Chapter 5: Head-On Collision

“Challenge accepted!”

“Su Xin actually dares to accept the challenge?”

“That’s so presumptuous. Does he think it’s still three years ago?”

The training ground erupted in uproar. Most people thought Su Xin was overestimating himself, especially those loyal to the retainers’ faction, who mocked him without restraint.

It was well known that Hong Fang’s cultivation had long reached the peak of the True Martial Eighth Realm. Even when facing typical Ninth Realm cultivators, he could hold his own.

As for Su Xin, judging from his recent fight with the war puppet, he had just barely stepped into the True Martial Eighth Realm. He had only managed to hold out for thirty-eight breaths against that puppet by relying solely on his agility.

Relying on agility just to barely hold out… Meanwhile, Hong Fang had fought the war puppet head-on and lasted for forty-one breaths.

The gap in their strength was clearly on different levels.

“This is a bit rash,” Su Bohang frowned when he saw Su Xin accept the challenge.

Though the entire Su family harbored resentment toward Su Xin, when it came to internal strife against the retainers’ faction, all family members stood united.

He thought Su Xin was acting impulsively but didn’t dare interrupt. After all, competition among young disciples within the Su family was common.

“Very well,” Hong Fang sneered coldly. “After all, he is the young master of the Su family, once recognized as the family’s top genius. Rumor has it that his talent is among the best in the entire Tianyan Empire. To brutally crush him one-on-one in front of everyone here would be quite an achievement.”

With that thought, Hong Fang drew the battle blade hanging at his waist. “Su Xin, you strike first.”

Su Xin didn’t waste a word. His long sword tightened in his grip, and his figure shot forward instantly.

Swish!

With no flashy moves, his sword came down in a fierce, brutal slash.

“Charging straight in to meet me sword to sword without using agility? Too reckless,” Hong Fang chuckled.

Su Bohang shook his head. A mere novice at the True Martial Eighth Realm challenging someone who had already reached its peak? That was courting death.

Hong Fang sneered and swung his battle blade horizontally, unleashing a powerful burst of spiritual energy.

Clang!

The blade and sword clashed, and unexpectedly, no winner emerged immediately. Several more strikes followed, each evenly matched.

“How is this possible?”

Hong Fang was shocked inwardly. “I used nearly eighty percent of my strength. Normally, I should easily crush an ordinary True Martial Eighth Realm opponent. Yet in a direct confrontation, I can’t gain any advantage?”

His surprise quickly turned to rage. He unleashed all his strength, spiritual energy surging violently from his blade, increasing the power of his strikes.

Yet still, he gained no clear upper hand.

“What’s going on?”

“Hong Fang’s cultivation is clearly far above Su Xin’s. In a head-on clash, he should dominate, but why does he have no advantage?”

“Is Su Xin’s strength really this strong?”

The crowd was stunned. Even Su Bohang, a master who had reached the pinnacle of the Sea Transformation stage, looked puzzled.

They noticed Su Xin was using the Mountain-Breaking Sword Technique, a fairly ordinary style with moderate power, while Hong Fang’s blade technique was evidently more advanced and should have unleashed greater force.

“Just as I sensed,” Su Xin smiled faintly to himself. “After cultivating the bloodline inheritance technique, the quality of my spiritual energy has improved significantly. The power I can unleash instantly is much stronger. Although I’ve just entered the True Martial Eighth Realm, my instantaneous burst of strength is even slightly greater than this peak Eighth Realm opponent.”

“And next…” Su Xin’s gaze sharpened.

“You brat, prepare to die!”

Hong Fang, furious and wild like a mad beast, no longer held back. Lightning flickered along his body as he gripped his blade with both hands and swung down fiercely like a thunderbolt.

Thunder Essence Force, Seven Thunder Blade!

This was Hong Fang’s strongest strike.

“Mountain-Crushing Form!”

Su Xin countered with the most powerful move from the Mountain-Breaking Sword Technique. Although the technique was inferior to Hong Fang’s Seven Thunder Blade, at the moment his sword swung, Su Xin guided a trace of bloodline power to merge with his spiritual energy.

Boom!

A tremendous explosion roared, air rippling outward.

Hong Fang had thought his strongest strike would easily crush Su Xin, but at the moment their weapons met, he felt a terrifying force like an ancient beast crashing through him.

“Pfft!”

A mouthful of blood sprayed out. His battle blade flew from his grasp, and his body crashed heavily onto the ground like a cannonball.

“Ninth Realm! Only the Ninth Realm could wield such power!”

This thought flashed through Hong Fang’s mind before his consciousness slipped into unconsciousness.

The training ground fell into stunned silence.

Everyone stared in disbelief at Su Xin and the heavily injured, unconscious Hong Fang lying on the earth.

Clearly, Hong Fang had given his all, even unleashing his strongest technique, yet still fell to Su Xin.

And he was defeated head-on, struck down by a single sword.

“How could this be?”

None could understand how Su Xin, just entering the True Martial Eighth Realm, could overpower Hong Fang, who had already reached its peak.

Moreover, Su Xin’s sword technique was evidently inferior.

“This kid…” Even Su Bohang was full of doubt.

Only Su Xin himself knew the true reason.

He was also filled with delight.

“Bloodline power, this is bloodline power!” Su Xin clenched his fists, his eyes shining brightly. “And just now I only guided a small portion—maybe twenty to thirty percent—yet the power of that strike increased nearly tenfold, delivering a grievous wound to Hong Fang with a single blow.”

If that was just a slight channeling, what would happen at full release?

Besides, his bloodline awakening was still recent, and his own strength was weak. He could only tap a small fraction of his bloodline power. Once he grew stronger, he would be able to wield far more—far more terrifyingly.

“Ha!” Taking a deep breath, Su Xin noticed all eyes on him. He said nothing more, composed himself, and departed.

From start to finish, he didn’t even glance at Hong Fang.

After all, he never regarded Hong Fang as a true rival. Their duel was merely to test the potency of his bloodline power.

Meanwhile, Zhao Qing, who had arranged for Hong Fang to deal with Su Xin, wore a gloomy expression.

“That Su Xin actually defeated Hong Fang head-on. Looks like I’ll have to wait for my eldest brother to come back to teach him a lesson!”

Zhao Qing clenched his fists and glared fiercely at Su Xin’s retreating figure.

“Just wait, Su Xin. You may have some skill, but you’re nothing before my eldest brother. When the Sword Order contest comes, my brother will show all the Su family heirs what true despair means!”