Chapter 803: True Marksmanship

In a past life, I once saw an image depicting a small figure holding a 40-meter-long saber, arrogantly declaring, "Let my opponent run 39 meters first!"

Zhang Xuan felt exactly like that now.

Over ten feather duster handles were joined together, measuring over ten meters, like a flag pole. His opponent's long spear, at this moment, seemed as short as a fire poker.

With such a long weapon in hand, how could he possibly be afraid?

"Then let's begin!"

With a loud shout, Ying Qin stomped his foot violently and charged straight forward.

Zhang Xuan's weapon was so long that if Ying Qin could just get within fifteen meters, he would be in an unbeatable position.

Just like how Zhang Xuan had whipped him with the feather duster earlier, wouldn't the fellow then be at his mercy?

"Want to get close? It's not that easy!"

Seeing his speed, Zhang Xuan knew his intentions. He smiled faintly, swayed his body, and executed the Heaven's Path Movement Art. Like a phantom, he instantly retreated over ten meters, and with a flick of the feather duster in his hand, thrust it straight forward.

The ten-meter-long bamboo pole wasn't as flexible as a spear, nor as fast as a saber or sword. But for some reason, it precisely pointed to the path Ying Qin had to take.

In other words, if Ying Qin wanted to get close, he couldn't dodge it at all and might even run straight into it!

"Damn it!"

Ying Qin's face darkened. He twisted his body, dodged the opponent's attack, and tried to circle around from another direction. Before he could get far, he saw the bamboo pole point towards him again.

This time, its speed was faster than before, aimed at one of his acupoints, forcing him to defend.

"Hmph!"

Leaping backward, he dodged the attack. Ying Qin then rushed to one side again.

The burst of true qi from a Half-Dimension Bridge Realm peak expert made his speed like a swimming dragon.

But... though he was fast, the opponent's bamboo pole was faster. Every time he tried to get in, he was lightly pointed away, as if Zhang Xuan could predict his intended direction of attack and his chosen path.

Although the bamboo pole was long, its defense was impenetrable, making it impossible to break through.

"This..."

Young Master Ruohuan and the others all swallowed hard, their eyes wide with disbelief.

They had originally thought that if Ying Qin didn't suppress his cultivation, Master Zhang would surely find it difficult to contend. They never dreamed that a bamboo pole made from feather duster handles could suppress the opponent to the point where he couldn't even get close, only allowing him to circle and hover over ten meters away.

Even if Zhang Xuan didn't win this way, he was at least in an unbeatable position.

"Didn't you notice, this doesn't really look like a fight!"

After a moment of shock, someone in the crowd blurted out.

"Yeah!" Luo Xuan frowned, thought for a moment, and couldn't help but say, "It's like... playing with a monkey?"

"I think so too..."

Young Master Ruohuan also nodded.

Everyone nodded in unison.

In their eyes, Ying Qin, who had just been as imposing as a dragon, now looked like a monkey being played with. Zhang Xuan stood still, merely pointing with the bamboo pole, causing Ying Qin to jump, and then circle inwards.

However, before he could charge in, the bamboo pole would point again, and he would jump once more...

This repeated over and over.

There was no difference from a monkey being teased on the street.

Treating a famous genius from the fourth grade like a monkey...

Master Zhang was too incredible!

Especially Luo Xuan, Young Master Ruohuan, and others who had previously compared themselves to him, were now all swallowing their saliva, unable to utter a word.

This level of strength was beyond their reach, even with ten more years of cultivation!

"Damn it!"

As the crowd below realized this, Ying Qin also understood, so angry that he nearly ground his teeth to dust.

He had thought that with Zhang Xuan holding a long weapon, as long as he got close, Zhang Xuan would be helpless. But he never expected... that every strike from Zhang Xuan's 'spear' would target a spot he had to defend, yet found difficult to defend.

In other words... he couldn't get close at all!

His spear was only a little over two meters long, while the opponent was over ten meters away. How was he supposed to fight?

Wasn't it supposed to be an advantage to wield a shorter weapon?

Why was it that this time, with Zhang Xuan's weapon so long, Ying Qin still gained no advantage?

"If this continues, not only will I be unable to win, but I'll be laughed to death!"

Hearing the murmurs from below the stage, Ying Qin's face turned grim.

If he couldn't break through the ten-meter distance, he wouldn't be able to harm the opponent, let alone fight.

He couldn't really let himself be treated like a monkey!

"This long pole of his is made of connected bamboo poles. It's not indestructible. If I risk injury, I can definitely shatter it!"

As he moved around, he pondered.

Continuing to fight like this, he couldn't win. The top priority was to find a way to get close. And the only way was... that these bamboo poles weren't sturdy. With the power of the Half-Dimension Bridge Realm, he could easily shred them into dust with his true qi.

"That's it then!"

Gritting his teeth and ignoring everything else, his true qi surged wildly, protecting his chest. With raised eyebrows, he no longer cared where the opponent's bamboo pole pointed and suddenly charged forward.

Crack! Snap!

Indeed, as the bamboo pole collided with him, it was instantly ground to dust by his raging true qi.

The bamboo pole was over ten meters long, so true qi couldn't be channeled all the way through it. And with his Half-Dimension Bridge Realm peak strength, breaking it was effortless.

"Oh no..."

"That's cheating..."

Everyone's faces showed anxiety.

Master Zhang used the bamboo pole to give him an advantage, but Ying Qin shamelessly shattered it. It was clearly a deliberate act of cheating!

"Now that I'm close, let's see how you'll dodge!"

