Chapter 373: Why Bother?
Beside Zi Han Sha, a genius disciple with a thin, gaunt face spoke in a sharp voice: "We've also long wanted to witness Senior Brother Zhang's swordsmanship. Senior Brother Zhang, won't you give us some guidance?"
Led by Zi Han Sha, these genius disciples appeared to be seeking advice from Zhang Ruochen, but their demeanor was aggressive and overbearing. Even a fool could see their true intentions.
Xue Ying Rou furrowed her brows slightly and said, "Senior Brother, Junior Brother Zhang did save us before. Isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
"Junior Sister, we truly only want to seek guidance on swordsmanship, nothing else. Don't misunderstand!"
A smile hung on Zi Han Sha's face, but inside he was burning with jealousy. Xue Ying Rou had always looked up to him as an idol before, yet now she was defending that brat Zhang Ruochen.
Only by defeating Zhang Ruochen would she realize who the true strong one was.
Zhang Ruochen could naturally see why Zi Han Sha wanted to seek guidance on swordsmanship—it was definitely related to Xue Ying Rou.
As the saying goes, beauty is a disaster. The ancients were right; they did not deceive me.
Another genius disciple stepped forward, speaking with displeasure: "Senior Brother Zhang, Senior Brother is sincerely asking for your guidance on swordsmanship. You're not going to refuse him, are you?"
"That's right! You're not afraid of losing to Senior Brother, are you?" a voice dripping with sarcasm chimed in.
Zhang Ruochen was not someone to be pushed around. Since trouble had come knocking, he naturally couldn't let them think he was afraid of them.
After a moment of thought, Zhang Ruochen said, "Fine! Since that's the case, let's exchange a few moves. I hope we can keep it within bounds."
"Naturally," Zi Han Sha said with a smile.
The genius disciples from Nan Yun Commandery all wore strange grins as they stepped back, whispering among themselves.
"How many moves do you think Senior Brother will need to take down that kid?"
"How many moves? Among our generation in Nan Yun Commandery, who can withstand even one move from Senior Brother? Wu Lao San, you're also at the Heavenly Extreme Realm late stage—can you do it?"
"I'm not even on the same level as Senior Brother. Even at the same cultivation level, blocking one of his moves is no easy feat."
"That kid isn't a pushover either. His swordsmanship is indeed impressive; he might actually be able to fight Senior Brother."
"I still think Senior Brother will take him down within ten moves. Senior Brother is a genius of the Five Extremes and a half. That kid can't possibly reach the Six Extremes."
"To reach the level of a Six Extremes genius, one has to be a renowned prodigy of the Eastern Domain, worthy of being listed on the *Eastern Domain Wind and Cloud Report*. Zhang Ruochen? Hmph, I've never even heard of his name."
...
Zhang Ruochen had indeed been listed on the *Eastern Domain Wind and Cloud Report*, but only once, and on the last page. No one would remember his name.
As for his battle where he defeated Di Yi, it could have made the front page of the *Eastern Domain Wind and Cloud Report*, but the next issue hadn't been released yet, so the news hadn't spread.
Xue Ying Rou also stepped aside, her heart filled with anticipation.
In terms of age, Zhang Ruochen was definitely younger than Senior Brother.
Although Zi Han Sha looked to be only in his early twenties, his actual age was thirty-two. Zhang Ruochen was probably no older than twenty-five.
It was hard to judge their combat strength.
After all, Xue Ying Rou knew Zi Han Sha well. He was a true powerhouse, nearly invincible among his peers, and even older martial artists rarely posed a threat to him.
"Senior Brother Zhang is probably a bit weaker than Senior Brother, but he's still very young. In terms of talent, he far surpasses Senior Brother."
"Could he already be a Six Extremes genius?"
Xue Ying Rou's heart raced as a bold guess surfaced in her mind.
The outcome of this battle would tell. If he could truly match Senior Brother, then he might indeed be a Six Extremes genius.
"Shua!"
With a graceful motion, Zi Han Sha drew his sword and held it horizontally.
Strands of purple true qi flowed from his body, enveloping him in a thick layer of protective heavenly armor.
Zi Han Sha was born into a Half-Saint family, the Zi Clan, and cultivated the Ghost-level mid-grade technique, *Purple Blood Seal Technique*. Having reached the Heavenly Extreme Realm, he had naturally developed a special true qi—Purple Cloud True Qi.
A good birth was a huge advantage, allowing one to cultivate top-tier martial arts classics from a young age and build an excellent foundation. Combined with innate talent and diligent effort, one could hardly end up mediocre.
Other disciples from humble backgrounds could only start with Human-level or Spirit-level techniques. Even if they later showed exceptional talent, it was difficult to catch up to those who had cultivated advanced techniques.
Even if they forcibly switched to another technique midway, their meridians had already been set, and the results might not be good. It would also waste a lot of time—a loss far outweighing the gain.
