Chapter 283: Hidden Concerns
Yan Qingwu's greatest strength was her swordsmanship. Earlier, because Zhang Ruochen had caught her off guard and severed her sword, she had been unable to leverage her advantage in sword techniques.
In their second exchange, she did not intend to clash head-on with Zhang Ruochen. Instead, she planned to make proper use of her speed advantage.
"Let's begin."
Zhang Ruochen held the Abyssal Ancient Sword, assuming a starting stance as well. He stood as still as a pine tree, motionless, exuding an air of unfathomable depth.
"Flying Snow Blankets the Sky."
Yan Qingwu executed a high-rank spirit-level sword technique, intending to probe Zhang Ruochen and force him to reveal a flaw.
As Yan Qingwu's sword drew closer and closer to Zhang Ruochen, it seemed he was about to be pierced through the heart by her strike.
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen swung his sword in a slash, moving like thunder. The sword energy cascaded like a waterfall, cutting across Yan Qingwu's front.
"Boom!"
Yan Qingwu flew backward. When she landed on the ground, her body snapped in two at the waist.
The sword in her hand also broke into two pieces.
"It only took one strike."
Without even glancing at Yan Qingwu's spiritual void body, Zhang Ruochen sheathed the Abyssal Ancient Sword and walked out of the testing chamber.
Having reached the Great Extreme Position of the Earth Extreme Realm, Zhang Ruochen's maximum speed had already reached two hundred and ninety meters per second, far surpassing Yan Qingwu. Yan Qingwu held no advantage in speed whatsoever.
Coupled with the sharpness of the Abyssal Ancient Sword, he had killed Yan Qingwu, ranked one hundredth on the Earth Ranking, with just one strike.
At that moment, atop the Earth Ranking testing palace, Lei Jing sat together with an old man with crane-white hair and a youthful complexion. They had just witnessed the scene of Zhang Ruochen killing Yan Qingwu with a single sword stroke.
That sword strike had been utterly breathtaking, nearly flawless in its perfection.
"Sword Heart Illumination, without a single flaw."
The old man sighed, "Truly remarkable. I never expected the Demon Ridge to produce such a powerful young prodigy. If word reaches headquarters, even the higher-ups of the Academy and the Bank are likely to take notice of him."
Lei Jing shook his head. "Don't send word back to headquarters just yet."
"Why not?" the old man asked.
Lei Jing smiled. "Zhang Ruochen is still only at the Earth Extreme Realm. To those Half-Saints and Saints, he's just a child. Killing him would be as easy as turning over a hand. You must understand, the Martial Market Academy's internal structure is not a monolithic block. If news leaks out, it will only bring deadly trouble to Zhang Ruochen. So, the fewer people who know, the better."
The old man nodded as well. "So you mean, we should conceal Zhang Ruochen's test results? Not send the information back to headquarters?"
Lei Jing nodded. "Not that we won't send it, but we won't send it in full. If people learn that Zhang Ruochen, at the Great Extreme Position of the Earth Extreme Realm, killed the one hundredth-ranked expert on the Earth Ranking with a single strike, it will cause a massive uproar. It might even draw experts from the Demon Sect and the Black Market, who would stop at nothing to kill him."
"However, if Zhang Ruochen, at the Great Extreme Position of the Earth Extreme Realm, could only fight to a draw with the one hundredth-ranked expert on the Earth Ranking, winning by only a narrow margin, then his talent, while still remarkable, would not reach the level that would terrify the Demon Sect and the Black Market. If experts do come to kill him then, I, this old man, can still handle it for him."
The old man said, "I understand. If Zhang Ruochen, at the Great Extreme Position of the Earth Extreme Realm, can only contend with the one hundredth-ranked expert on the Earth Ranking, then even if he breaks through to the Great Perfection of the Earth Extreme Realm, he would at most have the strength of the top twenty on the Earth Ranking. Though still outstanding among the world's heroes, it wouldn't be heaven-defying. After all, every few years, the top twenty on the Earth Ranking are replaced by a new batch."
The difference of a single realm represented two entirely different levels of concept.
Lei Jing and that old man were simply using another method to conceal part of Zhang Ruochen's strength and talent.
Lei Jing said, "Zhang Ruochen is, after all, just a prince from a lower commandery. To reach higher realms and receive the best training, he needs a vast amount of cultivation resources. This old man can only help him so much. Therefore, he must display part of his talent to gain the Academy's attention. Only then can the Academy allocate more resources to him, helping him go further."
The old man said, "In that case, we'll publicly announce that Zhang Ruochen's martial cultivation is at the Great Extreme Position of the Earth Extreme Realm. At the same time, we'll only report the results of the first and second practical tests to headquarters. The results of the third practical test will be suppressed."
"I'll leave this matter in your hands, Elder." Lei Jing clasped his hands.
The old man smiled. "We both work for the Martial Market Bank. I, too, don't want to see the Bank's genius killed in the cradle before he can grow. I'll now transmit today's test results and battle projections to the original spirit of the Earth Ranking."
This old man before him was not a true human, but a spirit clone of the Earth Ranking.
After transmitting the test results, Lei Jing also took his leave and went to see Zhang Ruochen again.
