Gate of God

Chapter 198: Meng Tian’s Sword

“Boom!” The ground caved in.

Everything happened in an instant. Many candidates had not even fully recovered from the shock.

Fang Zhengzhi himself was rather doubtful of what just happened. He was still quite lost, unsure if what he was seeing now was real or fake.

Moments ago.

He had been eliminated and told to advance at the same time.

Was this collapse the same as before? Try again after the world had collapsed?

In actual fact, Fang Zhengzhi’s choice may have seen random, but it was actually based on hints gotten from the previous two barriers.

The first was the Broken Bridge.

The second was the Twin Stone Tablets.

They had already revealed the rules of the World of the Sage.

Blurry.

One in the light, one in the dark.

Since that was the case, a choice between four should not appear.

One in the light, one in the dark, and blurry.

Fang Zhengzhi had no idea if he had guessed correctly. That being said, he felt that if he had to make a choice, the door behind him would give him the highest chance.

It did not seem very logical, and there was no way of proving that this was the correct method.

That being said, passing the stone house required luck.

Then…

He did not need to go off much logic or sense.

He was just trying his luck.

…

Inside the Imperial Academy, King Duan and Han Zhangfeng grew increasingly unsettled.

A king and a Chief Examiner should never have such expressions, but they had it. Even the Ninth Prince dropped his cup of tea.

The three of them had the same reaction. Even the messenger who rushed over was incredibly flustered.

The screen in front of them had completely blanked out.

That meant that the World of the Sage was out of control.

This was something that was rare, even in the annals of history. A pocket dimension rarely went out of control.

The only way that could happen was that the pocket dimension grew a consciousness. However, Sagely Battle God Meng Tian had died a long time ago.

How could his pocket dimension have a consciousness?

That was impossible.

Unless…

King Duan and Han Zhangfeng looked at each other. There was only one possibility, one reason to explain what was happening.

“Meng Tian left a shred of his consciousness in the pocket dimension before his death?”

The two of them spoke at the same time, stunned by what they were suggesting.

If Meng Tian had left a shred of consciousness in there, why hasn’t anyone found it all these years? Why hasn’t anyone come into contact with it?

Is it possible that he left it…

“In that sword?!”

Han Zhangfeng thought of it first.

That was something that existed only in legends. No one had seen it or found it before.

They could not even be sure that it exists.

However, everyone knew that he had made his name whilst using a sword. He had also killed the Demon Lord with a sword.

But…

No one saw that sword after he dispatched the Demon lord.

Meng Tian left the world and left behind the World of the sage. However, he did not take the sword with him. As a result, everyone naturally guessed that the sword was in the World of the Sage.

King Duan’s gaze was icy. He was fully aware of the implications of losing control over the World of the Sage during the Imperial Examinations.

“Ninth Brother, you and I have the responsibility of being invigilators of this edition of the examinations. Now that the World of the Sage is out of control and unpredictable, I have to stay with Official Han to deal with it. Please brave the rain and report this to the Emperor!”

“Sure!” The Ninth Prince did not hesitate to agree.

Then, he turned and left.

After the Ninth Prince had walked out, King Duan looked at Han Zhangfeng.

“Official Han, how do you propose we resolve this?”

“Go and see if the doorway into the World of the Sage is passable, then, report back to me immediately.” Han Zhangfeng ordered one of the messengers.

“Yes sir!” The messenger ran out upon receiving the orders.

“Now that the World of the Sage is out of control, what do you think are Fang Zhengzhi’s chances of coming out alive?” King Duan smiled.

“I think they are slim!” Han Zhangfeng replied softly. However, his expression was slightly pained.

As the Chief Imperial Messenger of the Imperial Academy, Han Zhangfeng has presided over many imperial examinations. He never wanted to see the elite talents stuck in a pocket dimension.

But…

This was Meng Tian’s pocket dimension. In order to break it down by force, one needed to be at least three or four times more powerful.

Even if it was possible, it could cause the World of the Sage to crumble.

This was why Han Zhangfeng thought the chances were slim.

…

In the World of the Sage, Ping Yang grabbed Fang Zhengzhi’s arm tightly. Her eyes were filled with awe, her jaw dropped as she gasped.

Fang Zhengzhi did not like the fact that she held his arm in a death grip.

However, he decided against throwing her off when he saw what was unfolding in front of his eyes.

The sword…

The sword that Fang Zhengzhi had wanted to find.

This was a sword that many people, not just Fang Zhengzhi, had wanted to find. However, for the past few centuries, no one had even laid eyes on it.

And now, there were many swords.

Heavy ones, light ones, long ones, short ones…

Countless swords were stabbed into the rocks on the ground. In the middle of it all, there was an exquisite sword which glowed with a golden light. A golden dragon wrapped itself around the sword hilt, and here was a golden pearl at the tip of the sword.

However, that sword was chained up.

Black chains locked the hilt in place, and they were tied in all four directions to large black rocks.

“That sword… could it be?!”

“That must be Meng Tian’s sword!”

“My gosh, this sword really exists?!”

There were only about 30 students left in the World of the Sage.

All of the candidates clustered together, including Xing Qingsui and Nangong Mu, who had advanced to the fourth round.

No one bothered about why there was a sea of swords after the World of the Sage crumbled. They were all looking at that sword.

Yan Xiu was staring at it too. He did not move, turning to look at Fang Zhengzhi instead.

Fang Zhengzhi stared at that sword.

He could feel that the sword was immensely powerful. It glowed as brightly as the sun amongst the sea of swords. It was clearly the king of all the blades here.

Chapter 199: The battle intensifies

“This sword… is probably worth quite a lot of money!” That was the first thought in Fang Zhengzhi’s mind.

The sword’s workmanship and material were clearly superior. Without even considering the fact that it was sealed in the World of the Sage, it would be worth a huge sum of money even if it was made by a blacksmith.

Fang Zhengzhi only thought of money.

The other candidates thought of other things.

For example, Would my time in the examinations be easier after I got that sword? Would I be able to inherit Meng Tian’s techniques?

No matter what it was, the sword was incredibly attractive to all the candidates.

Naturally, the candidates swarmed towards the blade. Their greed was evident in their eyes, almost like hungry wolves spotting helpless lambs.

Lunging could not fully describe the intensity of the snatching contest that followed.

All of them exploded towards the sword.

They forgot everything else, each of them focused purely on that sword.

“That sword is mine!”

“That sword belongs to whoever can get it.”

“Move aside, don’t try to block me!”

The black chains were pulled taut by many of the candidates.

Over a dozen others rushed straight towards the sword, each of them demonstrating superhuman agility.

The rock was not high at all.

As such, a few of them made it to the top rather quickly.

It was a good thing the rock was wide.

It could still fit over a dozen candidates comfortably.

However, when they all reached for the blade, the peace was shattered. What followed was an intense snatching contest.

However, not everyone decided to partake in the snatching contest.

Xing Qingsui, who was dressed in black, decided to stay out of it. An icy middle aged man who stood behind him also decided against joining in the slugfest.

Apart from them, Nangong Mu was one other who did not move.

He did not even bother much about the sword. He glanced at it out of the corner of his eye, then ignored it thereafter.

Following which, he looked at Fang Zhengzhi.

“Ah!”

“Ouch…”

Pitiful screams could be heard from the rock.

The clashes of the various fields had reached an all time high. They attacked and suppressed each other, making the rock a complete bloodbath.

Cracks and booms echoed from the top of the rock.

Very quickly, candidates began to fall from the rock. Some were attacked from the back, whilst the weaker ones were simply kicked off the rock.

The one who suffered the worst fate was a candidate dressed in purple, tight fitting shirt.

He was the fastest amongst all the candidates. He stood in the middle of the rock and reached for the sword. He was on the verge of touching the hilt.

However, his position also meant that he took the brunt of all the attacks.

“Sh*t!”

He spat out a mouthful of blood as his body was thrown into the air. Then, as he was sailing through, he was attacked no less than a dozen times.

He finally fell to the base of the rock.

Quite pitifully, he had fallen at a bad location. He was just at the edge of the rock, his head rested against it.

As a result…

He was trampled all over as people tried to scale the rock.

Fang Zhengzhi looked at the pitiful candidate. Then, he raised his head, staring at the rapidly darkening sky.

He was waiting.

He was waiting for the voice to ring out.

He was waiting for this candidate’s elimination announcement.

However, the voice never rang out.

It was strangely quiet.

The bloodbath raged atop the rock.

“Something is wrong!” Fang Zhengzhi muttered to himself. He did not know if what he was seeing was real. If it was, there was a serious problem.

Ping Yang released her grip on his hand.

Fang Zhengzhi was slightly stunned by his newfound freedom.

Ping Yang should be the least tempted by the sword.

She already had the Blazing Qilin Spear, one of the ten greatest treasures of the Great Xia Dynasty.

