Chapter 71: One Battle Shocks the City (Part 8)

It had been over a dozen breaths since Yun Zhe had called the assembly, and not a single disciple from the Seven Ministries had stepped forward to answer the call—utterly embarrassing. Yun Zhe’s gaze grew increasingly mocking. Then, at last, a young man from the Burn Heaven Sect’s outer school, unable to hold back any longer, began to rise—only to be pulled back by someone beside him. In a low, urgent whisper, the elder murmured: “What do you intend to do? Your strength is nearly equal to Feng Guangyi’s. If you step forward and challenge him, you’ll bring shame upon the Burn Heaven Sect.”

“Damn it, this brat is so arrogant!” the young man hissed through gritted teeth. “If Master Zi Luo were here, he’d teach that boy even his mother wouldn’t recognize!

The Zi Luo in question was the son of the Burn Heaven Sect’s outer school leader, a prodigy of the new generation—though he couldn’t compare to Xiao Luocheng, at sixteen years old he had already reached the seventh stage of spiritual cultivation, just one step away from the eighth. Among the young talents of Chang’an City, he stood second only to Xiao Luocheng.

At that moment, from within the Iron Spear Sect emerged a young man of resolute countenance. His age seemed close to Yun Zhe’s, yet he bore none of the naivety one might expect—instead, there was an maturity beyond his years. He stepped forward and, with a slight bow, spoke calmly: “From the Iron Spear Sect’s Iron Legions, I am seventeen years old. I have no right to challenge you. Yet seeing you vanquish formidable foes with bold arrogance, I cannot help but admire—and so I wish to spar with you… purely out of respect, and by no means to provoke or test you. If you deem me too young, too inexperienced for such a contest, you are free to refuse. I will not trouble you further.”

“Whoa!! The young master of the Iron Spear Sect has actually come himself! This time he’s really here!”

“I heard just three months ago he’d already reached the fourth stage of spiritual cultivation. His mastery of the halberd is nothing short of divine! He easily surpasses Bai Ge by several levels.”

When Iron Legions emerged, nearly every disciple and elder present—save Yun Zhe himself—knew who he was. The young master of the Iron Spear Sect, in terms of fame, influence, and standing within Chang’an City, rivaled even the city’s ruler. His power, too, was unquestioned. Though at seventeen and at the fourth stage, he ranked only mid-tier among the Seven Ministries’ disciples, the Iron Spear Sect valued weapon mastery above all else. Their average spiritual level ranked near the bottom, yet their overall strength placed them solidly in the middle.

“Iron Legions has shown up—of course he’d easily defeat that Yun Zhe. Still, he’s seventeen now, so winning is only to be expected. Not the least bit surprising.”

“Indeed, it’s a bit unfair, but if Iron Legions deliberately crippled that Yun Zhe—well, I wouldn’t mind. I can’t stand that Yun Zhe’s arrogant face anymore.”

The disciples of the Azure Moon Pavilion had also begun to wonder whether Iron Legions might use “friendly sparring” as a pretext to weaken Yun Zhe and prevent him from continuing to lead the assembly. After all, with his strength as the Iron Spear Sect’s young master and his fourth-stage spiritual power, he could easily do so. Several of the Azure Moon Pavilion’s seventeen-year-old disciples, fists clenched tightly, found themselves eager to step forward—citing age as justification—to block Iron Legions. But upon remembering his reputation and power, none of them dared to move.

In Iron Legions’ eyes, Yun Zhe showed not the unbounded arrogance he’d previously displayed, but something far more genuine. Yun Zhe saw in him not arrogance, but sincerity and longing—something pure, untainted. A slight astonishment flickered within him. These disciples from the Seven Ministries weren’t all mere brats. This Iron Legions, so young yet radiating quiet strength, carried an integrity rarely seen—and a noble pride that was that of a true man, not the reckless pride of a fool.

Yun Zhe’s recent performance had earned his respect—and stirred something within him, a genuine desire to spar.

At once, Yun Zhe gave a slight smile. “Brother Iron, your words are too kind. To challenge a nobody like me under your title as head disciple of the Iron Spear Sect—that is high praise indeed. To face you, Brother Iron, is the greatest honor. Then let us begin.”

He took a half-step back, raising his right arm across his body.

Iron Legions paused, utterly unprepared for the once-imperious Yun Zhe to meet him with such dignity. A warmth spread through his chest, and a smile touched his lips: “Then let us have a proper contest, Brother Yun. You’ve already fought three battles—your spiritual power must be somewhat depleted. Though victory or defeat means nothing to us, if we spar now, it would be too harsh. Let me suggest—”

“There is no need.” Yun Zhe shook his head with a smile. “Thank you for your kindness, Brother Iron. Though I’ve fought three battles in quick succession, each was decided in the blink of an eye. My spiritual power was never truly spent. So I wish to meet you at full strength.”

Iron Legions ceased pressing the matter, nodded once, and extended his hand to touch a spatial ring. A halberd longer than his own height materialized in his grip, its blade gleaming silver. He angled it toward the ground: “This weapon is called ‘Piercing Clouds.’ A true divine artifact passed down through my lineage—and it is my dearest companion, never far from my side. I shall use it to test Brother Yun.”

Yun Zhe slightly shook his head: “No need. I shall fight you barehanded.”

Iron Legions blinked, then gave a small nod: “Brother Yun, you are truly proud. If that is your wish…”

“Brother Iron, you misunderstand.” Yun Zhe immediately clarified: “It is not that I scorn facing you with weapons. I have never trained with arms or blades—my weapon has always been both hands. Had I drawn a weapon, I would be at a disadvantage, unsure of how to wield it.”

