Chapter 441: Unable to Withstand a Single Blow
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
A few days ago, Yan Zesong had already made it onto the rankings, but unfortunately, he stopped at the third stage. Yan Zesong didn’t exactly lose, but he didn’t ultimately win either, considering it a draw.
The Hidden Dragon and Young Phoenix Ranking, this spiritual treasure, is incredibly sensitive. The individuals chosen to challenge the rankings are almost tailor-made to counter your martial arts characteristics. To a certain extent, they’ve been restrained.
In the vast world of martial arts, every martial art has its strengths and weaknesses. This spiritual treasure has been challenged by countless experts over the years, and the amount of information it holds is truly astonishing.
In other places, it might be challenging to find someone perfectly suited to counter your martial arts, but within the Hidden Dragon and Young Phoenix Ranking, it’s quite simple.
Therefore, despite Yan Zesong’s strength, he still struggled to pa.s.s the third stage under these circ.u.mstances, and thus, his chances of entering the top thirty for a real challenge were slim.
After his recent failure, Yan Zesong returned to the Enlightenment Tower, where he pondered for days, utilizing the tower’s power, and finally came up with a countermeasure.
And so, today, Yan Zesong came here again, hoping to re-enter the Hidden Dragon and Young Phoenix Ranking and challenge it once more.
However, Yan Zesong didn’t expect that as soon as he arrived, he sensed the aura emanating from Chen Fei on the mountaintop.
For Yan Zesong, Chen Fei had left a deep impression. After all, this was the first time in many years that Yan Zesong had seen someone in the advanced Aperture Tempering realm practice safely on the eighth floor of the Enlightenment Tower.
The impact of that scene was too strong, and it had only been a few days since then; naturally, Yan Zesong found it hard to forget.
But in just a few days of not seeing each other, Yan Zesong hadn’t expected that when he encountered Chen Fei again, Chen Fei had already broken through to the pinnacle of the Aperture Tempering realm.
In just a few days, he had gone from the advanced Aperture Tempering realm to the pinnacle, completing the connection of all 108 meridians. This indicated that Chen Fei’s foundation was extremely profound, allowing him to achieve such a feat in one fell swoop.
Yan Zesong’s gaze fluctuated, and he wasn’t in a hurry to enter the rankings. He wanted to see how far Chen Fei, the person who had surprised him immensely a few days ago, could go after breaking through to the pinnacle of the Aperture Tempering realm.
Would he directly pa.s.s the third stage and enter the fourth stage, facing the top thirty talents on the ranking?
Yan Zesong’s lips curled slightly, or perhaps, what he would see later is that Chen Fei, after breaking through to the pinnacle of the Aperture Tempering realm, would emerge from the Hidden Dragon and Young Phoenix Ranking severely injured. This was also a possibility.
Challenging the ranking was dangerous; all the injuries inside the spiritual treasure were real and not illusory.
Being seriously injured inside meant real, life-threatening injuries, and in some cases, if luck was particularly bad, being struck in a vital area could lead to instant death.
Over the years, many people had died inside the Hidden Dragon and Young Phoenix Ranking, and those who were seriously injured were even more numerous.
The only difference from those who fought to the death was probably that during the process of challenging the ranking, if one wanted to concede, they could do so immediately, and then everything would stop.
Inside the Hidden Dragon and Young Phoenix Ranking,
At this moment, Chen Fei was still unaware of the minor commotion outside. However, even if he had known, he wouldn’t have paid too much attention. Right now, Chen Fei’s focus was entirely on the figure in front of him.
Compared to the figures from earlier, the person standing before Chen Fei now was a female martial artist.
Among martial artists, the proportion of females wasn’t low. In places like the Sunken Water Pavilion, where the entire sect consisted of females, it wasn’t uncommon among the various forces in the Endless Sea.
Her face was cold, but her eyes weren’t dull; instead, they were full of vitality.
