Chapter 2025: Choosing a Way to Die

“Got enough!”

Looking at the card, which now held over twenty thousand Divine Coins, Zhang Xuan was filled with joy.

He had thought that showing too much strength would intimidate the cultivators of the Divine Temple, making them afraid to step forward, but it seemed he had overthought it.

There were still plenty of good people...

“Do you wish to continue challenging?”

An elder of the Divine Temple in charge of the arena looked over.

“No need...”

With a slight smile, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and walked off the stage.

“Wait...” A figure appeared before him: “I want to compete with you!”

It was the Sect Master Kui Xiao, who had been standing below.

The defeat of the Grand Elder had stirred his competitive spirit. But just as he finished registering, he saw that his opponent was about to leave without fighting. Unable to hold back, he leaped onto the stage.

“I have things to do...”

Having gathered enough money, Zhang Xuan had lost his motivation. He waved his hand dismissively.

“Fight me before you go! I want to see just how high your true cultivation really is...”

With a shake of his arms, immortal energy surged out, blocking the path. Sect Master Kui Xiao raised his brows.

Seeing how easily the other had defeated Elder Hongwu and the Grand Elder, a peculiar thought arose in his mind.

“No time...” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

He was in a hurry to deliver the money and then go with the people from Seven Stars Tower to the Star-Chasing Sea. He couldn't afford to waste too much time here.

“Make your move!”

With a cold snort, Sect Master Kui Xiao struck down with a palm.

His palm technique, though not as imposing as the Dragon Transformation Palm, was exquisitely subtle. It seemed to strike precisely where Zhang Xuan would have to counter or be injured if he hesitated.

Frowning slightly, Zhang Xuan sidestepped a small step.

With that single step, Sect Master Kui Xiao's attack was neutralized effortlessly.

“Excellent skill!”

Sect Master Kui Xiao's eyes lit up.

No wonder he could easily defeat the Grand Elder. To neutralize his attack so simply, turning the mundane into the miraculous—even he hadn't anticipated it.

An outsider might think it was just a sidestep, nothing to be amazed about.

But as the one executing the palm technique, he clearly understood that the previous move had a total of one hundred and thirty-six variations. No matter how the opponent responded, there was a corresponding counterattack that would put them at a disadvantage with no chance of recovery.

The position of the other's step happened to fall outside all these variations, and even coincidentally stepped into the very juncture where the technique's power was channeled, preventing his strength from flowing through.

Thus, the technique was naturally broken!

Dodging the attack and breaking the technique in one smooth motion... The opponent's understanding and application of combat was simply astounding.

“If you insist on competing, then if you lose, you'll have to pay me 2,560 Divine Coins...”

Seeing the other launch another technique to prevent him from leaving, Zhang Xuan frowned and said.

He had been afraid that being too strong would scare others away and prevent him from earning money. Unexpectedly, this one was so hospitable, insisting on keeping him here.

“If you can beat me, I'll give you ten thousand Divine Coins!” Sect Master Kui Xiao snorted.

Divine Coins were nothing. As a sect master who had lived for nearly two hundred years, he had accumulated who knows how many!

As long as the other was willing to fight, money was no issue!

“Ten thousand?” Zhang Xuan was stunned. “How can I accept that...”

A normal match would only earn him 2,560. This guy was offering four times that, leaving him at a loss.

“Win first, then talk...”

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Seeing the other act as if victory was already assured, Sect Master Kui Xiao's face turned ashen. Furious to the point of exploding, he shouted and struck with palm force like the wind, twice as fast as before.

Swaying lightly, Zhang Xuan dodged every move while stroking his chin and looking over: “Since you're losing so much, I won't take advantage of you... How about this: you can choose the way you'll be defeated!”

“Huh?”

Sect Master Kui Xiao was dumbfounded, nearly fainting.

Let me choose the way I'll be defeated?

What does that mean?

Are you saying you're definitely going to beat me? And you can even choose the method to defeat me?

What kind of joke is this?

“Don't be too happy. You're strong, so the ways to kill you aren't many...” Seeing his expression, Zhang Xuan explained with a smile.

The customer is God. Who wouldn't be generous when someone offers ten thousand in one go?

These days, it's all about service, so naturally, he had to give the other a unique experience.

“Not many?” Grinding his teeth, Sect Master Kui Xiao was going mad.

From your tone, even though I'm this strong, you still have several ways to defeat me? Fine then, let me see how you'll defeat me!

About to explode with frustration, he was about to speak when the young man opposite spoke again.

“Yes, about one hundred and seventy-three ways... There's a punch to the head, a palm strike to decapitate, a sword qi piercing the throat, a kick to shatter the heart... To put it simply, there are physical attacks and spiritual attacks. Which one do you prefer? I can satisfy any of them!”

“One hundred and seventy-three ways?”

Sect Master Kui Xiao nearly spat blood.

He had thought one or two would be incredible.

To rattle off so many...

Are you serious?

Those who could surpass him on the continent were few and far between, even among the same level... To fight him while letting him choose how to die...

Where did this guy come from?

“If you have the skill, kill me in one move...”

Too lazy to bicker, he rolled both palms simultaneously and pressed forward.

His strongest martial technique... Thunderclap Cloud-Seizer!

Both palms churned like thunder. When mastered to perfection, even lightning could be shattered with a single palm, and clouds could be suppressed.

He rarely used this technique. Among those of the same level within the sect, no one could withstand a single blow.

This guy was too arrogant, so he couldn't help but use it.

Swish!

Both palms pressed down like two great mountains, sealing the surrounding space. Anyone caught within would be unable to dodge, no matter how strong.

“Want to die in one move? Simple!”

The young man opposite, as if unaware of the technique's power, smiled faintly and suddenly struck out.

Whoosh!

His palm was gentle and weak, like a breeze brushing past.

Thunderclap Cloud-Seizer could suppress even clouds, but it couldn't suppress the wind!

The other's palm was like a clear breeze. No matter how high or hard the mountain, it could easily fly above it, unstoppable.

Slap!

Before the two palms reached him, the other's hand had already arrived above his head. Sect Master Kui Xiao felt his vision go black, and the next moment, his head... was driven into his chest cavity.

Thud!

The corpse fell to the ground.

“Someone actually wants to be killed in one move... What a strange request!”

Having driven the head into the chest, Zhang Xuan said no more, shook his head, and walked off the arena.

To be honest, this guy's strength was decent. Without using the Library, he had put some pressure on him.

However, being ambushed by the temple's strong had deepened his understanding of combat. Even without the Library, almost no one of the same level could contend with him.

This was the capital and reliance that allowed him to participate in the open tournament.