Chapter 467 - 254: Hidden Dragon (Part 2)
Chapter 467: Chapter 254: Hidden Dragon (Part 2)
The master of the Yellow Maple Valley, a Martial Arts Sect, his status was comparable to Zhang Jingyuan’s.
’He’d heard of Yellow Maple Valley!’
Fufeng County didn’t just have the Purple Sun Sect; it had two Martial Arts Sects. Yellow Maple Valley was the other. The two sects governed different territories and recruited disciples from different areas. In terms of strength, they were said to be on par with the Purple Sun Sect.
Seeing that everyone’s attention had been drawn to the Huangfeng Valley Master and that no one was challenging him, Xu Yang gave a slight bow to Yang Yuanzhou, then turned and leaped off the stage.
Ignoring the fact that the Purple Sun Sect had guests, Yang Yuanzhou stood on the stage and announced, "Does anyone else wish to issue a challenge?"
The current Ten Heroes List rankings had Zhang Hanzhou in first, Qi Xuancheng in second, Ye Qiuling in third, Xu Yang in fourth, and Du Chuan in fifth. Since Jiang Fan and Li Chuyang had lost to Zhang Hanzhou and Qi Xuancheng respectively, they now held the sixth and seventh spots.
Lu Ren was ranked eighth, Sun Tao ninth, and Han Feng was tenth.
Li Chuyang was injured and had also been defeated by Xu Yang. At this moment, he was too ashamed to continue competing and sat cross-legged on the ground to cultivate.
Jiang Fan had never cared for such things and had no intention of issuing a challenge.
Yang Yuanzhou asked around, but everyone shook their heads, having no intention to challenge further. The Ten Heroes ranking competition thus came to an unceremonious end.
It wouldn’t normally have ended like this, but after Xu Yang defeated Li Chuyang, everyone’s enthusiasm had waned. ’If someone as talented as Xu Yang is so low-key, what right do we, who are less talented, have to be so arrogant and flashy?’
Seeing this, Yang Yuanzhou read aloud everyone’s rank and their corresponding rewards, then declared the Ten Heroes ranking competition over.
"Valley Master, this disciple would like to exchange a few moves with the senior brothers of the Purple Sun Sect. I wonder if that is possible?"
Just then, a male disciple standing behind Valley Master Huang suddenly spoke.
His voice wasn’t loud, but the weakest people present had cultivation at the initial stage of Marrow Cleansing. They could hear a pin drop from dozens of yards away, so of course they heard him.
In an instant, the once-noisy Martial Arts Arena fell silent. Everyone turned to look at the high platform.
The Huangfeng Valley Master smiled faintly and said, "That is a question for Sect Leader Zhang."
As he spoke, he looked at Zhang Jingyuan with a questioning look.
The disciple from Yellow Maple Valley bowed and added, "I implore Sect Leader Zhang to grant my request."
Zhang Jingyuan laughed. "Valley Master Huang, it seems you came prepared."
The Huangfeng Valley Master and his disciple were singing the same tune; it was obvious that sparring with the Purple Sun Sect disciples was a premeditated affair.
"What can I do? My disciple loves to spar with geniuses from all walks of life. As his master, I can only support him," the Huangfeng Valley Master said with a smile.
Zhang Jingyuan nodded. "Will this be a spar without age restrictions, or will there be a limit?"
Without an age limit, some forty- or fifty-year-old experts at the Marrow Cleansing Great Success stage possessed even greater combat prowess than geniuses like Zhang Hanzhou.
With no hope of breaking through to the Celestial Essence realm, they had dedicated all their energy to studying Martial Techniques and Secret Techniques, making them terrifyingly powerful for their level.
"Anyone below Celestial Essence is fair game. Age doesn’t matter," the disciple from Yellow Maple Valley said, a look of conceit on his face.
Zhang Jingyuan smiled and looked down at the crowd of Purple Sun Sect disciples. "You all heard him. Is there anyone willing to exchange a few moves with this senior brother from Yellow Maple Valley?"
"I am willing!"
"Let this disciple be the one to exchange a few moves with our junior brother from Yellow Maple Valley."
"I am willing too!"
...
In that moment, four or five people surged with battle intent, declaring their willingness to exchange a few moves with the disciple from Yellow Maple Valley.
In truth, most Martial Artists were eager to fight. People like Xu Yang were an anomaly.
He saw that even Lu Ren, Sun Tao, and Han Feng looked eager, but their cultivation was only at the Marrow Cleansing Minor Achievement stage. They wanted to fight but weren’t qualified.
Li Chuyang, who had been injured by him, also wore a regretful expression.
Among the ten disciples on the Ten Heroes List, only he and the other anomaly, Jiang Fan, showed no reaction. Even Ye Qiuling, a woman, showed a faint flicker of battle intent. She clearly wanted to go up, but her feminine reserve kept her silent.
"There are quite a few volunteers. Why don’t you pick one yourself?" Zhang Jingyuan said with a smile, looking at the Yellow Maple Valley disciple.
"Thank you for indulging me, Sect Leader Zhang!"
