What heavy boots. Cold sweat beaded on Zhang Yuanqing's forehead. From Fu Qingyang's slightly trembling arms, he had guessed that the item wouldn't be light.
Yet he had never imagined it would be this heavy, snapping his arm bones right then and there.
*Wait, if the boots are this heavy, why didn't Fu Qingyang warn me?* Zhang Yuanqing looked up and caught the subtle glint of mischief hidden behind Fu Qingyang's otherwise impassive expression.
*So petty! Is he still mad about the 'ruined reputation' thing?*
"Ah! These boots were light as a feather in the Centurion's hands, yet in mine, they weigh ten thousand tons. The gap between the Centurion and me is truly worlds apart!" Zhang Yuanqing exclaimed loudly.
Hearing this, Fu Qingyang gave a slight nod. "Stow it in your inventory. Once bound, it will reduce to normal heaviness. Before binding, you can't lift it."
Zhang Yuanqing nodded, but he didn't put the boots away immediately, as the item's attributes were just popping up before his eyes:
[Name: Houtu Boots]
[Type: Footwear]
[Functions: Mountain God (Incomplete); Fatal Kick]
[Description: Crafted from sacred mountain silkworm silk, light and thin as a feather, impenetrable to blades. Afterwards, buried within the sacred mountain for thirty-three years, absorbing dragon vein earthly qi and refining the essence of the eight directions before reaching completion. Named: Houtu Boots.]
[Remark 1: One of the components of the Heaven-Worship Attire. The remaining three are the Crown, Robe, and Belt. It is said that assembling the four-piece set allows one to unravel the secret of eternal life.]
[Remark 2: Once worn, you will henceforth be an honest man, keeping your feet firmly on the ground.]
[Remark 3: As everyone knows, honest men have great stamina.]
*Mountain God? I recall Mountain God is the advanced class of the Earth Monster. 'Incomplete' means it only possesses part of a Mountain God's abilities... Remark 2 and Remark 3 are clearly penalties. The words 'honest man' are making me a little nervous, though...*
With a thought, Zhang Yuanqing stowed the Houtu Boots pressing on his arms into his inventory, completing the binding process.
The next second, he summoned the Houtu Boots back out. With a thud, they landed on the carpet.
Zhang Yuanqing, both arms dangling limp, lifted his left foot. Without even taking off his shoe, he stepped toward the boot opening. The collar widened on its own, easily accommodating his left foot.
*Not quite as convenient to slip on as the Red Dancing Shoes, but not bad.* Zhang Yuanqing repeated the process with his right foot.
The instant he slipped into the boots, he naturally grasped the functions and effects of the Houtu Boots, as well as their drawbacks.
First was Fatal Kick. Condensing the power of the earth into the legs, it could unleash a strike at the Saint stage. It could only be used three times a day.
*With this ability alone, I could instantly kill an ordinary Transcendent walker—well, purely in terms of physical confrontation,* Zhang Yuanqing thought with immense delight.
Second was Mountain God, which possessed two abilities:
One: Absorbing earth vein essence.
By siphoning the essence of earth veins and converting it into an endless stream of stamina, this was the reason Earth Monsters had limitless endurance.
As long as one's feet were planted on the earth, one would not tire even after fighting for three days and three nights.
*If only the donkeys in the old production team had this skill,* Zhang Yuanqing mused inwardly.
Two: Refining an area to become the "god" of that territory—this was where the name Mountain God originated.
The most ideal terrain was deep mountains, because a Mountain God could utilize the geography to contend even with enemies higher in level.
Next best were flat plains, while cities were the worst.
*Sounds just like the mountain gods in mythology. Does that mean there's also a Water God? Besides, refining an area and the water-fire formations of the Yinyang Robe can complement each other,* Zhang Yuanqing pondered.
As for the drawbacks, Remark 2 entailed two costs: being an "honest man" and "keeping one's feet firmly on the ground."
