Chapter 87: Nine Fists
“Whoosh!”
Zhang Ruochen took three steps forward, passing through layers of sword shadows. He thrust his sword out, piercing Luo Xu’s brow.
Luo Xu’s body froze, a sword wound appearing on his forehead.
Zhang Ruochen withdrew the Flash Soul Sword and stepped back three paces.
“Impressive. You win. Your talent surpasses mine!” Luo Xu said with a smile.
Then, his body grew increasingly ethereal, scattering into wisps of spiritual energy and vanishing.
“Luo Xu’s cultivation is truly formidable. At the same realm, he could withstand ninety-three of my moves. No wonder he’s the most powerful Yellow Extreme Realm mid-stage martial artist the Western Academy has seen in four hundred and sixty years.”
“Of course, if I had used the power of the Space Domain, I could probably have defeated Luo Xu in about ten moves.”
Zhang Ruochen twisted his arm, sheathing the Flash Soul Sword. He opened the metal door and walked directly toward the second floor of the Martial Tower.
Having defeated Luo Xu, Zhang Ruochen no longer needed to challenge the first floor’s second and third trials. He could proceed straight to the second floor.
Duanmu Xingling and Huang Yanchen let out long breaths. They exchanged glances, both seeing the shock in each other’s eyes.
“He defeated Luo Xu within a hundred moves!” Duanmu Xingling still found it hard to believe.
Huang Yanchen said, “Not defeated—killed. Within a hundred moves, he killed Luo Xu, who was at the same realm. It’s terrifying.”
“I want to see how many floors and trials he can clear,” Duanmu Xingling said, her eyes narrowing into slits as she grew intensely interested in Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen entered the first trial of the Martial Tower’s second floor.
It was still a sealed training ground, very similar to the first trial of the first floor.
“Whoosh!”
From the stone wall, another spiritual-bodied martial artist emerged.
It was Luo Xu again.
Luo Xu looked at Zhang Ruochen and smiled. “We meet again!”
Zhang Ruochen was slightly surprised. “Is the guardian of the first trial on the second floor still you?”
Luo Xu nodded. “That’s right! Now, if you can withstand one of my moves, you’ll pass the first trial of the second floor. One thing I need to warn you about: I am now at the Yellow Extreme Realm late stage, and I am the most powerful martial artist at that realm.”
“The most powerful Yellow Extreme Realm late-stage martial artist?” Zhang Ruochen’s expression turned serious. He dared not underestimate Luo Xu.
At the Yellow Extreme Realm mid-stage, Luo Xu was the strongest at that realm. At the Yellow Extreme Realm late stage, Luo Xu was also the strongest at that realm.
With Luo Xu’s current Yellow Extreme Realm late-stage cultivation, defeating a Yellow Extreme Realm Small Extreme Position martial artist would not be difficult.
In fact, with his strength, he could even fight a Yellow Extreme Realm Middle Extreme Position martial artist.
For a Yellow Extreme Realm mid-stage martial artist to withstand a single move from a Yellow Extreme Realm Middle Extreme Position martial artist was harder than ascending to heaven.
But Zhang Ruochen was no ordinary Yellow Extreme Realm mid-stage martial artist. Facing Luo Xu, he felt no fear. “What if I defeat you?” he asked.
Luo Xu laughed. “If you can defeat me, you won’t need to challenge the other two trials on the second floor, nor the first trial of the third floor.”
“You’re not using a weapon?” Zhang Ruochen drew the Flash Soul Sword and pointed it at Luo Xu.
Luo Xu said, “If I used a weapon, probably no one would pass the first trial of the second floor.”
In reality, when other martial artists challenged the first trial of the second floor, they only needed to withstand one of Luo Xu’s moves and still be standing to pass.
“Alright! Let’s fight!” Zhang Ruochen said.
“First move: Luo Water Emerges from the Sea!”
Luo Xu clenched his five fingers into a fist and stepped forward, turning into a gust of wind. His speed reached forty-two meters per second, slightly faster than an average Yellow Extreme Realm Middle Extreme Position martial artist.
An ordinary Yellow Extreme Realm mid-stage martial artist probably couldn’t even see Luo Xu’s shadow, let alone withstand one of his moves.
Zhang Ruochen did not use the Space Domain. He channeled spiritual energy into his eye and ear meridians, relying on his eyesight and hearing to judge Luo Xu’s techniques.
Zhang Ruochen sidestepped to the left, dodging Luo Xu’s punch. At the same time, he swung his sword, slashing at Luo Xu’s waist.
“Second move: Luo Water Returns in Sorrow!”
Luo Xu’s body leaped like a flying fish, forming an arc as he punched toward Zhang Ruochen’s chest. The power seemed even stronger than before.
His fist appeared before Zhang Ruochen in an instant.
If Zhang Ruochen were hit, he would be severely injured.
“Heavenly Heart Sword Bell!”
Zhang Ruochen blocked with his sword horizontally, and powerful sword energy condensed into the shadow of a large bell.
“Bang!”
Luo Xu’s fist struck the surface of the bell’s shadow. The bell shadow immediately caved in and shattered. The immense fist force sent Zhang Ruochen flying backward.
Luo Xu gave Zhang Ruochen no chance to catch his breath. He immediately attacked again, throwing a third punch.
“Third move: Luo Water Transforms into a Sword!”
The fist force Luo Xu unleashed seemed to turn into a sword energy, stabbing toward Zhang Ruochen.
Fist force transforming into a sword—only those who had cultivated their fist techniques to an extremely high level could produce such sword-like fist power.
“Luo Xu is truly formidable. If I hadn’t cultivated the Supreme Extreme Realm of the Yellow Extreme Realm, our strength at the same realm would probably be about equal.”
