Chapter 1 The Beginning
“First Spirit Skill, Wind Blade!”
Feng Pei’s two yellow and one purple spirit rings slowly rotated beneath his feet. A long sword simultaneously appeared in his palm, and with a casual wave, a crescent-shaped wind blade shot towards Wang Zhong at high speed. The edge of the wind blade left a long sword mark on the arena's stone slab, deep enough to reach the palm.
The sharpness of the wind blade was terrifying!
The expression beneath Wang Zhong’s mask was a little strange. The wind blade before him felt inexplicably familiar. Six months ago, the wind blades he used for training looked just like this.
With a lazy step, Wang Zhong slightly sidestepped to the left. The wind blade brushed past his side, stirring up a light breeze that ruffled a few strands of hair, but it had no effect whatsoever.
“Hmm.”
Such a casual display caused Feng Pei to be surprised.
But immediately, the long sword in Feng Pei’s hand began to dance wildly. His sword light formed a dense, impenetrable net, from which numerous wind blades gushed out, filling the entire arena. At the same moment, they all slashed towards Wang Zhong.
Wang Zhong tilted his head. He had a strong sense of déjà vu with this move. The wind blades in Wind Valley used to come at him one after another like this, desperately trying to slice him into pieces. However, they ultimately failed, and instead, he created a unique spirit skill of unloading force with the wind.
“This kind of thing is completely useless.”
Shaking his head slightly, Wang Zhong, under the stunned gazes of all the spectators, placed his left hand behind his back. At the same time, he extended his right hand, using his index finger to meet the sharp wind blades that were flying towards him at high speed, blades capable of cutting through refined iron.
“Ah!”
Dugu Yan’s sharp scream suddenly rang out. This method of facing an instrument spirit soul master’s attack with one’s bare body was no different from seeking death.
Many people also let out gasps of surprise.
“Is the Wooden Man suicidal!”
“Facing an instrument spirit with flesh and blood!”
“Those are wind blades condensed from the wind sword, capable of cutting metal and jade, like slicing vegetables and fruits, incredibly sharp. How dare he!”
On the arena, Wang Zhong suddenly heard Dugu Yan’s familiar voice. His gaze shifted, meeting those green eyes trembling with worry and fear.
His eyes blinked slightly. The emerald green eyes were as calm as the windless, waveless green grass on an endless plain, exuding a power that could soothe all unease and panic.
Under such a gaze, Dugu Yan’s worry and fear, as if smoothed out like wrinkles, disappeared without a trace.
“She seems to have recognized me.”
“It must be Dugu Bo’s doing!”
Turning his head, his slender index finger touched the edge of the extremely sharp wind blade. But a miraculous scene occurred: the wind blade, capable of cutting metal and jade, stopped at Wang Zhong’s fingertip, unable to advance further.
With a flick of his index finger, the entire wind blade was deflected to the side of his body, striking the arena with great force and cutting a deep sword mark.
As the first one was deflected, the second one followed. But Wang Zhong did the same, his index finger continuously flicking. The incoming wind blades, under his slender index finger, were like those directed by a master musician, each one skillfully bypassed his body.
Such a nonchalant demeanor left all the spectators with a bewildered sense of illusion.
Was Feng Pei’s wind blade so weak!
But the glaring, deep sword marks on the arena completely dispelled their doubt. They clearly demonstrated the power of Feng Pei’s sword blades.
Sounds of swallowing could be heard throughout the audience. Everyone trembled with shock at the magnificent and effortless scene unfolding before them.
“Impossible, impossible!”
“How could the wind blades of my Wind Sword Sect be so easily deflected by someone! Those are solidified wind blades formed by sword qi and wind, something even a Soul Elder wouldn't dare to resist head-on!”
In the spectator stands, the members of the Wind Sword Sect stared at the arena, dumbfounded, their eyes vacant and lost, as if they had seen a ghost.
“How is this possible!”
