Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
Liu Xin released such a martial technique that Genuine Qi worked inside his body, and as if it was a shell, bounced him more than 50 meters high.
“Boom!”
Liu Xin fell onto the battle stage, a huge boom below his feet shaking the stage heavily.
A wave of his Genuine Qi flew towards all directions under his feet.
Liu slightly posed a fist-and-palm gesture and laughed, “Such an honor to meet you, Peerless Swordsman. I was just wondering whether I would have the chance to learn from you. Would you accept my challenge?”
Zhang Ruochen naturally distinguished a whiff of sarcasm from Liu Xin’s words. He said, “I’m not the Peerless Swordsman. You met the wrong person.”
Finishing these words, Zhang Ruochen fled off the 18-meter-high battle stage. His toes slightly touched the surface of the pond, like a dragonfly skimming the surface of the water. He fell onto the bank, as light as a swallow.
Zhang Ruochen had never thought about winning first position at the Sword Technique Conference, let alone marrying the Thirteenth Commandery Princess. At that time, he just planned to leave rather than pushing himself forward.
On seeing Zhang Ruochen went away, Liu Xin was enraged by his refusal to fight with him. He said with his eyes full of coldness, “Zhang Ruochen, your victory over Tuoba Linsu was nothing but fortune. You know that you cannot always win. You escape because you are afraid of being defeated, right?”
“Both victory and loss are common. What am I afraid of? I just dislike dealing with someone unreasonable,” Zhang Ruochen argued.
Liu Xin became even angrier and said, “Who are you saying is unreasonable? You call your sword technique First. I just want to learn from you, and then you call this being unreasonable? Who on earth is unreasonable?”
The Sword Technique Conference really frustrated Zhang Ruochen. He even did not want to stay for another second.
Having been defeated by Zhang Ruochen made hatred flame within Huo Ming. Thus, when he saw Zhang Ruochen going to leave, he stopped him at once.
“Zhang Ruochen, if you stay and have a fight with Liu Xin, I can beg my dad to withdraw our army and not attack the Yunwu Commandery anymore,” Huo Ming said.
Huo Ming had just been defeated by Zhang Ruochen off the battle stage, making him like a drowning dog,very degrading, so Huo had been seeking for the opportunity to take a revenge on Zhang. At that time, he had a chance to get revenge himself on Zhang by relying on Liu’s power.
He would definitely not let such an opportunity go.
Zhang Ruochen said, “Are you serious?”
Huo Ming sneered at him and said, “Humph! I’m the prince. You worry about me cheating you?”
Young Geniuses from dozens of commanderies were present at that time. If Huo Ming cheated Zhang Ruochen, he would certainly be despised by the people.
The actual reason why Zhang Ruochen came to the Sword Technique Conference was to ask for reinforcements and prevent the forthcoming disaster in the Yunwu Commandery.
If the Square Commandery withdrew its army positively, that would be great.
Zhang Ruochen then said, “Alright! I accept Liu Xin’s challenge.”
The corner of Huo’s mouth curved up, giving him a facial expression of insidiousness. He arched his hands slightly towards Liu Xin on the battle stage and said, “Liu Xin, the Peerless Swordsman Zhang Ruochen, has accepted the competition with you.”
“Thank you for your persuading, or I cannot learn from the unprecedented sword technique of the Peerless Swordsman.” Liu Xin smiled as well.
Zhang Ruochen ignored their echoing each other and came back to the battle stage. He said, “Huo Ming, don’t forget our agreement.”
Huo Ming replied, “Sure. Once you step onto the stage, I will certainly persuade my dad to withdraw the army whether you win or lose.”
All of a sudden, it occurred to Zhang Ruochen that Huo Ming just said he will “persuade” his dad, while the Square Commandery, of course, could refuse his persuasion and go on to attack the Yunwu Commandery.
“It looks as if Huo Ming is a silly man, but he is cunning in reality. How sophisticated Huo is!” Zhang Ruochen thought in his mind.
Although he distinguished the trap in Huo Ming’s words, Zhang Ruochen was on the battle stage already. If he came off at that time, he would be ridiculed.
“Zhang Ruochen, if you defeat Liu Yan, I will lead my army from the Longchuan Commandery to aid the Yunwu Commandery,” said Tuoba Linsu, who stared at Huo Ming with disdain.
“Thank you, Prince Tuoba!” Zhang Ruochen said.
Liu Xin stood extraordinarily on the center of the battle stage, holding his sword in his hands. He stared at Zhang Ruochen in front of him and asked aggressively, “Real sword techniques can only be released through Genuine Qi. Do you dare to have a real fight with me?”
“What do you mean?” asked Zhang Ruochen.
Liu Xin answered confidently, “My cultivation has reached to the Advanced Stage of the Earth Realm. I can control my realm to the Medium Stage when fighting with you. I’m wondering if you have enough courage?”
After the three previous battles, Liu Xin realized that Zhang Ruochen had made great achievements on sword techniques. Even Liu Xin himself did not have enough confidence in defeating Zhang Ruochen.
That was why he proposed a fight with Zhang Ruochen in the same realm since there would be a higher percentage for him to win the battle this way.
Zhang Ruochen figured out his real meaning and laughed. “You think your real power cannot be released without Genuine Qi?”
“Exactly,” said Xue Bingsheng.
Zhang Ruochen shook his head and said, “If you fight with me in the same realm, I’m afraid you cannot bear my attack even once. You should think about it clearly!”
Within the same realm, Zhang Ruochen could even defeat Luo Xu, let alone Liu Xin.
