Chapter 613: Sword Competition

Wei Changqing was truly going mad. He had just specifically instructed his Azure Spirit Beast to be obedient and resist the opponent's taming, promising all sorts of rewards for doing so. Yet, in the blink of an eye, it had betrayed him like a fawning dog. Was this some kind of joke?

The crucial part was, if the other person had offered something truly irresistible, like higher-grade spirit beast blood, he might have understood. But it was just a slap! And such a disrespectful attitude...

Where was the pride he had felt when he tamed it? Where was its dignity?

"Azure Spirit, what are you doing? Have you forgotten that you're my spirit beast...?" The more he thought, the angrier he became. He roared and charged forward. "You're *my* spirit beast, yet you're kneeling before someone else, and flattering them like that! This is simply intolerable!"

Before he could even reach it, a massive hoof appeared before him. Kicked squarely, Wei Changqing flew backward, his face covered in blood, and landed headfirst on the ground.

"You..." Wei Changqing was furious. The one who had attacked him was none other than his own beast pet, the Azure Spirit Beast. This beast had completely betrayed him; he'd run over to scold it, only to be kicked down. He had spent two years taming it, and the cost incurred was enough to buy an entire city! And this was the result... Wei Changqing couldn't hold back any longer and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

Brother, he really just came here to regain his dignity...

"This... it's tamed?"

"Tamed with a slap?"

As Wei Changqing coughed up blood, the onlookers also felt their minds reeling, as if they were going crazy. Was this witchcraft, or just pure madness? Master Zhang had merely slapped it, and the Azure Spirit Beast submissively recognized him as its master, even discarding its original owner and kicking him away... It felt like a dream.

"This is... Master Zhang's beat-them-into-submission beast taming method?" Hall Master Kang, Master Su, and the others also twitched their mouths. They had heard Zhao Ya mention Master Zhang's methods in beast taming before, but they simply hadn't dared to believe it. Now, seeing it with their own eyes, they realized it was even more terrifying than what they'd heard. Beating a spirit beast until it submitted, to the point of disowning its original owner—what kind of principle was this?

"How embarrassing!" The elders of the Violetgold Sect once again covered their foreheads.

"Ahem, no need to bow anymore. I accept you as my beast pet!" Seeing the Azure Spirit Beast kick Wei Changqing away and continue bowing incessantly, as if fearing he would refuse, Zhang Xuan nodded.

Hearing his acceptance, the Azure Spirit Beast stood up triumphantly. It went to stand beside the Demonic Comet Beast, looking like an excited junior follower, indescribably thrilled. It then cast a glance full of arrogance at the blood-soaked Wei Changqing.

Wei Changqing clutched his chest, his heart aching with resentment. At this moment, he finally understood why Master Zhang had repeatedly asked if he wanted to continue. It wasn't because he feared losing, but because... he feared Wei Changqing would lose too embarrassingly. If he had known this would happen, what dignity was he trying to reclaim? He should have listened to the sect elders and simply admitted defeat. Now, his storage ring was snatched, his only beast pet had rebelled; before the match, he had been quite wealthy, but before the match even ended, he had become a pauper...

"Did I win?" As he was feeling dejected, he heard Master Zhang's voice ring out again: "If you don't think this counts, we can have another match..."

"No more matches! I'd rather die than compete again... I surrender!" Wei Changqing quickly shook his head, his face pale with fright. Compete again? He was already so miserable after one match; if he competed again, he feared he wouldn't survive.

"Yaochen, give his things back!" Seeing him surrender, Zhang Xuan smiled faintly and waved his hand.

"Roar?" The Demonic Comet Beast looked aggrieved, but eventually tossed the jade bottle and storage ring back.

"This..." Wei Changqing was stunned. These items had been snatched by the spirit beast when he failed to tame it. Logically, he deserved it, and even if they weren't returned, no one would object. Yet, Master Zhang hadn't confiscated them, instead telling the beast to return them. He found it hard to believe.

"Yaochen doesn't understand etiquette and has offended you," Zhang Xuan said calmly. "It wasn't easy for you to collect these treasures, so they should be returned to their rightful owner."

"Master Zhang..." Wei Changqing's eyes reddened, and his face turned pale. This was what a true master was! To win against the other party, he had resorted to many despicable tactics. Yet, the other party, knowing full well, had calmly accepted them. After fairly defeating him, Master Zhang not only didn't get angry but also returned the items he had won... This cultivation, this magnanimity, made him feel like a pathetic clown, humble and ridiculous.

"From now on, I am Master Zhang's loyal follower. Anyone who dares to speak ill of him, I will dedicate my entire life to making them apologize!" Clenching his fists, Wei Changqing swore an oath in his heart.

Powerful masters had students and followers. These followers, driven by faith, remained behind them, spreading their reputation and nurturing future generations. To achieve renown across the world, such followers were indispensable. Zhang Xuan hadn't expected that a casual remark would win him the allegiance of a Four-star Master.

With Wei Changqing's surrender, Zhang Xuan successfully advanced. At this time, results had come in from the other arenas as well, and the top eight contestants were announced. Luo Xuan and Liao Wuzhi, the two most acclaimed geniuses, were among them. What surprised Zhang Xuan was that Song Chao was also on the list. It seemed that while the fellow was somewhat foolish when encountering him, he wasn't completely incompetent and possessed real skill. Young Master Ruohuan, with Song Chao's help, also secured a spot. However, Zhang Xuan knew it would be difficult for him to win further matches, so he didn't pay much more attention.

