System Possession, One Sword Shocks the Gods

19: Showing off martial prowessThe Outer Court Martial Arts Training Ground of Tianfeng Academy occupied a vast area, paved with hard black granite and surrounded by reinforcement and protective Formations. At this moment, many Disciples were gathered around the edges, whispering to one another as their gazes focused on the center of the field.

When Ye Chen arrived at the Martial Arts Training Ground, he immediately felt the weight of countless gazes—curiosity, scrutiny, wariness, and even no shortage of malice.

In the center of the field stood several people besides Zhao Qianjun, the Instruction Hall Deacon he had met once before. Among them was someone Ye Chen recognized: Liu Feng, the Steward Disciple he had casually dealt with a few days ago. Currently, Liu Feng stood with his head bowed behind a tall, arrogant young man in yellow robes, his eyes filled with resentment and a hint of smugness.

The yellow-robed youth possessed a dense Aura; he was surprisingly at the Peak of the Kaiyuan Realm First Layer! With arms crossed and chin slightly raised, he sized Ye Chen up with a condescending look.

Seeing Ye Chen’s arrival, Deacon Zhao Qianjun spoke expressionlessly, ”Ye Chen, Disciple Liu Feng has reported that a few days ago at the Ding Quadrant residences, you attacked him and two other Disciples without cause, causing them serious injuries and violating academy rules. Is this true?”

So it has come. Ye Chen sneered inwardly, but his Face remained calm. ”Reporting to the Deacon, there was indeed an exchange of blows, but it was not without cause.”

His gaze swept over Liu Feng, and his voice rang out clearly across the Martial Arts Training Ground: ”It was Liu Feng and his two companions who, under the guise of a ’management fee,’ tried to forcibly demand points from me. After I refused, they attempted to seize them by force. I was forced to act in self-defense and hit them somewhat hard, but I did not take their lives. How can this be called a violation of academy rules?”

”You’re lying!” Liu Feng immediately jumped up, pointing at Ye Chen and shrieking, ”It was clearly you who used your superior strength to bully us senior Disciples! Senior Brother Zhao, you must seek justice for us!” He pleaded tearfully to the yellow-robed youth in front of him.

That yellow-robed youth, named Zhao Gan, was a Named Disciple of an Elder in the Instruction Hall. He was also one of the influential figures in the Outer Court and seemed to have some indirect connection to Lin Batian. He gave a cold snort, stepped forward, and cupped his hands to Zhao Qianjun. ”Deacon Zhao, this boy Ye Chen has been here for barely a month and has already caused trouble repeatedly. First, he used ruthless methods during the entrance examination, and now he bullies his fellow Disciples. It’s clear his Heart-Nature is unruly. If he isn’t disciplined, I fear he will become a disaster for the academy!”

He directly pinned a massive accusation on him.

Deacon Zhao Qianjun frowned slightly. A man of his stature, how could he not see the trickery involved? However, the injuries to Liu Feng and the others were real, and Ye Chen’s use of force was also real. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he had to handle it according to the rules.

”Ye Chen, Liu Feng accuses you of bullying your fellow Disciples. Do you have evidence to prove that they were the ones who initiated the fight to extort you?” Zhao Qianjun asked. He knew that this kind of private extortion was often difficult to prove with witnesses or physical evidence.

Before Ye Chen could answer, Zhao Gan cut in first with a cold laugh. ”Evidence? We cultivators value settling grudges swiftly! Since both sides have their own story, why not let our skills reveal the truth? Ye Chen, do you dare to step onto this martial stage with me for a match? If you win, this matter is dropped, and Liu Feng and the others got what they deserved! If you lose, you will obediently accept your punishment and get out of Tianfeng Academy! How about it?”

He revealed his true intentions, issuing a direct challenge! With his cultivation at the Peak of the Kaiyuan Realm First Layer challenging a newcomer who had just entered the Ninth Level of Body Tempering Realm, his motive was plain for all to see!

The crowd below immediately broke into an uproar.

”Senior Brother Zhao Gan is actually going to act personally?”

”He’s in the Kaiyuan Realm! No matter how powerful Ye Chen is, he’s only in the Quenching Body Realm, right?”

”Ye Chen is in trouble now. If he doesn’t accept, he’s a coward, but if he does, I’m afraid his fate will be grim...”

