"Chen Sanshi!"
Chen Sanshi, who had been sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed in quiet meditation, opened them at the sound of his name. In front of him stood a bald, broad-shouldered monk with a thick beard, clad not in robes but in heavy armor.
He had heard of this man from Sun Buqi before—Grand Commander Sun Xiangzong's fifth disciple, Meng Guangxin. He had become a monk as a child but later abandoned the temple, claiming that Buddhism could not save the living, so he joined the army and took up the martial path instead.
"Greetings, General Meng."
Out of courtesy, Chen Sanshi rose and cupped his fists. "What business brings the General to me?"
"Amitabha, Amitabha."
Meng Guangxin chanted the name of Buddha twice before grinning. "I came to teach you how to beat that Cao brat!"
Chen Sanshi blinked. "General Meng… would that not count as breaking the rules?"
"Break what rules?!" Meng Guangxin barked a laugh. "Off-stage guidance is perfectly normal! Plenty of contestants had elders coaching them between rounds—you just didn't notice!"
He hefted the crescent moon spade in his hands. "You learn these thirty-six moves of the Merciful Deliverance Staff Technique, and I guarantee you'll crush that Cao kid!"
Without another word, he began demonstrating.
Every swing of the heavy weapon drove his gang qi deep into the ground. Each strike left a crater, and before long, the entire area within a hundred paces was pitted and cracked, dust swirling like a storm.
"Thank you for your kindness, General Meng."
Chen Sanshi tried to stop him, but the monk was relentless. "Still… it's not something I can learn and master on the spot, is it?"
"True enough."
Meng Guangxin scratched his shiny bald head thoughtfully. "Then forget your spear forms. Just use these three moves I'll show you—"
"Monk!"
A sharp, cold voice cut through his words.
Seventh Senior Brother Ye Fengxiu approached, his androgynous face shadowed by irritation. "Monk, stop misleading him! Your so-called method won't do a damn thing unless you've trained it for ten or twenty years!"
"Hey, Yin-Yang freak!" Meng Guangxin shouted back. "Then what do you suggest? Cao Fan's got the Dragon Heart and Tiger Bones, plus a whole realm advantage! You think he can win by fighting normal? He has to take a crooked path!"
"Don't listen to him," Ye Fengxiu said coolly to Chen Sanshi. His tone was icy, but his words were patient and precise. "Cao Fan practices the Golden Crow Heavenly Dragon Blade Technique, created personally by Emperor Wuzong. The defining trait of that technique can be summed up in one word—'Fierce.' Utter, overwhelming fierceness. Combined with his innate constitution, no one in the same realm can stand against him."
He continued, "Even Lu Shuhua, had he made it this far, likely wouldn't have won.
"For you, the best outcome is to lose gracefully. The ideal way to prepare would be to spar with someone who also practices the Golden Crow Heavenly Dragon Blade Technique—but since it's an imperial secret art, it's never taught outside the royal line.
"So… none of us can really help you."
"Heh!"
Meng Guangxin chuckled, rubbing his string of prayer beads. "Yin-Yang freak, you're awfully chatty today—more than you've spoken all year! Looks like you don't want that Cao brat to win either."
Ye Fengxiu snorted, ignoring him, and gave Chen Sanshi a small nod before walking away.
"Thank you, General," Chen Sanshi said, bowing toward the fading figure.
"Lord Chen."
Yan Changqing approached next, his brow furrowed in concern. "Withdraw from the match. You killed Wen Qiushi—Cao Fan won't just aim to win. He'll take this chance to kill you. Even if you surrender now, you'll still qualify as an inner-sect disciple."
"Brother Yan, there's no need to worry for me," Chen Sanshi said calmly. "I know what I'm doing."
From the moment he set foot in Poyang, his goal had been clear—to compete in the Elite Selection and achieve a top rank. Now that he had come this far, how could he retreat?
Besides, even if he did concede, Cao Fan would never let him go.
And most importantly of all—
Cao Fan's blade was fierce.
But his spear was no less wild.
"Well said!"
Meng Guangxin let out a laugh of pure approval. "My Buddha saves none who are cowards!"
"Sigh…"
Yan Changqing sighed heavily. "Let me give you one last warning. I saw Cao Fan leave earlier—at this point in time, that means he's probably seeking guidance from someone. He may look proud, but he's cautious by nature. He won't underestimate you or give you any opening. Be very careful."
Their conversation ended just as the rest period came to an end.
War drums began thundering from all four sides of the arena.
Chen Sanshi and Cao Fan stepped up onto the stage.
