Chapter 2048: Choosing the Method of Death

"That's enough!" Zhang Xuan was delighted to see over twenty thousand Tong Shen Coins on his card.

He had worried that his overwhelming strength would intimidate the cultivators of the Tong Shen Hall, discouraging further challenges. It seemed he had overthought things; there were still plenty of good people around.

"Would you like to continue challenging?" an elder from the Tong Shen Hall, who was overseeing the arena, asked.

"No, thank you..." Zhang Xuan smiled faintly, waved his hand, and stepped off the stage.

"Hold on..." A figure blocked his path. "I want to challenge you!"

It was Sect Master Kui Xiao, who had been watching from below. The Grand Elder's defeat had ignited his competitive spirit. He had just finished announcing his name when he saw Zhang Xuan preparing to leave without another match. Unable to restrain himself, he leapt onto the stage.

"I have other things to do..." With enough money now, Zhang Xuan had lost his motivation and simply waved him off.

"Fight me before you leave! I want to see how high your true cultivation really is..." Sect Master Kui Xiao's eyebrows shot up as he shook his arms, unleashing immortal energy that enveloped Zhang Xuan's path. Given that his opponent had easily defeated Elder Hongwu and the Grand Elder, a unique idea had formed in his mind.

"No time..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. He was eager to deliver the money and join the Seven Star Tower group on their journey to the Sea of Star Chasing, so he couldn't afford to linger.

"Then let's fight!" Sect Master Kui Xiao snorted coldly and struck with a palm. Though his palm technique lacked the imposing aura of the Dragon Transformation Palm, it was exquisitely precise. Each move seemed to target a point where Zhang Xuan would be forced to counter, knowing that even a moment's hesitation would lead to injury.

Zhang Xuan frowned slightly and took a small, diagonal step to the side. That single small step immediately nullified Sect Master Kui Xiao's attack.

"Excellent skill!" Sect Master Kui Xiao's eyes lit up. No wonder he could so easily defeat the Grand Elder. To neutralize his attack so simply, turning the complex into nothing, was completely unexpected, even for him. An outsider would surely think it was merely a diagonal step, not warranting such astonishment! But as the one who performed the palm technique, he knew full well that the previous move had 136 subsequent variations. Regardless of the opponent's response, there was a corresponding attack designed to put them at a disadvantage with no chance of recovery. Yet, Zhang Xuan's step landed in a position precisely outside those variations. He had even, by chance, stepped into the very point where the technique's energy circulated, effectively preventing Kui Xiao's power from fully manifesting. The technique was, naturally, nullified! Dodging an attack and nullifying a technique, all completed effortlessly in a single motion... The opponent's understanding and application of combat were simply astounding.

"If you're so determined to fight," Zhang Xuan said, frowning as he saw Kui Xiao unleash another move to block his exit, "and you lose, you'll owe me 2,560 Tong Shen Coins." He had initially feared his strength would deter challengers, preventing him from earning money. He hadn't expected this opponent to be so "hospitable," insisting on keeping him.

"If you can beat me, I'll give you ten thousand Tong Shen Coins!" Sect Master Kui Xiao snorted coldly. Tong Shen Coins were just currency to him. As a sect master who had lived for nearly two centuries, he had accumulated an untold fortune! As long as his opponent was willing to compete, money was not an issue!

"Ten thousand?" Zhang Xuan paused. "How could I possibly accept that much..." A regular match only yielded 2,560 coins, but this man was offering four times that amount, leaving Zhang Xuan somewhat taken aback.

"Win first, then we'll talk..." *Whoosh!* Seeing Zhang Xuan's complacent expression, as if he had already won, Sect Master Kui Xiao's face turned ashen. Furious to the point of exploding, he roared and unleashed his palm force, which surged like a gale, doubling its previous speed.

With a slight sway, Zhang Xuan dodged every one of Kui Xiao's moves. Stroking his chin, he looked over. "Since you're losing so much, I won't take advantage of you... How about this: you can choose the manner of your defeat!"

"Huh?" Sect Master Kui Xiao froze, nearly fainting. Let *him* choose the manner of his defeat? What did that even mean? Was Zhang Xuan implying he was absolutely certain of victory? And that he could defeat him in *any* way he chose? What kind of joke was this?!

"Don't get too excited," Zhang Xuan explained with a smile, noticing Kui Xiao's expression. "You're strong, so the ways to defeat you are somewhat limited..." The customer was king, especially when they offered ten thousand coins at once! In this era, it was all about service, so he naturally had to provide a unique experience.

"Limited?" Sect Master Kui Xiao was on the verge of grinding his teeth to dust. He was going insane. From Zhang Xuan's tone, it seemed that despite his own strength, Zhang Xuan still had several methods to defeat him. "Fine," he thought, "I'd like to see how you do it!"

He was so exasperated he was about to explode. Just as he was about to speak, the young man opposite him continued.

"Yes, roughly one hundred and seventy-three methods..." Zhang Xuan listed. "There's a punch to the head, a palm strike to sever the neck, sword qi piercing the throat, a kick to shatter the heart... To put it simply, I have physical attacks for a decisive defeat, and also mental ones. Which one would you prefer? I can accommodate you!"

"One hundred and seventy-three methods?!" Sect Master Kui Xiao nearly spat out blood. He had thought even one or two methods would be incredibly outlandish. But to list so many at once... Was he serious? On the continent, those capable of defeating him were few and far between; even among those of the same cultivation level, there weren't many... Yet here was someone fighting him *and* letting him choose the method of his defeat... Where in the world did this guy come from?!

"If you're so capable, then kill me in one move!" Annoyed by the chatter, Kui Xiao rolled both palms simultaneously and pressed them forward. It was his strongest martial skill: Rushing Thunder Cloud Suppressor! As his palms churned like thunder, the technique, when fully mastered, could shatter lightning and restrain clouds. He rarely used this move; among those of the same level within his sect, no one could withstand a single strike. The man before him was simply too arrogant, so Kui Xiao couldn't help but unleash it.

*Whoosh!* His two palms descended like colossal mountains, crushing everything in their path. The surrounding space seemed to be completely confined, making it impossible for anyone enveloped by the attack, no matter how powerful, to escape.

"You want to die in one move? Simple!" The young man opposite, seemingly unfazed by the attack's power, smiled faintly and struck suddenly. His palm seemed soft and weak, like a gentle breeze. Rushing Thunder Cloud Suppressor could restrain even clouds, but it couldn't restrain the wind! At that moment, Zhang Xuan was like a clear breeze; no matter how high or solid a mountain, a breeze could easily soar above it, unhindered.

Before Kui Xiao's two palms could even reach Zhang Xuan, Zhang Xuan's hand was already above his head. Sect Master Kui Xiao's vision went black, and in the next instant, his head... sunk into his chest cavity.

*Thud!* The corpse fell to the ground.

"Another one who wanted to be killed in a single move... What a peculiar request!" After forcing the head into the chest, Zhang Xuan said nothing further. He shook his head and walked off the arena.

To be honest, this fellow's strength was quite good. He had put a certain amount of pressure on Zhang Xuan, even without the latter resorting to his Library. However, having been ambushed by powerful cultivators from the Divine Temple, Zhang Xuan's understanding of combat had deepened significantly. Now, even without the Library, virtually no one at the same cultivation level could contend with him. This was his true strength and the reason he dared to participate in the open competition.