Breaking Through Before Battle? I Can Do That Too

The opponent on the platform froze for a moment.

That was right. He was none other than Wu Chen, one of the Wu Clan's three prodigies.

After learning that Dugu Qiubai was on the same side as the people from the Flying Bird First Martial Hall, he had decided to teach the former a good lesson and show everyone from White Deer Academy what happened to those who sided with Shen Zhou.

To that end, he had disguised himself and changed his appearance. Then, using special means, he suppressed both his strength and his aura to the Coagulation Ninth Realm. While Tan Tong had been fighting his opponent just now, he had used the Wu Clan's influence to pressure the Hall Master of Wind Thunder Martial Hall. That was how he secured the chance to take the stage and challenge Dugu Qiubai.

In the end, though, he had been careless. 'Thunder Flash' was the Wu Clan's ancestral technique. Wu Jiuyan had used it before, which was why Shen Zhou had found it familiar and recognized it.

Seeing that his identity was about to be exposed, Wu Chen paused, then said, "That's right, I'm from the Wu Clan. Does the Grand Tournament have a rule saying that someone from the Wu Clan can't join another martial hall and compete?"

At that, Shen Zhou understood why his opponent had said they had a life-or-death grudge and threatened to cripple him. It turned out this had all been about revenge.

Shen Zhou gave a cold laugh. "The Grand Tournament doesn't forbid it. But since you're from the Wu Clan, I'll be the one to make the first move now. You want to cripple me? Then I'll cripple you first!"

Wu Chen replied dismissively, "You don't have what it takes!"

Shen Zhou said no more. He answered with action.

"Wind God Leg!"

Shen Zhou moved so quickly that his figure blurred. When he appeared again, he was behind Wu Chen.

He raised his leg and kicked, all in one fluid motion.

His leg cracked through the air!

"You—"

Wu Chen didn't even have time to finish speaking before he shot through the air and crashed hard onto the platform, rolling several times.

By the time Wu Chen finally steadied himself and got to his feet, a sweet, bloody taste surged up his throat. When he opened his mouth, a trace of blood spilled out.

"How is this possible?"

"Could he really be faster than 'Thunder Flash'?"

Wu Chen wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his face filled with disbelief.

'Thunder Flash' was an ancient cultivator secret art from a thousand years ago. Once mastered, it was said to make one peerless in speed. Wu Chen had relied on this movement technique to defeat many powerful foes, but he had never expected to lose to his opponent today.

The people below the platform were stunned, too.

In that instant, no one had even seen how Shen Zhou had attacked... no, how he had kicked!

He had been far too fast!

Only Lord Lin Nantian and Manager Mo of Flying Bird Academy had seen it.

Lord Lin Nantian remarked with interest, "Now this is getting interesting!"

On the platform, Shen Zhou had just withdrawn his leg. "How did that kick feel?"

He had done it on purpose!

His goal was to tell his opponent that he wasn't the only one who was fast.

I'm going to beat you at the very thing you're best at—speed!

Feeling Shen Zhou's taunt and malice, Wu Chen's eyes blazed with anger. "I was careless just now. If you've got the guts, do it again!"

Shen Zhou said nothing.

The next moment...

Two figures vanished from where they stood at the same time.

A flurry of explosive cracks rang out across the platform. The pounding fists and feet came so fast and sharp that they made everyone's scalp tingle.

Shen Zhou and Wu Chen clashed in a contest of speed, meeting speed with speed. Their figures moved so quickly that the spectators could barely tell them apart.

Just as everyone wondered which of the two was faster, a figure suddenly flew off the platform with a crash.

The winner had been decided!

The crowd took a closer look and couldn't help but shiver. "Dugu Qiubai really does deserve the title 'Invincible Below the Transformation Yuan Realm'!"

Grrr...

Naturally, it was Wu Chen who had been sent flying again.

Another footprint had appeared on his face, and even more blood ran from the corner of his mouth.

"I don't believe it! I refuse to believe my speed could lose to yours! Again!"

Wu Chen was so furious he was nearly crazed. He scrambled to his feet and charged at Shen Zhou once more without hesitation.

Shen Zhou's gaze was icy. "If you refuse to accept it, I'll beat you until you do!"

Whoosh...

The two clashed again.

But this time, the moment they made contact, Wu Chen was kicked flying once more.

At this point, even a fool could see that Shen Zhou had completely crushed Wu Chen in speed.

And the former seemed to be getting faster and faster.

Wu Chen had now gotten up for the third time. He fixed his eyes on his opponent, blood streaming from the corner of his mouth and fury and humiliation filling his gaze. "Fine. You forced me into this..."

"Hmm?"

