Yang Que vs. Zhao Wuji

In the wide-open arena, Yang Que and Zhao Wuji faced each other. As Yang Que summoned his Martial Soul, a faint blood-red tinge spread through the air around them. Under the sunlight, his three abnormal Soul Rings shone with dazzling brilliance!

Zhao Wuji was stunned beyond words. Was this the monster among monsters Flender had told me to give special attention to? This kid was too monstrous! Would limiting myself to level thirty-five even matter against him?

Before Zhao Wuji could think any further, Yang Que seized the Soul-Slaying Sword beside him and charged!

Zhao Wuji froze. I haven't even unleashed my pressure yet. Why is he charging? What's this kid planning? Does he actually think he can hurt me?

Yang Que's actions confirmed his suspicion. Sword drawn, he rushed straight at Zhao Wuji!

First Soul Skill: Blood Blade!

Third Soul Skill: Burning Blade!

Yang Que instantly layered his Third Soul Skill over his First!

Facing a Soul Saint, Yang Que did not dare let his guard down.

Zhao Wuji stared for a moment, then reacted at once. Good grief, he opened with a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring!

First Soul Skill: Immovable Bright King Body!

Second Soul Skill: Great Strength Vajra Palm!

Zhao Wuji decisively unleashed his First and Second Soul Skills to block the attack. A Soul Skill granted by a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring was no joke!

Boom!

The two forces collided, kicking up clouds of dust!

Tang San, Zhu Zhuqing, and the others craned their necks toward the fight!

When the dust cleared, Zhao Wuji stood firm as Mount Tai. Yang Que, meanwhile, had retreated more than ten meters away!

"Kid, I'll admit you're strong—stronger than that whole bunch of youngsters over there! But even if I only use the strength of a Soul Elder, you still can't beat me!" Zhao Wuji said with a swagger.

"Oh? Is that so?" A slow smile curved Yang Que's lips.

Had Yang Que used his full strength? Of course not. That had been only forty percent of his power, yet it had matched Zhao Wuji's First and Second Soul Skills blow for blow! Zhao Wuji was a Soul Saint, while Yang Que was merely a Soul Elder!

Whoosh!

Yang Que suddenly moved at incredible speed, clearly using Thunderclap Sword Shadow Steps! Four afterimages appeared around him as he circled within ten meters of Zhao Wuji, searching for an opening!

"There it is! Brother Que's movement technique!" Tang San said.

"Movement technique?" Lin Song looked puzzled.

"That's right! It's a technique performed using the body's own abilities!"

"Back when we were little, Brother Que defeated me easily with that technique alone!" Tang San recalled a childhood memory he would rather have forgotten. He had not even touched the hem of Yang Que's clothes!

"He defeated you easily?" Dan Moyou covered her mouth in surprise.

Tang San nodded.

"Does that mean he can injure Teacher Zhao with that movement technique?" Ning Rongrong asked.

"It won't be that simple. Haven't you noticed Teacher Zhao hasn't even used his Third Soul Skill?"

"Teacher Zhao's Third Soul Skill was made to counter speed-type Soul Masters," Dai Mubai said.

"Hm?" Tang San frowned in confusion.

Just then, Zhao Wuji shouted, "What an annoying fly! Hold still! Third Soul Skill: Gravity Enhancement!"

Yang Que's eyes flashed. There's my chance! As Zhao Wuji prepared to release his Third Soul Skill, Yang Que seized the opening and attacked his back!

A Soul Saint was a Soul Saint. Zhao Wuji sensed the attack instantly, halted his Third Soul Skill, and turned to meet it with a punch!

"Ah!" Xiao Wu shrieked and immediately covered her eyes!

The others watched intently, their expressions grim!

The fist passed straight through Yang Que's figure. "Hm?"

Thud! Yang Que's fist struck Zhao Wuji squarely in the waist!

"Ah!" Boom! Zhao Wuji flew into a house, which collapsed at once!

Yang Que's speed was undeniably formidable. He had trained Thunderclap Sword Shadow Steps until he could produce four afterimages; beyond the third, each additional afterimage doubled his speed. His timing had also been perfect. He attacked the instant Zhao Wuji began releasing his Third Soul Skill, then used the technique's subtlety to land a clean hit!

Yang Que had chosen the waist because a blow there could rob a person of most of their strength!

"Did he win?" Tang San and the others looked up.

"Heh. It won't be that simple," Dai Mubai said.

Sure enough, a figure slowly emerged from the ruined house. It was Zhao Wuji!

"Kid, you're strong! But that alone isn't enough to hurt me!" Zhao Wuji said.

Just as I thought. Looks like I'll have to go all out, Yang Que murmured inwardly.

Zhao Wuji had never deactivated his First Soul Skill. Otherwise, how could he have escaped unscathed from the fist Yang Que had tempered through the Jade-Suppressing Hades Body Art? Yang Que's physical strength had already reached twenty thousand jin!