But Ping Yang was walking towards the rock against all his expectations, almost as if she was going to take the spear?

Fang Zhengzhi was slightly surprised. However, he could understand why Ping Yang was doing that. The reason was simple, she was the beloved Princess.

Who would dare snatch anything from her?

It seemed logical and simple, at least to Fang Zhengzhi and Ping Yang.

However…

That was far from the truth.

A figure stepped in front of Ping Yang. This figure had not moved before, but he moved now.

This man was Xing Qingsui. He was the scion of Xing Hou. Bar any surprises, this man would inherit the leadership of the thirteen constabularies.

He was immensely muscular and his eyes glowed with a beast like nature.

He too held a sword in his hand. It was a black sword, almost twice as wide as a normal sword. It did not glow, but no one doubted its power.

This blade was named “meteor”, and it was made from an actual meteor mold.

It was also known as an aerolith.

“You are the third placed Qing Yang?” Xing Qingsui grabbed his sword and stared Ping Yang down.

It was a simple question.

However, none of the candidates understood what Xing Qingsui meant.

There was no Princess Ping Yang, there was only a Qing Yang.

So why did he call her Ping Yang?

Ping Yang pouted. She knew what Xing Qingsui was thinking. She could deny that she was Qing Yang and walk up to the sword undisturbed.

But, would she?

Naturally not.

She was Ping Yang, the arrogant Ping Yang.

“That’s right, do you want to stop me?” Ping Yang raised her head, her Red Flame Flower Armor flowing with a red light. Her Blazing Qiling Spear was lowered, her voice dangerous.

“Of course.” Xing Qingsui nodded, not retreating in the slightest.

Those candidates who did not scale the rock gasped. They did not scale the rock for a simple reason, they were simply not strong enough.

In such a scenario, giving up was their best option.

By giving up now…

They would have a chance at the scraps later.

The logic was simple. They were happy to see more people join the furball, especially Ping Yang.

Ping Yang vs Xing Qingsui?

This was a great battle. On one side was one of the favorites to top the combat examinations, on the other side was a young girl with two very powerful treasures.

Who will win?

Chapter 200: Battle Spirit

Ping Yang smirked.

She didn’t even ask for help from Fang Zhengzhi or Yan Xiu. She immediately sprang into action, attacking the Heavenly Reflection State Xing Qingsui despite being in the Star Conglomerate State.

This was not a wise decision. It was too rash.

However, Ping Yang made the decision without any hesitation. Her crystal clear eyes were filled with arrogance, the arrogance of a princess.

There was also a hint of stubborness.

This was Ping Yang.

She unleashed the Blazing Qilin Spear, a tall column of flame shooting skyward. It crashed down towards Xing Qingsui, a golden light flashing in the sea of fire.

It was like a lamp in a storm.

“Roar!” The beast like aura filled the sky.

This was one of the ten greatest treasures of the Great Xia Empire, the most powerful weapon there was. It could pierce any material and burn the area to ashes. Who dared to go up against it?

The candidates near Xing Qingsui unconsciously retreated a few steps.

None of them dared to get too close to the Blazing Qilin Spear. Who knows if it’ll cause any collateral damage?

Furthermore…

They knew that if Xing Qingsui wanted to defeat the Blazing Qilin Spear bearing Ping Yang, his only chance was a roaming battle.

He had to dodge the lethality of the Blazing Qilin Spear.

If he could do so, he should emerge victorious.

However, against their expectations, Xing Qingsui did not dodge. Not only did he not retreat, he advanced and went into the sea of fire.

“Is he crazy?!”

All of the other candidates thought to themselves.

Yan Xiu’s calm expression also changed. In actual fact, he was still expressionless when Xing Qingsui challenged Ping Yang.

However, he became extremely solemn after seeing Xing Qingsui advance instead of retreat.

Fang Zhengzhi’s eyes also flashed with a curious glow. He knew how powerful the Blazing Qilin Spear was. He could not understand why Xing Qingsui wanted to meet it head on.

That being said, he knew that Xing Qingsui would not walk into his death.

Then, was he trying to find survival in the most dire of situations?

Xing Qingsui would obviously not stop to explain himself. He was incredibly quick, even faster than the Blazing Qilin Spear.

However, his Meteor black sword was dragging behind him, not raised to strike.

When facing a sea of fire, many people would have attempted to use water or unmeltable ice. However, Xing Qingsui had neither of these things.

Even so…

He managed to break through the sea of fire.

A subtle aura around him seemed to slice open the sea of fire. It was as if his sword parted the waves, allowing him safe passage through.

Fang Zhengzhi had once heard a famous quote.

Can you part the sea with your sword?

He did not know if anyone could do it at that time. But now, Xing Qingsui had done it. Furthermore, his blade was still dragging behind him.

“It’s battle spirit! Sword like battle spirit!”

“It’s no wonder he is the heir of the Stabilisation Constabulary. He has already realized the battle spirit of the Dao of all Creation at such a young age! He has also been hiding this ability in previous duels.”

“I guess no one pushed him to use it before?”

All of the students who saw this scene stared wide eyed as they gasped.

“Battle Spirit?” Fang Zhengzhi seemed to understand.

This was almost like the Asura that Yan Xiu had showed previously. This Battle Spirit probably had the same effect, despite going by a different name.

However, Asura used killing to increase the prowess of the technique.

On the other hand, this Battle Spirit seemed to come from inside, allowing the user to charge forward courageously.

This spirit originated from one’s courage and grew stronger from the blood and fire of the battlefield. Xing Qingsui had made this battle spirit his field of control. Since it was as sharp as a blade, it could easily split open the sea of fire.

He was like a talented general wrecking havoc amidst mere soldiers.

Xing Qingsui and Ping Yang advanced towards each other.

They closed in quickly.

They were so close that the Blazing Qilin Spear was almost within range of Xing Qingsui’s forehead.

The spear had a golden glow at the tip. That was what gave the Blazing Qilin Spear its piercing power.

Xing Qingsui stared down the golden glow. His expression showed no fear. His blade finaly swung into action when the golden glow was less than an inch from his forehead.

He met the Blazing Qilin Spear with a simple stroke, his blade drawing a dark line in the air as it moved.

It clashed with the golden glow.

“Boom!”

A sharp blade aura exploded outwards from the merge of the Blazing Qilin Spear and the Meteor black sword.

“Bang bang bang…”

The blade aura smashed into the swords lying about the rocks, letting out metallic screeches as it passed.

“Kacha!” Countless blades broke!

The weapons parted after the merge.

Xing Qingsui retreated a couple of steps. After all, he was facing one of the ten greatest treasures of the Great Xia Dynasty. The most lethal Blazing Qilin Spear.

Even though he was in the intermediate stages of the Heavenly Reflection State, he was still knocked back.

Ping Yang was not thrown backwards by the impact. She charged forward, the Blazing Qilin Spear a mere five meters from Xing Qingsui.

She wanted to strike whilst he was frazzled.

The logic was simple.

Everyone knew that, but Xing Qingsui didn’t seem to be clear about it.

When Ping Yang charged forward once again, Xing Qingsui matched the charge, his sword trailing behind him just as he had done previously.

“Boom!”

The Meteor black sword and the Blazing Qilin Spear clashed once again.

The result was no surprise.

Xing Qingsui was thrown back.

However, he was thrown back a significantly shorter distance this time.

The spectating candidates all shook their head. Not everyone could realize the tiny details amongst such an intense battle. As a result, they did not understand why Xing Qingsui insisted on battling this way.

To them, this was a very stupid method, possibly even stupider than Ping Yang not requesting for help.

However, Yan Xiu did not shake his head.

He had spotted the tiny details.

The second time Xing Qingsui rushed towards Ping Yang in the same manner, he had been concentrating on how far Xing Qingsui was thrown back.

Fang Zhengzhi did not focus on the same things Yan Xiu did.

He was looking at Xing Qingsui’s expression.

Xing Qingsui showed no signs of fear. He charged on courageously, his courage seeming to build with each clash.

If Xing Qingsui was relying on his Battle Spirit,

Then…

This could only mean that Xing Qingsui’s battle spirit was getting stronger and stronger.

Fang Zhengzhi looked to Yan Xiu. He realized that Yan Xiu’s expression was becoming increasingly solemn.

“You realized it too?” Fang Zhengzhi whispered.

“Yup.” Yan Xiu nodded.

“This is the Xing Qingsui you told me about before?”

“Yup, Xing Qingsui of the Stabilisation Constabulary!”

“What is your confidence level if you had to fight him?”

“None. No one is confident about going up against a member of the Stabilisation Constabulary.”

“What are their origins?” Fang Zhengzhi asked.

“The Stabilisation Constabulary is the leading constabulary. However, they are the ones with the least history. When our ancestors set up the Great Xia Dynasty, the Stabilisation Constabulary was just a nomadic clan. However, when the country was stabilized, they had become one of the thirteen. Furthermore, they became the leader of the Thirteen Constabularies.”

