It seemed, appeared, or was entirely possible that what I leaked to Yuan Ting about the "Trash Theory" had caused the Centurion an immense amount of grief...
Zhang Yuanqing felt he understood Fu Qingyang reasonably well. Although this Money Prince arrogantly regarded all heroes under heaven as trash, his magnanimity was generally commendable. He also held Zhang Yuanqing in high regard. Simply leaking the contents of the "Trash Theory" wouldn't have enraged the young master to such an extent. Most likely, Fu Qingyang had suffered a major loss because of it, and was now here to settle the score.
On the surface, it was a friendly sparring match; in reality, he just wanted to beat him up.
Zhang Yuanqing was a man who valued his dignity. He could not stomach the thought of a video of him being soundly thrashed by Fu Qingyang leaking to the world. And so, he promptly bowed down and declared loudly, "Centurion, your martial prowess is unmatched under heaven! My cultivation is shallow, and I know full well I cannot measure up to you. I willingly concede!"
*That takes all the fun out of it...* Watching Yuanshi Tianzun surrender without a shred of backbone, White Dragon and the others felt a wave of disappointment.
Given how much the Centurion favored him, he would most likely let it drop now.
To their surprise, Fu Qingyang looked down with a cold, unyielding gaze. Unmoved, he said, "So you'd prefer to be beaten while lying on your stomach?"
*Hiss—* Zhang Yuanqing drew a sharp breath. The loss the Centurion suffered had to be even worse than he imagined. It was over; taking a beating today was unavoidable. Yet the physiognomy reading had clearly advised him to face the situation head-on!
*If you mess up, admit it; if you take a beating, stand at attention?*
Fu Qingyang continued, "I will not take advantage of you. I won't use skills above Level 4, nor will I use items. I will also suppress my physical state to Level 4 as much as possible. Yuanshi, I want to know: at Level 4, between you and me, who is stronger?"
When those words came out, Zhang Yuanqing felt nothing special, but the eyes of everyone watching lit up with excitement.
Fu Qingyang was hailed as undefeated beneath the Elder rank. While that distinction was earned at Level 6, even back when he was at Levels 4 and 5, possessing the ability of Skill Nigh to Dao, he had still reigned supreme among his peers.
And Yuanshi Tianzun, as a rising star who had shattered the score ceiling of the Transcendent stage killing trial, was celebrated on the official forum as a supreme genius with the "makings of an Alliance Leader."
In an even-leveled showdown between the two, who would actually come out on top?
At this thought, the hearts of White Dragon, Qingteng, and the others began thumping wildly, thrilled beyond reason.
Big Muscle Tyrant yelled loudly, "Yuanshi Tianzun, don't you dare chicken out! If you wimp out now, I'll look down on you for the rest of my life!"
White Dragon chimed in, "Yeah, exactly! You're getting beaten either way, so you might as well go all out and fight it out!"
Li Dongze stroked his mustache, his face full of excitement. "Yuanshi, accept the challenge with elegance."
The others couldn't help tightening their grip on their phones, determined to record this precious moment. Who knew? Years from now, this video might become the legendary *Rare Footage of Fu Qingyang Taming Yuanshi Tianzun in His Early Days*, treasured by future generations.
Elder Dog grew interested as well. "This elder shall be the referee. Qingyang, suppress your strength to Level 4, below fifty percent experience. There may be margins of error, so I will mainly oversee whether your power exceeds the limit. Yuanshi, do not run away. Show the pride befitting a genius!"
*Elder, your canine face is practically shouting that you're just here to watch the drama,* Zhang Yuanqing sighed inwardly. Seeing no way out, he had no choice but to stand up and say, "I need a mirror. It doesn't need to be an item—an ordinary mirror will do."
Guan Ya immediately rose and left the training room. A dozen seconds later, she returned holding a compact makeup mirror.
"Thanks, Sister Guan Ya."
Zhang Yuanqing took it with a beaming smile, stealthily scratching the palm of her hand with his fingertip.
Guan Ya shot him a reproving glare.
Watching this, Fu Qingyang's brow gradually furrowed.
