Chapter 14 : Defeating Qiang Shi once more

Jian Zheng eyes blaze with an unyielding will. His sword came out of its sheath then runes lit up on its blade. When these runes came out the sword look as if it was alive.

Quicken Cloud!

His sword move at the speed of a cloud soaring fast through the sky as red light flash like an illusion as his sword met once more with Qiang Shi fist.

With his sword aura, intents and Scarlett power the results were different. Qiang Shi was sent flying, crashing into one of the caves.

"Qiang Shi was forced back!" The outer disciples were shocked by the second exchange. They thought that Jian Zheng would lose miserably this time, might even become a cripple but the reality was different from what they had in mind.

"That sort of power is enough to left an ordinary Huotian tenth stage cultivator heavily injuries."

"This.... don't tell me we got another Xie Huoji!"

"What's shocking is that he's only at the fifth stage, when Xie Huoji defeated Xue Ling he was at the seventh stage, this is too unbelievable!"

"If Xie Huoji is known to be a legendary genius then Jian Zheng is a monstrous genius!"

"Look! Qiang Shi got back up!"

"There's no injuries on his body!"

"Hehe, I have to thank you for what you did back then." Qiang Shi chuckled while brushing off the tiny bits of blood on his mouth, "That attack back then has managed to make me breakthrough a bottleneck in my body cultivation technique, do you know how long I have been trying to breakthrough it?"

"Over 2 years. If I had made a breakthrough a year ago then I would have been able to stand up against the top 5." Qiang Shi clenched his teeth as he remember how he was humiliated by the top 5, "Now that I have made a breakthrough you'll be the first one to experience my might!"

"Elephant-Lion Unity!" Qiang Shi shouted as the robes on his body exploded along with the roar of a lion and the trumpeting of an elephant. His aura became aggressive which affected those around him.

The outer court disciples hacked up mouthful of blood and some were holding their head in pain.

As for Jian Zheng he was unaffected by this. With Brimming Phoenix and his sword aura, his mental defense was unbreakable. Unless he was physically hit, nothing could penetrate him

"Pouching Lion Fist!" Qiang Shi voice was now unrecognizable as it break everyone around him ear drums.

"Stomping Elephant Fist!" The trumpeting of an elephant became louder at the same time.

His right palm glowed red, showing the aggressive nature of an lion while his left hand glow white, giving the feeling of how short-tempered an elephant could become.

Jian Zheng watched all of this calmly. He wasn't afraid of Qiang Shi, but more shocked about his techniques, 'These techniques definitely does not belong the Asura Cloud Sect so where did he get then from?" Jian Zheng pondered, he already went through most of the techniques in the first and second floor, "Unless they belong to the higher floors." Now that he though of it, he haven't been to the outer court Martial Hall.

"Spacing out again? You really know how to court death!" Qiang Shi was really angry now, he felt like Jian Zheng didn't even see him as an opponent which made him feel humiliated. The top 5 didn't put him in their eyes and now some new sect disciple was ignoring him? "If I Qiang Shi don't defeat you today then I will willingly become your subordinate!" He said with his two hands bursting with power.

"Sorry, but I don't need trash like you under my wing." Jian Zheng said coldly as his sword became covered in white mist similar to that of a cloud.

Using Empowered Cloud his sword tremble with excitement as Scarlett felt the overwhelming power inside her.

Soft Cloud Quivers!

Combining the two techniques his power multiply as a crescent sword light filled with white light rays flew towards Qiang Shi. When Qiang Shi saw this he was frightened as he could feel the explosive power from the sword light.

Unfortunately he could not dodge, with no other option he grasp his two hands and flung it onto the sword light.

When his hand met with the sword light it quickly vanished like when something collide with a cloud, "What the hell..." Just as he was wondering what just happened his arms were sliced into ten marks which cut deep.

If it wasn't for his body art then his hands would have most likely been cut off from his body, "What sword art was that..." Not believing that he lost he looked at Jian Zheng with unwilling eyes.

"Soaring Cloud Sword art ." Jian Zheng replied while he sheathe his sword. Even now, he still didn't see Qiang Shi as an opponent since he didn't manage to make him bring out the only trump card he have, The Scarlet Lightening Conquering Sword art.

"Soaring Cloud Sword Art? Isn't that the forbidden technique that was said to kill a lot of the sects inner disciples?!" When Qiang Shi aura collapsed the outer court disciples began recovering from his might.

"No way! To think I managed to see the Soaring Cloud Sword Art in action!"

"Much less from an new outer court disciple!"

"A truly monstrous genius! No wonder they call him the True Sword Madman!"

"I see, that makes sense." Qiang Shi sighed as he accept his fate, "I guess I won't be entering the inner court this year." He said with reluctance.

"Here is the key to open the cave." Qiang Shi threw a small stone towards Jian Zheng, "You can insert it into the hole at the entrance, it will open the door." Saying that, he got up and left. Even with his injured arms he still put up a strong front.

"I can see a will to be on the top coming off you, if that's what you wish for then you shouldn't stay in a place like this. The top 5? Who cares about them, they might as well just came across fortunate encounters to be so strong." Noticing the leaving Qiang Shi, he called out.