On the arena, Feng Pei’s eyes widened as well, his heart racing as he watched Wang Zhong’s movements.
“Second Spirit Skill, Wind Stab!”
Feng Pei suddenly gripped his sword with both hands, crouched down, and with the activation of his second spirit skill, he instantly vanished from his spot, like a sword light unsheathed, appearing before Wang Zhong in the blink of an eye.
With rage and ferocity on his face, he thrust the wind sword spirit, held in both hands, fiercely towards Wang Zhong’s chest.
He had expected this sword strike to pierce the opponent through. However, it was clamped tightly by two slender, white fingers! The owner of the fingers was Wang Zhong.
“It’s all useless. As long as your spirit skills condense power from the wind, they won’t be able to harm me.”
“Now, I can easily grasp the脉络 (màiluò - veins/channels) of the wind and transform the power of wind into my own power!”
Wang Zhong looked at Feng Pei with calm eyes. His indifferent tone, however, threw the latter into extreme rage.
“Nonsense, utter nonsense!”
“I don’t believe it, I don’t believe it!”
Feng Pei roared loudly. He retreated to his original position with even greater speed than he had advanced. His eyes were fixed on Wang Zhong, his gaze bloodshot, as if he wished to tear the opponent to shreds.
If someone could truly achieve such a feat, then what was the point of their entire sect’s day and night of arduous training? What was the purpose of their constant, strenuous efforts?
To turn the power of wind into one’s own power! All the attacks and spirit skills of their Wind Sword Sect were condensed from the wind using the wind sword in their hands!
“All our attacks will become your power!”
“Who are you, a madman, to speak such wild boasts! Even if I’m killed on the spot by the Great Soul Arena today, I will make you pay with your life for your reckless words.”
In his blood-red eyes was extreme madness.
“Third Spirit Skill, Condense Wind Sword Blade!”
Feng Pei roared in anger, raising his sword high with both hands. A fierce wind swirled around him, causing his robes to flap wildly. An enormous long sword, condensed from the raging wind, materialized in mid-air.
“Slash!”
With a furious roar, he swung his arms down. The giant sword tilted, carrying an overbearing force capable of cleaving through everything, and rushed directly at Wang Zhong, determined to split him in two.
His eyes narrowed slightly, Wang Zhong gazed at the giant sword that descended like a collapsing mountain. He reached out with his right hand, just as before, but this time it was not his index finger, but his entire palm.
His palm grasped the blade of the giant sword and with a gentle push, the entire long sword snapped into two pieces!
However, the long sword condensed from the raging wind did not disappear as if broken by external force. It genuinely split into two, one half held by Feng Pei, and the other held in Wang Zhong’s palm.
With a casual flick, he threw the tip of the giant sword towards Feng Pei. The massive sword tip, with its sharpness capable of tearing everything apart, sliced across the entire arena, passed by Feng Pei’s side, severed a lock of his hair, and finally slammed heavily onto the arena’s protective shield, disappearing.
The hilt of the half-sword held in his hand suddenly vanished. Feng Pei immediately knelt down powerlessly, completely engulfed in despair.
The half-blade of the Condense Wind Sword Blade was snatched away and transformed into the opponent’s weapon and power!
That statement was true! This person really possessed the ability to turn the power of wind into his own!
Anyone from the Wind Sword Sect would forever be suppressed by this person wearing a wooden mask, utterly powerless to resist for eternity!
“Feng Pei, the contestant, has lost the will to fight!”
“This match goes to the Wooden Man contestant! He has broken the record for becoming a Silver Soul Grandmaster in the shortest time! Thirty-seven days!”
“Let us give the Wooden Man contestant our most enthusiastic applause and cheers! This is an unprecedented record!”
After the announcer finished, Dugu Yan, standing by the spectator seats, screamed with excitement.
“So amazing, he’s so amazing! Grandpa!”
Dugu Yan shrieked, waving enthusiastically at Wang Zhong, who was looking towards her from the arena, her small face flushed with excitement.