Chapter 53: Yellow List Third, Water Wenxin
"It's only been a little over a month, and the Ninth Prince has come to the Yellow-Level Martial Arena again? Could he be planning to challenge ten Yellow List martial artists?"
"That's unlikely!"
"Such a short time has passed. Even if his cultivation has improved, it wouldn't be by much."
"No one from the Yunwu Commandery has ever managed to defeat ten Yellow List martial artists in a row. It's too difficult. Even the Seventh Prince back then couldn't do it."
……
Every Yellow List martial artist had the strength to simultaneously fight ten Yellow Extreme Realm Great Perfection martial artists.
Some of the weaker Yellow List martial artists, even if they couldn't defeat ten Yellow Extreme Realm Great Perfection martial artists at once, at least had the ability to escape from a siege of ten such opponents.
Therefore, defeating a Yellow List martial artist was no easy feat.
Take that deadly swordsman, A Le, for example. He seemed capable of killing a Yellow List martial artist with a single sword strike. But he absolutely could not kill ten Yellow List martial artists with ten sword strikes.
"If the Ninth Prince has already broken through to the Yellow Extreme Realm Great Perfection, as long as he doesn't run into those old fellows in the top five of the Yellow List, winning five matches shouldn't be too hard!"
"Let's wait and see! Since the Ninth Prince dares to come to the Yellow-Level Martial Arena, he must be fairly confident."
……
"Ninth Prince, you've finally come to the Yellow-Level Martial Arena again! Last time, you were lucky to barely defeat me. This time, you won't be so fortunate!"
Liu Chengfeng's eyes held a cold glint as he was the first to walk onto the battle stage.
Zhang Ruochen stared at Liu Chengfeng standing across from him and said, "You want to be the first to challenge me?"
"Of course. Are you afraid of losing in the first match?" Liu Chengfeng said.
"Very well."
Zhang Ruochen nodded lightly, extended one hand, and made a gesture of invitation toward Liu Chengfeng.
Liu Chengfeng stared at the sword in Zhang Ruochen's other hand and said, "When you fight me, you won't use your sword?"
"For now, there's no need to draw my sword," Zhang Ruochen said.
"How dare you look down on this young master! You'll pay for your arrogance." Liu Chengfeng was furious, feeling that Zhang Ruochen was deliberately humiliating him.
After all, a month ago, if he hadn't misjudged the situation, he wouldn't have lost to Zhang Ruochen at all.
He wanted to reclaim his lost dignity in the same place.
"Starlight Fireflies!"
Liu Chengfeng directly executed the human-grade upper-rank martial technique, "Meteor Sword Art." As he thrust his sword forward, the air around the blade emitted a cracking sound.
Compared to a month ago, Liu Chengfeng's swordsmanship had improved.
The Meteor Sword Art he displayed was more refined, more fluid, and even produced a piercing sword hum.
Zhang Ruochen stood as steady as Mount Tai, raised his arm, extended two fingers, and directly clamped down on Liu Chengfeng's Meteor Sword.
"Bang!"
With a flick of his fingers, a powerful shockwave traveled from the sword blade to Liu Chengfeng's arm.
"Crack!"
The sound of a bone breaking rang out.
Liu Chengfeng's tiger's mouth split open, the bones in his arm fractured, and the sword in his hand clattered to the ground with a clang.
"You... how has your cultivation become so much stronger?" Liu Chengfeng stumbled back seven steps, half of his body numb from the impact. He felt as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer, unable to move even a finger.
Zhang Ruochen had defeated him using only two fingers.
Zhang Ruochen withdrew his two fingers and said calmly, "You are no longer my opponent."
Defeating Liu Chengfeng with just two fingers naturally stunned the entire audience.
Even a Mysterious Extreme Realm initial-stage martial artist couldn't have defeated Liu Chengfeng so effortlessly.
"This is getting more and more interesting." Lin Chenyu sat up slightly, staring at Zhang Ruochen on the battle stage, a wider smile spreading across his face.
In the next six battles, those who challenged Zhang Ruochen were six Yellow List martial artists.
Yellow List ranked twenty-fourth, Hua Shuli.
Yellow List ranked nineteenth, Huo Yi.
Yellow List ranked thirteenth, Wang Linsheng.
Yellow List ranked twenty-seventh, Wang Qing.
Yellow List ranked ninth, Zhang Genshu.
Without exception, all were defeated by Zhang Ruochen. Every single one was defeated in a single move; no one could force Zhang Ruochen to use a second move.
Among them, the strongest Yellow List martial artist was Zhang Genshu, ranked ninth, who could unleash a power of fifty-two oxen. Yet he was still sent flying by a single palm strike from Zhang Ruochen, knocked off the battle stage.
"Defeating seven Yellow List martial artists in a row, and all with a single move—this is terrifying!"
"Only a little over a month has passed, and how terrifying has the Ninth Prince's cultivation become?"
"A martial arts prodigy truly cannot be judged by common sense."
In the Yellow-Level Martial Arena, heated discussions erupted, everyone finding it utterly incredible.
The young and beautiful noble ladies, their eyes sparkling, gazed at Zhang Ruochen standing proudly on the battle stage with adoration.
"The Ninth Prince is so handsome! If I could marry him and become his princess consort, I'd be willing to live ten years less," a beautiful maiden of budding age said, staring at Zhang Ruochen with infatuation, her heart overflowing with spring.