The so-called honest man meant one's personality would become simple, earnest, and blunt. The clearest example: if Guan Ya were to ask him one day, "Did you peek at any pretty girls' chests today?"
Normally, Zhang Yuanqing would reply, "I only look at yours."
After putting on the Houtu Boots, his answer would be, "I... I looked at quite a few girls'..." (with a face full of shame).
The other drawback: keeping one's feet firmly on the ground.
Taken literally, while wearing the Houtu Boots, one's leaping height and distance would be drastically reduced, essentially tethering them to the ground.
Remark 3 was both a drawback and an ability. The stamina mentioned here wasn't merely physical endurance, but mental endurance as well—such as patience, pain tolerance, resistance to provocations, and the like.
At that moment, Fu Qingyang commented from the side:
"The Houtu Boots are a fine item. If you make good use of the Mountain God's abilities, you'll be able to contend with Zhao Chenghuang."
In terms of raw strength, Yuanshi was indeed a notch below Zhao Chenghuang right now.
Without that suit of battle armor, Yuanshi's yin corpse would have been broken in short order. When that time came, Zhao Chenghuang teaming up with his own yin corpse in a pincer attack would have spelled certain defeat for Yuanshi.
*Let me try putting on the Yinyang Robe to see if there's a set skill...* As if he hadn't heard Fu Qingyang's words, Zhang Yuanqing retrieved the Yinyang Robe from his inventory.
Since it was a set, there had to be synergy between the pieces; otherwise, it wouldn't be called a set.
Whether that bonus required the complete set or merely two pieces, however, Zhang Yuanqing wasn't sure.
*Whoosh!*
The robe unfolded and draped over his shoulders.
Zhang Yuanqing sensed it carefully for a moment, and delight flashed across his face.
There really was a set skill! When the Yinyang Array was deployed, the water and fire clones would no longer remain mere bodies of fire and water; the Houtu Boots would grant both clones physical form—terracotta figures!
The bodies of these terracotta figures would be indestructible and possessed of immense strength.
What thrilled Zhang Yuanqing most was that this finally compensated for the water and fire clones' lack of offensive output.
If he had possessed the Houtu Boots during the arena tournament, the moment the Yinyang Array unfurled, he could have beaten Zhao Chenghuang so badly that not even his great-grandfather would recognize him.
"That robe of yours is..."
Fu Qingyang froze for a moment, astonishment flickering in his eyes.
As a Scout, he had deduced the truth from Yuanshi's micro-expressions and the act of retrieving the robe.
Zhang Yuanqing didn't hide it: "This robe was a hidden item I obtained from Yinyang Town. It's part of the Heaven-Worship set, and so are the Houtu Boots."
Fu Qingyang had already reined in his surprise and nodded slightly.
"No wonder you asked me to check the attributes of the Houtu Boots back then. Sets are exceedingly rare. To date, those collected or known by us number no more than ten. Every single one is priceless.
"Even the elders find it difficult to assemble a complete set. Yuanshi, your luck is quite remarkable."
An irrepressible smile broke out on Zhang Yuanqing's face. "I plan to gather the entire Heaven-Worship set. That way, I can keep using it all the way to the Dominator stage."
Fu Qingyang said, "That will be very difficult. Within the Five Elements Alliance, those who have completed a set can be counted on one hand. Every single one is a favored child of heaven."
Zhang Yuanqing asked, "Who among our official ranks has assembled a set?"
Fu Qingyang replied, "Me!"
*I shouldn't have asked... So that's the flex he had waiting.* Zhang Yuanqing immediately bowed deferentially. "The Centurion is truly formidable! Who else could stand beneath the Dominators? Come mid-year, you'll become a Dominator, tread upon the high heavens, and reign supreme over the Five Elements Alliance!"
Fu Qingyang glanced at him. "Rest for a bit first and mend your broken bones. Stay here for lunch."
***
Two o'clock in the afternoon, Gladiator Arena.
Figure after figure descended. Within two or three seconds, the once-empty spectator stands became packed to the brim, a dense sea of heads.
