King of Creation
Chapter 166 - 164: Struggling for First Place (Requesting Guaranteed Monthly Tickets)

Chapter 166: Chapter 164: Struggling for First Place (Requesting Guaranteed Monthly Tickets)

Bang!

In the terrifying fluctuation of power, Gao Xinglie’s beast body True Essence arm was directly shattered, with traces of fresh blood seeping out from the crevices of the scale armor on Gao Xinglie’s right arm.

Above and below the platform, the sound of people sharply inhaling in shock rose in unison, and even Ye Zhen drew a sharp breath in amazement.

One punch!

With just one punch, Qu Zhanqian effortlessly defeated Gao Xinglie, who had employed his strongest Beast Body Secret Technique!

Ye Zhen had thought that with Gao Xinglie’s cultivation, he would at least force Qu Zhanqian to reveal some of his abilities, but Ye Zhen had never imagined that with Gao Xinglie’s Peak of Spirit Summoning Realm cultivation, he couldn’t even withstand a single punch from Qu Zhanqian.

"Breaking through to the Spirit Transformation Realm, has he become this powerful?"

"The difference between the Spirit Transformation Realm and the Spirit Summoning Realm is like that between the True Essence Realm and the Blood Training Realm. Once you break through, your combat power undergoes a qualitative change.

When a martial artist’s cultivation breaks through to the Spirit Transformation Realm, aside from condensing a seed of spiritual power, the major change is the transformation process itself." Hearing Ye Zhen’s exclamation, Caiyi began to explain.

"Transformation?"

"Yes, transformation! Transformation isn’t, as some martial artists understand it, simply turning all True Yuan into spiritual power. Instead, it means using spiritual power to cleanse all impurities within the body, refining one’s physical body into an Acquired Spiritual Body, which is referred to as transformation!" Caiyi explained.

"Acquired Spiritual Body?"

"Yes. Earth Rank and especially Heaven Rank martial skills place extremely high demands on the physical body. Only an Acquired Spiritual Body can withstand that intensity of spiritual power.

Moreover, only with cultivation forming an Acquired Spiritual Body is it possible to practice powerful Divine Power Secret Techniques and allow the body to withstand even greater power fluctuations, like the Sect Leader’s Vein Forging Divine Ability, Void Great Handprint."

"In the first stage of the Spirit Transformation Realm, termed Vein Transformation, what happens is the tempering and refining of all the body’s meridians with spiritual power, eventually transforming them into bodily spiritual veins.

Before undergoing Vein Transformation, your meridians may only be able to pass one-tenth of the spiritual power through your body at a time, causing unbearable pain. But after Vein Transformation, this capacity might increase to two-tenths or even more, and the endurance of the meridians naturally becomes much stronger!"

At this point, Caiyi paused abruptly, her voice changing to a whispered transmission, "I can sense that Qu Zhanqian harbors the intent to kill you! How about you just concede now and fight back another day?"

Hearing this, Ye Zhen gave a wry smile—Caiyi really was naive.

Suggesting to just give up was a suggestion that probably only someone as inherently sincere as Caiyi could propose so seriously.

"Don’t worry, I know my limits. I won’t let anything happen to me!"

"Hmm, I know. If Qu Zhanqian dares to make a deadly move against you, I will rush up and kill him with one palm!"

Without any fervor or excitement, as if casually chatting, Caiyi voiced her thoughts, this purest of intentions yet deeply moved Ye Zhen.

By defeating Gao Xinglie with a single blow, this sole act placed Qu Zhanqian in the limelight, immediately plunging disciples who had still upheld that Ye Zhen would win into despair.

In their view, with Qu Zhanqian’s level of strength, Ye Zhen stood no chance of winning.

The ranking competition continued, but for many, today’s Sect competition for the top rank seemed foregone; Qu Zhanqian was sure to be the champion.

Although many felt it somewhat below the belt for Qu Zhanqian, already at the Spirit Transformation Realm, to still participate in the Sect competition, but as one saying went—a single capable person could cover up a hundred flaws.

With strength, overwhelming strength, he could suppress all dissenting voices.

