Chapter 2141: The City Lord Stele

The long sword appeared in his palm, and Zhang Xuan's aura instantly changed from the previous indifference to a calm like water, devoid of any emotion.

Ming Laixiang stepped forward, a long whip appearing in her hand. She flicked it and lashed out.

Whish!

The air was torn apart.

Just as Qi Ling'er had feared, the man before her, though appearing to be only a lower-grade Heavenly God, possessed extraordinary strength, no weaker than an ordinary middle-grade Heavenly God. His whip technique was also extremely skillful; with a single move, he displayed formidable martial arts.

Instead of meeting the attack head-on, Zhang Xuan stepped back, dodging the first strike, and thrust his sword forward with a slow technique.

The whip was a soft weapon, rarely used, and Zhang Xuan was encountering it for the first time. While recalling books he had read, he defended and studied this weapon, learning as he fought.

Crack!

After several consecutive strikes missed, Ming Laixiang's expression grew more solemn. Her whip lashed down incessantly, like a violent storm.

Zhang Xuan remained unflustered, sword stroke after sword stroke flowing continuously, yet none were killing moves.

"He's... testing his sword techniques?"

Seeing his movements, Qi Ling'er couldn't help frowning.

Although this Zhang Xuan's strength was far inferior to his opponent's, he seemed able to foresee every move, dodging attacks in advance. The whip's bizarre attack paths had no effect on him.

Being able to do this greatly increased his chances of victory, but each of his sword strikes was restrained, as if afraid of injuring the woman before him.

Moreover, the most crucial point was that his techniques kept changing and altering.

Other than testing and refining his swordsmanship, she couldn't think of any other explanation!

Fighting someone a whole major realm higher, yet still having the mind to test sword techniques...

Are you serious?

Zhang Jia also realized this, his eyes wide open.

This master of his was truly outrageous; every time, he had to do something astonishing. Was this what he called keeping a low profile?

"Hmph!"

Sensing his intention, Ming Laixiang's face turned ashen.

As the strongest contender for the city lord position, she had been fighting for half a year, yet this was the first time she had been so belittled.

"This is my strongest move. Lin Xie and Wuyang dared not challenge me because they couldn't withstand it. To completely defeat me, see if you can block this!"

With a cold snort, Ming Laixiang twisted her wrist, and the long whip instantly transformed into a meteor, shooting toward Zhang Xuan's neck.

Its speed was more than double that of previous attacks, reaching him in the blink of an eye.

Seeing the whip's speed surpass his sword technique, Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.

As everyone had guessed, he was indeed testing his sword techniques.

After much deliberation earlier, he had not found a suitable swordsmanship, knowing he needed to seek inspiration in battle.

Now, with this opponent's strength able to pressure him, he didn't seek flaws in his techniques but used the attacks to comprehend new moves.

Though the battle was short, he had accumulated considerable experience. The previously elusive sword technique had built up to a peak, ready to break through at any moment.

Seeing the opponent's attack so fast, he knew she was unleashing her full power. His expression solemn, he twisted his hand, and the long sword leaped out, slashing straight toward the whip.

Hum!

A net-like sword aura appeared before him.

Heart like a double-threaded net, with a thousand knots within!

This move of his opponent was extremely sharp, and he could no longer hold back.

"Heh!"

Seeing him execute this move, Ming Laixiang was not surprised but smiled lightly, focusing her mind.

Whoosh!

The whip, originally aimed straight at his neck, bent in the middle, changing direction to lash at his chest and abdomen.

This sudden change was both fast and vicious, completely unexpected. If hit, even with strong defenses, he would surely be severely injured.

"It looked like an attack on the neck, but the real target is the chest and abdomen, where the liver and intestines are..."

He understood in an instant.

Her change was swift, and he had not prepared for it. Now, it was too late to block.

Slap!

A crisp sound rang out.

Qi Ling'er quickly looked over, expecting to see Zhang Xuan severely injured, but she froze.

This young master with the blood of the Emperor Lord was not only unharmed but wore a smile.

Looking at the opposite side, Ming Laixiang clutched her chest, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, cold sweat on her forehead.

"What happened?"

The battle had ended in an instant; she hadn't understood what had occurred.

"The young master comprehended a new sword move at the last moment, deflected the whip back, and severely injured her!" Zhang Jia said.

As a lower-grade Heavenly God, though the battle was fast, he had seen it clearly.

The young master had been about to be hit, but in a flash, his sword aura surged, not only blocking the attack but also turning it back, causing the opponent to suffer greatly.

Qi Ling'er was stunned.

He was incredibly daring, almost reckless!

