Chapter 273: Crash Into You
Jacques got popular at the All Peaks Competition when he rose to the top last time, a clear black horse in the running. As a personal disciple who was only at grade two of the nature level, Jacques making to the list of top 100 had shocked the disciples of Cloud Sect.
He managed to overturn the status quo and did well in the more difficult challenges against the higher-level disciples.
His miraculous performance had long been discussed by many delighted spectators.
It was largely assumed that nobody else would be able to achieve the same feats as Jacques, for it was truly difficult to face someone who had been in the higher level.
Nobody thought his record would be bested after three years. The young man, Zen, broke it easily with his fierce postures and astounding strength.
At grade two of the nature level, Jacques had made an impressive record at the All Peaks Competition when he got into the top 100. But in the same competition, Zen had broken records again and again to make it to the lists of the top 100, top 50, and then to the top 5. The records he made were nothing short of a miracle in the present and past combined.
Latecomers could only marvel at the records in shock. In the years to come, some people found it hard to believe that Zen had really achieved all that. After all, they hadn't been there to witness it.
Jacques was arrogant. For him, it was no big deal to be one in the top 100 list when one belonged to grade two of the nature level. He had steeled himself to face every tough challenge at the All Peaks Competition three years ago. He didn't care about his record, but it bothered him that Zen broke it.
Because of that, everyone would compare him to Zen.
Jacques wanted to quash such comparisons straightaway, so he decided to defeat Zen in a match. It was why he challenged Zen as soon as he got to the competition field. Unfortunately, they hadn't drawn each other's names on the round robin before.
“It's destiny. You can't escape it,” Jacques spoke as he stood before Zen.
“Hmm? When did I escape?” Zen asked him with curiosity.
Jacques laughed. “Perhaps you didn't, but you are still afraid to compete with me. Am I wrong?”
“Afraid?” Zen smirked casually as if he had heard a great joke. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Why should I be afraid? Didn't you offer to fight me by lowering yourself to the nature level? Even if you decide to lower yourself to the consummation of nature level, I would outmatch you. Do you really think I'd be afraid of you then?”
“Yeah, I do remember Jacques saying that. At that time, I thought his proposal was well-meaning, but now... now I think it's funny,” one of the spectators whispered.
“That's true. Zen may lose to Jacques with all his strength, but he can't lose to Jacques if he's at the nature level. Jacques was just showing off,” his friend said.
“But didn't Zen refuse the offer? Why is he bringing it up now?”
Jacques did say that. But after some thought, he realized that although he could unquestionably crush Zen with his current strength, he would not best Zen if he lowered himself to the consummation level, let alone the nature level.
Zen had rejected the offer before, but he hinted at it again. His only purpose was to embarrass Jacques. Jacques certainly wouldn't be tricked. He huffed, saying, “I did give you such an offer, but you refused it. It's not that I didn't give you a chance! You missed out. Your bad!”
“But I don't want that opportunity. I just want to let you know that I am not afraid of you or hiding from you, so you don't need to lower your cultivation level. Now do you understand?” Zen laughed at him.
Jacques grimaced. He had no interest in arguing with him.
In fact, this kind of verbal back-and-forth between warriors was part of the battle.
It was just like when two armies went to war, the general of one side would provoke or abuse the other.
They did it to frustrate the other's spirit and indirectly weaken their opponent's fighting resolve.
Warriors did the same. It was all about momentum. If an opponent was in bad spirits, the momentum shifted to the other. A warrior, when rightly motivated, put forth his best foot in battle.
“You have a ready tongue, but it doesn't matter. When you face my full wrath, Zen, your tongue alone will remain!” As he said thus, Jacques's life vitality started to spread about, layer upon layer of blood-fog erupting, that at once turned into a sheet of thick and solid armor.
The law of conservation could never fail. A person gained as much as he paid for. Balance of energy was to be maintained. Jacques's cultivation methods were evil, for which he had paid a huge price. Many of the evil cultivation methods were far stronger than others from the same tier.
Case in point: the evil method of Bleached Bone Distilled Soul. It was a tier four cultivation method, but it was more powerful than the ordinary methods of the tier. The best of those ordinary methods could not eclipse the Bleached Bone Distilled Soul.
The set of white bone armor had an ominous defensive power, and even Zen's body, which was a spiritual weapon in itself, was inferior to it.
After Jacques summoned the white bone armor, Zen released his demonic phantoms.
Jacques didn't expect to see the six demonic phantoms. “Won't you use a sword?”
Zen's unnaturally good basic swordsmanship had left a deep impression in Jacques, which was one of the reasons he didn't dare to lower his cultivation level.
In the past, he wouldn't have cared about what Zen thought. Even if Zen didn't need him to, Jacques would have lowered himself to fight Zen. After all, Jacques had formed a habit of challenging those who belonged to higher levels of cultivation. A youngling of a low level challenging him? It seemed ludicrous to him. Jacques was so conceited that he refused to accept it.
