Chapter 1302: Challenging Zhang Xuan

"Able to sleep?"

Stunned, Zhang Jiuxiao was baffled.

He wanted to ask how to become an elite class student, hoping to hear some experience... what did that have to do with being able to sleep?

"Indeed, not everyone can sleep for three days straight!"

Zhang Xuan wore an expression of unmatched loneliness.

Having slept for three days and three nights in one go, he really hadn't wanted to.

When he first woke up, he was also quite shocked, but after thinking it over, he felt it was worth it.

Otherwise, even if awake, there was nothing to do. The Nine Nether Divine Pupil had too many flaws to practice, and Kui Sheng had been tormented by his words to the point of ecstasy. Rather than being awkward while awake, it was better to sleep a bit more and conserve energy.

So, being able to sleep was also a kind of happiness.

"Slept for over three days?" Staggering, Zhang Jiuxiao looked as if he'd seen a ghost: "Do you mean... when you entered the mountain gate, instead of constantly breaking through trials and undergoing various assessments, you... slept for three days?"

"Yes, I didn't expect to sleep that long either..."

Zhang Xuan smiled wryly.

"Slept for three days and still became an elite class student..."

Swallowing his saliva, Zhang Jiuxiao felt he was going crazy.

As soon as he entered the mountain gate, he desperately showed off his best skills, not daring to rest for a moment. But this guy in front of him slept for three days and still became an elite class student... Was this too exaggerated?

"Great!"

"Beautiful!"

"Third Young Master Xue, well done..."

Just as he was about to explode from shock, he heard excited shouts all around. Looking up, he saw that the result had already appeared on the arena.

Zhao Qi, who had come to challenge, was firmly trapped by a golden thread, standing on the stage like a cocoon, unable to move an inch.

Xue Ning's Golden Silk Slash was useless against Zhang Xuan, but its power against others was immense. Although Zhao Qi was not weak, he still couldn't withstand it and conceded defeat sincerely.

"I concede!"

With a look of dejection, Zhao Qi spoke.

He had thought that since the score difference was small, with a bit of luck he could definitely win. But now it seemed that the mountain gate assessment was indeed fair, not something someone like him could question.

"I accept the punishment!"

Unbinding the Golden Silk Slash, Zhao Qi said no more and stepped down.

"Is there anyone else willing to challenge?"

Seeing the first match end, Elder Haoyu smiled and continued.

"I will! I challenge the last place of the elite class, Zhang Xuan!"

With a loud shout, a figure leaped onto the high platform.

"It's Meng Fanxing, ranked fifty-second!"

"He's a descendant of the Sage Meng family. Although his bloodline is only second-class, his cultivation has already reached half-step Domain realm!"

"He must be dissatisfied with Zhang Xuan, who is only at the Primordial Spirit realm!"

"Yes, as soon as the challenge started, I felt that this Zhang Xuan being challenged was only natural. Not only is his cultivation low, but the key point is that he's last in the elite class. It would be strange if no one coveted his spot!"

"By the way, I just heard a rumor, not sure if it's true. They say this Zhang Xuan wasn't even in the top five hundred before, but during the last refresh of the assessment jade tablet, he somehow ended up last in the elite class. That is... he gained over ten thousand points out of nowhere!"

"Gained over ten thousand out of nowhere? Cheating?"

"That's hard to say..."

...

Hearing that Zhang Xuan was being challenged, discussions broke out all around.

Zhang Qian, among the crowd, was also excited, his eyes reddening.

The events in the Achievement Hall had already been spread by some, and many knew about them. Everyone wanted to see what this fellow named Zhang Xuan relied on to become an elite class student.

Elder Haoyu, Elder Hanzhu, and the others also looked over, wanting to see his performance and dispel their doubts.

"Challenge me? Fine!"

Not expecting to be challenged, Zhang Xuan shook his head, flickered, and also arrived on the high platform.

Although he always wanted to keep a low profile and avoid trouble, he wasn't one to fear it. If the other party wanted to cause trouble, they'd have to see if their fists were hard enough.

"I wonder what assessment Teacher Zhang experienced when entering the mountain gate. Just say it directly, and I'll compete with you accordingly!"

Seeing him on stage, Meng Fanxing snorted and said.

"I just woke up and don't want to sleep yet... Forget it, to avoid trouble, just make your move directly!"

Thinking about his own assessment, Zhang Xuan shook his head and said.

Having just slept for three days and three nights and been awake for less than an hour, if they competed in sleeping, he would definitely lose. Besides, the crowd certainly wouldn't want to watch that kind of match. Better to just fight like Xue Ning did earlier!

Fast and simple, avoiding trouble.

"Make a move? You want to compete in strength with me?" Meng Fanxing looked at him as if he were an idiot.

He was a half-step Domain realm expert, and you're just a peak Primordial Spirit realm... You want to compete with me?

Haven't you woken up yet?

"Mm."

Zhang Xuan nodded.

"Fine, I'll suppress my cultivation to match yours..."

Responding, Meng Fanxing's power rapidly diminished. In an instant, he also reached peak Primordial Spirit realm. He raised his palm and made a gesture to attack: "Let's begin!"

"Good."

Zhang Xuan replied.