Yun Zhe’s nature was such that whoever respected him a foot would return the favor a yard; whoever wronged him an inch, he would repay a foot. Iron Legions, sincere in his greeting, had treated him with courtesy—and so Yun Zhe returned the respect with appropriate grace.

Iron Legions studied him deeply, then burst into hearty laughter: “Hahaha! So Brother Yun isn’t the arrogant fool he seemed. Excellent! This contest will be most enjoyable. Then, Brother Yun, take care—my Piercing Clouds halberd has never lost to someone younger than me!”

“Then Brother Iron had better take care too!” Yun Zhe slowly extended his hand, and the first stage of the Evil Spirit Technique—Evil Aura—unfurled! Facing this opponent far surpassing Feng Guangyi and Yan Ming in strength, he had to maintain the full fury of “Evil Aura,” or victory would be impossible. It was also his way of honoring Iron Legions.

“Then draw your weapon!”

Iron Legions let out a low growl, his spiritual energy surging through his entire body. The Piercing Clouds halberd shot forward like a bolt from the heavens, its tip cutting through the air with thunderous force, striking Yun Zhe’s front with such overwhelming momentum that the surrounding air split violently, sending ripples cascading outward.

Yun Zhe’s pupils slightly contracted. He sidestepped, retreating with a swift motion, just barely evading the strike. He was about to counter when a sudden gust of dangerous wind surged from his left.

Normally, the greater the force of a thrust, the slower the recovery—and the greater the opening. But Iron Legions’ Piercing Clouds halberd, after the thrust, suddenly swept sideways with a sweeping arc, completely defying Yun Zhe’s expectations. He caught the halberd’s return with lightning speed, his forearms crossed across his waist, somehow blocking it.

Boom!

The moment his wrist met the halberd’s shaft, a fierce shockwave erupted from it, sending Yun Zhe stumbling back three paces. His protective spiritual barrier nearly shattered.

“Powerful technique! Brilliant technique!” Yun Zhe couldn’t help but admire aloud. Though young, Iron Legions had already reached a masterful level in wielding the halberd.

“Dragon Breaking Clouds!”

Iron Legions swept his halberd again, unleashing a sweeping arc of weapon shadow that drove Yun Zhe far back. The halberd, a weapon of great power among all weapons, radiated overwhelming might—none could match it, yet none could master it easily. Once its form became fluid, the shadow it cast left enemies unable to even approach, let alone counter.

“Dragon Seeking the Abyss!”

“Flying Fire Meteor!”

“Roaring Sea!”

…

With each strike, Iron Legions bellowed a mighty cry, and his halberd’s shadow filled the air, its dominant force pushing Yun Zhe relentlessly backward.

“Sweeping Thousands!”

Iron Legions leapt five zhang into the air, the Piercing Clouds halberd sweeping diagonally across Yun Zhe. At that distance, such force nearly blinded Yun Zhe’s eyes. After more than ten strikes, Iron Legions had driven Yun Zhe to the edge of the hall. This time, Yun Zhe had nowhere to flee. He threw back his head and let out a guttural cry, using the strength of his arms to ram into the halberd.

“Ahhh!”

A gasp escaped more than half the young disciples of the Azure Moon Pavilion.

Yun Zhe’s spiritual power could suppress a third-stage cultivator—but this strike from Iron Legions contained not merely raw spiritual force. It bore an overwhelming, incomparable weapon might! How could he possibly block it at full power with his bare arms?

When the halberd and Yun Zhe’s arm met, there was no loud clash. At the moment of contact, Yun Zhe’s arm shifted slightly, using the residual momentum of the halberd to alter its sweeping trajectory. He simultaneously deflected the weapon’s force, then surged forward with a rapid strike, aiming straight for Iron Legions’ chest.

Iron Legions quickly recovered his halberd—but in his haste, he failed to gather sufficient power. Yun Zhe easily pushed him back. Yet he remained unshaken, let out a low cry, and the Piercing Clouds halberd carved a brilliant silver arc across the air once more. No longer wild and overwhelming, the weapon moved like a living silver serpent, striking at an angle that defied logic, its tip aiming directly for Yun Zhe’s throat.

Yun Zhe’s breath caught. A fragment of his star spirit exploded outward, vanishing in a flash. Simultaneously, he delivered a heavy blow to the halberd’s shaft, pushing Iron Legions back several paces.

The two remained at a safe distance, neither advancing nor retreating. The entire hall fell silent once more.

Though their exchange had lasted only a dozen or so breaths, Iron Legions’ weapon techniques—swift as storms, fluid as living serpents—and his extraordinary mastery of the halberd left everyone in awe. Such weapon artistry manifested in a mere seventeen-year-old boy. All the disciples his age and level were utterly stunned, silently acknowledging that though they shared his cultivation, none could claim to be his equal.

Even Iron Legions’ father, Iron Zhan Cang, stood silently nodding, expression serene with satisfaction.

And most astonishing of all—after more than a dozen exchanges, Yun Zhe remained unscathed, his strength nearly matched to Iron Legions’. The sight left many speechless, some literally opening their mouths and unable to close them.

“It seems seeking Yun Brother for a contest was the wisest choice.” Iron Legions wiped his halberd, his resolute face alight with excitement.

“Indeed, indeed.” Yun Zhe smiled faintly, his voice carrying a subtle warning: “Then, Brother Iron, from here on, you’ll need to be careful.”

Iron Legions’ technique seemed flawless, leaving no openings. If so, the only way to defeat him quickly was to overwhelm him with sheer force, breaking through his weapon’s momentum.

Yun Zhe slightly narrowed his eyes. Beneath the full fury of “Evil Aura,” the raging spiritual energy surged unrestrained into his arms.