Zhang Yuanqing materialized at a random spot in the stands. He didn't recognize a single official walker around him.
Yet others recognized him.
"Ah! Yuanshi Tianzun!"
The one screaming was a pretty young woman, covering her mouth with an expression of ecstatic surprise.
The several female companions beside her wore equally excited and thrilled looks.
*I'm an idol-tier figure now too...* Delighted, Zhang Yuanqing was just about to unleash his social skills to chat up the young ladies when he suddenly caught sight of Guan Ya off in the distance, smiling warmly in his direction.
The life mentor's teachings flashed through his mind.
Zhang Yuanqing gave a subtle nod, mimicking Fu Qingyang's aloof demeanor as he strode past his female colleagues with an air of frigid detachment, walking at an unhurried pace toward the veteran driver.
"Huh, he's so aloof. Totally different from how lively he seemed during the matches."
"Being aloof is great! It means he won't flirt with girls indiscriminately. I love an abstinent heartthrob."
*Women liking abstinent heartthrobs is the same reason men like ice-queen beauties. Even if I can't have them, they remain pure. Licentious men and women never enjoy good reputations, because suitors lusting after their looks know full well that their gods and goddesses are rolling between the sheets with someone new every day...*
The life mentor's words surfaced once more in his mind.
"Sister Guan Ya!" He took a seat beside the veteran driver.
Zhang Yuanqing knew that seeking her out first upon entering was guaranteed to win favor. Adding his cold shoulder toward his "fans" just now would score him even more points.
"Mm!" Guan Ya nodded with a dazzling smile, satisfaction hidden in her eyes.
The chaotic scramble for seats soon settled down. Queen wasn't attending today's matches; according to Guan Ya, she happened to be on duty today and had no choice but to remain in reality in tears.
As for Little Green Tea and Jiang Jingwei, Zhang Yuanqing saw neither of them.
Amidst the clinking of scale armor, the Armored Swordsman took the stage. After delivering brief opening remarks, the spirit realm walkers present received match lists popping up from the Spirit Realm.
"Ghost King of Fengdu vs. Yiwei Dujiang"
"Lingjun vs. Ru Hong De Fen Tou"
"Fu Qingyang vs. Sheng Huo Xiong Xiong"
"..."
Zhang Yuanqing quickly scanned the match list and exclaimed in pleasant surprise, "Right off the bat, so many star-tier contestants are taking the stage?"
During the Transcendent tournament, very few star-tier contestants had competed on the first day.
Guan Ya explained, "There aren't that many deacons to begin with. In a tier-one megacity like Songhai, there are only a dozen or twenty Saints, and they won't necessarily join the arena tournament."
Many older Saints wouldn't participate unless they were confident in breaking into the top ten.
On one hand, they might not enter the killing trial; on the other, losing was humiliating.
Deacons were the backbone of the organization. Normally, when elders didn't show themselves, deacons were the highest leaders official walkers could interact with.
A leader's face mattered more than anything.
Zhang Yuanqing murmured his understanding and waited patiently. Before long, the first pair of contestants took the stage.
Ghost King of Fengdu looked around thirty years old, dressed entirely in black pants and a black shirt. His features were ordinary, yet he possessed an indescribable aristocratic aura and a faintly oppressive presence.
He was extraordinarily eye-catching.
Yiwei Dujiang was a woman of slender, delicate build, graceful and serene, her age impossible to discern.
Once both entered the arena, the Armored Swordsman projected his voice:
"Begin!"
Ghost King of Fengdu leisurely produced a small round mirror and checked his reflection before snapping his fingers.
*Thump! Thump! Thump!*
Three burly yin corpses leaped into the arena, landing with the booming impact of tumbling boulders. They wore identical clothes, sported identical hairstyles, and held the exact same stance.
"Does this Ghost King of Fengdu have obsessive-compulsive disorder?" Zhang Yuanqing quipped.
"It's rigidity!" Guan Ya provided an affirmative answer based on her observation.