*When did their relationship reach this point? Did sharing hardships in the killing trial make their bond advance by leaps and bounds?*
Guan Ya retreated to the side of the elegant Decurion, stepping back toward the wall alongside the rest of the group to give the combatants ample room.
Zhang Yuanqing and Fu Qingyang each picked up a barbed wooden club.
*Whoosh, whoosh...*
Zhang Yuanqing gave the club a few casual swings. Its length was similar to a short sword, fitting comfortably in his grip.
The moment he took up the weapon, far from feeling fear, a raging battle intent surged within him. He wanted to test his own combat prowess.
Even more, he wanted to experience Fu Qingyang's Skill Nigh to Dao firsthand.
Against any other opponent, forbidding items would have felt like a disadvantage to Zhang Yuanqing. But against the Money Prince, banning items meant he was the one coming out ahead.
Even though he already possessed a staggering number of high-quality items himself.
Both men held their clubs, facing off across the distance. Skills of the "Swordsman" surfaced in Zhang Yuanqing's mind. The advanced class for a Scout was called Swordsman, and its passive skill granted extraordinary swordsmanship talent.
One could say that as long as they persistently honed their swordsmanship, every Swordsman in the Saint stage was bound to be a grandmaster of the sword.
At Level 4, a Swordsman's core skill was sword qi.
However, it had not yet reached the legendary state of releasing sword qi at range; instead, it imbued the weapon with sword qi, granting ordinary iron the sharpness to cleave gold and sever jade.
In the Saint stage, when it came to armor-piercing ability, Swordsmen were the undisputed number one.
As his thoughts flew, he raised the mirror to check his reflection. Black qi swirled between his brows, and in an instinctive flash, an afterimage of Fu Qingyang slashing his sword crossed his mind.
This was an ominous premonition from Astrology,
foretelling that he would be struck and injured by Fu Qingyang.
Just then, Elder Dog barked out, "Begin!"
Fu Qingyang's eyes, cool and still as a winter pool, turned abruptly sharp.
The instant the word "Begin" sounded, Zhang Yuanqing retreated decisively and entered Night Roaming. He vanished into thin air within the training room, masking every trace of sound and breath.
Fu Qingyang lost his target before his strike could even begin.
By the wall, White Dragon crossed her arms and nodded in commentary. "Using Night Roaming to skirmish and evade Elder Fu's blade—a sound tactic."
Guan Ya shook her head. "It won't work."
No sooner had she spoken than Fu Qingyang pressed two fingers against his forehead. A rippling ring of white light expanded, sweeping across the entire training room.
Wherever the light passed, faint ripples formed around each person's body, like tranquil river waters washing against rocks.
In an empty spot behind Fu Qingyang, ripples unexpectedly stirred.
*Screeech!*
Fu Qingyang spun sharply on his heel, leather shoes screeching harshly against the rubber flooring. Toward the spot behind him where the ripples stirred, he cleaved downward with an unadorned slash.
*Fuck, Fu Qingyang is a walking True Sight ward, totally different from regular Scouts...* Zhang Yuanqing's heart skipped a beat. The moment Fu Qingyang turned, he reacted and prepared to leap back.
Yet the instant Fu Qingyang raised the wooden club, Zhang Yuanqing's body abruptly froze.
Every nerve, every muscle, his limbs, and his brain seemed to develop minds of their own, each yearning to dodge in a different direction.
At the same time, they all harbored the grim conviction that no matter how he dodged, the strike would inevitably land.
His body trembled violently, yet he was completely unable to dodge or parry.
He had experienced this once before against Crossing-River Pawn. But compared to the latter, against whom he had still managed to struggle, Fu Qingyang's slash brought nothing but pure despair.
When the sword strikes, a rule is born.
*Thwack!*
Zhang Yuanqing tumbled out of Night Roaming, staggering backward with his chest a bloody mess.
Fu Qingyang's strike caught him right in the chest; the barbs tore through his short-sleeved shirt and shredded his flesh. Bright red blood instantly stained his T-shirt, spreading rapidly.
*Hiss—* Zhang Yuanqing inhaled sharply through the agony. Even though a Starlord possessed healing abilities far surpassing a Night Wanderer, the pain wasn't discounted in the slightest.