In subsequent matches, Changsun Ran lost to the injured Gao Xinglie by a narrow half move, which not only reaffirmed Gao Xinglie’s eminent strength but also highlighted just how powerful Qu Zhanqian was to have defeated Gao Xinglie with one punch.

To everyone’s surprise, Han Shi not only defeated Ren Xihua but also narrowly beat Changsun Ran, who ranked third on the Heavenly List, creating a major upset.

That Han Shi could narrowly defeat Changsun Ran was in no small part thanks to the Low Grade Artifact he obtained from the Black Water Legacy Mansion. Changsun Ran’s newly acquired longsword was broken by Han Shi’s Low Grade Artifact.

However, Ren Xihua continued to lose battles consecutively, first conceding directly against Qu Zhanqian, then losing to Han Shi, and later to Changsun Ran, temporarily ranking fifth.

But, leveraging that Low Grade Artifact and his exquisite cultivation, Ren Xihua went on to win all subsequent bouts. This record was enough for Ren Xihua to take pride in himself.

Jumping from eleventh to fifth in the Sect competition, if it weren’t for his reputation as the first genius of his generation in the Sect, he might have been dubbed the dark horse of this competition.

Meng Xiaoyue, who burst into the top ten and earned the moniker Little Rakshasa, found her luck had run out.

Nine battles, nine defeats!

Meng Xiaoyue’s swordsmanship was incredibly astonishing, yet this time, his opponents had become wise. They no longer gave Meng Xiaoyue the chance to display his exquisite sword techniques and directly overpowered him using their cultivation strength.

After all, Meng Xiaoyue’s cultivation was only at the peak of the True Essence Fifth Realm. Although his swordplay was extraordinary, his adversaries, the weakest among them being at the Mid-stage of Spirit Summoning, simply overwhelmed him.

Unlike the early Ye Zhen, Meng Xiaoyue did not possess a Low Grade Artifact, nor was his True Essence Spiritual Power incomparably pure; many times, even his Protective Gang Qi couldn’t be broken.

Nevertheless, Ye Zhen believed that given some time for growth—maybe one year, maybe two—Meng Xiaoyue would surely shine brightly and seize the Sect’s top rank.

After all, with a master like Liao Feibai, the Sword Vein Divine Power, and the seventh-grade Heavenly Vein, Meng Xiaoyue was not to be underestimated.

Due to many of the top ten disciples having already fought each other earlier, this ranking competition proceeded very quickly; basically, each person only needed to fight four or five matches to complete all challenges.

"Cao Luo against Yuen Hui, Yuen Hui wins!"

With Elder Zhong’s loud announcement, everyone’s attention turned to Ye Zhen and Qu Zhanqian.

So far, only Ye Zhen and Qu Zhanqian maintained a record of eight victories each, and their match had not yet taken place.

This match between them would determine the champion of this Sect competition.

Whether intentionally or otherwise, the match between Ye Zhen and Qu Zhanqian was scheduled as the very last battle.

"The final match, Qu Zhanqian versus... Ye Zhen!"

As Elder Zhong announced, Sect Leader Guo Qijing, who had been half-closing his eyes on the Observation Platform, suddenly opened them with a look of solemnity in his eyes.

Unbeknownst to anyone, even during Meng Xiaoyue’s hostile battles, Liao Feibai from Donglai Peak’s Training Institute had stepped through the void, now standing with his hands behind his back in the sky above, his expression indifferent as he looked towards the Martial Combat Platform.

In public, Liao Feibai was mostly cold, such playful moods as mocking Ye Zhen and Caiyi were not usually witnessed by ordinary people.

"Qu Zhanqian, Ye Zhen, are either of you injured, do you need to sit quietly to recover your cultivation?" Elder Zhong rarely asked about their condition.

"No need!"

"No need!"

Ye Zhen and Qu Zhanqian shook their heads simultaneously, and as they stepped onto the Martial Combat Platform facing each other, their gazes met with such tangible murderousness that a small whirlwind formed out of nowhere.

Enemies meeting, their eyes particularly red; it was probably something like this.

Qu Zhanqian was after revenge for his severed arm.

