Chapter 1956: Infinite repeating decimal

True masters abide by the rules. It's only natural to operate within them. This fellow, however, clearly disregarded the rules.

Xue Qian cast a cold glance at his daughter, knowing this whole situation must have been her doing. Otherwise, there was no way he would have deliberately targeted her.

"Excellent, let's begin…"

Hearing the acceptance, Zhang Xuan smiled, leaping back onto the arena. "Please, begin!"

"This wager of ours is not a public match; it demands absolute fairness and justice. Therefore, the stakes are life and death!" Xue Qian approached, not rushing to act, his voice cold. "If I lose, I'll give you 400,000 Transcendent Coins. But... if I win, I demand to know your true identity! Furthermore, you must personally come to the City Lord's Mansion and apologize to me and my daughter!"

As long as he knew the other party's identity, an apology wouldn't be enough. Given his power and influence, he wouldn't rest until the man was dead.

"Agreed!"

Zhang Xuan nodded.

"Then, let's each present our stakes for verification."

Xue Qian flicked a finger, sending a Transcendent Card flying from his grasp to land before the woman in charge of registration. A flash of light confirmed the card held a massive sum of 400,000 coins, meeting the wager's conditions.

Seeing his straightforwardness, Zhang Xuan also didn't bother with idle chatter. He flicked a finger, and information representing his identity and location appeared before the woman. Another flash of light indicated the information was correct. While the Transcendent Jade Token could conceal one's identity, the Transcendent Hall could verify the user's identity based on the token's location and blood signature. It was akin to tracing an internet user via their IP address.

"Let's begin!"

With the wager confirmed, Xue Qian no longer hesitated. He leapt to the weapon rack, and a long saber appeared in his palm. His true mastery lay not with the sword, but the saber!

"Since this is a contest, I won't take advantage of you. If you use a saber... I'll use a saber as well!"

Zhang Xuan bent down and retrieved a similar long saber.

"He can use a saber too?"

"His sword art is so brilliant; wouldn't using a saber be abandoning his strength?"

Everyone was taken aback. After nine consecutive matches, everyone knew that Tianya was a master swordsman, even more formidable than the disciples of the Lingyun Sword Pavilion! To be skilled in swordsmanship yet opt for a saber... was he mad?

"You're asking for death!"

Before, when the opponent demonstrated his sword-throwing technique, Xue Qian, though confident, had felt some apprehension. But now, seeing him choose a saber... Xue Qian immediately sneered. Sabers and swords possess somewhat opposing attributes: one light and agile, the other heavy and forceful. Typically, a master of the sword is only average with a saber, and vice-versa. It's rare to find someone exceptionally skilled with both.

"Since your swordplay is so brilliant, yet you abandon your strength to use a weakness, then I'll show you my true power!"

*Whoosh!*

With a flick of his wrist, the long saber immediately emitted a blade aura over a zhang long, which instantly transformed into shimmering silver threads, completely sealing off the opponent's front, back, left, and right. Simultaneously, it condensed into a chilling energy that slashed down towards the young man nearby!

Elder Lu Yun's expression tightened. "No wonder he became a City Lord; he truly is extraordinary!" His opponent's saber technique, though seemingly simple, actually integrated both offense and defense. It contained forty-nine variations, ensuring that no matter how the opponent attacked, they would be constrained or even suffer a counterattack. Such a formidable move meant that even Elder Lu Yun, at the same level, would only be able to temporarily evade its edge, not daring to meet it head-on.

"That's the City Lord's 'Snowy Night Silver Light'!"

"They say City Lord Xue created this saber art when he was twenty-seven, inspired by the sight of a full moon over a snow-covered landscape!"

"This saber technique, like a full moon illuminating the earth, leaves no place to hide. City Lord Xue used this very move to sweep through the Transcendent Hall, rendering him almost unbeatable!"

"He unleashed this move right at the start. Can Tianya withstand it?"

Everyone who could afford a Transcendent Jade Token to enter this place was a master. While far inferior to Zhang Xuan, they still possessed keen eyesight. The moment Xue Qian unleashed his move, they knew it was extraordinary. Tianya, facing him, would certainly not have an easy time.

"Indeed, a fine move..."

Like the others, Zhang Xuan was also somewhat surprised, his brow furrowed in contemplation. "Should I... use one-tenth of my strength, or one-fifth?" After all, this opponent wasn't like the previous weaklings who could be effortlessly dispatched. One-tenth of his strength might not be enough to withstand the attack, but one-fifth... that might be too much power, potentially killing him instantly! Instantly killing a City Lord right at the start... That wouldn't look good. No one would dare to challenge him again, effectively cutting off his source of easy money! He had to be subtle this time!

"Never mind... I'll use one-eighth of my strength for a while, then find an opportunity to finish him."

Knowing there wasn't much time to waste, he quickly made a decision, and the long saber in Zhang Xuan's hand immediately met the attack. There were no dazzling colors or incredibly complex moves. The long saber in his hand appeared unremarkable, yet every single stroke blocked the opponent's assault, fending off all the chilling gleams and silver threads. In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged over twenty moves.

"Elder, who do you think will win?" Not very familiar with saber techniques, Yun Feiyang and the others all turned to look.

"Barring any unforeseen circumstances, City Lord Xue is going to win!" Elder Lu Yun nodded.

