"Those who trespass upon our Great Dalu Sect shall die!"
Dressed in the blue Great Dalu Sect uniform, a young disciple wielding a large sword stared intently at the oncoming Su Li.
He naturally understood that Su Li was currently in a desperate situation. Thus, this strike was bound to be a desperate one. He summoned all the True Qi within him and firmly gripped the sword hilt.
The "Mountain-Cleaving Sword Technique!"
His sword was wide, heavy, and imposing as if it could split a mountain in half. Its power was overwhelming.
"Clang!"
The clash between the sword and the long knife sent shockwaves radiating in all directions, kicking up dust and rustling the nearby grass.
In this brief moment of confrontation, the two seemed evenly matched. However, Su Li's heart sank because all the pursuers behind him had caught up, surrounding him entirely.
Just as the disciples were preparing to join forces and eliminate this intruder, Jiang Heng spoke up.
"Senior brothers, I'll handle this one. What do you think?"
The disciples exchanged glances, and one of them spoke in a deep voice, "Junior brother, do you realize that this person is a True Qi Realm martial artist?"
Jiang Heng grinned, "Of course, I know. During our battle, he managed to escape from me, which is what brought everyone here."
"So, please, senior brothers, give me a chance to take him on myself."
Hearing this, several disciples were taken aback. A martial artist of the Body Refining Realm chasing a True Qi Realm martial artist? Such a thing was unheard of.
However, the previous scene did seem to match Jiang Heng's claims.
But just as they hesitated, Jiang Heng didn't waste any time. He charged forward and unleashed a powerful punch.
Meanwhile, Su Li, who was trapped, scanned the disciples surrounding him, his face heavy with determination. He looked at Jiang Heng, who was charging toward him.
"Even if I die, I'll make sure you pay!"
"A mere martial artist of the Body Refining Realm has pushed me to this extent. Damn!"
As Jiang Heng's fist approached, Su Li swung his long knife downward.
"Wait..."
Several disciples' faces turned pale, and they were about to step in. However, they witnessed a shocking scene.
Jiang Heng's punch clashed head-on with the True Qi Realm martial artist's long knife, yet it showed no signs of giving way. Jiang Heng remained unharmed.
"Clang! Clang!"
Punch after punch, strike after strike, the two of them engaged in a wild, relentless battle. Their raging energy sent shockwaves rippling in all directions.
The disciples watched in astonishment. One of them couldn't help but ask, "Is this a fake True Qi Realm martial artist?"
The disciple who had just clashed with Su Li looked horrified.
"No! His cultivation is at least at the True Qi Realm, probably the sixth level," someone blurted out, leaving everyone dumbfounded.
A martial artist of the Body Refining Realm clashing head-on with someone at the sixth level of the True Qi Realm without falling behind? Such a thing was simply unimaginable.
"Haha!"
"Amazing!"
Jiang Heng burst into laughter as he let the opponent's blade strike his chest. He grabbed the blade with both hands, pulled it towards himself, and lunged forward simultaneously, delivering a powerful headbutt to the opponent's forehead.
"Dong!"
The impact sounded like a ringing bell, echoing through the surroundings.
Su Li's mind went blank for a moment. During this brief moment, Jiang Heng continued with a series of headbutts, relentlessly pounding the opponent's now grotesque head into the ground.
"Ding! Victory in a cross-tier battle, gaining 10,000 potential points!"
"Phew!"
"I won!"
Jiang Heng stood up, his face covered in bloodstains but radiating a sunny smile.
Several disciples watched in silence, a subtle chill creeping into their hearts. This young man was not to be underestimated.
"Thank you, senior brothers!" Jiang Heng casually wiped away some blood from his face and bowed to the group.
The disciples returned the courtesy politely.
This young man wasn't just a genius; his strength was on par with or even surpassed that of any of them. He deserved their respect.
"By the way, junior brother, what's the story behind this intruder and why did he attack you?" one of the disciples asked out of curiosity.
Jiang Heng casually smiled, "He killed a junior disciple from the outer sect, and I happened to witness it. I suspect he wanted to kill me to cover it up. As for how he entered the trial area, I have no idea. It seems that during the cleanup, he was hiding here and got overlooked."
Another disciple nodded thoughtfully, "Thanks to you, junior brother, otherwise, who knows how many more people he would have secretly killed."
"By the way, how should I address you? Let me see if I can apply for some contribution point rewards for you."
"I'm Jiang Heng."
Meanwhile, in the distance, dozens of outer sect disciples watched in awe, stunned by the events unfolding before them. The appearance of the signal flare and the intense pursuit between Jiang Heng and the intruder had drawn their attention.
However, most of them chose not to get involved. The signal flare's appearance indicated that the sect's elders had requested assistance. This implied a situation even True Qi Realm martial artists found challenging, so avoiding it was the sensible choice for those of the Body Refining Realm.
But there were always those with bold hearts who watched from afar, simply curious to see what was happening.
And what they saw was truly shocking. Jiang Heng, one of the top contenders for the championship, had killed a True Qi Realm martial artist in direct combat. Even the True Qi Realm elders treated him respectfully.
At that moment, Bu Hanyi, who had been following from a distance, finally caught up. She immediately saw Jiang Heng, covered in blood.
"Senior brother Jiang, what happened?" she asked.
"Nothing much. A pest got into the trial area and I killed him," Jiang Heng replied casually.
"Are you injured?"
"Of course not."
After bidding farewell to the disciples, Jiang Heng turned and walked away. Bu Hanyi glanced at the corpse on the ground before following him.