So fast?
Su Hongzhen’s gaze shifted toward the third arena platform. From there, he spotted the young man he had seen during the earlier lottery drawing—the one in the magnificent blue-gold daoist robe, with sharp features and an imposing aura.
He was Jia Hongtao, the Dao Inquirer from the Lightning-Severing Sect at Heavenly Summit Mountain.
Beside him stood several other Lightning-Severing Sect disciples in similarly magnificent blue-gold daoist robes, speaking with him about something.
“Alright.”
Su Hongzhen rose to his feet, lifting his hand to gently caress the hilt of the sword hanging at his waist.
The Dao Inquiry at Heavenly Summit Mountain.
Su Hongzhen had barely sparred with anyone besides Immortal Master Zhou or his big brother, except for the two swordsmen he had encountered on Moxu Mountain.
But both his big brother and Immortal Master Zhou had told him that those two swordsmen from Fuliuliu Willow Sword Manor were nowhere near the level of the opponents he would face at the Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry.
Su Hongzhen was neither nervous nor afraid.
But the words of Immortal Master Zhou and his big brother forced him to take the opponents he would face at the Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry seriously.
Especially that Lightning-Severing Sect disciple named Jia Hongtao, who had already been hyped up by everyone he passed by.
Following behind the Mirage Palace outer sect disciple leading the way, Su Hongzhen headed toward the viewing stand.
Just as he stepped onto the Daoyan Arena, Shao Yuchen, the chief disciple of Weaving Dreams Tower from Mirage Palace, who had just finished his round, was walking toward the viewing stand.
As Shao Yuchen passed by Su Hongzhen, he stopped.
“Greetings, Chief Shao!”
The Mirage Palace outer sect disciple who had introduced himself as “Little Huang” and was guiding Su Hongzhen straightened up in front of him, then respectfully bowed to Shao Yuchen.
Shao Yuchen merely glanced at the outer sect disciple before extending his right hand slightly, curling his index finger upward to signal the disciple to rise.
Blood still stained the knuckles of his right hand.
Shao Yuchen’s expression was blank, just like his high-bridged nose and thin lips—his entire demeanor was restrained and cold.
It was hard to imagine that someone like him would be so ruthless on the arena platform.
Some onlookers might find Shao Yuchen’s methods crude and unsightly, utterly lacking the bearing of a top-tier expert expected from a Dao Inquirer of the Five Great Sects.
Because there were no profound techniques or mystical footwork involved.
Many might, at this very moment, look down on this Mirage Palace Dao Inquirer at Heavenly Summit Mountain, believing that the chief disciple of a sect famed for its illusions should employ more dazzling combat styles.
In truth, only those standing on the arena platform could understand just how terrifying Shao Yuchen’s simple, direct offensive style really was.
No flashy moves at all.
Once he seized an opportunity, he would fully activate his Martial Spring, flooding his fist with true qi, and beat his opponent half to death.
The person he had just beaten was the chief disciple of Huiyi Ravine from Wind Ravine Valley.
If it had been a weaker opponent, they probably wouldn’t have even withstood a single punch from Shao Yuchen.
“Chief Shao.”
Seeing Shao Yuchen stop in front of him, Su Hongzhen slightly cupped his hands in salute toward him.
Shao Yuchen stared at Su Hongzhen for a few breaths, then coughed a couple of times before finally speaking:
“If I’m not mistaken, you’re Su Hongzhen.”
“That’s right.”
Su Hongzhen replied.
“Before I arrived at Heavenly Summit Mountain, I’d already heard your name—the Dao Inquirer personally recommended by Dao Traveler Zhou.”
Shao Yuchen said, then fell silent for a few more breaths before finally shaking his head:
“Too bad, though. In this Dao Inquiry at Heavenly Summit Mountain, you and I probably won’t have a chance to cross fists.”
After speaking, Shao Yuchen averted his gaze from Su Hongzhen and continued walking toward the viewing stand.
Su Hongzhen naturally understood Shao Yuchen’s implication.
He had already concluded that Su Hongzhen would inevitably lose to either Jia Hongtao or He An, and wouldn’t have any opportunity to advance further.
“Perhaps we will have a chance to cross fists, Chief Shao.”
Su Hongzhen didn’t turn around either. He just stared straight ahead and said to Shao Yuchen behind him.
Hearing this, Shao Yuchen stopped in his tracks.
