Chapter 102: Going Too Far
Nie Xuan was intimidated by Zhang Ruochen’s earlier move and actually dared not respond.
A third-grade True Martial Treasure-level war sword, forged from rare true iron—how tough it must have been—yet Zhang Ruochen snapped it with just two fingers.
If that was the case, then Zhang Ruochen’s two fingers could just as easily snap his neck.
Zhang Ruochen shifted his gaze away from Nie Xuan and looked at the other students from the various commandery kingdoms. “Since you’re all here, come at me together! Let me see just how capable you students from the commandery kingdoms really are.”
Nie Xuan, Xie Zhaowu, and all the other commandery kingdom students took a step back, intimidated by Zhang Ruochen’s aura.
After a long moment.
“Zhang Ruochen, do you really think we can’t do anything to you?” After a brief moment of fear, Nie Xuan suddenly remembered that Zhang Ruochen was only at the Mysterious Extreme Realm Middle Stage. Why should he be afraid of him?
He harbored deep hatred for Zhang Ruochen and stepped forward, wanting to fight him and wash away his shame.
Zhang Ruochen glanced at Nie Xuan and said, “You are no match for me. If you fight me, you will definitely lose.”
Nie Xuan sneered, “The last time I lost to you, it was only because I was too careless. If I use my true strength, I can suppress you easily.”
Zhang Ruochen knew that the “true strength” Nie Xuan was referring to was “Blood Qi Condenses Beast” and “Blood Qi Condenses Weapon.”
Reaching the Small Extreme Position allowed one to “condense a beast from blood qi.”
Reaching the Middle Extreme Position allowed one to “condense a weapon from blood qi.”
Zhang Ruochen said calmly, “I can give you a chance to take revenge, but what if you lose again?”
Nie Xuan said, “I swear by the Great and Virtuous Female Saint Emperor that if I lose to you again, I will never trouble you or Zhang Shaochu again. Wherever you are, I will retreat three hundred paces.”
This oath carried considerable weight.
Because he had sworn it to the Great and Virtuous Female Saint Emperor, breaking it would be an act of disrespect toward her, and execution of his entire clan would be inevitable.
Who was the Great and Virtuous Female Saint Emperor?
She was the current ruler of the Kunlun Realm, Empress Chi Yao.
Zhang Ruochen said, “In that case, let’s fight.”
Nie Xuan was no fool. The reason he insisted on fighting Zhang Ruochen was actually to test Zhang Ruochen’s strength in advance for Feng Zhilin.
If Zhang Ruochen was truly strong, then tomorrow’s decisive battle between Feng Zhilin and Zhang Ruochen could not be taken lightly; he would have to go all out.
Zhang Ruochen, however, didn’t think that far ahead. Whether it was Nie Xuan or Feng Zhilin, they were both small fry, not worth wasting so much thought on.
“Blood Qi Condenses Beast!”
Every pore on Nie Xuan’s body opened wide, releasing strands of blood qi. The dense blood qi coalesced behind him into a seven-meter-long python phantom. Although the phantom was still faint, the python’s fierce form was clearly visible.
A bestial wave of blood qi surged toward Zhang Ruochen.
Nie Xuan’s fingers turned golden as he channeled his full strength, pointing one finger at Zhang Ruochen’s brow.
To the students watching, when Nie Xuan thrust out his finger, the python phantom behind him also shot forward. The two forces combined.
Zhang Ruochen also extended a finger, condensing Jade Pure True Qi at his fingertip, turning it jade-white.
He thrust out his finger, and a sword qi flew from his fingertip like a white sword rainbow, colliding with Nie Xuan’s fingertip.
The two finger forces clashed like needlepoint against needlepoint.
“Bang!”
The python phantom shattered, dissolving into wisps of blood qi.
Nie Xuan staggered backward, his finger cut open by the sword qi, dripping blood.
Zhang Ruochen hadn’t used any martial technique just now—it was just a casual finger strike. With his current sword dao realm of Sword Heart Following the Hand at its peak, even a casual finger could unleash a powerful sword wave.
