Volume Two: Journey to the State of Qi Chapter 156: Fancy Duels

Zhang Heng and Mu Wanqing stood facing each other on the stage, gazing silently into each other's eyes.

Before either of them made a single move, the two factions supporting them in the audience had already started arguing fiercely.

"Come on, Zhang Heng!"

"Go, Fairy Mu!"

"Good luck to both Zhang Heng and Fairy Mu!"

Even the Qi Emperor and the prominent figures from various major sects on the second floor were engaged in heated discussions.

"Master Wu, who among these two young ones do you think will win?" the Qi Emperor asked Wu Hong, who sat beside him. Although Qi Xuan had only secured third place, leaving the Emperor with a slight sense of disappointment, he was nonetheless overjoyed that a peerless prodigy like Zhang Heng had emerged within the borders of the State of Qi.

"Haha, Your Majesty, either of these youngsters is far more formidable than I am. How could I possibly know who will win?" Wu Hong naturally knew that Zhang Heng's victory was certain, but there was no need for him to debate the matter.

"Old Wu, I still feel that the young lady Mu Wanqing has a higher probability of winning," the Qi Emperor shared his thoughts. "After all, she grew up in the Spirit Feather Palace, and both her resources and hidden cards should surpass those of Zhang Heng, who is merely a rogue cultivator." Sometimes, one had to acknowledge the profound heritage of a major sect.

"Indeed," Ling Tian chimed in, unable to restrain himself any longer before Wu Hong could reply. "That brat Zhang Heng, how could he possibly defeat my precious niece?" Ling Tian still harbored a grudge over the fact that Zhang Heng had failed to give him any spiritual liquid.

While everyone was busy arguing, Zhang Heng and Mu Wanqing on the stage finally exchanged formal bows.

Then, Mu Wanqing drew the sword from her scabbard and pointed it straight at Zhang Heng.

The entire crowd held their breath, instantly silencing their disputes to watch the two figures on the stage in absolute quietness.

The ultimate battle between the strongest of the younger generation in the State of Qi was finally about to begin.

Seeing Mu Wanqing assume this posture, even Zhang Heng was dumbfounded; this was somewhat different from what he had imagined.

*Big sister, I've already slain powerhouses at the Heavenly Origin realm. Why on earth do you still want to fight? Shouldn't you just submit to my strength and concede defeat obediently?*

"Um, Miss Mu," Zhang Heng scratched his head, completely at a loss for how to begin.

Should he really say to her: *You are no match for me, so hurry up and surrender?*

"Zhang Heng, I must fight you," Mu Wanqing said with an unyielding tone.

Seeing Mu Wanqing like this, Zhang Heng understood.

As the premier genius of the Spirit Feather Palace, Mu Wanqing bore the hopes of the entire sect's rise upon her shoulders. If she conceded without a fight, the Spirit Feather Palace would never be able to hold their heads high again. Therefore, even knowing she was no match for Zhang Heng, she had no choice but to strike.

"I understand, Miss Mu," Zhang Heng nodded.

"Draw your sword, Zhang Heng." A trace of resolute determination flashed across Mu Wanqing's beautiful eyes. She knew that the moment Zhang Heng drew his sword, certain death awaited her. Yet, she had no alternative.

Though her heart was set solely on cultivation and she wished not to bear such heavy burdens, the Spirit Feather Palace had exhausted all its resources to nurture her—a monumental grace that she was duty-bound to repay.

The spectators below watched the scene with bated breath, while the major sect figures on the second floor straightened their expressions. They all longed to witness the peerless demeanor of these top-tier young prodigies.

"Miss Mu, put your sword away first," Zhang Heng said calmly as he walked toward her.

Mu Wanqing was slightly stunned; she did not sheath her weapon, yet she made no further moves either.

Everyone in the audience was utterly bewildered. What on earth was this brat Zhang Heng up to? Did he actually think he couldn't beat Mu Wanqing and was preparing to surrender?

*Fighting is out of the question,* Zhang Heng thought to himself.

If he were to actually fight Mu Wanqing, he feared he would be instantly defeated in a single move. His triple-martial-skill fusion technique possessed at most the combat power of the first stage of the Void Return realm. Yet Zhang Heng knew that Mu Wanqing likely possessed the strength of the third stage of the Void Return realm. He would undoubtedly lose.

