Chapter 236: The Crude Imitation
Because of the multiple complex moves, it was nearly impossible to master the Sword Step in such a short time. It didn't matter how many times Rocher demonstrated before him, Yehudi would probably not be able to remember how to do it.
So, it was surprising how rapid Zen became proficient by mimicking Rocher's Sword Steps, and as if he were born with the Sword Step skills, Zen moved faster and faster.
Looking at the battle ring, Yehudi saw that Zen's steps were almost identical to Rocher's Sword Steps...
'Is this guy even human?' wondered Yehudi silently.
Zen's abilities stunned Yehudi. It wasn't surprising that Zen was able to beat the other opponents. After all, Zen earned over fifty thousand points during his assessment, so, Yehudi was aware that Zen was more adept than he was in combat.
However, as he witnessed Zen learn a skill that Rocher was most proud to have mastered, the Sword Step, that quickly, Yehudi was surprised. Zen had an unusual talent to be able to grasp the technique off the cuff as he did.
Just then, hearing a loud roar from the battle ring, Yehudi turned his head.
By now the battle between Rocher and Kim was in full swing.
Rocher had Kim pinned down using only his Sword Step.
Kim had been repressing his temper, and he was usually as sedate as a mountain when he didn't quickly erupt, but once he did, it was as volatile as a volcano, leaving his opponent to face the fire of his volcanic eruption!
“Dragon Shadow Kill!”
“Rawr!”
Along with the loud noise, several faint dragon images on Kim's spear came to life at the same time. They encircled the spear and penetrated the tip. All of Kim's life vitality was, in fact, compressed into about a footlong area of the spearpoint which altered its glow from the silver it shimmered to glinting in the sunlight.
Kim lunged, thrusting the life vitality imbued spear at Rocher.
Rocher was racing, and dodging, at an incredible speed around the ring, as he pushed the moves of his Sword Step method to its maximum. The shadows cast by Rocher's rapid speed might make disciples who were at lower levels believe over a dozen Rochers were in the ring now.
Additionally, because his legs were moving so fast it gave the illusion that Rocher was gliding across the field as though he were ice skating.
With his rival racing at such an impossible velocity around him, Kim was feeling dizzy and groaned inwardly. He couldn't even see Rocher now.
While the Dragon Shadow Kill move was formidable, it would be useless if he couldn't impale his adversary.
Kim thrust, but, his spear missed the target.
It was as though Rocher was a ghost, and as Kim's spear impaled the air where Rocher had been seconds before, Rocher darted behind Kim, and touched Kim's back with two fingers.
When a swordsman understood sword intent fully, he could manipulate even flowers or trees as though they were swords. So, the fingers Rocher rested against Kim's back were just like a sword which left Kim with the choice to either struggle hopelessly, or admit defeat.
However, the All Peaks Competition wasn't a duel to the death. And although it was a difficult blow to lose, where there was life, there was hope. Kim knew Rocher was quite talented and that it wasn't possible to win against him. Therefore, on weighing his options, Kim reluctantly admitted defeat.
After the match ended, Zen stopped practicing the Sword Step. He had a rudimentary grasp of it now, and was ready to incorporate it in real combat.
The bouts in the ring continued, with a winner and loser for each round, until it was Zen's turn.
“Next up will be Zen Luo of Drizzle Peak against Cecil Zhuge of Skywrath Peak!”
'Cecil Zhuge of Skywrath Peak?' speculated Zen. 'Could he be a member of the noble Zhuge Clan?' A look of confusion flashed across Zen's face, and just as quick, it was once more an unreadable expression. He had feuded members of the Zhuge Clan for a long time, but it hadn't crossed his mind that Cecil Zhuge would be his foe in today's competition.
“What?! Cecil Zhuge of the Illuminating Soul Realm! What rotten luck for you Zen. If you can't win, it'd be okay to yield now because one loss isn't important to group competitions anyway....” It wasn't the first time Zen heard these words from Master Wen, and although Master Wen didn't want to heap praise on their enemy or make light of his talents, it was still lousy luck that Zen was matched against a practitioner in the Illuminating Soul Realm.
Almost every disciple of the Illuminating Soul Realm was among the top one hundred disciples, including Cecil Zhuge, who was ranked somewhere near number eighty-three!
Between the start of the competition and that moment, there hadn't been many surprises where members of the Illuminating Soul Realm were concerned. After all, the disciples from the Illuminating Soul Realm refined at a level far superior to any of the Cloud Sect's disciples who were in the nature level. With the exception of Rocher's victory, so far, such mismatched battles led to disciples of the Illuminating Soul Realm winning. But, Rocher's talent was well-known, so his performance wasn't really surprising.
Master Yu gloated when he heard the announcement that Zen's opponent would be Cecil Zhuge of the Illuminating Soul Realm because he despised Zen for nearly killing a Blackrock Peak disciple, Mack. “Humph! Well, now we'll just see how the little rat-refiner practicing at the second grade of nature level holds up against a disciple of the Illuminating Soul Realm!”
A little rat-refiner at the second grade of nature level...
So far, during today's All Peaks Competition, Zen was the winner in all the matches he was in, and the general opinion was that it was due, in part, to his good fortune.