“Was there some chance encounter?” Fang Zhengzhi’s interest in the Stabilisation Constabulary was piqued.

“No, there was no coincidence in their growth. They managed to achieve everything through battle. They were not particularly talented, but they had a thirst for battle, a thirst that bordered on craziness. Even today, the Stabilisation Constabulary holds true to their roots. Every disciple is dragged off to the battlefield at the age of six. They start by being a stable hand, and slowly progress into the ranks of the army.”

“Just like this?” Fang Zhengzhi stared intently at Xing Qingsui.

“Mm, the more intense the battle, the stronger the Battle Spirit of their disciples. Xing Qingsui is probably using Ping Yang’s Blazing Qilin Spear to refine his Battle Spirit!”

Chapter 201: Frail man

Fang Zhengzhi stared at Xing Qingsui, not speaking.

In actual fact, he had not had any interaction with Xing Qingsui. He had only heard about this person from Yan Xiu. They had not really met in both the Theory or Combat Examinations.

However, from Xing Qingsui’s rising Battle Spirit, he could sense that this man had the same crazed Battle Spirit and technique of the Stabilisation Constabulary.

Perhaps…

This was how the people of the Stabilisation Constabulary fought.

Go against the current and end up losing ground.

Realizing the Dao of all Creation in battle allowed one to get used to the heat of conflict.

“Boom!”

Xing Qingsui’s Meteor black sword clashed with the Blazing Qilin Spear once again.

This was the fifth time these weapons had clashed.

Countless sharp auras flew around the two of them. Smashed rocks and broken swords circled the two as they fought.

But this time.

Xing Qingsui retreated less than three meters.

The retreating candidates were all stunned by the intense battle. No one had expected the battle between Xing Qingsui and Ping Yang to turn out this way.

Clashing head on?!

Ping Yang’s Blazing Qilin Spear continued to glow as columns of flame shot skyward.

However, Fang Zhengzhi realized that Ping Yang’s chest was heaving, her dainty lips panting.

The Blazing Qilin Spear was one of the ten greatest treasures of the Great Xia Dynasty.

However, if the person using it was not strong enough, then wielding it will also take its toll.

This was the case for everything. Even medicine has side effects.

Ping Yang was only at the pinnacle of the Star Conglomerate State. Each use of the Blazing Qilin Spear took more and more energy out of her.

This was not advantageous for her.

However, with Xing Qingsui going head on against her, she was in the most advantageous position possible.

As such, she did not consider a roaming battle with Xing Qingsui.

The battle raged on.

Xing Qingsui was clearly panting more than Ping Yang. His chest heaved with each breath. He was sweating so profusely his shirt stuck to his back.

However, he held his blade steady.

No matter how deep his footprint, no matter how tired he was, the hand holding his sword was always calm and steady.

“Fight!” Xing Qingsui charged forward once again.

Ping Yang stabbed with her Blazing Qilin Spear.

Columns of flame shot skyward once again. Xing Qingsui used his Battle Spirit to slice open the sea of fire once again. Then, he struck with the Meteor sword.

“Boom!”

Unsurprisingly, the sword clashed with the golden light.

This was something within everybody’s expectations.

However, what they did not expect was that this time, Xing Qingsui was not immediately thrown backwards. After the weapons clashed, he still managed to complete his strike.

“Boom!”

The golden light shimmered and an aura exploded from the clash.

The two of them flew backwards.

The distance was four meters.

Even further than the previous hit.

Then, everyone was shocked. They were all in disbelief. Of the four meters of separation, one was caused by Ping Yang retreating.

This was the first time Ping Yang had been thrown backwards in the entire battle.

Xing Qingsui had retreated a mere three meters, no different from the past five times.

“He actually managed to push Ping Yang back after going head to head?!”

“That’s quite unbelievable!”

All of the candidates could not believe their eyes.

Ping Yang could not believe it either. This was the first time her eyes glowed with surprise.

Just now.

She had expected it to play out like the previous few times.

However, her expectations were shattered by the blow from Xing Qingsui.

She had never expected him to have the energy to continue the strike. He should have been thrown back.

That was what everyone expected.

Everyone except Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu.

“What do you think?” Fang Zhengzhi asked.

“It’s difficult.” Yan Xiu shook his head slightly.

Fang Zhengzhi’s question and Yan Xiu’s answer were incredibly vague.

However, they understood each other perfectly.

Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu continued to discuss the battle whilst Ping Yang raged. If she could not defeat Xing Qingsui with the Blazing Qilin Spear, how was she going to defeat Fang Zhengzhi and top the combat examinations?

As such, she was about to go crazy.

She lunged.

Almost like she had been set on fire.

Xing Qingsui did not retreat. His eyes glowed like a beast as he gripped his sword tightly.

“Boom boom boom…”

The weapons clashed repeatedly.

Ping Yang attacked with the Blazing Qilin Spear over and over again.

Columns of flames shot skyward as the golden glow homed in on Xing Qingsui, flickering as it circled his body.

Everytime the golden light got close to him, his blade was there to block it.

Ping Yang advanced bit by bit.

Every step she took was labored. Each time she pushed Xing Qingsui back, he would quickly recover and lunge forward, making it difficult for her to suppress him.

Xing Qingsui was still calm as he fought, a strong will fueling him.

Even though he was sweating profusely and his clothes had been shredded by the battle, he didn’t seem to care.

He clashed with the Blazing Qilin Spear repeatedly.

He did not even dodge a single time.

The battle between the two heated up. It got so intense even the candidates on the rock stopped fighting.

All of them stared at the two battling figures.

They all wanted to know how this intense battle would turn out.

Only a few knew that this white hot battle was already coming to an end.

The few of them included Fang Zhengzhi, Yan Xiu, Nangong Mu, and a middle aged man standing closest to the battle.

He wore a very workaday attire. He looked quite frail, and had a scar on his neck that seemed to fade in and out of view.

Weirdly, his clothes were very clean.

He wore a blue long sleeved shirt that was almost as clean as the one Fang Zhengzhi wore. It was almost as if he hadn’t been in battle.

Chapter 202: Sword to the back

With the tense atmosphere, no one noticed that this frail youth’s clothes were impeccable and clean.

Everyone was focused on Ping Yang and Xing Qingsui.

Ping Yang was attacking manically…

However, even the wildest of storms had to break sometime.

After all, Ping Yang was only at the pinnacle of the Star Conglomerate State. There was a limit to how much she could attack with the Blazing Qilin Spear.

“Boom!”

The two figures parted.

Ping Yang fell back.

She did not want to fall back, but Xing Qingsui’s sword had impacted her arm.

So she fell back.

Even so, thanks to her Red Flame Flower Armor, she was unhurt.

When Meteor impacted the armor on her arm, a flash of red light ensured that she took no damage. Even so, she was forced backwards.

She began to pant as beads of sweat formed on her forehead. The arm holding onto the Blazing Qilin Spear began to tremble.

Xing Qingsui was also panting heavily. His breathing was hastened as he began to sweat even more profusely. Despite all this, his sword arm was still extremely stable.

“How powerful!”

“It is no wonder their constabulary leads the thirteen. It is extremely admirable of him to continue to charge forward in the face of the Blazing Qilin Spear.”

All of the candidates began to discuss the battle, focusing their gazes on Xing Qingsui. They momentarily forgot about the sealed sword on the rock.

“You’ve… lost!” Xing Qingsui looked at Ping Yang and gasped for air.

Ping Yang did not speak. Even though she knew that it would be difficult for her to raise her spear, she did not believe that Xing Qingsui could raise his sword either.

This notion was dispelled quickly.

Xing Qingsui raised his sword.

The Meteor was raised and pointed at her. Xing Qingsui’s sword arm did not shake.

Ping Yang bit her lip. She was silent for some time. Then, she walked to Fang Zhengzhi, “I’ve… lost, so I’m… about to be eliminated. However, I am curious… what did you see in the stone… stone house?”

“Hallucination!” Fang Zhengzhi looked at the panting Ping Yang. He could not describe what he had seen, so he used the simplest possible explanation he could think of.

“Hallucination? I see that it is testing… your character! Hang on, in the hallucination… were…were there any ladies?” Ping Yang suddenly thought of some of the character tests using hallucinations.

There were usually some unspeakable scenes.

Fang Zhengzhi did not understand why Ping Yang would ask this. He wanted to ignore her, but, after recalling her understanding of the Twin Stone Tablets, perhaps she had found out something about the stone house?

He began to think, then recalled that he had seen her after coming out of the door.

“Mm, I saw you.”

“You saw me?! You’re… completely shameless!” Ping Yang’s face flushed as red as an apple.

She immediately thought of the time when Fang Zhengzhi had saw her naked. She simply could not understand why Fang Zhengzhi would say something so shameless in public.

