Chapter 214: Battle Between Masters
Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
“In that case, the next step is to learn Brother Si’s master tricks!”
Zhang Tiangui spread his arms wide open. When the Genuine Qi beneath his legs extended, he steadily flew high up. He descended into the lake 20 feet away and walked until he reached the center of the lake.
“Phew!”
The water in the lake surged outward and transformed into ice.
Shortly after, a massive, crystal clear iceberg appeared under Zhang Tiangui’s feet and floated on the surface of the lake.
Zhang Tiangui stood at the highest point of the iceberg. He poured the Genuine Qi out of his body, blending himself into both the iceberg and the massive lake.
There was not one organism in his body that he could utilize with the colossal force of the lake to suppress his opponent who had entered the lake.
The real battle of a master involved not only the strength and power of the master himself, but also the use of the environment as well as the mastery of one’s mind.
Chang Qiqi’s heart was thumping in his chest. He looked at Zhang Tiangui, who was standing peacefully in the center of the lake. He felt scared, as if he was looking at a statue in a temple.
Under such circumstances, Zhang Tiangui had already destroyed Chang Qiqi’s confidence without even fighting.
“Is elder brother a match for Zhang Tiangui?” Chang Qiqi suspected the true ability of his older brother for the very first time. He looked toward Si Xingkong and wondered how he was going to withstand the power of Zhang Tiangui.
“Haha! You are indeed the genius Zhang Tiangui that a lot of people admire.” Si Xingkong opened the lid of the Burning Wine and drank it. Then, he stepped forward on the ground—hard.
“Bam!”
The ground underneath Si Xingkong’s legs shattered and turned into a string of cracks. They spread toward the massive lake 20 feet away.
“Phhf!”
The crack in the ground was two-meters wide and 30 feet long, and it linked the lake together. Immediately, the water of the lake surged upward.
Not only did the crack tear up the ground, but it also destroyed the momentum of the lake that Zhang Tiangui had solidified.
“Bang!”
Si Xingkong’s body collapsed as if drawing a bow. His extremities were shivering and a loud sound broke out from his body.
It was as if his body had transformed into an arrow that was shot from a bow. He flew toward the lake and directly attacked Zhang Tiangui.
The high-pitched sound he let out just now vibrated, causing pain in Chang Qiqi’s and Luo Cheng’s ears. They became dizzy and were mentally stunned.
“Thousand Hands of the War God!”
Zhang Tiangui stretched out his hand, activated his Genuine Qi, and turned his arm into an illusory image. It was at least 30 meters long and formed countless hand shadows, striking fists, and pointed fingers of force.
Si Xingkong laughed out loud and broke through the thousand hand shadow straight away.
He punched out a fist, which had a power that was as strong as a dragon-lion. He groaned, causing the lake to have turbulent waves.
Chang Qiqi stood at the shore, trying his best to open his eyes. However, his eyes were in such great pain that he could not clearly see any trace of Si Xingkong or Zhang Tiangui.
“Boom”
The iceberg shattered. The two human shadows separated at once, like two geese flying in the wind, falling gently in different directions of the lake.
“Bravo! You were able to break my thousand hand prints with just one move.” Zhang Tiangui stood above the water surface, where there was another iceberg solidified beneath his legs.
“Fight!”
Si Xingkong struck out his second fist and the waves of water in the entire lake had completely rolled up and dashed out again.
At first, there were only two shadows on the lake. Shortly after, four shadows appeared… In the end, countless shadows came into sight as if thousands of troops of soldiers and horses were brutally fighting on the lake.
Chang Qiqi and Luo Cheng had long been shaken and were incapable of handling such a powerful force.
“They have both cultivated to the Completion of the Earth Realm, so why is there such a big difference between them?” Luo Cheng was agitated and grasped his fingers tightly. He could have never imagined that they were capable of practicing their power to this height in the Heaven Realm.
The two human shadows on the lake separated again.
Up until this moment, Chang Qiqi and Luo Cheng, who were standing by the lake, realized that under the influence of the Genuine Qi of the two masters, the hundred-meter-long lake had completely frozen and transformed into an ice lake.
