Chapter 600: Finals (Part 1)

"The Fourfold Purification of Mortal Transcendence separates turbidity from clarity; clarity becomes the soul, turbidity the body. Having just broken through, it's like a pool of muddy water. Given half an hour to settle, one's strength would greatly increase. But now... I'm afraid it's not much stronger than the peak of the Yin-Yang Realm!"

"Without separation of turbidity and clarity, body and soul are stuck together. If strength doesn't increase, that's fine; it might even decrease."

"You can't say Teacher Bi did wrong. If it were me, I'd definitely propose the match now too!"

"Indeed, the top spot in the Master Competition has always been highly valued. Having come this far, even the most arrogant person couldn't give it up..."

...

Many people also shook their heads.

Masters are human, and humans have emotions and desires, all kinds of thoughts. When it comes to the top spot in the competition and a high-grade spirit stone, no one would want to hand it over willingly.

Therefore, Bi Jianghai's approach couldn't be called wrong. In fact, if it were them, they would certainly do the same.

The Yin-Yang Realm: yin and yang give birth to each other. After breaking through, the whole person becomes muddy water. With half an hour to adjust, clarity rises and turbidity sinks, and strength doubles. Unfortunately... with the competition imminent, as an opponent, how could he give him that chance?

Without giving the chance, directly entering the match, the breakthrough might even be worse than before.

"Despicable, he's scared!"

"Not a shred of a master's demeanor..."

Hall Master Kang, Teacher Su, and others were fuming.

"It's fine!"

Knowing they were worried for him, Zhang Xuan smiled, stood up, and with a light flicker, arrived on the arena.

"Teacher Zhang, gifted with extraordinary talent, able to challenge higher levels, defeating Teacher Wu and Teacher Liao in succession. Bi admires you and wishes to challenge your cultivation. I hope you won't refuse!"

Bi Jianghai raised his hands and declared loudly.

"Please!"

Seeing that, as he had guessed, the guy directly challenged his cultivation without a second word, Zhang Xuan smiled faintly.

Boom!

With permission granted, Bi Jianghai's brows rose, and he punched out.

Knowing that the longer he delayed against this freak, the more troublesome it would be, he dared not hesitate.

The power of the Spirit Convergence Realm spread along his fist like a stone thrown into water, rippling forward, bringing a soul-crushing pressure even before reaching him.

A normal cultivator at the peak of the Turbidity-Clarity Realm has 1.6 million ding of strength, while an early Spirit Convergence Realm cultivator has 2 million ding.

Such immense power, coalescing into wind and combined with true qi, was like a great mountain.

Although Zhang Xuan had recently surged in strength, he had never fought such a powerful opponent. He immediately felt his blood vessels expand like ignited flames, his blood boiling.

"Well struck!"

With a laugh, he flickered and met the attack.

Heaven's Path Fist!

Bang!

Fist met fist, and Zhang Xuan retreated seven or eight steps.

To test the power within him, he didn't use his soul power. After losing that exchange, he laughed again and charged forward.

"Hmph!"

Seeing that the other had just broken through and dared to clash head-on with him, Bi Jianghai raised an eyebrow.

Although that move hadn't injured his opponent, it showed him that the guy's strength was around 1.2 million ding, comparable to the mid Turbidity-Clarity Realm—still a far cry from his own current power.

"Teacher Zhang, your strength is indeed not weak, and your understanding of cultivation is astonishing. But... if this is all you've got, I'm afraid first place is mine!"

With a long cry, he turned his fist into a palm, spread his five fingers, and swept down.

Boom!

A huge palm print appeared on the arena, like a tiger extending its claws, striking toward Zhang Xuan.

"It's... Teacher Bi's [Great Return Vajra Palm]!"

"This technique is a peak Spirit-grade mid-tier martial art. Once used, it can even be invincible at the same level. Oh no!"

"Using his strongest move right from the start—that's too ruthless!"

...

Seeing the attack on the stage, some recognized it and exclaimed in surprise.

The Great Return Vajra Palm, a palm technique of extreme ferocity, was one of Bi Jianghai's best martial arts. Using it after only two exchanges showed he had no intention of holding back; he wanted to use his strongest power to defeat him.

"Oh, let me see just how strong this move is!"

Zhang Xuan didn't dodge. With a long cry, he charged forward and met it with another punch.

Bang!

Fist and palm clashed. His face flushed, and like a kicked ball, Zhang Xuan flew back dozens of steps before stopping.

Without using soul power, it was indeed a stretch to withstand an early Spirit Convergence Realm expert's attack.

"Something's off. This doesn't seem like Teacher Zhang's strength."

Watching the match from the crowd, Wu Tianhao frowned.

When he fought Teacher Zhang, he was thrown away on the first move, becoming an airborne man. Although there might have been some borrowing of force, the power unleashed at that time was definitely not just 1.2 million ding. Why... after breaking through, had he dropped so much?

"Yeah, even if Teacher Zhang's power is inferior, with the sword techniques he used against me, Bi Jianghai wouldn't win so easily. Why... is he abandoning his strengths and clashing head-on?"

Liao Wuzhi, not far away, was also puzzled.