The final duel would be held on the largest platform at the center of the martial grounds. More than 50,000 spectators had gathered to witness the match—its momentum like a tidal wave.
"My little sister Li is here too," Rong Yanqiu said with a teasing smile, watching a figure in red enter the stands. She reached over and pinched the young woman's cheek. "Your skin's gotten so soft from training, you could almost squeeze water from it. You've been sneaking expensive skin-nourishing elixirs again, haven't you?"
Sun Li didn't pull away. Her cold voice carried a faint trace of worry. "Senior brothers, senior sisters… can Junior Brother Sanshi win?"
She had just finished accompanying Lan jie'er and rushed over.
All the senior disciples exchanged quiet glances and shook their heads.
"I heard he and Cao Fan have a blood feud," Sun Li murmured, staring at the stage. "That man's had a vengeful nature since childhood. If he can't win, so be it—but he mustn't die."
"Oh~?"
Rong Yanqiu's lips curved into a sly grin. "No wonder Fourth Brother said our little sister's about to get married. I didn't believe him at first—but it looks like he was right!"
"Married?"
Sun Li blinked, confused at first—then her face flushed as she realized the implication. "Ninth Sister, what nonsense are you talking about! He's our junior brother—and my savior! Isn't it normal to be concerned for him?"
"The two aren't mutually exclusive."
Rong Yanqiu slipped an arm around her slim waist, her voice a teasing whisper by her ear. "Why so shy? It's natural for a young woman to marry. And let me tell you, little sister… once you learn what that's like, you'll always crave—"
"Ninth Sister!"
Even Sun Li—rarely embarrassed—blushed crimson, hastily pushing her away. "C-can you not be like this?"
"Fine, fine," Rong Yanqiu chuckled, waving her hand. "Don't worry, I'll be watching. I'll make sure that Cao Fan doesn't lay a finger on him."
The rhythm of the war drums quickened, deep and thunderous.
On the city wall, Pei Tiannan and Eunuch Hou leaned forward, their expressions sharp with interest. Even Sun Xiangzong, who had seemed half asleep through most of the competition, finally straightened in his seat.
…
On the stage, Chen Sanshi stood with his spear planted firmly before him.
Opposite him stood the muscular Crown Prince's heir, Cao Fan, wielding the Azure Dragon Crescent Blade.
Both had been given newly matched weapons for fairness—Cao Fan's famed mystic weapon was not allowed.
Even so, Chen Sanshi felt the pressure like a mountain pressing down.
It came not from Cao Fan's presence—but from the surging might of someone at tempering organs – Perfection, entering the Exploding Blood state.
In the Exploding Blood state, one could even forget pain for a short time, entering a frenzy where the body reached a state of pure rampage and combat power surged explosively.
Chen Sanshi still remembered that day back in Poyang—Han Cheng had launched a surprise strike, stabbing Tang Ming straight through the heart, and even so, Han Cheng was gravely injured afterward. That was the clearest demonstration of the vast difference between tempering organs – Perfection and tempering organs – Minor Achievement.
Now, Chen Sanshi's greatest reliance lay in the overwhelming might of the Unified Spear Technique and the beating power of his Qilin Heart.
"Chen Sanshi!"
Cao Fan narrowed his eyes, his voice calm yet filled with murderous arrogance. "For the sake of my imperial grandfather's appreciation of you, cut off both your arms and cripple your cultivation yourself. I'll spare your life."
Chen Sanshi said nothing. He never had the habit of chatting before a fight.
"You dare ignore me?"
Cao Fan's grip on his Azure Dragon Crescent Blade tightened, veins bulging in his forearms. "Fine. It seems you're tired of living. Then I'll use your blood to make my name known throughout the Eight Great Garrisons!"
"Dong—!"
The war gong thundered, and in that instant, a blood-red serpent burst forth like a violent current, darting toward his chest like lightning.
"Clang!"
But Cao Fan seemed fully prepared. Not the slightest panic crossed his face. His blade swept in a perfect arc, striking the serpent and flinging it backward dozens of feet.
A terrifying force traveled through the length of Chen Sanshi's spear, rattling his arms. He activated the Blood of the Dragon and Elephant, his tendons flexing like nine living dragons beneath his skin. His body twisted at an impossible angle as he thrust his spear again.
Cao Fan blocked it easily once more.
After two failed strikes, Cao Fan launched his counterattack. He didn't bother testing the waters—there was no need for it. He went all out from the very start, directly entering his Exploding Blood state.
Inside his chest, his Dragon Heart pounded wildly. His blood surged through his meridians and eight extraordinary channels, flooding every inch of muscle and bone.
