Chapter 1676: Lo Tianya vs. Zhang Xuan

A gloomy atmosphere hung over the Zhang Clan's guest rooms.

"Where do you think... the clan leader has gone? Why hasn't he returned yet?" Luo Qingchen broke the silence.

"Who knows?" one replied. "Our clan leader is so elusive, just vanishing without a trace. We clearly came here to issue a challenge and re-establish our clan's prestige, but now we're just staying in their house, waiting for meals... I feel so awkward!"

"Me too," added another elder. "Seeing the Zhang clan members walking around and giving us strange looks, I don't know what to do anymore..."

"Did you hear about what happened earlier?" Luo Qianzhen rubbed his temples. "Nangong Yuanfeng and Tantai Zhenqing of the Hundred Schools of Thought came to challenge, but... Zhang Xuan simply pointed out something to one of his students, and that student won. Our clan leader couldn't have heard this news and decided not to come, could he...?"

They had initially arrived with the imposing prestige of having defeated the Hundred Schools of Thought, full of confidence, which is why they caused such a stir. Who knew... as soon as they arrived, they heard that Nangong Yuanfeng and others had come again, and had suffered yet another defeat. The critical part was... Zhang Xuan hadn't even made a move himself; he had simply guided a student from a collateral branch...

When this news arrived, everyone immediately felt uncomfortable. If simply guiding a student made them so formidable, how powerful must he himself be? Coupled with the commotion from the last Imperial Alliance incident, where even Sword Saint Xing wasn't his match... if that's the case, could their clan leader really win? A dark cloud of worry hung over everyone.

"Actually, I both wish the clan leader would appear and wish he wouldn't," an elder said. "Once he appears, the match must proceed. If we win, that's fine, but if we lose, the Luo Clan will have no face left..." After making such a grand show of coming here to compete, if they were to return in defeat... the Luo Clan would truly have no face left to show.

"Yes, I feel the same way..." Several elders nodded in agreement.

"If he keeps not showing up," a voice chimed in, "we'll probably be even more humiliated..."

Everyone fell silent again. Indeed, appearing and being defeated would be humiliating, but never appearing at all would definitely be even more disgraceful. They had intended to come and display their might, but now they felt as if they were suddenly placed on a hot griddle, caught between two difficult choices, not knowing what to do.

"Forget it, let's not think about it so much," Luo Qianzhen said, knowing that everyone was speaking the truth and having no other ideas. He could only shake his head and look at Luo Qingchen. "Have you sent a message to the clan leader?"

"No reply yet..." The Grand Elder shook his head, a bitter smile on his face.

"No reply likely means he's busy, perhaps in secluded cultivation," Luo Qianzhen said, nodding. "Though we haven't interacted with this clan leader for long, it doesn't seem like he would flee from a battle..." Just as he was about to continue speaking, a hurried voice rang out, and an elder rushed over.

"Something's happened..."

"What is it?" Luo Qianzhen frowned, recognizing the newcomer. It was Elder Luo Qingyuan, ranked sixteenth in the clan. For a dignified elder to be so flustered in another clan's residence meant something major had certainly happened.

"The clan leader... he's here!" Elder Qingyuan quickly exclaimed.

"He's here? Where?" Luo Qianzhen froze for a moment, then quickly stood up. The other elders also brightened, their gazes sweeping towards the door, but they saw no one.

"He didn't come here, but instead... is fighting Zhang Xuan of the Zhang Clan!" Elder Qingyuan explained, a bitter smile on his face.

"Fighting?" Everyone was stunned. "Why weren't we informed...?" Their purpose in coming here was to challenge Zhang Xuan, the Zhang Clan Leader. How could the match just begin without any notice?

"The clan leader went quietly; he didn't inform us..." Elder Qingyuan explained.

"Take us there..." Hearing that the clan leader had already started the match, Luo Qianzhen and the others could no longer restrain themselves.

Luo Qingyuan hurriedly led the way, with everyone following. Before long, they arrived at a spacious courtyard. This courtyard was surrounded by a powerful formation, preventing any power from escaping, like an isolated world. In the center of the ring, two figures stood opposite each other, their aura reaching its peak. It was none other than Clan Leader Luo Tianya and the genius Clan Leader of the Zhang Clan, Zhang Xuan!

"The clan leader didn't inform us, so he must not want us to know," Luo Qingyuan silently transmitted to them, leading them to one side and concealing their presence. "Let's observe quietly first and make sure not to reveal our presence..."

Everyone nodded. A battle had already begun, and they weren't aware. Clearly, the clan leader didn't want them to know the outcome. This was probably for the best. If they lost, it wouldn't be so humiliating. Perhaps the clan leader had this consideration in mind as well.

The two figures on the stage moved. Luo Tianya flipped his palm, and the surrounding space was immediately sealed.

In the sealed space, all movement ceased. The young man opposite seemed trapped in amber, unable to move. Seeing their clan leader, with a single move, unleash the True Sealing Art, everyone's faces flushed with excitement. It seemed he knew the opponent's strength and held nothing back.

However, before their excitement could fully bloom, they heard Zhang Xuan's soft chuckle from across the ring. The figure, originally restrained, took a step forward.

*Whoosh!* The space returned to normal. The next moment, his figure flickered and appeared before Luo Tianya as if by teleportation, a fist shooting out to meet him.

"This is also... the True Sealing Art?" Seeing the technique Zhang Xuan displayed, Luo Qianzhen froze, a look of horror on his face. Although he hadn't comprehended it, he could tell that what this person used was exactly the same as their clan leader's—also the True Sealing Art! Someone from the Zhang Clan could use... the Luo Clan's True Sealing Art? What in the world was going on?

No one answered him. Luo Tianya also seemed to realize the danger; he broke free from the sealing art and met the punch with his own. Fists met, and Luo Tianya's face went pale. He flew straight backward, his back hitting the seal, his face turning ashen.

"So strong?" Everyone was speechless. They had thought that this time, their clan leader would surely defeat Zhang Xuan utterly. They never expected to suffer such a great loss with just one clash...

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!* Feeling somewhat unresigned, Luo Tianya charged forward again, and the two clashed once more. Zhang Xuan, opposite him, seemed to know his attack moves beforehand. After several consecutive moves, Luo Tianya was immediately suppressed, unable to catch his breath. As power was unleashed, the entire ring continuously flashed with light. Violent surges of energy crashed repeatedly, making it seem as if the surrounding seal would collapse at any moment.

"They're both so strong!" Everyone's faces turned pale. Among them, some had strength surpassing Saint 9-dan, but if they were to genuinely fight either of the two, they probably wouldn't last a single move before being defeated.

The techniques displayed by the two clan leaders weren't complicated, nor were their martial arts exaggerated. Yet, every move aligned perfectly with nature, giving a sense of divine inspiration. When they first started fighting, their intentions weren't clear, but after three moves, their true power became apparent.

"Is this how top geniuses fight?" someone murmured. "It truly is beyond what people like us can imagine..." "I never thought the 'Wild Goose Descends on Yellow Sands' move could be used like that; I always thought it was just an ordinary technique..." "Did you notice?" another asked, "Master Zhang seems very familiar with our Luo Clan's martial arts..." "Yes, what's going on?" The more they watched, the more shocked they became. Their previous excitement vanished, replaced by a heavy sense of oppression.