“I’ll beat you even worse than Zhai Ying.”
“...”
Su Hongzhen remained silent.
Shao Yuchen simply continued walking up toward the viewing stand.
His enemies seemed to be more numerous than he had imagined.
Su Hongzhen thought to himself.
...
“Third arena platform, Round Twelve, rogue cultivator Su Hongzhen versus Lightning-Severing Sect’s Jia Hongtao!”
The Star Heaven Sect manager disciple in charge of maintaining order announced loudly.
Su Hongzhen, dressed in a cyan daoist robe, stepped steadily onto the arena platform. His footsteps were light and slow.
Jia Hongtao, in his blue-gold daoist robe, was already standing on the opposite side of the platform, waiting for Su Hongzhen to take his position.
A gentle breeze rustled his blue-gold daoist robe as electric light swirled around him, causing the cultivators gathered below the platform to feel a slight tingling on their skin.
“You’re afraid of He An.”
Jia Hongtao stared coldly at Su Hongzhen standing before him.
“That’s why you didn’t dare swap opponents—you figured if you lost to me, you wouldn’t have to break your sword. Hah, not a bad plan.”
Jia Hongtao sneered at Su Hongzhen, not hiding his hostility in the slightest.
The reason for his attitude was simple.
When He An had proposed the Oath of the Broken Sword and suggested swapping opponents, only to be rejected, Su Hongzhen’s words could indeed be interpreted as a dismissal of Jia Hongtao.
Defeat Jia Hongtao, then duel He An?
What, does he think I, Jia Hongtao, am beneath him?
Thus, the Lightning-Severing Sect’s Dao Inquirer at Heavenly Summit Mountain’s current hostility toward Su Hongzhen was perfectly understandable.
“Your Excellency, let’s begin.”
Su Hongzhen completely ignored Jia Hongtao’s provocation and spoke calmly.
“Hah...”
Jia Hongtao let out a cold snort, then flicked his right hand. Three lightning bolts from his sleeve shot out like venomous snakes, crossing over a dozen zhang in an instant and heading straight for Su Hongzhen.
Su Hongzhen merely shifted his stance slightly.
The three sleeve lightning bolts grazed past the edge of his robe, leaving scorched black marks on the stone bricks of the arena platform.
Extreme distance control.
“Dodging pretty fast!”
Jia Hongtao shouted, then increased the intensity of his movements. In an instant, hundreds of sleeve lightning bolts raced toward Su Hongzhen.
Heavenly Net of Thunder!
This technique could only be used to its fullest extent by those in the Spirit Connection Realm, who could unleash hundreds of thousands of sleeve lightning bolts in an instant by channeling true qi, creating a saturation strike.
For Jia Hongtao, who was only in the Martial Spring Realm, being able to execute it to this degree was already impressive.
Su Hongzhen remained calm, and just a moment before the sleeve lightning bolts were about to touch him—
A metallic ring cut through the air, and the hundreds of sleeve lightning bolts were instantly all dispersed.
Many gazes around the arena platform landed on the Xun-Li Sword in Su Hongzhen’s hand.
“What a fine sword...”
“And that sword aura...”
Exclamations came from below the platform.
Indeed, this sword, derived from the Great Derivation Art and engraved with the Li Fire Seal and Xun Wind Step inscriptions, was a nearly flawless artifact.
The wind fueled the fire, and the fire borrowed the wind’s might.
This meant that the Xun-Li Sword’s trait was to grow fiercer with each strike.
But...
“That’s enough!”
Jia Hongtao spread his arms wide, and a spear, fully three zhang long and condensed entirely from lightning, appeared in his hands.
The Lightning-Severing Sect’s secret art—Thunderbolt Spear!
He hurled it!
The devastating lightning spear shot forward, its speed exceeding what the naked eye could track.
Another metallic ring rang out.
Jia Hongtao’s eyes widened.
He watched as the Thunderbolt Spear pierced through the afterimage left by the cyan daoist robe on the arena platform.
Then, the icy touch of the pure white Swift Sword engraved with crimson flame patterns reached his neck.
But...
On this Heavenly Summit Mountain, was there truly anyone who could make Su Hongzhen need the wind to fuel the fire, and the fire to borrow the wind’s might?
The young man’s hair slid down from his face, swaying in the breeze.
His eyelids drooped slightly.