Clash

September 20th. Su Yu took another leave of absence. On this same day, Zheng Yunhui also took leave. Neither showed up for class. Nor were they the only ones—several other students in the class were also nowhere to be found. …… Under normal circumstances, very few people came to the New Student Reception Area. There was a cultivation dojo here run by an old instructor. Usually deserted, it offered a peaceful quiet. Today, however, people began arriving at the dojo one after another. The old instructor was advanced in years and hadn't hired any help. Just as he was dragging a chair outside to bask in the sun, someone arrived. "Old Chen, is anyone on the third floor?" The old instructor stared at the person before him in a brief daze. Only after a long moment did he recognize the visitor, hurriedly saying, "Director Zhou, what brings you here...?" Zhou Pingsheng gave a faint smile. "Just came to look around. There's going to be a student duel here shortly. Don't tell anyone we're here, understand?" "Understood, understood!" the old instructor nodded hurriedly. "Then we'll head up first. Just stay downstairs!" "Alright!" How could the old instructor dare say more? This was an important figure, far beyond what an old student who hadn't even reached the Tengkong Realm like himself could compare to. A powerful Lingyun Realm expert! Having such a figure visit his establishment was an honor; he wouldn't dare pry further. He didn't care about whatever student duel was happening either, though he felt a faint curiosity—could it be Director Zhou's students? He hadn't involved himself in the academy's affairs for far too long and knew little about current events. Not bothering with such matters, he understood well enough after so many years at the academy that one shouldn't ask what one shouldn't know. Not long after Zhou Pingsheng and his companion went upstairs, another pair arrived. Xia Huyou entered alongside a middle-aged man. After glancing around, Xia Huyou turned to the man and said, "Uncle, this is the place!" The middle-aged man gave a slight nod without speaking. Xia Huyou stepped forward, approached the old instructor, and said with a chuckle, "Old sir, are there still rooms available on the third floor?" The old instructor didn't look at him, his gaze fixing upon the middle-aged man instead. His expression shifted slightly, and skipping pleasantries, he said hastily, "Yes! But..." The middle-aged man suddenly spoke. "No matter. We'll go up. May the best man win!" Xia Huyou's eyes flickered, and he smiled without another word. It appeared someone had arrived before them. The two headed upstairs. The old instructor breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Why did he feel trouble was brewing? Even that man had come! …… On the third floor. Inside a large cultivation chamber, Zhou Pingsheng frowned slightly. Liu Hong's eyes glinted as he said, "Senior Brother..." "Pay them no mind!" Zhou Pingsheng let out a cold snort. "This is the Civilization Academy, not the Xia Trading Company!" Liu Hong fell silent. Lowering his head, his eyes glinted once more. This was getting more and more intriguing! He wondered if Bai Feng and Chen Yong had gotten involved as well. *Are those two brats acting on someone's orders, or did they decide this on their own?* At present, he largely judged this to be a trap. Naturally, whether it truly was would become clear soon enough. Because of a single copy of the Sky-Breaking Slash willpower text, the matter had spiraled out of control. Not only had god and demon blood essence been brought into the mix, but even the core research data of the Wen Tan Research Center had been dragged out, which truly exceeded his expectations. Those two brats were utterly audacious! Between that god and demon blood essence and the research data, the total value likely surpassed a hundred thousand merit points! They hadn't even reached the Tengkong Realm yet, and already they were stirring up such a tempest. Glancing at Zhou Pingsheng from the corner of his eye, Liu Hong took a quiet breath. No matter what, whether it was real or fake, all he needed to do shortly was... stop the transaction! In any case, he didn't want to get dragged into the mud himself. If he could make a profit, fine; if not, so be it. Either way, he had to