Chapter 1257: Spun Until He Threw Up

"Master Zhang, this is the Third Young Master of the Sage Xue family, Xue Ning!"

Zhang Jiuxiao's voice transmission, glancing at the speaker.

"Sage Xue family?"

"Mm, although it's a third-rate aristocratic clan, it shouldn't be underestimated. Its foundations are no weaker than those of the Qianchong Empire," Zhang Jiuxiao continued.

A sage aristocratic clan, even if unranked, has a long heritage and cultivation techniques best suited to its bloodline, which ordinary empires cannot match.

This Third Young Master Xue was only at the Half Nascent Soul stage, but his actual combat strength might be something even a Nascent Soul expert who had undergone one lightning tribulation could not contend with!

"Thanks for the warning!"

Acknowledging, Zhang Xuan looked up and frowned: "You also want to drink this Tianchen Drunk?"

"It's not just the Tianchen Drunk..."

Snorting lightly, Third Young Master Xue's face carried arrogance.

Originally, it was just a cup of wine, but since Hall Master Yue said it was for the strongest person, it had changed—it was no longer just about the wine!

If this fellow were truly outstanding in strength, that would be one thing, but he had won twice by trickery, and his own cultivation was only at the mid-stage Primordial Spirit realm...

With such cultivation, if they let him drink the fine wine, where would the face of us sage aristocratic clan disciples be?

"What else do you want?"

Zhang Xuan was full of vigilance.

"Nothing much. Simple: I'll also put up ten spirit stones. You compete with me. If you win, the Tianchen Drunk is mine; if you lose, the spirit stones are yours."

Xue Ning said.

"This..."

Pausing, Zhang Xuan said: "I've just fought two battles, and my true qi is mostly depleted... How about this: put up fifteen, and I'll compete with you!"

"Depleted?" Xue Ning's eyelid twitched.

Just now, you threw out a furnace and knocked someone down... What true qi did you deplete?

"Fine, fifteen it is!"

Knowing that arguing with this guy would only infuriate him, Xue Ning waved his hand grandly.

Based on the power and reaction speed Zhang Xuan had just displayed, he thought winning would be very simple—nothing to worry about.

Besides, the Qianchong Empire had business dealings with their family every year; fifteen high-grade essence spirit stones were nothing.

"Good!"

Zhang Xuan nodded: "Are you also using weapons?"

"I won't use weapons, and you can't use the furnace! Rely purely on strength, a fair duel."

Xue Ning said quickly.

Although his strength was not weak, if he encountered the other's furnace, he would have no choice but to flee. Since they were competing, he would set the rules in advance.

"This..."

Hearing that he couldn't use weapons, Zhang Xuan seemed somewhat hesitant.

"To enter the Saint Son Hall, one relies on one's own cultivation and strength, not external power. What? Think you're not strong enough and dare not agree?"

Seeing his attitude, Third Young Master Xue sneered: "If that's the case, I advise you to put down the Tianchen Drunk quickly. With such strength, you don't deserve it!"

"Fine, since neither of us will use anything, it's fair!"

Pressed by the words, Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth and looked up.

"Then let's begin!"

With a flick of his palm, the jade box containing the spirit stones flew over. Zhang Xuan grabbed it casually, placed it on the table, set down the wine, and returned to the hall.

"Hmph!"

Snorting lightly, Third Young Master Xue was too lazy to speak further. With a step, his figure turned into a blur and charged forward.

Although he suppressed his cultivation to the mid-stage Primordial Spirit realm, his speed was like lightning, making it hard to see clearly.

Relying on speed, his five fingers swept down.

"Much stronger than Liu Chongxin and Master Yun!"

As soon as he made his move, Zhang Xuan knew that this opponent was far stronger than the previous two. He immediately retreated and raised his fingers to meet the attack.

Great Star Luo Finger Force!

Seeing his speed, Third Young Master Xue changed his move mid-air, his five fingers moving as if playing a zither.

Saint Domain mid-grade martial technique: Veiled Face Half-Hidden Behind a Pipa!

Crackle! Crackle!

A series of crisp sounds, as the five fingers collided with the Great Star Luo Finger Force, producing a chain of sonic booms. Zhang Xuan's face turned pale, and he staggered back several steps.

"Heh!"

Having gained the upper hand, Third Young Master Xue moved even faster. His pipa-playing fingers accelerated, and strands of zither-string-like true qi crisscrossed, sealing off the surroundings.

Seeing his power so formidable, Zhang Xuan's eyes showed fear. Every time his hands and feet lifted, they moved no more than half a foot from his body, his movements extremely fast, forming a defensive circle around him.

Third Young Master Xue's attacks were all blocked outside the circle, having no effect.

"Didn't expect he has some skill..."

Seeing his attacks blocked, the Third Young Master raised his eyebrows.

In the first match, the opponent won by luck; in the second, he relied on a weapon... In his eyes, this fellow was just a charlatan. But after one exchange, he immediately understood that the opponent's show of weakness might be a disguise; he actually had some strength.

But... only knowing defense, compared to him, he was still far behind!

Changing fingers into fists, he struck straight in.