Liu Xin could feel nothing but humiliation. He smiled coldly at Zhang Ruochen and said, “How arrogant you are! If you can really defeat me in a single attack, I will cut my hands with my sword.”
“If you want to cut your hands, I will by no means stop you,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Liu Xin glared at the broken sword in Zhang Ruochen’s hands and said, “I don’t want to win the battle by unfair means. Change the sword first!”
“No need to change the sword to beat you,” Zhang Ruochen said.
So arrogant!
Liu Xin controlled his cultivation to the Medium State of the Black Realm. The Genuine Qi worked rapidly inside his body and then was immersed into his long sword.
“Swish!”
Through his fast gait, Liu Xin released a low-class martial technique of the Spiritual. He was so fast that five shadows were presented around him. At the same time, he waved his sword toward Zhang Ruochen.
Even though Liu Xin controlled his realm to the Medium State of the Black Realm, he was still a master of the Earth Realm. The martial technique he practiced was rather magnificent.
Besides, he did make great achievements on sword techniques, which had reached to the Advanced Stage Realm of Sword Following the Mind.
Taking merely sword techniques into account, Liu Xin was even more skillful than Tuoba Linsu.
Despite having seen the Five Flapping Shadows, Zhang Ruochen remained still. Furthermore, he closed his eyes.
“Whew!”
Zhang Ruochen moved one step slightly toward his left, by which he escaped from the attack of the first shadow. Then he moved another two steps toward the right so as to get rid of the second shadow, following which he moved a step backward in case of being attacked by the sword of the third shadow. Finally, he tilted his body back to be free from the sword attack by the fourth shadow.
Looking off the stage, Liu Xin presented five shadows. His sword moved in such a rapid way and struck in such a consecutive manner that each attack from him was rather implausible.
By contrast, Zhang Ruochen did not adopt his sword but presented nine shadows. Moreover, he did not open his eyes but still avoided all of Liu Xin’s attacks.
Over 10 shadows on the battle stage moved so fast that it was hard to figure out which one was Liu Xin’s real body and which one was Zhang Ruochen’s.
Even the ever-arrogant Thirteenth Commandery Princess was surprised and felt a great shock in her mind.
Qing Chibai, the disciple of a Half-Saint, shook his head slightly and said, “Liu Xin was so wrong that he thought he could defeat Zhang Ruochen within the same realm. However, in the same realm, Zhang is much more powerful than him. Beating him is as easy as beating an ant.”
The Thirteenth Commandery Princess thought it was kind of suspect and said, “Before Liu Xin broke through the Earth Realm, he was a master ranking 18th on the Profound Board. Within the same realm, how can he perform so much worse than that pumpkin from the Yunwu Commandery?”
Sitting to the side without speaking, Xun Guihai laughed and said, “You may not know, Your Majesty. Zhang Ruochen ranked first among the disciples of the School of the Martial Market in Omen Ridge. It is said that his Spiritual Power has reached the 29th level. Even in the whole history of Kunlun’s Field, he is a top 10 genius in Spiritual Power.”
Hearing these words, the Thirteenth Commandery Princess was deeply impressed.
Qing Chibai said, “Even though Zhang Ruochen is not a Peerless Swordsman, few people in the same realm as him can defeat him.”
The Thirteenth Commandery Princess was a bit anxious and demonstrated a frustrated face. She said, “What should we do? If he wins the Sword Technique Conference, then I must marry him! I don’t want to marry him.”
Xun Guihai smiled, “Don’t worry, Your Majesty. Qing Chibai is the disciple of a Half-Saint. It is said that he has practiced his sword comprehension to the Peak Realm of Sword Following the Mind. If Qing Chibai fights with Zhang Ruochen, it’s no hard thing for Qing Chibai to beat him.”
Qing Chibai laughed and said, “When I was in the Medium State of the Black Realm, my sword comprehension had only reached to the Advanced Stage Realm of Sword Following the Mind. And my speed was slower than Zhang Ruochen’s. At that time, I could by no means beat him. However, if I control my realm to the Medium State of the Black Realm, it is still an unequal fight between us two, although I can defeat him.”
Qing Chibai’s cultivation was in the Mid Stage of the Earth Realm. Something would remain unchanged even if he controlled the realm to the Medium State of the Black Realm.
For example, in his present realm, his breakthrough in Qi Lake, in which the storage of Genuine Qi was thousands and millions of times richer than that of Zhang Ruochen, it was unnecessary for Qing Chibai to worry about the consumption of Genuine Qi even though he controlled his realm to the Medium State of the Black Realm.
Besides, the physical quality of warriors in the Earth Realm was also much more powerful than that of those in the Black Realm.
Therefore, Qing Chibai would still have a large edge over Zhang Ruochen even if he controlled his cultivation to the Medium State of the Black Realm.
Although Liu Xin’s cultivation also reached to the Earth Realm, his achievements made on sword techniques were still incomparable to Qing Chibai’s.
The Thirteenth Commandery Princess said, “Qing Chibai, I command you to beat that bumpkin from the Yunwu Commandery. If you don’t help me, then I have to go to that remote Yunwu Commandery.”
If she had to choose between Qing Chibai and Zhang Ruochen, the Thirteenth Commandery would surely choose the former.
Qing Chibai forced a smile and was resigned to say, “If Liu Xin loses, I will be glad to have a fight with Zhang Ruochen.”
Qing Chibai also got to know that Zhang Ruochen was a powerful rival. No matter how many advantages he had, it was by no means so easy to beat Zhang Ruochen.
