"Pfft!"Hearing Zhang Xuan"s words, Sword Saint Meng began trembling uncontrollably, and eventually, she could not hold herself back and burst into hearty laughter.
As expected of her son, he sure was gutsy!
"Well said!" she shouted.
Her husband had grown too arrogant from being in a high position for too long. For some reason, she felt exceptionally refreshed to see him getting pummeled by their son.
"This…" Hearing Sword Saint Meng"s words, many of the 9-star master teachers and the experts of the Zhang Clan exchanged glances.
Just whose side was the matriarch of the Zhang Clan on?
Wei Ruyan, w.a.n.g Ying, and the others were dumbfounded as well. Despite seeing her husband getting pummeled and lectured, she was still able to cheer the other party on so happily.
Those of the Zhang Clan sure were peculiar!
"…"
Sword Saint Xing looked at his wife, who was laughing so hard that she seemed about to fall from the sky, before turning his sight to the young man, who was staring at him earnestly, and he suddenly felt so frustrated that he could spurt blood. His complexion was as poor as it could be.
Were it not for his cultured upbringing, he would have been hurling vulgarities at this moment.
"It just so happens that my mastery of swordsmans.h.i.+p surpa.s.ses yours a little, and I wish to trade some insights with you. There"s no need to get too nervous," Zhang Xuan said.
"There"s no need for that!" Sword Saint Xing flung his sleeves and harrumphed. "We can trade insights after the duel is over. I still have another move here, and if you can block it, I"ll consider it your victory!"
Hu la!
Without waiting for the other party to respond, Sword Saint Xing harrumphed coldly and thrust his sword straight forward.
On the other hand, Zhang Xuan shook his head and tapped his finger over once more.
It was still the same Probing Sword, but this time, his sword qi was much sharper than before. It pierced right through s.p.a.ce as soon as it appeared, creating a pitch-black trail along the path of its movement.
"Is that… Dimension Severing Sword Qi?"
"To be able to cleave s.p.a.ce with his sword qi… But that"s an ability that only the strongest Great Sages possess!"
"Isn"t he only in the Dimension Sundering realm? How is he that powerful?"
The expressions of all those present warped in shock.
This was especially so for Zhang Wuheng, You Ruoxin, and the others. Their faces had turned ghastly white in disbelief.
All along, they had attributed the damage that Zhang Xuan had caused due to his ability to command lightning tribulation. His strength should have been nothing of concern to them at all. When in the world did he become so powerful?
Had they known in advance, they would have simply left the matter be instead of causing such a huge fuss only to embarra.s.s themselves!
"T-this…" Ren Qingyuan also widened his eyes in horror.
If he had known that Zhang Xuan was such a powerful master teacher, he never would have issued an arrest warrant on him.
Just the ability to pull off Dimension Severing Sword Qi meant that the strength that Zhang Xuan wielded was already comparable to the grand elders, and even as the deputy pavilion master, he had no right to deal with a master teacher of that caliber.
It"s no wonder he was able to groom so many formidable students… Ren Qingyuan swallowed a mouthful of saliva as he turned his gaze to Zheng Yang and the others.
However, he swiftly noticed something peculiar among the group of students. There was completely no sign of surprise on their faces, as if Zhang Xuan"s abrupt power growth was perfectly normal.
It was almost as if they felt that it was only a given for Zhang Xuan to be that powerful!
Monsters… Those are really a bunch of monsters… Ren Qingyuan thought as his body shuddered in fear.
Huala!
Before everyone"s shocked gaze, Zhang Xuan"s sword qi finally arrived before Sword Saint Xing.
Sword Saint Xing did not seem to be intending to go down without a fight either. He flicked his sword, and with a silver streak of light, it flew right for Zhang Xuan"s throat.
"Three Swords of the Grim Reaper!" Upon seeing that move, Sword Saint Meng widened her eyes in horror.
The Three Swords of the Grim Reaper was the ultimate technique that she and Sword Saint Xing had cultivated for many years in order to serve as their ultimate trump card, only to free themselves from the direst of situations. So far, they had not been cornered to the point where they had to use it, but to think that its first use would actually be on their son!
Sword Saint Meng immediately whipped out her sword and prepared to dash forward to save her son. However, at that moment, she saw a smile creeping onto the edges of the young man"s lips, and he calmly opened his mouth to speak.
"Stop!"
Huala!
