# Chapter 214: Expert Showdown
"In that case, I shall experience Brother Si's skills."
Zhang Tiangui spread his arms wide, true qi spreading beneath his feet as he rose steadily and flew to land on the lake more than twenty zhang away. He walked atop the water until reaching the center of the lake, where he finally stopped.
"Sizzle, sizzle!"
The water in the lake surged upward, condensing into ice.
Moments later, a massive crystalline iceberg appeared beneath Zhang Tiangui's feet, suspended on the lake's surface.
Zhang Tiangui stood at the highest point of the iceberg, true qi surging from his body, completely merging with the iceberg and even the entire great lake, becoming one and inseparable.
There were no flaws in his stance, and he could even use the "momentum" of the great lake to suppress any opponent who dared enter it.
A true expert's duel was not merely a clash of personal power; it also required a comparison of environmental utilization and mental control.
Chang Qiqi's heart leaped. Watching Zhang Tiangui standing at the lake's center as calm as an ancient well, he felt as if he were looking at a divine statue in a temple, and fear arose in his heart.
In such a situation, without even making a move, Zhang Tiangui could shatter Chang Qiqi's confidence.
"Can Senior Brother be a match for Zhang Tiangui?" Chang Qiqi doubted for the first time. He turned his gaze toward Si Xingkong, curious as to how Si Xingkong would break Zhang Tiangui's "momentum."
"As expected of Zhang Tiangui. One can't help but admire him. Haha!" Si Xingkong uncorked his gourd, tilted his head back, and took a gulp of strong liquor. Then, he suddenly stomped hard on the ground.
"Boom!"
The ground beneath Si Xingkong's feet split open, forming a crack that spread toward the great lake twenty zhang away.
"Rumble, rumble!"
The crack grew to two meters wide and more than thirty zhang long, connecting with the great lake. Water immediately surged in.
The crack not only tore apart the ground but also shattered the momentum Zhang Tiangui had condensed with the great lake.
"Bang!"
Si Xingkong's body bent like a bow, and a sound like a bowstring twanging came from within him—the vibration of his tendons and meridians.
His body shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, charging onto the great lake and attacking Zhang Tiangui directly.
That earlier bowstring sound shook Chang Qiqi and Luo Cheng's eardrums painfully, leaving them dizzy and stunned, their minds filled with shock.
"Thousand-Handed War God!"
Zhang Tiangui extended one hand, true qi surging. His arm turned into a blur, stretching over thirty meters long, forming countless hand shadows—some forming hand seals, some striking with fists, and others pointing with finger force.
Si Xingkong laughed heartily and charged directly into the midst of the thousand hand shadows.
He threw a punch, and the fist force roared like a dragon and tiger, causing the lake's surface to churn with violent waves.
Chang Qiqi stood on the shore, straining his eyes until they ached, yet he could not clearly see the figures of Si Xingkong and Zhang Tiangui.
"Boom!"
That iceberg shattered, and the two figures abruptly separated, like flying geese in the wind, lightly landing on two different spots on the lake.
"Impressive! You broke my thousand hand seals with just one move." Zhang Tiangui stood on the water's surface, another iceberg condensing beneath his feet.
"Fight!"
Si Xingkong threw a second punch, and the waves of the entire great lake surged wildly as he charged out again.
On the lake's surface, there were initially only two shadows. Moments later, four shadows appeared... and finally, countless shadows filled the scene, as if an army of thousands were battling on the lake.
Chang Qiqi and Luo Cheng were already stunned beyond words.
"Both at the Earth Extreme Realm Great Perfection, yet why is the gap so vast?" Luo Cheng clenched his five fingers tightly, his mind shaken. He could not imagine that one could cultivate power to such a degree while still below the Heaven Extreme Realm.
On the lake's surface, the two figures separated once more.
