Chapter 243: A Serious Matter
At the sight, the crowd began to discuss.
“Dick's blow is so terrifying. He could strike Zen into the air using only the kill song. He is so much stronger than Zen. Zen will lose in this round.”
“I'm afraid the damage would be more than just losing the battle. The word 'kill' is so unfathomable. It contains terrifying power within itself. And I had a bad feeling when I saw this word. It seems as though it might bounce Zen's force back. That's to say Zen will suffer the damage of his own attack as well as the blow from the word 'kill'. Whether he can still stand or not, remains to be seen.”
“Oh! I get it. Zen was hit by the innate superhuman strength from himself. I hope that he is unable to stand. Yes, he should not be able to stand. I bet all on him losing, and I lost my money in the previous rounds in which Zen fought and won. If he continues to win, I will lose all my money. I gambled on Dick being stronger. If Zen fails, I will recover my money and perhaps, even make a profit!”
“Don't worry. He won't recover from this attack. Even if his body is made of steel and iron, he can't withstand it.”
In fact, except for the disciples from Drizzle Peak and the people who wagered on Zen's victory, almost all the other people hoped that Zen would lose. They prayed that Zen wouldn't stand after the blow.
Zen didn't get up. But it was not because he couldn't. He was thinking about how to deal with the current situation. Zen figured it would be best if he stayed down and used the time to find a solution to break Dick's word trick.
After careful consideration, Zen realized that it would be impossible for him to break Dick's defense merely using his body.
He had to rely on other methods.
The five defense songs continuously spun around Dick. And there were two kill songs around him. Although Master Yu had instructed him to kill Zen, should he find the chance, Dick was reluctant to do so.
A gentleman should observe moral standards. How could he take advantage of another's perilous state?
Zen must have suffered a significant backlash from the blow. He was lying on the ground motionlessly. It was possible that he was unconscious. If so, that would be the best outcome. The judge could announce that Zen had lost, thus ending this round.
“He can't stand...” Dick murmured as he gazed at Zen who was lying on the ground. He could explain to Master Yu that Zen had passed out, and that meant that Zen had lost. So he was justified in stopping his attack. But the moment Dick heaved a sigh of relief, Zen rolled over and jumped to his feet. Zen then took a moment to check if his body could still function well. A carefree smile lit up Zen's face.
Dick was surprised. He took a deep breath. It seemed that Zen hadn't been affected.
Dick knew that Zen's physical body was tough. Zen had already shown this in the previous battles. Dick was the kind of person who would not take action until he had worked out a good strategy. He knew where Zen's strength lay, but he didn't expect that Zen's physical body would be so strong.
While it was true that Zen's body far exceeded what a flesh body could do, it was not impossible to hurt him. Even his body was made of iron and steel, he should have been broken into two parts with the heavy blow. Only when his body reached the level of mysterious weapon or spiritual weapon could he withstand such an attack.
This was the only explanation Dick could come up with when he saw that Zen remained unhurt. He didn't know that his assumption was close to reality. Zen's body was indeed a spiritual weapon. Moreover, it was at the middle-grade level of a spiritual weapon.
Zen stretched his arms and legs before glancing at Dick who stood not far from him. In the next instant, Zen rushed toward Dick.
Zen knew what he was doing. Although it was true that he had hidden his real strength before, Zen understood that he could not hide it forever. Moreover, if someone really wanted to investigate, it would not take them much effort to discover the truth.
Since it was impossible for him to defeat Mess with his physical strength, Zen knew that he would have to employ his life vitality.
The moment Zen sprinted, streams of purple black life vitality surged from his belly. The demonic life vitality rushed to his hands through his meridians. To everyone's surprise, the demonic life vitality popped out from Zen's hands and blazed like purple black flames. The life vitality burned vehemently, and what a frightening scene it was!
Amidst the purple black life vitality, there were glints of sparkling starlight. It seemed to contain the power of stars that were hidden in the sky. At this sight, the audience was terrified.
“Oh? Zen employed his life vitality... How did I forget that Zen is a nature creature? Perhaps it's because he hasn't used his life vitality so far!”
“Nonsense! I have said it before. Some people tend to hide their real strength during competitions. So why can't Zen do the same?”
“But Zen's life vitality looks so formidable, putting a lot of strain on people. It seems to be unique. I really wonder what kind of cultivation method this is.”
All the people were surprised. From the beginning of the competition, Zen had relied on his superhuman strength and his strong corporal body to defeat his opponents. They were not accustomed to seeing him use life vitality. Moreover, most of the spectators had wagered on Dick. If Zen won, they would lose all their money.
Only a small number of people had bet on Zen. They had hoped that a newcomer would be able to prove himself during the competition. Considering Zen's performance, it was their turn to gloat. “I knew that Zen would have a trump card up his sleeve! Although he is only at the second-grade of the nature level, he has prevailed in all the fights. He is a capable man!”
