Beside the Dao Comprehension Stele, Sword Qi swirled, and terrifying shockwaves sent sand and stones flying through the air. Zhang Zongjin stood alone with his sword, as if he had become one with his surroundings. His sword-sharp figure etched itself deep into everyone's minds.
Zhang Zongjin was worthy of being called the Number One Sword Under Heaven. Though he had been furious beyond measure, once he held a sword in his hand, not a ripple of emotion showed.
Everyone present was awed by Zhang Zongjin's imposing presence and stared at him in horror.
"As expected of the Number One Sword Under Heaven. His state of mind has already surpassed everyone here!"
Yang Zhen, by contrast, gave off no presence at all. Though he had shown no sign of fear so far, anyone could see that Zhang Zongjin was in excellent form and could bring almost all his strength to bear.
Zhang Zongjin's cultivation was already far higher than Yang Zhen's, and now his state of mind had not been disturbed in the slightest. He was practically standing on invincible ground.
Everyone marveled inwardly at Zhang Zongjin's composure. Even Yang Zhen's expression changed, and he looked at Zhang Zongjin in surprise.
Seeing Yang Zhen's gaze, Zhang Zongjin laughed heartily and pointed his sword at him. "Though I hate to admit it, you really are a talent. But there are some people you can't afford to offend. This has nothing to do with sects. Do you think any random cat or dog can join a major sect?"
At those words, everyone's expression changed. They all recalled how Zhang Zongjin had called them cats and dogs.
Though Zhang Zongjin's words were harsh, they were an undeniable fact. Not everyone was qualified to join a major sect; only geniuses with outstanding talent would be accepted.
Yang Zhen smiled and said, "That's right, I was indeed mistaken. I thought you were just someone fishing for fame and praise, but I didn't expect you to be a talent too!"
Hearing even Yang Zhen admit that Zhang Zongjin was a talent, everyone sucked in a breath. Was Yang Zhen starting to back down?
But now that things had come to this, what good would backing down do?
A flash of contempt crossed Zhang Zongjin's eyes. Just as he was about to speak, Yang Zhen's unhurried voice rang out again, and he raised a middle finger.
"One punch. If I can't defeat you in one punch, you can kill me or carve me up as you please!"
What?
One punch?
Everyone around them thought they had misheard. They had assumed Yang Zhen was about to back down and admit his mistake, but who would have thought he could still say something so arrogant when he knew full well how elevated Zhang Zongjin's state of mind was?
Was Yang Zhen still trying to disrupt Zhang Zongjin's state of mind at a moment like this?
That was practically impossible!
Sure enough, Zhang Zongjin was so furious that he laughed. Pointing at Yang Zhen, he said, "Good, you're arrogant enough. If I can't withstand even one of your punches, I'll go around you whenever I see you from now on."
"Why would you go around me? We're friends. You know what friends are, right?" Yang Zhen said with a sincere expression. "I just want your martial technique, the Number One Sword Under Heaven's martial technique!"
"You..." Zhang Zongjin's face turned ashen. Plainly beside himself with rage, he roared, "Fine! As long as you can defeat me in one punch, forget my martial technique, I'll even give you my life!"
He was furious. Zhang Zongjin was truly furious, every hair on his head standing on end. The crowd around him immediately stared at him as if he were a Celestial Person.
But Yang Zhen actually wanted his martial technique. That was enough to make the whole world laugh, and even more absurd was his claim that he would defeat Zhang Zongjin in one punch. Had Yang Zhen gone stupid?
Hum!
Heaven and earth hummed as the sword in Zhang Zongjin's hand let out a hum that pierced heaven and earth. He charged at Yang Zhen.
Boom!
At the same time, a burst of True Essence power erupted from Yang Zhen's body as well, and it was the most violent kind, Lightning Essence!
"Foundation Establishment Realm Sixth Layer!"
Someone recognized Yang Zhen's cultivation and was immediately shocked.
"How is that possible? In less than three hours, Yang Zhen actually cultivated from the Foundation Establishment Realm Third Layer to the Foundation Establishment Realm Sixth Layer?"
"Impossible, absolutely impossible! Yang Zhen must have been hiding his strength before!"