"How could a heavenly prodigy like the Ninth Prince ever fancy you?"
"The Ninth Prince is not only good-looking and gifted, but he's also always polite and courteous to every opponent. A man of such talent, without arrogance or pride—I'd even be willing to be his maidservant."
Lin Ningshan heard the chatter of those noble ladies and grew displeased. She said coldly, "A Le, it's your turn."
"Yes!"
A Le, holding his iron sword, his gaze resolute, was about to step onto the battle stage to challenge Zhang Ruochen.
But a gray figure swiftly passed him and mounted the stage first.
It was an old man in his sixties, quite gaunt, with a face full of wrinkles. Yet his hair was blacker than a young man's, and he appeared full of energy, his eyes bright and spirited.
The old man smiled, looking at A Le standing below the stage, and said, "Hehe! Little fellow, you wait down there for now. Let this old man first test the Ninth Prince's skills."
Then he turned his gaze to Zhang Ruochen and said, "This old man, Water Wenxin, comes to receive the Ninth Prince's instruction. Ninth Prince, when facing me, will you draw your sword?"
As soon as the old man announced his name, a wave of exclamations erupted below.
"Water Wenxin, ranked third on the Yellow List! He's actually in the royal city."
"Water Wenxin became a Yellow List martial artist forty years ago. He was considered a genius back then. But unfortunately, he was envied and ambushed by a Mysterious Extreme Realm martial artist, leaving him with a hidden injury that prevented him from ever breaking through to the Mysterious Extreme Realm."
"If not for that hidden injury, with his talent, he would probably have become an Earth Extreme Realm expert by now."
"Now this is interesting! It won't be easy for the Ninth Prince to defeat him!"
"It's said that Water Wenxin once defeated a Mysterious Extreme Realm initial-stage martial artist. His strength is formidable."
"The top five on the Yellow List all have the strength of Mysterious Extreme Realm initial-stage. Those two freaks ranked first and second have even killed Mysterious Extreme Realm middle-stage martial artists. But they only managed it by working together."
Zhang Ruochen stared at Water Wenxin standing across from him, his expression turning serious.
An old man like Water Wenxin, who had trained in the Yellow Extreme Realm Great Perfection for decades, had undoubtedly mastered many martial techniques and had a plethora of tricks up his sleeve—far beyond what young martial artists could match.
Being ranked third on the Yellow List was proof of his strength.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Senior, what weapon do you use?"
"Haha! This old man never uses weapons. Hands and feet are the best weapons," Water Wenxin said with a laugh.
Zhang Ruochen nodded and said, "In that case, this junior will also forgo weapons. Let's compete with fists and feet."
Water Wenxin squinted his eyes slightly, a hint of approval in his gaze, and said, "Ninth Prince, don't be overconfident. This old man has long drunk the blood of savage beasts and tempered his body with elixirs. Though I'm only at the Yellow Extreme Realm Great Perfection, I can unleash a power of seventy-two oxen. In the Yellow Extreme Realm, when it comes to fists and feet, no one can withstand three of my punches—not even those ranked first and second on the Yellow List."
Zhang Ruochen said, "That's fine. I'm much younger than you, Senior. My strength might not be inferior to yours."
"Very well, then. Be careful!"
Water Wenxin raised both arms, channeled his true qi into his ten fingers, and clenched them suddenly. All the joints in his body emitted a cracking sound.
"Bang!"
He stomped heavily on the ground and threw a punch straight at Zhang Ruochen's face.
Water Wenxin's punch was incredibly fierce and forceful, not at all like the punch of an old man.
Zhang Ruochen countered with a palm strike, colliding with Water Wenxin's punch.
Water Wenxin staggered back six steps, while Zhang Ruochen stood motionless.
"That punch of mine was at least fifty-six oxen of force, yet he blocked it so effortlessly and even pushed me back. No wonder he dared to compete with me in fists and feet. If he used his full strength, he could probably unleash over seventy oxen as well."
Water Wenxin was slightly startled but immediately attacked again.
He didn't rely on brute force this time, instead switching to a different fist technique.
Human-grade mid-rank martial technique, Chaotic Cloud Fist.
With one punch, six fist shadows appeared.
After throwing ten punches in succession, sixty fist shadows filled the air.
"Impressive! His mastery of fist techniques has reached the high level of following the heart." Zhang Ruochen immediately recognized Water Wenxin's martial arts attainment.
Generally, only Earth Extreme Realm experts could reach the high level of fist following the heart.
In other words, if Water Wenxin hadn't been ambushed back then, he would surely have reached the Earth Extreme Realm by now, or even higher.
Zhang Ruochen had to be cautious. He continuously unleashed palm techniques, forming dozens of palm shadows in front of him, pushing back Water Wenxin's fist shadows.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Zhang Ruochen's strength surpassed Water Wenxin's, forcing him to retreat step by step, gradually gaining the upper hand.
"Impressive! At such a young age, your strength surpasses this old man's. If you can withstand this next move of mine, then the top spot on the Yellow List will undoubtedly be yours!"
It was clear that Water Wenxin had great confidence in his upcoming move.
This was a technique he had never used before, a trump card for saving his life. Once unleashed, even the one ranked first on the Yellow List would surely be unable to withstand it.
……
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