However, when he saw Zen use his basic swordsmanship, he realized that if he lowered himself to the nature level, he would never be able to defeat Zen. Jacques had to abandon the plan then. Reluctantly, he admitted that Zen might have more talent and potential than him.
“It's not my time to use it yet,” Zen said as the demonic phantoms flew around him.
“If you don't use it now, you will not get another chance!” Jacques was onto Zen before he even finished speaking, darting over to him in moments.
His white bone armor had overwhelming defensive power. Even the armor of the fairy weapon was inferior to it. His armor was made out of his own life vitality and did not burden him with weight. It was connected to his mind, so he could control it more smoothly as if it was an extension of his body.
Jacques stood before him, a threatening aura emanating from him, but Zen was in no hurry. Zen controlled his six demonic phantoms mentally and they rushed over to Jacques at the same time.
Bang!
Jacques, covered with the white bone armor, was like a human-shaped chariot that hit the six demonic phantoms.
His white bone armor was tough, but the demonic phantoms were not weak either. At the first hit itself, the demonic phantoms intercepted Jacques.
Jacques took a slow, deep breath and sneered. Several more patches of blood fog exploded, surrounding him. The almost-perfect white bone armor now had some new modifications. Two horns were added to it, leaving it more defensive than ever.
“I didn't expect your summoning to have this kind of strength. Let's see how you resist me this time!” Jacques bolted to Zen once again. He was truly confident about his strength. Without using any complex techniques, he tried to smash Zen, singularly relying on his white bone armor.
He was right to be so self-assured. The white bone armor had been upgraded. When the demonic phantoms bumped against it for a second time, narrow cracks appeared on them, knocking them to pieces and turning them to dust, back into the demonic life vitality.
“So you wanted to block me with that trick? Hah... let's see you try again.” Jacques grinned victoriously as he sprinted over to Zen.
However, before he could take even two steps, the six splintered demonic phantoms congealed again and dashed over to him.
“Did you even watch me fight before?” Zen smiled. “My demonic phantoms can't be broken so easily.”
Unlike in the ordinary cultivation methods, the demonic phantoms were made out of life vitality. They were avatars that Zen borrowed from the heaven and the earth, but he didn't need to return them if they were broken. They could be congealed repeatedly, taking shape to fight the enemy once again.
It was still early in the battle. The demonic phantoms recovering after being crushed into pieces brought Jacques much trouble.
He had wasted five minutes on these phantoms already.
“Jacques attacks too simply. He wants to defeat Zen by just trying to knock the phantoms around?”
“He is definitely more talented than that. But he likes to keep it simple and crude. Zen, however, is not easy to handle. He is a very patient fighter.”
“He really is patient. When Jacques tried to hit at those demonic phantoms, Zen acted as if he had all the time in the world to take a rest.”
It was an exaggeration to say that Zen took a rest on the competition field. But mind-controlling the demonic phantoms was easy for him as Jacques tried to resist them over and over again...
Jacques was so adamant about wanting to win the battle with his all-conquering white bone armor that Zen decided to be patient. There was no time limit for battles on the competition field. Even if Jacques fought the demonic phantoms again and again for a year, Zen would still wait patiently.
After being at it for more than ten minutes, Jacques finally realized that he was acting like a fool. He was well-shielded with the white bone armor, but he could feel the disciples at the sidelines muttering disparagingly as if he was an idiot.
It was meaningless to bother with Zen's demonic phantoms.
Jacques straightened up, finally thinking clearly. He suddenly doubled up his speed. Making a detour around the demonic phantoms, he moved to attack Zen.
“You've finally stopped mucking around?” Seeing Jacques approach, Zen smiled faintly. He too sped up, but not to escape. To Jacques's amazement, Zen dashed into his shoulder.
“Am I seeing this correctly?” one of the disciples in the crowd wondered out loud. “Zen plans to confront the tough armor with the strength of his body?”
“Jacques is wearing the white bone armor, that means he is hidden behind a brilliant defense shield,” someone said. “Nothing except a fairy weapon can break into his armor. Zen is not using his sword. He wants to use his physical body. That's why he is slamming into Jacques.”
“Are you serious? Jacques is like a human-shaped chariot. He can crush opponents with the white bone armor alone. I accept that Zen has an innate superhuman strength and that his body is tough, but how can he survive running into Jacques's shield?”
Jacques too seemed stunned and curious, but then his face shifted to show glee. He had been afraid that Zen would play a kind of guerrilla war with him. If Zen had dodged him at first and then kept evading him, it would be difficult for Jacques to attack him. However, this guy didn't run away. Instead, he dashed at Jacques? 'Is he insane?' Jacques wondered. 'Fine, as you wish. I will disable you, so that nobody would dare compare you with me again!'
Just as they were about to bump into each other, the dragon scales in Zen's mind lit up.