Actually, whether the opponent suppressed his cultivation or not didn't matter much to him. But since the other party did, he didn't bother to argue. He flickered and appeared before his opponent, his palm reaching straight forward.

"You..."

Seeing this palm, Meng Fanxing felt as if the world was crushing down from the opponent's palm, completely sealing off all directions, making it impossible to escape.

In an instant, his breathing became rapid, and his face flushed red from the pressure.

Just before the palm reached him, Zhang Xuan suddenly withdrew his hand.

The attack and withdrawal were extremely fast, appearing to outsiders like a feint without any technique.

Yet, with just that move, Meng Fanxing seemed to be struck. His mind went blank, his thoughts severed, and his body swayed as if drunk. With a "thud," he fell to the ground.

He had fainted.

"This..."

"What happened? I didn't sense any fluctuation of true energy. How did Meng Fanxing just faint?"

"I don't know either. I just saw Zhang Xuan make a feint with his palm..."

The crowd below stared at each other in bewilderment, baffled.

Zhang Xuan's palm just now extended and retracted, showing no flair and no true energy fluctuation. Yet with such an attack, this Meng Fanxing didn't even dodge and just fainted... What exactly happened?

Even among them, there were many Seven-star masters, but they were all at a loss.

"Such formidable palm force!"

Unlike the crowd's confusion, Elder Haoyu's pupils contracted.

As a Saint Domain realm eight-dan expert, his eyesight was extraordinary, and he immediately saw the anomaly.

"A palm strike that appears physically imposing is actually a soul attack, giving the opponent an irresistible feeling. Under intense pressure, the opponent's spirit concentrates to the extreme. Then, suddenly withdrawing that pressure can easily cause insufficient blood flow to the brain, leading to an immediate faint!"

Elder Hanzhu also nodded, explaining while filled with disbelief: "It's like an ordinary person jumping off a building; many don't die from the fall but from fright before hitting the ground. This palm uses a similar method. Without true energy surging or aura sweeping, a casual slap makes them faint... How precise must one's control over power and the opponent's strength be to achieve this?"

Easy to say, hard to do. Even he, suppressing his cultivation to peak Primordial Spirit realm, would find it difficult.

"Indeed, truly extraordinary. It seems the mountain gate assessment was not mistaken!"

Elder Haoyu also nodded.

Earlier, he had doubted whether this fellow was just lucky. Now it seemed that the mountain gate assessment had no luck involved; it was all true strength.

"I lost..."

Waking up, Meng Fanxing's face was flushed red.

He didn't know what attack the opponent had used, but he was knocked out in one move. Just thinking about it was embarrassing.

"It's nothing."

Zhang Xuan smiled.

"I voluntarily accept the punishment..."

Knowing the consequences of a failed challenge, Meng Fanxing gritted his teeth.

"No need. We are all students of the Saint Son Hall, and sparring is normal. I also took advantage by having you suppress your cultivation, winning by luck. If you had used your full strength, I might have had a hard time winning. So, strictly speaking, this can't be considered a loss to me."

Zhang Xuan smiled.

His ranking was obtained by Kui Sheng modifying the scores. It was normal for the other party to be dissatisfied. There was no need to have him punished for that.

"Teacher Zhang is magnanimous. No wonder you can become an elite class student. I am truly convinced!"

Meng Fanxing cupped his fists, his eyes full of admiration.

To accept others' doubts and still be so generous—this was a breadth of mind he could not match.

"You're too kind."

Nodding, Zhang Xuan was about to step down from the high platform when another voice rang out.

"Wait... I also don't accept it. I want to test Teacher Zhang's skills too!"

Turning to look, an acquaintance stepped up.

It was Zhang Qian, who had been knocked to the ground with a single palm earlier!

"This guy... hasn't he seen my strength?"

Not expecting him to also challenge, Zhang Xuan was momentarily stunned.

If they hadn't fought before, it would be one thing. But he couldn't even withstand one palm, and now he wanted to come again. Didn't he think the previous humiliation was enough?

"It's Zhang Qian... Didn't he lose before?"

"Right, I don't understand why he's coming up either... Could it be that he's unconvinced?"

"Maybe... he has some trump card he hasn't used?"

"Ranked fifty-first, his spot was taken by the other party. He must be unconvinced!"

...

The crowd below, knowing that the two had fought before, were also puzzled.

Three days ago, he had just been beaten, unable to withstand a single move. Now he was coming up again. Didn't he think he hadn't been beaten enough?

"You still want to spar with me?"

Seeing him approach, Zhang Xuan looked at him sympathetically.

"That's right! But since you're an elite class student and have defeated me once, you shouldn't ask me to suppress my cultivation, should you?"

Zhang Qian snorted.

"You don't have to suppress your cultivation." Zhang Xuan nodded.

"Good, then let's begin..."

With a curl of his lips, Zhang Qian snorted, and the power within him was instantly released, his aura soaring into the sky.

"Half-step Domain realm? No wonder..."

Feeling the power emanating from the opponent, Zhang Xuan was momentarily stunned, then suddenly understood.

No wonder he dared to come looking for trouble after losing once. In three days, his cultivation had advanced, reaching half-step Domain realm!