Chapter 95: Severed Hand
Nie Xuan heard the voice, turned around to look at Zhang Ruochen, but did not move his foot from atop Zhang Shaochu’s head. A strange, amused smile appeared on his face. “What did you just say? You want to cripple me? Everyone heard that, right? He said he wants to cripple me!”
The surrounding students all burst into laughter, thinking both princes of Yunwu Commandery were utter fools.
Zhang Ruochen was indeed the top newcomer, but he was only at the Mysterious Extreme Realm Middle Stage.
A martial artist at the Mysterious Extreme Realm Middle Stage claiming he would cripple a martial artist at the Mysterious Extreme Realm Middle Rank—if that wasn’t foolishness, what was?
Nie Xuan gave a slight bow to Feng Zhilin. “Senior Brother Feng, how about I teach that Ninth Prince a lesson first? What do you think?”
Dealing with a Mysterious Extreme Realm Middle Stage martial artist, Feng Zhilin couldn’t be bothered to act personally. He stood there arrogantly, nodded lightly, his gaze somewhat cold. “Since he’s declared he’ll cripple you, shouldn’t you cripple him first?”
Nie Xuan flashed a knowing smile, kicked Zhang Shaochu aside. “Fat pig, get out of the way. I’ll deal with you later.”
Nie Xuan rolled his shoulders, his entire skeleton cracking in response.
With steady steps, he walked toward Zhang Ruochen, grinning. “Zhang Ruochen, you said you’d cripple me. Well, here I am, standing right in front of you. Go ahead, cripple me!”
The students surrounding Zhang Ruochen all stepped back, looking eager to watch the show.
Zhang Ruochen glanced at Zhang Shaochu, who was lying on the ground, frantically shaking his head at Zhang Ruochen, signaling him to endure it.
Endure it, and there might still be a chance to live. If he didn’t, he would surely die a miserable death today.
Feng Zhilin, under the pretext of avenging his younger brother, aimed to prevent the academy’s elders from intervening, intending to kill Zhang Ruochen today.
Zhang Ruochen shook his head at Zhang Shaochu, his gaze growing more resolute as he looked at Nie Xuan. “Nie Xuan, do you think I should cripple your hands or your legs?”
Nie Xuan snorted coldly. “Kid, you’re too arrogant!”
Without another word, he stomped his foot and charged forward, reaching a speed of forty meters per second, as fast as a gust of wind.
The greatest advantage of a Mysterious Extreme Realm Middle Rank martial artist was speed far surpassing that of a Mysterious Extreme Realm Middle Stage martial artist, allowing them to kill their opponent in one move before they could react.
But Zhang Ruochen was no ordinary Mysterious Extreme Realm Middle Stage martial artist. In terms of speed, he wasn’t much slower than a Mysterious Extreme Realm Middle Rank martial artist.
The moment Nie Xuan charged, Zhang Ruochen launched a counterattack, striking out with his palm. Jade-white true qi swirled between his fingers, unleashing a powerful force.
“Bang!”
Nie Xuan clashed fists with Zhang Ruochen, his expression shifting slightly as he felt a tremendous force surge from Zhang Ruochen’s palm into his arm, causing excruciating pain.
Sensing danger, Nie Xuan immediately retreated, putting distance between them.
His arm trembled faintly within his sleeve. Fortunately, he had withdrawn in time, or the meridians in his arm would have snapped.
“Such domineering true qi! What level of technique are you practicing?” Nie Xuan asked.
Feng Zhilin and the other students could clearly see that in that exchange, Nie Xuan had suffered a significant loss at Zhang Ruochen’s hands.
They all knew Nie Xuan’s cultivation well. Though he had just broken through to the Mysterious Extreme Realm Middle Rank, he should not have been matched by a Mysterious Extreme Realm Middle Stage martial artist.
That Ninth Prince of Yunwu Commandery was unexpectedly powerful!