Chen Fei couldn’t recognize the person in front of him, as the Hidden Dragon and Young Phoenix Ranking had collected information on so many martial artists. It was possible that this person could be someone from decades ago.
“Xia Xiangyi, please!” Xia Xiangyi extended her hand in a polite gesture towards Chen Fei, her demeanor composed and lifelike.
“Chen Fei, please!” Chen Fei responded in kind.
“Boom!”
Xia Xiangyi’s right foot stepped back, and in an instant, she was in front of Chen Fei. The ma.s.sive curved blade in her hand, like a towering mountain, pressed down on Chen Fei.
Simple and direct, Xia Xiangyi’s strike didn’t carry the slightest hint of variation; it targeted Chen Fei’s centerline.
But even in its simplicity, this strike contained an imposing force that was akin to an earth-shattering event.
Chen Fei’s eyes lit up slightly. This was the first time he faced someone in the pinnacle of the Aperture Tempering realm. Compared to the strength he had gathered from the five advanced Aperture Tempering realm opponents in his previous battles, the pressure brought by a true pinnacle of the Aperture Tempering realm was completely different.
Moreover, it seemed that the fighting style in Chen Fei’s previous two matches had led the Hidden Dragon and Young Phoenix Ranking to select an opponent who relied entirely on overpowering others.
A faint smile appeared on Chen Fei’s lips. He didn’t dodge or retreat. Instead, he lifted the Qianyuan Sword in his hand directly to counter Xia Xiangyi’s curved blade.
“Boom!”
A violent sound echoed through the martial arena. A fluctuation of Elemental Energy, centered at the point where their weapons met, radiated in all directions. The ground of the entire martial arena seemed as if it had been plowed, with fine cracks appearing.
Chen Fei’s hair fluttered backward, his posture remained unchanged, his feet didn’t move a bit, and even his arms showed no tremors.
A bloodstain appeared on Xia Xiangyi’s cheek, and not only on her face, but her arm that held the blade was also covered in wounds.
Purely in terms of strength, Xia Xiangyi’s martial arts were stronger than the Primordial Sword Scripture that Chen Fei practiced. Even though the Primordial Sword Scripture included techniques like the Giant Spirit Sword and the Zhongyuan Sword, which enhanced strength.
However, compared to Xia Xiangyi’s pure brute force, it fell slightly short.
But where the Primordial Sword Scripture might fall short in raw strength, it made up for it in terms of destructive power. Xia Xiangyi’s injuries on her cheek and arm were evidence of that.
If Chen Fei had only practiced the Primordial Sword Scripture, at this moment, he would have had to retreat several steps to release the overwhelming strength attached to his body.
This step backward would have given Xia Xiangyi a greater opportunity to attack. Xia Xiangyi’s martial arts weren’t afraid of injuries; in fact, the more injured she got, the stronger the power surged within her body.
As long as Xia Xiangyi gained the upper hand, she could gradually turn that advantage into a winning position, ultimately securing her victory.
But Chen Fei had practiced too many different martial arts.
During this clash, Chen Fei didn’t retreat even a bit. The force emanating from Xia Xiangyi’s curved blade was effortlessly blocked by the Suppresing Dragon Elephant within Chen Fei’s body.
“Crack! Crack! Crack!”
Xia Xiangyi wielded her curved blade with both hands, continuously trying to push against Chen Fei. The two weapons produced a piercing friction sound, but no matter how hard Xia Xiangyi tried, she couldn’t budge Chen Fei an inch.
A smile appeared on Chen Fei’s face. He straightened his back slightly, and in the next moment, a majestic force surged within his body.
“Roar!”
Like a dragon and an elephant, a roar resembling that of an ancient giant beast echoed from Chen Fei’s body. Chen Fei lifted his arm upward, and Xia Xiangyi’s body involuntarily rose into the air.
“Boom!”
A sudden explosion resounded as Xia Xiangyi’s body couldn’t withstand this terrifying force any longer. She was sent flying backward.