"Alright, now we will proceed with the quarter-finals. The top eight masters, please proceed to your respective arenas. In Arena A, Jun Ruohuan of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance will face Luo Xuan of the Flowing Cloud Sect. In Arena B, Bi Jianghai of the River Gaze Sect will face Song Chao of the Frigid Green Sect... And in Arena D, Zhang Xuan of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance will face Liao Wuzhi of the Chill Sect!" Master Hong announced the next round of matches.

"Liao Wuzhi?" Hearing his opponent's name, Zhang Xuan paused. He had heard this name before; Liao Wuzhi was a super genius second only to Luo Xuan, and once a favorite to win the championship. He hadn't expected to encounter him so early, in the quarter-finals.

"Master Zhang, you must be careful of Liao Wuzhi. I've watched all his previous matches; they were almost exclusively duels, and each time he crushed his opponent!" Master Su approached: "Just in the last match, against another contestant from the White Sun Sect, he struck him three times with his sword, leaving his opponent unable to lift his arm and forcing him to surrender!"

"Three strikes?"

"Yes, three strikes were already the most he's used in a match. In the first round, he didn't even draw his sword, knocking his opponent unconscious with just the scabbard..." Master Su's expression was grim.

Zhang Xuan had also been competing during Liao Wuzhi's matches, so he hadn't really watched his fights.

"If my guess is correct... although he's only at the peak of the Turbid Purity realm, his true strength is in no way inferior to someone at the Half-Spirit Convergence realm!" Master Su continued.

Zhang Xuan nodded. To possess strength comparable to the Half-Spirit Convergence realm while only at the peak of the Turbid Purity realm—this Liao Wuzhi was indeed formidable. One must know that masters were inherently invincible within their own cultivation level. For someone a full realm lower to surpass a higher-level master, their combat power was truly astonishing.

"It's starting!" After exchanging a few more words, Zhang Xuan saw his opponent step onto the arena and, without hesitation, walked up himself. At this moment, Liao Wuzhi's aura also burned at its peak, his entire being like a sharp sword gleam, ready to be unsheathed at any moment.

"Master Zhang, I challenge your swordsmanship! Please enlighten me!" Seeing him arrive at the arena, Liao Wuzhi's gaze swept over him.

"Alright, I just learned a sword art a while ago and haven't had a chance to try it out yet," Zhang Xuan smiled faintly. What he said about not having tried it wasn't modesty; it was the truth. He hadn't fought anyone with it, nor had he even practiced it. In other words, since he learned this sword art, it had only existed as a mental simulation; it had never been put into practice. He wasn't even sure of its exact power. It was precisely the enhanced version of the Heaven's Path Sword Art he had cultivated mentally on his way to the Glacial Palace. The initial Heaven's Path Sword and Spear Arts he learned were about moves. What he organized later was mostly about intent. With different intents, the same moves could have vastly different powers. This was precisely why he could cultivate it in his mind, without even needing to hold a longsword and practice move by move. Learning a sword art, yet never practicing it, nor even knowing its power... throughout history, he was likely the only one so peculiar.

"Master Hong, I have an impolite request!" Seeing his opponent agree, Liao Wuzhi smiled slightly and looked towards Master Hong, who was not far away.

"Speak!" Master Hong nodded.

"I wish for my match with Master Zhang not to be seen by others. Would it be possible to grant this?" Liao Wuzhi said.

"Not be seen? Yes, that can be arranged!" Master Hong nodded. Every master had their own secrets, especially concerning martial arts combat. In an evenly matched fight, they preferred not to be observed, as no one wanted to reveal their trump cards to everyone. Therefore, his request was reasonable. As for victory or defeat, if one truly lost, even without spectators, they wouldn't dare deny it. Master Hong flicked his finger, and a mist once again rose over Arena C. Just as before, it obscured the view from everyone's eyes, making it impossible for even Spirit Convergence realm experts to peer through.

"What a pity, we won't get to see this intense battle!"

"Indeed. Master Liao Wuzhi's swordsmanship is profound, and Master Zhang, needless to say, is unfathomable. We waited for so long, thinking we'd be mesmerized and learn much, but they're not letting us watch... It's so frustrating!"

"So, who do you think will win between these two?"

"I think it'll be Master Zhang. He's faced almost no opponents who could withstand a single move. While Master Liao is powerful, I don't think he's a match."

"I disagree. Master Liao's mastery of swordsmanship is practically invincible at his level. You've seen his previous matches; almost no one could block him. I'm afraid that while Master Zhang's fist and palm techniques are impressive, his swordsmanship might still be lacking."

As they were discussing, someone in the crowd shouted, "Quiet! Their match... it might have already begun!" Immediately afterward, the guards and soldiers holding longswords around them felt their weapons vibrate involuntarily, as if they would fly into the air at any moment.

"It's... the Myriad Swords Resonating, Dragon Roar Soaring to the Heavens! Which one of them... has reached the Sword Heart realm?"