If he hadn't comprehended the move, he could have been crippled!

The chest, where the heart resides, and the abdomen, where the dantian stores qi, were violently attacked. The surging true qi could have ruined his cultivation.

"So that's it!"

While they were shocked, Zhang Xuan ahead burst into laughter.

He had been unable to deduce a better sword move, but now everything became clear, and all previous doubts and constraints were resolved.

"Brotherly affection, tireless servant's strength. Not for sightseeing, but stirred by filial thoughts of liver and intestines... So the sword move is contained within the technique!"

His eyes shone.

He had comprehended this technique because of the little yellow chicken's death. As a brother and beast pet, it had never let him down, so the sword technique naturally followed this principle.

The sorrow of parting, the heart and liver torn apart.

A bosom friend within the four seas, though far apart, still like neighbors!

When the opponent's whip struck his chest and abdomen, causing pain in his liver and intestines, inspiration struck, and the sword technique became fully integrated.

One thrust not only blocked the attack but also injured her.

"I lost..." Ming Laixiang gritted her teeth.

She had no choice but to admit defeat. His sword move just now came from the sky, leaving no trace. Even at her peak, she couldn't block it; now severely injured, resistance was futile.

"Go find Lin Xie."

Zhang Xuan said calmly.

Since she conceded, he would challenge the remaining two. Only two people, not much trouble.

"Wait!" Seeing him about to leave, Ming Laixiang struggled to stand. "You can defeat me, and surely you can defeat Lin Xie and Wuyang. But the reason we three are deadlocked, unable to determine the city lord of Yehuicheng, is not due to strength, but because none of us can refine the City Lord Stele, which represents the city lord's identity. If you can succeed, I believe they will voluntarily concede without a fight!"

"City Lord Stele?" Zhang Xuan looked at her.

"The previous city lord of Yehuicheng died in the spiritual tide battle. He was a middle-grade Heavenly God. After death, his soul merged with the stele. To become the true city lord, you must obtain his approval. Otherwise, no one can succeed! None of us three have done it."

Ming Laixiang said.

"Where is the stele?" Zhang Xuan asked.

Since he could succeed without challenging the other two, there was no need to go.

"I'll take you there. But gaining recognition is extremely difficult..." Ming Laixiang shook her head.

This man, with his upper-grade Spirit God cultivation, had defeated her. His combat prowess and talent were astonishing, but gaining the previous city lord's approval was still not easy.

Because refining the City Lord Stele had nothing to do with cultivation level; it required the previous city lord's recognition.

He had been dead for nearly ten years. What exactly would earn his approval? Over the years, countless experts had tried, but none succeeded.

Perhaps this man would be no different.

Leaving the courtyard, they traveled for an hour and arrived at the city's center.

In the middle of the square stood a huge stele, engraved with many rules and regulations of Yehuicheng.

The stele was over ten meters tall, emitting a bluish-black glow, clearly made of extraordinary material.

"This is the City Lord Stele."

Ming Laixiang said.

Without a word, Zhang Xuan stepped forward and gently touched it with his finger.

A book appeared in his mind.

"Carved from Qing'an jade, it suppresses the city's fortune and contains part of Yeyu Heavenly God's will. Weakness: ..."

The book detailed the stele's structure, origin, and flaws, but did not explain how to refine it.

"We have all followed the rules on the stele, made no changes, and respected his will, but still couldn't gain his recognition..."

Ming Laixiang said.

Zhang Xuan nodded, approached the stele again, and activated his Principle-Seeing Eye.

He could clearly sense an unyielding will inside the stele, boiling and roaring.

Frowning slightly, he focused his mind and sent a drop of blood infused with his will toward it.

Whoosh!

As his will contacted the stele, a powerful force surged over, as if trying to devour his soul.

"There is indeed something strange..." Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

Normally, with weapons or such, if they cannot be refined, the blood infused with will would be rejected.

But this object, instead of rejecting refinement, absorbed it, unlike anything he had encountered before.

However, it was nothing to him.

Smiling lightly, he was about to use the Heavenly Dao Qi to destroy the will within and re-awaken the spirit, when he frowned.

The spirit within the stele seemed to know his intention and perfectly merged with the Qing'an jade, becoming inseparable.

If he destroyed the spirit, the stele would lose its support and shatter.

Refining it was necessary to become city lord; breaking it before refining would surely incur everyone's disdain. Not only would Ming Laixiang and others object, but the city's populace would also rebel, making it impossible to become city lord!

Force wouldn't work, and gentle methods were unclear.

What should he do?

Frowning, Zhang Xuan's expression darkened.