Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Shocking Everyone
Everyone present had not expected Ding Zhirong to give up the challenge and to say that he was inferior to Lin Qian!
There was still some time before noon, and by giving up the challenge now, Ding Zhirong was not considered to have lost and still had the opportunity to challenge.
It was only upon failing a challenge that a contestant would lose the chance to challenge again.
“You haven’t even fought, how do you know you’re not as good as me?” Ding Zhirong’s response was also beyond Lin Qian’s expectations. He raised an eyebrow and stared into his opponent’s eyes.
The Soul Power that was concentrated in Ding Zhirong’s eyes was also gradually dissipating. Seeing Lin Qian here seemed to bring him to an understanding.
“My Martial Soul’s specialty is perception, which, although it can’t ascertain just how strong the opponent is, can sense the threat they pose to me.”
“Harmless, ordinary, difficult, hell, nightmare, and death.” Ding Zhirong looked at Lin Qian, speaking slowly and methodically, “Zhao Haiming is between difficult and hell in terms of danger to me. The one who left scars on my face was an enemy with the danger level of hell.”
The other Inner Sect Disciples were not surprised by Ding Zhirong’s words; they obviously knew about his Martial Soul’s specialty.
On the contrary, Lin Qian found it fresh and interesting, “An interesting Martial Soul specialty. So, what about me?”
“…” Lin Qian’s inquiry left Ding Zhirong silent for a moment before he closed his eyes and said, “Death!”
When he opened his eyes and looked up at Lin Qian again, his eyebrows were slightly furrowed, “You scare me. The name ‘Young Emperor’ truly suits you!”
After saying this, Ding Zhirong turned around and stepped down from the duel arena, preparing to leave.
The match that had initially garnered everyone’s attention thus ended in a farcical closure.
However, the words Ding Zhirong said before he left caused those Inner Sect Disciples to look at Lin Qian with eyes full of terror.
Ding Zhirong’s character was something that these Inner Sect Disciples, who had entered Wanxiang Sect at the same time as him, knew very well; he was certainly not someone who would stoop to lying. Therefore, his words were obviously true.
Further, Ding Zhirong was also famously known as a combat fanatic. It seemed that on his person, he didn’t understand what fear meant.
Yet such a person admitted to being scared of Lin Qian.
Within the famous rank of perception levels of Ding Zhirong, Lin Qian was deemed ‘death’?
Thinking of this, the Inner Sect Disciples underneath the duel arena could not help but look up to Lin Qian who was atop the stage.
“How strong exactly is Lin Qian?”
Watching Lin Qian walk down from the duel arena, Lei Qian sighed, “Victorious without a fight, Big Brother, you’re truly strong.”
“It’s your turn!” After Lin Qian passed by Lei Qian, he punched him in the chest.
Lei Qian staggered back two steps from the punch, laughed in pain, shook his head, and headed towards the duel arena.
Seeing Lei Qian actually step onto the duel arena caused the original departing Inner Sect Disciples to stop in their tracks, filled with curiosity.
“In front of our Inner Sect brothers and sisters, I, Lei Qian, challenge Zhao Haiming.” As Lei Qian climbed onto the duel arena, he suddenly spoke out and his gaze shot directly to a spot below the stage, “Senior Brother Zhao, please come up.”
Lei Qian’s words startled the Inner Sect Disciples present, and they all turned their attention in the direction of his gaze.
At the same time, the Inner Sect Disciples in the direction Lei Qian was looking at also moved aside, revealing a young man.
The young man had long hair and a lazy demeanor, wearing a light blue robe and yawning with tears in the corners of his eyes.
The lazy young man was none other than Zhao Haiming, publicly acknowledged as the number one person among the Inner Sect.
Ding Zhirong, who had not yet gone far after leaving, also stopped, turned around, and came back to the edge of the duel arena.
“Has Lei Qian gone mad? He’s actually challenging Zhao Haiming?”
