Chapter 118: The Martial Arts Arena

As the two met, Zheng Hong’s gaze sharpened immediately, fixing intently on Yang Ze.

Facing that stare, Yang Ze remained completely unmoved. He was no longer the man he had been two months ago; he did not fear Zheng Hong or his band of followers in the slightest.

As their eyes locked, Yang Ze unleashed a sliver of his aura. Zheng Hong’s body shuddered, and he stumbled back half a step, nearly losing his balance.

"You—you actually broke through to the eighth stage of True Essence!" Zheng Hong stared at Yang Ze in disbelief, solely because the aura emanating from Yang Ze was even more formidable than his own.

Yang Ze offered no response, merely looking at him with a mocking smirk. He didn’t say a word, yet Zheng Hong, standing opposite him, felt immense pressure.

"Weren’t you quite arrogant before? Why have you turned into this pathetic sight now?" Yang Ze sneered.

Zheng Hong’s face flushed red. Initially at a loss for words, the thought of the One Water Sect backing him restored his confidence. He smiled sinisterly, "So what if you’ve reached the eighth stage? Do you really think that with your lone eighth-stage cultivation, you can stand against the entire One Water Sect?"

"Stand against the One Water Sect? You overestimate yourself. Do you truly have the capacity to elevate our personal grudge to the level of the entire sect? You don’t have the authority to represent the One Water Sect, do you?"

"Besides, these times are different from before. If you dare to make a move now, the entire One Water Sect will have to pay the price for your actions." Far from being panicked, Yang Ze laughed.

Zheng Hong’s expression turned ugly. He had not expected that Yang Ze, whom he had considered so easy to bully, had reached a level where he could no longer be easily intimidated.

"Junior Brother Zheng, what is going on here?" As Zheng Hong was left speechless by Yang Ze, a young man with exceptionally long arms emerged from another row of the crowd.

Seeing this man approach, Zheng Hong’s grim expression vanished, replaced by the look of one who had found a savior. He hurried to say, "Senior Brother Sun Sheng, this is the Yang Ze I mentioned. He has broken through to the eighth stage and become rampant, even daring to disparage our One Water Sect just now!"

Upon hearing the name Yang Ze, a subtle change flickered in Sun Sheng’s eyes. His expression turned solemn as he said coldly, "So you are Yang Ze. To advance to the eighth stage in such a short time shows you have some ability. However, with just that, you are hardly qualified to disparage the One Water Sect."

Listening to Sun Sheng’s threats, Yang Ze didn't take them to heart at all. Sun Sheng was merely at the eighth stage as well, and with his current strength, Yang Ze did not regard such a level as any threat.

"Why so much nonsense? It seems the One Water Sect truly has rotted through, letting any stray cat or dog in. If you two are unhappy with me, stop blathering and face me on the Martial Arts Arena. That would be more useful than anything else," Yang Ze said coldly.

"You dare challenge us to the Martial Arts Arena?" Sun Sheng looked incredulous that Yang Ze would proactively suggest it.

The Martial Arts Arena was a place established by the Ethereal Martial Academy specifically for disciples to resolve their grievances. With so many disciples, all being practitioners of martial arts with vigorous blood and fiery tempers, conflict was inevitable. The strict sect rules usually forbade open fighting, but constant repression was no solution. Thus, the arena was created. As long as both parties agreed, they could settle their disputes there; even causing serious injury would not be pursued by the Enforcement Hall, with the only bottom line being that no lives could be taken.

Furthermore, a prerequisite for the arena was that both parties must be of the same cultivation rank. Higher-ranked disciples were forbidden from challenging lower-ranked ones, though the reverse was permitted. This rule protected vulnerable disciples to a certain extent.

"Remember, I am challenging both of you to the arena together, not just one," Yang Ze added, looking at the slightly stunned pair.

Sun Sheng and Zheng Hong were infuriated. They had not expected Yang Ze to be so arrogant; this was a blatant humiliation.

"You brat, how dare you be so insolent!" Sun Sheng roared, causing many in the Task Hall to turn and look their way.