Everything in the surroundings seemed to come to a halt along with his word. The incomparably sharp sword that Sword Saint Xing was dragging toward Zhang Xuan"s neck abruptly froze in midair, as if a fish frozen within a block of ice.
"Go!"
With another calm word, the sword qi gathered at Zhang Xuan"s fingertip shot outward, and the Three Swords of the Grim Reaper immediately unraveled. At the same time, Sword Saint Xing sustained a heavy blow, and he was forced to retreat several steps.
"Y-y-you… Was that Dimension Sealing Diction?" Sword Saint Xing widened his eyes in shock as his body trembled in fear.
Only a demonic tunist who had refined their art to the level of an Ancient Sage should be able to wield the ability to seal s.p.a.ce at their word. No one in the Demonic Tunist Guild had achieved it in countless millenniums, yet Zhang Xuan had actually managed to pull it off. How could that be possible?
"That isn"t exactly Dimension Sealing Diction. It just happens that your state of mind is a little weak, so I"m able to easily influence you with my words and force you to stop driving your zhenqi!" Zhang Xuan said.
He might have wielded powers invincible beneath Ancient Sage after taming the Pavilion Master Seal, but it was still beyond his means to execute the demonic tunist"s Dimension Sealing Diction.
The reason he could get the other party to stop was through his Impartation of Heaven"s Will, augmented by his exceptionally high Soul Depth and Heart of Teacher, thus compelling Sword Saint Xing to follow his bidding without any questions asked!
In truth, even if he did not use this move, given his current strength, he would still have been able to defeat Sword Saint Xing with ease. However, this was the method that would bring the most shock to the crowd, and knowing that there was a limit to the duration of the droplet of power, this was what he needed as well.
"Incredible! Incredible!" Sword Saint Xing pondered for a moment before making sense of what had happened.
His eyes glowed in agitation as he turned his gaze to the young man. The fury in his eyes had subsided, and replacing it was pride and delight instead.
A huge commotion had occurred when his son was born, and that was more than enough to tell anyone of the extraordinary fate that had lain ahead of his son. However, several unfortunate events had occurred afterward, and he had thought that his son"s talents would forever be buried in the dust, never to s.h.i.+ne brightly.
Who would have thought that when they met once more, his son would be stronger and more talented than he had expected?
There"s no need to test him out anymore, he"s definitely my son! Only my son could wield such capabilities and means…
This thought sent surges of exhilaration through Sword Saint Xing"s veins, and he began laughing heartily. When he finally calmed down once more, he looked at Zhang Xuan and said, "Since you were able to overcome even my strongest Three Swords of the Grim Reaper, I"ll admit defeat!"
"You"re going to admit defeat?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.
Going by previous scripts, the opponent should have continued provoking him out of concern for their dignity and reputation, all the way till they were severely wounded and incapacitated. He did not think that Sword Saint Xing would give up so easily.
This was a matter that concerned the entire Zhang Clan, but Sword Saint Xing was still able to remain rational and not allow the weight of his responsibility to blind himself. This gave Zhang Xuan a very favorable impression of him.
"I would only embarra.s.s myself further at this point. Since that"s the case, I might as well admit defeat!" Sword Saint Xing laughed.
As one of top sword pract.i.tioners on the Master Teacher Continent, his pride would not allow him to lose to others. However, if it was his own son, he would be more than delighted to do so.
"But clan head…"
By the side, Zhang Wuheng did not expect such an outcome, and a look of panic surfaced on his face.
Sword Saint Xing"s admittance of defeat meant that not only would the Zhang Clan have to drop all charges against the young man, it would even have to apologize to him! As the number one Sage Clan with a heritage that could be traced back many millenniums, it had never suffered such humiliation before!
"I know what you want to say, but my decision is the clan"s decision. Nothing you say will change anything!" Sword Saint Xing waved his hand to stop the First Elder from speaking anymore.
After which, he turned his sight back to Zhang Xuan and hesitated for a moment before switching over to zhenqi telepathy. "Zhang s.h.i.+, there"s something that I would like to ask you!"
"Sword Saint Xing, feel free to ask. If it"s something I can speak of, I"ll answer your doubts!" Zhang Xuan nodded.
To be willing to take the initiative to admit defeat and even shoot down Zhang Wuheng"s words… Zhang Xuan"s impression of him was getting more and more favorable.
"It"s like this…" Sword Saint Xing stared at him with a slightly awkward and nervous look as he asked, "Is there… a scarlet birthmark on your bottom?"