Feng Zhilin noticed the jade-white light flickering in Zhang Ruochen’s palm and smiled faintly. “Interesting. It seems the technique he practices is truly extraordinary, or he wouldn’t have been able to repel Nie Xuan.”
Zhang Ruochen stared at Nie Xuan. “Now, try taking one of my strikes!”
With that, Zhang Ruochen’s body tensed completely, like a war bow drawn to its full moon. His true qi surged rapidly as he pushed off with both feet, shooting forward like an arrow released from its string.
He mobilized the full strength of his bones and muscles, unleashing his entire power in a single palm strike.
“Wild Elephant Stomping the Ground!”
Having suffered a slight loss in their earlier exchange, Nie Xuan no longer underestimated Zhang Ruochen.
As the palm wind rushed toward him, Nie Xuan executed a Human Grade Upper Class martial technique, the Diamond Shattering Bone Finger.
Nie Xuan extended his middle finger, channeling all his true qi into it. A faint golden light appeared on his fingertip.
“Diamond Shattering Bone!”
His arm turned into a blur as he thrust his finger toward Zhang Ruochen’s palm.
“Bang!”
Finger and palm collided. Both Nie Xuan and Zhang Ruochen were jarred, each taking a step back.
Fortunately, Zhang Ruochen had cultivated Jade Purification True Qi, which allowed him to withstand Nie Xuan’s Diamond Shattering Bone Finger. Otherwise, that finger strike would have pierced straight through his palm.
The moment Zhang Ruochen stepped back, he immediately struck again, leaping seven or eight meters into the air and delivering another palm strike.
“Soaring Dragon in the Sky!”
Though his finger ached unbearably, Nie Xuan had no choice but to thrust out another finger, meeting Zhang Ruochen’s palm once more.
“Bang!”
Nie Xuan was forced back three steps by the palm’s force.
Zhang Ruochen’s movements flowed seamlessly as he unleashed a third palm strike.
“Dragon and Elephant Return to the Field!”
“Bang!”
Nie Xuan’s finger snapped. He let out a muffled groan and stumbled backward in disarray.
He stared at Zhang Ruochen from a distance, his arm trembling more violently. Pain from his finger sent cold sweat dripping down his forehead. His middle finger was broken.
In truth, Zhang Ruochen was not faring well either. A searing pain shot through his palm as blood oozed from the wound. He clenched his fist, blood streaming from his fingers and dripping to the ground.
Nie Xuan’s combat power was even greater than Qing You’s.
Prince Huo Xing stood in the distance, watching the fight between Nie Xuan and Zhang Ruochen, his gaze growing colder. “He’s only at the Mysterious Extreme Realm Middle Stage and can already contend with a Mysterious Extreme Realm Middle Rank martial artist. He can’t be allowed to live, or he’ll become a major threat to the Four Directions Commandery.”
Xie Zhaowu stood beside Prince Huo Xing, flattering him with a smile. “Why worry, Your Highness? Nie Xuan hasn’t even unleashed the true power of a Mysterious Extreme Realm Middle Rank martial artist. If he did, Zhang Ruochen probably couldn’t even withstand a single blow.”
Prince Huo Xing nodded. “A Mysterious Extreme Realm Small Rank martial artist can condense blood qi into a beast. A Mysterious Extreme Realm Middle Rank martial artist can condense blood qi into a weapon. Once Nie Xuan unleashes the power of these two bloodlines, defeating Zhang Ruochen will be effortless.”
Xie Zhaowu chuckled. “Nie Xuan should still have some trump cards. He won’t easily resort to those two powers, after all, he’s only dealing with a Mysterious Extreme Realm Middle Stage martial artist.”
Of course, all of this was orchestrated by Prince Huo Xing behind the scenes. Since he was still a newcomer with no blood feud against Zhang Ruochen, he used Feng Zhilin to deal with him. He only needed to sit back and enjoy the show.
