Chapter 597 – Accepting a Disciple (1/2)

Because Qian Rongzhi’s colourful, tiny snake came from hell, it existed between the tangible and the intangible. It was very difficult to discover using the soul sense of cultivators, making it a powerful weapon for sneak attacks and assassinations. However, it was still visible to the naked eye. As long as he maintained a certain distance from his opponent, it would not be so useful anymore.

It was at this exact moment that the surrounding landscape twisted and changed, going from a rising and falling desert to a vast wasteland littered with orangey hills, dyed bright red by the setting sun.

Qian Rongzhi sat on a hill. She set up the three defensive artifacts again and started recovering.

The scarred man extended his hand towards Qian Rongzhi before closing it forcefully.

Rumble. The hill beneath Qian Rongzhi began to tremble, collapsing loudly, and she just hovered in the air. Suddenly, a huge, earthen-yellow hand reached towards her from below, having been transformed from the collapsed mountain.

Qian Rongzhi was unfazed, watching as the five fingers closed around her firmly. The tiny, rhombus shield on the outside released a resplendent glow, but the barrier of light it created constantly twisted under the pressure from the earthen hand.

She was like a firefly in a child’s hand, releasing its glow in vain, extinguishing at any time.

However, she completely focused on defending this time, pouring all of her attention into the three defensive artifacts. Although two minor realms of cultivation separated them, defensive arcane artifacts could not be overwhelmed so easily with one measly technique.

The scarred man smiled viciously and drew a black, octagonal war hammer with a long handle.

Gu Yanying said, “A high grade arcane artifact! With your subordinate’s cultivation, wielding a high grade arcane artifact should still be a little difficult, right?”

Wielding mid grade arcane artifacts at Foundation Establishment was basically the limit already. As for high grade and supreme grade arcane artifacts higher up, they could not unleash its full strength even if they managed to refine it somehow. They would be like children wielding huge blades. If they forcefully used it, it would even damage their soul sense.

Si Qing smiled. “The Earth Shattering Hammer of the Eight Directions he wields doesn’t completely rely on soul sense. You’ll see if you keep watching, Yanying.”

Gu Yanying smiled and said nothing. She thought to herself, Just as Si Bao anticipated, he’s still the same as before. Even without Qingshan, defeating him in three rounds won’t be anything difficult.

The scarred man lifted the Earth Shattering Hammer of the Eight Directions high over her head. He swung it around and around. With each cycle, the handle would become longer, and the head of the hammer would become larger.

The sound of wind whistled loudly as an earthen-yellow tornado reached towards the sky, filling the air with dust. Even the setting sun became a hazy yellow.

As it turned out, not only was the scarred man’s cultivation extraordinary, but he was even a powerful Body Practitioner too. He combined his brute strength and soul sense to wield the Earth Shattering Hammer of the Eight Directions, which allowed him to unleash startling power.

The scarred man’s figure blurred within the tornado. The Earth Shattering Hammer of the Eight Directions suddenly stopped revolving, but the tornado continued to whistle loudly. A huge, octagonal war hammer extended out, smashing towards Qian Rongzhi. The disturbance it created was like a natural disaster, absolutely frightening.

Taking advantage of how Qian Rongzhi could not move, he pushed the power of this strike to the limit, wanting to smash through her three layers of defence in a single strike and crush her into mince meat.

Qian Rongzhi’s expression remained the same with no surprise or fear. She uttered three words indifferently.

Boom!

With a great rumble, the earth shook violently, and a shockwave kicked sand and dust over thirty meters into the air, expanding into the distance. At the same time, fissures spread out in all directions.

Only after a very long time did the dust settle.

The scarred man’s face was unnaturally red. His face was contorted, becoming even more hideous. His chest rose and fell as he heaved violently, but it was not only because of his strike. He stared fixedly at the unscathed Qian Rongzhi.

In the final moment, his earth-shaking strike had landed a few meters away from her. The shockwave it created was not enough to get through her protective arcane artifacts.

Qian Rongzhi stowed the three defensive arcane artifacts away, leaving herself completely vulnerable. The scarred man only needed to use a single technique and he could heavily injure her, but he could only watch helplessly as she turned around to leave.

The three words that Qian Rongzhi had uttered were, “I admit defeat!”

Arenas were bloody and brutal, but it was not a matter of life or death every single time, or they would never be able to afford to go through so many people no matter how many geniuses they had. Normally, the duel would come to an end as long as one side admitted defeat, and the other side would be forbidden from killing them. If they did, they would break the iron rules of the duel and face extremely severe punishments. It would not even be strange if they paid with their own lives.

If the scarred man had already launched the strike and was unable to control it anymore, it would already be too late for Qian Rongzhi to admit defeat. She would lose her life for nothing. However, she happened to have grasped the limits of his control, the moment when he was about to launch the attack but had not launched it yet.