Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor
Chapter 160: One hundred and sixty, evenly matched in strength

Chapter 160: One hundred and sixty, evenly matched in strength

Boom!

No matter how much the Outer Disciples beneath the Arena Hall refused to believe what they were seeing, the two Meridian Techniques formed from the external convergence of Meridian Qi on the stage above had already collided with a thunderous impact.

Waves of Meridian Qi Energy wreaked havoc, both the Meridian Qi Tiger Head and the Meridian Qi Sword exploded in that moment, surprisingly leaving neither side with an advantage.

This result once again stunned the crowd. After all, Guan Tong was a Mortal List Third Rank talent, half a step into the Meridian Rushing Realm. Although Yun Xiao had mysteriously executed an external Meridian Qi convergence technique, could the gap in Meridian Qi Cultivation really be bridged so easily?

But the reality was that in this clash of Meridian Techniques, neither side had outdone the other. When some keen observers understood the cause and effect, they drew in a sharp breath and their curiosity about Yun Xiao’s origins soared to new heights.

Given that Yun Xiao’s realm was more than one level below Guan Tong’s, it would stand to reason that if both used the same Meridian Techniques, Yun Xiao would undoubtedly be at a disadvantage, and a crushing one at that.

However, Yun Xiao had now used a Meridian Technique to fight Guan Tong’s to a standstill, indicating that Yun Xiao’s Meridian Technique grade was definitely much higher than Guan Tong’s Tiger Head Meridian Technique.

In fact, some in the audience even recognized the grade of the Tiger Head Meridian Technique that Guan Tong had executed, which left them even more astounded. This youngster named Yun Xiao was not as simple as he appeared on the surface.

"Could it be that the Meridian Qi Sword is a Meridian Technique of a Spiritual Rank or higher?"

Even Feng Hang and Shen Xiao had a gleam of amazement in their eyes, their gaze fixed on the simply dressed young man on the arena stage, feeling a surge of excitement.

A Spiritual Rank Meridian Technique was beyond the category of Mortal Rank Techniques. Even within the Jade Pot Sect, such techniques were likely to be extremely precious. At the very least, the points required to exchange for a Spiritual Rank Meridian Technique were not something an ordinary Outer Disciple could afford.

Just like when Yun Xiao previously completed the Fire Spirit Crystal mission and earned two thousand points, it would not guarantee him access to a low-level Spiritual Rank Meridian Technique. Such was the value of a Spiritual Rank Technique.

What the crowd did not know was that, while Spiritual Rank Meridian Techniques were considered valuable in the Jade Pot Sect, Yun Xiao had an abundance of them. As a reincarnation of the Long Xiao Battle God, he knew many formidable Meridian Techniques, not just at the Spiritual Rank level, but also Earth, Heaven, and even Holy Ranks.

Therefore, while the Spiritual Rank Meridian Technique seemed powerful in the eyes of the crowd, for Yun Xiao, it was rather ordinary. If it weren’t for his current insufficient Meridian Qi Cultivation, unable to support some of the more potent techniques, perhaps Guan Tong wouldn’t even match up to him.

Moreover, being cautious by nature, Yun Xiao knew better than to use some of the powerful Meridian Techniques that did not exist on this Continent in front of this vast assembly. It might have been alright for the younger prodigies, but something the two Great Elders in the northern seats would definitely not overlook, which would surely lead to further trouble.

On the arena stage, seeing his Meridian Qi Sword and Guan Tong’s Tiger Head Meridian Technique both end up in a draw, Yun Xiao was not discouraged. This was just one of the many tricks he had up his sleeve.

Compared with Yun Xiao, the look on Guan Tong’s face was not so good. He had hoped to use his Meridian Technique, comparable to that of the Meridian Rushing Realm Early Stage, to effortlessly defeat Yun Xiao. However, it seemed that the task was not going to be so easily accomplished.

"Hmph!"

A cold snort came from Guan Tong, and then everyone saw his muscular figure violently pounce towards Yun Xiao. Witnessing this scene, relief glinted in the eyes of Xuan Zhi and his brother Guan Hu.

Both knew that the Guan Family was always adept at external martial arts, and their Physical Strength was unmatched in the Imperial City. If one were to set Meridian Qi aside and simply contest in Physical Strength, they would likely find few opponents at the same level.

It seemed Guan Tong had realized this. Seeing that the external convergence Meridian Techniques couldn’t harm Yun Xiao, he intended to attack with his strongest asset—Physical Strength.

What Guan Tong, Xuan Zhi, and Guan Hu failed to notice, though, was the fleeting trace of mockery in the depths of Yun Xiao’s eyes as the Mortal List Third Rank talent charged toward him.

Yun Xiao had already experienced the Guan Family brothers’ Physical Strength. If it were the past, he would have dared not face it head on. But now, after refining his body with Stone Heart Marrow and various medicinal materials, his Physical Strength was potentially comparable to that of a Third Rank Advanced Vein Demon.

The Guan Family’s method of cultivating Physical Strength was indeed not bad, but not necessarily much stronger than a Vein Demon of the same level. If humans could surpass Vein Demons in Physical Strength just by cultivation, then the Heavenly Dao would be far too unfair.

The Heavenly Dao granted Vein Demons long lifespans, yet deprived them of the speed of cultivation; in compensation, Vein Demons possessed Physical Strength far surpassing humans at the same level.

