"Roar!"
A beast-like roar erupted from Han Fu's mouth as his true qi circulated through fifteen of his meridians, unleashing a powerful force from within.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
...
With a battle axe in hand, Han Fu took large strides toward Zhang Ruochen. Each step made the battle platform tremble slightly.
"Whoosh!"
With a diagonal slash, the axe swung down. Though it appeared like a brute force attack, it carried subtlety, sealing off all of Zhang Ruochen's escape routes, leaving no room for him to dodge.
Mastery of the Mind Realm!
The axe followed the mind's intent.
Zhang Ruochen's expression remained calm and composed. He raised his arm, using his sword sheath to block the battle axe as it collided.
"Bang!"
A deafening sound echoed through the air.
One sword against one axe—both suspended in midair.
Zhang Ruochen, using only one hand, managed to block Han Fu's two-handed strike.
Seeing this, the martial artists in the Yellow Stage Martial Arena were utterly shocked. No one could have imagined that Zhang Ruochen possessed such terrifying strength.
"Han Fu is known for his innate strength. Without using martial techniques, he can unleash the power of thirty-two oxen. Could it be that the Ninth Prince is even stronger than him?"
Hong Tao, standing on the viewing platform, shook his head lightly and sighed, "It seems the Ninth Prince has never been using his full strength from the beginning. His cultivation is truly unfathomable. I wonder if Han Fu can gauge just how strong he really is?"
The scene was indeed heart-stirring. Before this, everyone believed that the Ninth Prince only defeated those at the peak of the Yellow Stage due to his superior swordsmanship.
No one had considered that his raw power was also formidable.
With strength alone, he could match Han Fu.
"Kid, you've got strength, but try taking another of Han Fu's axe strikes!"
"Chaos Split!"
Han Fu's body leaped over six meters high, unleashing a mid-grade human-level martial skill. With both hands on the axe, he slashed down again.
Combining the martial technique with the battle axe's weight of 1,200 pounds, the strike generated a terrifying force of forty-five oxen.
"Heavenly Heart Sword Bell!"
With a swish, the Soulflash Sword finally unsheathed.
Zhang Ruochen channeled all his true qi into the sword, activating all four strength inscriptions within the Soulflash Sword, increasing its weight to 453 pounds.
Swirling sword qi transformed into an illusory sword bell, encasing Zhang Ruochen within.
"Boom!"
Han Fu's axe struck the sword bell, but instead of shattering it, a powerful counter-force sent him flying backward.
Han Fu felt his internal organs tremble violently, his blood surging uncontrollably, suffering internal injuries.
It was worth noting that even without using any martial techniques, Zhang Ruochen could exert the strength of thirty-six oxen. By using the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Palm, he could unleash forty-nine oxen of force.
Though the Heavenly Heart Sword Technique didn't primarily focus on enhancing strength, its clever sword moves and sharp sword qi still allowed Zhang Ruochen to unleash forty-nine oxen of power with the defensive technique, Heavenly Heart Sword Bell. With the added effect of the sword qi's counterforce, it was no surprise that Han Fu was injured.
"Come again!"
Han Fu's eyes turned blood-red as he activated the fire-lion-leopard bloodline within him, causing flames to emit from his pores.
"Han Fu is going berserk!"
"Once he activates his fire-lion-leopard bloodline, his strength can reach a terrifying forty-nine oxen."
The last time Han Fu went berserk, he gruesomely dismembered a peak Yellow Stage warrior, splitting him into pieces with his battle axe.
Generally, a peak Yellow Stage warrior could only generate around twenty-five oxen of strength, with thirty-six oxen being considered formidable.
Forty-nine oxen of strength was even more extraordinary. Only a select few Yellow Stage warriors could achieve such power.
Han Fu had the potential to make the Yellow Rankings, but in his tenth match, he encountered a highly ranked Yellow Ranking fighter, preventing him from winning ten consecutive matches.
Had his opponent in that tenth match been a weaker Yellow Ranking warrior, Han Fu would now be listed on the Yellow Rankings.
Thus, Han Fu's strength was not inferior to any Yellow Ranking fighter.
"Haha! Forcing Han Fu to go berserk, Zhang Ruochen, you're quite strong!" Liu Chengfeng smirked from the sidelines, his eyes gleaming as he watched Zhang Ruochen retreat.
Once Han Fu went berserk, even Liu Chengfeng himself might struggle to win, let alone Zhang Ruochen.