stop it! Stop it with everything he had! Based on his understanding of Zhou Pingsheng, the man was exceptionally conceited. Once he determined the data was authentic, he would definitely push through with the deal, scold Liu Hong, and even push Liu Hong aside completely! That was fine! It would be best if this fellow erased all of Liu Hong's credit when reporting up the chain. After all, even if there was merit to be gained, it wasn't of much use to Liu Hong anyway. As for Zhou Pingsheng receiving word so quickly... he had Liu Hong to thank for that. If Liu Hong hadn't intentionally made a grand display in the black market of helping Zheng Yunhui gather resources, the rumors Zheng Yunhui spread himself would have been useless. Who would have taken him seriously? *Someone from the Xia family came as well...* Liu Hong mused silently. Perhaps... he could make a tidy profit this time after all. …… In a teahouse across from the dojo. Inside a private tearoom on an upper floor, Chen Yong sipped his tea, staring toward the opposite side in deep thought. …… Beside the dojo. Inside a restaurant, Jia Mingzhen and several others were eating while chatting merrily. "A show, a grand show! Tell me, do you think the stuff Su Yu brought out is real or fake?" "Who knows!" "Guess how many people are watching nearby right now?" "Plenty!" A female elder at the table chuckled. "With news leaking through the black market, I wouldn't be surprised if outside factions got wind of it too! Other academies, the military, the Myriad Races Cult... even a few of those old specters over at the Myriad Races Academy might know." Jia Mingzhen wiped his grease-covered mouth and chuckled. "I don't care about them. I'm wondering whether a certain old bastard has shown up." "Hard to say!" The others laughed. "If he came, is he planning to round them all up in one swoop?" Jia Mingzhen said with a grin, "Hard to say! If the item is real, I suspect he'll show his face. If it's fake... maybe not! Within the academy, is there really anything that can be hidden from him? Even we caught wind of it, so how could he miss it? Who knows how many eyes and ears that old bastard has in this place!" As he spoke, Jia Mingzhen hesitated slightly before continuing, "I feel there's another hand pushing this from behind. Looking at the Zheng kid's intent, he only targeted a few parties, practically zeroing in on the Single Divine Character Faction. Yet Liu Hong went and gathered resources for him. Was it because he genuinely couldn't procure them, or was he forced to buy from others?" "Who knows!" After they chatted for a while, someone suddenly said, "He's here!" Everyone looked down and saw Zheng Yunhui walking with bold, confident strides. At this moment, Zheng Yunhui strode forward with a long saber strapped to his back. A scion of a warrior lineage! Regardless of whether he possessed a cultural weapon, a martial weapon was indispensable. "Eighth stage of the Qianjun Realm!" Jia Mingzhen's eyes glinted. "Good kid. Looks like the Top 100 Rankings are going to see some turbulence next month!" With that, his eyes suddenly lit up. "Does he... have those items on him?" At these words, the others also grew intrigued and smiled. "I can sense a faint trace. Seems so. He's really staking everything! Wonder if old man Zheng knows. If this kid actually loses... he'll be waiting for a joint beating from the whole Zheng household when he gets back!" "Ten drops of Lingyun Realm God race blood essence..." Jia Mingzhen remarked with a sigh, "A pity it isn't from the Shanhai Realm, or even I'd be tempted!" "How many drops did he bring out?" "Not sure, but likely quite a few. Maybe all of them." "Lingyun Realm blood essence is already not bad. God race members are difficult to kill, and even if killed, bringing back their blood essence isn't guaranteed. It's a pity it isn't the blood essence of the Primordial God Race. Otherwise, even at the Lingyun Realm, I'd want a piece of the action!" "……" As they conversed, Zheng Yunhui entered the dojo. A moment later, Su Yu arrived. "Fifth stage of the Qianjun Realm, hasn't reached the sixth!" Today, they had all come prepared. Seeing that no one was watching them, they relaxed their scrutiny. One elder used some unknown technique to probe, then chuckled, "Not weak! This kid's