“So strong!” Nie Xuan exclaimed inwardly.
Compared to a month ago, Zhang Ruochen’s cultivation had grown immensely, leaving Nie Xuan in disbelief.
“Blood Qi Condenses Weapon!”
Nie Xuan decided to use his strongest move. If he still couldn’t defeat Zhang Ruochen, he would immediately concede.
The blood qi in his body continuously gathered above his head, condensing into a three-foot blood sword, its tip pointing downward as it slowly rotated.
“Whoosh!”
With a flick of his finger, the blood sword phantom let out a sword cry and shot toward Zhang Ruochen.
Nie Xuan had repeatedly humiliated Zhang Shaochu—how could Zhang Ruochen let him off so easily?
This time, Zhang Ruochen took the initiative. His body shifted right, moving half a meter to dodge the blood sword.
A blur flashed before his eyes. Before Nie Xuan could react, Zhang Ruochen struck him in the chest with a palm.
With a bang, Nie Xuan felt as if Zhang Ruochen’s palm weighed ten thousand jin. His ribs seemed about to break, and his internal organs felt like they were exploding. His body involuntarily flew backward.
“Pfft!”
Flying through the air, Nie Xuan tasted blood in his throat and spat out a mouthful of blood.
His body smashed a human-shaped hole through the dormitory door, falling from the second floor into a pile of rubble on the first floor.
“Bang!”
Injured too severely, Nie Xuan collapsed in the rubble and passed out.
Zhang Ruochen withdrew his palm, lightly flicked his sleeve, and looked at the other martial artists from the commandery kingdoms. “Who else wants to fight me?”
Nie Xuan was at the Mysterious Extreme Realm Middle Extreme Position, yet he was utterly outmatched before Zhang Ruochen. Which other student dared to challenge him?
Zhang Shaochu hadn’t expected Zhang Ruochen to be this formidable either. No longer afraid of the commandery kingdom students, he puffed out his round belly and walked over to Zhang Ruochen. “Ninth Brother, you have to avenge me. Before you came to the West Courtyard, Wang Lang and Qinghaitian often bullied me. Not only did they steal my cultivation resources, but they also stripped me naked and made me lose face in the West Courtyard.”
Zhang Shaochu pointed at two of the students, speaking indignantly.
In the past, he wouldn’t have dared to voice his grievances, not even report them to the academy elders.
But now it was different. With his ninth brother being so capable, he could definitely protect him in the West Courtyard. As long as his ninth brother was around, who would dare to bully him?
With someone to back him up, his courage swelled.
Zhang Ruochen sighed inwardly. It seemed his fourth brother had indeed suffered a lot in the West Courtyard. Otherwise, how could a noble prince have become so timid?
Yes, timid. He could clearly feel the fear and cowardice in Zhang Shaochu’s heart.
He had to help his fourth brother regain his confidence.
Zhang Ruochen’s gaze fell on Wang Lang and Qinghaitian. “Wang Lang, Qinghaitian, do you really think the Yunwu Commandery royal family has no one left? You humiliated my fourth brother, and now I’m seeking justice. That’s only fair, isn’t it?”
Wang Lang and Qinghaitian were both at the Mysterious Extreme Realm Middle Extreme Position, considered martial arts experts.
Although Zhang Ruochen had just defeated Nie Xuan, they showed no fear.
Wang Lang had thick eyebrows and eyes as sharp as swords. He said coldly, “Zhang Ruochen, what are you so proud of? Do you think you’ll survive tomorrow?”
No matter how strong Zhang Ruochen was, no one believed he could defeat Feng Zhilin.
Zhang Ruochen smiled faintly. “Regardless of tomorrow’s outcome, at least today I can teach you a lesson. To make you learn to respect your fellow students.”
Wang Lang and Qinghaitian exchanged glances and nodded simultaneously.
“Blood Qi Condenses Weapon!”
Wang Lang and Qinghaitian both unleashed their strongest moves, activating their bloodline power and condensing a weapon phantom above their heads.