If Xia Xiangyi were a real person right now, her mind might struggle to grasp the situation. After all, Xia Xiangyi’s martial arts had always been about suppressing others, yet here she was, sent flying by a single sword strike.
Chen Fei’s figure flickered as he caught up with Xia Xiangyi’s airborne form, and the Qianyuan Sword thrust forward.
The power of the Primordial Sword Scripture was completely bound to the blade. Forces like gravity, sharpness, thunder, and many others melded together, presenting themselves as pure darkness, like an abyss.
Such power, condensed entirely on the blade, required the full concentration of even a pinnacle Aperture Tempering realm to wield effectively.
But in Chen Fei’s hands, the Qianyuan Sword moved as easily as a stroll in the park. The terrifying strength bestowed by the Suppresing Dragon Elephant allowed him to effortlessly control this kind of power.
“Boom!”
Once again, a tremendous force swept through the surroundings, causing the entire martial arena to tremble slightly. Xia Xiangyi’s still unsteady feet were once again sent flying by this strike.
Chen Fei took another step forward, leaving no chance for Xia Xiangyi to recover. He swung his sword down.
The Qianyuan Sword’s blade sliced through the air, producing a deafening and horrifying sound like an explosion.
Xia Xiangyi, unable to adjust in time, could only defend herself with her curved blade.
“Crack!”
The sound of bones shattering echoed as Xia Xiangyi knelt on the ground with one foot. Her curved blade pressed against her shoulder, and the sound of her bones breaking came from there.
Xia Xiangyi raised her head to look at Chen Fei. Veins bulged on her forehead, and the elemental energy in her body boiled as she tried to push the Qianyuan Sword off her curved blade.
But no matter how hard Xia Xiangyi struggled, the Qianyuan Sword, like a mountain, firmly pressed down on her curved blade, rendering her immobile.
Chen Fei smiled faintly as the Qianyuan Sword, still in contact with the curved blade, pa.s.sed over Xia Xiangyi’s neck.
In the midst of her attempt to resist and struggle, Xia Xiangyi couldn’t make any movements. Her once-prized strength seemed feeble and insignificant before Chen Fei.
Xia Xiangyi’s body burst into points of light and disappeared. The martial arena trembled, and a new surge of elemental energy enveloped Chen Fei, along with new information in his mind.
The next challenge could begin: to take on the 30th position on this edition of the Hidden Dragon and Young Phoenix Ranking!
A successful challenge would earn Chen Fei a direct entry into the ranking, with access to both the spiritual treasure’s blessing and the Haiyue Token.
Outside the Hidden Dragon and Young Phoenix Ranking,
As Chen Fei’s sword pa.s.sed through Xia Xiangyi’s neck, the halo representing Chen Fei’s figure instantly enlarged, and his figure ascended one level towards the mountaintop.
People outside the Haiyan City, upon witnessing this scene, erupted in excited exclamations.
Over the past few days, there had been people who reached the fourth stage, but what surprised everyone was the speed at which Chen Fei was progressing through the challenges.
While others took a considerable amount of time to contend with opponents of the same level in the third stage, Chen Fei stood out as the fastest among those who had recently pa.s.sed the third stage.
The speed at which he progressed left people astonished. It seemed like he hadn’t even exchanged a few blows, and he had already won?
Around the Precious Tempering Pavilion, there were cries of anguish. Many had placed their bets not long ago, only to witness Chen Fei’s swift victory. They felt they had made a big mistake.
Only a few individuals were smiling; they had bet correctly.
The Precious Tempering Pavilion remained indifferent to the surrounding commotion and opened another betting pool. They were curious to see if Chen Fei could continue to advance.
This time, even those who had bet on Chen Fei in the previous stage hesitated for a moment.
From afar, Yan Zesong watched the figure representing Chen Fei on the Hidden Dragon and Young Phoenix Ranking, his eyes filled with disbelief.
How did he manage to breeze through it so effortlessly?