The power of Zhang Ruochen’s attack had almost exceeded the domain of Martial Arts, reaching another realm.
Streams of air were forced back by the sword Qi, forming a diamond-shaped Qi billow. It emanated a red flame.
Hua Qingye gasped and closed his five fingers. He gathered a cloud of Genuine Qi and held back Zhang Ruochen’s sword.
His arm twisted and dismantled the power gathered on the sword. At the same time, he attacked Zhang Ruochen with his palm again.
Zhang Ruochen kicked his legs and jumped up, avoiding Hua Qingye’s power.
SWOOSH!
Zhang Ruochen rapidly backed off far away, landing on the roof of a palace.
At this very moment, he sent out the Abyss Ancient Sword. Standing more than 33 meters away, he used Sword Defending Technique and continuously attacked Hua Qingye.
Zhang Ruochen knew very well that it was not good for him to fight with Hua Qingye at close range. Because his speed was far less than Hua Qingye’s, he could only use the power of Heart Integrated into Sword and attack from a distance.
On the Abyss Ancient Sword, there was Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi. Every sword attack had giant power. Even if the sword Qi it emitted could leave terrific sword marks in the Palace.
The duel between Zhang Ruochen and Hua Qingye shattered the magnificent Palace.
Zhang Ruochen actually can exchange blows with Hua Qingye? How… how is this possible…
Zhang Tiangui was not just shocked. He was even a bit hopeless.
Zhang Ruochen was like a bottomless hole. No one knew that how deep he was. The more powerful the warrior he met, the more powerful the strength he showed.
“The Heart Integrated into Sword realm is nothing. Young man, you are too still greatly lacking.”
Hua Qingye roared loudly and sent the Abyss Ancient Sword flying out with one palm. He flew up from the palace wall and shot above Zhang Ruochen’s head before stepping down with a foot.
Zhang Ruochen was slightly shocked. He immediately raised his arms and gathered the power in every piece of muscle and bone, striking upward with both his palms.
The Martial Soul that stood behind Zhang Ruochen made the same movements as Zhang Ruochen, striking upward with both his palms.
The naked eye could not see that clouds of Spiritual Qi gushed out of the ground and merged with his Martial Soul. They slowly increased the power of his Martial Soul, turning it into a giant man.
BANG!
As Hua Qingye landed, the roof of the palace split open and Zhang Ruochen fell down.
BANG!
Zhang Ruochen only felt that there was a mountain crashing down on his head. Within his field of vision, the entire world violently shook once.
When he recovered, he found out that his body below the waist was buried under the ground. His whole body seemed to have fallen apart, extreme pain shot through his body.
The entire ground of the temple cracked, the wall collapsed and the tiles shattered. Even the copper pillars were shaking, like they were going to fall.
CRACK!
Hua Qingye stood on the shattered tile. He walked and approached Zhang Ruochen. One arm was enveloped by Genuine Qi and gathered freezing air. His five fingers were like sharp metal claws.
He coldly stared at Zhang Ruochen and said, “Young man, you are indeed very incredible and much more powerful than those legendary geniuses. You have actually managed to fight with me for 11 moves with your cultivation in the Initial Stage of the Heaven Realm.”
While Zhang Ruochen gathered his power, he coldly replied, “You think too highly of me!”
Hua Qingye said, “Your Martial Soul is very powerful and much more powerful than mine. It is just because that your cultivation is too weak, so you are defeated by me. If you can reach the Mid Stage of the Heaven Realm and apply the power of Martial Soul, I’m afraid that I can’t defeat you even within 100 moves. What secret are you hiding? If you tell me, I may spare your life.”
Zhang Ruochen smiled and said, “I don’t have any secret.”
Hua Qingye’s face darkened. He said, “If you don’t have a secret, how could you succeed in practicing Heart Integrated into Sword? If you don’t have a secret, how can you have such a powerful Martial Soul? Young man, you have to be honest in front of me. Open the door, or I will open it for you.”
To have such terrific strength in the Initial Stage of the Heaven Realm, Zhang Ruochen was completely been beyond Hua Qingye’s knowledge.
Zhang Ruochen must have a big secret.
Hua Qingye had already been in the Fish-dragon Realm for 20 years. Although his cultivation was improving, there was no sign of him reaching the Second Change in the Fish-dragon Realm.
He knew that his potential had already been exhausted and could not be improved in his life. Unless… he got some good luck.
Obviously, this good luck was in front of him, it was on Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen said, “Well! If you really want to know, I’m not saying that I can’t tell you, but I have one condition.”
“What condition?”
Hua Qingye was so excited. His old eyes were shining. He could not help taking a step forward.
WHEW!
At this very moment, the Abyss Ancient Sword flew out of the temple and turned into a flying streak of light, attacking toward the center of Hua Qingye’s back.
