21- The fight

When Zhong Peng arrived at the third floor he saw Duan Xue waiting for him, as he walked towards her she gestured for him to sit down.

Zhong Peng sat down and observed Duan Xue's expression, it was cold and aloof after a while of silence Duan Xue finally broke the silence

" Aren't you surprised to see me here? " Duan Xue asked.

" I never expected it to be you who handed the invitation over, I am now curious to find out more about the invitation, " Zhong Peng asked

Of course, he was lying if Zhou Shun haven't told him that it was her that sent the invitation he would have been very surprised, but he didn't reveal that he already knew about the gathering, he wanted to know if he could get more information from her.

"Have you heard about the upcoming cloud gathering?" Duan Xue asked.

" Cloud gathering? What's that? " Zhong Peng asked with a surprised look.

" It's a gathering of clans and sects of Zheng great-kingdom where the disciples of every clan or sect showcase their battle skills against others " Duan Xue explained.

" Oh, sounds interesting, when is it, " Zhong Peng asked.

"It would be held in about a month and a half " Duan Xue replied.

"So are you trying to invite me to join the contest, " Zhong Peng asked.

"Yes, during the first stage of the competition, after that you can choose to either continue teaming up with me or do it alone, " Duan Xue said.

" I am still surprised, I thought you would be angry with me about what happened yesterday, " Zhong Peng asked curiously.

" Of course, I am still angry, I just want to focus on winning this year's contest, after that you still have to pay for harming Brother Shen Hong " Duan Xue said furiously.

Zhong Peng was shocked by what she said, he cursed Zhou Shun inwardly for putting him in this predicament.

" Alright, I'm in. What do I need to do to prepare " Zhou Shun asked?

" Well, first of all, you need to register for the competition. I can help you with that " Duan Xue said.

" Okay, and what else, " Zhong Peng asked.

" You need to stabilize your cultivation and get yourself ready for battle, " Duan Xue said.

" I see, what about strategies? Do I need to come up with a game plan " Zhong Peng asked.

" No, let me worry about that, but if you want to continue after the first stage of the contest then you need to study your opponents and come up with strategies to counter their moves, " Duan Xue said.

" Sounds like a lot of work," Zhong Peng said but didn't get a response from Duan Xue

Seeing that the conversation between them was over he decided to leave, as he stood up to leave Duan Xue said.

" Also, you need to work on your battle skills, you might have defeated Shen Hong yesterday but it was because he underestimated you and let his guard down "

without anyone telling him, Zhong Peng already knew that his battle skills were lacking.

*********************

Two figures could be seen standing before each other the first was a tall, young man with a shaved head and was known for his lightning-fast strikes.

He was confident in his abilities and thought that he could easily defeat the other cultivator.

The second cultivator was shorter and more slender, and he wore a spiked gauntlet, he was Zhong Peng of course, after he left, he didn't go to Zhou Shun's house immediately instead he decided to go to the underground battle ring to work on his fighting skills, this is his sixty-ninth battle.

The two of them circled each other, sizing each other up. The first cultivator made the first move, lunging at Zhong Peng with his sword.

Zhong Peng dodged the attack and countered with a fist strike. The first cultivator blocked the attack with his sword, and the two cultivators continued to exchange blows.

The fight was intense, and both cultivators were evenly matched. The first cultivator's sword strikes were powerful, but Zhong Peng's speed and agility allowed him to dodge most of them.

Zhong Peng's strikes were precise, but the first cultivator's sword was able to block them.

The fight continued for what seemed like hours, with neither of them gaining the upper hand.

The spectators who had gathered to watch the fight were amazed at the skill of the two cultivators. They had never seen such a fierce battle before.

They both exhausted their strength after a while, but neither was willing to give up.

Then suddenly Zhong Peng's opponent made a mistake, leaving himself open for just a moment, Zhong Peng seized the opportunity and struck him in the chest with his right hand sending him flying backward.

His opponent lay on the ground, stunned. He had never been defeated before, and he couldn't believe that he had lost to Zhong Peng.

He has been fighting in the battle ring for a long time now, only a few people can defeat him in the battle ring.

What shocked him was that Zhong Peng was a pinnacle martial cultivator where by he is a middle true martial cultivator who was on the verge of a breakthrough.

Zhong Peng approached him and extended his hand, offering to help him up. The first cultivator hesitated for a moment but then accepted his hand.

The two looked at each other, both feeling a sense of respect for the other. They had fought a fierce battle, but in the end, they had both come out stronger.

A figure was watching from a distance, if Zhong Peng was here he would recognize him, It was Zhou Shun he has a strange smile on his face.