Everyone looked at Ye Chen, waiting for his response.

Su Wanqing, Wang Meng, and others had also arrived at the edge of the field at some point. Hearing this, their expressions changed. Su Wanqing said urgently, ”Senior Brother Zhao, for you to challenge Senior Brother Ye with your Kaiyuan Realm cultivation is hardly fair!”

Zhao Gan glanced at her and said disdainfully, ”The level of cultivation is also a part of one’s strength. If he doesn’t dare, he can just admit defeat!”

Deacon Zhao Qianjun also looked at Ye Chen and said in a heavy voice, ”Ye Chen, are you willing to accept the challenge? Academy rules allow Disciples to spar, but it must be voluntary and stop when the point is made.” He specifically emphasized ”voluntary” and ”stop when the point is made,” but everyone understood that on the martial stage, fists and feet have no eyes.

Under the gaze of countless eyes, Ye Chen suddenly smiled. The smile was faint, yet it carried a chilling coldness.

He was just worrying about not being able to find a suitable opponent to temper his newly broken-through cultivation and test his combat strength. He hadn’t expected someone to deliver themselves to his door.

”Why wouldn’t I dare?” Ye Chen took a step forward, his figure floating lightly onto the center of the martial stage to Face Zhao Gan from a distance. ”However, if I accidentally slip up and injure Senior Brother Zhao, what then?”

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire audience was shocked!

Arrogant! Too arrogant! A Ninth Level of Body Tempering Realm facing a Kaiyuan Realm actually dared to say something like ’accidentally injuring the opponent’!

Zhao Gan’s Face turned livid with rage, and he laughed out of extreme anger. ”Good! What a boy who doesn’t know the height of the heavens! If you can injure me, I, Zhao Gan, will take a detour whenever I see you from now on! But if your skills are inferior and you end up with broken limbs, don’t go blaming others!”

”In that case, please.” Ye Chen slowly drew the qingfeng sword from his back. The dark green blade shimmered with a cold luster under the sunlight.

”You’re looking for death!” Zhao Gan wasted no more words. He wanted to completely cripple Ye Chen in the shortest time possible with the most crushing stance to make an example of him! His Kaiyuan Realm Qi erupted violently, forming a powerful wave of air. His right hand formed a claw, and crimson Qi flickered between his fingers like burning flames. Carrying a scorching Aura, he lunged a claw at Ye Chen! It was his famous Profound Rank Low Grade Martial Skill—Blazing Flame Claw!

The wind from the claw was sharp, and a heatwave rushed at his Face! If this claw strike landed solidly, it would be enough to shatter stone monuments!

Facing this ferocious strike, Ye Chen’s eyes were solemn, yet he didn’t retreat an inch. He circulated his Ninth Level of Body Tempering Realm Qi to its full capacity and poured it into the qingfeng sword. He didn’t perform any complex sword moves; it was still that straight thrust that fused the essence of ’Wind Shadow’ and ’Wind Chaser’!

The sword went out like the wind, arriving after it was launched but striking first, accurately pointing towards the Laogong Point in the center of Zhao Gan’s palm!

*Ding!*

The tip of the sword collided with the glow of the claw, producing a crisp ringing sound!

Ye Chen only felt a scorching and overbearing force travel up the blade. His arm went slightly numb, and his body involuntarily slid back several steps, his internal blood and Qi churning.

Zhao Gan’s body also swayed, and a sharp, stinging pain came from the center of his palm, causing him a slight shock. This kid’s Qi was actually this condensed? And his sword technique was so tricky?

”You have some skill, but it’s not enough!” Zhao Gan shouted. His offensive changed again as both claws struck out, creating a sky full of crimson claw shadows that enveloped Ye Chen like an inescapable net. The rising heat made the Disciples standing near the stage feel their breathing hitch.

Ye Chen pushed his movement technique to the limit, weaving through the sky full of claw shadows. The qingfeng sword turned into streaks of dark green lightning, constantly pointing, thrusting, parrying, and slashing. Each time, it accurately met the weakest point of the claw shadows, producing a continuous series of metallic clashing sounds.

*Clang, clang, clang, clang...*

Sparks flew in all directions, and the ripples from the Qi collisions spread out, hitting the protective light shield of the martial stage and creating waves of ripples.