"Miss Mu, exchanging blows with swords is far too boring. Why don't we try a different method instead?" Zhang Heng suddenly chuckled as an idea blossomed in his mind.

Hearing this, Mu Wanqing finally sheathed her sword. Although swordsmanship was her greatest strength, fighting with swords would likely only lead to a swifter defeat.

The crowd below stared at the two of them with blank expressions, completely baffled by what they were doing.

*Fairy Mu, what has gotten into you? When he told you to put away your sword, you actually did it?*

At that moment, Zhang Heng retrieved two large gourds of spiritual wine from his spatial ring and said to Mu Wanqing, "Miss Mu, how about we have a drinking contest instead?"

The crowd below turned completely petrified. Both the Qi Emperor and the major sect figures wore expressions of sheer astonishment. This kid Zhang Heng simply did not take them seriously at all.

"Fairy Mu, go get him! Smash him to pieces! That brat Zhang Heng must have a screw loose in his head!"

Those who had been supporting Zhang Heng wore mortified expressions on their faces, and a few even defected to the opposing camp on the spot.

However, the scene that unfolded next made everyone question reality even more profoundly.

Mu Wanqing on the stage actually agreed to Zhang Heng's proposal. She stowed her longsword back into her spatial ring and accepted a gourd of wine handed over by Zhang Heng.

*This, this, this...* Everyone felt as though they were dreaming.

*You two geniuses, this is the ultimate tournament to decide the number one youth in the entire State of Qi! Can the two of you please not be so whimsical? You actually want to settle it with a drinking contest?*

Some cultivators in the audience immediately thought to themselves that if it truly came down to a drinking contest, they could probably drink their way to becoming the number one in the world.

Then, Zhang Heng and Mu Wanqing began drinking without a care in the world, as if they were attending an ordinary social gathering rather than standing on the arena stage for the grand finals of the Imperial City Tournament.

Hundreds of thousands of people in the audience stared at them with awkward expressions through hundreds of thousands of pairs of eyes.

If they hadn't pinched themselves and felt the pain, they would have truly believed they were dreaming.

On the second floor, the Qi Emperor and the major sect leaders were collectively dumbfounded. No matter how many centuries they had lived, they had never witnessed such a spectacle before.

In all previous Imperial City Tournaments, the final battles had always been earth-shattering and fiercely lethal. Never had there been a scene quite as harmonious as this one.

Of course, there were also those who favored this approach—such as the two old codgers, Ling Tian and Wu Hong, who simply loved watching a good show without fearing things getting too chaotic.

Putting everything else aside, Zhang Heng's free-spirited and casual personality suited their tastes perfectly.

"Miss Mu, wait a moment."

On the combat stage, Zhang Heng interrupted Mu Wanqing's actions. "Miss Mu, drinking spiritual wine by itself is rather dull." Then, amid the astonished gazes of everyone present, Zhang Heng retrieved a large assortment of spiritual fruits from his spatial ring.

There were all kinds of spiritual fruits, but without exception, they all shared a single characteristic: they were of great age and brimming with dense spiritual energy.

Mu Wanqing was also puzzled. Why did Zhang Heng possess so many spiritual fruits? Nevertheless, she didn't dwell on it, simply picking one up and beginning to nibble on it delicately.

The geniuses who had been eliminated earlier could only sigh inwardly upon seeing this, realizing that their own state of mind was still lacking.

If anyone felt the most heartbroken by Zhang Heng producing these spiritual fruits, it was undoubtedly Wu Hong. Those spiritual fruits were all aged specimens of immense rarity. Normally, finding just a single one would be a cause for immense joy, yet Zhang Heng was casually munching on them as if they were ordinary snacks.

*What a waste of heavenly treasures! What a monstrous waste! If these were used to refine elixirs, who knows how many precious pills could be produced?*

Wu Hong secretly resolved that if he didn't extort a few spiritual fruits from Zhang Heng later, he would never forgive himself for the agony he was currently enduring.

Naturally, the spiritual wine Zhang Heng drank was ordinary, and the fruits he produced were also of relatively young ages. He didn't dare to take out his spiritual liquid, nor did he dare to display those true ten-thousand-year-old spiritual fruits.

With so many eyes watching and likely nearly a million people packed inside the arena—countless cultivators of the Void Return realm and even dozens at the Heavenly Origin realm—provoking them too much might just cause an unforeseen disaster.