Yang Que smiled. "The warm-up's over, Teacher Zhao. Let's begin for real!"

That was just a warm-up? Everyone was speechless.

Zhao Wuji's mouth twitched. What an arrogant brat! Looks like I need to show him what I can really do!

Yang Que vanished from where he stood, using Thunderclap Sword Shadow Steps once more!

"That move again? Kid, are you out of tricks?" Zhao Wuji immediately unleashed his Third Soul Skill!

Third Soul Skill: Gravity Enhancement!

A crushing force of gravity bore down on Yang Que!

Boom! The surrounding trees bent beneath it! Yet Yang Que did not slow down. If anything, he seemed a little faster than before!

"Hm? Still not slowing down? Then let's add some weight! Twenty times gravity!"

Boom!

"That monster's so fast. Teacher Zhao couldn't pin him down with ten times gravity, and he's forced him to use twenty times! His body is terrifyingly strong!" Dai Mubai said, stunned.

If I had to face Teacher Zhao's tenfold gravity... Dai Mubai did not dare finish the thought.

Why does his body seem even stronger than mine? Which of us belongs to the Body Sect? Lin Song wondered, questioning his entire existence.

Yang Que gradually slowed.

"Heh-heh! You're quick, little guy! Let's see where you can run now!" Zhao Wuji chuckled.

Yang Que looked at Zhao Wuji, roaring inwardly. Not enough! The pressure still isn't enough!

Yang Que poured more Soul Power into Thunderclap Sword Shadow Steps. He was no longer as fast as he had been at first, but he was far from slow!

"Oh? Still running? Then have a taste of this!" Zhao Wuji unleashed the utmost he could muster!

Thirty-five times gravity!

Boom! It was as though the entire sky had been crushed!

In a small pavilion some distance away, there was a bang!

"This is outrageous! That bastard Zhao Wuji! How can he put a child under such intense gravity? What if he causes internal injuries?" Shao Xin slammed the table, furious!

"Hey, calm down, calm down!" Flender waved a hand.

"Don't underestimate the child. That kid is capable of much more than this!" Flender said.

"Oh?" Shao Xin slowly sat back down, puzzled.

"Just watch," Flender said cryptically.

Flender refused to believe that a child of only around seven, one who had dared to live alone in the Star Dou Great Forest for five years, had nothing more up his sleeve!

A few days earlier, Yu Xiaogang had sent someone with a letter explaining Yang Que's circumstances. Flender had been equally shocked. Otherwise, he would never have had Zhao Wuji test Yang Que alone, much less allowed things to go this far!

Yang Que kept pushing Thunderclap Sword Shadow Steps. Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, and even his internal organs trembled!

Almost! Almost! I'm almost there! Yang Que's eyes reddened as he roared inwardly.

"Something's wrong. Very wrong!" Tang San said.

"Hm? What's wrong, Tang San?" Zhu Zhuqing asked, watching Yang Que struggle under the immense pressure, her heart aching for him.

"Look! Brother Que has a Martial Soul and plenty of other methods, but he isn't using any of them. What does that tell you?" Tang San asked.

"What does it tell us? Come on, tell us, Brother San!" Xiao Wu urged anxiously.

Tang San pressed a hand to his forehead, speechless.

"You mean Yang Que is trying to break through?" Zhu Zhuqing asked.

"Exactly! If I'm right, Brother Que's movement technique has hit a bottleneck. He's using Teacher Zhao's gravity to break through!" Tang San watched the two fighters, his expression grave.

Everyone was stunned. During their own tests, they had gone all out, not daring to spare a shred of attention. Yet this fellow was fighting a Soul Saint and still dared to divide his attention to make a breakthrough! He had nerves of iron, even if this was only a test!

Zhu Zhuqing covered her mouth, worry filling her face.

"Kid, stop if you can't take it!" Zhao Wuji called.

Watching Yang Que slow further and further, Zhao Wuji felt a private thrill. You little rascal. Thought I couldn't handle you?

Then Yang Que suddenly stopped!

Zhao Wuji: ???

Everyone else: ???

Tang San and Zhu Zhuqing shared the same thought. Could it be...?

Yang Que's eyes flew open. Crack! Something seemed to split inside him! Another afterimage slowly appeared at his side, bringing the total to five!

Phew! Finally broke through!

That was right! Yang Que had practiced Thunderclap Sword Shadow Steps for years, but a bottleneck had prevented him from advancing. Today, under Zhao Wuji's crushing gravity, he had finally broken through again! His Soul Power had risen along with it, bringing him to the terrifying peak of level thirty-nine! He was only a little short of reaching level forty, just one level away from hunting a Soul Beast for his fourth Soul Ring!

Did he just break through? everyone wondered.

Zhao Wuji clearly understood too. Little bastard! He used my gravity to break through! Still, the kid's potential was terrifying. Zhao Wuji could not afford to hurt a treasure like him!

