Chapter 56: Three-foot Qi Wall

Chapter 56: Chapter 56: Three-foot Qi Wall

On Hua Mountain Peak, the sky felt within arm’s reach. Wind and snow howled as over a thousand martial artists from across the land stood amidst the frost and snow on the summit.

Wang Chongyang followed the voice with his gaze.

He saw a young Daoist, the one who had just spoken. The man was handsome and imposing, tall in stature. A simple, unadorned, wide Daoist Robe was draped over his body, its sleeves fluttering restlessly in the fierce winds of the mountaintop.

From the eyes that met his, Wang Chongyang could clearly sense a spiritual Will no weaker than his own—an aura of supreme confidence and power.

"Sir, which sect might you be an expert from..."

Wang Chongyang’s gaze sharpened.

"And what may I call you?"

With just a single glance, Wang Chongyang could tell that Chen Sha’s martial arts were unfathomably deep.

He had thought that the guests he invited—Lord Duan of Dali, Hong Qi of the Beggar Gang, and Huang Yaoshi of the East Sea—were already the most unparalleled experts within Martial Arts.

He never imagined that here, at Hua Mountain Peak, there would be such a rare expert who was unknown in the Jianghu.

Although Chen Sha looked to be only in his twenties, someone with Wang Chongyang’s experience would naturally not judge a person by their appearance.

"Chen Sha."

Chen Sha smiled, his hands clasped behind his back.

"A humble Daoist from the mountains."

"Sect Leader Wang, just tell us the rules for this Hua Mountain Sword Discussion."

He had no intention of elaborating on his origins. It would only be a waste of time.

Seeing this young Daoist speak to Wang Chongyang, the esteemed Quanzhen Sect Master, with neither humility nor arrogance, the crowd was inwardly surprised by Chen Sha’s bearing. Though they could not gauge his depth, none dared to underestimate him.

Ouyang Feng gave Chen Sha a cautious look but paid him little mind, simply folding his arms and chiming in from the side.

"He’s absolutely right. Wang Chongyang, hurry up and lay out the rules."

Wang Chongyang slowly withdrew his gaze from Chen Sha, gently stroking the short, three-inch beard on his chin. "The latter half of Daoist Chen’s sentence has already more or less stated the rules I had prepared for this discussion."

Hearing this, Huang Yaoshi mused, "A series of challenges, where the loser must descend the mountain, and the last one remaining is Number One Under Heaven? That’s fair enough."

The person left at the end would undoubtedly be a Grandmaster of their generation who has overpowered all other heroes. This would first filter out the mediocre crowd, saving time.

Wang Chongyang said, "This humble Daoist’s aim is to put an end to the bloodshed and conflict within Martial Arts over the Nine Yin Scripture. Therefore, today’s Hua Mountain Sword Discussion will be a fair contest of martial skill. The thousands here can all bear witness. No conspiracies or treacherous schemes will be permitted. Anyone caught injuring another in secret will be condemned by all in Martial Arts."

The martial artists on Hua Mountain’s peak heard this and all understood the reminder in the latter half of his statement—or rather, the faint warning.

For the greatest experts in Martial Arts to compete openly and honorably for the title of Number One Under Heaven would, of course, be the most convincing outcome for all.

A voice suddenly cut in.

It was Chen Sha.

He spoke:

"Then who will be the first to receive the challenges of all the experts under heaven?"

The Emperor of Dali, Duan Zhixing, suggested, "Perhaps we can draw lots to decide."

But Chen Sha laughed aloud. "That would be far too troublesome."

Ouyang Feng said coldly, "Young Daoist, do you have a better idea?"

Wang Chongyang had also been thinking about establishing fair rules for the competition, so that even those who lost and had to leave the mountain would do so without complaint. However, seeing that this unheard-of young Daoist seemed to have another suggestion, he held his tongue for the moment, waiting to hear Chen Sha’s idea.

Unexpectedly, Chen Sha clasped his hands behind his back, strode forward, and looked at Ouyang Feng.

"According to my idea, why don’t I be the first one to receive the challenges from all the experts under heaven? What do you think?"

He had come to the Hua Mountain Sword Discussion precisely to experience the pressure from various experts and, by fighting them, make his own martial arts even stronger.

’So what if I’m a little high-profile?’

As soon as he said this, Wang Chongyang, Duan Zhixing, Huang Yaoshi, and the others all showed surprise in their eyes.