If Zhang Ruochen lost to Han Fu, it wouldn't just be defeat—it would be death.
"Whoosh!"
Before Han Fu's axe could strike, Zhang Ruochen could already feel the searing heat. He didn't engage in direct confrontation but instead retreated swiftly, dodging the strikes.
If Zhang Ruochen fought head-on, his strength wouldn't be inferior to Han Fu's.
However, Zhang Ruochen wasn't merely aiming to defeat Han Fu; he was preparing for the tenth match against a Yellow Ranking warrior. Thus, he couldn't afford to waste too much energy and true qi now.
Han Fu kept swinging his battle axe, while Zhang Ruochen continuously retreated, dodging narrowly each time. One could only imagine the grim outcome if Han Fu's axe landed a hit.
Standing below the platform, the Ninth Princess was extremely anxious. It was too dangerous—why wouldn't her Ninth Brother just concede? Was there really a chance of winning against Han Fu?
At first, Han Fu dominated the fight with overwhelming strength, completely suppressing Zhang Ruochen.
But as the fight dragged on, Han Fu's strength began to wane, his axe swings slowing down, and the flames around his body thinning.
"Han Fu's true qi is depleting. He's about to lose! This Ninth Prince is truly impressive—a genius!" Liu Chuanshen observed from the audience.
Hearing about Zhang Ruochen's eight consecutive wins, Liu Chuanshen had rushed to the Yellow Stage Martial Arena to witness just how powerful the Ninth Prince was.
Beside Liu Chuanshen stood a man in an iron mask. His voice was raspy as he said, "If the Ninth Prince can continue to grow, he might be able to rival the Seventh Prince."
"Hmm?"
Liu Chuanshen glanced at the masked man and asked, "What do you mean?"
The masked man replied, "If the Yunwu Commandery only has the Seventh Prince, then ten years from now, all powers like the Martial Market Bank, the Black Market, and the Inscription Guild would be under the official authority. No one in the Yunwu Commandery would be able to challenge the Seventh Prince ten years from now."
"However, if there's someone in the royal family to balance the Seventh Prince, the situation will be different."
Liu Chuanshen nodded slightly, a thoughtful expression on his face. "It seems that at the right time, our Martial Market Bank might lend him a hand. The best outcome would be for the two princes to weaken each other through conflict."
The iron-masked man smiled faintly. "Within three moves, Han Fu will be defeated."
As soon as the iron-masked man finished speaking, Han Fu was struck off the platform by Zhang Ruochen's palm.
Victory in the ninth match!
Another win, leaving only the final match to claim victory.
If Zhang Ruochen could win the last match, he would have his name inscribed on the Yellow Rankings, becoming the twenty-eighth Yellow Ranking warrior in Yunwu Commandery.
However, his opponent in the final match would be a Yellow Ranking fighter.
"He's too strong! The Ninth Prince is only sixteen years old, and he's already about to become a Yellow Ranking warrior?"
"When the Seventh Prince made the Yellow Rankings, the Yunwu Commandery King issued a royal pardon to celebrate."
"Who do you think will step up to stop the Ninth Prince from winning ten consecutive matches?"
...
The entire Yellow Stage Martial Palace buzzed with excitement, and even fighters from the Xuan Stage Martial Palace rushed over to witness the birth of a new Yellow Ranking warrior.
The moment of breaking into the Yellow Rankings was rare. It might not even happen once in half a month.
"Ninth Brother, you must succeed!" The Ninth Princess hadn't expected her Ninth Brother to be so strong, defeating even Han Fu. Her confidence in Zhang Ruochen soared.
Shan Xiangling's beautiful eyes sparkled as she fixated on Zhang Ruochen, who stood on the platform. "He's at the same cultivation level as me, but he's much stronger. He should be able to become a Yellow Ranking warrior!"
"Worthless! It seems I'll have to step in personally."
Liu Chengfeng descended from the audience, making his way to the platform, his gaze sharp as he locked eyes with Zhang Ruochen. "Ninth Prince, you've fought nine matches already. How much true qi do you have left?"
"More than enough to deal with you," Zhang Ruochen replied.
Liu Chengfeng grinned slightly. "You're indeed a rare talent, Ninth Prince. If you were at the peak of the Yellow Stage, I might actually lose to you. But as things stand, you're not quite there yet."
Liu Chengfeng was ranked eleventh on the Yellow Rankings, making him one of the strongest Yellow Ranking warriors.