progress is remarkably swift! No wonder he has the confidence..." Pausing, he added, "If he brought fakes, we'll be disappointed. But if he brought the real thing..." The elder stopped for a moment, his tone deepening. "Then I'll be even more disappointed!" A genius... a monstrous talent! That was certainly important! Yet sometimes, character and disposition mattered far more. If Su Yu dared to steal the core research data of the Wen Tan Research Center, someone like that wasn't worth nurturing, no matter how gifted he was. Even if Hong Tan and the others didn't pursue charges, the academy could not cultivate such an individual. Who knew what someone like that would do once he grew powerful? Jia Mingzhen also nodded and sighed. "Let's hope it's fake... but if it is, it won't fool those fellows." The group fell silent. Their feelings were complicated. If it was fake, then Su Yu had played them all for fools, seeing as they had come to see the real deal. If it was real, then Su Yu was ruined as a person! Regardless of whether he won or lost, daring to gamble with real research data that didn't even belong to him—data representing decades of painstaking effort from Hong Tan and his disciples—how could such a person be nurtured? "Could Bai Feng and the others have ordered this...?" someone asked suddenly. "Impossible! With those two stubborn blockheads? Bai Feng only knows how to kill, kill, kill, while Chen Yong only knows how to endure, endure, endure. Hong Tan isn't even in the academy. Where would those two find the guts to pull something like this?" "True enough!" The room grew quiet once more. None of them spoke. A moment later, the others turned toward Jia Mingzhen. Jia Mingzhen smiled, and a divine character manifested! The next instant, the divine character transformed into a screen. "Must keep this hidden from Zhou Pingsheng and the others..." As Jia Mingzhen spoke, another divine character manifested, shrouding the screen to prevent any aura from leaking. Another elder sent out a divine character as well. "Track!" With that word, the divine character vanished! In the blink of an eye, images appeared on the mirror formed by Jia Mingzhen's divine character. The sole female elder chuckled. "Count me in too!" With those words, another divine character vanished! Immediately, the images on the screen gained sound. Tracking, listening, detecting... The elders each displayed their miraculous skills. Then, one sighed, "We really aren't cut out for this sort of work. We don't have many detection-type divine characters, so it took several of us working together just to produce this." Jia Mingzhen said indifferently, "We don't rely on this to make a living, so it's only normal! If you enjoy snooping, just outline more divine characters of that type. I don't have the energy to waste on such things." …… While they were prepared to watch the spectacle, on the third floor of the dojo, the old instructor went upstairs again. Somewhat awkwardly, he carried out a piece of equipment and set it up before Liu Hong and Zhou Pingsheng. Moments later, a projection of the second-floor chamber appeared on the wall. Neither Liu Hong nor Zhou Pingsheng was surprised. Dojos were like this! Especially dojos that provided sparring venues; recordings of fights were bound to be kept and circulated. Some did it for personal study, while others sold the intelligence. Thus, neither of them had planned to probe with their own senses in the first place. Circulated recordings of martial sparrings could also provide valuable experience to onlookers. "Director Zhou, Assistant Instructor Liu, then I'll... step out first?" The old instructor felt uneasy; the folks next door were waiting as well. "Go on!" Zhou Pingsheng replied flatly. Relieved as if granted an amnesty, the old instructor hurried away. Once he was gone, Liu Hong looked at the two figures appearing in the projection and said with a smile, "Senior Brother, who do you think will win?" "Zheng Yunhui!" Zhou Pingsheng stated calmly. "If he can beat him, he wins. If he can't... he still wins!" "Senior Brother!" Liu Hong frowned. "We're going to intervene?" "It's not intervening; we must obtain that item!" Zhou Pingsheng said with grave solemnity. "If it remains in Su Yu's hands, he won't sell it. If we forcibly take it, he'll claim