"Next one!"
On the stage, Jiang Heng shouted.
"I'll go!"
Another young man, who felt he had figured out Jiang Heng's tactics, jumped onto the stage after registering.
"Zhong Zimo, Ninth Seat of the Heavenly Sword Sect, challenges!"
Jiang Heng waved his hand casually and said, "Come on."
This dismissive attitude made Zhong Zimo's face darken.
He swung his long sword, and a sharp crimson sword qi shot out, aiming towards Jiang Heng from a distance.
"You think mere sword qi can deal with me?"
Jiang Heng sneered and casually slapped his hand.
The innate realm's true qi burst outward. While it had an excellent range and area of effect, its damage was somewhat reduced when transmitted through the air. Hence, attacks like sword qi or blade qi formed by projecting true qi were generally used to clear out cannon fodder or supplement close-quarters combat.
In situations where the difference in combat power wasn't significant, close combat was still the primary approach.
"Buzz!"
The sharp sword qi, when it reached Jiang Heng's palm, disintegrated into dots of light and then completely dissipated into nothingness.
"Still too weak!"
Jiang Heng's mouth curled into a grin as he swiftly moved, chasing Zhong Zimo, who had prepared to circle around him.
In just an instant, Jiang Heng had caught up to his opponent's side and hammered down with an uncompromising fist.
"So fast?"
Zhong Zimo's expression changed drastically.
He hastily lifted his long sword, gripping it tightly, and slashed horizontally.
Jiang Heng's punch remained unchanged and landed directly on the blade.
"Clang!"
A strange and powerful force erupted within Zhong Zimo's body. His hands involuntarily weakened, and the long sword was sent flying.
Everyone in the audience stared wide-eyed, unable to believe what they were witnessing.
"How is this possible? How strong is that kid's physique?"
"To directly clash with a precious weapon-grade sword blade and come out unscathed, even sending Zhong Senior Brother's sword flying!"
"This kid is way too powerful!"
The eight people in the observation area wore equally grave expressions.
At this point, nobody had absolute confidence.
Because of the formidable defense from his incredible physique, not even the Tenth Seat could break through, and who could guarantee that their burst power was stronger than the Tenth Seat's?
On the stage.
The moment Zhong Zimo's long sword was sent flying, Jiang Heng's force erupted within his body, causing all his muscles and tendons to momentarily paralyze and lose control. His body was momentarily frozen.
"This is exactly what caused Senior Brother Fang to fail just now!"
As he had feared, Jiang Heng took advantage of this brief moment. His figure advanced further.
His right fist once again pushed forward and smashed into Zhong Zimo's chest.
He could clearly feel his ribs breaking, his organs being damaged, and a tremendous force acting on his body.
He couldn't help but spew blood from his mouth and was sent flying.
Once again, there was silence in the arena.
"Next one!"
Jiang Heng shouted once more.
The spectators in the arena directed their gazes towards the eight individuals in the observation area, especially the first one, the cold-faced youth—Wu Mingxuan.
Including the other seven people in the observation area, they all silently looked at Wu Mingxuan.
At this point, no one dared to underestimate Jiang Heng anymore.
Even the Ninth and Tenth Seats had been defeated in an instant. Anyone who went up on stage now was highly likely to fail.
The challenger from the Dalu Sect had targeted Wu Mingxuan, so there was no need for the others to take the risk on his behalf.
Not going on stage would at least preserve some dignity.
Once they stepped on stage and were defeated, they would undoubtedly become stepping stones for the opponent's fame.
So, in this situation, it was up to Wu Mingxuan himself to deal with it!
Whether he could defeat him or not, at least he could make him expend some energy and let everyone see the opponent's true abilities. Only then would there be a chance of victory in a drawn-out battle.
Yes, at this point, no one was too sure if Wu Mingxuan could win.
After all, as members of the top ten, the difference in strength between them wasn't that significant.
If the Tenth Seat had been defeated earlier, it could have been due to carelessness. However, the fact that the Ninth Seat had been defeated again just now was a clear display of strength.
Jiang Heng undoubtedly possessed the top-tier strength of the innate realm!
All eyes were focused on them.
Wu Mingxuan slowly stood up.
"Well done, as a talented disciple of the Dalu Sect, since you have defeated two opponents, you have proven your strength. Therefore, I accept your challenge!"
He leaped up and landed opposite Jiang Heng.
Drawing his long sword, he focused his gaze on Jiang Heng.
Like everyone else, he didn't believe he had a guaranteed victory, so he couldn't afford to be complacent.
Especially the opponent's paralyzing technique made him quite cautious.
Every encounter had to be approached with extreme caution.
"Are you Wu Mingxuan?"
"That's right!"
Jiang Heng smiled and casually beckoned with his hand, saying, "Come on, attack!"
Wu Mingxuan was not angered in the slightest by his demeanor.
In a battle where both sides were evenly matched, mentality was one of the biggest factors affecting the outcome.
He swung his long sword, and a sharp crimson sword qi shot through the air.
Jiang Heng moved forward without hesitation, as if there were no obstacles in his path, meeting the incoming sword qi head-on.
With a casual pat of his left hand, as the sword qi landed in his palm, it attempted to invade his body but couldn't penetrate his skin, let alone enter his body.
In the blink of an eye, under Jiang Heng's palm, the sword qi disintegrated into fine red light particles, then turned into nothingness.
Jiang Heng's figure didn't pause for a moment as he continued to charge forward, delivering a punch.
Wu Mingxuan had prepared in advance. In a split second, he lowered his body and quickly flashed to the left.
At the same time, the long sword enveloped in dense true qi slashed toward Jiang Heng's side.
Wu Mingxuan's movements were extremely fast, almost like a phantom.
But Jiang Heng's actions were not slow either. When his punch missed, he immediately turned around and reached down with his right hand.
He attempted to grab the precious weapon-grade long sword that was slashing toward him with his bare hand.
Wu Mingxuan promptly retracted the sword, moving his body away to attack from another angle, denying Jiang Heng the opportunity for a direct confrontation.
The two of them danced on the arena, like intertwined shadows, silently entangling each other.
The spectators below were in discussion.
"This kid is so difficult to deal with. His physique is incredibly strong, and his long-range sword qi attacks are completely ineffective. It's all about close combat."
"But in close combat, he has those mysterious techniques that paralyze you and then instantly defeat the opponent."
"Even Senior Brother Wu can only engage in hit-and-run tactics and dare not confront him head-on."
"Moreover, his footwork seems to be on par with Senior Brother Wu."
"With a cultivation level in the True Qi Realm, he can achieve this level of skill. It's truly extraordinary!"
"They say he's only in his teens..."
"It's terrifying!"
The audience had long shed their initial disdain, and some were now in awe of Jiang Heng's strength and talent. However, since Jiang Heng was their opponent, they couldn't openly praise him.