Chapter 190: Victory
The gate was incredibly heavy and solid, and before Jiang Longyu had a chance to react, it had already crashed into him like a moving wall.
He tried to resist with all his might, channeling all of his qi and blood into his arms, while his feet dug deep into the earth, plowing through the ground beneath him to leave a pair of long trenches.
However, the combined momentum of the gate and the power of Chu Qiguang's Heavenly Demon Vanquishing Palms was simply too much for him to withstand, and he was forced out of the circle.
Not only that, but his saber had also shattered into pieces from the force of the collision.
A trail of blood trickled down from the corner of his lips as he pressed his hands firmly against the giant gate before him, and burning fury filled his eyes.
He pushed the gate aside with a forceful shove, then felt a numb sensation spread through both of his arms.
Not only had the gate forced him out of the circle, he had also sustained internal injuries while trying to stand his ground against the flying gate.
Despite this, his battle intent hadn't waned in the slightest.
However, Chu Qiguang merely took a glance at him and said, "You lose again, Jiang Longyu."
"No, I didn't!" Jiang Longyu yelled furiously.
His skin was already bright red from the effects of the Bloodbath Pill, but his complexion turned an even deeper shade of red from his fury and humiliation.
"You want to keep going, then?" Chu Qiguang asked with a smile.
"I was too careless just now," Jiang Longyu argued. "Let's keep going..."
Jiang Longyu's voice abruptly trailed off into silence. It was only after raising his saber that he discovered all that was left of it was the hilt, while the blade had already shattered into pieces.
Chu Qiguang channeled his Primordial High Zenith Demonic Arts, and the skin on his arms took on a purple coloration, while his muscles bulged with seemingly limitless power.
Jiang Longyu could tell that Chu Qiguang was still in peak condition. It was as if the battle that had just taken place hadn't taken any physical toll on him at all.
"So what'll it be?" Chu Qiguang asked casually. "Your saber is already broken. Do you want to continue in hand-to-hand combat?"
Jiang Longyu tried to muster the courage to accept Chu Qiguang's challenge, but the thought of fighting unarmed against a physical juggernaut like Chu Qiguang filled his heart with a deep sense of despair and powerlessness.
Chu Qiguang shook his head with a disappointed expression and said, "You've already lost your courage, so there's no way you can defeat me, even if you were given a new saber. You lose."
Chu Qiguang was very pleased to see Jiang Longyu hanging his head in silence. He had to make Jiang Longyu accept defeat so that his victory could be set in stone. Otherwise, the gatekeeper could try to cheat his way out of honoring their bet.
All of the trainees watched in astonishment as Chu Qiguang stepped off the platform.
"That was insane!" Huang Xiangyu exclaimed. "He crushed Jiang Longyu with nothing but brute strength!"
"I feel like I wouldn't even be able to withstand a single attack from Jiang Longyu's saber, yet even he stood no chance against Brother Chu," Zhang Haizhu mused. "Is there any other third-state martial artist under the heavens who can match his strength and explosiveness? I'm beginning to think he might even stand a chance against Li He!"
"Look at him! He doesn't look tired at all!" Li Chu exclaimed. "If Jiang Longyu accepted his challenge to fight hand-to-hand, and the head instructor hadn't been around, he would've surely been beaten to death!"
"What's most impressive of all is that he hasn't only mastered the Primordial High Zenith Qigong, he has also mastered the Heavenly Demon Vanquishing Palms," Huang Xiangyu said. "That was the palm strike he used on the stone slab at the end."
"The Heavenly Demon Vanquishing Palms? What kind of cultivation art is that?" Zhang Haizhu exclaimed.
Huang Xiangyu was one of the most well-informed trainees on Jade Face Mountain, and he was very familiar with all of the Demon Vanquishing Department's most prominent cultivation arts.
"The Heavenly Demon Vanquishing Palms are the Demon Vanquishing Department's most powerful palm techniques," he explained. "However, they're extremely difficult to cultivate. I've heard that, just like with the Primordial High Zenith Qigong, only fifth-state martial artists can achieve full mastery of the cultivation art.
"Hence, very few martial artists begin pursuing these two cultivation arts at the third state, and even fewer are able to make such rapid progress. It's almost unfathomable that Chu Qiguang could reach the second level of the Primordial High Zenith Qigong in just a month and still have enough time to master the Heavenly Demon Vanquishing Palms on the side!
“Before this, I thought Instructor Yang was setting him up for failure by encouraging him to pursue these two cultivation arts, but clearly, I was completely wrong. Instructor Yang must've already seen Chu Qiguang's aptitude, and that's why he suggested this path for him."
Zhong Shan'e turned to Yang Ling with a pleased smile and asked, "Did you teach him the Heavenly Demon Vanquishing Palms as well?"
Yang Ling could only nod with a sullen expression.
"Normally, I would strongly advise against encouraging a third-state martial artist to pursue such difficult cultivation arts, but you must've seen his potential," Zhong Shan'e continued.
Yang Ling could only continue nodding in silence.
"You've done a great job," Zhong Shan'e praised. "You've certainly developed an incredible eye for talent. I feel much more confident leaving the trainees in your care now."