Zhang Ruochen's first opponent was a young martial artist clad in a yellow robe. The youth appeared to be around eighteen or nineteen, and his cultivation had reached the mid-stage of the Yellow Realm.
Reaching this level at such a young age was already a mark of a martial prodigy.
The youth held a sharp battle blade, his voice full of vigor as he announced, "I am Hao Shiqi of the Hao Clan. I will be your first challenger. Draw your sword!"
Zhang Ruochen placed his right hand on the hilt of his Flash Soul Sword but shook his head lightly, saying, "You're not worth me drawing my sword. If I do, I might injure you."
"Arrogant!"
Hao Shiqi channeled his Qi into his massive blade, activating its two power inscriptions. The weight of the blade surged to 287 pounds.
Gripping the blade with both hands, he charged at Zhang Ruochen with incredible speed, swinging it fiercely. The momentum he built was so intense that even martial artists at the advanced stage of the Yellow Realm would hesitate to face him directly.
"Swish!"
Zhang Ruochen remained rooted in place, not moving a muscle. Raising his arm, he swung the sword sheath, striking Hao Shiqi's neck.
Clang!
The large blade clattered to the ground.
Hao Shiqi let out a scream and was thrown off the platform, tumbling in disarray. Clutching his neck, he climbed back up, retrieved his blade, and looked at Zhang Ruochen with a hint of fear in his eyes. "Thank you for sparing my life."
If Zhang Ruochen's sword had been unsheathed, Hao Shiqi's head would have already been severed.
Second match, victory!
Third match, victory!
Fourth match, victory!
In the following three matches, Zhang Ruochen continued to win without breaking a sweat.
He stood firm in the center of the platform, as steady as a boulder, without ever moving his feet. All his challengers, regardless of their strength, were knocked off the stage with the same simple strike from his sword sheath—without exception.
"How can this youth be so powerful? Luo Tian, who had reached the advanced stage of the Yellow Realm, was also knocked off the stage by him, using just the sheath, without even having the chance to counterattack." A sixteen-year-old noble girl looked on curiously at Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen was incredibly young, yet his strength was terrifying. Martial artists at the advanced stage of the Yellow Realm couldn't even force him to draw his sword, let alone make him step back.
"He must have reached the level of Sword Follows Heart. If one cannot break through his sword intent, any challenger will be knocked off the stage in a single strike," commented Xue Bingsheng, who stood with a fan in hand, smiling. "Don't you all know who he is?"
"What identity?" the crowd asked.
"He is the Ninth Prince of Yunwu Commandery. At the year-end assessment, he defeated a peak-stage prodigy of the Yellow Realm with only a beginner's cultivation. Given his rapid progress, he should have reached the mid-stage by now. Unless a peak Yellow Realm martial artist challenges him, no one can defeat him."
"Haha! So it's the renowned martial genius, the Ninth Prince. I'll take him on."
From the audience, a burly man holding two iron hammers leapt over ten meters and landed on the platform.
"Ninth Prince, I, Guo Sihai, will be your fifth opponent. Beware; these hammers weigh 800 pounds combined. If they hit you, even an iron man would shatter," Guo Sihai warned.
In the Yellow Stage Martial Palace, those who won five consecutive matches were generally at the peak of the Yellow Realm. Only a few rare geniuses were at the advanced stage.
Guo Sihai was a peak-stage martial artist, standing at eight feet tall, his arms thicker than Zhang Ruochen's thighs, his entire body bulging with large muscle blocks.
"Guo Sihai is known for his immense strength. In the peak Yellow Realm, he can exert 30 ding of force. The Ninth Prince is likely to lose this one!"
Hearing the murmurs, the Ninth Princess grew worried. After all, Guo Sihai was indeed a formidable opponent at the peak stage.
The difference in power between peak-stage and advanced-stage martial artists was massive.
"Roar!"
Guo Sihai roared, his bones emitting cracking sounds. His arms swung the hammers like windmills, generating powerful gusts of wind.
"Fierce Hammer Technique!"
Guo Sihai unleashed a human-tier technique, pouring all his strength into his hammers as they simultaneously aimed for Zhang Ruochen's head and legs. Under such an overwhelming assault, even if Zhang Ruochen were strong, he would have to retreat.
Once Zhang Ruochen stepped back, Guo Sihai's follow-up attacks would overwhelm him with a storm of blows, ensuring his defeat.
Smack!
