Volume Two: Travels in the Qi Kingdom Chapter 112: The First Battle

Tianxiang Pavilion is the finest restaurant within the Imperial City of the Qi Kingdom. Its facilities are exceptionally complete, and at its center lies a vast martial arts arena—the very place where the gifted talents gathered to test their skills through combat.

The arena is constructed from special materials capable of withstanding the spiritual energy attacks of high-level cultivators. It can accommodate thousands of people and is considered one of the premier arenas in all of the Qi Kingdom.

By the time Zhang Heng arrived, all the cultivators had already found their seats. Zhang Heng casually sat down on the periphery, followed by Mu Wanqing and Qi Sisi, who took their places right beside him. This sight only further inflamed the male cultivators. They could no longer suppress the urge to teach Zhang Heng a lesson; they did not want to wait a single moment longer.

Before Zhang Heng had even settled into his seat, a young prodigy leapt into the arena, pointed in his direction, and shouted, "Kid, get up here and spar with me!"

The others glared at Zhang Heng with hidden resentment, regretting only that they had been a step too slow and had let that man beat them to it. Zhang Heng stood up and looked at the crowd. Seeing them all looking as if they wanted to tear him to pieces, he felt a bit bewildered—it seemed he had played with fire a bit too recklessly this time.

Seeing Zhang Heng moving sluggishly, the man in the arena began to curse, "Kid, if you’re a man, get up here! If you’re a coward, get lost and stop making a fool of yourself here."

Before Zhang Heng could react, Mu Wanqing spoke up first, her voice cold: "You want to spar? I’ll spar with you." With that, she stood up.

This statement only further fueled the male cultivators' hatred for Zhang Heng. The man in the arena, knowing Mu Wanqing’s strength well, trembled in his boots, his face twisting into a bitter expression. "Fairy Mu, I didn't mean you. I meant that male cultivator next to you."

"Kid! If you have any spine, stop hiding behind a woman and come up here to fight like a man!" the man continued to provoke him.

Zhang Heng looked at Mu Wanqing, feeling baffled. Could this girl have a crush on him? Regardless, he had come here today specifically to find a fight, so how could he let this opportunity slip?

"Miss Mu, since someone has specifically called me out, how could I dampen everyone's spirits?" Zhang Heng offered a confident smile to the man in the arena.

Mu Wanqing said nothing more and returned to her seat. She knew Zhang Heng’s strength, so she felt no cause for worry. Qi Sisi, however, was different. She had always assumed Zhang Heng was only slightly stronger than her. Given that the man in the arena was a first-tier Origin Core Realm cultivator, how could Zhang Heng possibly be his match?

She nervously tugged at Zhang Heng's sleeve and whispered, "Zhang Heng, how did you provoke him? You can't beat him. Why don't I ask my imperial brother to step in and mediate?"

Zhang Heng ignored her and walked slowly toward the arena. "Hey, you! I never said I wasn't coming, so why are you wasting your breath?"

Watching Zhang Heng walk toward the arena step by step, the other cultivators couldn't help but burst into laughter. High-level Qi Sea Realm cultivators are capable of basic flight, and the people present were all prodigies in their own right; most of them could have flown directly into the arena.

Zhang Heng’s choice to walk made him a laughingstock, but he didn't care, fixing a sharp gaze on the arena. This would be his first real battle.

"He's just a small-time player after all. He'll probably lose his life just for the sake of face," the other cultivators remarked. They had originally considered Zhang Heng a potential opponent, but seeing his foolish behavior, they immediately lost interest. Taking on an Origin Core Realm cultivator with the cultivation of the Clear Spirit Realm was either the sign of a dim-witted fool or someone with a death wish.

"Kid! Remember, the one who kills you is Wang Fugui." As soon as Zhang Heng entered the arena, the man’s expression turned ferocious, intent on murder.

*Fugui?* A festive name, though the man himself was far too impulsive. Zhang Heng smiled at Wang Fugui.

At that moment, the voice of Qi Xuan rang out: "Brother Zhang, these people are all geniuses of our Qi Kingdom. I hope you will show some mercy." Everyone in the arena heard this.

"Easily done, easily done," Zhang Heng replied nonchalantly. This single sentence further deepened everyone's rage.

"Kid, I don't know why Prince Qi Xuan values you so much, but it doesn't matter. You're going to die soon." With that, Wang Fugui gathered his spiritual energy and lunged toward Zhang Heng. He put his entire strength into the first strike, aiming for a swift kill.

One was a first-tier Origin Core genius, the other a seventh-tier Clear Spirit trash; the outcome seemed inevitable. A fist struck out, and Wang Fugui landed where Zhang Heng had been standing a moment before, but Zhang Heng’s figure had already vanished. Most of the onlookers assumed Zhang Heng had been pulverized into dust by that powerful burst of spiritual energy, feeling a sense of satisfaction in their hearts.

Suddenly, Zhang Heng’s figure appeared behind Wang Fugui, mocking him: "Too slow."

A chill ran down Wang Fugui’s spine. If Zhang Heng had attacked him just then, he surely would have been struck. The lower-level cultivators were filled with confusion, but the high-level Origin Core geniuses saw it clearly: the moment Wang Fugui attacked, Zhang Heng had used an incredibly fast movement technique to dodge, circling around to land behind him. The experts were secretly shocked—strictly speaking, Zhang Heng’s speed was no less than theirs. This man was not simple.

Without further thought, Wang Fugui steadied himself and attacked again.

"Kid, I admit you have some tricks, but you are still just trash." Wang Fugui’s face was twisted with malice; he was deeply displeased to have been toyed with by a piece of trash.

Massive amounts of spiritual energy surged, but Zhang Heng moved slightly and dodged perfectly. Refusing to believe it, Wang Fugui pressed forward, unleashing a series of techniques. The more he fought, the more alarmed he became. With such a massive gap in strength, how could he fail to handle a piece of trash? No matter how he attacked, Zhang Heng evaded his moves with ease. Before long, Zhang Heng grew bored.

Suddenly, an idea occurred to him.

When Wang Fugui attacked again, Zhang Heng did not dodge. Instead, he gathered all his spiritual energy and met the attack head-on. With a loud "bang," one figure was sent flying—Zhang Heng. He crashed into a wooden pillar at the edge of the arena, his entire body wracked with pain.

*Dammit,* he thought, *why am I so weak? This is unfair!* He had intended to give it a go, but he hadn't expected to end up in such a sorry state.

The onlookers were stunned. Even Wang Fugui himself didn't know what had happened. Logically, if Zhang Heng could dodge so many attacks, it shouldn't have been hard to dodge that last punch. He hadn't expected his casual blow to actually land. But, regardless of the reason, he had hit Zhang Heng, and that was enough.

The low-level cultivators in the arena erupted in cheers. Though they couldn't strike him themselves, seeing someone else teach the kid a lesson eased their frustration.

Zhang Heng had no time to ponder why he was so weak, as Wang Fugui was already charging again, determined to finish him off. But as he lunged toward Zhang Heng’s position, Zhang Heng disappeared once more. Just as Wang Fugui stood there in a daze, Zhang Heng’s two fingers tapped against his back.

The air seemed to freeze. A second later, the entire arena erupted in hysterical laughter.

"Kid, are you just striking a pose?"
"I'm dying of laughter!"
"I give this performance full marks."

Mu Wanqing and Qi Xuan were both puzzled, neither of them understanding what Zhang Heng was playing at. Just as Wang Fugui had attacked, Zhang Heng had dodged, reappeared behind him, and poked him with two fingers.

And then, there was nothing more.