"Hahaha! I told you this kid was no ordinary child!" Flender laughed, though he was shaken to his core as well!

"His abnormal Soul Ring Configuration really does set him apart," Shao Xin said.

"Kid, you've got some nerve, breaking through under my pressure!" Zhao Wuji was happy for him, but he still looked annoyed.

"Haha! Thank you, Teacher Zhao! Let's continue!" Yang Que was delighted.

Everyone: ...

"You're something else, kid. I won't hold back this time!" Zhao Wuji said.

"Teacher Zhao, I suggest you use your Fourth Soul Skill. Otherwise, you won't manage!" Yang Que warned.

"Enough nonsense! I said I'd fight at a Soul Elder's strength, and I meant it. If a Soul Saint like me can't beat you even at that level, what have I been eating all these years for? If I use my Fourth Soul Skill today, I lose!" Zhao Wuji was plainly irritated.

"All right!" Yang Que said no more.

Once again, Yang Que used Thunderclap Sword Shadow Steps!

"Hm? Again? Having fun with that move, are you?" Thoroughly annoyed, Zhao Wuji unleashed thirty-five times gravity!

Even so, Yang Que had broken through and no longer feared the gravity nearly as much. It only reduced his speed from that of five afterimages to that of four. He was still fast!

Yang Que suddenly attacked head-on, driving a fist toward Zhao Wuji!

Oh? You want to pit your body against mine? Then let me see how strong it is!

Zhao Wuji threw a fierce punch of his own!

Their fists collided. Boom! A terrifying shockwave burst from the impact!

Zhao Wuji staggered back three steps. Yang Que retreated fifteen!

Zhao Wuji's brute strength really is terrifying! Yang Que thought, clutching his right hand, which had gone partly numb!

Zhao Wuji rubbed his own tingling right hand. What a terrifying body this kid has! Reaching the Soul Elder level at such a young age was shocking enough, but he's this strong physically too? What a monster!

After all, that had been the force of twenty thousand jin!

Yang Que charged Zhao Wuji again!

Hm? Again? Isn't he afraid of damaging his body?

Zhao Wuji punched once more, intending to clash fists with Yang Que again!

"That fool Zhao Wuji is about to suffer for it!" Flender said from the pavilion!

"Hm?" Shao Xin looked at Flender in confusion.

Flender did not believe Yang Que could have survived five years in the Star Dou Great Forest on brute force alone. He must have relied on both wits and courage. There was no way he would use the same move twice!

Sure enough, just before their fists met, Yang Que abruptly pulled his back. A long sword wreathed in cold air slashed toward Zhao Wuji!

Whirling Slash!

"Hm?" Every hair on Zhao Wuji's body stood on end. He sensed extreme danger!

He instantly unleashed his Seventh Soul Skill: Martial Soul Avatar!

A mighty surge of Soul Power swept across the arena, blasting Yang Que away!

The two experts drinking tea in the pavilion could no longer sit still. They hurriedly flew toward the arena!

Everyone: ...

"Does that mean he won?" Lin Song asked, dazed.

The others had yet to recover from their shock. He won? Probably! But shouldn't they be more concerned that Yang Que had forced Teacher Zhao to use his Martial Soul Avatar?

The entire arena fell silent, stunned for a long moment!

Zhao Wuji's face reddened. Being forced to use his Martial Soul Avatar by a Soul Elder was embarrassing!

After holding it in for ages, he finally said, "Well, I'll be damned. That was a sneaky move. All right, you pass!"

"Yeah!" Everyone burst into cheers!

Only Flender and Yang Que looked grave!

Flender sensed that Yang Que had not withdrawn his Martial Soul. He still wanted to fight!

Yang Que kept his eyes fixed on Zhao Wuji!

Zhao Wuji was at a loss for words. "What now, kid? You've already won. What else do you want?"

Everyone else noticed the tension and hurriedly looked between them!

Yang Que smiled, but somehow the smile sent a chill down their spines. "Teacher Zhao! Their business is finished, but ours isn't!"

"What business? What isn't finished?" Zhao Wuji was full of questions!

Then he saw Zhu Zhuqing step forward and tug at Yang Que. It clicked at once. Well, I'll be damned! The kid had come to stand up for his sweetheart!

"Fine! I'll give you a chance!" Zhao Wuji grew serious too!

"Zhuqing, wait over there. Watch me get even for you!" Yang Que said gently to Zhu Zhuqing beside him!

Zhu Zhuqing bit her lip but stepped back. She knew Yang Que had made up his mind!

And so Yang Que stood in the arena once more, facing off against Zhao Wuji...

I'll write the rest tomorrow. I'm nearly dead on my feet today. The academy assigned me an animation script and asked me to build its framework. I've racked my brains until my head feels ready to explode. It's too much to think through! That's all for today, guys! And finally, please recommend and bookmark this!