Even though Fang Zhengzhi did not mind being called shameless. However, this was a little too much. She had asked if there were any ladies and he had just replied honestly. Yet, he was being scolded for that?

Was it possible to be even more wronged?

“You son of a b*tch!” Fang Zhengzhi replied rudely, his voice having the accent of a northern villager.

“You… you f*cking hillbilly. How dare you scold me?!” Even though Ping Yang did not understand the slang, she knew that the phrase was definitely not nice.

“So what if I’m scolding you? Do you want to fight it out with me? Do you even have the energy?” Fang Zhengzhi looked at Ping Yang’s trembling arm with condescension.

“You, you…”

“Why aren’t you out yet?” Fang Zhengzhi stared into the sky, ignoring the fuming Ping Yang.

He had found it a little weird.

He had his doubts from the moment the candidate fell off the rock.

That candidates wounds made it impossible for him to continue participating in the combat examinations. He should have been immediately evacuated for treatment.

But now…

That candidate was still lying on the ground, in a puddle of his own blood.

Right now, Ping Yang had already admitted defeat.

Why was she still able to stand here and argue with him?

Fang Zhengzhi’s question pissed Ping Yang off. Just as she was about to gather her last bit of energy to attack him, she stopped.

She realized the implications of Fang Zhengzhi’s question.

Fang Zhengzhi was right, this was the combat examinations…

Why was she still here?

“Han Zhangfeng, are you sleeping? Why aren’t you letting me out?!” Ping Yang stared into the sky, knowing that Han Zhangfeng would be looking down at this.

The other candidates also began to react after hearing what Ping Yang said.

The intense battle atop the rock had caused serious injuries to a few candidates. They should all have been eliminated.

But…

They were still here.

The sky was still silent, and no candidate was eliminated.

“What’s going on?”

“Have the rules changed? Are there no more eliminations?”

“How is that possible?”

All of the candidates looked at each other in doubt.

Then, they all thought of the same thing.

Previously, they were all too attracted by the sword to think of the issues that stemmed from its appearance.

Now that they thought about it, there were way too many issues…

Xing Qingsui and Nangong Mu had already advanced to the fourth round.

Why are they still here?

Furthermore, what was up with that feeling of crumbling? It was almost as if the World of the Sage was completely smashed, then reformed.

Advancing into the fourth round should not have had such a strong sensation.

“Where is this?”

“Is this still the World of the Sage?”

“Why is everyone here at the same time? Where… did the blades come from?”

Questions began to surface in everyone’s mind. No one could figure out what was going on. None of them had ever experienced something like this.

They were all here to participate in the Combat Examinations.

But now…

The rules seemed to have changed.

There was no voice in the air, the injured candidates were not eliminated. Everything seemed strange and unexpected.

“Could it be that the World of the Sage…”

All of their expressions changed as the possibility surfaced in their minds.

“Is the World of the Sage out of control?”

“How can it be? The World of the Sage was created by Meng Tian! And Meng Tian has already left for so long…”

“What if this wasn’t the World of the Sage? Why are there no eliminations?”

“The sword… the problem is with the sword!”

When someone exclaimed, everyone turned to look at the sword on the rock. It still glowed with a golden light, but everyone’s feelings about it had changed.

Previously, everyone wanted to get hold of that piece of treasure. But now, the feeling was completely different.

It would be great to be in possession of a piece of treasure.

However, if the treasure was controlling them.

Then it was quite dangerous.

“The World of the Sage is out of control, and that sword… that sword is controlling it?” One of the candidates guessed.

“It could be a test. A test in the middle of the combat examinations to see how we adapt to such challenges?” Another candidate suggested.

All of the candidates were at a loss. Who knew what was happening?

…

Inside Yan Capital, it continued to pour.

A soldier in flashy armor galloped into the palace complex.

When the guards at the gate saw this man, they did not stop him. They did not even ask for his identity.

Everyone who saw this soldier accorded him a lot of respect.

Not long after the soldier entered the palace complex, the Ninth Prince galloped through the gates. He did not hold an umbrella, and did not have many guards around him.

“Did the Emperor ask for you to be here?” The guards immediately extended their hands when they saw the Ninth Prince.

“There is an emergency at the Imperial Examinations. I need to see the Emperor right away.” The Ninth Prince was not angered by the blockade, but he was in a hurry.

“If the Emperor did not ask for you, we will have to inform him first and wait for the Emperor…”

“I know the rules, but this is an emergency. I have to see him right away!” The Ninth Prince interrupted the guard and repeated.

All of the guards looked at each other, slightly hesitant.

“The Ninth Prince is invigilating the Imperial Examinations. If it is an emergency, there is no need to report, just let him go!” A voice rang out from inside the palace complex.

“Yes!” The guards replied immediately.

“Ninth Prince, please!”

“Thank you!”

The Ninth Prince said a simple thank you. Naturally, he knew where the Emperor would be at this time of day and headed straight for the Imperial Academy.

…

Inside the World of the Sage, almost everyone was staring at that blade.

“Regardless whether the World of the Sage is out of control, or the rules have changed, the problem must be with the sword. Everything should be resolved if we manage to take it out!” A candidate suggested.

The other candidates nodded as they heard the suggestion.

So, who was going to do it?

It looked like a simple question.

But it was difficult to execute.

Because…

There was a problem that no one was willing to raise.

If the World of the Sage is out of control, and the problem is with the sword, then this sword has a consciousness.

In other words, the sword was in control of the World of the Sage.

Whoever could extract the sword…

Was basically in control of the World of the Sage.

This was something no one was willing to say, but it was something everyone knew deep in their hearts.

“Since we are in the Imperial Examinations, let’s go by the rules? Whoever is the final victor will have the right to extract the sword!”

A suggestion was thrown out very quickly. This was a suggestion that was fitting for the time and the environment.

No one objected.

Everything was based on one’s ability.

The students on the rock came down unwillingly. Even though they agreed with the suggestion, they were slightly unhappy.

After All, they had all fought for the sword previously.

Of the 30 candidates, less than 25 still had the ability to fight.

Xing Qingsui kept his sword. He had spent a great amount of energy in the battle with Ping Yang. According to the rules of the Imperial Examination, he should be in the fifth round.

As such, his opponent would also have to be someone in the fifth round. This gave him some time to rest.

Everything seemed very normal.

Xing Qingsui kept his blade and walked to the middle aged man. He sat down and closed his eyes.

No one bothered to look at Xing Qingsui any longer. All of the candidates who had yet to pass the third round began to fight.

Ping Yang was resting as well.

However, her expression was not good as she grit her teeth everytime she looked at Fang Zhengzhi.

Fang Zhengzhi ignored Ping Yang.

After coming out of the stone house, he was through to the fourth round.

Some people were not too happy about that.

However, this did not matter to Fang Zhengzhi. He could easily subdue them later.

With Fang Zhengzhi, Yan Xiu and Ping Yang teaming up, the rankings were quickly set. Those who were displeased with Fang Zhengzhi were all subdued.

The rest of the candidates continued to fight.

Everything seemed to be in order. Everyone was here for the examinations. There were no personal feuds here, so no one went for the kill.

Even so…

The orderly atmosphere was quickly shattered.

This sound did not come from the battle. The position from which the sound originated from was not quite right. It’s tone was also filled with disbelief.

“You…”

All of the candidates battling stopped.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound.

Then, everyone’s eyes widened. No one wanted to believe what was unfolding before them.

No one could believe that Xing Qingsui was the origin of the sound.

No one expected Xing Qingsui to cry out like that.

Right now…

There was a blade sticking out of Xing Qingsui’s chest. The blade was driven in from the back and came out on the other side. Blood dripped from the tip.

Chapter 203: Difficult to Survive

The blade looked extremely ordinary, like one of the blades lying on the ground.

Even more strangely, there was no one behind Xing Qingsui. It was empty with the exception of some blades in rocks.

Xing Qingsui paled and winced. He was in extreme pain, his lips quivering as he gripped the ground.

He was stabbed in the back?!

He did not scream. Instead, he had only said ‘you…’. This was testament to Xing Qingsui’s endurance.

But, why was there a blade sticking out of his chest?

Furthermore…

Why couldn’t anyone spot his attacker?

Most importantly, who was Xing Qingsui referring to when he said ‘you’?

Questions flashed past the minds of everyone on the scene. They were all stunned by what they saw. Who had the audacity to attack Xing Qingsui?

Fang Zhengzhi was not too surprised.

Afterall, he did not understand this world very well. If he had tried to get to the bottom of everything, he would have a really bad headache by now.

As such, he was only curious about the strange happenings, never shocked.

This kind of attitude caused him to think not about who the blade had pierced, but why the blade was an ordinary one.

After all, this was the Imperial Examinations.

Which person here did not have a decent weapon?

His concentration was drawn away. He guessed that the blade was possibly embedded in one of the rocks before. This realization caused him to notice a surprising scene unfolding before his eyes.

