought Lu Xingzhou was merely using Daoist techniques to cheat and that his true strength was mediocre; suddenly encountering such a fierce eruption, caught off guard, he was shaken backward again.

People looked up, almost completely dumbfounded.

How did the scene look as if Lu Xingzhou was suppressing Shi Tielong and beating him?

Only the two combatants knew clearly that wasn't the case; Lu Xingzhou's fists were even trembling slightly, while Shi Tielong's strength was actually greater than his.

But the good news was, it wasn't much stronger than his own Taiji Tian Gang's explosive power.

The health bar not only lit up, but it wasn't very thick!

Lu Xingzhou's usually peaceful and refined gaze became ferocious.

Shi Tielong's expression was very grave: "What... exactly is this technique?"

"The technique is mediocre; I have only a couple of skills." Lu Xingzhou smiled, cupping his hands in the air to form a Taiji: "After reaching fourth grade, I can barely use a new move, which I have never used on anyone before... Please, Sect Leader Shi, critique it."

Within those cupped hands, the Taiji of red and blue qi clearly rotated; at the same time, the Water-Fire Spiral beneath his feet also transformed into an extremely clear Taiji shape.

It was as if he trod upon Yin and Yang, holding life and death in his hands.

A strong sense of crisis surged in Shi Tielong's heart; he dared no longer be arrogant. With a sharp shout, sword light flashed explosively. The intent of a tsunami, extremely similar to his uncle Shi Zhong's, surged wildly forth.

Canglan Sect's supreme sword art, Canglan Anger. He too had unleashed his ultimate move.

Facing the tsunami-like sword qi, Lu Xingzhou retracted his fist to his waist and suddenly blasted it outward.

The sword light broke into his red-blue spiral.

A look of joy began to rise on Shi Tielong's face, but it quickly froze in astonishment.

Lu Xingzhou's punch looked violent, yet it actually had no power at all...

That spiral was not the offensive kind from before; it was like a whirlpool on the sea, swallowing everything. His sword light sank into the whirlpool, just like a mud ox entering the sea, being sucked away completely.

A look of pain appeared on Lu Xingzhou's face.

This was an advanced version of the Yin-Yang Grinder, the Great Void Rotation.

The so-called Yin-Yang Grinder was merely a prerequisite for learning the Great Void Rotation, to familiarize oneself with the sensation of letting the opponent's energy enter the body.

All power fell into the Great Void whirlpool within the body's universe; like drawing essence, it absorbed and rotated the power, and then...

"Boom!"

As if delayed, one breath later, along with Shi Tielong's sword qi and Lu Xingzhou's Yin-Yang Spiral, everything blasted out of the body in one go.

Shi Tielong couldn't react for a moment; the energy that had just sunk like a mud ox into the sea had now erupted with double the force.

With a "Bang," Shi Tielong, like a kite with a broken string, fell from the sky.

He could not understand how this was done.

Lu Xingzhou, from above, flipped and rotated three hundred and sixty degrees, delivering a vicious side kick that smashed down.

The Great Void Rotation had exhausted his energy reserves; his dantian and meridians were now completely empty; this kick was all the strength he could muster at this moment.

Shi Tielong plummeted into midair, straining to raise a hand and block.

With a deafening "Clang!", Shi Tielong crashed into the arena like a cannonball, smashing out a massive deep pit and sending a shower of flying rubble into the sky.

Every onlooker who had been sitting rose in disbelief and shock.

Lu Xingzhou landed on the ground, stumbling two steps and nearly falling.

Shi Tielong lay in the pit like a tattered rag, blood streaming from his mouth, still muttering in disbelief: "What technique is this..."

Lu Xingzhou panted a few times, wiping the blood from the corner of his lips: "Great Void Rotation... though I think calling it the Deathless Seal Method wouldn't be wrong either."

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(End of Chapter)