They dared not underestimate Zhang Ruochen.
Above Wang Lang’s head was a curved blade phantom, while above Qinghaitian’s was a short halberd phantom.
The two attacked Zhang Ruochen from left and right.
Wang Lang channeled his true qi and slashed the curved blade phantom toward Zhang Ruochen’s head. Strands of blood qi wove through the blade shadow, producing a whistling sound.
Qinghaitian struck out with his palm, sending the short halberd phantom flying from above his head like a blood-colored beam of light, aimed at Zhang Ruochen’s chest.
Just then, everyone was shocked to see Zhang Ruochen’s body split into two, charging at Wang Lang and Qinghaitian simultaneously.
“Bang!”
“Bang!”
The blood blade phantom and blood halberd phantom shattered at the same time.
Wang Lang and Qinghaitian were sent flying by Zhang Ruochen, crashing down from the second floor and hitting the ground hard, their heads bleeding and their fall utterly miserable.
Outside the dormitory, many students had gathered to watch the commotion, including several young and beautiful female students.
When Nie Xuan fell from the second floor, the crowd was only slightly startled. After all, Nie Xuan had lost an arm, so his strength had likely declined. It wasn’t surprising that Zhang Ruochen had defeated him.
But when Wang Lang and Qinghaitian were also sent flying by Zhang Ruochen, the crowd was truly shocked.
“Zhang Ruochen is just a new student—how is he so strong?” A woman in her early twenties, wearing a white academic robe, looked up at the second-floor dormitory, eager to see what Zhang Ruochen looked like.
Defeating two experts at once was rare for any new student to achieve so dominantly.
“Nie Xuan, Wang Lang, and Qinghaitian are all at the Mysterious Extreme Realm Middle Extreme Position, yet he defeated them all. That’s incredible.”
“If Zhang Ruochen is really this strong, then tomorrow’s life-and-death duel will be quite a spectacle.”
“Look, look, Zhang Ruochen is coming out!”
The female students all cried out, their beautiful eyes fixed on Zhang Ruochen as he stood on the second floor.
“Wow! He’s so young—probably not even twenty.”
“The top new student has a different aura. If he can defeat Feng Zhilin tomorrow, I’ll make up my mind to pursue him. Becoming a prince’s consort wouldn’t be bad either! Hehe!” A beautiful female student at the Mysterious Extreme Realm Great Perfection said, clearly interested in Zhang Ruochen, her eyes sparkling as she scrutinized him.
Zhang Ruochen leaped down from the second floor, landing as lightly as a leaf. He glanced at Wang Lang and Qinghaitian sprawled on the ground. “Since you once stripped my fourth brother naked and made him lose face in the West Courtyard, now you strip yourselves and run three laps around the West Courtyard. Then I’ll consider letting you off.”
Wang Lang and Qinghaitian stared at Zhang Ruochen in fear, never expecting him to be this powerful. With his current cultivation, he might actually be able to contend with Feng Zhilin.
“Zhang Ruochen, don’t go too far!” Wang Lang gritted his teeth, speaking harshly.
Liu Chengfeng rushed out, kicking Wang Lang in the chest and making him spit blood. He shouted angrily, “Who’s going too far? You dare say the Ninth Prince is going too far? When you bullied the students from our Yunwu Commandery, did you ever think you were going too far?”
“Slap!”
Liu Chengfeng, fully embracing his role as a bully, slapped Qinghaitian across the face, swelling half his cheek. He said fiercely, “So what if we go too far? I’m bullying you today—what are you going to do about it? Fourth Prince, Young Master Huo, Young Master Situ, come over here! Give these two bastards a good beating. If you don’t hit them, they won’t learn their lesson.”
Liu Chengfeng, putting on a show of arrogance, waved at a few Yunwu Commandery students in the crowd, signaling them to come over and join in beating Wang Lang and Qinghaitian.
With Zhang Ruochen backing him up, Liu Chengfeng was afraid of nothing.
…
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