Chapter 281: This was What the World was Like
Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
The Finger Breaking Magical Sword used by Yan Qingwu could also execute the Fingering Sword Breath, which was similar to Sword Ripple of Ten Channels.
However, the Sword Ripple of Ten Channels paid more attention to penetration and explosive power while the Finger Breaking Magical Sword was focused more on speed and images.
For a moment, the overwhelming Sword Breath flowed towards Zhang Ruochen, like a waterfall.
Zhang Ruochen’s footwork shuttled back and forth as if he was shifting his body and transposing his shadow. He moved through the Sword Breath.
TCH!
One of the Sword Breaths broke his Defending Genuine Qi Shield and passed through under one of his arms. Fortunately, Zhang Ruochen dodged it in good time, otherwise, his body would have been pierced through by that Sword Breath.
Zhang Ruochen drew back and observed Yan Qingwu’s fingering while finding her flaws.
Yan Qingwu’s Finger Breaking Magical Sword was so well-practiced that no flaws could be found, which forced Zhang Ruochen to retreat ceaselessly.
Since there were no flaws, the only way was to destroy it by using force.
Soon Zhang Ruochen retreated back to the stone walls. Suddenly, he steadied his legs, regained his footing, and thrust his palm out.
“Nine-folds of the Elephant Power!”
He hit Yan Qingwu with seven handprints in succession, bursting forth with sevenfold power.
“Steadying Finger!”
Yan Qingwu only revealed the index and little finger of her right hand, an Icing-cold genuine Qi gushed out and struck against Zhang Ruochen’s palm.
The struck clashed and once again the two separated.
Yan Qingwu’s power was strangely powerful, it was only slightly weaker than Zhang Ruochen’s.
Actually, it was not strange as Yan Qingwu’s overall strength was originally above that of Zhang Ruochen’s.
Her speed was much faster than Zhang Ruochen’s, reaching 266 meters per second. What’s more, her strongest power, of which was equal to 31.5 brute elephants, was just a little bit weaker than Zhang Ruochen.
As a result, they were neck and neck in the fight and couldn’t hurt each other.
After an hour had passed, the two of them had exchanged more than 2,300 strikes yet they were still unable to determine a victor.
If they continued to fight, they could battle with each other for three days as long as there were no mistakes, without anyone winning or losing.
At last, Vessel Spirit of Earth Board said, “According to the testing rule of the Earth Board, if there is no victor within an hour, the Earth Board will assess your strength to decide the winner.”
“In the light of your data, the Vessel Spirit of Earth Board decides that Zhang Ruochen is better and has succeeded in challenging Yan Qingwu.”
Yan Qingwu refused to accept the result, and she asked, “Why? I’m clearly better than him. If the battle continued, I only have to rely on my thicker Genuine Qi and I will gradually be able to gain the upper hand.”
“Yes, you’re right. But Zhang Ruochen did not display all of his strength in his battle with you.”
The Vessel Spirit of Earth Board continued, “Zhang Ruochen offered to give up his sword to fight against you with his fists after your sword was destroyed. You should know that Zhang Ruochen has mastered the Heart Integrated into Sword of Sword Realm. You would be defeated by him within 1,000 moves if he uses Heart Integrated into Sword.”
Previously, when Zhang Ruochen fought against Wei Wuhen, he has already used Heart Integrated into Sword, which was recorded into the data by the Vessel Spirit of Earth Board.
“Heart Integrated into Sword?”
Yan Qingwu took a deep look at Zhang Ruochen and said, “Since it is so, then I’m sincerely convinced. Zhang Ruochen, I will remember your name. When I make progress, I’ll challenge you here again.”
With these words, the Spiritual Body of Yan Qingwu dispersed, melting into threads of spiritual Qi.
Zhang Ruochen walked out of the Testing Secret Room to find that Luo Shuihan had already finished three tests and was waiting outside.
Zhang Ruochen asked, “Senior sister apprentice, how are your results?”
“Winning two and losing one,” Luo Shuihan said.
The silver gowned Elder standing to the side looked at Luo Shuihan with shock, and said: “Although Luo Shuihan was defeated by the warrior who is ranked 3,000th, she won against the warriors ranked 3,700th and 3,300th of the Earth Board. There are only 78 warriors under twenty who rank within the 10,000 of the Earth Board, and she has become one of them.”
Zhang Ruochen said, “Congratulations, Senior sister apprentice.”
Luo Shuihan looked indifferent. She took a meaningful look at Zhang Ruochen and said, “I’m far behind you.”
The silver gowned Elder was kind of surprised. “Is Luo Shuihan really far behind Zhang Ruochen?”
The two strongest warriors in Omen Ridge — “Si Xingkong” and “Zhang Tiangui”, were only ranked about 5,000th on the Earth Board, they lagged far behind Luo Shuihan.
Even if Zhang Ruochen was great, how powerful he could be?
After all, Zhang Ruochen was under twenty.
Lei Jing, standing beside Zhang Chenruo, could not wait to ask, “Zhang Ruochen, did you succeed in your second test?”
Lei Jing was the only one to know that Zhang Ruochen wanted to challenge the warrior ranked 100 of Earth Board, so he knew the importance of this fight.
If Zhang Ruochen made it, he could be listed among the top 100 of Earth Board, he would have the right to be written into the next installment of Eastern Region Report and become one of the outstanding younger generation, drawing the full attention of schools.
