Chapter 1945: I Am Tianya

Practical combat is always the fastest way to improve one's cultivation, no matter where you are.

Normal practical combat can easily lead to death or injury, but here, those problems don't exist. For this very reason, the open tournaments within the Divine Amulet are always cultivators' favorite activity.

Even before arriving, he saw countless people gathered, watching the massive crystal screen before them, each one filled with excitement.

On the screen, two figures were engaged in combat.

Their cultivation levels were both only at Saint Realm 1-dan, but their martial arts and moves differed. They fought fiercely, both showcasing extremely strong control over their martial techniques and combat.

"Shepherd Wind has already won five consecutive matches! How impressive!"

"More than just impressive, his control over martial arts is simply astonishing! Every move is calculated with absolute precision; he's incredibly powerful!"

"I'm definitely no match for him!"

"Watching him fight, one can learn many techniques, and my own strength has increased quite a bit..."

Comments buzzed around.

The Divine Amulet drew people from all over the Higher Heavens, not just because it allowed them to fight without fear of injury, but also because they could observe others' battles and gain profound insights.

Zhang Xuan didn't rush to sign up. Instead, he watched the combatants for a while and couldn't help but nod.

At Saint Realm 1-dan, the martial arts that could be displayed were limited. The battle between the two depended on who had a more precise grasp of timing and who applied their moves more decisively and fiercely.

Having gained some understanding, Zhang Xuan went to the registration desk and handed over his card.

"What's your name... an alias will do too!" the woman in her twenties responsible for arranging the matches asked.

"An alias?" Zhang Xuan pondered.

For this kind of competition, a name or alias was certainly required; otherwise, both duelists wouldn't know who they were fighting, and it would lose its meaning.

"Since the Divine Amulet allows for identity concealment, using 'Zhang Xuan' definitely wouldn't work..." It was just like choosing a username in his previous life; who would be foolish enough to use their real name?

"Yang Xuan, Sun Qiang, Xuan Zhang, Luo Tianya..." He let the fake names he had used before flow through his mind one by one. After a moment, he nodded, "Just call me... Tianya!"

"Tianya?" The woman nodded and quickly wrote it down in the book before her.

It wasn't long before the match was scheduled.

"Tianya, against Silent Wanderer!"

As the name was called, Zhang Xuan walked onto the combat stage.

It was a circular area surrounded by massive crystal screens. Through these screens, the crowd outside could see the detailed situation inside.

His opponent was a slender middle-aged man who, despite having the same strength and cultivation, exuded a powerful sense of oppression.

"I know this Silent Wanderer. Even though it's his first time participating in an open tournament and he has no prior combat experience, his strength is extremely great!"

"That's right, I just chatted with him, and even secretly sparred a few times. Both his reaction speed and movement speed are extremely strong; his true strength is probably at least at the mid-stage of the Void Shattering Realm!"

"So strong? It seems he's not an unknown figure after all!"

"With such a master, this battle will be interesting to watch. I just wonder if Tianya on the other side is as strong!"

"His name sounds weak, he should be very weak..."

"Right, Tianya? What does that even mean?!"

Within the Divine Amulet, although true identities were unknown, during interactions, one could still perceive others' strength, weakness, and status, provided they didn't deliberately conceal it.

Those who had met Silent Wanderer all knew he was a formidable expert.

So... the guy on the other side was definitely in for a rough time.

"Let's begin!" Silent Wanderer coldly glanced at the young man before him, then gave a faint smile. "I won't hold back!"

He wanted to make an impressive showing!

Just like those renowned experts, he aimed for two, three, or even five consecutive wins!

He wanted the title "Silent Wanderer" to resound through every corner of Starfall City!

Zhang Xuan extended his hand, "Go ahead!"

Silent Wanderer darted forward, his feet employing a special footwork that made his figure appear to blur on the stage.

Seeing his opponent make a move, Zhang Xuan nodded again.

Many professions in the Higher Heavens might not be as finely categorized as those on the Master Teacher Continent, but cultivators' comprehension of combat and control over martial arts were far stronger!

Even an average one far surpassed the Master Teachers of the Master Teacher Pavilion; even Battle Masters were far inferior!

The ability to achieve this might be inextricably linked to the Divine Amulet. After all, even the Battle Master Hall couldn't possibly fight continuously without regard for injury.

"I can't win too quickly," he thought, "otherwise, it will be hard to find the next opponent..."

In an instant, a plan formed in his mind.

Although his opponent's moves were profound, for him, even without needing the Library of Heaven's Path, he instantly spotted at least seven or eight flaws; winning would be effortless.

But this was an open tournament. If he won in one move, it would be hard to find an opponent for the second match. How would he double his earnings then?

No money meant his injuries wouldn't heal, and his newly taken tenth disciple might not even survive the night.

Understanding this, Zhang Xuan's body swayed, and he moved to meet his opponent.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

In the blink of an eye, they were locked in combat.

"Huh? This Tianya doesn't look weak either!"