Many of the blades began to rise from the ground.

It was almost as if an invisible hand was pulling them from the ground, causing a light grinding sound as the blades were extracted.

However, all of them were so absorbed by the fact that Xing Qingsui was stabbed that none of them realized that there was a blade at their back.

“Yan Xiu!” Fang Zhengzhi lunged without a second thought.

He knew that there was a blade at his back without even looking. He was not going to stand still and be stepped.

Yan Xiu was looking at Xing Qingsui, his gaze filled with doubt and curiosity.

He suddenly heard Fang Zhengzhi’s voice echo out.

Before he could turn around, he felt a wave of force crashing into him. Then, his body was forced towards the ground.

He instinctively wanted to fight it and break free.

However, he gave up quickly.

He had heard Fang Zhengzhi’s voice, and Fang Zhengzhi was standing next to him.

Even though he did not know why Fang Zhengzhi would lunge at him, he did not resist.

“Plonk!” The two of them crashed to the ground.

Just at that moment, the sound of blades rushing through the air could be heard above them.

That was not all.

Sounds of blades piercing bodies seemed to ring out simultaneously. The ring was slightly icy as the blades pierced their chest.

They were all stabbed in the back, just like Xing Qingsui.

“Ah!”

“Ah, ah, ah…”

Cries of pain echoed out.

Not everyone had Xing Qingsui’s endurance. As such, many of them began to cry out pitifully, their cries echoing throughout the sea of blades…

“The swords… the swords are attacking us!”

“The World of the Sage is out of control!”

“Run.”

Screams pierced through the chaos.

Any candidate capable of entering the third round would be reasonably alert. As such, there were a few who still managed to dodge the attacks of the blades.

The entire crowd went out of control.

“Who dares to attack me?! Are you tired of living?!” An arrogant voice pierced through the crowd. Even Ping Yang was not spared from the attack.

She was Princess Ping Yang, the most pampered princess in the Great Xia Dynasty.

Who had the audacity to sneak and attack on her?

This was an almost lethal attempt on her life.

How could she not be enraged?

Ping Yang’s rage reaffirmed everyone’s suspicions. There was no candidate who would dare to do such a thing.

The only possible explanation was that the World of the Sage was out of control.

Fang Zhengzhi had initially thought so too. However, he quickly dismissed the thought.

He recalled what Xing Qingsui had said when he was stabbed in the back.

Xing Qingsui had said, “You…”

He did not scream.

Xing Qingsui, having been the first to be attacked, naturally had the greatest say in the matter.

In fact, Xing Qingsui’s subsequent actions proved it all.

Xing Qingsui was on the move.

Even though he was seriously injured, he stubbornly held Meteor in his hand as he struck at the frail looking middle aged man next to him.

The blade sliced through the air.

“Clang!” One of the blades from the ground met Xing Qingsui’s attack in mid air.

This made it easy for the middle aged man to dodge the first attack.

Even though Xing Qingsui was already injured from the attack, the middle aged man never let down his guard.

“Why is young master doing this?” The middle aged man looked at Xing Qingsui in surprise.

“Ahem… this… shouldn’t I be asking you that? Who… are you?” Xing Qingsui bit his lip, his sword drooping.

His hand was shaking.

This was the first time his hand had shook.

Perhaps he was too emotional, or perhaps his injuries were too severe.

The middle aged man smirked. He looked at all of the injured candidates before his gaze returned to Xing Qingsui.

“Has young master forgotten my name? I am your most loyal guard. I saved your from the battlefield three years ago. I am Xing Zhong. Have you forgotten the name you gave me?” The man looked at Xing Qingsui.

“Three years ago…” Xing Qingsui’s gaze was slightly lost.

The middle aged man was right. He had been severely injured in the battle three years ago. At that time, he had been cornered at the top of a mountain by a thousand strong devil army.

He had spent all his energy in an attempt to get out of the trap.

He ended up in a coma.

When he awoke, this man was by his side.

Much like him, the middle aged man had entered a coma, and he had taken a few nearly lethal blows to the neck.

If not for the timely arrival of reinforcements, the two of them would not have escaped death.

As such, Xing Qingsui had requested that this man be allowed to take on the surname Xing. This man would also become his most loyal guard, someone who he taught everything to. In three years, this man had never left him.

This man had done a lot whilst joining Xing Qingsui on the battlefield.

“You are not Xing Zhong. Xing Zhong died… three years ago. Who are you?” Xing Qingsui was sure of himself.

He had checked up Xing Zhong’s identity. This man could not have existed.

The man in front of him was clearly not Xing Zhong.

“Isn’t it a little too late for young master to realize this now?” The middle aged man smirked. At this point, Xing Qingsui realized that there was another blade aimed at his neck.

All of the candidates saw the scene unfolding before them.

They had heard the conversation between the two people, but they could not fully understand what they were saying.

Even so, they could be sure of one thing. Xing Qingsui had already deduced the source of the attack. More importantly, the flying blade had proven the point.

“Who is he?!”

“Why would Xing Qingsui’s guard turn on him?”

He is actually trying to attack us.”

The questions and answers were incredibly messy.

However, this was clearly not the time to ask these questions. Those uninjured candidates began to turn their weapons on the middle aged man.

Three of them even started to attack.

Three sword glimmered in the air. Two went towards the middle aged man whilst the other one went for the sword in mid air.

This was the best way they could help now.

However, the blade aimed at Xing Qingsui’s throat was already in motion. It was quick as lightning, much faster than any of the other three blades.

Xing Qingsui stared at that blade, but did not close his eyes.

Closing one’s eyes was the action of a coward. As the heir to the Stabilisation Constabulary, he would stare death in the eye without any fear.

Why didn’t Xing Qingsui try to block it?

His hands were already trembling. How was he going to raise his sword?

“Clang!”

“Clang!”

Two crisp sounds rang out.

The blade aimed at Xing Qingsui fell to the ground. Another blade fell to the ground with it. That was a jade green blade.

Another blade also fell to the ground.

That blade was slightly further from Xing Qingsui.

That was a deep blue blade, slightly longer than the jade green one.

The middle aged man did not have a sword in his hand. All he had was a sabre. His sabre was undecorated, but glimmered with an icy glow. It had a faint blood aura. This sabre had taken lives before.

“Oh?” The middle aged man looked to his right.

That deep blue blade had been launched at him. However, it had not come from the three charging students. It had come from a youth to his right.

This youth wore a short sleeved workaday top, but his gaze was incredibly calm.

This youth was Nangong Mu.

“It’s the Green and Blue Dual Blade!”

“The Green and Blue Dual Blade of the Nangong Clan is with Nangong Mu? Is he training with the Green and Blue Secret Art?!”

“My gosh, is there anyone in this world who can perfect that?”

The candidates were all in shock when they saw the blades on the ground. Their shock from this was significantly more than when they were attacked by the middle aged man.

One of the reasons was that…

Nangong Mu was using the Green and Blue Secret Art.

The other three candidates were unsurprisingly stopped. Their blades were met by three other hovering blades.

“I would expect Nangong Hao’s brother to be slightly smarter. I never expected him to be such an idiot?” The middle aged man mocked.

“Indeed.” Nangong Mu nodded.

He did not hesitate to reply, seemingly unprovoked by the middle aged man’s provocation. It felt like he was replying to a normal comment.

The surrounding candidates could not understand.

Why would Nangong Mu be so accepting of mockery?

“I guess you’re not very talkative huh?” The middle aged man seemed slightly taken aback by Nangong Mu’s reply.

He definitely was not naive enough to think that Nangong Mu would be scared of him. If Nangong Mu was afraid of him, he would not have attacked.

“You can use your shadows to control the blades on the ground and can hide your shadows underground. Such abilities are rather surprising. It’s a pity you’re not human!” Nangong Mu did not respond to the question, choosing to mutter to himself.

“You’re a man of few words, but your observation skills are quite exemplary. There is something I don’t quite understand though, why do you think I am not human?” The middle aged man smiled.

“In order to have such control, one must be above the Heavenly Reflection State. There are only 39 people in the world who are capable of manipulating shadows to such a level, and none of them are here. As such, you are definitely not human. If I am correct, there is someone amongst the devils who fights like you do. That man is Ying Shan.” Nangong Mu replied.

When the middle aged man heard the name “Ying Shan”, his smiled froze and his eyes glittered with surprise for the first time.

He was not surprised by Nangong Mu’s abilities, but he was surprised that Nangong Mu could guess who he was through observation, knowledge and his fighting technique. That was something to fear.

“You remember it so clearly? You can’t be a fake… I can’t believe that the Nangong Family still loves to keep records of these even after they went underground. It’s a pity you’re going to die.” The middle aged man did not deny what Nangong Mu said.

So…

In a way, he had admitted that Nangong Mu was right.