Lei Jing met Zhang Ruochen in high spirits and smiled. "Zhang Ruochen, there's something I didn't discuss with you beforehand, and it might have been a bit rash."
Zhang Ruochen said, "What is it?"
Lei Jing then told Zhang Ruochen about the decision he had made with the Earth Ranking's spirit clone.
After hearing it, Zhang Ruochen's brow furrowed deeply. "It's already been sent back to headquarters?"
Seeing the worried expression on Zhang Ruochen's face, Lei Jing smiled. "Don't be too tense. Showing part of your talent is a good thing. It will earn you the attention of the Academy's higher-ups and get you more cultivation resources. If it does attract some experts who want to kill you, I, this old man, will do my utmost to protect you."
Zhang Ruochen was certainly not afraid of being assassinated by experts. His concern was about something else.
During the second practical test, when Zhang Ruochen had spoken with Yan Qingwu, he had mentioned some matters regarding Chi Yao's cultivation—things that were absolute secrets.
Zhang Ruochen wasn't afraid of the Martial Market Academy's higher-ups knowing. After all, to those high-level figures, it would just be the ramblings of a mere Earth Extreme Realm youth, and they wouldn't take it seriously.
What Zhang Ruochen feared was that the news might somehow reach Chi Yao.
If she then connected it to the name "Zhang Ruochen," she would certainly not think it was a coincidence.
Once Chi Yao learned that he was still alive, with her current overwhelming power and invincible cultivation, Zhang Ruochen would be dead even if he fled to the ends of the earth.
"The things I said were somewhat treasonous. The Martial Market Academy's higher-ups probably won't spread them, since I'm now a member of the Academy as well. The chances of those words reaching Chi Yao's ears are extremely low, almost negligible."
Zhang Ruochen let out a long breath, trying to relax his mind.
"Why scare myself? After all, eight hundred years have passed. Who still remembers that there was a person named Zhang Ruochen eight hundred years ago? Chi Yao... might have already forgotten me."
Ten years was enough for people to forget many things, many people. Let alone eight hundred years?
Eight hundred years was too long.
Seeing that Zhang Ruochen's expression was still off, Lei Jing asked, "Is there something else troubling you?"
Zhang Ruochen shook his head. "No."
After a moment's thought, Zhang Ruochen added, "Can I wait until the next ranking release three months from now to enter the Earth Ranking?"
"You want to delay it by three months?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "Once news of my entry into the top one hundred of the Earth Ranking spreads, it will cause a huge stir in the Demon Ridge. At that point, the number of people wanting to kill me will likely be ten times greater than now. So, I need three months to consolidate my current cultivation and strive to improve my strength further, to face the even more brutal challenges ahead."
Lei Jing's heart stirred slightly. "Alright, delaying it by three months is also a good thing for you. I'll handle this matter. Go back and cultivate in peace. Don't let it hinder your martial path."
After returning to his cultivation secret chamber, Zhang Ruochen still felt unsettled. The words he had spoken in the testing chamber kept echoing in his mind. What would happen if they reached Chi Yao's ears?
Sitting cross-legged in the cultivation chamber, Zhang Ruochen's entire body burned like a furnace. His skin turned crimson red, and beads of sweat dripped down, soaking his clothes.
"No good. If I cultivate in this state, I'll definitely suffer a Qi deviation."
Zhang Ruochen's brows were tightly knit, his face pale, and even his lips were cracked and dry. The meridians across his body bulged slightly, taking on a somewhat ferocious appearance.
Kong Xuan walked in from outside and noticed Zhang Ruochen's unusual state. Concerned, she asked, "Master, what's wrong with you?"
"Nothing."
Zhang Ruochen withdrew his true qi, forcing himself to stay calm. He glanced at Kong Xuan and said flatly, "Weren't you comprehending sword intent? Why did you come in?"
"A woman came from outside. She said she was sent by Senior Sister Luo to invite you to her cultivation residence for a discussion." Kong Xuan said.
"Right! I promised Senior Sister Luo I would exchange martial insights with her. I almost forgot."
Zhang Ruochen rubbed his temples, temporarily setting aside the distracting thoughts of Chi Yao and the Earth Ranking. "Kong Xuan, you don't need to come with me. Stay here and continue comprehending sword intent."
Outside the cultivation residence stood a girl of sixteen or seventeen. She had a slender build, a delicate and refined appearance, and a temperament somewhat similar to Luo Shuihan.
Her martial cultivation had reached the Small Extreme Position of the Mysterious Extreme Realm. She was a collateral genius of the Luo Clan, named Luo Xinyao.
In terms of talent, Luo Xinyao was superior to many outer academy disciples and had the qualifications to enter the inner academy.
After waiting for a while and still not seeing Zhang Ruochen come out, Luo Xinyao grew impatient. She said angrily, "Isn't he just an inner academy disciple? Senior Sister Luo took the initiative to invite him, and he still puts on airs. Countless people would love to visit Senior Sister Luo but can't even get an audience. Who does he think he is?"
Although Luo Xinyao was only a collateral member of the Luo Clan, she was still a member of a Saintly clan. Naturally, she looked down on the martial artists of the Demon Ridge.
She really couldn't understand why Senior Sister Luo thought so highly of this Zhang Ruochen, even taking the initiative to invite him to discuss martial arts together.