we robbed him... which would mean endless trouble! Only once it falls into Zheng Yunhui's hands can we acquire it! Junior Brother Liu, you understand my meaning, and this is also Senior Brother Zheng's intent!" With that, he smiled again. "Don't worry. If he still loses at the eighth stage of the Qianjun Realm... Zheng Yunhui would be utterly useless! He's a direct descendant of the Zheng family, after all; he won't be that weak." Liu Hong said no more. If they truly intervened, a powerful Lingyun seventh-stage expert meddling in a duel below the Tengkong Realm across a single wall wouldn't even be felt by those two. …… Inside a large chamber on the second floor. Both Su Yu and Zheng Yunhui had arrived. The tension was palpable! Meeting face-to-face, all smiles vanished. Zheng Yunhui said coldly, "Where are the goods?" Su Yu tossed down a parcel. The Sky-Breaking Slash willpower text was revealed, alongside a jade pendant. Seeing the jade pendant, Zheng Yunhui's expression changed. "It's inside this?" "Yes. You recognize this, don't you?" Su Yu said calmly. "A temporary divine talisman specifically used to record precious literature! The kind equipped with a passcode. Only when I give you the passcode can you unlock it! Otherwise, if you try to force it open, it shatters instantly! Zheng Yunhui, don't get any crooked ideas!" Zheng Yunhui frowned. "Then how do I know if it's real?" "I'll show you shortly!" Su Yu's gaze chilled. "I brought my goods. Where are yours?" "Hmph!" Zheng Yunhui pulled a small golden bottle from his robes. It was modest in size, shimmering with golden radiance. "Look closely..." With that, he uncapped the bottle, and a drop of blood essence suddenly surged outward! Zheng Yunhui was prepared. His willpower erupted, and with a soft *pfft*, the blood essence was forced back. The next moment, he sealed the cap! "See that? God race blood essence! Even when condensed into blood essence, it retains a sliver of autonomous consciousness!" Su Yu sensed the surging power within that blood essence! Fixing a burning gaze upon the bottle, he asked, "How many?" "Five drops!" Su Yu's expression shifted. "We agreed on eight drops!" Zheng Yunhui said with annoyance, "It isn't worth that much! I asked around, and it's at most worth five drops of blood essence! Besides, ten drops were split between two bottles. I could only take one. If I took both, I'd definitely be discovered!" "You..." "Cut the chatter! If I lose, I'll make up for it with another two thousand merit points!" "Do you have that much?" "Hmph!" Zheng Yunhui said coldly. "If I don't, I'll hand over both of the secret realm opportunities the academy rewarded me with to you!" "Truly?" "Cut the crap!" Zheng Yunhui said impatiently. "You've confirmed mine is genuine. What about yours?" Su Yu smiled, not minding the attitude, and tossed the temporary recording divine talisman to him. "Hold onto it for now. If I lose, I'll give you the passcode! Once the duel is over, I'll let you see the contents. You prepare some materials, and I'll concoct innate blood essence for you right on the spot. Whether it's real or fake will be obvious at a glance!" Su Yu stated calmly, "If it's fake, you can broadcast it to the world, and I, Su Yu, won't be able to stay at the academy any longer!" Zheng Yunhui frowned. "This is a private duel; the academy won't intervene! Don't try to hoodwink me with that nonsense! If it's fake, wouldn't all my preparations have been for nothing? Su Yu, don't play tricks. Either prove to me right now that it's genuine, or... return the Sky-Breaking Slash to me and we call it off!" Su Yu frowned slightly, his voice sinking. "You don't trust me?" "Of course not!" Su Yu said with a furrowed brow, "I don't trust you either. If you see the research data now and end up losing, wouldn't I have shown it to you for nothing?" Pausing for a moment in thought, Su Yu continued, "How about this: have the dojo master here purchase some basic materials. Buy plenty of varieties, as many as possible. Since you're willing to spend the money, I don't care, and you won't be able to deduce the formula from so many ingredients anyway! If you win, the moment the duel concludes, I will immediately concoct innate blood essence for you! If it fails, you can severely injure me on the spot, and I won't