Only then did Chang Qiqi and Luo Cheng, standing by the shore, realize that the several-hundred-meter-long lake had completely frozen solid under the influence of the two experts' true qi, becoming a frozen lake.
"Six moves are done. The next move will decide the victor."
Si Xingkong's long hair was disheveled, his aura magnificent. Every inch of his skin turned golden. He took a deep breath, and in an instant, all the spiritual qi within a one-li radius was completely drained and drawn into his body.
Zhang Tiangui felt the powerful aura emanating from Si Xingkong. He drew circles with his hands, and six beams of light shot out from his body, simultaneously evolving into six types of spirit-level martial techniques—some domineering, some bizarre, some agile, some destructive.
"Boom!"
The two forces collided. The great lake, which had already frozen into solid ice, immediately shattered into countless ice crystal fragments.
The entire earth trembled slightly.
Zhang Tiangui flew backward, crashing onto the lake. His body slid backward for dozens of meters, leaving a long track on the ground, with his waist and below completely buried in the mud.
"Pfft!"
A mouthful of blood sprayed from Zhang Tiangui's lips.
His gaze dimmed. For the first time in his life, he tasted defeat. He stared at Si Xingkong in the distance and said with great difficulty, "I... I have lost..."
Si Xingkong smiled and said, "Your cultivation has only just reached Earth Extreme Realm Great Perfection, while I have been consolidated at Earth Extreme Realm Great Perfection for three years. If, three years from now, I have not broken through to the Heaven Extreme Realm, I will surely not be your match. Junior Brother Chang, let's go."
Chang Qiqi looked at the ruined great lake before him, his heart shaken. "Is this the power a human can unleash?"
"Let's go!"
Si Xingkong patted Chang Qiqi's shoulder, and the two walked side by side, quickly disappearing into the wind and snow.
Chang Qiqi looked at Si Xingkong with an extremely admiring gaze and said, "Senior Brother, you're too formidable! With your strength, you could probably kill a Heaven Extreme Realm martial arts myth with your bare hands, right? That so-called number one genius was utterly fragile and easily broken in your hands."
"Pfft!"
Si Xingkong had just taken a sip of wine and hadn't swallowed it yet when he immediately spat it out—it was bright red blood.
"Senior Brother... Senior Brother, what's wrong?" Chang Qiqi immediately stepped forward to support Si Xingkong, extremely nervous. He had never expected that Senior Brother was also injured.
Si Xingkong's face was somewhat pale. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, revealing a faint smile, and said, "It's nothing, just a minor injury. I just didn't expect Zhang Tiangui to have become so powerful. At most, another year—if I haven't broken through to the Heaven Extreme Realm by then, I will no longer be his match."
"Zhang Tiangui is that strong?" Chang Qiqi said.
Si Xingkong said, "I am currently at the Three Extremes Half level, while Zhang Tiangui has already reached Four Extremes. It's only because my foundation is deeper than his that I could gain the upper hand in this exchange. You only saw us exchange seven moves, but with every move, I used all my strength. It was extremely perilous. If I had been even slightly careless, I might have lost to him."
"Zhang Tiangui is actually a Four Extremes genius?"
Chang Qiqi said, "Even Senior Luo Xu, at his most brilliant, was only at Four Extremes Half."
"Otherwise, how could he be called the number one genius of the thirty-six commanderies of Demon Ridge?" Si Xingkong's expression was somewhat grave. "With the talent Zhang Tiangui has displayed, if he has another fortuitous encounter, he might one day catch up to Senior Luo Xu and become a Four Extremes Half prodigy."
Chang Qiqi said, "A year from now, won't there be no one among the younger generation of the entire thirty-six commanderies of Demon Ridge who can match Zhang Tiangui?"
"That's not necessarily true." Si Xingkong smiled. "Our Martial Market Academy is full of talented people. Luo Shuihan and Zhang Ruochen are both Four Extremes geniuses and will surely be able to compete with Zhang Tiangui in the future. Besides, who knows—I might also have a fortuitous encounter and reach the Four Extremes genius level... though the chance is very slim. Ahem!"