“Although he once defeated Lei Kuo, Lei Kuo is only ranked ninth among the inner sect disciples. Zhao Haiming, on the other hand, is ranked first.”
“Rumor has it that after Lei Qian acknowledged Lin Qian as his boss, he would go to Maoqing Mountain every day to follow and cultivate with him. Who knows how much he might have improved!”
“Even if his cultivation has improved, how much could it have increased? Desiring to win against Zhao Haiming is nothing but a fool’s dream.”
Zhao Haiming slowly walked up to the competition platform and stood opposite Lei Qian, squinting his eyes as he looked at the other.
After a long while, Zhao Haiming’s squinted eyes suddenly flew open, “Are you… really Lei Qian?”
“What exactly happened with you following Lin Qian? How have you become so strong?” Zhao Haiming frowned, stepping back three steps, his expression solemn.
As soon as Zhao Haiming spoke, the crowd erupted into an uproar.
They couldn’t believe that Zhao Haiming would exclaim about Lei Qian becoming very strong?
Ding Zhirong’s face changed as well, standing below the platform. As Zhao Haiming’s old rival, he was all too aware of his habits.
Whenever Zhao Haiming’s lazy demeanor became solemn, it was always when he faced very strong opponents, even against himself, he had never shown such seriousness.
Ding Zhirong focused his Soul Power carefully over his eyes and inspected Lei Qian, and he was shocked.
“Between hell and nightmare, and endlessly close to the danger of a nightmare?” Ding Zhirong inhaled deeply, clenching his fists.
Ding Zhirong knew of Emperor Lei Lei Heng’s grandson, who was not unknown for his impressive talent back in the outer sect, albeit with a somewhat arrogant temperament.
But now, he seemed to have become a completely different person. The reason lay in what these inner sect disciples had said – Lei Qian had lost a life-and-death battle to Lin Qian and had been following him, cultivating every day on Maoqing Mountain.
Ding Zhirong turned his head to look at Lin Qian, who stood quietly not far away at the base of the platform, silently watching the match above, “Just who are you, really?”
Under the supervision of the steward elder, the match between Lei Qian and Zhao Haiming officially began.
Right at the outset, Lei Qian unleashed a terrifyingly extreme Soul Power, instantly completed his Elemental Weapon Armament, and with Thunderbolt Sword in hand, he charged toward Zhao Haiming.
“Lei Qian’s Soul Power halo is at the Ninth Layer. Wasn’t he a breakthrough of the Eight Cycles Nirvana?”
“No way, could he have completed a replenishment cycle? Impossible, just recently he was only at the Eighth Layer.”
As soon as Lei Qian made his move, the disciples below the competition platform couldn’t help but exclaim in astonishment.
And then, what unfolded on the platform above caused the watching inner sect disciples to be even more astounded.
Zhao Haiming was actually sent flying by Lei Qian with a single sword strike!
“What’s going on?” Zhao Haiming clutched his Primordial Weapon dual heavy swords, his entire arm numbed to the core, his tiger’s mouth cracked and oozing blood, his thick Earth Attribute Soul Power beginning to scatter.
Zhao Haiming, with his Earth Attribute and Martial Soul being a heavy sword, had a Martial Soul characteristic that was extremely mighty; C-level superior, making any Primordial Weapon in his hand double in weight, without him feeling any of it.
However, now Zhao Haiming was under the relentless assault of Lei Qian, struggling to cope and forced into a passive defense.
Zhao Haiming, strong in both defense and attack, had never been so embarrassingly overwhelmed, not even when facing Ding Zhirong.
“Thunderbolt Slash!” A flash of lightning flickered in Lei Qian’s eyes, as if his body were surging with purple light, he launched his sword toward Zhao Haiming.
Zhao Haiming spurted blood from his mouth, his body thrown backward, falling onto the ground as his Primordial Weapon heavy sword also disarmed.
The outcome was clear, and the whole place fell utterly silent.