Chapter 57: The Heroes Despair

Chapter 57: Chapter 57: The Heroes Despair

「On the peak of Hua Mountain.」

The crowd had just witnessed Chen Sha do nothing, yet effortlessly send a first-class expert of the age flying. Then they heard what he said next.

He had said they could come at him in groups.

"You’re the one who said it! The Qingcheng Four Elders are here to test your skills!"

Four Daoists in cyan robes with short kerchiefs tied around their heads charged forward. With four men and four swords, they streaked like meteors across the sky, reaching Chen Sha in an instant.

However, the tips of their swords stopped three feet before Chen Sha, unable to advance another inch. Not only did the Power from their blades vanish without a trace, but they were then struck by an extremely strong rebounding force.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

It was the sound of four more bodies flying backward through the air.

After the men scrambled to their feet, they were filled with despair:

"This..."

"It’s like an iron fortress... We can’t get within three feet of him. What kind of Martial Arts is this?"

The result had been the same twice in a row.

The first time, one could have argued that the expert from the Mixed Element Thunderbolt Sect was simply careless. But the Qingcheng Four Elders were seasoned figures of the Jianghu, yet even when they attacked together...

Instantly, the thousand or so figures from the Martial Arts world stared at one another in dismay. The peak of Hua Mountain fell silent, leaving only the howling of the wind to stir their unsettled Heart Spirits.

What kind of skill was this?

No matter the expert, none could get within three feet of him!

How could they even fight him?!

For a moment, all the heroes present sank into despair.

Chen Sha merely glanced at Huang Yaoshi and the others.

Then, he looked out at everyone before him and said calmly,

"Please, continue. It doesn’t matter if more of you come at once."

’With my current Grandmaster Skill, standing before this crowd of first, second, and third-class experts, aren’t I just like the Sweeping Monk from Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils?’

’Never mind four or five people at once; even if twenty first-class experts were to attack me together, the result would be the same.’

’I’m only being this conspicuous because I want to attract the attention of Wang Chongyang and the other Four Extremes as quickly as possible. I want them to step up and face me sooner rather than later.’

Hong Qigong, Huang Yaoshi, and the others wore incredibly grave expressions as they re-evaluated Chen Sha, their eyes filled with shock and horror.

’Such a terrifying Three-foot Qi Wall?’

’What are this young man’s origins?’

The crowd of Martial Arts experts looked at each other in dismay.

Among the thousand-plus people, there were still some stubborn challengers who refused to be intimidated.

"Shen Feixia of the Kongtong Sect has come to test your skills—"

WHAM!

The man went flying.

"Hex Wanshan of the Kunlun Sect—"

WHAM!

No other result was possible.

Another person was sent flying backward!

In the time it took to drink a cup of tea,

more than a dozen challengers had already been repelled several yards. Ashamed of their inadequacy, they walked up to Chen Sha one by one, respectfully cupped their fists, and voluntarily left the peak of Hua Mountain.

"We are no match for him!"

As more and more people came up to challenge him, their initial confusion about Chen Sha’s strength transformed into sincere, heartfelt reverence!

Everyone who had come into contact with that despair-inducing Three-foot Qi Wall came to a clear realization.

And that was,

they and this young Daoist were simply beings from two different worlds.

With such a vast gap between them, how could they possibly fight?

The more they tried, the more they despaired, and the more they felt their own insignificance!

Perhaps only figures like Wang Chongyang, the Emperor of Dali, or the leader of the Beggar Gang would be his true opponents.

"Lord Duan, did you see that clearly?"

Hong Qigong stood beside Duan Zhixing and asked in a low voice,

"Is that really the Three-foot Qi Wall of the Shaolin Sweeping Monk?"

Duan Zhixing shook his head. "We only heard about the events of that year from our predecessors. No one witnessed it personally, so how could we possibly confirm it?"

He looked toward Wang Chongyang, wanting to hear the Sect Leader’s opinion.

However, Wang Chongyang merely stared at Chen Sha.

’He’s not making a single move, just using his Protective True Qi, and no one can do a thing to him.’

’Such profound Power...’

"The tale of the Three-foot Qi Wall is, after all, a story from a hundred years ago."

Hong Qigong watched for a while longer before saying,

"Since he’s a Daoist, it’s unlikely he has any connection to Buddhist Martial Arts. Perhaps this is just a special type of Hard Qi Skill..."

