Chapter 1633: Tantai Concedes

Zhang Xuan's comprehension of the true meaning of time did not cause any special fluctuations in power, but Tantai Zhenqing still sensed something amiss and couldn't help frowning.

In his eyes, the young Patriarch Zhang before him seemed to have a different aura than before—more composed, restrained, giving an unfathomable impression.

Time's up!

Soon, half an hour passed. Zhang Xuan flicked his finger, and Zhang Jiuxiao woke from his contemplation. Closing his eyes, he took a few deep breaths to consolidate what he had just learned, then walked up to Tantai Jiankui.

Bowing with cupped hands, he said, "Please!"

"Good!"

Nodding, Tantai Jiankui said nothing more. He rapidly suppressed his power, and in the blink of an eye, he was at the same level as Zhang Jiuxiao—the peak of Saint Domain Eight.

"Begin!"

Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

"Jiuxiao seeks your guidance!"

Without hesitation, Zhang Jiuxiao stepped forward, and his entire figure seemed to vanish. The next moment, he was before Tantai Jiankui.

His palm pressed down lightly, power emanating from his palm.

"So fast, so strong!"

Tantai Jiankui had initially been indifferent about fighting with suppressed cultivation, but seeing this, his pupils contracted sharply. His true qi exploded, and he retreated rapidly.

This man before him, though not yet reaching the level of true meaning in time comprehension, was not far off!

In just half an hour, he came close to understanding... How was that possible?

However, fast as he was, Zhang Jiuxiao was faster. The descending palm opened its five fingers and brushed lightly.

Swish, swish, swish!

Sword qi shot out from all five fingers.

These sword qi strands seemed slow, but in reality, they were unaffected by time and space, arriving before him in an instant, impossible to defend against.

"Is that the highest mystery of the Zhang family sword art? He, he..."

Xing Sword Saint and Meng Sword Saint exchanged glances, their eyes wide.

The highest mystery of the Zhang family sword art—the two of them could barely execute it together. This Zhang Jiuxiao had never learned it, yet after sitting still for half an hour, he directly comprehended it...

And shot it out as sword qi from his fingertips...

What exactly had their son taught him?

Pfft, pfft, pfft!

The sword qi came swiftly. Though Tantai Jiankui retreated quickly, he was still hit. However, his strength was great and his combat experience rich; the sword qi only pierced his clothes, not injuring him.

"My turn..."

Having expected an easy victory to earn merit for the Hundred Schools of Thought, he was instead nearly wounded in one move. Tantai Jiankui's expression turned serious. He said no more, clenched his fists, and charged forward.

His fist technique was powerful and vigorous. Having also comprehended some rules of time, his speed was extremely fast—beyond the perception of the naked eye or even divine sense—arriving before him in an instant.

Unfazed, Zhang Jiuxiao tapped his palm repeatedly, sword qi spreading around him like a protective membrane, blocking all the fist techniques outside.

"Jiankui is about to lose..."

After watching for a while, Tantai Zhenqing couldn't help shaking his head, a look of disappointment on his face.

"Lose? They seem evenly matched!"

Nangong Yuanfeng was startled.

From his perspective, this Zhang Jiuxiao had been on the defensive all along, finding it hard to counterattack. How could his own man be about to lose?

"This Zhang Jiuxiao hasn't used his bloodline power yet," Tantai Zhenqing said.

"This..."

Nangong Yuanfeng fell silent.

Before coming, they had naturally investigated the Zhang family in detail, knowing that once they ignited their bloodline, both speed and power would surge.

This Zhang Jiuxiao hadn't ignited his bloodline and was already evenly matched with Tantai Jiankui. Once he did, winning would indeed be easy!

"Moreover, he appears to be on the defensive, but have you noticed? Earlier, he couldn't counterattack at all, but now, he manages two or three counterattacks out of ten punches... That means he's still unfamiliar with the power he just comprehended. Fighting Jiankui is his way of continuing to comprehend and break through under pressure; he hasn't used his true strength!"

Tantai Zhenqing smiled bitterly.

Though unwilling to admit it, the facts were clear.

Earlier, when Nangong Yuanfeng said he had suffered a loss at the Luo family, he had thought it an exaggeration. But seeing this Zhang family genius's progress with his own eyes, he understood that the Master Teacher Continent should not be underestimated.

The Hundred Schools of Thought, guarding a single world for tens of thousands of years without stepping out, unaware of others' progress, had become frogs at the bottom of a well!

Hearing his sigh, Nangong Yuanfeng looked forward and indeed saw that the defensive Zhang Jiuxiao was counterattacking more and more frequently. After a while, it became six or seven out of ten punches, and Tantai Jiankui was gradually being suppressed.

"Whoosh!"

Another punch tore through space, arriving before the latter, seemingly ready to shatter it at any moment.

"I concede..."

His face ashen, Tantai Jiankui stepped back.

Clearly, he hadn't expected this outcome either.

"Teacher, let me..."

Seeing him concede, another young man stepped forward.

"Your strength is a bit higher than Jiankui's, but not by much. If Jiankui can't win, neither can you..."

Tantai Zhenqing shook his head.

His four disciples were actually not far apart in strength. The one who just spoke, though more advanced in comprehending the laws of time, still couldn't defeat Zhang Jiuxiao at this point!

Even if they continued the match, the result would likely be a loss.

"How about you suppress your cultivation and go up, like me?"

Realizing this, Nangong Yuanfeng glanced at his old friend beside him.

Tantai Zhenqing hesitated, looked at Zhang Xuan not far away, and saw his expressionless face. He shook his head helplessly: "Forget it! A loss is a loss. Even if I go up, I might not succeed."

If he fought, without giving this Zhang Jiuxiao time to train, he could indeed win easily. But defeating Zhang Jiuxiao didn't mean defeating the Zhang family!

This Patriarch Zhang could 'inscribe texts with divine sense and recite ten thousand books in a single thought,' and even made his student comprehend time to a deeper level in half an hour than his own students had in over a decade...

If his teaching was like this, what realm had he himself reached?

If he fought, the other would also fight. In the end, the outcome would likely be the same, or worse, he might end up like Nangong Yuanfeng at the Luo family—taking a free high-altitude tour and humiliating himself.

"We concede!"

Without hesitating long, Tantai Zhenqing cupped his hands.

"Senior yields, I am obliged."

Seeing that he conceded after only one disciple, Zhang Xuan nodded and smiled slightly.

That Zhang Jiuxiao could defeat Tantai Jiankui was entirely expected, but the other party conceding like this showed considerable grace.

At least he didn't struggle for a while like Nangong Yuanfeng.

"A loss is a loss; it's not a matter of yielding." Nodding, Tantai Zhenqing flicked his wrist, and the Ziyu Ancient Saint inkstone flew over. Then he cupped his hands: "Farewell!"

Reaching out to catch the inkstone, Zhang Xuan grabbed with his hand, and the floating Time-Space Mirror came to him. He glanced at it, then casually tossed it into the air: "Your mirror!"

"Hmm."

Tantai Zhenqing caught it, turned around with the others, and in the blink of an eye, they vanished from the spot.