Zhang Ruochen stayed calm and nodded his head.
Lei Jing was mad with joy. He laughed and swung his sleeves, saying, “Elder Xi and Luo Shuihan, could you leave first? I have something to discuss with Zhang Ruochen.”
“Zhang Ruochen’s rank must be very high on theEarth Board to make Master Lei, who is almost 100 years of age, forget himself. Maybe he has already entered the top 1,000 of the Earth Board.” The silver gowned Elder thought.
He made a bow toward Lei Jing and then left the test house of the Earth Board.
Luo Shuihan also left.
Lei Jing said, “Zhang Ruochen, I knew I had made the right choice with you. It’s Omen Ridge’ s fortune that such a young hero like you was born here. A long time ago, when Omen Ridge was invaded by savage beasts and ruled by Four-wing Earth Dragons, it was a primitive wild. The history of people here in its real sense is only five hundred years.”
“500 years, it seems like a long time, but it’s just an instant compared with the whole history of Kunlun’s Field. Therefore, Omen Ridge is still an abandoned field, a remote place, a tiny area that is not worth mentioning.”
Zhang Ruochen did not know why Lei Jing was telling him this, but he still listened carefully and then said, “Though the history of Omen Ridge is only five-hundred years, it has produced countless heroes and even saints, such as predecessor Luo Xu.”
” You’re right.”
Lei Jing nodded and his eyes revealed his anticipation. He said, “Predecessor Luo Xu is the only saint in the history of Omen Ridge and the strongest warrior to emerge from Omen Ridge. Many people would still know nothing about Omen Ridge if not for his influence.”
Zhang Ruochen asked, ” Are you an indigenous monk of Omen Ridge?”
Lei Jing answered, “I can be considered one! When I was young, I was an orphan. Later, an elder of the School of the Martial Market took a fancy to me and brought me to the School of the Martial Market to practice. Because of my outstanding talent, I not only entered the Internal Academy but also the Saint Academy.”
“It is a pity that there is too much competition for the Saint Academy with too many genuises. I’m just a pauper from a small place. How could I be a match against those successors from Half-Saint or Saint families?”
“I was in the Saint Academy for just one year. Later, I was gravely injured by a successor from a Saint family and thrown out from there because I had offended him. Haha!”
Speaking of this, Lei Jing couldn’t help smiling bitterly, “It is so ridiculous that I was thrown out from the Saint Academy at that time. To be honest, after all these years, this is the first time to I have told another person this. It was truly a bitter experience. But there was no other way, at the time, I was no match for others in terms of strength and family background, so I could only suffer being bullied by others.”
Zhang Ruochen asked, “What happened after that?”
“I could not stay at the Saint Academy anymore after I offended them. What’s more, I also felt ashamed that I was beaten like a dog, I didn’t have the face to stay in the Saint Academy anymore. After that, I entered the Martial Market Bank. Later, I accidentally broke through the four realms of Martial Arts into the Fish-dragon Realm, and became one of the top masters.”
Although Lei Jing spoke easily, Zhang Ruochen knew well how difficult it was to break through to the Fish-dragon Realm, even he himself in the last lifetime could not do it.
Lei Jing must have worked hard with endless amounts of blood and sweat to grow in his humiliation. To strive endlessly to break into the Realm to truly become one of the best.
Lei Jing said with a smile, “When I broke through to the Fish-dragon Realm, the successor of the powerful family in the Saint Academy who had thrown me out in the past was stuck in the Heaven Realm. Well, now that I’ve made great progress, of course I will come back, right? So I beat him up badly on a dark and stormy night. I gave him a bloody nose, stripped his clothes and pants from him, and hung him above the great doors of the Saint Academy. Haha!”
Zhang Ruochen broke into a laugh too and said, “Hall Master, you finally took revenge for yourself.”
Lei Jing didn’t laugh anymore and, rolling his eyes, he said, “Indeed I did take revenge, but I also offended that Saint family. If it had not been for my master’s protection I would have been killed by them. Even so, I was expelled by the Saint Academy again. I left the divine land of the Eastern Region and came back to Omen Ridge. Time flies. It has been fifty years since then!”
“When I was expelled from the Saint Academy for the second time, I swore that I would raise a first-class talent of Omen Ridge even if I had to come back here. I want him to enter the Saint Academy and totally break the situation where the successors of Saint families rule over the Saint Academy. I want them to know that a common man can become a noble.”
Zhang Ruochen understood how Lei Jing felt. The common disciples and the successors from Saint families have been on opposite sides for a long time. The successors always had an advantage in terms of practice resources and cultivation conditions, heavily suppressing the common disciples. Those disciples even could not raise their heads.
Taking Omen Ridge as the example, most of the strongest among the young generation came from princes and princesses of commanderies or successors of big families. Few common disciples could become a top warrior.
Therefore, no matter how the world changed, the dominators of Kunlun’s Field were always those successors from rich and powerful families.
For a warrior without background and strength to become a strong warrior, to become a Saint, it was as difficult as ascending to the heavens.
In fact, in those Half-Saint and Saint families’ minds, princes and princesses from the 36 commanderies of Omen Ridge were like local tyrants in the countryside. They were no different from common disciples.
What could the common disciples do?
This was what the world was like. They could only fight against it.