Zhang Yuanqing looked back at Ghost King of Fengdu's stern face—rigid, serious, and utterly humorless.
He thought to himself that it was no wonder Yin Ji disliked Ghost King of Fengdu and threw herself into the Demon Lord's embrace instead. The Demon Lord had a sweet tongue, great bedroom skills, and monstrous talent; he was obviously far more attractive to women than a stiff, serious man.
While his thoughts wandered, the three yin corpses formed a pincer formation and charged toward Yiwei Dujiang. Their heavy footfalls were steady, forceful, yet rapid and urgent.
Every step cracked the stone slabs of the ring.
Yiwei Dujiang's pupils abruptly contracted, her irises turning amber and pupils narrowing into vertical slits. Thick yellow fur sprouted beneath her skin, whiskers lengthened around her mouth, her nose turned black and rounded, and her nails curved into sharp claws.
In an instant, she transformed into a curvaceous catwoman.
The catwoman sprang lightly into the air, leaping clear over the three yin corpses and causing their lunges to hit empty air.
She landed without making a sound, then blurred into an afterimage, streaking toward Ghost King of Fengdu swift as lightning.
Simultaneously, tufts of lush green grass sprouted from the stone slabs beneath Ghost King of Fengdu's feet, spreading like a carpet and turning the arena floor into a meadow.
Ghost King of Fengdu remained unruffled. He leapt several meters into the air and, under the watchful gaze of the crowd, entered Night Roaming and vanished.
The catwoman instantly checked her momentum, glancing warily left and right to see if there were any trampled patches on the grass.
Yet Ghost King of Fengdu seemed to have disappeared entirely.
"Where do you think he is?" Guan Ya asked softly.
Without hesitation, Zhang Yuanqing said, "On the yin corpse's shoulder."
The mixed-blood beauty shot him an astonished glance. That matched what her insight had discerned, but Yuanshi wasn't a Scout, nor was he wearing the Insight Glasses; he had deduced it purely through combat intellect.
Right then, Ghost King of Fengdu materialized on the shoulder of one of the yin corpses.
He held the small round mirror in hand, gazing at his reflection. Seemingly satisfied with what he saw, he let out a light chuckle, then exhaled a boundless stream of Taiyin power.
*Wuuu, wuuu—*
Ghostly wails echoed across the venue, and the temperature plummeted.
As a Night Nomad, Zhang Yuanqing clearly saw wisps of dark smoke drifting out alongside the Taiyin power, coalescing in midair into various vicious ghosts and vengeful wraiths.
Men and women, old and young, some hideously contorted, others with disheveled hair.
There were dozens of wraiths in total.
These wraiths wielded scythes, floating across the sky in a chaotic demonic dance.
*Are... are those spirit servants? There are way too many! No, not spirit servants—something between a spirit servant and a wraith. What kind of technique is this?* Zhang Yuanqing was stunned.
The wraiths raised their scythes and swooped down toward the catwoman.
Every strike that landed drew an agonized shriek from her. She could dodge the yin corpses' attacks with her agility, but she couldn't evade these invisible wraiths.
A few minutes later, the battle was over.
Ghost King of Fengdu had claimed victory without breaking a sweat.
*It felt like he was smurfing. Is this the peerless combatant beneath the Dominators from the previous generation? Why does he keep looking in the mirror? So far, he's only displayed Night Nomad abilities—what about his Star Official powers?* Zhang Yuanqing marveled silently.
The second match was Lingjun against Ru Hong De Fen Tou. The latter was a Plague God whose domain over bacteria and microorganisms was countered by the Beast King's healing.
Yet Lingjun fought without any urgency, never taking the initiative to attack from start to finish, because "Fen Tou" was a deeply charming, mature woman.
"Which branch is Big Sister a deacon of?"
"Tong Province."
"Ah, I'm taking advantage of you in this match. An unearned victory isn't honorable."
"It's fine. Winning or losing isn't important to begin with."