Si Xingkong straightened his body again and said, "Given Zhang Tiangui's injuries, even with the help of healing pills, it will probably be difficult for him to recover fully within three months. We can head to the royal city with peace of mind to deal with the experts from the Black Market and the Moon Worship Demon Sect. I heard that the Little Saintess of the Moon Worship Demon Sect has appeared in the royal city. It's just the right time to go and meet her. I wonder how she compares to Zhang Tiangui—who is stronger?"
"Senior Brother, you still want to fight someone? Your injuries..." Chang Qiqi said.
"I'm not that badly hurt. Two jugs of wine and I'll be fully recovered. What, you don't believe me? Do you think I couldn't carry you and still walk briskly?"
Chang Qiqi shook his head, indicating disbelief.
Si Xingkong grabbed Chang Qiqi's shoulder, and with a "whoosh," they shot forward. Once again, Chang Qiqi's sharp screams rang through the air.
Two hundred li away, Zhang Ruochen had just broken through his realm, reaching Earth Extreme Realm Middle Stage.
"Broken through?"
Shen Feng stood ten paces away, somewhat surprised that the other party had broken through in the midst of battle.
But so what if he broke through? Could he possibly become stronger than him?
"Wind and Fire Join the Heavens."
Shen Feng's gaze was firm, his confidence in his cultivation unshakable. His Crimson Flame Halberd dipped slightly as he executed his second technique.
He actually borrowed the wind and fire momentum from Zhang Ruochen and Huang Yanchen's "Hundred Zhang Blazing Prairie" and "Hundred Zhang Summoning Wind." The Crimson Flame Halberd spun in the air, twisting wind force and fire force together, thrusting toward Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen no longer dodged. He gripped his sword with one hand and shook his arm. The Abyssal Ancient Sword slid along the Crimson Flame Halberd, deflecting all the force on the halberd, and slashed toward Shen Feng's left wrist.
"Just breaking through one realm, and his speed has increased this much?" Shen Feng's expression changed drastically. If his left wrist were also severed, he would have no choice but to surrender.
Forced to, Shen Feng had to let go, abandoning the Crimson Flame Halberd and retreating rapidly.
How could Zhang Ruochen give him a chance to retreat? He swung his sword horizontally, slashing at Shen Feng's legs.
"Pfft!"
Blood flashed.
Shen Feng's legs were severed. He fell into a pool of blood, letting out miserable screams. Even now, he didn't understand why Zhang Ruochen had become so much stronger.
Initially, Shen Feng had been able to suppress Zhang Ruochen because his speed was much greater—reaching one hundred thirty-five meters per second, while Zhang Ruochen's speed was only one hundred fifteen meters per second.
No matter how exquisite Zhang Ruochen's sword techniques or how marvelous his movement arts, with such a disadvantage in speed, he simply couldn't be Shen Feng's match.
With the realm breakthrough, Zhang Ruochen's speed immediately reached one hundred forty meters per second, even surpassing Shen Feng. Naturally, he could easily defeat Shen Feng through exquisite sword techniques.
With his legs severed, Shen Feng had completely lost his combat effectiveness.
To maintain the "Hundred Zhang Summoning Wind" phenomenon, Huang Yanchen's true qi consumption was enormous. Seeing Zhang Ruochen cripple Shen Feng, she immediately withdrew her true qi, drenched in fragrant sweat and breathing heavily. "Zhang Ruochen, we must leave immediately."
"Leaving won't be so easy."
From the snow ten zhang away, three figures suddenly flew up, holding long swords, and attacked Zhang Ruochen.
All three were at the Earth Extreme Realm, extremely fast. With only ten zhang between them and Zhang Ruochen, they reached behind him in almost an instant, their sword tips thrusting straight at Zhang Ruochen's back.