Zhang Ruochen used the same move again, striking one of the hammers with his sword sheath. The hammer changed direction, crashing into Guo Sihai's chest.
Boom!
Guo Sihai, along with his two hammers, was knocked off the platform.
"How... how is this possible?"
Guo Sihai clutched his bleeding chest, struggling to stand up. He stared at Zhang Ruochen, who remained steady in the center of the stage. He hadn't even seen how Zhang Ruochen had swung the sheath.
He only knew he had been struck down by his own hammer.
"Even Guo Sihai couldn't make him draw his sword. How can he be so strong?"
Xue Bingsheng's expression turned serious. "The Ninth Prince's sword intent has likely reached the mid-stage of Sword Follows Heart, or perhaps even the high stage."
"No way! Even martial artists at the Profound Realm rarely achieve the high stage of Sword Follows Heart."
Xue Bingsheng smiled slightly. "Just wait and see. This is only the fifth match. The opponents will only get stronger. Someone will eventually test his limits. If he reaches the eighth match, I'll personally take the stage to defeat him."
Meanwhile, the Ninth Princess and Dan Xiangling were equally astonished, unable to believe Zhang Ruochen's overwhelming power.
"Defeating a peak-stage Yellow Realm martial artist in one move! Has Ninth Brother already advanced to the advanced stage of the Yellow Realm?" the Ninth Princess wondered.
"It must be the advanced stage!" Dan Xiangling added. "How is this possible? The year-end assessment wasn't that long ago. Yet, the Ninth Prince's cultivation has jumped two stages. It's unbelievable."
Had she not witnessed it herself, she wouldn't have believed that such an extraordinary person existed.
A peak-stage martial artist stepped onto the platform—a young woman in a blue robe, also wielding a sword. She faced Zhang Ruochen, observing his every move, looking for any flaws.
"Not a single flaw! If there isn't one, I'll force one."
Swish!
The woman moved with lightning speed, her sword aimed at Zhang Ruochen's legs. Even if she couldn't defeat him, making him shift his stance would be an achievement. Once he moved his feet, he'd reveal an opening, making it easier to take him down.
Zhang Ruochen's expression turned serious. The woman's sword technique was sharp, reaching the beginner's level of Sword Follows Heart. Although it was just the beginner's level, it was still stronger than most peak-stage martial artists.
Closing his eyes, Zhang Ruochen relied solely on the sound of the sword cutting through the air.
Clang!
He swung his sheath, intercepting the woman's sword aimed at his legs.
Stunned, the woman quickly adjusted, launching three swift strikes in succession. But each one was blocked with precision by Zhang Ruochen.
When she attempted a fourth strike, she felt a sharp pain in her chest as if her ribs had been pierced.
Zhang Ruochen had struck her chest with his sheath, calmly declaring, "You've lost."
Luckily, it was just the sheath. Had it been the sword, her heart would have been pierced.
The woman sheathed her thin sword, bowing to Zhang Ruochen. "Ninth Prince, your skill is extraordinary. I concede."
Another peak-stage martial artist had been defeated, yet Zhang Ruochen hadn't even taken a step back.
"Damn it! He's only sixteen, yet his cultivation has reached such a level. We can't let him live," Liu Chengfeng muttered angrily. "Summon Han Fu. Tell him it's time to act."
"Yes, young master!" the guard quickly left to fetch Han Fu.
Liu Chengfeng's eyes gleamed with malice as he looked at Dan Xiangling. "Dan Xiangling, once Zhang Ruochen dies on the stage, who will save you then? Hahaha!"
Thanks to Zhang Ruochen's astounding performance, the entire Yellow Stage Martial Palace was in an uproar, with deafening cheers echoing through the building.
Finally, Zhang Ruochen faced his seventh challenger.
Hong Tao, a peak-stage martial artist with the Mystic Ice Divine Seal imprint. He had a record of four seven-match winning streaks in the palace and had reached the initial level of Weapon Follows Heart with his whip technique.
But instead of wielding a sword, Hong Tao used a whip—a golden whip that followed his will.
"Hong Tao greets the Ninth Prince. If I offend you during our match, I ask for your understanding," Hong Tao said politely, though his eyes were sharp.
He drew out a golden whip from his wrist, a slender weapon thirteen meters long, crafted from the sinew of a beast.
Crack!
The whip danced in Hong Tao's hand, swirling around his body like a snake, radiating golden light.