utter a single complaint. To me, being bedridden with severe injuries for months or even a year... do you really think I'd do something like that?" Su Yu added solemnly, "If you still don't believe me, there's nothing I can do. Either way, I won't concoct it for you right this second!" Zheng Yunhui hesitated, then nodded! Walking to the door, he summoned the old instructor. Su Yu wasted no words, borrowing a brush and paper to write down an extensive list: blood essence, medicinal pills, heavenly treasures, ores... All told, he wrote down nearly a hundred items! The old instructor was aged and experienced. After a quick calculation, he said with some astonishment, "You want to buy all these? That will cost at least three hundred merit points!" Su Yu looked at Zheng Yunhui. Zheng Yunhui cursed inwardly! *Damn it, this brat is intentionally ripping me off!* *Inhuman bastard!* However, Su Yu obviously wouldn't pay, and Zheng Yunhui had to verify the item was genuine before he dared take it. He couldn't refuse to pay now... Gritting his teeth, he transferred three hundred merit points to the old instructor, forcing a smile. "If it's not enough, I'll cover the rest when you return!" "Understood!" The old instructor said nothing more. These two... had drawn quite a crowd today. Once he left, Zheng Yunhui looked at Su Yu again. He wondered inwardly: *Can this guy truly concoct it? Or does he want me to play along? Forget it, whatever. I'll play it by ear!* …… On the third floor. Zhou Pingsheng's eyes flickered, and he looked at Liu Hong. Liu Hong nodded. "I'll go help him buy the materials. I'll memorize the list, and we'll supply all the materials ourselves. Real or fake, it will be crystal clear once Su Yu loses!" "Mm!" Zhou Pingsheng nodded, then added, "Don't give Su Yu any loopholes. When he loses shortly, keep your eyes glued to him! If he can truly concoct innate blood essence..." Zhou Pingsheng's eyes gleamed with greed. That would be an astronomical windfall! What did fifty thousand merit points matter in comparison! "It's best not to let the Xia family get hold of that list, lest they deduce the formula..." Just as he said this, his expression shifted slightly. Outside, the middle-aged man from the Xia family had already intercepted the old instructor. Holding the list, the middle-aged man took one look... and his face turned purplish. *Are you kidding me?!* *This can concoct innate blood essence?* *What kind of garbage is this?!* There were ores used for forging cultural weapons, blood essences of various Qianjun and Wanshi beasts, a few heavenly treasures produced on the All-Heavens Battlefield of modest value... There were even mundane everyday goods—even soy sauce was on the list! Did his family run a grocery store? Nearly a hundred items, completely mismatched and nonsensical! If anyone could deduce a formula from this damn list, he'd lick their boots clean! Glancing at it, the middle-aged man turned and walked away. He might as well just wait for the results; looking at this list was a waste of time! That brat surnamed Su was certainly crafty. …… Inside the chamber on the second floor. Su Yu removed his long robe, changing into short martial attire, holding a Yellow rank standard saber. Zheng Yunhui hadn't changed clothes. Seeing Su Yu do so, he sneered, "Even if you stripped naked, you still wouldn't be my match! I'll give you a chance: consume blood essence right now and see if you can even scratch me!" Su Yu ignored him, exhaling softly. A moment later, he looked at him. "Ready to start?" "Whenever!" Zheng Yunhui sneered contemptuously. "Fifth stage of the Qianjun Realm, right? You think I didn't know?" "You talk too much!" The moment the words fell, a cold gleam flashed! *Buzz!* The saber descended! At the fifth stage of the Qianjun Realm, Su Yu held nothing back, his Yuanqi erupting as he slashed downward! "Weak..." Zheng Yunhui was just about to scoff when total darkness engulfed his vision! "Haah!" Zheng Yunhui had no time to think. With a furious roar, his willpower erupted, along with a divine character. With a resounding crash, the illusion shattered! At that exact instant, a throwing knife pierced through the air. A chill gripped Zheng Yunhui's heart; he felt an icy sensation across his throat! Leaning back, he swung his saber, and a small sword materialized! Reacting in a split second proved Zheng Yunhui possessed genuine combat experience; he had engaged in life-and-death struggles before! With a heavy thud, Zheng Yunhui crashed to the ground and rolled aside! *Bang!