Selecting a Martial Technique

No one had expected what they thought would be a fierce battle to end like this!

Guo Gang and Ma Yunlong were both jealous and regretful!

The person they had always viewed as someone to surpass had suddenly entered the Blood Refining Realm, leaving them far behind. How could they not be consumed by jealousy? And how could they not regret that Zhou Heng had snatched the chance to win without a fight?

Now, they were actually being asked to challenge Zhou Heng! Challenging a newcomer who had only just joined the sect—winning wouldn't prove much!

"Zhou Heng, I challenge you!" Ma Yunlong was the first to step forward. Since Zhou Heng hadn't fought earlier, there was no need for him to use the twenty minutes of rest.

Zhou Heng didn't bother to reply. He merely beckoned.

"Cocky little brat!" Ma Yunlong shouted angrily as he strode forward.

Ranked third, Ma Yunlong was undeniably strong. He had nearly reached the limit of the Ninth Layer of Body Refining, and his combat strength was just barely on par with someone in the Blood Refining Realm. Unfortunately for him, Zhou Heng had already fought experts at the peak of the Twelfth Layer of Body Refining. Which martial artist of the same level could possibly concern him?

He didn't use Flying Cloud Steps again, instead charging straight at Ma Yunlong and meeting every blow head-on.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Zhou Heng's fists repeatedly broke through Ma Yunlong's guard and struck him, but the tall young man was like a human-shaped raging bear. Those blows couldn't seem to injure him at all!

"Hahaha! I practice the Iron Wall Technique, and I've already reached the sixth level. My whole body is hard as iron. When it comes to defense alone, no one in the Outer Sect can match me!" Ma Yunlong laughed. "Your movement technique is certainly strange, but against my absolute defense, you're powerless!"

"What? The sixth level of the Iron Wall Technique!"

"Good heavens, that's practically the limit of the Ninth Layer of Body Refining. I heard you have to reach the Tenth Layer of Body Refining before you can practice the seventh level!"

"Likewise, within the Ninth Layer of Body Refining, the sixth level of the Iron Wall Technique is an absolute defense. No one can shake it!"

"If Senior Brother Jing Tian hadn't entered the Blood Refining Realm, could he have broken through it?"

"Movement is Zhou Heng's forte. Now he's run into his natural enemy!"

"Heh, he's barely warmed his seat before he has to give it up!"

The crowd erupted into discussion again, every face showing surprise. They hadn't expected Ma Yunlong to be such a freak either. Though he couldn't compare to Jing Tian, he wasn't far behind.

A faint smile appeared on Zhou Heng's face. "That's not necessarily true."

"If all you can do is talk, then come and break through my Iron Wall Technique!" Ma Yunlong roared with laughter, swinging his fists furiously. They were like two enormous hammers as he slammed them toward Zhou Heng.

Under the effect of the Iron Wall Technique, his fists had turned an inky black, as though they were made of iron!

"Come on, brat! I'll smash your bones to pieces!"

Zhou Heng's heart was as still as an ancient well. He fixed his gaze on Ma Yunlong, while the sword intent of the Heaven-Soaring Nine Styles surged within him, unleashing a fearsome pressure.

Ma Yunlong's mind was affected. His movements didn't visibly falter, but his reactions were half a beat slower. In his eyes, Zhou Heng seemed like a god high above, supreme and untouchable.

"My heart is invincible!" Ma Yunlong roared. His eyes suddenly turned bloodshot, and his aura actually grew stronger rather than weaker. Under Zhou Heng's crushing pressure, he erupted with even greater combat strength.

Zhou Heng couldn't help but admire him. This was what a true martial artist was like: facing a powerful enemy without fear, his fighting spirit only growing stronger. Although Zhou Xianming was an expert at the peak of the Twelfth Layer of Body Refining, Ma Yunlong's will was far more unyielding!

No wonder he was a disciple of the Nine Spirits Sect!

But so what?

Zhou Heng kept punching, and every blow found its way through Ma Yunlong's guard to strike him. But against a body as hard as an iron plate, the impact instead tore Zhou Heng's knuckles open, leaving them bloody and raw.

"You can't do a thing to me!" Ma Yunlong was brimming with confidence. The person he aimed to surpass was Jing Tian. What did this brat amount to?

Zhou Heng said nothing. He simply focused his strength into his fists and kept striking.

Ma Yunlong's defenses were indeed powerful, but his technique was useless against Zhou Heng's attacks. Fist after fist struck his body. He didn't care, relying on his iron-hard body to endure Zhou Heng's blows as he pressed toward him.

Thud, thud, thud. The constant pounding of fists was like the playing of a melody.

"Give up! You're destined to lose!" Ma Yunlong laughed. First place was drawing closer and closer, though it was a pity he hadn't beaten Jing Tian to claim it. That left him with a slight regret.

"Pfft—" Suddenly, his steps faltered, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, soaking the front of his shirt.

Ma Yunlong looked down at himself, disbelief on his face. Then he looked up at Zhou Heng before his body toppled backward, kicking up a cloud of dust as he hit the ground.

"What happened? How could Ma Yunlong have lost?"

"Didn't he have the sixth level of the Iron Wall Technique?"

"Could Zhou Heng have the offensive power of someone in the Blood Refining Realm?"

Amid the uproar, Ai Songtao stepped forward and raised a hand to quiet everyone. "Zhou Heng wins!"

"Zhou Heng doesn't have the combat strength of someone in the Blood Refining Realm. He simply struck the same spot on Ma Yunlong with every punch. The force built up, pierced through the defense of the Iron Wall Technique, and injured Ma Yunlong's internal organs!"