"Indeed, victory doesn't matter. Being able to exchange moves with an outstanding woman like you, Big Sister, is my greatest gain from entering this tournament."
"As expected of the Young Master, you really know how to talk."
"Did Big Sister enter the tournament for the rewards?"
"For tempering."
After half an hour of dawdling, the Armored Swordsman couldn't help but frown and call out:
"Wrap it up quickly!"
Hearing this, Lingjun clutched his chest with an "Ah!" and said, "I've fallen ill. I concede."
The mature woman opposite him was stunned, utter bewilderment on her face.
Just as she was about to speak, Lingjun had already staggered back toward the stands, hand still over his chest.
*He gave me the win on purpose... He wants me to have more matches to temper myself...* The mature deacon from the Water God Palace immediately understood the Young Master's intention.
She felt both grateful and surprised, her impression of him skyrocketing.
"Fu Qingyang and Sheng Huo Xiong Xiong, enter the ring."
As the Armored Swordsman's words fell, a figure clad in white rose leisurely from his seat. Unlike other contestants who leapt down from the high walls, he produced an azure cape and draped it over his shoulders.
*Flap! Flap!*
The cape billowed proudly. An updraft rose from beneath Fu Qingyang's feet, carrying him drifting toward the center of the arena.
Cheers erupted from the spectator stands.
"What a show-off..." Zhang Yuanqing muttered.
Guan Ya wholeheartedly agreed, sighing, "That boy Qingyang has loved acting cool ever since he was little."
"He's also loaded and naive."
"Yet he prides himself on winning people over through virtue."
"Let's keep these remarks between ourselves; don't spread them."
"My thoughts exactly."
While they spoke, a fireball shot up from the stands, rocketing like an artillery shell toward Fu Qingyang hovering in midair.
Fu Qingyang's expression chilled. He flicked a finger, and the fireball detonated with a booming crash. From within the expanding flames, an imposing figure emerged.
The man looked about forty, burly with a full beard, exuding an aggressive aura and a piercing glare. He was the sort of person who, if someone looked at him twice on the street, would rush over, bark "What are you looking at?", and punch them in the face.
"Fu Qingyang!" Sheng Huo Xiong Xiong roared. "Everyone calls you the number one beneath the Dominator stage. I don't buy it! I'd like to experience your skills firsthand. I hope you're not just an empty—"
Before he could finish, as he was slowly descending, he saw Fu Qingyang draw an Eight-Sided Han bronze sword from thin air. Its edge was razor-sharp, yet its blade was coated in bronze rust.
With an indifferent face, the Money Prince slashed downward.
Sheng Huo Xiong Xiong's pupils shrank. His body trembled violently in a bizarre manner as countless ways to dodge flashed through his mind, only to contradict and negate one another.
In the end, he did nothing, letting the sword edge rip open his chest and sever his ribs.
*Crash!*
Sheng Huo Xiong Xiong slammed heavily onto the arena floor, blood bursting from his chest and staining the grass crimson.
Fu Qingyang pivoted smoothly and drifted back to his seat.
The battle had ended before it even began.
The medical team hurried onto the stage. After examining the wounds, they called out, "Elder, he requires an injection of Life Primordial Fluid."
The Armored Swordsman nodded slightly.
The medical team carried Sheng Huo Xiong Xiong away in a rush.
The entire arena fell dead silent.
A few seconds later, an uproar surged like a tidal wave.
"What? It's over already? Did Deacon Shenghuo take a bribe?"
"What a fake performance! Even I could have dodged Fu Qingyang's strike. A dignified deacon couldn't dodge that? The Money Prince truly lives up to his name!"
The audience chattered incessantly, loudly accusing Fu Qingyang of fixing the match.
Zhang Yuanqing suddenly recalled that when hunting Black Impermanence at Third Elementary School, that Fire Master from Dark Night Rose hadn't even possessed the courage to engage Fu Qingyang in close combat.