Kenneth, who sat on the terrace high above the arena, was shocked when he saw the demonic life vitality gathering on Zen's hands. He studied the demonic life vitality—his eyes as sharp as two knives. Then he muttered slowly, “What just happened? If I see correctly, the life vitality in Zen's hands is demonic life vitality!”
Elder Xu, who was beside Kenneth, was also surprised. His face grew solemn. “Yes, it is indeed demonic life vitality! This guy mastered demonic life vitality. But how... How did he enter the Heavenly Library and obtain the Heavenly Ogre Fist?”
“Haha, the Heavenly Ogre Fist had been in the Heavenly Library for hundreds of years. Over the years, only three people have been able to get it before Zen. Two of them failed to master the Heavenly Ogre Fist, and the third was stopped by Uncle Kent who forbade him from practicing it. I never expected... that there could be someone who would master the Heavenly Ogre Fist,” Kenneth said in surprise.
Uncle Kent, as mentioned by Kenneth, was the elderly man Zen had met when he took the Heavenly Ogre Fist from the Heavenly Library. Kent was a man of high standing, and so, Kenneth had to pay respect by calling him Uncle Kent.
“The Heavenly Ogre Fist is a tier-5 cultivation method. It has been said that it is impossible for humans to master it. I have no idea how this guy managed to do so.” Elder Xu seemed envious. Even though he was a respectable elder, he had a keen desire to master the Heavenly Ogre Fist.
It was not that Xu did not have access to the Heavenly Ogre Fist. If he had paid a certain price, he would have had the chance to borrow it. Unfortunately, Xu was getting old, and a tier-5 cultivation method was not easy to master. This method had been passed down from the ogres, and it was said that even the ogres had found it hard! Considering the circumstances, it would be an impossible task for Xu to master it.
“Humans can't master it?” Hearing Xu's words, Kenneth shook his head and said, “It is indeed difficult for hundreds of millions of people spread across the three hundred counties of the Eastern Region. But look at the whole world—the various sects, palaces, and holy lands. Talented disciples have unlimited resources from the time they are born. They get their talent from their powerful parents. Thus they have great gifts at birth. If they really want to master it, they probably could...”
Xu became silent upon hearing Kenneth's words.
Kenneth was right. The world was indeed massive.
The population in the Eastern Region had reached over a hundred million. Moreover, there were Western Region, Northern Region, Southern Region, and Central Region, and each of them was no smaller than the Eastern Region!
While the human population was not inconsequential by any standards, the distance between regions was over millions of kilometers. Humans scattered within the boundary of their region fought to defend themselves. Even if the demons attacked one of the regions, humans from other areas were unable to help due to the great distance. Moreover, the other four regions might not be reigned by humans. To Xu's knowledge, the humans in the Western Region had a hard life, as the Ogres controlled them. There, the status of humans was less than that of the ogres, and they had to bend their knees to ogres.
The ogres were widely distributed just like human clans. At the junction of the Central Region and the Eastern Region, there was a big ogre empire. Now, the Burning Sky Empire had allied with the ogres to fight against the demons.
If one looked from a broader perspective, the five regions were only a massive island in the world.
It was said that a person could only see the real continent after sailing across the boundless Chaotic Ocean of Stars.
With such a thought, looking back at Cloud Sect and imagining that there were trillions of creatures in this world, Xu wondered how difficult it would be for the most gifted disciple to master the Heavenly Ogre Fist.
“I feel ashamed. As the head of the sect, I wasn't informed that someone in Cloud Sect had mastered the Heavenly Ogre Fist until I saw it myself. Haha!”
In fact, quite a few people in Cloud Sect knew that Zen had mastered the cultivation method. It was certain that the ten great saints knew about it. But for some unknown reason, they chose not to report this to the leader. Moreover, they blocked a lot of news about Zen that showed his great talents during his practice.
“Your grace, few people can recognize the Heavenly Ogre Fist. I'm afraid that even if Zen showcases the skill in public, no one will be able to recognize it,” Xu analyzed.
“Yes, you're right. But I will investigate this matter. If someone has been intentionally hiding this information despite knowing it is a serious matter, I will make them pay!” Kenneth said calmly.
Xu was astonished by Kenneth's vow. Although it had nothing to do with him, he could sense the intention to kill in Kenneth's words. Shivers traveled down Xu's spine. He had thought that this accomplishment would highlight Zen's potential. He didn't expect that Kenneth would attach such great importance to this matter. 'Is it really so difficult to master this tier-5 cultivation method?' He wondered.
Zen, of course, couldn't hear their conversation. Zen's knowledge was only limited to the Eastern Region. He had no idea what was behind the Heavenly Ogre Fist. He just happened to have chosen this technique to break Dick's defense.