Volume Two: Travels in the State of Qi, Chapter 145: The Battle of the Four Finalists (1)

This was a phenomenon that could simultaneously make hundreds of thousands of people doubt the meaning of life.

This was the semifinal of the Imperial City Grand Tournament! Could you geniuses please stop acting like this is a child’s game?

Those talented individuals who had participated in the Grand Tournament but were eliminated in the qualifiers felt deeply aggrieved. They had fought tooth and nail just to make it into the formal bouts, never imagining that these top-tier geniuses would be so capricious, forfeiting their matches right off the bat.

Even the heavyweights from the major sects, including Wu Hong and the Emperor of Qi, had not anticipated such a turn of events.

Even Zhang Heng himself was bewildered. He was certain he did not know this person before him.

"My friend, should we perhaps exchange a few moves?" Zhang Heng asked tentatively, catching the fiery glares from the crowd below. He felt that if he didn’t fight, those people might literally tear him apart.

At this moment, Bu Jige made a shocking remark: "Brother Zhang, since they have all conceded, I naturally must follow suit. Although we have no prior friendship, I admire you from the bottom of my heart. To dare to flirt with Fairy Mu? You are truly a role model for cultivators of our generation. Keep it up, I’m rooting for you!"

With that, Bu Jige turned and left, moving as fast as he possibly could. He understood well that if he didn't leave, he would surely be beaten to a pulp.

Now, Zhang Heng was left alone on the arena floor. He felt genuinely awkward.

"You all saw it; it’s not that I didn’t want to fight. It’s that the others didn’t give me the chance. So, farewell!"

After speaking quickly, Zhang Heng also bolted away at high speed.

The four victors were now Qi Xuan, Chi Ying, Mu Wanqing, and Zhang Heng. The other three all possessed significant backgrounds; only Zhang Heng was a rogue cultivator. The spectators, filled with frustration and nowhere to vent it, could only target him.

Thus, Zhang Heng used the "Small Aurora Phantom" movement technique to dash back to his quarters as quickly as possible. As for the mess left behind, he would leave that for Wu Hong to resolve.

Once back in his room and having shut the door, Zhang Heng finally felt a little more at ease.

Lying on his bed, he kept thinking about tomorrow’s battles. Qi Xuan, Chi Ying, and Mu Wanqing were all at the ninth stage of the Origin Pellet Realm, and all were top-tier geniuses.

When he first encountered Mu Wanqing, he saw her fighting four stone golems of the Void Return Realm by herself, and she was able to hold her own for quite some time. It stood to reason that Mu Wanqing possessed combat power equivalent to the Void Return Realm. Qi Xuan, who was just as renowned as she was, was likely on par.

As for Chi Ying, the young sect master of the Yin God Sect, he surely practiced the evil arts of his sect and was undoubtedly capable of wielding demonic energy. By that calculation, he too possessed at least Void Return Realm combat power.

And yet, Zhang Heng was only at the third stage of the Qi Sea Realm.

Zhang Heng felt a splitting headache. Having transmigrated from another world, he had not had much time to cultivate. To expect him to fight the peerless geniuses native to the Cultivation Continent was, to say the least, a stretch.

Calming his mind, Zhang Heng took a vial of spiritual liquid from his spatial ring and began to consume it. While sharpening one’s spear at the last minute might be too late for some, for him, it could still prove quite useful.

The next day.

All the spectators were filled with soaring enthusiasm. Because of yesterday’s farce, they hadn't seen a spectacular duel between geniuses. But today, they assumed, such a situation would not happen again.

Qi Xuan, Mu Wanqing, Chi Ying, and Zhang Heng were all peerless geniuses, and all were proud individuals; it was absolutely impossible for them to forfeit.

Therefore, today would surely feature magnificent battles between top-tier prodigies.

When Zhang Heng arrived, Qi Xuan, Mu Wanqing, and Chi Ying were already standing in the center of the arena.