The surrounding candidates all stepped backwards unconsciously. Their faces were filled with fear.

If what Nangong Mu said was true…

This was way too scary.

There was only one person named Ying Shan amongst the devils. He was the Vice Domain Chief of the Ying Domain of the Ten Devilish Domains.

“How is that possible?!”

“Why would the demons send a Vice Domain Chief to the Imperial Examinations?”

“No, I don’t want to die just yet.”

All of the candidates felt incredibly helpless. They had no chance of facing off against Ying Shan.

He was more powerful than any Heavenly Reflection cultivator.

“Is Ying Shan… very powerful?” Fang Zhengzhi climbed up from the ground and asked Yan Xiu.

“I think it’s very difficult to survive!” Yan Xiu nodded.

This was the first time that Yan Xiu had described a situaation this way. And he had to pick a time like this to say it.

Chapter 204: Supernatural State

Fang Zhengzhi frowned. Difficult to live meant that their chances of survival were extremely low. No one was willing to accept that fact.

Fang Zhengzhi frowned.

He was still a virgin.

He could not simply just die like this.

Fang Zhengzhi did not want to give up so easily, but would Yan Xiu joke about such matters? Naturally not! This was a truly dangerous situation.

“Do we have any chance to survive?” Fang Zhengzhi asked.

“The chances are extremely slim. Ying Shan entered the “Supernatural State” four years ago. He is probably in the intermediate stages now. Even if we all joined forces, it would be a hard fought battle. Furthermore, more than half of the others are seriously injured.” Yan Xiu shook his head as he looked around.

Fang Zhengzhi did not know much about what came after the Heavenly Reflection State. He did not know what the Supernatural State was but he knew Yan Xiu would not lie.

Furthermore, just as what Yan Xiu had said, more than half of the candidates were seriously injured. There were less than 10 people who could fight.

If they included the difference in cultivation level, their chances of winning were extremely low.

“First, tell me what are the differences between the Supernatural State and the Heavenly Reflection State.” Fang Zhengzhi did not think it was an appropriate time to ask this question but it would be even worse to enter battle knowing nothing about the opponent.

Yan Xiu knew what Fang Zhengzhi was thinking and did not find the question inappropriate.

“Without truly entering the Supernatural State, it is impossible to fully understand the differences. When do you think a person is able to unleash his full power?” Yan Xiu looked at Fang Zhengzhi.

“Full power?” Fang Zhengzhi had no idea why Yan Xiu would ask that question. He thought for a moment, then answered, “In moments of extreme anger? Or when filled with love?”

This answer was one that he got from a movie. Whenever a person saw someone they loved being squashed by a rock, they would be able to explode with unimaginable power.

“Mm, that is one. However, that stems from a lack of control over one’s emotions. Even though the power is immense, it is not easily replicated. Furthermore, love and hate would not be able to heal the physical wounds.” Yan Xiu shook his head.

“They can heal their wounds?” Fang Zhengzhi did not understand. He was under the impression that an injured person would need to seek treatment. How was it possible to heal wounds with power?

“The Supernatural State gets its name from its ability to allow the person to enter the said state.” Yan Xiu explained solemnly.

“Supernatural?” When Fang Zhengzhi heard what Yan Xiu said, he began to get suspicious. Isn’t that something that happens to people when they are about to die?

“Mm, it is said that a terminally ill patient is able to go about normal activities during this phase. They are able to recover from their injuries. They are completely lucid and their power is at a maximum.”

“What do you mean?” Fang Zhengzhi seemed to understand. He was not fully sure, but he was beginning to understand what Yan Xiu was saying.

“People in the Supernatural State are able to walk the line between life and death. They are able to perfectly combine their strength and speed with their pocket dimension, thus allowing them to unleash their full powers. More importantly, they have incredible healing!” Yan Xiu finished solemnly.

Fang Zhengzhi was equally solemn. He had expected the Supernatural State to be very powerful, but he ever expected it to be this ridiculous.

Supernatural…

He could remember clearly that the ancient annals recorded this state very clearly. Even the most gravely injured people could walk when they were in that state.

To control one’s body and maintain it in that state?

Walking the line between life and death?

Must it be that ridiculous? Even if I critically injure him, he can still jump around?

He finally understood why Yan Xiu said it would be difficult for them to live through this. This man was virtually invincible.

How are we ever going to defeat a man who can unleash his full power and still get up despite being critically injured?

Fang Zhengzhi was silent. His gut told him that running away was the best option now.

But…

What if they couldn’t get out?

They were essentially stuck now that the World of the Sage was out of control. No one could get in or out, and they were stuck here with a Supernatural State cultivator hell bent on taking their lives.

And this man had to be a demon. There was no room for negotiations.

What now?

Fang Zhengzhi and everyone else had the same ideas. In the face of a Supernatural State cultivator, a Heavenly Reflection State cultivator could only run, the further the better.

But now, they had no chance of escaping.

Who wouldn’t crumble?

Cries rose and fell as people sighed and cried in fear and resignation

When Ping Yang heard Ying Shan’s name, a look of fear spread over her dainty little face.

She was no different from a helpless chicken in the face of a Supernatural cultivator. This was despite her possessing the Red Flame Flower Armor and the Blazing Qilin Spear.

She was easy prey.

She unconsciously started to run. She ran next to Fang Zhengzhi and grabbed onto his hand. She had no idea why she did that.

However, she felt slightly safer next to Fang Zhengzhi, even if it was just for a moment.

Fang Zhengzhi felt his arm being squeezed by Ping Yang once again. He felt uncomfortable, but he did not push her away.

As a guy, he had to give in to a lady.

As such, no matter how unwilling he was, he would take point.

Nangong Mu’s expression did not change much. He was the first to guess Ying Shan’s identity. Furthermore, he had chosen to step out and fight, meaning that he did not fear Ying Shan.

Xing Qingsui was not scared either. He only had one mentality, go against the current and lose ground. That’s the way he refined his abilities. However, he was in no position to advance now.

Ying Shan chuckled as he looked around at the trembling candidates.

“Actually, I had never expected to get out of this place alive. I thought that I only had one chance at an attack. The moment my identity was revealed, the invigilators would intervene. However, heaven has been kind to me. The World of the Sage is now out of control. There is no need for me to hide any longer.”

Ying Shan smirked as he looked at Nangong Mu, Ping Yang, and finally at Fang Zhengzhi.

Fang Zhengzhi had no idea why Ying Shan would look at him, but he knew that it wasn’t a good sign.

Nangong Mu also turned to look at Fang Zhengzhi.

Everyone seemed to look at Fang Zhengzhi. They all realized that the person who had caused the World of the Sage to go out of control was probably Fang Zhengzhi.

“Extract the sword and the seal would be broken. Then, the invigilators can regain control and come save us!” Fang Zhengzhi knew what these people were thinking.

He quickly devised a plan to divert all their attentions.

Luckily, this plan was not a bad one.

This gave everyone, who were on the verge of giving up, a shred of hope.

With hope and a goal, then even arch enemies could become allies. Furthermore, they were looking death in its face.

The candidates began to move. They no longer fought each other like before. Instead, each one of them aimed to remove the sword.

Ying Shan’s gaze turned icy in an instant.

“Young master was right, you are an unpredictable person!” Ying Shan said cryptically before disappearing.

Then, a loud boom could be heard.

In the next moment, Ying Shan appeared at the bottom of the rock.

There was one person in front of him, and that was Nangong Mu.

Nangong Mu’s right hand covered his chest. There was a trickle of blood that wasn’t there before. It was clearly caused by that loud boom.

“The Nangong Family are indeed idiots. You want to try to stop me without any swords?”

“I will have a sword after I stop you.” Nangong Mu replied flatly.

Then, the Green and Blue Dual Blades appeared in front of me. The blades were not anywhere near Nangong Mu initially, but they were near to Xing Qingsui.

He kicked them over to Nangong Mu.

Nangong Mu retrieved them and held the blue one in his right hand, and the green one in his left.

“I have always heard that the Nangong Family had two great teachings, the “Dragon Combat Plan” and the “Green and Blue Secret Art”. However, people have only seen the Dragon Combat Plan. I guess you should know why?” Ying Shan mocked as he looked at the Green and Blue Dual Blades.

“Shouldn’t you be rushing to get a blade of your own?” Nangong Mu ignored the question.

“Is there a need?” Ying Shan replied.

Just as Ying Shan finished his statement, the candidates on the rock seemed to be frozen in place, each of them wincing in pain.

Then, blades began to rise from the ground.

They flew towards the candidates.

They stared wide eyed at the flying blades. They wanted to dodge, but it was difficult to.

“Boom boom boom…”

The blades smashed against the fields of the various candidates and turned to metal dust. The candidates all paled from the impact.

“Sh*t!”

