Chapter 240

When Shen Tang and Lu Xingzhou proposed that one person could fight multiple times, Shi Tielong felt he had hit the jackpot. This was because they had a First-Rank master.

If each person could only fight once, his First-Rank master could be taken out by a Ninth-Rank opponent just for one victory. It would be humiliating not only for him but also for the First-Rank master who had traveled so far just to fight a Ninth-Rank opponent. First-Rank experts had their pride. They would either not fight at all, serving only as a stabilizing force, or they would enter the battle early and defeat all opponents by themselves.

Initially, Gu Xuyang thought that Shi Zhong, a Second-Rank expert, would be enough to sweep through the opponents, and he himself could remain as a stabilizing force without needing to act. However, Shi Zhong barely inflicted any damage on the opponents, which made Gu Xuyang uneasy. If Shen Tang managed to defeat several of their fighters later, their score would be jeopardized, so he had to intervene quickly.

Zhang Rongzhi's expression changed, and he asked Shen Tang, "Does your sect… have a suitable candidate? What do you think, Elder Chu?" He essentially wished Chu Zheng from the Huanhua Sword Sect would help them fight this match.

Chu Zheng felt a bit awkward. As an invited arbiter, how could he possibly participate in the fight himself? Meanwhile, Ye Tinglan, seated in the spectator area next to the Tianxing Sword Sect's contingent, uncrossed her legs, ready to assist in this round.

But then, Shen Tang spoke from the stage, "Mr. Gu, are you a First-Rank Low-Tier?"

Gu Xuyang calmly replied, "That's right. What do you intend to say, Sect Master Shen?"

Shen Tang calmly responded, "I want to test the difference between myself and a First-Rank Low-Tier."

The crowd was stunned. Those in the know understood that while Third-Rank and First-Rank were technically within the same broad cultivation realm, representing early and late stages, the practical combat difference was vast, unlike the early and late stages of lower realms. Not to mention the leap from Third-Rank to First-Rank, even comparing a Mid-Tier Third-Rank to a Low-Tier Third-Rank, the energy required could equal the sum of all previous low-tier cultivation. This explains why Third-Rank cultivators were relatively numerous, while First-Rank ones were few and far between. The world's spiritual energy wasn't abundant enough to support the requirements of higher-tier cultivation, indicating the immense disparity.

A Mid-Tier Third-Rank challenging a Low-Tier Second-Rank could still be explained as a mere two-tier difference, potentially compensated by individual cultivation methods and martial skills. But how could a Mid-Tier Third-Rank possibly compensate for fighting a Low-Tier First-Rank? Did she think she was Grand Master Tinglan from back then? Historically, only Grand Master Tinglan was rumored to have achieved such a shocking feat, and even then, it left her severely wounded, almost costing her life, and required a long period of recovery afterwards. Grand Master Tinglan was hailed as the world's foremost expert; who was she? And she was a cripple to boot! Was she insane?

Even Ye Tinglan was dumbfounded, turning stiffly to Lu Xingzhou. "Is this what you meant by everyone underestimating Shen Tang?"

Lu Xingzhou was speechless. He hadn't thought that, nor did he understand why his wife was so courageous. Could it be because she didn't want a "love rival" to help?

Shen Tang glanced at Lu Xingzhou and Ye Tinglan, smiling faintly, a deep meaning in her eyes. It was understandable that Xingzhou hadn't recognized the Grand Master, as he had never met her. But Shen Tang had. Even among acquaintances, it was hard to completely hide one's true identity. Over the past few days, Shen Tang had gradually found more and more things amiss, subtly feeling that this Lady Ye's demeanor, temperament, and abilities bore a resemblance to the Grand Master. If she truly was the Grand Master, then Shen Tang might have misunderstood her relationship with Xingzhou and made a mistake in confronting her. However, the Grand Master's presence meant she was observing Shen Tang. If so, perhaps Shen Tang could also attempt what the Grand Master had achieved. Furthermore, if the Grand Master was truly present, her safety was guaranteed. This might be her only chance to face a First-Rank expert without fearing for her life—such a valuable training opportunity was incredibly rare and not easily found. To quickly reach the pinnacle of the Great Qian Dynasty, could one achieve it by simply cultivating diligently in the mountains? No. Without confronting life-or-death challenges, how could one speak of self-improvement and relentless striving?

She took a deep breath, her expression growing serious as she faced Gu Xuyang. "I am not joking. Mr. Gu, please enlighten me."

Gu Xuyang initially felt insulted, but seeing Shen Tang's solemn expression, he couldn't help but feel a degree of respect. "Sect Master Shen, your courage is commendable… but courage alone is often not enough."

Shen Tang smiled slightly. "Then please, Mr. Gu, teach me this lesson."