* Sparks flew across the sturdy floor. Su Yu's saber slammed down, sending stone fragments flying. A bloody gash appeared on Zheng Yunhui's throat, and flying stone chips had sliced his face. Battered and bloody! Having seized the upper hand instantly, Su Yu showed no mercy whatsoever. The flying knife shot forth once more, murderous intent erupting! "Fight!" "Kill!" The flying knife moved with astonishing speed. Zheng Yunhui roared in fury, striking the ground with one hand to vault into the air, parrying the flying knife with his saber in his right hand. Simultaneously, his cultural weapon drove toward Su Yu! "Slaughter!" Killing intent flared—a Slaughter divine character! The small sword pierced through the air. Su Yu's willpower erupted, yet the small sword broke through his defenses in rapid succession! The "Thunder" divine character activated instantly. *Rumble!* Lightning blasted the small sword! *Pfft!* The small sword was knocked off course, yet it grazed past Su Yu's cheek, carving a bloody gash from which blood flowed freely! On the other side, having deflected Su Yu's knife, Zheng Yunhui stumbled back several steps. Reaching out, he recalled the small sword, staring at Su Yu with a grave expression. He had nearly capsized in a ditch! Fifth stage of the Qianjun Realm! How did this guy look anything like a fifth-stage Qianjun cultivator?! In the instant they exchanged moves, both were left bleeding. Zheng Yunhui's throat had nearly been slit open. His expression hardened, and he ground his teeth. "You're trying to kill me!" "Going all out!" "I am an offensive divine character master!" Su Yu answered crisply: I am only responsible for killing! Before his voice had even faded, Su Yu's flying knife flared with killing intent once more, infused with lightning, as the illusion descended again. "Get lost!" A furious bellow echoed as sound waves rippled outward. Zheng Yunhui unleashed another divine character, one related to sonic attacks. The illusion shattered once more! Su Yu felt a wave of agitation, his eardrums vibrating intensely. A faint trace of red appeared in his ears—his eardrums were bleeding. *Buzz!* Having shattered Su Yu's illusion, Zheng Yunhui ignored the crackling lightning and suddenly expanded in size! "Die!" Gripping his saber with both hands, Zheng Yunhui leaped into the air and lunged straight for Su Yu. *Bang, bang, bang!* Lightning flashed across his body, scorching his clothes to a charred yellow in an instant. His skin cracked and blood seeped out, yet Zheng Yunhui's gaze remained resolute. In a clash of divine characters and willpower, he might not necessarily surpass Su Yu! Only in the path of the warrior was he guaranteed to be stronger! Close the distance and chop him to death! The long saber slashed downward. Su Yu retreated hurriedly, but behind him was the wall! Su Yu's gaze was solemn, yet unhurried. The next instant, a gleam of light flashed on the Yellow rank martial weapon. "Fight!" Su Yu's battle intent surged, his momentum staggering. "Life Snatching!" The second stance of the Sky-Breaking Slash! As he swung, a tremendous boom rang out. The standard-issue saber, durable enough to be used all the way to the Wanshi Realm, shattered completely, sending countless blade fragments flying! *Squelch, squelch, squelch!* The sound of metal tearing into flesh echoed. Covered in blood like a mad demon, Zheng Yunhui roared in pain as his saber swept down! *Boom!