One candidate could not hold it in any longer and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Very quickly, there was a second, then a third…

“I think you do!” Nangong Mu sprang into action. He stabbed the Green and Blue Dual Blades into the ground. Two rays of light shone and intersected each other like two enormous dragons.

“Kaboom!” Two cracks appeared in the ground.

A ray of green light and a ray of blue light shone from the ground.

All of the candidates on the rock seemed to heave a sigh of relief as their bodies relaxed.

“It seems like I have underestimated you!” Ying Shan was slightly taken aback as he began to take Nangong Mu seriously.

All of the candidates who were seriously injured stared wide eyed at the scene unfolding before their eyes.

They could not believe what was happening.

“He managed to block it?!”

“Is this the power of the Green and Blue Secret Art?”

He managed to block the underground shadows of Ying Shan despite only being in the Heavenly Reflection State. That was quite shocking.

Then, an even more shocking thing happened.

Nangong Mu attacked Ying Shan. He held one blade in front of him and one behind as he attacked. A green and blue field began to surround him.

Green for wood, blue for ice.

These were two completely immiscible fields.

Wood would die in ice.

It was like a tree in winter – there was no chance of survival.

However, when Nangong Mu controlled these two fields, these two completely polar fields began to intersect and combine.

This was completely unbelievable.

Green and Blue Secret Art, wood and ice?

This was unthinkable.

Fang Zhengzhi looked at Nangong Mu. He could feel what the two colors stood for. How did Nangong Mu manage to combine these two fields?

He realized…

It was not very possible for the two fields to mix.

However, Nangong Mu seemed to prove him wrong; ice and wood could mix.

Ying Shan did not retreat. He simply used a sword to block it. However, this simple action did not seem too simple.

Since Nangong Mu was attacking, his blades would naturally clash with Ying Shan’s.

The blue sword was up first. He was attacking with ice.

An incredibly icy wave crashed towards Ying Shan. The blade which clashed with the blue blade instantly turned to ice.

Then, the green blade clashed with Ying Shan’s blade.

At that very moment, something strange happened.

The ice on Ying Shan’s blade seemed to take on a life of its own. It began to extend towards Ying Shan’s arm, covering it in an instant.

“Is this the Green and Blue Secret Art?!”

“It’s so powerful!”

All of the candidates began to cheer when they saw this. They saw a possibility of victory.

However, Ying Shan’s expression did not change too much. He quietly looked at his blade and his frozen arm.

“I am curious, how did you do it?” Ying Shan asked.

“Blue is ice, green is wood. However, wood is not just wood, it is life! Everything has life, including ice.” Nangong Mu replied.

“Wood is life… I see. However, aren’t you afraid that answering me so directly would reveal the secret of the Nangong Green and Blue Secret Art?” Ying Shan nodded.

“So what if you know? Can you do it?” Nangong Mu replied calmly.

“Haha, you are right, I can’t do it. I have to admit, if I was still in the Heavenly Reflection Realm, I would lose!” Ying Shan nodded once again.

Then, with a shake of his arm, the ice covering it crumbled. However, because his arm had been covered with ice, his skin was a little purple from frostbite.

Even so, the purple tint began to fade quickly as the redness returned to his skin.

Chapter 205: Variable

This scene was indeed stupefying.

Fang Zhengzhi had never thought that the power of the Dao of All Creation would be as strong. He could witness the speed of Ying Shan’s recovery with his very own eyes.

This completely went against all the knowledge he gained in his previous world.

He recalled his process of practising Dao over the past years. The access of Dao can give life to the particles that made up one’s body, allowing them to congregate to a single point to increase one’s power and speed.

After one attained the Divine Seal State, one could use the pocket dimension within to interact with the outside world, controlling the power of All Creation.

After one attained Star Conglomerate, the Dao of All Creation would be controlled by one’s pocket dimension. Hence, one would be able to borrow the power of various Dao of All Creation in order to execute powerful techniques.

As for Heavenly Reflection, it was the perfect fusion of the pocket dimension and the outside world.

Borrowing the Dao of All Creation to create one’s unique territory.

As for the Supernatural state.

It could actually allow one to walk the line between life and death, controlling the powerful energy of the Supernatural state. This seemed as if it was the most mysterious concept within the Dao of All Creation.

I really wonder what kind of power lies beyond the Supernatural state…

Fang Zhengzhi didn’t think for much longer. The scene unfolding before him didn’t give him any more time to understand it further.

Nangong Mu evidently knew Ying Shan’s enlightenment state. The healing of the wounds on Ying Shan’s arm was already to be expected, hence he wasn’t too shocked.

Thus, once again, he moved.

All of a sudden, two rays of light, glowing green and blue respectively, lit up and intersected one another. The green provided support, while the blue provided the main force. Despite it being ice, it could still prosper and grow with life.

Up in the sky, a blizzard of ice and snow began to brew. A blue light glowed, covering the swords that were impaled into the ground below with a thick layer of solid ice.

Ying Shan bathed within the ice and snow, standing completely still and allowing the ice and snow to cover his body.

With a faint smile, he lightly waved the blade in his hand. A black light instantly expanded from the tip of his blade, swallowing the entire territory of ice and snow.

“Boom!”

A horrifying force exploded from Ying Shan’s body.

It was as if the entire sky had turned black.

That, was Ying Shan’s territory. Or, it could be said that this was the black world.

The black light pressed down upon the green and blue rays. These two rays supported themselves strenuously, just like two faint candlelights in the dark night.

Even though it wasn’t very bright, it didn’t extinguish.

“How long can you hold this up?” Ying Shan laughed.

“I believe I can hold on for another five minutes.” Nangong Mu gritted his teeth.

“What happens after five minutes?”

“Then you will have to wait five minutes to find out.”

“Looks like you are indeed quite determined. However, can you really hold on for five minutes?” Ying Shan waved his blade once again. The sky turned even blacker, likening the cloud-covered sky at midnight.

“I can.” Nangong Mu’s tone sounded very confident.

At the same time, the green and blue rays of light on his body grew in brightness. Under additional pressure from Ying Shan, his green and blue territory actually expanded instead of falling.

“I never thought, I really never thought that… Today, there is actually an unexpected surprise. Nangong Hao’s little brother had actually attained the Heavenly Reflection Peak State?!” As Ying Shan looked at this scene unfolding in front of his eyes, the shock in his eyes grew.

“Heavenly Reflection Peak State?!”

“Nangong Mu actually attained the Heavenly Reflection Peak State?”

“How can such a powerful person not enter the Rising Dragon Roll? The Heavenly Reflection Peak State can definitely rank him among the top twenty in the Rising Dragon Roll. Taking into account the Green and Blue Secret Art, he would at the very least be ranked among the top ten!”

“Nangong Hao has attained the Heavenly Reflection Peak State. Now, Nangong Mu has also done the same?! My God… This generation of the Nangong family are both Heavenly Reflection Peaks?”

When the examinees heard what Ying Shan said and looked at Nangong Mu wrapped within the green and blue rays, a deep sense of respect grew within them for the first time towards this lonely, yet ordinary youth.

Nangong Mu didn’t speak. His expression was very calm, as if he had heard something that was very ordinary.

“But, is the Heavenly Reflection Peak State… truly enough?” Ying Shan looked around at his surroundings, then looked at the sword on the rock. A powerful aura of confidence filled his eyes.

Even though it was the Heavenly Reflection Peak State, it only meant that the territory control would be stronger than the Heavenly Reflection Beginning State. On the other hand, the Supernatural State was another world altogether.

The difference between two enlightenment states was the difference between Heaven and Earth.

Nangong Mu remained silent. The perseverance in his eyes didn’t diminish one bit.

“Seems like you are rather self-confident?” Ying Shan was supposed to end this fight quickly. However, he was truly somewhat surprised by Nangong Mu’s actions. Furthermore, everything was under his control. He didn’t mind wasting time for some answers.

“Self-confident? No, you are wrong. I am not self-confident.” Nangong Mu finally spoke.

“Then why do you appear so calm?”

“If you were me, you would be just as calm.”

“Looks like you are unwilling to reply my question?”

“Of course I am unwilling.”

“Then, let’s not waste any more time.” Ying Shan nodded. Then, step by step, he walked towards Nangong Mu. He walked very slowly. However, every step he took caused the green and blue rays of light surrounding Nangong Mu’s body to waver.

Just as if it had been pressed down upon by a powerful force.

This scene instantly caused a sense of desolation to fill the hearts of the examinees.

Ever since Xing Qingsui became severely injured from the sneak attack, Nangong Mu became their hope. However, if even Nangong Mu wasn’t able to block Ying Shan, who else would be able to pull out that sword?

Even though Nangong Mu attained the Heavenly Reflection State, even though he had the Green and Blue Secret Art.

But now, his opponent was Ying Shan. Ying Shan, the Vice Domain Chief within the Ying Domain of the Ten Devilish Domains, with the power of the Supernatural Intermediate State.