Nie Xuan gritted his teeth against the pain in his finger. “Fine! Fine! The top newcomer is indeed no ordinary Mysterious Extreme Realm Middle Stage martial artist. Since that’s the case, let me show you the Spirit Grade Lower Class martial technique I’ve cultivated—Phantom Hand!”
Nie Xuan began stepping in a pattern, his hands tracing arcs as his fingers and arms formed a series of afterimages.
Zhang Ruochen squinted, even injecting true qi into his eye meridians, but he still struggled to discern Nie Xuan’s moves.
Reluctantly, he had to release his Space Domain, bringing all within a thirty-meter radius under his control.
With the power of the Space Domain, Zhang Ruochen finally saw through Nie Xuan’s hand seals and techniques.
“Nie Xuan is a Mysterious Extreme Realm Middle Rank martial artist. With my current cultivation, going head-to-head with him would result in nine losses out of ten. I have to defeat him, even cripple him, before he can unleash his bloodline power.”
Zhang Ruochen was acutely aware of the gap between them. He had only one chance. If he seized it, he could win. If he didn’t, his fate would be worse than Fourth Prince Zhang Shaochu’s.
Zhang Ruochen fixed his gaze on the rapidly approaching Nie Xuan, clutching the Time-Space Crystal in his hand, hidden within his sleeve.
“Zhang Ruochen, being defeated by my Phantom Hand is already quite an achievement.” Nie Xuan’s face twisted with manic glee as over a dozen hand shadows struck toward Zhang Ruochen simultaneously.
Zhang Ruochen sidestepped to the left with a quick roll, swiftly drawing the foot-long Life-Reaping Scythe from the inner space of the Time-Space Crystal.
He swung his arm, and the scythe cut through the air, severing one of Nie Xuan’s phantom hands.
Blood flashed!
A bloody hand fell to the ground.
“Ah… my… hand…”
Nie Xuan screamed, clutching his spurting wrist, nearly fainting from the pain.
How could Zhang Ruochen let such a golden opportunity slip? He kicked Nie Xuan in the chest, sending him flying over ten meters.
As Nie Xuan tried to stand, a heavy foot pressed down on his chest, crushing his ribs with a series of cracking sounds, as if about to cave in his chest.
Zhang Ruochen placed the Life-Reaping Scythe against Nie Xuan’s neck. “Don’t move! Otherwise, next time, it won’t just be your wrist getting cut off!”
Nie Xuan was furious. If Zhang Ruochen hadn’t suddenly pulled a scythe from his sleeve and severed his left hand, how could he have lost to a Mysterious Extreme Realm Middle Stage martial artist?
“You dare cripple my left hand? You’ll pay for this today!” Nie Xuan gritted his teeth.
In the distance, Feng Zhilin and the other students snapped out of their shock and rushed over, surrounding Zhang Ruochen.
“Clatter, clatter!”
All of them looked murderous, drawing their True Martial Treasure-level weapons as if they intended to tear Zhang Ruochen apart.
“Bastard! Release Nie Xuan immediately!” One student pointed a war blade at Zhang Ruochen’s chest, just a thrust away from piercing it.
Zhang Ruochen grinned, pressing the Life-Reaping Scythe against Nie Xuan’s neck. “Anyone who moves, I’ll cut off his head.”
“Oh, really? Do you think I won’t smash this fat pig’s head first?”
Feng Zhilin grabbed Zhang Shaochu by the neck and dragged him in front of Zhang Ruochen.
Channeling his true qi, Feng Zhilin sneered, pressing his palm on Zhang Shaochu’s head. “Zhang Ruochen, release Nie Xuan and drop the scythe now. Do you really think I won’t kill him?”
Zhang Shaochu trembled in fear, his lips quivering. “Ninth… Ninth Brother, don’t… don’t worry about me… If you let Nie Xuan go, you’re… dead!”
“Smack!”
Feng Zhilin’s fingers merged into a palm blade and struck down, breaking the bones of Zhang Shaochu’s right arm.
“Ah…”
Zhang Shaochu screamed in agony, his features twisting, drenched in sweat, his lips turning black.