Zhao Qiang desperately jerked his arm, veins bulging, but the hand holding him did not budge.
Then Zhang Fei clenched his right fist. Without any wasted motion, he drove a punch straight into Zhao Qiang's chest and abdomen.
Zhao Qiang tried to dodge, but his wrist was locked in a death grip. He had no way to evade it.
Bang!
The force of the punch slammed squarely into Zhao Qiang's torso.
That punch carried the strength doubled by Golden-Armored Body. Zhao Qiang was blasted clean off his feet and sent flying twenty or thirty feet backward. He crashed heavily onto the stone ground outside the arena and rolled twice before finally stopping.
Lying on the ground, Zhao Qiang gave several dry coughs. A dull pain surged through his chest and abdomen. He braced himself on his arms to get up, but could not muster the strength and fell back down.
His Ironback Berserk Lion Martial Soul Possession automatically wore off, leaving him sprawled on the stone ground, gasping for breath.
For a moment, the spectators fell silent.
Then the watching Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect disciples exchanged looks.
Zhao Qiang was one of the best disciples in their group, yet a kid whose soul power was four levels lower had beaten him head-on?
Zhang Fei stood where he was and slowly released his Martial Soul Possession. The soul rings beneath his feet vanished along with it.
Then he jumped down from the arena, bent over, and offered a hand to Zhao Qiang, who was still on the ground. "Brother Zhao, are you all right?"
Zhao Qiang raised his head and looked at Zhang Fei's outstretched hand. The resentment and jealousy he had felt earlier had completely dissipated.
If he could not beat him, he could not beat him. In the face of real strength, all the sour remarks in the world would only bring humiliation upon himself.
He took Zhang Fei's hand and used it to pull himself up, then brushed the dust off his knees. He accepted it without fuss. "I lost. I'm no match for you."
"Thank you for the match." Zhang Fei smiled.
He secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Good, good. I didn't embarrass Xue Qinghe.
Although his soul power was four levels lower, the Golden Dragon's might, combined with Golden-Armored Body's doubling boost, had made the victory easier than he had expected.
Not far from the arena, Xue Qinghe and Ning Fengzhi had finished their conversation at some point and followed the noise over. They were quietly watching.
Clearly, they had witnessed everything that had just happened in the arena.
Seeing that the bout was over, Ning Fengzhi walked over at an unhurried pace, his emerald-green scepter tapping lightly against the ground.
He stopped before Zhang Fei, his smile as warm as ever. "Young Zhang, your martial soul and talent really are quite remarkable. Qinghe has found himself a treasure."
Xue Qinghe also approached and stood beside Zhang Fei. A faint smile rested on his lips, and his gaze softened a little more as he looked at Zhang Fei.
"Thank you for your praise, Sect Master Ning. Brother Zhao is very talented too. I was merely fortunate enough to come out ahead."
Zhang Fei bowed slightly in return, showing none of the swagger of a petty man flushed with success. After all, he was on someone else's turf.
The more Ning Fengzhi looked at him, the more pleased he became. Turning to Xue Qinghe, he said with a smile, "It's getting late, Qinghe. Why don't you and young Zhang stay for a simple meal?"
Xue Qinghe inclined his head without declining. "Then sorry for the trouble, Teacher."
Zhang Fei secretly rejoiced.
Ning Fengzhi might call it a "simple meal," but with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's wealth and grandeur, there was no way it would actually be anything so casual.
Naturally, he was not disappointed. The dishes on the table displayed the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's lavishness to the fullest.
Even the little side dishes served with the rice were exquisitely prepared, their arrangements like paintings, with color, aroma, and flavor all in perfect harmony.
Zhang Fei certainly did not stand on ceremony. He had always lived by the creed that "of all things in life, fine food must never be let down," and his chopsticks never stopped.
Ning Rongrong sat beside him, chattering away and asking him about this and that.
Zhang Fei had no time to entertain her and could only fob her off with a few vague murmurs. She really can't read the room at all. Can't she see I'm devoting all my efforts to this food?
After lunch, when it was time to take their leave, Ning Fengzhi personally escorted them to the entrance of the main hall.
He patted Zhang Fei's shoulder, smiling warmly. "Young Zhang, come visit whenever you have time. Rongrong is your age. Spend more time together in the future, and you can learn from each other."
Zhang Fei's eyes lit up. "Really? I can?"
He quickly added in his mind, Does that mean I can get away from those two demons at home?
Ning Fengzhi smiled. "Of course. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's doors are always open to you."
Zhang Fei immediately beamed and bowed. "Thank you for your kindness, Sect Master Ning. I'll remember that! Whenever I have time, I'll be sure to come trouble you again."
Standing beside him, Xue Qinghe knew perfectly well what Zhang Fei was scheming. The brat simply wanted to escape training.
He reached out and took Zhang Fei's hand, tightening his fingers slightly as though silently saying, Don't even think about it.
The two turned and boarded the carriage, heading back along the road they had come by.
Watching them leave, Bone Douluo Gu Rong frowned. "Fengzhi, this Zhang Fei's talent..."
"Uncle Gu, I know what you want to say." Ning Fengzhi interrupted Gu Rong and shook his head. "He belongs to Qinghe. As his teacher and ally, we can hardly poach him."
"But... among our younger generation, no one besides Rongrong is capable of shouldering great responsibilities!" Gu Rong's tone grew urgent.
Ning Fengzhi smiled. "Don't we have Rongrong? Perhaps..."
"You mean..."
"I don't mean anything. When it comes to the young, we can only do our best. In the end, it all depends on whether fate brings them together!"
With that, Ning Fengzhi headed back into the main hall. Gu Rong shook his head and followed.
Meanwhile, inside the carriage, Xue Qinghe leaned back beside the window, his posture relaxed and elegant.
His gaze settled on Zhang Fei, who sat beside him. "Fei, what do you think of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"
Zhang Fei was reclining against the cushions, letting his meal settle. At the question, he thought briefly before answering, "The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is rather different from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and the Clear Sky Sect. Since it's a support sect, it doesn't shut outsiders out."
"And Ning Fengzhi is extremely good at reading the winds and finding favorable currents on every side. He's as shrewd as they come. He understands the limitations of support martial souls, so he makes himself very approachable to attract more talented soul masters into the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
Xue Qinghe gave a soft hum of agreement, approval flashing in his eyes. "You're right, Fei. Then do you think we can win over the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"
He did not specify whether "we" meant Spirit Hall or the Heaven Dou Empire.
Although Xue Qinghe had never spoken of his identity, She Long constantly called him "Young Master" in private. Even a fool could have guessed that he belonged to Spirit Hall.
Besides, Xue Qinghe had never intended to hide it from him in the first place.
Thus, Zhang Fei understood that the question concerned Spirit Hall.
He considered it seriously before saying, "It would be very difficult, but it's not entirely impossible."
"Ning Fengzhi is a smart man. Survival and profit always come first for him. Faced with enormous benefits and absolute strength, as long as there's no deep blood feud, he would most likely compromise."
Xue Qinghe nodded and gently ruffled Zhang Fei's hair. "You're so clever, Fei. You can think through so much at such a young age."
Zhang Fei took the opportunity to hug Xue Qinghe's arm and chuckled. "Of course! I grew up by your side, Your Highness. With all that I've seen and heard, surely I had to pick up a few tricks?"
The flattery flowed as naturally as could be.
"None of that."
At his words, the corners of Xue Qinghe's lips curved despite himself.
Zhang Fei nuzzled his face against his shoulder again.
The carriage continued onward. The two remained nestled against each other, and for a while, the carriage fell quiet.
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