After shattering the bamboo pole, Ying Qin roared, raised the long spear in his hand, and violently thrust it towards Zhang Xuan.

He had broken through the defense and entered close combat range. His spear could now easily exploit the advantages of a shorter weapon, and the opponent's weapon was now useless!

"You think that means you've won?"

Seeing his excitement, Zhang Xuan shook his head, then suddenly loosened his grip, and the bamboo pole in his hand dropped to the ground.

"He let go?"

Ying Qin was momentarily stunned.

A weapon was the most important thing for a cultivator, especially during a duel. Once released, it meant falling into a passive state. How could he just throw it away?

"A weapon is merely an extension of the body. Spear techniques can still be executed even without a spear!"

Just as he was wondering, he heard the young man in front of him smile faintly, and his voice rang in Ying Qin's ears. Immediately after, he saw Master Zhang leap up violently, his entire being transforming into a long spear in an instant.

Boundless spear intent swept over him like a tide. At that moment, he was the spear, and the spear was him. It was impossible to tell them apart.

"Th-this... Is this the realm of Human-Spear Integration?"

His pupils contracted, and Ying Qin's entire body stiffened.

Legend had it that when one comprehended the Heart of Spear to a certain realm, they could achieve Human-Spear Integration.

At this point, even without a spear in hand, as long as the spear in one's heart remained, one could transform into a sharp spear intent, capable of slaying anyone or anything that stood in the way!

This realm, not even Senior Xue Zhenyang had achieved it. How had this person before him reached it?

There was no time for him to ponder. The long spear Zhang Xuan had become arrived before him in the blink of an eye. The spearhead formed by his fingers, carrying a sharp edge, tapped Ying Qin's spear tip.

Boom!

A colossal force struck, and Ying Qin's entire body trembled. He then felt countless spear intents surge into his body, causing his defenses to collapse in an instant.

He spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, without a chance to resist, and was sent flying backward.

Thud!

He flew dozens of meters, falling off the elevated platform. His spear also flew an unknown distance, sticking into the ground.

He spat out another mouthful of blood.

"I lost..."

Looking at Zhang Xuan, who stood calmly on the stage, Ying Qin clenched his fists, his face pale.

He hadn't expected that even without suppressing his cultivation and unleashing all his strength, he would still be defeated by a single 'tap' from Zhang Xuan.

This level of strength, even compared to President Zhenyang, was likely no weaker.

"Do you know where you lost?"

Just as he was filled with dejection, Zhang Xuan's calm voice rang out.

"A loss is a loss. I will withdraw from the Zhenyang Association and become a gatekeeper for the Xuanxuan Association. You don't need to mock me over it..."

Ying Qin gritted his teeth and struggled to his feet.

As a cultivator of spear techniques, he had to possess the unyielding spirit of the spear.

Since they had agreed beforehand that the loser would be a gatekeeper, he would abide by his promise and not renege.

"Mock you?"

Zhang Xuan shook his head. "I'm merely telling you that while spear techniques are an art you can pursue your entire life, they don't refer to the long spear in your hand!"

"What do you mean?"

Ying Qin was taken aback.

"Spear techniques are a skill, an ability, something to be comprehended with the heart. They are not something that can only be executed with a spear."

With his hands clasped behind his back, Zhang Xuan looked at him. "It's like when I attacked you in close quarters earlier. At that time, you only needed to release the shackles in your hand, release your spear. What you would have gained would be a whole new world. Unfortunately... you didn't!"

"That's why... you lost!"

"I..."

Ying Qin froze.

Indeed, when Zhang Xuan had grabbed his spear earlier and whipped him with the feather duster, he could have completely let go. Even if he couldn't unleash his full strength empty-handed, he could still have escaped and wouldn't have been beaten black and blue, his face unrecognizable.

"Later, when I fought you with the long bamboo pole, breaking through my defense to get close was the right approach. But you forgot that my spear cultivation has reached a stage where I'm no longer reliant on external objects. The person is the spear, and the spear is the person! That's why I instantly released the bamboo pole and attacked directly!"

Zhang Xuan continued.

"This..."

Ying Qin's entire body stiffened again.

What Zhang Xuan said was true.

He had practiced spear techniques every day and had long regarded the spear as a part of his life. Thus, when Zhang Xuan was locked in a stalemate with it, he couldn't bear to let go.

Because once he let go, he felt as if he had lost his life and could no longer fight!

"If you don't let go, how can you grasp the true essence? How can you learn more profound spear techniques?"

Zhang Xuan looked at him with a smile.

"Let go? True essence?"

Ying Qin mumbled to himself, his expression dazed.

Having practiced spear techniques since childhood, he had long regarded the weapon as a part of his body, like an arm or an eye.

How could he abandon his arms and eyes? Impossible!

But the recent battle had clearly taught him a lesson: Don't let go... death!

Letting go meant freedom, greater flexibility, greater liberty, and the possibility of victory!

"The spear in your heart, having the spear in your heart, that is the true spear. The one in your hand is merely a tool!"

Seeing that he seemed to have gained some understanding, Zhang Xuan continued.

"The spear in my heart is the true spear?"

He carefully pondered this sentence. A moment later, he exhaled a mouthful of stale air, and Ying Qin's eyes reopened. His previously muddled gaze slowly became clear.

Thump!

Kneeling on the ground, Ying Qin bowed his head, his demeanor devout and respectful.

"Thank you for your guidance. I am willing to take Master Zhang as my teacher and learn spear techniques from you!"