Saint Domain mid-grade martial technique: A Hundred Boats Competing for the Current!

This fist technique was ferocious, no weaker than Liu Chongxin's Eight-Armed Ape Skill.

Wasn't the opponent's defense like a turtle shell?

Then he would use his fists to break the shell!

Slap, slap, slap, slap, slap!

With狂暴 power and swift speed, in the blink of an eye, he threw over a hundred punches. However, his attacks were strong, but the opponent's defense was even stronger. Despite so many attacks, he hadn't broken through; instead, the turtle shell seemed to harden!

"This guy is quite cunning!"

"Clearly not weak, but deliberately feigns weakness to lure us into fighting, earning spirit stones in the process..."

"But prolonged defense must fail. Although he blocked so many of Xue Ning's punches, he must have been injured..."

...

The others now also realized that this Zhang Xuan was not as simple as they had imagined.

Everyone was an outstanding master teacher. Feigning weakness once or twice might pass, but three times in a row—if they still didn't see through it, they wouldn't deserve to be called talents.

However, although his strength was not as poor as imagined, it wasn't great either; otherwise, he wouldn't be only defending without any ability to counterattack.

Prolonged defense must fail; if this continued, he would eventually be defeated.

"Xue Ning's true qi is extremely vigorous. Over a hundred punches is just a warm-up... I wonder how long he can hold out!"

"Yes, I once sparred with the Third Young Master. With each punch, as more punches are thrown, the power increases. This Master Zhang, though clever, almost certainly cannot win!"

Among the crowd, two young talents nodded simultaneously.

These two had both reached the Pseudo Nascent Soul realm, the strongest among the group. They could see at a glance who was superior.

Xue Ning's strength, compared to theirs, might not be much, but among the thirty-three participants in the re-examination, he was relatively strong.

With such strength, if he couldn't defeat a minor figure from the Qingyuan Empire at the mid-stage Primordial Spirit realm, they wouldn't believe it.

"Look, Xue Ning's speed is even faster..."

After another moment of fighting, one of the Pseudo Nascent Soul talents said.

Looking up, they saw the Third Young Master of the Xue family moving like a ghost, appearing left and right, front and back. Under the impact of the violent气流, the surrounding air kept exploding.

Because of the extreme speed, it was somewhat dizzying to watch.

"He can still defend like this?"

Watching for a while, they saw Zhang Xuan, though constantly on the defensive, looking like a candle in the wind that might go out at any moment, yet each time he held on, leaving no opening for the opponent to exploit.

"Even if he can hold on, he probably can't last much longer!"

Frowning, the second Pseudo Nascent Soul talent said.

Under normal circumstances, even he would only temporarily dodge Xue Ning's狂暴 attacks and look for a chance to counter. This guy, purely on defense, had blocked everything... He really was like a turtle!

But he probably couldn't hold on much longer.

Xue Ning's attacks were not only powerful but also carried hidden force. After so many punches, the force would penetrate; even he couldn't withstand it, let alone the opponent!

"To have lasted this long against me... I admit I underestimated you. But this ends here!"

As the two had guessed, Third Young Master Xue, having attacked continuously without effect, was also flushed with anger. With a long roar, his internal power surged rapidly.

Unable to break through for a long time, he had become impatient and decided to use his ultimate move.

Originally, this move was reserved for the re-examination, but encountering such a turtle shell, he could no longer hold back.

Rumble!

His power surged, his speed increased, and he seemed to produce seven or eight afterimages around Zhang Xuan. Then, his true qi formed a golden thread, creating a circle that enveloped the turtle-shell-like defense of Zhang Xuan, slowly penetrating inward.

"This is... the Xue family's Golden Thread Slash!"

The first Pseudo Nascent Soul talent's face tightened: "He has mastered this move!"

"Golden Thread Slash?" The second seemed unfamiliar.

"Mm, the Xue family's Golden Thread Slash uses extremely fast body movement and speed to form a cutting blade with true qi. When executed well, it can even cut a mid-grade saint artifact in two!"

The first clenched his fist: "This move is extremely powerful. If this Zhang Xuan continues to defend like this, he might be entangled by the golden thread, and even if he doesn't die, he'll be severely injured!"

"That powerful?"

The second swallowed his saliva and quickly looked. After one glance, he couldn't help but freeze: "What... is that Zhang Xuan doing?"

"Huh?"

Looking over, the first also stood frozen in place.

They saw Zhang Xuan, trapped in the middle of the golden thread, swaying involuntarily as if drunk, while waving his arms and legs in some very strange movements, like a dance or like he was scared and didn't know what to do.

Whoosh!

As soon as the movements ended, Third Young Master Xue, who was executing the Golden Thread Slash, immediately lost control of his speed, becoming even faster.

Suddenly, he lost control, flew straight out, and crashed headfirst into a pillar in the hall. Then his face turned red, he opened his mouth wide, and vomited...

After vomiting, his body twitched.

Thud!

He fainted.

"This..."

Not expecting that the fierce Third Young Master Xue would both vomit and faint, the second Pseudo Nascent Soul was stunned, hardly believing it: "Could it be that he spun too fast and too much, making himself sick... and threw up?"