Every examinee knew this. Hence, Fang Zhengzhi also knew this.

Nangong Mu’s opponent was Ying Shan of the Supernatural State. Just as he said, he was able to hold on for five minutes. However, it was ultimately only five minutes.

There was no hope of winning.

Hence, the current situation required cooperation.

Fang Zhengzhi shifted his feet, and slowly advanced forward a step. It was the same way Ying Shan walked towards Nangong Mu.

Yan Xiu also took a step forward, right at the instantly Fang Zhengzhi lifted his foot. Thus, Ping Yang was also unconsciously pulled forward a step by Fang Zhengzhi.

Hence, Ping Yang looked at Fang Zhengzhi with shock in her eyes.

“I always thought you were very afraid of dying.”

“That’s right. Did I ever say that I’m not afraid of dying?” Fang Zhengzhi looked at Ping Yang.

“Yet, you still walk forward?” Ping Yang didn’t quite understand.

“If I can run, I would definitely be running now.” Fang Zhengzhi’s expression was very normal. There wasn’t the slightest bit of shame on his face when he claimed that he wanted to run.

“You are indeed very shameless.” Ping Yang felt that she was truly embarrassed to be grouped together with the person in front of her.

“Thank you for your praise. So, you will follow me, is that right?”

“Yes.” Ping Yang nodded. Her voice was pitifully soft. She was indeed very embarrassed to be in the same team as Fang Zhengzhi. However, at this moment, she didn’t have a second choice.

“Looks like you are also very afraid of dying.”

“Do you think I am the same as you? This is called seizing the chance to live.” Ping Yang twitched her mouth and retorted.

“Then, for this chance to live, lend me your Blazing Qilin Spear to play around with.”

“Your words are always so irritating. Can’t you at least respect my Blazing Qilin Spear?” Ping Yang seemed somewhat unhappy. However, she still passed the Blazing Qilin Spear to Fang Zhengzhi.

Holding it lightly, Fang Zhengzhi was able to feel the surging power coming from the Blazing Qilin Spear.

With the spear in my hands, the world is mine.

At this instant, Fang Zhengzhi felt as if he overlooked the entire world.

Hence, the speed of his movement increased slightly. He walked, step by step, towards Ying Shan.

Changes in a battle always occurs within the time it takes for a breath.

Ying Shan was holding up against Nangong Mu. Naturally, it wasn’t possible for him to not be paying attention to the movements of the people around him. Hence, he noticed Fang Zhengzhi walking towards him.

As well as Yan Xiu and Ping Yang who were following behind Fang Zhengzhi.

At the same time Ying Shan turned his head, the gazes of the other examinees also fell upon Fang Zhengzhi.

“Fang Zhengzhi is joining the battle?”

When this thought rose within the examinees, they couldn’t really believe it.

After all, from the start of the combat examinations, Fang Zhengzhi had embodied the great values of winning due to outnumbering others. After which, he began to channel his efforts into the Broken Bridge and the Twin Stone Tablets.

All along, Fang Zhengzhi wasn’t a hero in the hearts of the people. At the very least, nobody among them would pin their hopes on him.

Nangong Mu was the descendant of the Nangong family. He mastered the Green and Blue Secret Art, one of the two great teachings of the Nangong family.

Even with such powers, he wasn’t able to match up to Ying Shan.

Then, what use was Fang Zhengzhi?

…

Fang Zhengzhi didn’t have to guess to understand the thoughts of the surrounding examinees. But, were their thoughts important? Of course not.

Thus, he naturally wouldn’t stop what he was doing.

Just like that, Fang Zhengzhi walked all the way up to the side of Ying Shan’s territory before stopping.

“Hello, my name is Fang Zhengzhi!” Fang Zhengzhi, very magnanimously, introduced himself to Ying Shan.

Under the current circumstance, such a self-introduction indeed didn’t fit the situation. At the very least, when the surrounding examinees heard this, they instantly felt the urge to bow down.

At this time, shouldn’t he be saying, “Evil demon, surrender while you can!”?

Even though such a sentence was just as inappropriate.

At least it embodied some vigor within. What was the meaning of this self-introduction towards the demon?

Ying Shan was slightly taken aback. Then, he suddenly began to laugh.

“Young Lord was right. You are indeed an unfathomable person!” This was the second time Ying Shan said this. Hence, this meant that the first time he said this was also directed towards Fang Zhengzhi.

“Your young lord knows me?” Fang Zhengzhi seemed somewhat shocked.

Just as Ying Shan was about to reply, he realised that no matter whether he replied “Yes” or “No”, it still seemed somewhat inappropriate.

If he replied “yes”, that meant that his young lord had met with Fang Zhengzhi before. However, if he replied “no”, that seemed to conflict with what he had just said.

It was a very simple conversation. However, many things could be inferred from the words within.

“Looks like… you are about to join the fight?” Ying Shan didn’t reply Fang Zhengzhi’s question. Instead, he directly approached the main topic.

“No, I am here to negotiate peace!” Fang Zhengzhi shook his head.

“Negotiate peace? Ha ha ha… Fang Zhengzhi, you are a very intelligent person. Do you really think that us, the demon race, can negotiate peace with your human race?” Ying Shan felt as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world.

“Why not? You can explain your reasons, but, can you at least take a seat and make a pot of tea? Then, we can have a nice chat and discuss the history of the demon race and the human race.” Fang Zhengzhi said calmly.

“Make a pot of tea? Have a nice chat? Don’t you feel that you are a little naive?” Ying Shan looked towards Fang Zhengzhi. He couldn’t believe that Fang Zhengzhi would actually make such a request under such circumstances.

Where did this thought even come from?

However, Fang Zhengzhi’s words evidently caused him some anger. In fact, it caused him so much anger that the shadow territory around Ying Shan trembled slightly. This caused Nangong Mu’s green and blue territory to grow a little brighter.

Ying Shan’s attention was focused on Fang Zhengzhi. Hence, there was no way he would notice this detail.

The other examinees were also fixated upon Fang Zhengzhi. Hence, they naturally would not be able to notice this. However, Nangong Mu knew this.

Thus, the gaze Nangong Mu shot towards Fang Zhengzhi changed somewhat.

He didn’t understand whether or not Fang Zhengzhi was doing this on purpose. However, he could clearly feel the pressure on his body decreasing slightly.

“Yes, you are right, I am indeed somewhat naive. This place isn’t very suitable for making tea. Most importantly, there are no tea leaves!” Fang Zhengzhi exclaimed.

Tea leaves…

Ying Shan’s mouth twitched slightly. He suddenly felt as if he wasn’t suitable to chat with Fang Zhengzhi. Because, no matter how they talked, their thoughts didn’t seem to be on the same frequency.

“If you wish to delay time, you might be disappointed.” Ying Shan decided to not speak with Fang Zhengzhi any further.

“Why do you always think badly of others? Alright, since you aren’t willing to sit down and have a chat, why not let us make an exchange?” Fang Zhengzhi shook his head lightly, seeming somewhat disappointed.

“If you have something to say, say it quick.” Ying Shan was losing his patience.

“This spear on my hand… do you recognise it?” Fang Zhengzhi waved the Blazing Qilin Spear on his hand.

“The Blazing Qilin Spear, one of the ten great treasures of the Great Xia Dynasty, containing the blood of the Blazing Qilin. It’s offensive power ranks first among the ten great treasures, how would I not recognise it?” Ying Shan nodded.

In reality, if it wasn’t because Fang Zhengzhi held the Blazing Qilin Spear on his hands, why would he even bother making such useless conversations with Fang Zhengzhi?

In this combat examination, he had sneaked into the World of the Sage.

Everything was within his control.

The only thing he had miscalculated was that Princess Ping Yang would enter. Furthermore, she had even brought along one of the ten great treasures of the Great Xia Dynasty, the Blazing Qilin Spear.

Despite being in the Star Conglomerate State, Ping Yang was able to gain the advantage in power over Xing Qingsui of the Heavenly Reflection State.

He kept waiting until the battle between Xing Qingsui and Ping Yang ended in order to see how powerful the Blazing Qilin Spear actually was.

Now that the Blazing Qilin Spear fell in the hands of Fang Zhengzhi, with his Heavenly Reflection powers, what would happen if Fang Zhengzhi was matched against himself of the Supernatural State?

Nobody knew for sure.

This was also the reason why Ying Shan didn’t confront Fang Zhengzhi immediately. Because, Ping Yang stood beside Fang Zhengzhi all along.

He didn’t wish for the Blazing Qilin Spear to end up in the hands of Fang Zhengzhi.

Because, that would be the only variable in the World of the Sage. Now, Fang Zhengzhi seemed to have picked up this variable and even stood in front of him.

Most importantly, he held the Blazing Qilin Spear and offered to make an exchange.

Ying Shan was already about to lose his patience. However, at such a time, he still decided to maintain his patience for a little longer…