Hearing this, Ouyang Feng thought to himself,

’Just using True Qi to form Gang Qi and resist the attacks of first-class experts... my Toad Skill might be able to do that too, but it would require a long time to accumulate Qi. Don’t tell me this person’s Martial Arts and my Toad Skill achieve the same effect through different means?’

Duan Zhixing was moved by Hong Qigong’s speculation.

’My Duan Clan’s One Yang Finger specializes in breaking through all kinds of protective Gang Qi and Outer Hard Skills.’

He had watched Chen Sha repel more than twenty experts from various sects in a row.

If this continued, today’s Hua Mountain Sword Discussion would become nothing more than a one-man show for this mysterious Daoist.

The stories told in the future would most likely be about how "at the Hua Mountain Sword Discussion, a single Daoist suppressed all the heroes, and no expert from any path could stand against him." There would be no mention of them at all.

Before becoming a monk, the Southern Emperor, Lord Duan, had been proud and arrogant, and had never lost to anyone.

This was especially true now that he believed he had seen through the secret of Chen Sha’s "Hard Qi Skill."

Confident in his Duan Clan’s One Yang Finger, he felt he had a fighting chance!

Just then,

another man was sent flying away in shame.

This was already the forty-ninth expert Chen Sha had repelled.

His saber and sword had both shattered before Chen Sha. His face was livid with shame as he bowed deeply.

"This Daoist’s Martial Arts are peerless! I am utterly convinced of my defeat!"

After this person stepped down,

Chen Sha’s gaze swept over the crowd. He saw that no one on the peak dared to meet his eyes. Even those experts who had previously intended to step forward had been thoroughly intimidated by the miserable defeats of fifty consecutive challengers!

"Is there no one left?"

Chen Sha asked, his hands behind his back.

’My Qi infuses my entire body. Having reached the Grandmaster Realm, my Qi Power is already inhumanly vast. I could maintain this True Qi shield and fend off a thousand people on this peak for seven days and seven nights without any issue.’

At that moment,

he glanced to the side and saw a figure in an Imperial Robe step forward, and he thought to himself:

’I’ve been waiting for you.’

The one who stepped forward was none other than the Emperor of Dali, Duan Zhixing.

"Your Martial Arts are unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed. If you have no objection, how about allowing Us to test your skills?"

As he spoke, Duan Zhixing strode forward from a distance, stopping several yards from Chen Sha.

When the crowd saw the Emperor of Dali finally willing to take the stage and test his strength against the mysterious young Daoist, even those who had been preparing to leave the mountain couldn’t help but stop in their tracks, eager to see the result.

People on the peak began to whisper amongst themselves:

"The Dali Duan Clan and its One Yang Finger have been dominant in the Martial Arts world for centuries. It’s particularly effective against Hard Qi Skills—those ’turtle shell’ defenses. Lord Duan has been watching from the side for some time; he must be confident he can break through this man’s Qi Wall."

Duan Zhixing’s entrance made Hong Qi, Huang Yaoshi, Ouyang Feng, and the others grow incredibly somber.

Wang Chongyang shook his head inwardly.

’My original plan was to have the heroes fight amongst themselves until only a few remained, and then have them compete fairly. I never expected this mysterious young Daoist to take control of the situation. It’s subtly turning into a scenario where he alone, here on the peak of Hua Mountain, will face every expert under the heavens—including myself.’

He once again looked at Chen Sha carefully.

’When did our Daoist School ever produce such a young prodigy?’

’But now Lord Duan of Dali has personally stepped forward. Of the thousand people here, he is one of the few "Grandmasters" whose Martial Arts I know best. Unlike those first or second-class experts, he should be able to force Chen Sha to make a real move. Then I’ll have a better chance of judging which lineage he hails from.’

"Lord Duan of Dali."

Chen Sha stood with his hands behind his back and smiled faintly.

"Let me see just how extraordinary the Duan Family’s One Yang Finger truly is."

The future Southern Emperor, one of the Five Extremes in their youth, had taken the stage.

’He is one of only two major characters I haven’t fought yet. From my memories, I know just how miraculous the One Yang Finger is. It’s not only a superior Finger Sword Acupressure Skill, but it can also be used with one’s full Power to save lives.’

Duan Zhixing watched as Chen Sha remained standing in place, merely raising a hand in a gesture of invitation.

He frowned and said,

"Our Duan Clan’s One Yang Finger specializes in breaking through qi and piercing strong defenses. You must not be careless. After all, once Our Finger Power is unleashed, it will strike you in an instant. If you make no move to defend yourself, I fear it may cost you your life."