The crowd was utterly stunned. Su Qingyu's eyes lit up, and she glanced at Yang Zhen in surprise. Princess Changyang was even more astonished, her mouth falling open as she stared at him in disbelief.
Zhang Zongjin laughed heartily and said with disdain, "Do you think being at the Foundation Establishment Realm Sixth Layer means you can stand against me, Zhang Zongjin? Today, I'll make you pay for your arrogance and ignorance!"
As Zhang Zongjin's words fell, a dazzling light suddenly burst from the sword in his hand.
The light exploded into countless sword-shaped waves of Qi that swept toward Yang Zhen, blotting out the sky.
"Hundred Swords Cry in Unison! That's Zhang Zongjin's most terrifying killing move, Hundred Swords Cry in Unison!"
"It's over. I didn't expect Zhang Zongjin to use his killing move right from the start. Now Yang Zhen will have a hard time even staying alive."
Terrifying Sword-Rays rushed toward Yang Zhen. Countless streams of Sword Qi carved deep gouges into the ground around them, and the violent eruption of True Essence stirred up countless humming waves of Qi that reached Yang Zhen in the blink of an eye.
To everyone's greater surprise, Yang Zhen's figure suddenly vanished at the same time.
Horrified, the crowd searched everywhere for Yang Zhen, all thinking he had suddenly fled. But the next moment, the cultivators near the Dao Comprehension Stele sucked in a collective breath.
Faced with the Sword Qi blotting out the sky, Yang Zhen advanced instead of retreating, plunging straight into the skyful of Sword Qi.
Lightning flashed around Yang Zhen. Though the endless Sword Qi left countless wounds on his body, covering him in blood in the blink of an eye, his speed was unaffected. A nearly maniacal smile even appeared on his face.
"Heavenly Demon Gang Fist!" Yang Zhen murmured. "Tenth layer!"
Boom, boom, boom!
Lightning flared in wave after wave, and deafening roars erupted from Yang Zhen's hand. His fist, wreathed in endless lightning serpents, thundered toward Zhang Zongjin.
"This madman!" The vast majority of the crowd went pale, wave after wave of horror flashing through their eyes as they watched Yang Zhen.
No one had expected Yang Zhen to be so ruthless. It would have been one thing if he were ruthless to his enemies, but he was just as ruthless to himself. He was fighting as though his life depended on it, letting the countless streams of Sword Qi leave wound after wound on his body so he could land one punch on Zhang Zongjin.
At the sight of this madness, countless people sucked in a cold breath, their gazes turning horrified as they looked at Yang Zhen.
Boom!
A tremendous crash rang out, mingled with the sound of ribs snapping one after another. The Sword Qi blotting out the sky vanished, and Zhang Zongjin's body flew backward like a cannonball, crashing into a pile of grass and sending dirt and broken stones flying.
The area around the Dao Comprehension Stele fell so silent that not even a sparrow could be heard. Everyone stared blankly at the blood-soaked Yang Zhen before the stele, the horror in their eyes giving way to dread.
Covered in blood, Yang Zhen looked like a demon king. Lightning flashed around him, and the waves of violent power were terrifying.
One punch. It really had been just one punch.
Zhang Zongjin had clearly lost the strength to fight. He lay in the grass, staring blankly at the sky as he murmured, "Impossible. This is impossible..."
Indeed, how was this possible? Zhang Zongjin had long been famous. The reason people called him the Number One Sword Under Heaven was that among the sword techniques he cultivated was a terrifying one called "Hundred Swords Cry in Unison," with which he had almost never lost.
Yet even so, he had been unable to withstand a single punch from Yang Zhen.
Just how terrifying was Yang Zhen's punch?
Before the crowd could recover, Yang Zhen came up to Zhang Zongjin with a grin and crouched down. "Thanks for going easy on me. The Number One Sword Under Heaven really does live up to his reputation!"
"Pfft!" Zhang Zongjin spat out a mouthful of blood.
The crowd around them also felt the urge to spit blood. Yang Zhen was too shameless. If Zhang Zongjin was the Number One Sword Under Heaven, then Yang Zhen was truly the "Number One Scoundrel Under Heaven."
But many people were also beginning to wonder what Yang Zhen, this monstrous talent, would comprehend from the Dao Comprehension Stele.
P.S. Thanks to "Poker Ghost" for the 100 tip. Thank you, boss.