C26 Ma Zhou

"Come up here, little guy from Great Harvest City."

The elder in linen beckoned to Ma Zhou. As a Spirit Wheel Stage Level Five Heaven Expert, he was the ideal candidate to gauge Zhuang Xing's capabilities.

Ma Zhou gave Zhuang Xing a look of sheer contempt and disdain. It was beneath him, the top prodigy of Great Harvest City and a Spirit Wheel Stage Level Five Heaven Expert, to be pitted against someone merely at the Spirit Wheel Stage Level Two Heaven. To him, it was an insult.

Predictably, the youths from Great Harvest City were already seething with indignation before he even made a move.

"Why would he ask Brother Yu to handle a mere Level Two Heaven cultivator? Is this some kind of joke?"

"He's nothing but trash. He doesn't deserve Brother Yu's effort. I could suppress him easily."

"Brother Yu, let me take him down. We'll show him what Great Harvest City is made of."

The crowd buzzed with readiness to step in.

"Silence! What kind of behavior is this?" the elder in linen roared, and the Great Harvest City youths immediately fell quiet. Representing Azure Sun City, they wouldn't dare to cross these elders.

"Little guy, up here."

Ma Zhou frowned. Truthfully, he was not at all keen on clashing with Zhuang Xing, whose strength didn't qualify him as a worthy opponent. Ma Zhou's true rivals were those at Spirit Wheel Stage Level Six Heaven, Level Seven Heaven, or even stronger. Only they were fit to face him.

But the elder's command was not to be questioned. Despite his reluctance, Ma Zhou wouldn't dare voice his discontent. After all, facing a Level Two Heaven cultivator posed no challenge to him; he could easily dispatch him with a mere gesture.

With all eyes on him, Ma Zhou slowly ascended the stage and faced Zhuang Xing, looking down at him with undisguised scorn.

"Kid, you still have time to concede. If you wait for me to act, surrender won't be an option for you."

Ma Zhou stood confidently, hands behind his back, radiating an undeniable presence that left no room for doubt.

"Do you expect me to concede defeat?"

Zhuang Xing offered a faint smile. The concept of conceding defeat was foreign to his life's philosophy.

"Unwilling to concede? Then brace yourself for my punch."

Ma Zhou's fist tightened, unleashing a formidable power that surged through his body, creating an aura both sharp and ferocious.

"You're going to be defeated by me."

With a loud cry, Ma Zhou charged forward, his immense strength bursting forth like a thunderclap that shook the heavens and earth.

"Ma Zhou has made his move; that kid's done for."

"Ma Zhou is a Spirit Wheel Stage Level Five Heaven Expert. His strength is immeasurably greater than that of a Spirit Wheel Stage Level Two Heaven cultivator. This kid is going down fast."

"Not even a Spirit Wheel Stage Level Four Heaven Expert might withstand a punch from a Level Five Heaven Expert, let alone this kid who's merely at Level Two Heaven."

"How many hits do you think this kid can take from Ma Zhou?"

"I'd say three, at most five."

"Three? You're giving this kid too much credit. I say he'll be down in two, maybe even one hit."

"I wouldn't have accepted the challenge myself. A couple of harsh words are no big deal. I wouldn't foolishly accept a challenge and court death like this kid."

"He's brought this upon himself. Who else can he blame? There's an old saying, 'Heaven's wrath is survivable, but self-inflicted misery is fatal.'"

Laughter and scorn filled the air.

"Xing."

Zhuang Dou watched Zhuang Xing intently, his fists clenched beneath his sleeves, his body shaking with barely contained anxiety. His heart was pounding with worry.

On the stage, Ma Zhou looked at Zhuang Xing with a smirk of disdain. To him, defeating this kid, who was only at Spirit Wheel Stage Level Two Heaven, would be effortless.

"Kid, watch as I take you down in one move."

Ma Zhou unleashed a punch, channeling 80% of his power into the blow. It didn't matter if his opponent was at the Spirit Wheel Stage Level Two Heaven or even Level Four Heaven; they wouldn't be able to withstand it.

Many onlookers' faces fell as they witnessed Ma Zhou's attack. His fist force was domineering to an unparalleled degree. Zhuang Xing was surely doomed to fail.

"One move to defeat me? I doubt you have what it takes."

Zhuang Xing faced Ma Zhou's formidable punch without a trace of fear. He clenched his fist and launched his own counterattack. His power surged forth like an erupting volcano, bursting forth in a flash.

The two mighty strikes collided, sending a fierce qi strength radiating from the epicenter, obliterating everything in its path.

"He actually blocked the attack."

"Yes, and Ma Zhou is a Spirit Wheel Stage Level Five Heaven Expert. The gap in their strength is vast, like that between heaven and earth."

"With Ma Zhou's capabilities, even a casual strike would be insurmountable for a Spirit Wheel Stage Level Two Heaven warrior. This young man's strength is astonishingly overpowering."

The crowd buzzed with disbelief at the spectacle before them.

Zhuang Dou breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Zhuang Xing withstand Ma Zhou's onslaught. His greatest fear was that Zhuang Xing would falter under the attack.

"Is that all a Spirit Wheel Stage Level Five Heaven Expert has to offer?"

Zhuang Xing stood calmly on the elevated platform, appearing utterly at ease.

Ma Zhou, incensed by the comment, thought to himself how this young upstart was oblivious to the vastness of the world.

"Mysterious Heavy Fist."

Ma Zhou delivered a heavy punch, a Killing Consummate Skill of the Ma family, known for its overwhelming force.

Unfazed, Zhuang Xing's technique remained unchanged as he unleashed his own formidable fist force.

At this moment, his Imperishable Golden Body Spell had advanced beyond the Level One realm. His fists now possessed the strength to pulverize anything in the world.

The sheer force of his punch caused the air to burst with a thunderous roar.

With a cold smirk, Zhuang Xing closed in on Ma Zhou and executed the Heaven Killing Style.

The Heaven Killing Style's potency was astounding, as the relentless assault bore down on Ma Zhou, fierce and unyielding.