*Fuck, this rich punk isn't holding back at all!* In the blink of an eye, he saw the Centurion step forward, closing the distance once more. With a flick of his wrist, Fu Qingyang swung the wooden club through a semicircle in midair, raising it high above his head.
Zhang Yuanqing's scalp went numb. Before his opponent could unleash the second strike, he slipped into Night Roaming again and threw himself to the left.
Yet Fu Qingyang seemed to anticipate his evasive path beforehand. Keeping his blade high, he stepped sideways with his right leg and slashed toward the front right.
*Smack!*
Zhang Yuanqing, having just lunged out, felt a burst of pain in his back and crashed heavily onto the rubber flooring.
*Impossible! He hadn't executed the slash yet, so no rule should have formed...* Zhang Yuanqing's pupils shrank. Disregarding the pain, he rolled quickly into a corner to open up distance.
Fu Qingyang glided forward in pursuit, speaking calmly as he advanced: "A truly formidable Insight observes every facet of an enemy. From the force exerted by your skeleton and muscles, I can predict the direction of your evasion in advance. Even if you enter Night Roaming, I can accurately calculate your movement trajectory for the next three seconds."
*You fucking hacker!* Zhang Yuanqing thought indignantly.
Seeing Fu Qingyang's third strike incoming, Zhang Yuanqing cast Star Illusion, leaving an illusory replica in place while using Night Roaming to vanish.
*Screeech!*
With a lateral slide, Fu Qingyang completely ignored the illusion and swept his club toward the vacant space to his front right.
Zhang Yuanqing tumbled out of Night Roaming once more, the fabric over his abdomen torn away as the barbs carved a jagged, mangled wound across his abs.
"A Scout's Mind's Eye exists specifically to break illusions," Fu Qingyang said flatly. "Is this all our Yuanshi Tianzun, endowed with the 'makings of an Alliance Leader,' is capable of?"
*Have to admit, that smug, deadpan face is remarkably good at taunting...* Zhang Yuanqing lifted the mirror and looked into it. The black qi between his brows remained; his misfortune had not dispersed.
He was in for more beatings.
The watching Big Muscle Tyrant was dumbfounded. "Yuanshi Tianzun doesn't have the slightest power to fight back! This—this isn't even the same tier!"
White Dragon, Qingteng, and the others exchanged stunned looks.
They had expected a clash between dragons and tigers, only to witness Elder Fu dishing out a one-sided beatdown to Yuanshi Tianzun.
Quanwang, his gaze dark, offered his assessment: "Yuanshi Tianzun's combat ability has progressed remarkably fast, but he has been a Spirit Realm walker for too short a time. He lacks foundational accumulation. It's only normal that his martial skill falls short of Elder Fu's."
Dark-skinned, honest-looking Tang Guoqiang agreed. "Elder Fu's slashes cannot be dodged. No matter how strong Yuanshi Tianzun is, he can only passively take the hits. Besides, he's a Night Wanderer, not an Earth Monster; melee combat and defense aren't his strengths.
"Night Roaming and illusions are countered by a Scout's Insight and Mind's Eye skills, and Yuanshi Tianzun hasn't summoned his yin corpse or spirit servants. Taking a beating is entirely expected."
Big Muscle Tyrant didn't want to hear these objective analyses at all. "After all that talk, bottom line is he's completely powerless to fight back."
Quanwang and Tang Guoqiang fell silent, not bothering to waste their breath arguing with a Fire Master.
Yet what Big Muscle Tyrant said was not without merit. Once the video hit the forum, most colleagues across the various branches wouldn't bother with rational analysis; they would only see Fu Qingyang utterly outclassing Yuanshi Tianzun at the same level.
Zhang Yuanqing gripped the barbed club tightly, circling Fu Qingyang slowly as thoughts raced through his mind.
Wherever there was a rule, there was inevitably a loophole. That was an iron law.
Whether it was Skill Nigh to Dao or a rule-based item, nothing could escape this principle.
What was the loophole in Fu Qingyang's slash?
Zhang Yuanqing racked his brain. Soon, the searing pain in his chest, back, and abdomen reminded him:
The greatest loophole of the slash was that it only targeted the physical body.
