He Came!

"Crash!"

The ground was a complete mess.

Exquisite porcelain lay shattered all over the floor.

The veins on Wei Yunzhou's forehead bulged.

Clearly, he was furious beyond measure.

"Lu Tianqing, a mere Outer Sect disciple—how dare he humiliate me like this?"

Wei Yunzhou's voice had even become somewhat hoarse.

Meanwhile, Lu Quan stood trembling in the room, not daring to utter a single word.

After venting his rage, Wei Yunzhou suddenly asked, "Lu Tianqing isn't sixteen yet, is he?"

Lu Quan was slightly startled.

Thinking carefully, that did seem to be the case.

Lu Tianqing had made his name very early.

Before he was even ten, he had been chosen by the Guiyuan Sect and entered the Outer Sect.

Even now, he had not yet turned sixteen.

"Lu Tianqing... should be close to sixteen."

Lu Quan pondered for a moment before answering.

"Hmph. Lu Tianqing will definitely cultivate Internal Force before turning sixteen and advance into the Inner Sect. Otherwise, once he passes sixteen, he'll be overage. It won't be so easy for an overage Outer Sect disciple to enter the Inner Sect."

"Let Lu Tianqing run wild a little longer. Once he enters the Inner Sect, there will be plenty of chances to deal with him!"

A fierce glint flashed through Wei Yunzhou's eyes.

Whether it was Lu Tianqing or Zhang Su, both were currently Outer Sect disciples. As an Inner Sect disciple, he could only deal with them "indirectly"; he truly could not make a move himself.

But once Lu Tianqing and Zhang Su entered the Inner Sect, things would be different.

Then, he could act directly!

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, a month had passed.

Zhang Su slowly opened his eyes.

"984 strands of Blood Qi... I'm not far from a thousand strands now..."

Over the past month, Zhang Su had done only one thing: condense Blood Qi.

Eight strands of Blood Qi every day meant 240 strands in a month.

"I wonder whether my current amount of Blood Qi makes me number one in the Outer Sect?"

Zhang Su had only gained a rough understanding of the Guiyuan Sect's Outer Sect.

Among the Top Ten Outer Sect Disciples, the top three all possessed over five hundred strands of Blood Qi.

But he had never heard of anyone reaching nine hundred strands.

Perhaps only that top-ranked "freak" could have reached nine hundred strands.

That "freak" was simply too mysterious, too unusual.

For the past two or three years, no one had seen that "freak" make a move. His strength was unfathomable.

However, Zhang Su's goal was one thousand strands of Blood Qi—a Second Limit Break.

Throughout the entire history of the Guiyuan Sect, there had been very few disciples capable of a Second Limit Break. Nearly all of them had dominated an era!

"Senior Brother..."

At that moment, Chu Dachuan's voice came from outside the secret chamber.

Zhang Su frowned.

"What is it?"

He had long instructed Chu Dachuan and the other two not to disturb him unless it was something important.

"Senior Brother, something has come up. Someone has arrived at the foot of Jinyu Peak... Well, this person is rather special. Perhaps Senior Brother needs to receive him personally..."

Chu Dachuan's tone was somewhat strange.

"A special person?"

Many thoughts flashed through Zhang Su's mind.

Could it be someone else who had come to block the gate?

Zhang Su immediately rose and opened the secret chamber door.

"Chu Dachuan, who is it exactly?"

Zhang Su asked.

"Senior Brother, it's that 'freak' from Baihe Peak..."

"Lu Tianqing?"

"Yes."

Zhang Su understood at once.

So it was Lu Tianqing...

Then it was no surprise.

Chu Dachuan truly could not handle this.

Lu Tianqing's status was very special.

He was a living legend of the Guiyuan Sect's Outer Sect.

He ranked first among the Top Ten Outer Sect Disciples.

Ever since entering the Guiyuan Sect, Lu Tianqing had never suffered a defeat.

Even Bai Junze, the incomparably arrogant "madman," had once been utterly defeated at Lu Tianqing's hands...

All of this gave Lu Tianqing a unique "halo" within the Guiyuan Sect's Outer Sect.

"Fine. Then I'll go meet this 'freak'..."

Zhang Su immediately left the secret chamber and arrived outside the main hall.

Zhang Su looked down the mountain.

Halfway up the mountain, a figure was making his way upward step by step.

The other party wore white robes, spotless as untouched dust. Though he walked slowly, every step was steady.

"He's here..."

In only a few moments, Lu Tianqing had reached the mountaintop.

Yet neither of them spoke.

"Whoosh..."

A breeze swept past. Lu Tianqing's figure was slender, his robes fluttering loudly in the wind. He did not resemble a martial artist at all, but rather a frail scholar.

"Senior Brother Lu, what brings you to my Jinyu Peak?"

Zhang Su asked.

"Why ask when you already know? I came here naturally to fight you!"

Lu Tianqing answered bluntly.

"Hm?"

Zhang Su narrowed his eyes slightly. "Did Wei Yunzhou send you?"

Zhang Su knew very well that he and Lu Tianqing had neither grievance nor enmity, and they had never even interacted before. If Lu Tianqing had come to Jinyu Peak to challenge him, only Wei Yunzhou possessed that kind of influence.

