I Can Merge Techniques

"He’s lost his appetite and can’t sleep at night over this. Just look at the dark circles under his eyes—they’re practically down to his chin. Doesn’t he look much more haggard than the last time you saw him?"

At these words, the surrounding Demon Suppression Guards erupted in laughter, and the atmosphere grew lively.

"Hahaha, Wang has finally caught the man himself!"

"Exactly! He goes on and on every day about how Chu’s exploits are too legendary to be true. He refuses to believe it until he’s tested you himself!"

Chu Fan couldn’t help but chuckle as he looked at the slightly flushed Wang Meng. "Wang, must you go to such lengths? You can’t even sleep soundly just because you want to spar with me?"

Teased by his colleagues, Wang Meng’s weathered face flushed red, but he quickly recovered his usual hearty demeanor.

He waved his hand and laughed. "Chu, don’t listen to Qin Fang’s nonsense! I’m not unconvinced, and I’m certainly not jealous. Your deeds before you even arrived in Qing Province, and then slaying Mo Daozi after you got here... which one of those wasn’t earth-shattering?"

He glanced around, his voice rising a few notches. "And I’m not the only one who’s curious about your strength!"

"Ask them! Who here doesn’t want to see for themselves what kind of hero can perform such miracles?"

"If we don’t get to spar and see for ourselves, these guys will probably get sick from holding it in!"

"That’s right!"

"Wang is absolutely right!"

The crowd of Demon Suppression Guards chimed in their agreement, their laughter thundering across the square.

"Alright then." Seeing everyone’s enthusiasm, Chu Fan found it hard to refuse and nodded in agreement. "We’ll exchange a few moves, then. Please, go easy on me, Wang."

"Good! Straight to the point!" As soon as Chu Fan agreed, Wang Meng was overjoyed, the fighting spirit in his eyes flaring to life.

The group thronged around the two of them, making their way in a great procession toward the Martial Arts Arena.

The news spread as if it had wings. Before long, every available guard in the Demon Suppression Bureau had rushed over, packing the massive Martial Arts Arena to the brim.

Even more surprisingly, a few Demon Suppression Captains, dressed in black brocade robes with silver qilin embroidered on their shoulders, also appeared quietly at the edge of the Martial Arts Arena.

Their expressions were grave, their deep-set eyes locked firmly on Chu Fan in the center of the arena.

Clearly, it wasn’t just Wang Meng and the other Demon Suppression Guards; even these worldly-wise Captains couldn’t see through this young man who repeatedly performed miracles.

They too were desperate to know just what methods Chu Fan possessed that enabled him to slay the infamous Mo Daozi.

...

In the center of the Martial Arts Arena, Chu Fan and Wang Meng stood a hundred feet apart, facing each other.

The surrounding clamor and discussion gradually died down as all eyes focused on the two of them.

But the discussions among the crowd didn’t cease.

"Who do you guys think will win? My bet’s on Wang! He’s a genuine Acupoint Realm master. A single punch of his can shatter a small mountain!"

"Not necessarily," a veteran Demon Suppression Guard nearby said, shaking his head. "Chu Fan killed Mo Daozi, and Mo Daozi was at the Second Heaven of the Acupoint Realm—a whole level higher than Wang! His strength is unfathomable."

"Heh, maybe he just relied on some powerful Magical Treasures and Talismans. In a bare-fisted fight, it all comes down to raw power! I’m still betting on Wang."

"But didn’t the stories say it was Mo Yunzi who ambushed Mo Daozi?"

"I think it’s anyone’s guess. You can’t judge someone like Chu Fan by common sense..."

In the arena, the two men wasted no time on pleasantries.

Wang Meng cupped his fist in his palm, his voice booming like a great bell, his aura imposing. "Demon Suppression Guard Wang Meng! Third Realm, First Heaven of the Acupoint Realm!"

As his voice fell, Primordial Qi surged around him, and a heavy, mountain-like aura spread out.

The guards with weaker cultivation at the edge of the arena felt their breath catch in their throats.

"Such intense pressure! Wang’s getting serious!" A wave of gasps rippled through the crowd.

Under the watchful eyes of the masses, Chu Fan also calmly cupped his fist, his voice clearly reaching every person’s ears. "Chu Fan. Second Realm, Second Heaven of the Divine Power Realm."

The moment he said this, the entire Martial Arts Arena fell into a strange, dead silence.

The crowd, which a moment ago had been arguing, cheering, and placing bets, fell silent as if an invisible hand had seized them by the throat.

The looks of excitement and anticipation on everyone’s faces froze, replaced by confusion and utter disbelief.

"Wh-what? Second Heaven of the Divine Power Realm?"

"Did I hear that right?"

"That’s impossible! Second Heaven of the Divine Power Realm? I thought he was at least at the Fifth Level of the Divine Power Realm!"

"How could someone at the Second Heaven of the Divine Power Realm possibly kill Mo Daozi?"

The hearty smile on Wang Meng’s face also froze solid.

He had considered countless possibilities, guessing that Chu Fan was either at the Peak of the Divine Power Realm or was deliberately suppressing his Realm.

But he had never, ever imagined that his opponent was merely at the Second Heaven of the Divine Power Realm!

Someone at the Second Heaven of the Divine Power Realm, teaming up with Mo Yunzi who was at the Peak of the Divine Power Realm, to kill Mo Daozi, who was at the Second Heaven of the Acupoint Realm?

How was that possible!

The situation suddenly became incredibly awkward...

He, a cultivator at the First Heaven of the Acupoint Realm, had eagerly "challenged" someone at the Second Heaven of the Divine Power Realm...

If word of this got out, wouldn’t it be the biggest joke ever?

If he won, it would be a case of the strong bullying the weak, a dishonorable victory that would only earn him ridicule.

If he lost... he would lose all face, so ashamed he would want the ground to swallow him whole!

Wang Meng’s jaw worked, his face paling and flushing in turns. It took him a long moment to force out, "Chu... Chu, are you messing with me?"

Chu Fan looked perfectly innocent and blinked. "Why would I lie?"

With that, a thought stirred in his mind, and he activated the Primordial Qi in his body.

A pure, undisguised wave of Primordial Qi spread out, its intensity clearly indicating his Realm—it was indeed the Second Heaven of the Divine Power Realm, the genuine article.

"...It really is the Second Heaven of the Divine Power Realm." Wang Meng was so embarrassed he wished he could find a crack in the ground and crawl into it.

The surrounding Demon Suppression Guards glanced at one another as their murmurs started up again, a mixture of sympathy and schadenfreude.

"It’s over. Old Wang has really made a fool of himself this time."

"How can they even fight now? Someone at the First Heaven of the Acupoint Realm against someone at the Second Heaven of the Divine Power Realm? Isn’t that just bullying a newcomer?"

"Sigh, I thought this was going to be a clash of titans, but it’s just an adult beating up a kid. How boring. Let’s go, let’s go."

Wang Meng took a deep breath, unfastened his saber, and tossed it to a colleague outside the arena, showing that he wouldn’t take advantage of his weapon.

He slammed his fists together with a sound like muffled thunder, his gaze becoming firm once more. "Let’s go! The challenge has been issued, so we must fight! Show me what you’ve really got. Let the brothers see just what makes your Second Heaven of the Divine Power Realm so different!"