* A massive fissure was carved into the wall. Meanwhile, Su Yu was panting violently, coughing up blood as he rolled across the floor several times to retreat to the side, a deep gash torn across his chest. Su Yu swiftly tore off a strip of clothing and wrapped it tightly around his chest wound, continuously backing away while recalling his cultural weapon. On the other side, Zheng Yunhui was also panting heavily. Looking at Su Yu, his eyes were bloodshot. "Good stuff, Su Yu. You've completely piqued my interest!" He was drenched in blood, looking like a bloody specter. Yet his muscles writhed, forcing out blade fragments one by one to clatter crisply onto the floor. "Is that all?" Zheng Yunhui sneered, "Swallow blood essence, or... I'll hack you to death in a moment!" Su Yu ignored him, swallowing a drop of Yuanqi liquid directly, panting hard. Seeing Zheng Yunhui covered in blood, he let out a chuckle. The next instant, the flying knife shot forth once more! Zheng Yunhui bellowed in fury, brilliant radiance erupting from his long saber. Simultaneously, a flying sword shot straight toward Su Yu's head! Though it was a sparring match, both had gotten completely serious, every strike aimed to kill! Su Yu stomped the ground, vaulting into the air, then kicked off the wall to launch himself away, evading the pursuing flying sword. Meanwhile, Zheng Yunhui unleashed immense strength, deflecting the flying knife with his saber, only to suddenly feel an icy chill spread through his body. The next moment, all the wounds that had just begun to heal ruptured at once! Streams of blood sprayed outward, absorbed greedily by Su Yu's flying knife! "Damn it!" Blood-draining! Bleeding profusely, he let out a frantic roar, his willpower erupting as another divine character flashed in his sea of will! A massive amount of willpower was consumed, and in the blink of an eye, all his wounds sealed up instantly! Zheng Yunhui's face went pale, and he glared at Su Yu in fury. Su Yu's expression shifted slightly, surprised! "A healing-type divine character?" "Hmph!" Zheng Yunhui snorted coldly. All three of his divine characters were now exposed. Slaughter, sonic, and healing! Meanwhile, Su Yu had also displayed various traits one after another, causing him immense trouble. …… "These two brats..." At this moment, the watching experts felt a tremor of shock. They truly fought with complete disregard for their lives! It was supposed to be a mere spar, yet the two were clashing as if it were a battle to the death. A fifth-stage Qianjun and an eighth-stage Qianjun had fought their way into the lethal momentum of a fight to the death between Wanshi Realm experts. "They're probably both close to Top 100 Rankings strength... Those ranked below ninetieth might not even match them!" Just as this thought crossed their minds, the situation in the arena shifted again! Su Yu recalled his flying knife. In an instant, the knife expanded, growing to the size of a normal long saber, with four divine characters attaching to it simultaneously! "Fuse!" Su Yu let out a low growl, forcibly merging several divine characters together as the saber trembled violently! On the other side, Zheng Yunhui roared as his body expanded once more! Apertures across his frame flashed with radiant points of light! Su Yu swung the saber down. Just as it looked like Zheng Yunhui would raise his weapon to meet the blow, a brilliant burst of light flashed from his body with a deafening crash! Zheng Yunhui was blasted backward, rolling several times across the floor before springing to his feet immediately, laughing heartily, "You're dead, idiot! Why the hell would I take it head-on?!" A divine talisman! At that moment, a shattered divine talisman fell to the ground from Zheng Yunhui's person. Broken to pieces! Su Yu's face was pale, his eyes chillingly sharp as he cursed furiously in his heart! *Bastard!* *Damn it, you actually used a divine talisman!* "You're dead!" Zheng Yunhui leaped up, laughing uproariously as he charged at Su Yu once more! At this point, Su Yu said no more. Cracking the Ironwing Bird blood essence hidden in his mouth between his teeth, his hands formed into claws as he let out a thunderous roar. Moving with blinding speed, his left hand seized the spine of the saber, blood instantly pouring from his palm, while his right hand clawed viciously outward! With a sickening tear, a chunk of flesh was ripped clean from Zheng Yunhui's chest! Blood gushed forth once more, turning him into a bloody specter! "Aargh!" Zheng Yunhui shrieked in agony, delivering a brutal side-kick. With a heavy thud, Su Yu was sent flying, a stabbing pain shooting through his waist as a bone fractured! "Bastard!" Zheng Yunhui stumbled back repeatedly, looking down at his chest wound. A chunk of flesh had been torn clean off by Su Yu, exposing the blood-stained ribs beneath. Meanwhile, Su Yu was deathly pale, both hands soaked in blood, his waist drenched in crimson as well. "Let's see how long you can last!" Zheng Yunhui barked coldly. Forgoing close combat, he launched his flying sword. Su Yu's cultural weapon saber flew forth at the same time, blade and sword colliding continuously in midair as lightning, sonic waves, killing intent, and battle will intertwined. A moment later, Zheng Yunhui recalled his cultural weapon, his face flushed crimson! At this moment, several notches had appeared along his small sword! Looking at Su Yu, he couldn't help but curse, "Where did you get that?!" *Is that really a Yellow rank cultural weapon?