’I thought he was the type to hide his capabilities, but he’s so brazen the moment he speaks. Then again, considering his youth, it fits the temperament of a young man.’

Just as this same thought flashed through the minds of the several Grandmasters.

"You want to go first? I have no objection."

Ouyang Feng revealed a sinister smile from the side. With his personality, he would naturally be unwilling to be the first to fight; it would make it too easy for the other experts to see through his martial arts techniques.

The greater the expert, the more they understood that the first person to fight was at a great disadvantage. Since this young upstart who didn’t know his own limits had volunteered, why should he say anything more?

He already felt that this young man was somewhat hard to read. Although his personality was a bit ostentatious, he probably had some real skill. If he could be used to probe the martial arts techniques of Grandmasters like Hong Qi and Lord Duan, it would be a huge benefit for him.

Chen Sha swept his gaze over the several Martial Arts Grandmasters and smiled faintly. "It seems none of you have any objections?"

Wang Chongyang finally spoke, saying slowly, "This humble Daoist’s initial idea was that anyone present who felt they could be the last one standing could draw a thirty-foot circle around themselves. In this way, we would filter through everyone on Hua Mountain’s peak layer by layer. The last few remaining would surely be of the Grandmaster level, and from them, we would determine the Number One Under Heaven."

"However, since Daoist Chen is willing to be the first to enter the stage, I have no objection."

"In that case, there’s no need for more talk."

Chen Sha gave a faint smile, flicked his sleeve, and faced the thousand-some heroes on Hua Mountain Peak.

"Everyone present, come up in order!"

As Chen Sha spoke, his voice shook Hua Mountain Peak, stirring the wind and snow, and striking fear into the hearts of all.

"Who will come and test their skill against me?"

The various experts saw that Wang Chongyang remained silent, and the many great figures of Martial Arts also seemed to acquiesce.

Among the thousand-odd people here, there were members of the Three Religions and Nine Schools, hailing from places like Hanhai, the Northern Desert, the Western Domain, the East Sea, and the Central Plains. Naturally, their personalities were just as varied.

The crowd watched as Chen Sha, a young Daoist merely in his twenties, seized the initiative to be the first to fight. Most of them, unlike Wang Chongyang and the others, could not see his unfathomable depth, so there were many who were eager to be the first to challenge him.

"I’ll go first!"

A burly man wearing a thick, quilted cloak stepped forward and announced in a deep voice:

"Cheng Jike of the Mixed Element Thunderbolt Sect, here to ask for a lesson!"

The Mixed Element Sect was considered a first-class sect within Martial Arts, possessing considerable influence. The sect had two main martial arts: the "Mixed Element Skill" and the "Thunder Fist."

The man approached Chen Sha, and after a quick fist-in-palm salute, he wasted no more words, lunging forward. He threw a punch, and the sound of thunder actually echoed through the air.

’This must be the sect of Cheng Kun, the Mixed Element Thunderclap Hand, from over a hundred years in the future.’

However, judging from the man’s footwork and aura, Chen Sha could tell he was merely a First-class Expert.

Therefore, he simply stood his ground, motionless.

The crowd watched Chen Sha face this thunderous blow, all of them shaken by the power of the Thunder Fist. They felt that if a tiger or leopard were in his place, it would be torn apart.

Yet the young Daoist remained completely still.

Then, the expert from the Mixed Element Thunderbolt Sect’s lightning-fast punch smashed to a halt three feet in front of Chen Sha, as if it had struck a wall of bronze and iron.

BANG!

A sound like the long, resonant toll of an ancient bell echoed across the peak. The expert from the Mixed Element Thunderbolt Sect was then sent flying backward even faster than he had charged in, crashing directly into the snow thirty feet away.

The man looked up in shock, clutching his chest. He felt his organs churn as he said in horror:

"In front of him, that’s..."

"A Three-foot Qi Wall!"

Those four words came from Hong Qigong’s mouth, his expression one of utter astonishment.

"This young man’s Power... he can actually achieve such a feat?"

He exchanged a look with Lord Duan. The two Grandmasters, both aware of the inside story of the world-shaking battle on Shaoshi Mountain a century ago, now had expressions of sheer terror in their eyes.

Yet, standing in the center of it all, Chen Sha’s expression remained unchanged as he slowly said:

"Please continue. Several of you can even come at once."