"Although they got it with their own abilities that doesn't mean their aptitude is better than yours. I recommend you leave this sect for there's nothing here for you." Jian Zheng said arrogantly, he didn't really care if Qiang Shi took his advice or not as it wasn't his concern. He just didn't want Qiang Shi to develop a heart devil that would cause his cultivation to decline and not increase.

Qiang Shi stopped when he heard Jian Zheng but only stop for a moment before continuing on his path. It was as if what Jian Zheng said came through his left ear and came out of his right ear.

Jian Zheng didn't mind this attitude though as he would have also felt the same if he was in Qiang Shi position, "Big Sister I'm going in first." Jian Zheng waved goodbye to Gu Lingran but saw that she was nowhere to be found.

Shrugging his shoulders, Jian Zheng quickly entered into the cave. The outer court disciples seeing this were astonished, "I know he's a monstrous genius and all, but how long have he been in the sect?"

"I heard that he used to be a labor worker for the sect for 5 years." A disciple said which caused the others to become stunned.

"Are you kidding me? I went away for 6 months because of that fucker Xie Huoji and you're telling me there's already another genius?" As the outer court disciples were discussing about Jian Zheng a young man about 25 years old appear.

The man was covered in black robes, contrasting the robes of the outer court. His hair black in color and his face was rather ordinary. However, on his face was a black mark that create a vertical line around his left eye travelling down to his neck.

"H-Hei Yanbei is back!"

"THE Hei Yanbei? The one that managed to exchange ten blows with Zhuang Yi?!"

The crowd was about to go wild. After the arrival of Jian Zheng it seems as if the top 5 were constantly popping out like grass. First it was Xie Huoji who was rank fifth and now its Hei Yanbei who used to be rank first but lost to Zhuang Yi before Xie Huoji came to the sect.

Other than Xie Huoji, the top 5 have gone onto golden missions for more than a year now which made it extremely rare to see them appearing like they used to.

But now it seems like they have either completed the golden missions and are ready to come back to the sect or they are almost finish.

"How annoying." Hei Yanbei looked at the crowd with annoyance, "Two thing, I hate in this world are noise and crowded places." He said while groaning then quickly vanished.

His appearance was only to tell the sect that he have returned. Now that he's gone no one would be able to find him. This quality of his led to the outer court disciples to call him The Unseen.

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Inside the cave, Jian Zheng saw that there was nothing other than a stone bed. This made him displeased, "The sect can't even give us a good place to sleep?" Jian Zheng shake his head feeling disappointed. In the labor worker court he managed to make his own hut and his bed was made from straws that he found in the field. The bed wasn't perfect, but it still felt rather soft which made him feel comfortable.

"Well at least I can finally have some privacy and if my guess is right sounds from outside cannot enter this cave." Jian Zheng shake his head and started thinking of the positive things. He can now cultivate in peace and there won't be anyone else bothering him since they cannot enter a person cave without the key.

"I have two days before the mission so I should get my cultivation to the sixth stage before then." Jian Zheng sat on the stone bed and was about to cultivate when a crack was heard in his body, "This...."

Stupefied, Jian Zheng checked his body to see if there was anything wrong but what he saw amazed him, "Huotian Sixth stage!" Jian Zheng became excited not because of his breakthrough but the stone bed.

"This bed can enhance ones cultivation!" In normal circumstances his cultivation would take at most five hours before he make a breakthrough, but this bed seemingly can improve ones cultivation by 1.25x.

"Why are you so surprised? You would have easily make a break through to the sixth stage since it was already loosen when you came in contact with that pink scent." Scarlett smirked at Jian Zheng which made him blushed, "So it wasn't the bed..."

"I don't believe this!" Not agreeing with Scarlett, Jian Zheng crazily cultivated causing spiritual energy to surge into his body like wild fire.

Just like that two days pasted in the blink of an eye. It has now been close to 3 days since Jian Zheng entered the outer court and news about his achievements have already died down.

Xie Huoji made an appearance two days ago, shouting challenges at Hei Yanbei. When he saw that Hei Yanbei wasn't responding to his challenge he then started calling him a coward and words that would make a person Dao heart waver.

Yet, even after an entire day of Xie Huoji calling him a coward he still didn't make an appearance. This aggrieved Xie Huoji as he was already filled with battle intent the moment he heard that Hei Yanbei have come back.

Due to this, he also challenged Jian Zheng, waiting an entire day once more. Believing that Jian Zheng would fight him he even said how he would go easy on Jian Zheng.

In spite of saying all of that though, Jian Zheng didn't appear. This made him think they were afraid of him and with his battle intent accumulating to its limit he took it out on the outer court disciples.

After he was done beating up the outer court disciples he still wasn't satisfied. To quench his thirst, he went outside the sect to find a strong beast to fight.

Inside Jian Zheng cave, immense spiritual energy gather around him and his sword. A cracking sound was heard as his strength multiply by a great deal. Opening his eyes, sword light flash in between them, "I guess its time for the mission."