Just as Shen Zhou wondered what other tricks his opponent might have, he saw Wu Chen clench both fists. The blood and qi within him surged wildly, like water boiling in a pot.

Once the blood and qi had gathered to their limit, Wu Chen suddenly roared, "Break through for me!"

Boom!

In an instant, the air cracked and the platform trembled.

A burst of Yuan Power and aura belonging to a Transformation Yuan Realm martial artist erupted on the platform and swept in every direction.

Everyone on and around the platform was stunned by the sight.

"Trans... Transformation Yuan? That guy surnamed Wu from Wind Thunder Martial Hall actually broke through in the middle of a fight?"

"This is bad. The guy surnamed Wu has advanced to Transformation Yuan in the middle of a fight. Looks like Dugu Qiubai is finished!"

"Damn... Breaking through in the middle of a fight is a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity for a martial artist, and that guy surnamed Wu just happened to run into it. What kind of luck is that?"

"Looks like Dugu Qiubai's road to the championship ends here!"

The people from Flying Bird First Martial Hall were stunned, too.

A breakthrough in the middle of a fight?

That was possible?

Lord Lin Nantian and Manager Mo were also greatly surprised.

Then Manager Mo smiled. "Now the winner really will be decided. After all, 'Invincible Below the Transformation Yuan Realm' still means below the Transformation Yuan Realm!"

Lord Lin Nantian said nothing, only furrowing his brows tightly.

On the platform, Shen Zhou hadn't expected his opponent to pull off something like this, either.

"A breakthrough in the middle of a fight? You can do that?"

Shen Zhou's eyes lit up. He was intrigued.

At the request of our readers, VIP members can now enjoy an ad-free experience.

Click to view

Earlier, to avoid exposing his identity and being disqualified, he had kept the power of his Entries firmly suppressed.

After all, his opponent was already at the Coagulation Ninth Realm. If his Entries wanted him to be invincible, they would have to advance him to the 'Transformation Yuan Realm'.

To avoid giving himself away, he hadn't unleashed Sword Qi even once since the Grand Tournament began. He had relied solely on his swordsmanship to overpower his opponents.

But what the guy surnamed Wu had just done had opened his eyes.

So martial artists in the Grand Tournament weren't forbidden from using the power of the Transformation Yuan Realm. They just needed a suitable excuse.

A breakthrough in the middle of a fight...

It was the perfect excuse!

Now look at Wu Chen...

After releasing his seal, his strength and aura had surged dramatically. But he wasn't stupid. If he went all out, people would surely suspect his true strength. So he deliberately suppressed his aura again, bringing his strength down to the Transformation Yuan First Realm.

To anyone watching, it really looked as if he had just broken through in the middle of a fight.

The power the Transformation Yuan Realm brought him instantly restored his confidence. He glared at his opponent and snarled, "Come on, hit me!"

"I'm already in the Transformation Yuan Realm. Let's see you kick me now!"

Wu Chen stamped his foot, and boundless fury wrapped in Yuan Power surged out. It formed a crimson Yuan Power field that spread from beneath his feet and rolled toward Shen Zhou like a vast sea.

The ferocity of it was like a giant beast baring its claws, a shark opening its jaws—terrifying beyond measure!

Seeing how swollen with confidence Wu Chen had become, Shen Zhou smiled. He didn't say a word, merely giving the greatsword in his hand a light shake.

The next moment... boom!

An even more surging, unstoppable, and overbearing aura of Yuan Power burst from him and shot into the sky. In an instant, it crushed the Yuan Power field Wu Chen had spread across the platform, forcing it to roll back.

Only after completing his 'breakthrough' did Shen Zhou look at his opponent's incredulous face and say calmly, "A breakthrough in the middle of a fight? I can do that too!"

Wu Chen: "..."

Lord Lin Nantian and Manager Mo: "..."

Every spectator below the platform: "..."

The entire venue fell silent.

What the hell was going on?

How had a once-in-a-thousand-years breakthrough in the middle of a fight suddenly become common as dirt?

Wu Chen was on the verge of breaking down.

Why had he been able to 'break through in the middle of a fight'? Because he had already been a peak martial artist of the Transformation Yuan Fifth Realm.

But what about Dugu Qiubai? What gave him the right?

If San Mazi and the others could have heard Wu Chen's thoughts, they would have said, "Because Boss Zhou's strength is a mystery, and he gets stronger when he faces stronger opponents! You break through to Transformation Yuan in front of him, and you might as well dig your own grave!"

But at that moment, Wu Chen couldn't worry about any of that. Seeing that his opponent had also 'broken through' to Transformation Yuan, he hardened his gaze and thought, So what if you've broken through to Transformation Yuan? The Transformation Yuan First Realm won't do? Then I'll crush you with the power of the Transformation Yuan Second Realm.