"Was Silent Wanderer just using the Sky-Shattering Footwork? Can a Saint Realm 1-dan cultivator really use this level of martial art?"

"This is... Floating Willow Palm? How can it have such an effect?"

"These two peak-level moves were both actually dodged by this Tianya. Is it luck or... does he really have strength?"

As the battle began, what everyone initially thought would be a one-sided situation shifted. Everyone's eyes widened, filled with disbelief.

Silent Wanderer was as formidable as anticipated, every move possessing unique power. But Tianya on the other side, despite using ordinary moves, managed to evade every attack and even found opportunities to counterattack!

This was terrifying!

If it were luck, it wouldn't be possible to narrowly avoid every attack. But if it were strength... how strong would he have to be to move with such ease?

"Look quickly! Tianya is about to counterattack!" someone suddenly shouted.

For the past dozen or so moves, Silent Wanderer had been on the offensive while Tianya was forced to defend, but now the situation had changed.

As Silent Wanderer's continuous attacks yielded no results, he became restless and agitated, while Tianya gradually took control of the entire battle's rhythm.

Just then, Zhang Xuan feinted to the left, and immediately after, his right hand suddenly shot forward to strike.

Silent Wanderer seemed to have seen through his move and didn't fall for the trick, his left hand coming up to meet it.

Just as their palms were about to meet, Zhang Xuan's right hand lightly brushed past, and his left hand emerged from his sleeve, reaching his opponent's chest before he realized it.

The previous move was still a feint!

"Turning feints into real attacks... Even the City Lord of Starfall City couldn't do that, could he?"

"Being able to do that... A few years ago, I saw the City Lord use this move in an open tournament. It was clearly a feint, but if you didn't guard against it, it became a real attack; if you guarded against it, it remained a feint. Feint or real, it was all in a single thought. Countless people have wanted to learn this move but couldn't. I practiced for three whole years with no results... and this Tianya actually used it directly?"

"That's terrifying! I take back what I said earlier; this Tianya is definitely a master!"

"Practicing 'transforming feints into real attacks' so skillfully, could this guy be the City Lord in disguise?"

"How could that be? I know the City Lord's alias in the open tournaments, and it's not this one at all. Besides, the City Lord's combat record includes countless victories; he wouldn't disguise himself as a nobody who hasn't even participated once!"

The move of 'transforming feints into real attacks', although it sounded simple, not many in Starfall City could achieve it. How could it not shock people when a guy whose name they had never heard before actually performed it?

Silent Wanderer retreated repeatedly, blood at the corner of his mouth.

Although people within the amulet wouldn't truly die, after being injured, they would still feel pain and vomit blood, and it would be a huge blow to their confidence.

"I lost..." Knowing that continuing would only result in a worse defeat, Silent Wanderer immediately conceded.

He had originally hoped to gain fame in one go, but unexpectedly lost in his very first match.

Zhang Xuan nodded, then heard the woman's voice from outside ring out, "Do you wish to continue fighting, or challenge next time?"

After winning a match, one could choose to continue or forfeit.

Zhang Xuan smiled faintly, "Proceed with the second match!"

The previous battle, although it had cost some energy, wasn't significant. Having come specifically to earn money through challenge matches, it was naturally impossible for him to just leave like that.

Soon, the second opponent was arranged. This time, it wasn't a novice, but a young man who had participated in many matches and had a nearly even win-loss record.

His opponent seemed to know how formidable the person before him was and charged forward immediately, frequently employing various techniques.

Zhang Xuan dodged repeatedly.

"It's the Hair's Breadth Step!"

Seeing his evasive maneuvers, those below gasped in surprise again.

"The Hair's Breadth Step is a technique for dodging an opponent's attacks, narrowly avoiding them by just a hair's breadth each time. Doing this saves stamina and allows for better offense, but it's also extremely dangerous; a slight misstep will lead to severe injury! This guy not only used 'transforming feints into real attacks', but also actually used this kind of move?"

"This can't be achieved without decades of arduous training, right?!"

"Not just hard to achieve, it's practically impossible to accomplish at all!"

"I have a cousin who deeply admires the Hair's Breadth Step. He has practiced it for thirty whole years, yet he still doesn't dare to use it in combat. This isn't just about precise control over strength; more importantly, it requires an extremely calm state of mind, the ability to remain unfazed even if Mount Tai collapses. Otherwise, it's simply impossible to achieve!"

Many people were already speechless.

Based solely on 'transforming feints into real attacks' and the Hair's Breadth Step, this Tianya was definitely a super expert.

Unaware of the shock in the audience, Zhang Xuan also didn't take long with his second opponent; after ten moves, he easily defeated him.

Seeing his opponent retreat and the third match begin, Zhang Xuan finally breathed a sigh of relief, very satisfied with his performance.

"I must have disguised myself well; others probably haven't seen my true strength. This way, the subsequent matches will be much easier... Suppressing my strength and only using less than one-twentieth of it, to be honest... it's quite tough..."

Shaking his head, he looked again at the third opponent who came up: a woman in green robes.