The crowd below watched with blurred vision, their hearts pounding with alarm.

”This Ye Chen... can actually fight toe-to-toe with Senior Brother Zhao Gan for this long?”

”His sword technique is so fast! So accurate!”

”And the quality of his Qi doesn’t seem much worse than the Kaiyuan Realm!”

The more Zhao Gan fought, the more alarmed he became. He discovered that his proud Blazing Flame Claw was completely unable to break through Ye Chen’s sword net, which looked simple but was fast and accurate to the extreme! The opponent’s sword always managed to thrust during the gaps when his power was about to be released or when he was switching Moves, forcing him to pull back and defend, making the fight incredibly frustrating.

”I can’t drag this on any longer!” A look of ruthlessness flashed in Zhao Gan’s eyes. Having failed to win after so long, his Face was already suffering. He took a sudden deep breath, and the Qi in his body surged frantically toward his right claw. The crimson glow of the claw suddenly exploded, as if turning into a true giant flaming claw, emitting a heart-palpitating fluctuation!

”Blazing Heaven-Burning Claw!”

He roared, unleashing his ultimate trump card! The massive flaming claw print, carrying an Aura that could burn everything to ash, clawed down toward Ye Chen’s head! Even the air was distorted by the heat!

This strike had already exceeded the scope of ”stopping when the point is made”!

Exclamations of shock rang out from below, and Su Wanqing’s beautiful Face turned pale.

Facing this terrifying strike, Ye Chen’s eyes were as sharp as swords. He knew that ordinary sword Moves would be difficult to withstand. It was time to test the power of that sliver of ’Explosion’ Sword Intent!

He held nothing back. His Peak Ninth Level of Body Tempering Realm Qi, along with the insights into Sword Intent he had accumulated over these days—especially that sliver of ’Explosion’ true intent obtained from the Myriad Worlds Sword Tomb—all fused into his next sword strike!

The qingfeng sword let out a joyful light hum. The dark gold patterns on the blade became clearer than ever before! An extremely condensed, destructive Aura spread out from the tip of the sword!

He didn’t choose to head-on clash with the massive flaming claw print. Instead, he moved with his sword, concentrating his entire strength and speed into a single point, turning into an extremely refined dark green sword rainbow. Like a flying fish swimming against the current, he accurately thrust toward the core of the flaming claw print—the most critical point of its energy flow!

Breaking a surface with a point! Striking first by moving later!

Under the unbelievable gazes of everyone, that dark green sword rainbow actually tore through the violent flaming claw print as easily as a red-hot iron cutting through butter. Without slowing down, it thrust straight toward Zhao Gan behind it!

”What?!” Zhao Gan’s pupils shrank, and he turned pale with horror! He never expected his strongest ultimate Move would be broken so easily! The incoming sword tip carried a destructive Aura that made even his Soul tremble!

In his haste, he could only spread his remaining Qi in front of him to form a crimson Qi shield while desperately trying to sidestep and dodge.

*Puchi—!*

The dark green sword rainbow contacted the Qi shield. It didn’t produce an earth-shaking Explosion but instead made a dull sound, like tearing through thick leather! That tough Qi shield lasted only a single instant before this extremely sharp and destructive sword strike before shattering!

The sword light flashed past!

”Ah!”

Zhao Gan let out a shrill scream as his right arm, which held the claw, was severed at the shoulder! The wound was charred black as if struck by lightning or burned by fire! His entire body flew backward like a broken sack, blood spraying a startling red line in the air. He crashed heavily onto the edge of the martial stage and fainted.

The entire Martial Arts Training Ground fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone stared dumbfounded at the green-robed figure standing with a sword on the stage, and at that dark green longsword pointing diagonally at the ground, with a single drop of blood slowly sliding off the tip.

Ninth Level of Body Tempering Realm, one sword, defeated Kaiyuan!

Ye Chen sheathed his sword and looked calmly at the pale, trembling Liu Feng below the stage, then at the solemn-faced Deacon Zhao Qianjun.

”Deacon Zhao, I slipped up and injured Senior Brother Zhao. Please mete out the punishment.”

His voice wasn’t loud, but it was like a clap of thunder, exploding in everyone’s hearts.