The Yellow Maple Valley disciple clasped his hands in a salute, then took a single, darting step forward. Like a great bird taking flight, he landed lightly on the stage.
"I am Huang Xiao. I have heard that the Purple Sun Sect has a senior brother named Yan Guiyun who is expected to achieve Secondary Dragon Ascension. I wonder if he would grace me with a few pointers."
This disciple from Yellow Maple Valley was truly forward. Upon hearing Zhang Jingyuan’s words, he immediately called out Yan Guiyun by name for a spar.
As soon as he said this, the Purple Sun Sect disciples all had strange expressions. Barring any surprises, Yan Guiyun was likely dead in the Yunling Mountain Range.
"I am Zhang Hanzhou. Allow me to experience Brother Huang’s masterful techniques!"
Zhang Hanzhou was the fastest, landing on the stage before anyone else.
While not invincible among the Marrow Cleansing cultivators of the Purple Sun Sect, there were very few who could definitively defeat him.
Although there were no age restrictions, if the Purple Sun Sect actually sent a forty- or fifty-year-old at the Marrow Cleansing stage to fight Huang Xiao, it would only make people think the sect had no worthy successors.
Hearing this, Huang Xiao frowned slightly. "Is Brother Yan unwilling to offer his guidance?"
He had heard of Zhang Hanzhou, but Zhang Hanzhou’s rank on the Purple Sun Sect’s Ten Heroes List was still behind Yan Guiyun’s.
Zhang Hanzhou shook his head. "Several months ago, Yan Guiyun failed to break through to the Celestial Essence realm. He entered the Yunling Mountain Range and has yet to return. If Brother Huang only wishes to spar with him, I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed."
Huang Xiao was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and nodded. "Then please, enlighten me, Brother Zhang."
Zhang Hanzhou didn’t attack immediately. Instead, he glanced at Huang Xiao’s hands and said, "Does Brother Huang not use weapons? My skills lie entirely with the saber. If this is a match of fists and feet, I’m afraid I cannot oblige."
Huang Xiao smiled confidently. "Brother Zhang, feel free to use your full abilities. My skills are all in my fists and feet; I’m not proficient with weapons."
"Then be careful, Brother Huang!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Hanzhou’s gaze gradually sharpened.
He had won first place on the Ten Heroes List today but hadn’t actually fought. Many people were curious about his true strength.
The auras of the two men began to surge simultaneously. Gang Qi erupted from them, making the stage rumble.
"SHIIING..."
A clear ring like a dragon’s cry sounded as Zhang Hanzhou made the first move.
The silvery glint of the saber shot out like a bolt of silk. The surging Gang Qi around Zhang Hanzhou rapidly contracted, converging on his short saber.
With a single-handed wave, a crimson Sword Qi, so solid it was almost tangible, slashed out, tearing through the air with a piercing shriek.
The Sword Qi was like a burning flame, radiating intense heat. Wherever it passed, the air itself seemed to distort as waves of heat rolled out.
This slash held the power to split mountains and sunder peaks. The sharp Sword Qi resembled a blood-red moon.
A golden light erupted in Huang Xiao’s eyes as his own aura flared.
Facing the slash from Zhang Hanzhou, the top-ranked of the Purple Sun Sect’s Ten Heroes, he did not evade the attack. His powerful Gang Qi transformed into Fist Gang as he strode forward and threw a punch.
BOOM!
The air let out a muffled roar. His fist tore through the air, creating visible ripples. The earth-shattering power of this punch, its domineering momentum, even caused Zhang Hanzhou’s expression to change.
BANG!
Huang Xiao’s fist, heavy as ten thousand jun, instantly collided with the Sword Qi from Zhang Hanzhou’s slash. Amidst the roaring clash, spiderweb-like cracks rapidly spread across the Sword Qi.
Then, to everyone’s shock, the Sword Qi shattered and exploded, dissolving into pure Gang Qi that flooded the entire stage.
"The swords of the Purple Sun Sect, the fists of Yellow Maple Valley!"
Someone murmured, a look of utter shock on their face.
The Sword Qi from Zhang Hanzhou’s Half-Spirit Treasure Saber had actually been shattered by Huang Xiao’s bare hands. This meant Huang Xiao had definitely reached Minor Achievement in his Body Refining, otherwise it would be impossible to withstand the Sword Qi from a Half-Spirit Weapon with his bare hands.
"Excellent Fist Technique! Brother Huang, be careful!" Zhang Hanzhou let out a long cry.
After that simple exchange, he was getting serious now.
Gripping the short saber in one hand, his figure suddenly vanished. All that could be seen was a torrent of saber light surging toward Huang Xiao, accompanied by a series of piercing shrieks.
"Bring it on!"
Huang Xiao shouted, stepping forward. He smashed out with a pair of fists that seemed capable of pulverizing all creation. Wherever they passed, the Sword Qi and saber light all exploded, creating a series of metallic clangs.
His fists were heavy and hard, their power incomparably fierce. Zhang Hanzhou’s swift saber technique was actually suppressed to the point where he could only defend himself.