Because Zhang Ruochen had successfully cultivated the Supreme Extreme Realm of the Yellow Extreme Realm, he had trained one more realm than Luo Xu, allowing him to defeat Luo Xu at the same realm.
Now, with Luo Xu one realm higher than Zhang Ruochen, defeating him was nearly impossible.
“Heavenly Heart Points the Way!”
Zhang Ruochen slashed his sword, breaking Luo Xu’s fist force. Then, instead of retreating, he advanced, taking the initiative to attack Luo Xu.
Inside the central secret chamber of the Martial Tower.
Huang Yanchen stared at the scene on the spiritual energy mirror. “Luo Xu is using the spirit-grade low-rank martial technique ‘Luo Water Thirty-Six Fists,’” she said.
Duanmu Xingling asked, “Sister Chen, when Luo Xu was at the Yellow Extreme Realm late stage, how many fists of the ‘Luo Water Thirty-Six Fists’ had he mastered?”
“Nine fists,” Huang Yanchen said.
Duanmu Xingling nodded. “How many of Luo Xu’s fists do you think Zhang Ruochen can withstand?”
“Hard to say.”
Huang Yanchen shook her head slightly. “Zhang Ruochen’s talent is incredibly heaven-defying. If he can block Luo Xu’s nine fists, he would have the strength to fight Luo Xu to a draw.”
Duanmu Xingling said, “Impossible! Senior Luo Xu is no ordinary figure. Even at the same realm, few can match him, let alone someone crossing realms to contend with him.”
“Let’s watch and see. Zhang Ruochen has already withstood six of Luo Xu’s fists,” Huang Yanchen said, finding it hard to believe her own eyes.
Luo Xu was the invincible powerhouse from two hundred years ago, a legend of the Western Academy.
For Zhang Ruochen to defeat Luo Xu at the same realm was already remarkable. If the news spread, it would cause a huge stir.
If Zhang Ruochen could cross realms and defeat Luo Xu, the commotion would be unimaginable.
“Eighth move: Luo Water Transforms into a Dragon!”
Luo Xu’s aura grew stronger and stronger. Surging true qi formed rings of water ripples around his body.
It was as if he were standing on a great river throwing punches, with the sound of flowing water echoing in the air.
“Roar!”
That great river turned into a water dragon over ten meters long, surging toward Zhang Ruochen.
“Heavenly Heart Breaks the Plum!”
Zhang Ruochen thrust his sword, striking the water dragon’s brow.
But this sword strike didn’t pierce the water dragon’s brow. It felt like hitting an iron wall, producing a metallic clang.
“Boom!”
The Flash Soul Sword in Zhang Ruochen’s hand was shaken by the immense force, nearly flying out of his grip. His entire right arm went numb, completely unable to exert any strength.
Just then, Luo Xu threw his ninth fist.
“Ninth move: Luo Water Cuts Off the Flow!”
Zhang Ruochen gritted his teeth, refusing to admit defeat. He raised his left arm, channeling all his true qi into it, and roared, “Dragon-Elephant Returns to the Field!”
The third palm of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Palm.
“Boom!”
Fist met palm.
The two powerful forces collided, producing a deafening roar.
Blood sprayed from Zhang Ruochen’s mouth as he was sent flying backward. He forcibly steadied his body, stumbling back several steps. Though he looked battered, he didn’t fall. He held his ground, maintaining a standing position.
Zhang Ruochen’s arms ached as if they were about to split. If Luo Xu threw another punch at this moment, he would surely lose.
Zhang Ruochen stared at Luo Xu standing opposite him. “You win!”
Luo Xu shook his head. “You win! At the Yellow Extreme Realm late stage, I had only mastered nine fists of the ‘Luo Water Thirty-Six Fists.’ Now that I’ve thrown all nine, I still can’t knock you down.”
Zhang Ruochen said, “Your first punch used only twenty percent of your power, the second used thirty percent, and each subsequent punch added ten percent. Only when you threw the ninth punch did you use full power. If you had used full power from the very first punch, I couldn’t have withstood all nine.”
Luo Xu laughed. “But you must understand, other Yellow Extreme Realm mid-stage martial artists only need to withstand my first punch at twenty percent power to pass this trial.”
Zhang Ruochen nodded, feeling no discouragement. After all, his opponent was the strongest martial artist the Western Academy had seen in four hundred and sixty years. Losing to him while being one realm lower was not shameful.
Moreover, Zhang Ruochen hadn’t used the Space Domain.
If he had used the Space Domain, the outcome might have been uncertain.
Of course, the Luo Xu Zhang Ruochen saw now was merely a spiritual body condensed by the Martial Tower’s spiritual energy, not a real person. This spiritual body’s combat power couldn’t represent Luo Xu’s true strength.
Chasing victory or defeat obsessively was meaningless.
After resting for a while, feeling about seventy to eighty percent recovered, Zhang Ruochen walked through the metal door to challenge the second trial of the second floor.
Since he hadn’t defeated Luo Xu, he naturally had to face the second and third trials of the second floor.
The second trial of the second floor was a thirty-meter-long passage, only three meters wide, with round holes on the iron walls on both sides.
“Swish, swish!”
As he entered the passage, short arrows the length of a palm shot out from the holes in the walls.
Zhang Ruochen didn’t draw his sword. He simply swung the scabbard, knocking down all the arrows that flew out.
He walked step by step through the thirty-meter passage without pausing, looking very relaxed.
Of course, it was only easy for him.
If it were another Yellow Extreme Realm mid-stage martial artist, dodging the dense rain of arrows would be no simple task!