Essentially, since Zen was only at the second grade of nature level, it seemed obvious to most people that he was an opportunistic rat, who would come up against a mighty master, like a disciple of the Illuminating Soul Realm, and then he would be at a loss and end up pulverized.
'So, Cecil Zhuge is a member of the Illuminating Soul Realm. Maybe I will try out the Sword Step, ' mused Zen instead of worrying like Mater Wen did. When he was at a half-step into the nature level, he managed to get the upper hand during a fight against a master of the Illuminating Soul Realm. Now, having broken through the confines that had held him back, Zen was at the second grade of nature level, so, it shouldn't be as challenging to win against a disciple of the Illuminating Soul Realm.
Zen had completely mastered the extraordinary, quirky and ever fluctuating Sword Step, but, he wanted to test it in a real fray.
The tall, handsome man with an effeminate air who stood arrogantly straight in the ring was Cecil Zhuge. In his hand was a fan bearing Eight Diagrams. It became apparent that the Eight Diagrams weren't patterns inscribed on it though, instead, they were slowly revolving against the fan, like they were alive.
“Zen Luo, this isn't the first time I've heard your name,” said Cecil Zhuge as he shook his head disdainfully and continued, “There are quite a few members in my family who hate your guts, it seems. If you weren't a disciple here at the Cloud Sect, you wouldn't be safe, and you would've died a hundred times over by now. It seems your luck has run out! You're my opponent, and I'm going to destroy you. Now, listen...”
Interrupting the monolog, Zen impatiently said, “I've got to hand it to the Zhuge family. Each of you, first Fren, then Yale, Josef, and now you, with such an ego! Each of you has piled the garbage higher than the last! Let's get on with this brawl! Unless, you want to save yourself the hassle and forfeit now!”
It shocked the disciples who were present when they heard Zen.
Earlier, it was Rocher arrogant and boasting he'd fight Kim from the Illuminating Soul Realm without a sword, but, in light of how Zen was behaving, Rocher's attitude was nothing.
Rocher could back up his words with his skills. Without drawing his sword, he took on a master of the Illuminating Soul Realm.
But, what could Zen do?
True, it was a remarkable feat that someone at the second grade of nature level had a winning streak, like Zen, relying purely on his agility and clout.
Nevertheless, most people thought it had been lucky that Zen hadn't encountered a very strong opponent, up until now.
In contrast to his previous opponents, Cecil Zhuge, was one of the top hundred ranked inner disciples and a true master of the Illuminating Soul Realm. The spectators couldn't help but think Zen had a mental issue. Taunting his rival the way Zen was doing only added fuel to the fire, and brought him closer to death!
“I won't talk nonsense with you, since you'll just argue, unconvinced until you come face to face with the grim reality yourself! Instead, I'll show you the difference between masters of Illuminating Soul Realm and nature creatures!” said Cecil Zhuge, seething. He'd been tipped off by his family, to do his utmost to kill Zen if he ran into him at the All Peaks Competition, and if he succeeded, his family would take responsibility!
In fact, it wasn't just the Zhuge Clan who wanted Zen's life ended during the competition. There was a disciple who Saint Viana arranged to kill Zen. Because of Aura, Saint Viana was uneasy about murdering Zen, and probably told the disciple to make it look like an accident.
Still, the ongoing conflict between Zen and the Zhuge Clan was publically known, so Cecil Zhuge had none of the apprehension of ending Zen's life!
Accordingly, Cecil Zhuge was blatantly ruthless right from the start. He waved his fan, bringing an evil wind of life vitality rolling at Zen. Adding to the intensity, rolling thunder heralded lightning that was building within the amazing force of evil wind closing in on Zen...
As the violent onslaught barreled down on Zen, he made use of Rocher's Sword Step, and took a slow, calculated step.
After he'd won against Kim, Rocher had gone back to join the other Skytop Peak disciples. He wasn't interested in watching the other battles, so, instead, he was lying down, and resting with his eyes closed.
When he heard Zen's outrageous remarks, his eyes shot open in surprise. A knowing grin spread as he slowly shook his head before once more closing his eyes. Boasts were countless in such a vast, strange world. Anyone could talk big and gloat, but, it was a rarity to find someone able to back up the outlandish declarations.
Just as his eyes closed again, Rocher heard someone exclaim loudly, “What's going on? He knows the Sword Step method too?”
“Yes, that's definitely the Sword Step! Zen mastered the method as well!”
As the audience watched, Zen slowly made his way around the ring, performing the same maneuvers to the Sword Step method as Rocher did earlier, and dodged Cecil Zhuge's evil wind.
At first glimpse, some eagle-eyed disciples recognized the method and commented on Zen's performance. “That's the Sword Step. He's performing the technique exactly how Rocher did, but, Zen's Sword Step only appears identical. It doesn't contain the sword intent that Rocher used. How ridiculous, it's merely a crude imitation!”
“Ha-ha! Rocher used Sword Step, whereas this guy copied the motions and how they appeared, and hasn't learned about the sword intent within it. What's the use of that?”
The endless debating between disciples bombarded Rocher's ears. Intrigued along with being annoyed, he studied Zen as he moved around the ring swiftly. Suddenly, one of Rocher's eyebrows arched strikingly, and what he beheld left him pretty shaken up!
“That isn't true! Zen isn't taking simple steps!”