Even if I risk exposing myself, I, Wu Chen, will settle this humiliation today!

Wu Chen secretly raised his strength another level. Then he roared and flashed toward Shen Zhou again. "Again!"

Shen Zhou didn't go easy on him. He gripped his sword as the power of his Entries surged freely, then lifted his leg and kicked once more.

The moment the two made contact—

Wu Chen went flying again.

This time, though, the spectators below weren't surprised.

Wu Chen had been beaten before his breakthrough. So with both of them having broken through, wasn't it only natural for him to keep getting beaten?

But Wu Chen was going mad.

I was beaten at the Coagulation Ninth Realm. Fine, I accepted that.

I was beaten at the Transformation Yuan First Realm. I accepted that, too.

But I'd clearly raised my strength to the Transformation Yuan Second Realm in secret. How am I still getting beaten?

"I'm going to kill him! I have to kill him..."

Just as Wu Chen got to his feet, ready to unleash everything and reclaim his dignity at any cost, the people below the platform stared at his face and cried out in alarm. "Look! Why is a layer of skin peeling off his face? What is that?"

Someone then realized what it was. "Th-that's a Human Skin Mask!"

"What? The guy surnamed Wu was wearing a Human Skin Mask? Was he hiding his identity?"

In an instant, the spectators below erupted into discussion.

Hearing them, Wu Chen immediately calmed down. He hurriedly reached up to touch his face, only to realize that Shen Zhou's repeated kicks had torn the Human Skin Mask on his face. It now hung there in tatters, like a rag.

For a moment, he looked especially terrifying and uncanny.

Wu Chen's expression darkened at once.

Shen Zhou also stared at his opponent in surprise and muttered, "So this guy also..."

Wu Chen happened to hear him and raised an eyebrow.

What did he mean by 'also'?

At that moment, Lord Lin Nantian finally stood up in the viewing stands. His expression was stern as he called a halt to the match, then demanded in a deep voice, "The two of you have some nerve! You both concealed your identities and strength to compete in the Grand Tournament in violation of the rules. Who exactly are you?"

His question sent a tremor through everyone on and below the platform.

For a moment, the spectators didn't even understand what he meant. They thought Lord Lin might have misspoken and meant only the guy surnamed Wu.

But the people from Flying Bird First Martial Hall felt their hearts sink. This is bad. Shen Zhou's strength has been exposed, too!

Others might not have noticed Wu Chen secretly unleash the strength of the Transformation Yuan Second Realm just now, but how could Lord Lin Nantian, a Celestial Firmament Realm expert, have missed it?

And Shen Zhou's kick just now had also caused his aura to fluctuate. That was what had tipped Lord Lin Nantian off.

But Lord Lin Nantian's words seemed to confirm something for Wu Chen. He abruptly looked up at his opponent, 'Dugu Qiubai', and exclaimed, "So that's what you meant by 'also'! You disguised yourself, too? Who exactly are you?"

Wu Chen was furious.

No wonder he had been beaten so badly no matter how much he'd unleashed his strength. His opponent, like him, had changed his appearance, concealed his true strength, and entered the Grand Tournament as a 'cheat code' contestant.

But who was his opponent? How had he managed to keep the upper hand in every situation?

Thinking of that, Wu Chen glanced at the greatsword in 'Dugu Qiubai's' hand. A name suddenly sprang to mind.

Wu Chen was horrified. The words burst from him: "You're Shen—"

Just as he shouted the name...

A sudden clap of thunder exploded in the sky.

For an instant, Flying Bird City seemed to tremble along with it, as if an earth dragon had turned over.

Everyone at the venue struggled to keep their balance. Some even fell to the ground. Then they all looked up in confusion and asked, "What's going on? What happened?"

Immediately afterward, someone spotted a thick pillar of blazing white light rising in the sky to the north of the city. It shot into the heavens and pierced the clouds, brightening the entire sky. It could be seen clearly for a hundred miles in every direction.

At the sight, everyone at the venue instinctively looked north, their faces full of shock. "What is that? Has some secret treasure appeared?"

At the same time.

At the Xu Clan estate in the city.

Xu Mengfu, the Xu Family Head, stood in the courtyard with his hands clasped behind his back, his bearing imposing. He gazed at the pillar of light soaring north of the city, a flash of brilliance in his eyes, then said, "Give the order. The Secret Realm entrance has appeared. We can begin the plan targeting the Qin Family Divine Weapon!"

Behind him, Xu You, the Xu Family Elder who was always by his side, immediately bowed and answered, "Yes, Family Head!"