* Su Yu ignored him. His willpower was heavily depleted, and Zheng Yunhui was in no better state. Zheng Yunhui stopped focusing on Su Yu, unleashing his divine character once more. The wound on his chest began to heal again, though at an agonizingly slow pace. Panting, Zheng Yunhui chuckled, "You're pretty much drained as well, aren't you? Without divine characters to back you up... how do you plan to fight me?" "Try me!" Su Yu replied in a muffled voice, his movements somewhat stiff. Zheng Yunhui could rapidly heal his injuries, but he could not! "Then let's try it! Taste the signature art of my Zheng family!" "Roar!" Zheng Yunhui let out a thunderous bellow, his height shooting up once more. From his original height of around 1.8 meters, several expansions had now brought him close to 2.2 meters! Gripping his long saber, Zheng Yunhui surged forward with unstoppable, ferocious momentum, barreling straight toward Su Yu! With a resounding crash, a single slash batted away Su Yu's long saber. Swinging his saber again, he shattered the weapon rack blocking his path. With another strike, Su Yu unleashed Wanshi-level combat strength, hands curled into claws to clamp down hard on the saber, raising his knee to ram into Zheng Yunhui's groin! "Hahaha, I figured you out!" Zheng Yunhui laughed loudly, raising his knee at the same time. With a heavy crunch, Su Yu felt as though his knee was about to shatter, while Zheng Yunhui's face twitched as he sneered, "Only your hands possess Wanshi combat strength! Your innate skill... is nothing more than this!" Su Yu's knee strike didn't carry Wanshi-level power! After several exchanges, Zheng Yunhui had already sensed the flaw and inflicted a severe blow on Su Yu in an instant. Su Yu stumbled backward, limping. Zheng Yunhui closed in with his saber once more. "Too many weaknesses! Su Yu, it looks like this is where you end!" *Buzz!* The long saber descended again, cleaving toward Su Yu. His vision blurred slightly before Zheng Yunhui could even process what was happening, and a sudden wave of terror struck him. *Dead?* He had cleaved Su Yu to pieces... Hacked him to death? No, the feedback felt wrong! He retreated frantically, his willpower erupting with everything he had once more. Yet this time, the illusion remained unbroken! A terrifying chill exploded behind his head! "Haah!" With another furious bellow, Zheng Yunhui pushed off the ground to leap into the air. With a heavy thud, his back took a direct hit. Blood sprayed from Zheng Yunhui's mouth, his internal organs violently jolted, and agonizing pain shot through his back! Twisting his head, he saw the illusion dissipate at that very moment. Su Yu, looking as pale as a corpse, was half-kneeling on the ground, smiling faintly. "Satisfying, isn't it?" "……" "Impossible!" Zheng Yunhui was utterly stunned. "When did you create an illusion?!" "My willpower is stronger than yours, so why couldn't I shatter it?!" …… "Impossible!" At this moment, the exact same exclamation echoed from several other locations! Zheng Yunhui had been fooled by Su Yu's illusion, duped by a feint, and severely wounded in a single blow! Zheng Yunhui's willpower fullness was above 85%, and he had been consciously on guard. How could he have been ambushed by Su Yu so easily?! "A Tier-2 divine character!" This difficult term slipped from the mouths of Jia Mingzhen and the other elders! Their faces were filled with disbelief! Yet they felt that aside from this explanation, there was no other way to explain how Su Yu's illusion could still bewilder Zheng Yunhui even when the latter was fully on guard! If his willpower was inferior, the only possibility left was suppression by a higher tier of divine character!