At this moment, hundreds of thousands of eyes were fixed upon them, yet they remained calm and composed, exuding the fearless confidence of young powerhouses. These were the true darlings of heaven, the best of the younger generation, and they had already won the recognition of most people even before the fighting began.

Compared to them, Zhang Heng was a complete anomaly; even before the Imperial City Grand Tournament, they had never heard the name "Zhang Heng."

Zhang Heng flicked his long robe and walked toward them with a leisurely stride.

Seeing Zhang Heng acting so imposing, the spectators felt displeased. They all believed that Zhang Heng had only advanced to the final four because of his good luck in running into Bu Jige, another rogue cultivator. If he had encountered anyone else, Zhang Heng would have lost long ago.

Almost everyone believed that today, Zhang Heng’s journey would come to an end. Any one of those three prodigies could effortlessly crush him.

Zhang Heng ignored the gazes of the others and stood there quietly. The sunlight shone on his firm face, making him look rather handsome.

Quite a few female cultivators were struck by his appearance, though they all shook their heads, dismissing it as an illusion.

Amidst the anticipation of the crowd, Wu Hong finally appeared and began to explain the rules of the competition.

Today’s matches would again be determined by drawing lots. They would compete in pairs, with the winners advancing. Unlike before, the losers would not be eliminated.

Tomorrow, the two winners would duel to determine the first and second place, while the two losers would duel to determine third and fourth place.

After announcing the rules, Wu Hong flew away.

Then, the four of them began to draw lots.

Everyone held their breath, watching them intently, seemingly more nervous than the participants themselves.

Before long, the results were out.

First match: Mu Wanqing of the Spirit Feather Palace versus Chi Ying of the Yin God Sect.
Second match: The Eighteenth Prince, Qi Xuan, versus the rogue cultivator, Zhang Heng.

The crowd looked at the results and began to discuss them heatedly.

As expected, the final first place would be decided between Mu Wanqing and Qi Xuan.

Before the Imperial City Grand Tournament began, many had predicted that as long as Qi Xuan and Mu Wanqing did not cross paths, they would undoubtedly take first and second place.

Seeing this now, it was indeed the case.

The first match was Mu Wanqing against Chi Ying. Although Chi Ying was strong, he was at most comparable to Huang Yan, the second-ranked genius of the Spirit Feather Palace. Thus, Mu Wanqing was sure to win.

As for the second match, it went without saying. Zhang Heng was a joke. Facing Prince Qi Xuan, there would be no surprises—the Prince could easily defeat him.

Zhang Heng, seeing that his opponent was Qi Xuan, felt a secret pang of distress. If he had faced Chi Ying, perhaps he would have felt a bit better.

Before long, Mu Wanqing and Chi Ying were already on the arena stage, standing face-to-face.

Mu Wanqing had a cold and elegant countenance, her long robes fluttering as spiritual energy swirled around her. Her breathtaking beauty instantly captivated many male cultivators.

"Fairy Mu, go for it!"
"Fairy Mu, we support you!"
"Fairy Mu, I want to be with you..." one male cultivator shouted in excitement, but he suddenly caught the angry glares of those around him. He hurriedly stopped and lowered his head.

In the arena, the crowd cheered loudly, almost entirely in support of Mu Wanqing.

Mu Wanqing stood on the stage, her expression indifferent as she looked coldly at the person before her.

Chi Ying wore a black robe, his expression solemn, his features somewhat stern.

Finally, amidst the anticipation of everyone, the match began.

Mu Wanqing’s spatial ring flashed, and a finely carved treasure sword filled with spiritual energy appeared before her. Her jade-like hand grasped the hilt and slowly drew it.

The fanatical fans below went wild at the sight, some even fainting from excitement.

Zhang Heng was speechless. He had to admit that Mu Wanqing was indeed beautiful, but surely it wasn't that exaggerated? You bunch of fanatical fools!

The weapon of Chi Ying, the young master of the Yin God Sect, consisted of two blood-red wheels, which emitted a faint crimson glow.

The two bowed to each other.

The battle of the peerless prodigies was about to begin.