C5 I'm Going to Die!

Soong Jie's complexion turned ashen as he reluctantly stepped into the arena, his voice icy with contempt. "Do you truly believe you can defeat me? Don't forget how I bested you before."

To be the only one among the top ten to be challenged, and by a former subordinate he had defeated, was an immense disgrace.

Zhang Nan lifted his eyelids slightly and responded in a hushed tone, "I believe you're more aware than I am of who truly won that fight."

There had been foul play, poisoning even! How else could Zhang Nan have lost?

Of course, Soong Jie would never confess to such tactics. His spiritual energy began to flow through him silently as he declared, "Let's just see the truth in the heat of battle."

"Tidal Wave Strike!"

No sooner had he spoken than Soong Jie unleashed a low-grade Profound skill, even before Zhang Nan could utter a word. The move elicited murmurs of awe from the onlookers.

"Soong Jie's opening move is a low-grade Profound skill. He's really giving Zhang Nan a lot of credit."

"Oh, if only we had a set of low-grade Profound skills like that. I'm so envious of Soong Jie."

Gao Yue watched Soong Jie's palm technique and nodded in admiration. The skill was impressive, its potency undeniable.

Zhang Nan, having anticipated a surprise attack, clenched his right fist and struck out with deceptive ease and nonchalance. It appeared as effortless as a gentle breeze, which made it seem as though Zhang Nan was on a path to certain defeat against a low-grade Profound skill.

"Die!"

Soong Jie's grin twisted into a cruel sneer as he fantasized about Zhang Nan being severely punished at his hands.

Boom!

A thunderous explosion echoed, and the crowd's faces registered sheer disbelief.

"How is this possible!"

"Wasn't Zhang Nan supposed to be Soong Jie's defeated foe? How could this happen!"

"But that was a low-grade Profound skill!"

Indeed, amidst the gasps of the crowd, Soong Jie was sent hurtling backward, shrouded in black smoke, as if struck by a bolt of lightning. The scent of seared flesh lingered where his right hand had made contact.

Gao Yue's eyes narrowed involuntarily, taken aback by the unexpected display of strength from the ordinarily unremarkable Zhang Nan.

Gao Yue's eyes narrowed slightly in surprise. Why did Zhang Nan, who was always so ordinary, suddenly display such strength? And that mysterious skill! No, wait! Gao Yue suddenly realized that Zhang Nan was exuding an aura indicative of the ninth level of Qi Refining, and it was no ordinary ninth level.

Could it be that this young man had been concealing his true power all along, even during the last competition? But she quickly dismissed the thought. Everyone was aware of the severity of Zhang Nan's injuries from the previous match, and the fearsome nature of the Tidal Wave Strike. How could Zhang Nan possibly...

Soong Jie picked himself up off the ground, looking disheveled. His eyes were filled with disbelief and avarice as he snarled, "I only used 30% of my strength just now. Next, I'll show you just how vast the gap between us really is!" As he spoke, his ring emitted a faint glow, and suddenly, an immortal sword materialized in his hand.

"A spirit weapon! Soong Jie actually possesses a spirit weapon."

"Ah, lucky him to have such a generous father. We can't even dream of that."

"Zhang Nan's done for now. That's a spirit weapon we're talking about."

Before they could even express their envy, they were captivated by the allure of the spirit weapon. Soong Jie, too, gazed at the spirit weapon in his hand with pride. It was a birthday gift from his father last year and his ace in the hole. He had planned to reveal it during the Grand Tournament of the Hundred Academies, but Zhang Nan had forced his hand.

Zhang Nan watched this display with a sense of amusement. "It's just a spirit weapon. What's the big deal? Do you really think you're the only one who has one?" As he spoke, a glow appeared on Zhang Nan's hand, and a plain, unassuming spiritual sword came into view—the Tian Qiong Sword. It was well-known that Tian Qiong's fame was due in large part to his extraordinary swordsmanship.

Now Soong Jie was brandishing a sword? He was clearly setting himself up for failure.

"Has Zhang Nan lost his mind? He's actually brought out what looks like a stick for stoking fires?"

"I think he's resigned himself to his fate, especially since Soong Jie has a spirit weapon."

"That's right. There's no mystery about how this fight will end."

Zhang Nan remained impassive upon hearing the murmurs below, his hands quietly caressing his Tian Qiong Sword.

For a swordsman, the paramount task is to become intimately acquainted with their blade, rather than chase after flashy but impractical things.

Otherwise, what good is even the finest sword?

"It's a waste to entrust such a fine spiritual weapon to you."

Unable to contain himself any longer, Soong Jie gripped his low-grade Red Cloud Sword and viciously swung it at Zhang Nan, intent on reducing him to pieces.

Zhang Nan was utterly unfazed.

To him, using the Tian Qiong Sword against Soong Jie was overkill, a sign of respect he scarcely deserved.

But it couldn't be helped.

For the first leg of his rebirth, he had to secure a resounding victory.

The Red Cloud Sword, ablaze with flames, descended ferociously upon Zhang Nan's head. Yet, Zhang Nan seemed utterly unaffected, his gaze fixed on Soong Jie.

A fresh wave of gasps swept through the crowd below, and even Gao Yue couldn't help but tense up, drawing her Purple Thunder Whip, ready to protect the students.

As the Red Cloud Sword neared its target, the onlookers instinctively shut their eyes.

With a casual flick of the Tian Qiong Sword held before him, devoid of any apparent technique, Zhang Nan deflected the attack.

Ding!

The swords met, and to everyone's astonishment, the Red Cloud Sword was cleaved in two, its pieces slowly dropping to the ground, sending shockwaves through the hearts of all who witnessed it.

Was it over, just like that?

Soong Jie's hand shook violently, and he stumbled backward several steps before regaining his balance, disbelief etched on his face.

Impossible.

His low-grade spiritual weapon had been severed by what he considered a mere stick. How could this be?

Staring at the remaining half of his Red Cloud Sword, he was petrified, his earlier bravado evaporated.

How could the spiritual weapon gifted by his father have been so easily destroyed?

"Look, the Red Cloud Sword has actually been cut in half!"

"Oh my god, is it a fake? How could it break so easily?"

"It has to be a fake!"

Even the mentors in the stands harbored doubts. Could it be that the Red Cloud Sword in Soong Jie's hands was indeed a counterfeit?

The mentors in the stands were equally skeptical. Could the Red Cloud Sword that Soong Jie held really be a fake? But what about the flames they had just witnessed? It didn't add up.

Gao Yue shot Soong Jie a fierce glare before sheathing her Purple Thunder Whip. This damned guy had been playing us for fools. She resolved to deal with him harshly later.

Soong Jie was inwardly distraught. He desperately wanted to assert that the Red Cloud Sword was genuine and that he had no idea why it had broken so easily.

"Soong Jie, do you remember our previous duel?" Zhang Nan's words sent a wave of tension through Soong Jie, who vividly remembered how he had once put Zhang Nan in his place.

"No, you can't do this. My father is an elder at the academy. If you go through with this, he won't let you get away with it."

Ignoring the plea, Zhang Nan launched an attack, channeling spiritual energy to shatter all of Soong Jie's meridians before delivering a brutal kick.

Standing over Soong Jie once more, Zhang Nan pressed his right foot onto his opponent's face and crouched down, taunting, "I wonder if you'll ever have the chance to stand again!"

Indeed, at that moment, everyone realized that Soong Jie was finished. His meridians were completely shattered, leaving him in an even more dire condition than Zhang Nan had ever experienced. His fate was sealed.

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