"He's going to win?"

"Yes, Tianya, while appearing undefeated and capable of blocking all of his opponent's moves, clearly lacks sufficient power because his primary skill is with the sword. City Lord Xue's saber technique, on the other hand, is both agile and weighty. With each subsequent strike, the power of his saber intensifies, already possessing earth-shattering might. If he allows it to reach its peak, even I wouldn't dare to confront it directly!" Elder Lu Yun displayed an admiring expression. It was no surprise he had become a City Lord, possessing abilities far beyond the reach of ordinary people.

"I see…" Yun Feiyang and the others suddenly understood. With this explanation, they could also see it. At this moment, the high platform appeared to have transformed into a realm of swirling blizzards, exuding bone-chilling cold. With each continuous saber strike, the power intensified, becoming heavier and heavier, and the arena itself seemed to be struggling to bear the force, showing cracks.

"So powerful!"

Unlike the shock of the onlookers, Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up. He had thought his opponent could at most withstand one-tenth of his strength. To his surprise, even with one-eighth of his power, he couldn't gain the slightest upper hand! Even with one-seventh, it was still a tough match! Only with one-sixth of his strength could he fight on equal terms. To be able to withstand such power from him, this opponent was arguably the first true master he had encountered since arriving in the Firmament... even though he had only fully awakened less than a day ago.

While Zhang Xuan was filled with excitement, Xue Qian, on the other hand, felt a growing chill in his heart the longer the fight continued. This saber technique, as others had said, was indeed inspired by a snowy landscape. Like a snowball rolling downhill, the more it accumulated, the more powerful it became! As he continued to execute the saber technique, the accumulated power was almost becoming unbearable even for him. He had expected to effortlessly cut down this fellow, but he never imagined that the opponent's strength was also growing increasingly potent. His hand was numb from the vibrations, and blood was already trickling from the web of his thumb and forefinger!

"Die!"

Realizing that continuing might not only prevent him from winning but also lead to his defeat due to his mounting injuries, Xue Qian let out a roar and fiercely shook his long saber. *Buzz! Buzz!* The saber qi he had accumulated instantly converged, forming a massive vortex. The true strength of this 'Snowy Night Silver Light' technique lay not just in its increasing power accumulation, but in how each strike left behind residual saber qi. When these residual qi gathered, they would instantly elevate the entire saber technique to a new level, undergoing a qualitative transformation and leap!

"If you have any ultimate moves, unleash them now. Otherwise, it's a dead end for you…" As the vortex formed, Xue Qian let out a sigh of relief, then a cold snort.

"Ultimate move?" Seeing that his opponent's move had indeed become much more powerful, and that even one-sixth of his strength wasn't quite enough to block it, Zhang Xuan had no choice but to stop and flick the long saber in his hand. "Never mind, I'll use this move then!"

After a moment of thought, considering that the Heavenly Dao Saber Art he had previously cultivated was too powerful, Zhang Xuan gently flicked his finger. The long saber immediately floated in the air, emitting a heart-pounding aura, just like the long sword had before.

"A saber... can also be thrown?" Yun Feiyang and the others were dumbfounded. At this point, they realized that the opponent clearly intended to throw the saber, just as he had thrown the sword earlier. Sabers and swords have different weights. Could throwing it like this really work?

Before their doubts could subside, the saber flashed like a streak of lightning, followed by a mournful wail from the air.

*Whoosh!*

The long saber had already appeared directly in front of Xue Qian. His face flushed red, and he hastily tried to block, only to find his strike met empty air.

*Thud!*

The long saber plunged into his head, passing straight through. Although the saber passed through his head, Xue Qian's own strength had reached the Void-Shattering realm, and his spirit was robust. Thus, his physical body did not immediately disintegrate into specks of light.

"You... you could have won this whole time?" Filled with disbelief, Xue Qian struggled to look over, his eyes wide and almost bulging from their sockets. He had long known that his opponent's greatest skill was throwing swords. He hadn't thrown his weapon until now, assuming that using a saber meant he couldn't throw it as he did a sword. He never dreamed it would be just as effortless... This saber was so incredibly powerful that even his long-accumulated strength couldn't withstand it. If Zhang Xuan had deployed it instantly, it would have been utterly indefensible... In other words, the opponent could have instantly killed him with his very first move, yet he had deliberately dragged out the fight until now.

"Indeed. But winning with just one move... wouldn't that be unfair to the 400,000 Transcendent Coins you've lost? Fighting for a bit longer, perhaps you'd be happier…" Having his intentions revealed, Zhang Xuan felt a little sheepish.

*Cough...* Blood gushed from his mouth, and Xue Qian went insane. "Happier, my foot! If you truly wanted to make me happy, you should have been more subtle and claimed you used your full strength! Now, saying this in front of so many people, is this supposed to make me happy or infuriated? This is deliberate humiliation!"

On the verge of collapsing, he could no longer hold back. "I admit defeat wholeheartedly, but I could also tell you weren't using your full strength. I must ask, exactly how much power did you unleash?" His opponent had definitely not used his full strength; otherwise, his power wouldn't have gradually increased in response to Xue Qian's attacks.

"How much did I use?" Seeing the longing in his opponent's eyes, Zhang Xuan paused, then, out of respect, sincerely told the truth.

"One point six six six six six... infinitely repeating after the decimal point!"