Meanwhile, this Deacon Shenghuo had charged right in the moment he stepped up.
By comparison, this was what a genuine Fire Master looked like; that Fire Master from Dark Night Rose had been an absolute disgrace to the profession.
Amidst the clamor, Zhang Yuanqing heard Guan Ya sigh with emotion:
"This is skill bordering on the Dao!"
*Skill bordering on the Dao...* Silently turning the phrase over in his mind, he took the chance to ask, "What does that phrase actually mean?"
This question had puzzled him for a long time.
"I mentioned to you before that Crossing-River Pawn is called 'Little Qingyang,' and you've experienced Crossing-River Pawn's Insight specialization firsthand," Guan Ya said. "Fu Qingyang's slash is an upgraded version of Crossing-River Pawn's Insight specialization—well, upgraded by countless versions."
Zhang Yuanqing nodded. Crossing-River Pawn could predict two to three steps ahead; the moment he raised his gun, you felt you were destined to be hit. Whether you dodged left or right, he would anticipate it.
"So the Centurion predicts seven or eight steps ahead, or even more?"
Guan Ya shook her head, her face solemn.
"No. If it were only that, it wouldn't warrant the praise of 'skill bordering on the Dao.' His realm is on a whole different level."
"A whole different level?" Zhang Yuanqing raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"I told you before that Fu Qingyang wasn't talented. From childhood, he was looked down upon by the family elders. Among his peers, he was below average. Yet he was proud—a pride that stemmed from his very bones. Sometimes I couldn't understand it at all. He was clearly so weak, so why was he so proud? On what grounds? It was precisely because of this blind pride that his peers in the family frequently bullied him." When Guan Ya spoke of this, her eyes held reminiscence, emotion, and deep respect.
"Not until the family martial arts tournament when he was fifteen, when he knocked me out with a wooden sword. He used only a single strike. But that strike was so fast, so fierce, and so precise that it caught me completely off guard.
"Only later did I learn that over the preceding seven or eight years, Fu Qingyang had practiced only one single move: the slash!
"He knew he lacked talent, so he didn't study combat forms or diverse techniques; he only practiced the slash. He poured all his energy and life's blood into that one move, pushing it to the absolute pinnacle.
"I accepted my defeat wholeheartedly, because I knew that slash embodied his pride and half a lifetime of effort. When he drew his blade, he was already invincible."
Guan Ya let out a sigh.
"After becoming a spirit realm walker, he integrated Insight into his slash and continued practicing day and night without end. The family elders still didn't favor him, believing his path was too narrow—that knowing only one move meant he could be easily countered.
"And that was indeed the case. Back then, he was like Crossing-River Pawn is now: very strong, but not at the very top. It wasn't until he advanced to the Saint stage that we realized in horror that he had trained this single strike into a rule."
At this point, Guan Ya looked at the dumbfounded Yuanshi and nodded.
"Yes, a rule—the kind found in rule-based items.
"His slash cannot be dodged; it can only be endured head-on. Even a Dominator cannot evade it, just like your Red Dancing Shoes, which even Elder Dog is helpless against.
"Fu Qingyang is the first person since the birth of the Spirit Realm to master a rule. Of course, whether the Guild Masters can do it, I wouldn't know."
Zhang Yuanqing murmured, "So that's... skill bordering on the Dao..."
He suddenly understood. He understood why Fu Qingyang looked down on geniuses, why he called them trash, and why he said the female Grand Marshal's diligence didn't match her talent.
Fu Qingyang truly had the right to say so. He wasn't gifted, yet he possessed the heart of a true powerhouse.
*It's both heartbreaking and inspiring...* Zhang Yuanqing thought quietly.
Just then, a soft, seductive voice sounded from beside him:
"Yuanshi Tianzun!"
Zhang Yuanqing collected his thoughts and looked toward the voice. The newcomer was a mature, alluring married woman.
Her face was full and rounded, enchanting, with fiery red lips like a blooming peony.
Zhu Rong!
Chapter 217