“Six movements have been completed. The next move will be the move that decides victory.”
Si Xingkong’s hair was disheveled. His momentum was magnificent and every inch of his skin had turned golden. He took a deep breath, and the Spiritual Qi that had spread one kilometer around him was completely and instantly absorbed and inhaled into his body.
Zhang Tiangui could feel the powerful momentum displayed on Si Xingkong’s body. Then, he drew a circle with his bare hands where six light beams emitted from his body. At the same time, it transformed into six types of Spiritual Stage martial techniques, including domination, strange, skillful, and extermination.
“Boom!”
Two streams of power crashed into each other that shattered the massive lake, which had been frozen to an ice lake, into fragments of Ice Crystals.
The entire ground lightly shook along with the ice lake.
Zhang Tiangui flew out and fell hard onto the lake. His body slid dozens of meters backward, which left a long track mark on the ground as his lower body had completely sunken into the soil.
“Pfft!”
A mouthful of blood was spat out from Zhang Tiangui’s mouth.
He looked a bit bleak. This was the first loss that he had ever encountered since he was small. He stared at Si Xingkong in the distance and said with difficulty, “I… I lost…”
Si Xingkong laughed and said, “Haha! I’ve consolidated in the Completion of the Earth Realm for three years while you have just freshly broken through to this realm. If I haven’t elevated to the Heaven Realm in three years, then I might not be a match for you at that time. Junior fellow apprentice Chang, let’s go.”
Looking at the dilapidated lake, Chang Qiqi was astonished, “Is it possible for a human to explode out such power?”
“Come on, let’s move!”
Si Xingkong tapped on Chang Qiqi’s shoulders lightly and signaled for him to go. They walked shoulder to shoulder and very quickly, disappearing in the frost and snow.
Chang Qiqi gazed at Si Xingkong with admiration and said, “Senior brother, you’re absolutely amazing! With your ability, I guess you are able to kill martial arts legends in the Heaven Realm with your bare hands. The so-called top genius was vulnerable and has been knocked off by you.”
“Pfft!”
Suddenly, Si Xingkong spat out a mouthful of blood before swallowing the wine down his throat.
“Senior brother… senior brother, what’s wrong with you?” Chang Qiqi immediately held Si Xingkong, looking concerned. He did not realize that his senior brother was injured as well.
Si Xingkong’s countenance turned pale. He wiped the blood from the corner his mouth and put up a faint smile. He said, “I’m fine. It’s just a small injury. I just didn’t expect that Zhang Tiangui was so powerful. I’m sure that if I can’t break through to the Heaven Realm in a year, I won’t be strong enough to defeat him.”
“How powerful is Zhang Tiangui?” Chang Qiqi asked.
Si Xingkong responded, “I’m a Three-and-a-half-realm Fighting Genius, and yet, Zhang Tiangui has become a Four-realm Fighting Genius. I’m able to defeat him this time just because of my fundamental ability of Martial Arts. You know that we only fought for seven moves, but I used all of my power in each of the moves. It was indeed so severe that, if I hadn’t been cautious, he would have seized the chance and defeated me.”
“I can’t believe that Zhang Tiangui is a Four-realm Fighting Genius!”
Chang Qiqi said, “Even predecessor Luo Xu was only a Four-and-a-half-realm Fighting Genius when he was at the peak of his Martial Arts cultivation.”
“Otherwise, he wouldn’t be called the top genius of the 36 commanderies in Omen Ridge.” Si Xingkong looked serious and said, “With the talent that Zhang Tiangui displayed, he would be able to draw with predecessor Luo Xu, and can become a Four-and-a-half-realm Fighting Genius if he has any fortuitous encounters.”
Chang Qiqi asked, “Does it mean that none in the younger generation of the 36 commanderies in the entire Omen Ridge will be a match for Zhang Tiangui one year from now?”