"Wei Yunzhou?"

Lu Tianqing shook his head slightly. "He isn't worthy!"

Zhang Su was even more astonished upon hearing this.

This Lu Tianqing was even more arrogant than Bai Junze, the "madman."

Wei Yunzhou was an Inner Sect disciple, yet Lu Tianqing did not show the slightest concern.

"Then you came to avenge Bai Junze?"

Zhang Su asked.

"No. Bai Junze was already a defeated opponent of mine. I let him cultivate bitterly for several years because I had hoped he would improve enough to fight me in an Ultimate Ascension battle."

"Yet I never expected him to be such trash. Before he could even fight me, he instead died by your hand."

"Now, in this vast Outer Sect, if there is anyone who can make me fight an Ultimate Ascension battle, it is only you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Tianqing's aura began to rise.

Three hundred strands of Blood Qi.

Five hundred strands of Blood Qi.

Seven hundred strands of Blood Qi.

Nine hundred strands of Blood Qi...

It continued to rise, until it could rise no further.

Zhang Su sensed it carefully, and his heart tightened.

"999 strands of Blood Qi... So you want to fight me, achieve Ultimate Ascension, and take a Second Limit Break by condensing one thousand strands of Blood Qi?"

"Correct."

Lu Tianqing admitted it openly.

Zhang Su had known Lu Tianqing would be strong, but he had never imagined that the other man could condense 999 strands of Blood Qi.

He was merely one step away from a thousand strands of Blood Qi!

Yet that one step was like a heavenly chasm, impossible to cross.

"Ultimate Ascension..."

Zhang Su suddenly smiled. "You need an Ultimate Ascension battle to take that final step, but I do not. So why should I agree to fight you?"

That was indeed the truth.

Zhang Su did not need an Ultimate Ascension battle.

With his 100% Compatibility Rate, he would certainly be able to master a second peerless divine art.

Then, he would naturally condense one thousand strands of Blood Qi and achieve a Second Limit Break!

Lu Tianqing frowned slightly and said coldly, "If you defeat me, you will become number one in the Outer Sect!"

At that moment, Du Tian said softly from the side, "Senior Brother Zhang, Lu Tianqing will soon turn sixteen. According to sect rules, anyone over sixteen is overage. Therefore, Lu Tianqing will definitely advance into the Inner Sect before turning sixteen."

Zhang Su raised an eyebrow and said calmly, "Senior Brother Lu, you heard him. Once you advance into the Inner Sect, I can become number one in the Outer Sect anyway!"

Lu Tianqing's sharp gaze swept over Du Tian. Then he said, "What do you want before you will agree to fight me?"

Zhang Su pondered for a moment before saying, "Three hundred Blood Replenishing Pills."

"Deal!"

Lu Tianqing agreed without the slightest hesitation.

Zhang Su's expression froze.

He had taken a loss!

Three hundred Blood Replenishing Pills—he had asked for too few!

He reckoned that even if he had demanded five hundred Blood Replenishing Pills, or perhaps even more, Lu Tianqing would have agreed.

But the words had already left his mouth, and Zhang Su was not someone who went back on his word.

Thus, Zhang Su nodded in agreement as well.

"To the Life and Death Arena?"

Zhang Su proposed.

"Go to the arena and let people watch us like monkeys? No. We'll fight behind closed doors here on Jinyu Peak!"

"If you have concerns, we can sign a life-and-death contract."

Zhang Su understood Lu Tianqing's concerns.

This was a martial artist even purer than Bai Junze.

He had come to Jinyu Peak not for empty fame, nor to determine victory or defeat, but to achieve Ultimate Ascension and take that crucial step. Naturally, there was no need to go to the Life and Death Arena.

"Fine!"

Zhang Su agreed.

"Du Tian, prepare the life-and-death contract!"

Very quickly, Du Tian prepared a life-and-death contract.

Zhang Su and Lu Tianqing both signed their names.

The two went directly to the back mountain of Jinyu Peak.

Only Du Tian and the other two watched from the side.

Zhang Su and Lu Tianqing stood more than a dozen zhang apart, confronting each other from afar.

However, Lu Tianqing was empty-handed.

"Senior Brother Lu, do you need a weapon?"

Zhang Su asked.

Lu Tianqing said calmly, "No. My body is the finest weapon!"

Zhang Su nodded.

The two stopped speaking.

Facing Lu Tianqing, Zhang Su did not dare underestimate him in the slightest.

His aura began to rise as well.

Three hundred strands of Blood Qi.

Five hundred strands of Blood Qi.

Seven hundred strands of Blood Qi.

Nine hundred strands of Blood Qi...

A total of 984 strands of Blood Qi, though still short of Lu Tianqing's 999 strands.

But it was already exceedingly close, essentially placing them on the same level.

Lu Tianqing's eyes lit up as well.

In all these years, this was the only opponent he had felt was "close" to him.

Both of their Blood Qi were terrifyingly immense.

Their auras collided across the air.

Throughout the vast void, an invisible pressure seemed to descend.

Clang!

The next moment, Zhang Su brazenly drew his sword!