Gu Xuyang flicked his sleeve, and a small seal flew out, instantly expanding and pressing down towards Shen Tang. Artifacts similar to the Heaven-Overturning Seal had always been a favored choice among Daoist cultivators, known for their overwhelming power and the immense psychological pressure they exerted on enemies. Against lower-rank opponents, they could create an absolute physical and mental suppression. As the seal descended like a mountain, encompassing almost the entire vast arena, there was no way to evade it. The spectators instinctively clenched their fists, their palms clammy with cold sweat.

Shen Tang raised her head slightly, looking skyward. Only when the seal was about to crash down on her head did she suddenly extend a slender hand.

"Boom!"

The enormous, mountain-like seal was actually held aloft by her single hand. Her long hair stirred without wind, and her eyes shimmered with a deep purple glow. A First-Rank artifact, yet it couldn't suppress that seemingly delicate jade-like hand, which held it as if supporting a mountain.

People were dumbfounded. How was this possible? Where did she get such immense strength to withstand a First-Rank artifact head-on? Anuo's mouth was half-open, and the candied hawthorn she was eating dropped out. It was noted how perfectly suited this fighting style was for Anuo.

At the same time, Gu Xuyang was not idle. As Shen Tang held the seal, a scorching fire dragon roared forth, lunging directly at Shen Tang's face. Fire-based spells, forming a fire dragon, were also a highly favored spell type among fire-element Daoist cultivators. Lu Xingzhou observed with a solemn expression, a judgment forming in his mind: This cultivator was very steady, but lacked innovation or personal insight. Such cultivators usually had no significant weaknesses; their cultivation was grounded and well-rounded. What mattered to them was practicality, not flashiness.

Shen Tang's flying sword also let out a dragon's cry, its draconic sword aura shooting directly at the fire dragon, seemingly a clash between two dragons. The sword aura couldn't stop the flames, which continued towards Shen Tang. Similarly, the flames couldn't block the sword light; the flying sword burst through the fire dragon, heading straight for Gu Xuyang's chest!

A shield expanded from Shen Tang's wheelchair, and the fire dragon, already weakened by the sword aura, struck the shield and vanished without a trace. Shen Tang's flying sword also had no effect on Gu Xuyang. He seemed to take a simple step forward, and the flying sword bypassed him, yet that step had already taken him into mid-air, landing atop the seal.

"Boom!" The seal's power surged, pressing down further. Purple aura emanated around Shen Tang, gradually becoming almost tangible. The opponent was determined to use overwhelming force to suppress Shen Tang. With the battle turning into this pattern, Shen Tang couldn't even attack her adversary.

The seal grew heavier and heavier, and Shen Tang's supporting hand seemed to begin trembling. The spectators clutched their fists, cold sweat forming. In fact, merely enduring these two moves had already earned Shen Tang considerable admiration. But a Third-Rank fighting a First-Rank was still too difficult...

Just as they thought this, Shen Tang's flying sword, which had missed its mark, spun around with remarkable agility, like a sentient dragon, raising its head and chasing after Gu Xuyang's figure.

Gu Xuyang's heart jolted. "You still have the strength to control your flying sword?"

Hidden by the enormous seal, Shen Tang's expression couldn't be seen, but her slightly strained voice was heard: "Mr. Gu insists on teaching me that one force can conquer ten… but in my opinion, your 'force' is far from what you perceive it to be."

Gu Xuyang's face was grim. A peach wood sword suddenly appeared in his hand, and he sharply brought it down on the pursuing sword light. "Then let me show you what happens when a Natal Flying Sword shatters!"

"Bang!" Taking advantage of his slight distraction in dealing with the sword light, Shen Tang's other hand clenched into a fist and unleashed an incredibly swift punch onto the base of the seal.

"Rumble!" The seal shook violently. Gu Xuyang fiercely slashed Shen Tang's sword light from above with his sword; the flying sword dimmed slightly, then spun and flew away. The supposed "shattering of the Natal Flying Sword" didn't happen at all. Instead, his own seal showed signs of cracking…

Everyone watched in horror. Shen Tang truly intended to shatter the artifact with her bare hands! Her flying sword's purpose was merely to divert Gu Xuyang's attention; all her true power was concentrated in her fist, making a First-Rank artifact tremble with a single punch! Was this really a Third-Rank?

Only Ye Tinglan present could discern that this punch wasn't Shen Tang's inherent power. She had utilized the power of the Mountain-River Orb within her wheelchair, combined with a furious burst of the Emperor's World-Shaking Scripture, unleashing her strongest punch.

"Boom!" Before Gu Xuyang could react from above, Shen Tang delivered a second punch to the same spot. An incredibly powerful surge of energy erupted, and even the arena floor below couldn't withstand the shockwave of the impact. The ground began to crack, and the wheelchair sank into the fissures.