His eyes turned crimson, and his body swelled to twice its size, ripping open the seams of his combat garb and revealing beast-like cords of muscle beneath. His physique broke past the limits of what a human body should endure—strength, speed, reflexes—all increased by who knew how many times!
The Azure Dragon Crescent Blade in his hands came crashing down from above. It wasn't a simple blade anymore, but a golden crow plummeting from the heavens, as if it were dragging the sun down from the sky itself.
"Boom!!!"
Their weapons clashed with a thunderous roar.
Only then did Chen Sanshi truly understand why everyone believed he would lose. Dragon Heart and Tiger Bones, tempering organs – Perfection—each alone was a tremendous advantage. Combined, they were nearly insurmountable.
This opponent was unlike anyone he had faced before.
That suffocating pressure—only once before had he felt something similar, when fighting Amugu of the Meridian-Connecting realm.
The difference this time was that he couldn't rely on any immortal treasures to tip the scales. He could only depend on his own strength to win.
With every strike of Cao Fan's blade, the Reed-Leaf Spear in Chen Sanshi's hands screamed in protest. The shaft bent with terrifying force, seeming ready to snap at any moment. He blocked again and again, his arms trembling, his eyes constantly calculating. He searched for an opening—some way to turn the tide using the comprehensive flow of the Unified Spear Technique.
But the strange thing was… Cao Fan seemed to know his spear art inside and out. Every feint, every rhythm—Cao Fan met them perfectly.
It was as if someone had shown him the Unified Spear Technique in detail before the fight even began.
Any other cultivator at tempering organs – Minor Achievement would have been obliterated within a single round under this onslaught.
Even with Chen Sanshi's monstrous foundation, he could only barely keep up. There was no way to win simply by exhausting his opponent's qi and blood this time.
Because this wasn't just any opponent—this was the Crown Prince's heir!
The future ruler of the Great Sheng Dynasty!
His bloodline, his resources—everything he possessed was the finest in the world.
If he weren't far stronger than others of the same realm, that would be the real anomaly.
Still, qi and blood were Chen Sanshi's domain of supremacy. On that front, even the Crown Prince's heir couldn't match him. If he could endure the first few rounds, his chance to counterattack would eventually come.
But this wasn't an ordinary match.
He didn't need to kill Cao Fan—but if he was forced off the stage, he would lose. He had to keep fighting within a confined space. That made the challenge far harder.
Fortunately, Chen Sanshi still had his Qilin Heart!
Each time Cao Fan's blade crashed down, agony exploded through Chen Sanshi's arms, his flesh and bones screaming in protest. But with every strike he endured, his understanding of the Golden Crow Heavenly Dragon Blade Technique deepened.
At this pace—within roughly 30 rounds—he would fully comprehend the opponent's every move.
It was an indescribable feeling—like solving a complex riddle through sheer intuition. In his mind, each swing of the blade became a note in a melody. Once the song was complete, he would see the entire structure clearly and launch his counterattack.
"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang—!"
Under the setting sun, the duel raged on.
On the stage, it looked as though a blazing golden dragon was clashing against a blood-red serpent.
Dragon versus serpent.
Dominance—absolute!
Even those who had never practiced martial arts could see it plainly.
"What a magnificent blade technique!"
"What an incredible spear art!"
On the city wall, Eunuch Hou and Pei Tiannan couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
"To think that at such a young age, both could have reached such mastery. Their futures are limitless!"
"Indeed," Pei Tiannan said with a sigh. "But Lord Chen will still lose. The suppression of realm is too great. A practitioner at tempering organs – Minor Achievement cannot enter Exploding Blood state. Otherwise, this outcome might be uncertain."
"You're right," Eunuch Hou replied. "A pity indeed. My guess—10 rounds at most. By the 10th, Lord Chen won't hold out. Either he retreats off the stage, or he falls to the Crown Prince's heir—seriously wounded, perhaps even dead."
"Hmm?"
Pei Tiannan set down the teacup he had just raised. "Eunuch Hou, your judgment seems off. Look closely—though Lord Chen is being suppressed, he hasn't fallen further behind. He's holding the line."
"This boy's qi and blood…" Eunuch Hou murmured in surprise. "It's terrifyingly dense."
When facing an opponent of higher realm, one usually had to burn through far more qi and blood to compensate. The consumption was enormous.
Yet Chen Sanshi—under this crushing pressure—remained steady, unyielding.
Just how deep was his blood vitality?
"Good," Eunuch Hou said, eyes gleaming. "This lord wants to see… just how long he can endure!"