"Insolent? How about this, Zheng Hong—why don't you face me on the arena alone?" Yang Ze asked with a laugh.

Zheng Hong, who had been acting fierce, recalled the aura Yang Ze had unleashed earlier and went deathly silent, not daring to answer.

Seeing Zheng Hong’s cowardly display, the already angry Sun Sheng scolded him.

"If you want to fight, meet me at the arena now. If not, from now on, whenever you see me, all of you from the One Water Sect had better take the long way around. Seeing spineless people like you is an eyesore," Yang Ze remarked with a scoff.

"Fine, fine, fine! You have plenty of courage. I hope you can show me that strength of one-versus-two later. Otherwise, after today, there will be one more cripple on Qingyang Peak!" Sun Sheng stormed out, with Zheng Hong trailing closely behind Yang Ze.

...

At the foot of Qingyang Peak, ever since the Enforcement Hall had been restored, the Martial Arts Arena had regained its former bustle. Those with private grudges no longer dared to settle them in secret. Today was even livelier than usual, as three eighth-stage name-listed disciples were set to duel—a one-versus-two clash.

The duo hailed from the One Water Sect, which was well-known among the hundreds of thousands of name-listed disciples. The mere rumor of this duel had drawn a large crowd of spectators.

On the arena, Yang Ze stood waiting, while Sun Sheng and Zheng Hong stood opposite him. Below the arena, a large group of One Water Sect disciples gathered, shouting to bolster their comrades' morale, though most of the onlookers were simply there to witness the spectacle.

Amidst the lively atmosphere, Yang Ze remained unaffected. He was no longer the man he once was; the environment no longer swayed him.

"Well? Can we begin?" Yang Ze asked nonchalantly, looking at the pair.

"Of course. If you are in such a hurry to die, I will grant your wish," Sun Sheng sneered, his eighth-stage True Essence surging forth.

"Then I won’t hold back!" Yang Ze had been waiting for those words. He stomped his right foot, lunged forward like a bolt of lightning, and his fist was already before Zheng Hong’s face with a sudden *whoosh*.

Zheng Hong only reacted when Yang Ze moved; he hadn't expected Yang Ze to be so devoid of martial ethics as to strike without warning. As the punch landed, Zheng Hong moved to block, only to feel a violent,剛猛 (fierce) force crash into him. He failed to parry and was forced back several steps before he could steady himself.

The moment Zheng Hong was attacked, Sun Sheng reacted, striking Yang Ze with a blast of True Essence.

Yang Ze retracted his fist and immediately pointed his left finger. The Nine-Spin Finger erupted, a beam of finger-force piercing through Sun Sheng’s True Essence and striking toward his body.

Not expecting such power, Sun Sheng hastily gathered his True Essence before his chest. The force hit him, tearing a small hole in his clothes and sending him reeling back two steps.

Sun Sheng’s face turned pale with shock. Before he could recover, he saw Yang Ze’s right-hand fingers pointing toward him once more. Sun Sheng gathered his True Essence into a orb in his palm and thrust it toward Yang Ze’s finger.

As the finger-force and True Essence collided, the resulting shockwaves tore at each other, leaving small craters in the arena floor. Yang Ze’s right hand vibrated, releasing an even greater force that shattered Sun Sheng’s orb of True Essence. The fierce finger-force pierced his palm, leaving a small, bleeding hole.

Sun Sheng screamed, clutching his wounded hand as blood flowed freely. Before he could react, Yang Ze swept his leg, striking Sun Sheng’s body. Sun Sheng tumbled across the floor and fell unconscious on the spot.

Though it takes time to describe, all of this happened in an instant. Yang Ze had dealt with Sun Sheng in a few easy moves, leaving Zheng Hong stunned.

Yang Ze let out a shout, his right hand wreathed in True Essence as he struck toward Zheng Hong. Zheng Hong tried to dodge sideways, but Yang Ze was faster, intercepting him and landing a palm strike that sent him reeling.

Yang Ze did not let him fall; he grabbed Zheng Hong and ruthlessly gripped his arms. With two sharp *cracks*, Zheng Hong’s arms were snapped.