“It’s uncertain.” Si Xingkong smiled, saying, “There are numerous geniuses in the School of the Martial Market as both Luo Shuihan and Zhang Ruochen are also Four-realm Fighting Geniuses. I’m sure that they will be able to confront Zhang Tiangui in the future. Moreover, who knows if I’ll have fortuitous encounters and become one of the Four-realm Fighting Geniuses? Although the chances are pretty slim…”
Si Xingkong stood up straight and said, “With Zhang Tiangui’s condition of being injured, I guess he will need more than three months to fully recover even with the help of healing Pills. We will be safe along the way to Yunwu City and deal with the masters of the Black Market and the Moon Worship Demonic Sect. It’s said that the Lady Saint of the Moon Worship Demonic Sect appeared in Yunwu City. It’s a good chance for us to fight with her. I wonder if she or Zhang Tiangui will be stronger?”
“Senior brother, are you sure you still want to fight against someone else with your injuries…?” Chang Qiqi asked with concern.
“My injury isn’t too bad. I’ll be fine with just drinking Burning Wine. What? Don’t you believe me? I can easily grab you and run at a high speed. Fancy taking a ride?”
Chang Qiqi shook his head and indicated that he did not believe him.
Si Xingkong grabbed Chang Qiqi’s shoulders and “Clash!”, they dashed out through the air where Chang Qiqi screamed out loud again.
200 miles away, Zhang Ruochen had just broken through to the Mid Stage of the Earth Realm.
“Have you broken into a higher realm?”
Shen Feng, who was standing 10 steps away, looked shocked. He could not have imagined that his opponent could break through to another realm in the middle of the fight.
He was positive that even if Zhang Ruochen had broken through his current realm, he was still strong enough to defeat him.
“Wind and fire connection!”
Shen Feng looked determined and was confident in his cultivation. He lowered down the Redfire Halberd in his hand and was ready to display his second movement.
Out of expectation, he borrowed the power of “A Hundred to Fire” and “A Hundred to Wind” that Zhang Ruochen and Huang Yanchen had displayed respectively, and rotated his Redfire Halberd in the air. When the wind power and fire power blended together, it pierced toward Zhang Ruochen.
Rather than escaping, Zhang Ruochen held his sword single-handedly and shook his arm. The Abyss Ancient Sword wandered on the Redfire Halberd and completely dissolved the power of the halberd. Then, he swung his sword onto Shen Feng’s left wrist.
“How is it possible that he could greatly increase his speed after breaking through to another realm?” Shen Feng’s countenance changed immediately. If Zhang Ruochen were to chop off his left wrist, he would be easily caught.
Shen Feng had no choice but to let go of the Redfire Halberd as he quickly retreated backward.
Zhang Ruochen did not give him a chance to escape. Instead, he slashed his sword at Shen Feng’s legs.
“Pfft!”
Blood splashed all over the ground.
Both of Shen Feng’s legs had been chopped off and he fell into the blood pit. He let out a wretched scream and still did not understand how Zhang Ruochen had become so strong in such a short period of time.
At the very beginning, the reason that Shen Feng was able to suppress Zhang Ruochen was that his speed had reached 135 meters per second, while Zhang Ruochen was still at 115 meters per second.
No matter how advanced and outstanding Zhang Ruochen’s sword technique was, the difference in speed between them was so great that Zhang Ruochen was in no way a match for Shen Feng.
But by breaking through to a high realm, Zhang Ruochen’s speed had reached 140 meters per second, which was even faster than Shen Feng’s. Therefore, he could easily defeat Shen Feng with his mastery of sword techniques.
Shen Feng had completely lost his fighting power after his legs were chopped off.
In order to maintain the vision of “A Hundred to Wind”, Huang Yanchen’s Genuine Qi had been greatly consumed. Looking at Zhang Ruochen, who had just destroyed Shen Feng, she instantly pulled back her Genuine Qi. Her sweat was dripping down and she had almost lost her breath. She exclaimed, “Zhang Ruochen, we have to leave now!”
“I’m afraid that it’s not going to be easy for us to leave…”
10 feet away in the snow, three human shadows flew up. They all held their long swords and attacked toward Zhang Ruochen.
All three of them possessed a cultivation in the Earth Realm and had an extremely high speed. Besides, they were only 10 feet away from Zhang Ruochen, so they were able to easily rush behind him in a second and pierce a sword through his back.