Hua Qingye’s reaction speed was amazing. In just a brief moment, he instantly moved sideways and stretched out two fingers, pinching the Abyss Ancient Sword.
The Abyss Ancient Sword kept shaking and making sword sounds. However, it could not break loose from Hua Qingye’s two fingers.
Zhang Ruochen sighed in his heart. Hua Qingye’s martial cultivation was too high and his reaction speed was also too fast. He had secretly regulated the Sword Comprehension to control the Abyss Ancient Sword but there was no success in this attack.
In this case, even if he applied the Space Crack, it would be difficult to hurt this old man.
What should he do? Did he really need to undo the first seal of Sarira?
“You want to secretly attack me, young man, you are too young! When I did that, your father was still a suckling babe.”
Hua Qingye’s fingers turned and he pinched the hilt of the Abyss Ancient Sword. He spared it a glance and sighed, “What a good sword. It should be a Holy Sword. Unfortunately, it’s already been broken, and now it can only be a ninth level Genuine Martial Arms. Zhang Ruochen, I’ll give you one last chance. If you still don’t tell me, I can only use this broken sword to cut open your flesh and blood piece by piece and slowly look for the answer.”
“If you do that, you can’t possibly find out my secret.”
Zhang Ruochen said again, “I’ll say it again, if you comply with one of my requests, I can tell you why I have such a powerful Martial Soul. And… for you, this should be an opportunity.”
“Go ahead!”
Hua Qingye was on the alert and was worried that Zhang Ruochen would secretly attack him again.
Zhang Ruochen said, “My request is that you have to help me kill Zhang Tiangui.”
“Kill Zhang Tiangui…”
Hua Qingye spared a glance at Zhang Ruochen. Suddenly, he laughed out loud and became serious. He said, “Young man, you want to use me? Do you think that I am so easily fooled?”
Zhang Ruochen said, “If you think that I am fooling you, then I have nothing to say. However, you have to think clearly. I have fallen into your hands, you just need to raise one hand to kill me. I have no reason to exercise my wits for my personal gain with you. Moreover, with my talent, I have a future. If I could survive, why would I choose to die?”
Hua Qingye said, “Zhang Tiangui is the favorite man of the young master of Black Market Excellence Hall. If I kill him, am I not setting myself against the Black Market?”
“The young master of Black Market Excellence Hall? Di Yi? Don’t you know? I have dug out his Demon’s Heart. He was badly injured and has escaped Omen Ridge. Maybe he has already died on the way,” Zhang Ruochen said.
“It’s impossible, Di Yi is so powerful. How could you be able to hurt him so severely?” Hua Qingye said.
Zhang Ruochen replied, “If I haven’t defeated Di Yi, how could I leave Tongming River and be here? Moreover, with the strength I just showed you, am I not more powerful than Di Yi?”
Hua Qingye was a bit shocked and said to himself. Yes, Zhang Ruochen was indeed extremely powerful. If Di Yi had a duel with him, it was not possible for him to win at all.
Hua Qingye had always been told that Di Yi was the most powerful of God’s favored sons among his peers and no one could possibly be his opponent. So, he had ignored Zhang Ruochen’s strength.
When he realised it, he discovered that with the strength Zhang Ruochen just showed, Di Yi alone, or even ten Di Yi together, were not a match for Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen’s secret was a fatal temptation for Hua Qingye.
If he could find out the secret, he could have a meteoric rise. He even could become Half-Saint in future and didn’t need to do things according to Di Yi’s attitude.
One of Hua Qingye arms had been chopped off by the Purple Wind Emissary. So, he had always held a grudge against Di Yi and the Seven Kills Emissaries. It’s just that his strength was far less than the Purple Wind Emissary’s. So he could only swallow the insult and humiliation silently and had to grovel to a junior like Di Yi, like a dog.
Now, since Zhang Ruochen had already hurt Di Yi badly, and it’s likely that Di Yi had already left Omen Ridge, Hua Qingye’s last concern had gone.
Zhang Tiangui, without Di Yi’s protection, was nothing in Hua Qingye’s eyes. Hua Qingye could kill him with just one move.
Of course, Hua Qingye did not totally believe what Zhang Ruochen had said. He gave a dark smile and said, “Zhang Ruochen, if you dare to play tricks on me, do you know what you’ll end up with?”
“I certainly do,” Zhang Ruochen said.
At this very moment, Zhang Tiangui quickly walked in. Seeing Zhang Ruoche, who had been struck to the ground, he was very excited and fawningly said, “Senior Hua is definitely a master in the Fish-dragon Realm. Before you, Zhang Ruochen is a stink bug that can be easily pinched to death.”
Hua Qingye gently turned around and stared at Zhang Tiangui. There was a strange smile on his ferocious old face.