People could even see blood on Shen Tang's fists; her physical body couldn't endure it and was beginning to sustain damage.

"Boom!" A third punch!

Blood splattered, her fist was a bloody mess, and the ground collapsed. But to everyone's horror, small cracks truly began to appear at the base of the seal.

Gu Xuyang no longer dared to stand atop and exert more pressure; if this artifact were destroyed, the loss would be truly immense. He swiftly descended on a cloud, and from the edge of the seal, he once again flung his peach wood sword, a dazzling white light rushing towards Shen Tang in an instant. Viewed from the seal's edge, Shen Tang appeared like an ant beneath the colossal artifact, yet this "ant" held fast, the seal still unable to press her down by even half an inch.

Shen Tang, however, ignored the incoming peach wood sword artifact. Seizing the moment while Gu Xuyang wasn't applying extra pressure from above, she suddenly let out a shout, unleashing a charged fourth punch.

"Bang!" This time, the entire seal was blasted several feet upwards, as if an ant had moved a mountain.

The peach wood sword reached Shen Tang's shoulder, piercing directly through it. The instant the peach wood sword struck, Shen Tang grasped her returning flying sword, becoming one with it, and shot like lightning towards Gu Xuyang, who was not far away. The peach wood sword pierced her shoulder, blood gushed, yet she didn't even let out a grunt. Seizing the brief moment when the seal rose several feet and lost its oppressive force, and gambling that her opponent wouldn't directly kill her (which would result in a forfeiture), she allowed the artifact to pierce her shoulder, all to seize that precious instant of escaping the pressure.

Shen Tang had always known that as long as the seal pressed down, she could do nothing. Her only chance was the moment she blasted the seal upwards. If she could gain even a brief respite, her opponent wouldn't be without flaws. Artifacts were never merely thrown objects; they were intimately connected to the user's spirit. The four punches she delivered to the seal must have severely shaken her opponent's spiritual sea, making his reactions considerably slower than normal. Her willingness to allow the peach wood sword to pierce her shoulder just to land a desperate strike clearly caught her opponent off guard; that momentary misjudgment was her only opportunity!

Indeed, Gu Xuyang paused, only reacting when the sword light was upon him, making goosebumps erupt. A small shield swiftly materialized before him.

"Clang!"

The seemingly unstoppable sword strike, however, did not land on the small shield. In the instant Gu Xuyang deployed his shield for defense, the sword light arced upwards, like a dragon ascending to heaven. Shen Tang's body burst with flashing purple light. She channeled all her remaining strength, thrusting the sword into the small cracks created by her previous four punches.

"Crack..."

The cracks rapidly expanded, spread, and fractured.

"Bang!" The seal shattered into pieces. Everyone watched dumbfounded as Shen Tang broke through the mountain-like seal, appearing like a purple dragon piercing a mountain, ascending to the heavens with its head held high amidst a flurry of giant rock fragments.

Imperial World-Shaking Art, Flying Dragon in the Sky.

Gu Xuyang, who had been defending with his shield, spurted a mouthful of blood, staining his own shield red. He hadn't made Shen Tang experience the shattering of a Natal Flying Sword; instead, he himself tasted what it meant for a Natal Artifact to break. The shock to his spiritual sea and the backlash of his magical power caused his meridians to twist and his head to throb agonizingly.

In a daze, gasps of alarm reached his ears. Gu Xuyang looked up to see Shen Tang, once again one with her sword, descending from the sky. Her solemn white robes were now completely stained with blood, and in her beautiful eyes, an unconcealed, chilling killing intent blazed.

Arrogant Dragon Has Regrets.

It was clear that she, too, was out of strength. But descending from the sky provided a natural momentum. Gu Xuyang, his head throbbing from the shattered Natal Artifact, momentarily lost his train of thought, instinctively raising his small shield to protect his head.

The outcome was once again unexpected; the clash of sword and shield never came. Shen Tang retracted her sword and extended her palm. The force she applied wasn't for an attack; it was… a push.

A powerful force surged forward, and Gu Xuyang instinctively retreated, but after only two steps, his foot found no ground. Gu Xuyang reacted, immediately adjusting his true qi to hover in mid-air. The entire arena fell silent. His seal had earlier occupied almost the entire arena. When he descended from it, he was clearly at the edge of the stage. With that push… he had gone off the stage!

Even hovering outside, it still counted as leaving the stage. Arena rules, known even to children, stated that leaving the stage meant defeat. Even though he was merely injured by the backlash from his shattered artifact and could recover his combat strength with a slight adjustment, Shen Tang, covered in blood with her "crippled" legs unable to stand, was slumped on the stage, seemingly utterly devoid of any further fighting capability…

Yet, the outcome was clear: she was still on the stage, and he was off it.

The victor had been decided.