Both of them had fought Teacher Zhang and knew that although this youth was young, he had many tricks and considerable strength. Why, when fighting them, was he so vigorous, but when fighting Bi Jianghai, he didn't use technique and just stupidly clashed head-on?

Bang, bang, bang, bang!

Amid their confusion, the two on stage exchanged several more moves. Each time, Teacher Zhang used all his strength to charge forward, and naturally, the result was that he was knocked back repeatedly, looking disheveled.

At this moment, Zhang Xuan seemed like a crude man who knew no martial arts, only using brute force to ram into things.

"Something's wrong. Look, Teacher Zhang seems... to be using only one arm. All this time, he hasn't used the other hand!"

Someone in the crowd shouted.

Hearing this, everyone noticed that during the fight, Teacher Zhang had only used his right hand; his left hand hadn't moved at all, as if injured.

"A Turbidity-Clarity Realm cultivator fighting a Spirit Convergence Realm cultivator with only one hand—what's he doing?"

"Could he be injured? No, when he was instructing Teacher Liao on sword techniques earlier, he used it..."

"Could it be that he's afraid of winning unfairly and is deliberately letting Teacher Bi win? No way. Teacher Zhang is already at a disadvantage; why would he let him?"

The crowd also noticed this issue, each filled with curiosity.

A strong person lets a weak person win. Teacher Zhang was clearly the weaker one; why wouldn't he use one arm?

"It's... Teacher Zhang's left hand... seems to be holding a spirit stone!"

A perceptive master noticed.

"Holding a spirit stone? Could he be... absorbing spiritual energy while fighting, trying to break through?"

"Really? Cultivating while fighting? Is that true?"

"It seems true. Looking at it this way, I feel Teacher Zhang's aura and strength are much higher than just now?"

...

Having spotted the anomaly, the many masters looked at each other in disbelief.

In Teacher Zhang's unmoving palm, he was holding a spirit stone. That meant... while fighting his opponent, he was continuously absorbing spiritual energy to consolidate and advance his cultivation!

How was that possible?

"Impressive! Impressive!"

Others saw this, and Hall Master Kang also noticed. Remembering something, he was stirred with excitement.

"In the Turbidity-Clarity Realm, only when turbidity and clarity separate can one's cultivation grow stronger. Normally, achieving this requires time... But Teacher Zhang, knowing time doesn't permit, still resists head-on. It's not overestimating himself; rather, he's using the opponent's power to separate turbidity and clarity and enhance his cultivation!"

"Forcibly separating turbidity and clarity?"

"This... how did he do it?"

Teacher Su and Teacher Ling, who had been stuck in the Turbidity-Clarity Realm for years without reaching the peak, widened their eyes as if seeing a ghost upon hearing this.

"Bi Jianghai just broke through to the Spirit Convergence Realm, so his control over soul and physical attacks isn't perfect. Thus, his attacks contain both soul and true qi. Teacher Zhang is exploiting this flaw... using true qi against true qi, soul against soul, to forcibly separate the turbid energy within him..."

Hall Master Kang was full of shock and admiration: "If Teacher Zhang was a pool of muddy water before, by borrowing the opponent's power, the turbidity and clarity have already separated, and his cultivation is even increasing!"

"Using the opponent's attacks to separate turbidity and clarity and enhance cultivation?"

"This... is too exaggerated!"

Teacher Su and the others stared wide-eyed.

Other masters who noticed this also couldn't believe it.

During a fight, using the opponent's flaws to boost one's own strength... If Bi Jianghai knew that he was fighting so joyfully, exhausting himself to the point of vomiting blood, only to serve as a whetstone, would he be so angry that he'd vomit blood on the spot?

"Just now, seeing Teacher Bi break through on the spot was shocking, and I admired his courage and demeanor. But seeing Teacher Zhang's performance, I realize that his doesn't count for anything!"

"Indeed, people are compared. Breaking through on the spot and cultivating while fighting are incomparable!"

"Using the opponent's power to temper oneself and forcibly enhance strength—probably only Teacher Zhang has the guts. Anyone else, one wrong step, and they might be doomed forever!"

...

As masters, since they could see Teacher Zhang's intention, they naturally understood the danger involved.

Fighting someone a whole major realm above you—anyone else would struggle to last a few moves even with full effort. Yet he multitasked, cultivating while fighting. How big a heart and how much confidence did that take?

Even witnessing it with their own eyes, they found it maddening.

"Lucky I lost in one move; otherwise, continuing like this would be even more embarrassing..."

Wu Tianhao smiled bitterly.

Liao Wuzhi also nodded.

The two of them had felt somewhat unwilling after losing to Teacher Zhang, but seeing this, they realized that losing so quickly was fortunate...

Otherwise, if he used you to cultivate and you kept cooperating like a fool, you'd die of shame.

"Damn it, you want to use me as a whetstone? Dream on!"

The crowd saw it, and Bi Jianghai on the stage also sensed something was wrong. His face twisted as he roared.

He had thought that attacking before the opponent consolidated his cultivation would throw him into chaos and misery. He never dreamed that the guy would instead use him for practice... The intense frustration drove him mad.

"Damn it!"

With a furious roar, his aura surged again, as if breaking through the shackles of the early Spirit Convergence Realm.

"Supreme Mad Demon Fist? Oh no..." An elder from Wangjiang Sect's face changed.