Therefore, Yun Xiao was absolutely certain that even a Meridian Gathering Realm Peak Cultivator like Guan Tong could not possess Physical Strength stronger than that of a Third Rank Advanced Vein Demon. By that logic, this was like a sleepy person stumbling upon a pillow.

At this moment, Yun Xiao also put aside the external convergence Meridian Techniques. As the crowd watched, deep in thought, his right arm and Guan Tong’s right violently collided.

Boom!

Once again, a loud noise erupted, and this time, the onlookers became stupefied because the scene before them was utterly different from what they had in mind.

As for the Guan Family’s physical strength from the Imperial City, all these geniuses who came to the Jade Pot Sect from various families understood it well; not to mention Yun Xiao, a low-level practitioner, even a peer genius of the Outer Sect wouldn’t dare say they could withstand a powerful strike from Guan Tong.

Yet, that coarse-clothed youth in the late stage of the Meridian Gathering Realm didn’t dodge or avoid when Guan Tong’s heavy strike came. Initially, everyone thought Yun Xiao, being new and naive, was unaware of Guan Tong’s physical strength; but at this moment, they realized they had thought too much.

With the loud sound spreading, both Yun Xiao and Guan Tong took three steps back due to the force, and this stalemate, once again, shocked the onlookers.

Just two moves had shaken the belief that Yun Xiao could never win, and the shabbily dressed boy, whose origin was unknown, was not only capable of gathering Meridian Qi to use Spiritual Rank Meridian Techniques but now also showed such formidable physical strength. How could this be explained?

In the north seating area, Lu Zhan and Fu Du’s eyes shimmered brighter and brighter. They had come specifically for Yun Xiao, but the more they watched, the more they felt that this boy was full of secrets, seemingly endless.

Back on the arena, Guan Tong, failing to achieve his desired effect once again, had a gloomy expression as if dripping with water. This physical strength was his biggest trump card, and he couldn’t bear the idea that even this was not enough to crush Yun Xiao. How could he face this turn of events?

"Have you... absorbed the power of the Stone Heart Marrow?!"

Guan Tong was indeed widely experienced and knowledgeable; judging by the power Yun Xiao had displayed against his arm, he quickly guessed some clues.

The incident that occurred on the third floor of the Jade Pot Cave must have been fully disclosed to Guan Tong by his brother Guan Hu. However, Guan Tong never imagined that Yun Xiao would refine his body with the Stone Heart Marrow so quickly.

Being from the Guan Family of the Imperial City, Guan Tong naturally knew that refining the body with Stone Heart Marrow is extremely domineering. Even he wouldn’t dare to try it lightly without finding some medicinal aids first, running the risk of absorbing it.

Little did Guan Tong know that Yun Xiao, in his previous life, was a Holy Rank Meridian Refining Master of the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud, possessing techniques far beyond the comprehension of Cultivators from the Hidden Dragon Continent, rendering him utterly baffled at this moment.

"Hehe, had enough fun? Now it’s my turn!"

Yun Xiao responded nebulously to Guan Tong’s remark. The next moment, with a light chuckle, he lunged ahead just like Guan Tong had done earlier, seemingly ready to engage in close combat with this physically strong talent of the Guan Family.

"Bring it on!"

Just from that one exchange, Guan Tong had no intention of backing down, and both having retreated three steps from the head-on collision indicated that neither had an advantage in physical strength.

With the peak Meridian Gathering Realm Meridian Qi to bolster him, and Yun Xiao at only the early stage of the same realm, Guan Tong believed that if he persisted a little longer, the first to exhaust his Meridian Qi would inevitably be this detestable boy.

Logically, this was the case, but unfortunately for Guan Tong, he greatly overestimated his physical strength or simply underestimated Yun Xiao’s. The tricks that Yun Xiao had displayed were just the tip of the iceberg.

Thump thump thump!

The sounds of flesh and bone colliding continually emitted from the arena, causing the spectators’ expressions to grow increasingly bizarre. This boy, merely at the late stage of the Meridian Gathering Realm, was actually fighting evenly with Guan Tong, who was half a step into the Meridian Rushing Realm. It was utterly inconceivable.

Previously, everyone thought Guan Tong’s Meridian Qi cultivation and physical strength should completely overwhelm Yun Xiao. However, after this battle, that notion was utterly overturned.

At this point, no one dared to underestimate Yun Xiao anymore; the coarse-clothed youth who easily defeated Gao Zheng the previous day, perhaps it wasn’t all luck and surprise.

With the skills Yun Xiao displayed at this moment, matching Guan Tong’s strength wasn’t something Gao Zheng, ranked ninth on Mortal List, could rival; even without the element of surprise, Gao Zheng would certainly be the losing side.

"Could it be that the Jade Pot Sect’s Outer Sect will produce another prodigy like Sister Mo Qing?"

Many longstanding geniuses of the Jade Pot Sect’s Outer Sect harbored this thought at the moment, and their gazes simultaneously shifted to the northeast corner of the Arena Hall.

There, a graceful girl in a black dress was wide-eyed, staring unblinkingly at a certain figure atop arena number two.

Because of Mo Qing’s encounters with Yun Xiao, she felt somewhat complicated, but this complexity, in the eyes of someone next to her, had an entirely different meaning.

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