Zhang Ruochen did not underestimate his opponent either. He released his Azure Void True Qi to form a protective heavenly armor.
Seeing the green true qi around Zhang Ruochen, Zi Han Sha's pupils contracted. He laughed and said, "So you've also cultivated special true qi. It seems the technique you practice is quite formidable. Draw your sword!"
Zhang Ruochen shook his head and said, "To use a sword technique, one doesn't necessarily need to draw the sword."
A chill ran through Zi Han Sha's heart, feeling as though he was being looked down upon.
"Arrogant as I am, let's see if you have the skill to back it up."
Zi Han Sha held nothing back, directly unleashing his strongest sword technique—the Crimson Chain Sword Technique.
This Spirit-level upper-grade sword technique had only seven moves, and Zi Han Sha had already mastered it to perfection.
"Shua!"
Zi Han Sha struck first, executing the first move of the Crimson Chain Sword Technique, "Waves of the Crimson Sea."
The sword light surged like a waterfall, rushing forward with an unbroken rhythm, each wave of sword qi stronger than the last.
The two were already close, and in an instant, Zi Han Sha's sword was right in front of Zhang Ruochen.
Facing the overwhelming sword light, Zhang Ruochen stood still and nodded slightly. Zi Han Sha's swordsmanship was indeed impressive, having reached the peak of the sword following the heart.
At this level of swordsmanship, there were almost no flaws.
However, Zhang Ruochen's swordsmanship was more than a level above his. His sword heart was already clear and bright. No matter how many feints, how strong the sword qi, or how many changes Zi Han Sha made, it was like a child waving a sword.
"Bang!"
Zhang Ruochen simply grabbed the sword hilt, turned sideways to block, and effortlessly deflected Zi Han Sha's sword, completely sealing off his subsequent moves.
"He blocked my Crimson Chain Sword Technique so easily?"
Zi Han Sha refused to believe Zhang Ruochen was that strong. He immediately changed his sword move, executing the second technique, "Crimson Moon in the Sky."
Then the third, "Crimson Hair Dancing."
The fourth, "Blood of the Crimson Cloud."
...
The seventh, "Heart of the Crimson Child."
All seven sword moves were unleashed in succession, striking down without pause, but Zhang Ruochen's feet never moved. He even used only one hand to easily block every sword strike.
The genius disciples standing nearby were all stunned.
In their eyes, Zhang Ruochen was like an unmoving boulder, casually standing there, effortlessly neutralizing Zi Han Sha's attacks.
Needless to say, it was now clear to everyone that Zhang Ruochen was far superior to Zi Han Sha. The two were not on the same level.
Xue Ying Rou's jade fingers tightly gripped her sleeve, her beautiful eyes shimmering with admiration. She felt that every move Zhang Ruochen made was so elegant, smooth, and graceful.
"His strength is incredible. Senior Brother looks like a child still learning swordsmanship in front of him. Why did I ever think Senior Brother was so strong?"
Xue Ying Rou shook her head gently. After witnessing this battle between Zhang Ruochen and Zi Han Sha, the lofty image Zi Han Sha had in her heart had completely crumbled.
"Bang!"
Zhang Ruochen turned his arm, blocking Zi Han Sha's sword once more.
At the same time, true qi from Zhang Ruochen's qi sea surged rapidly into his arm, then vibrated forward, turning into a wave of true qi.
A tremendous force surged from the scabbard, knocking Zi Han Sha back nine steps.
"Your sword moves are exhausted. Let's stop here."
Zhang Ruochen had no interest in continuing to spar with Zi Han Sha and intended to leave.
"Who said my sword moves are exhausted? You're not allowed to leave. We fight on!"
Zi Han Sha was furious and could no longer suppress his emotions. He leaped into the air, gripping his sword with both hands, pouring all his true qi into the blade, fully activating the inscriptions within. He slashed down with all his might.
He admitted that in terms of swordsmanship, he was indeed no match for Zhang Ruochen.
Since that was the case, he would stop competing in sword moves.
He would compete in true strength.
Zi Han Sha's sword was a tenth-rank True Martial Treasure, immensely powerful. Once the inscriptions in the blade were activated, it emitted a crimson glow and spat out flames, like a waterfall of fire descending toward Zhang Ruochen's head.
Zhang Ruochen sighed and shook his head slightly.
Just then, Zi Han Sha suddenly realized that Zhang Ruochen had vanished from his sight.
By the time he became alert, it was too late.
Zhang Ruochen appeared to Zi Han Sha's right, swung the sword hilt, and struck Zi Han Sha's abdomen horizontally.
"Bang!"
Zi Han Sha felt a sharp pain in his lower abdomen as a massive force slammed into him. His body flew backward like a kite with a broken string.
With a loud crash, Zi Han Sha landed hard on the sturdy silver deck, landing on his rear, dazed and disoriented.
Zhang Ruochen descended gracefully from above, landing as lightly as a leaf, and said, "Can we end it now?"