*At least for now, that seems to be the case. I can use Astral Travel to possess the Centurion—* Thinking of this, Zhang Yuanqing quickly lifted the mirror and looked. This time, the black qi between his brows had vanished.
*I can avoid the next strike!*
*Thump, thump, thump!*
He charged toward Fu Qingyang of his own accord, raising his wooden club high.
Facing the charging Yuanshi Tianzun, Fu Qingyang stepped forward aggressively to meet him, swinging his weapon in a slash.
To the onlookers' shock, the invincible, inexorable slash suddenly froze. Fu Qingyang stopped dead in his tracks, his body trembling slightly.
After a stunned pause, everyone present suddenly caught on.
*Wraith possession!*
*If you can't dodge it, make him stop himself?!*
At that moment, Fu Qingyang threw his head back and let out a clear whistle. Two piercing rays of light erupted from his deep, restrained dark eyes.
The next second, Zhang Yuanqing's spirit body was blasted out of him as though struck with immense force, his translucent form wavering violently.
What Fu Qingyang had just unleashed was not sword qi, but a Swordsman's sword intent.
Sword intent was an extension of mental strength. It wasn't an official skill, but the cumulative willpower forged through relentless swordsmanship training, specialized in breaking specters and evil spirits.
Zhang Yuanqing's spirit body returned to his flesh. Stumbling backward, he slammed both palms hard against his ears.
With a muffled *bang*, threads of blood seeped from his ears.
He had ruptured his own eardrums.
Seeing this, Fu Qingyang raised an eyebrow. Giving him no chance to catch his breath, he gave chase at an even faster speed. Like a streak of white shadow, he closed in before Zhang Yuanqing in an instant and slashed with his club.
*Clang!*
In the dull ring of colliding wood, everyone present was stunned—including Fu Qingyang.
Yuanshi Tianzun had his eyes shut tight, his club raised to block the strike cleanly.
Elder Dog narrowed his eyes.
"B-blocked..." Big Muscle Tyrant muttered, looking as though he had seen a ghost.
The others stood stiffly with looks of pure disbelief. Could someone in this world actually block Elder Fu's slash?
Guan Ya was both astonished and delighted, her pretty eyes glowing.
When Fu Qingyang was thrashing Yuanshi Tianzun, her brows had been knitted in concern, feeling not the slightest pride for her younger cousin. But seeing Yuanshi Tianzun parry him, she grew thrilled in an instant.
Fu Qingyang's eyes cooled slightly. With a turn of his wrist, his club scraped against Zhang Yuanqing's; the tip dipped, then swept diagonally upward.
Calm and unhurried, Zhang Yuanqing sank his right hand and struck downward. Another resounding *thwack* rang out, perfectly intercepting Fu Qingyang's upward sweep.
*It wasn't luck—he really cracked Elder Fu's slash?!*
The watching team captains perked up, their faces flushed with excitement. Ever since Fu Qingyang rose to fame, his mastery of Skill Nigh to Dao had intimidated countless Saints.
Only Earth Monsters specializing in defense could barely hold their ground against it.
To date, no one had ever broken Fu Qingyang's technique—neither Jiang Ju, one of the Four Young Masters, nor top experts among the evil classes.
Yuanshi Tianzun had pulled it off.
"Why are his eyes closed? Is closing your eyes the secret to breaking Elder Fu's move?" Qingteng whispered with a frown.
"Isn't it rupturing his eardrums?" White Dragon suggested.
Elder Dog, however, turned his gaze toward the corner of the training room. He spotted a chubby, adorable infant crouching there, its dark eyes gazing intently at the battling pair.
In an instant, he understood how Yuanshi Tianzun had broken the slash.
Fu Qingyang's slash inflicted single-target suppression; only the direct opponent was bound by it, while bystanders were unaffected.
Therefore, Yuanshi Tianzun closed his eyes, cutting off his sensory perception of the outside world and treating himself as a feelingless, unperceiving puppet. Meanwhile, he projected his astral consciousness into his spirit servant, observing Fu Qingyang's attack from a bystander's perspective. In the spirit servant's eyes, Fu Qingyang's straight slash was simply a straight slash, stripped of all that overwhelming conceptual weight.