His explanation made the crowd understand, but could this method of breaking through the technique be replicated?

Ma Yunlong wasn't a puppet who could be struck at will. Apart from a freak like Zhou Heng, who could land so many punches on him in a row—and hit the exact same spot every time?

In truth, Ma Yunlong had been rather unlucky. If he hadn't been so confident and had guarded himself even a little, spreading out the force of the blows, then with the Iron Wall Technique's defense, Zhou Heng couldn't possibly have injured him.

The challenges continued.

Twenty minutes later, Guo Gang didn't challenge Zhou Heng, seemingly admitting that he couldn't win. This inevitably surprised the crowd once again.

Even Guo Gang had given up. There was even less reason for anyone else to court disaster. By sunset, the new Top Ten of the Outer Sect had been decided.

There were two new faces—Zhou Heng and Shen Xinqi. Neither had merely squeezed into the top ten: one ranked sixth, while the other stood at the very top in first place. No one could have predicted it.

But Jing Tian was even more astonishing. His entry into the Blood Refining Realm at nineteen had even alarmed the upper echelons of the Nine Spirits Sect. Word was that several senior elders had scrambled to take him as a disciple, nearly coming to blows over it.

In the Nine Spirits Sect, anyone who entered the Spirit Gathering Realm became an elder. But the Spirit Gathering Realm was divided into three heavens. The gap between each minor level wasn't as vast as the distance between heaven and earth, but it wasn't far off.

How could the First Heaven of Spirit Gathering be considered equal to the Second Heaven of Spirit Gathering?

So even among elders, seniority was determined by their heaven. The elders who had nearly fought over Jing Tian were mighty figures at the Third Heaven of Spirit Gathering!

Zhou Heng didn't take it to heart. As long as he completed his accumulation at the Ninth Layer of Body Refining, the bottleneck of the Blood Refining Realm wouldn't be able to hold him back either.

Jing Tian had simply taken one step ahead of him.

The benefits given to the Top Ten of the Outer Sect were truly beyond what anyone else could enjoy. They were provided with demon beast meat every day, and received fifteen Gathering Essence Pills each month. Calculated in silver, that came to three thousand silver coins—a truly extravagant expense.

And there was an even more important benefit: they could go to the Library Pavilion and select a martial technique!

Ma Yunlong's Iron Wall Technique had come from there.

Although Zhou Heng possessed Flying Cloud Steps, the Heaven-Soaring Nine Styles, and the Flying Waterfall Sword Technique, none of them could really be considered proper martial techniques.

Flying Cloud Steps and the Flying Waterfall Sword Technique had only their forms, without the corresponding formulas to guide their use. As for the Heaven-Soaring Nine Styles, it was too profound. It likewise had no incantation; instead, it was fused into his body and bloodline, and he had to keep pondering it.

That was why he was very interested in martial techniques, and he went to the Library Pavilion at the first opportunity.

The Library Pavilion wasn't large, with only two floors. A gray-robed old man in his fifties sat watch over it, looking utterly ordinary.

One shouldn't judge by appearances. Since this old man had been assigned to guard the place, he had to be a powerful figure in the Spirit Gathering Realm!

Zhou Heng entered the pavilion and respectfully bowed. "This junior is Zhou Heng, a newly promoted member of the Top Ten of the Outer Sect. I've come to select a martial technique!"

The old man glanced up at him. "You can choose freely from the first floor. Once you've made your selection, come find me."

"Yes!" Zhou Heng nodded. Looking around the room, he saw twelve bookshelves on the first floor, each a head taller than an ordinary person. At a glance, he couldn't tell whether anyone else was in there.

He walked to the first row of shelves and picked up the manuals one by one. After briefly flipping through them, he couldn't help frowning. They contained only the cover and a description of the martial technique, not the actual contents.

That made sense. If they included the complete diagrams and formulas, people with extraordinary memories like Zhou Heng could easily memorize three, five, or even ten techniques in a single visit.

What kind of martial technique did he need?

Zhou Heng asked himself. When it came to offense, the Heaven-Soaring Nine Styles was absolutely overbearing. Though the Flying Waterfall Sword Technique lacked its corresponding formula, the sword intent of the Heaven-Soaring Nine Styles was more than enough to make up for that. He wasn't lacking in that area.

There was no need to mention movement techniques. Even without its corresponding formula, Flying Cloud Steps was far superior to other movement techniques. He had no need to throw away a watermelon just to pick up a sesame seed.

Then he could consider a defensive technique.

The Iron Wall Technique had left a deep impression on Zhou Heng. It didn't merely increase one's defenses; it was also quite powerful offensively, tempering the fists until they were as hard as iron and allowing them to clash head-on with sharp weapons.

With a clear direction in mind, he knew what he was looking for. After searching two rows of shelves, he had picked out three martial techniques. He hadn't decided which one to choose yet, and planned to read them all before asking the senior guarding the place for advice.

When he reached the seventh row of shelves, a waft of fragrance filled the air. A beautiful woman with rosy cheeks and a peach-pink complexion suddenly appeared before him. It was Shen Xinqi.

It wasn't strange to see her here. She was also a newly promoted member of the Top Ten of the Outer Sect, so she likewise had the right to choose a martial technique.

"Junior Brother Zhou!" The beauty's eyes brightened when she saw Zhou Heng. Among disciples of the Outer Sect, seniority was determined by age. Her gaze passed over the martial techniques in his hands, and she smiled. "So you're looking for a defensive technique. I happen to have one to recommend!"