Volume Two: Travels in the Qi Kingdom Chapter 114: Secluded Intense Training

The damage caused by the Spirit Gathering Finger was ultimately too low, or rather, Zhang Heng’s strength was simply too weak. Fortunately, there were still over twenty days left before the Imperial City Grand Competition.

For others, such a short span would pass in the blink of an eye. But for Zhang Heng, it was ample time to significantly improve his abilities.

As the gathering slowly drew to a close, the average geniuses were already exhausted, while the true prodigies sought to return and adjust their states in preparation for the upcoming Imperial City Grand Competition.

Before long, most of the talents had departed.

“Brother Zhang, I apologize if I was a poor host,” Qi Xuan said, swiftly approaching Zhang Heng after most people had left, bowing slightly.

“Brother Qi, no need to be so polite,” Zhang Heng replied with a faint smile.

“Brother Zhang, there were too many people earlier, so I imagine you didn’t enjoy yourself fully. How about coming to my residence for a gathering? We can drink the night away,” Qi Xuan proposed.

“Brother Qi, I have other matters today. Let’s meet another time,” Zhang Heng said, his enthusiasm waning.

“In that case, I’ll take my leave,” Qi Xuan bowed respectfully and prepared to leave.

“Brother Qi, wait a moment,” Zhang Heng called out. Qi Xuan stopped and turned back to look at him, “Brother Zhang? Is there something else?”

“I want to participate in this Imperial City Grand Competition. Could you please register me?”

Zhang Heng intended to focus on cultivation in the coming days, so he preferred to leave the troublesome task of registration to Qi Xuan.

The words shocked not only Qi Xuan but also Mu Wanqing and Qi Sisi.

Qi Sisi was the first to speak, “Zhang Heng, are you out of your mind? Don’t you realize your own limits? With your weak skills, you might be knocked out in the very first round. Why trouble yourself for no reason?”

“Don’t be rude,” Qi Xuan quickly scolded before Zhang Heng could respond.

“Brother Zhang, please forgive my sister’s lack of manners,” Qi Xuan apologized with a bow, then asked with some doubt, “But Brother Zhang, are you really going to enter the Imperial City Grand Competition?”

Zhang Heng nodded. “Yes.”

Qi Xuan continued, “Brother Zhang, you’re not on the same level as us.”

At this, Qi Sisi nodded in agreement. Zhang Heng was so weak, what point was there in trying to make a presence?

But what Qi Xuan said next made her question everything.

“The Imperial City Grand Competition is just a minor skirmish among low-tier cultivators like us. Brother Zhang’s strength has already reached the pinnacle of the heavens. If you step in, victory will surely be at your fingertips.”

“But with your strength, Brother Zhang, fighting among us would be meaningless.”

“Imperial Brother, you must be mistaken. Zhang Heng is only a seventh-rank Clear Spirit Realm cultivator, not even as strong as me. If he enters, I’d believe he’d come in last, but first? How could he possibly surpass you and Sister Qingxue?”

Qi Xuan and Mu Wanqing both said firmly, “Of course.”

Both of them had felt the overwhelming pressure of Zhang Heng’s attacks firsthand. Honestly, if that strike had landed on them, they would have died instantly.

Therefore, if Zhang Heng participated in the competition, no one would be his match in a single bout.

“Brother Qi, my mind is made up. Please register me,” Zhang Heng said impatiently. It was just registration—why drag it out so long? If necessary, he could even register himself.

“Very well,” Qi Xuan said no more, bowed lightly, and turned to leave.

Mu Wanqing also said, “Zhang Heng, although I can’t beat you, I will try my best.” With that, she turned and left.

Zhang Heng’s participation weighed heavily on her.

Watching the two depart, Qi Sisi was genuinely perplexed.

“Zhang Heng, are you really stronger than those two?”

Qi Xuan and Mu Wanqing were respectively the top male and female idols of Qi State, both having reached the ninth rank of the Nascent Soul Realm. And Zhang Heng was only a Clear Spirit Realm cultivator, at best low-tier Qi Sea Realm. How could he be stronger than them?

Zhang Heng ignored her and headed back to his lodgings, but Qi Sisi’s curiosity surged, and she kept pestering him with questions.

“Zhang Heng, how do you know my Imperial Brother? Did you really save his life?”

“And why does Sister Mu listen to you so obediently?”

“Why do they all believe they can’t beat you?”

Zhang Heng was helpless. If he didn’t answer, Qi Sisi would keep chasing him until he returned to the tavern.

His expression darkened as he suddenly turned to her. “Want to know the answer? Watch carefully.”

With that, the space around him shifted rapidly. In an instant, Zhang Heng’s spiritual aura transformed from seventh-rank Clear Spirit Realm to first-rank Return Void Realm.

“Now you understand?” He said, then ignored Qi Sisi as he used the Little Aurora Phantom footwork to head back to his quarters.

“Return Void Realm…”

Qi Sisi stood there dumbfounded after Zhang Heng left.

Back in his room, Zhang Heng collected his thoughts.

His current task was to secure first place in the Imperial City Grand Competition. Though he didn’t know why the system had set this as his goal, it surely had its reasons.

From today’s battles, Zhang Heng realized that the combination of Little Aurora Phantom and Spirit Gathering Finger could yield remarkable effects. So, achieving first place was actually quite simple: he just needed to keep improving his strength.

If he could reach the advanced Qi Sea Realm and use Spirit Gathering Finger with high-level spiritual power, he should be able to injure cultivators of the advanced Nascent Soul Realm.

But Zhang Heng didn’t want to rely on just one move. Using the same technique repeatedly would be dull. This was a rare chance to compete with geniuses his age; how could he miss it?

Therefore, Zhang Heng decided to cultivate two more martial arts for combat. First, he would test his strength against them, and if he couldn’t win, he would rely on speed.

With over twenty days before the competition began, it was enough time to master several basic combat techniques.

As for advancing his cultivation, Zhang Heng was not worried. All he had to do was continue drinking from the spiritual spring, which he had in abundance.

“System, big brother, give me a few simple martial arts to practice.”

“Ding. The system has matched two most suitable martial arts for the host: ‘Return My Beauty Fist’ and ‘Heavenly Crippled Kick’. Would the host like to begin training?”

“Are you kidding me? System, big brother, be serious.”

“If I don’t cultivate martial arts, I won’t be able to get first place in the Imperial City Grand Competition; if I can’t get first, I won’t complete your task; if I can’t complete the task, you won’t be happy, and neither will I. That’s bad for everyone. So why not?”

“Ding. Currently, only these two are available. Practice at your discretion.”

“Does practicing Heavenly Crippled Kick mean I’ll cripple my own leg?”

“No.”

“Alright, I’ll practice it.”

As long as it didn’t harm himself, he could try. If the techniques proved useless later, he could just discard them.

After he spoke, the cultivation manuals for ‘Return My Beauty Fist’ and ‘Heavenly Crippled Kick’ appeared in his mind.

Since there was no other option, might as well train.

While Zhang Heng shut himself away to diligently practice these martial arts, shocking news spread throughout the Imperial City of Qi State.

Wu Hong, a fourth-rank pill master and steward of the pill pavilion in the Imperial City, had successfully refined the fifth-rank pill known as the “Great Restoration Pill,” ascending to the rank of fifth-rank pill master.