Treating his main body as a puppet and the spirit servant as his primary perspective... Fu Qingyang could sever karma on his target, but could not sever it on the spirit servant. Taking an unconventional path—brilliant... Elder Dog nodded in approval.
To break a rule: that was the hallmark of a true genius.
Fu Qingyang let out a cold snort. Powerful sword qi suddenly erupted from the wooden club as he cleaved downward in another unadorned strike.
Zhang Yuanqing's body abruptly scattered into glittering stardust, like a dispersing swarm of fireflies. A moment later, his figure reformed several meters away.
Star Escape!
The sword qi missed, gouging a deep slash mark into the rubber floor.
Using his physical body as a puppet meant less agility and physical input lag, noticeably dampening his reflexes and agility. But without the fetters of the rule, a Starlord's slippery, elusive style shone through.
Alternating between Star Escape and Night Roaming, he focused solely on evading without attacking. No matter how superb Fu Qingyang's swordsmanship was or how sharp a Swordsman's melee prowess proved to be, he couldn't land a single blow.
Five minutes later, Fu Qingyang ceased his assault and said, "Enough. That's it!"
Zhang Yuanqing immediately halted, breathing a sigh of relief. Continually chaining Night Roaming and Star Escape severely drained his Lunar and Astral power.
White Dragon, still holding her phone recording, turned to her peers and said excitedly, "I propose that only one of us posts the video. We can set it behind a paywall on the forum, and split the proceeds evenly among everyone!"
She had a hunch that this video would become an absolute viral hit.
"Great idea!" The captains' eyes lit up, agreeing readily.
*Sure enough, facing things head-on resolves the crisis. Astrology never lies,* Zhang Yuanqing recalled his spirit body and chuckled smugly inside.
By now, the wounds on his chest, back, and abdomen had healed completely without leaving a scar.
His ruptured eardrums had also regenerated; he had thoroughly navigated the crisis.
Just when everyone assumed the sparring session was over, Fu Qingyang shifted tone, saying expressionlessly:
"Not bad. You are the first person to ever break my technique. I now see the direction my swordplay must improve in. Yuanshi, you did well.
"In return, as your superior, it is time for me to give my subordinate some pointers."
Zhang Yuanqing: "!!!"
Everyone: "???"
***
Back home, Grandma had finished clearing the dishes and cleaning up. She was about to sit on the couch to watch Grandpa play card games online when the sound of a passcode being entered came from the foyer.
She turned her head and saw her grandson, Chen Yuanjun, returning.
"Didn't you head out to the Security Bureau?" Grandma asked in surprise. "Did you forget something?"
"No, not going..."
Cousin's complexion looked somewhat poor. In a quiet voice, he muttered, "Grandma, uh, could you... stew some nourishing soup for me tonight?"
"Not feeling well?"
"Not really. Just... suddenly, my whole body feels weak and hollowed out..." Chen Yuanjun said awkwardly. He then quickly changed the subject, "Where's Yuanzi?"
Grandma replied grumpily, "Who knows where he ran off to goof around? Probably out chasing girls. Yu'er said just a moment ago that she wanted to break his legs—"
***
"Yuanshi Tianzun's legs are broken! His molars got knocked out too! Quick, help carry him to the guest room to rest!"
Inside the training room, Guan Ya spoke with frantic urgency.
Li Dongze and Big Muscle Tyrant rushed forward, lifting Yuanshi Tianzun, who was curled on the floor groaning, and dashed out of the training room.
The young, handsome Yuanshi Tianzun was completely stripped of his former elegance. His left cheek was swollen like a pig's head, his right eye was bruised and bloodshot, and two molars were snapped clean off.
His leg was broken too.
His T-shirt was riddled with tears, tattered and soaked in blood.
Just moments ago, this young genius had suffered a ruthless, vicious beating from his superior for a full fifteen seconds!
White Dragon, Qingteng, and Tang Guoqiang hurried alongside, snapping photos and videos furiously on their phones.
Zhang Yuanqing clutched his face, his speech leaking air as he fumed, "Stop shooting! Stop shooting! Leave me some dignity..."
*Fu Qingyang, you piece of trash who has no martial virtue!!*
Chapter 298