Ye Zhen was calculating both new and old hatred; towards someone who wanted him dead, he would certainly not hold back!

Perhaps sensing the murderous atmosphere between the two, Seventh Elder Zhongli Jing did not leave the Martial Combat Platform as usual right away.

"Qu Zhanqian, Ye Zhen, this Sect Grand Tournament is for fellow disciples to test one another’s skills, it should stop at the first touch, determining the winner..." Elder Zhong emphasized the rules once again.

The disciples around the platform, however, started a flurry of discussions.

"This battle, Ye Zhen is likely to lose!"

On the Observation Platform, Grand Elder Lut Changchuan’s statement made Fifth Elder Hong Banjiang look quite smug.

"However, two years ago, Ye Zhen was still just a servant disciple, but in two years, Ye Zhen has become the second ranked disciple of the Inner Sect in Qiyun Sect, this speed of cultivation could probably be considered the first genius of our Qiyun Sect!" another elder said.

"The first genius, yes..."

Hong Banjiang chortled with a malicious glint in his eye, "But, this first genius is about to become a dead man..." Of course, he only thought this to himself.

"Senior Brother Fan, in this battle, Ye Zhen is sure to lose. If I were Ye Zhen, I would definitely surrender!" Disciple Luv Xin said from the crowd.

"Ye Zhen is sure to lose? That might not be so. I feel that Ye Zhen’s swordsmanship is no less exquisite than Meng Xiaoyue’s. I think, Ye Zhen still has a chance to win!" True Disciple Wuw Mingda suddenly spoke.

"You think Ye Zhen has a chance to win? Brother Wuw, are you saying that Ye Zhen could defeat us True Disciples just with his Late-stage Spirit Summoning cultivation?" Luv Xin sneered.

"Indeed, Qu Zhanqian already has the strength of a True Disciple; Ye Zhen definitely cannot win!" Mei Jianju said.

However, Fan Chuyu ignored the quarrels of his junior brothers. In his eyes, the outcome was already set, and what he was really looking forward to was the expression on everyone’s faces after the result, especially Caiyi’s expression.

Fan Chuyu was already impatiently looking towards Caiyi in the distance, but her gaze or rather her entire mind at that moment was entirely focused on Ye Zhen, hence she did not notice Fan Chuyu’s gaze.

"Bitch, you’ll be too late to even cry!" Thinking of the scene after Ye Zhen was killed, Fan Chuyu thought maliciously.

Due to Elder Zhongli’s reminder that the contenders should not fatally harm their fellow disciples, the gathered area of Inner Sect disciples below the platform turned noisy.

"I said it, Ye Zhen will definitely win!"

The chubby Golden Yuanbao clenched his fists as he argued, nearly battling against a hundred other voices.

"C’mon, Ye Zhen winning? Golden Yuanbao, have you lost your mind?"

"Golden Yuanbao, are you dumb or what?"

...

Suddenly, hundreds of voices overwhelmed Golden Yuanbao, drowning out his voice completely, and then, Golden Yuanbao exploded.

"Fuck, dare you bet against me!"

"All my property, one million taels of silver, eighty thousand taels of gold, ten True Essence Pills, and three storage rings, all in! Who wants to bet with me!"

Suddenly, the voices of the Inner Sect disciples around Golden Yuanbao all died down, looking quite shocked at the fortune he laid down.

Seeing everyone go quiet, Golden Yuanbao burst into laughter: "Gutless wimps, all of you are cowards, aren’t you? Dare you now?

Didn’t you say Qu Zhanqian was sure to win? Why don’t you bet your fortunes too?

I said Ye Zhen would win, and I dare to stake it!" Golden Yuanbao pounded his chest thunderously!

The next moment, the crowd once again engulfed Golden Yuanbao!

"I’ll bet, Golden Yuanbao, I’m gambling with you, all my fortune on the line!"

Smack!

A storage ring fell in front of Golden Yuanbao.

The next moment, smacking sounds were incessant!

"I’m in!"

"I bet, I’m gambling with you! Damn it, if I’m mistaken this time, Golden Yuanbao, I’ll take your last name!" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to QiDian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)