Even so, the residual force of the sword made it extremely difficult for Qian Zheng to withstand. He was sent flying more than ten feet backward, spitting out a mouthful of blood. He barely managed to stand up by sheer willpower, avoiding a disheveled fall to the ground.
At that moment, he discovered an even more unacceptable fact: his Void-Piercing Formation had shattered!
how so? !
If we consider the strength of these nine sword blades, even if they struck his magic weapon, they wouldn't shatter it. Why is that?!
The audience area was already in an uproar. This unexpected reversal had caught everyone completely off guard. They didn't even understand why the roles of attacker and defender had suddenly reversed!
"What's going on? Why is Lu Shenzhi still able to attack Qian Zheng even while trapped in the formation? How did he do that?!"
"Could he be hiding his true strength? Was the fact that he was being suppressed the whole time just an act?"
"I find it strange that the magic array that Qian Zheng released has now been taken over by Lu Shenzhi, and it seems that Qian Zheng has lost control of the magic array."
"Yes, I felt it when the stone spikes suddenly turned around and attacked Qian Zheng. It was obvious that Qian Zheng was also very shocked."
"Heaven above, if this is true, just how terrifying is Lu Shenzhi's strength! So far, not a single cultivator who has entered Qian Zheng's magic array has successfully broken it, but this Lu Shenzhi not only broke the array, but also turned the tables on him!"
"Alright, alright! I told you, handsome people are bound to be very capable, but you didn't believe me!"
"If what you say is true, then what's the point of having a ranking of geniuses? Why not just create a ranking of beauty?"
"It's not that it's impossible... Hahahaha..."
"Has no one noticed that Qian Zheng has conceded defeat?"
"You were all so full of bravado yesterday, but you've only been here a short time and you're already acting like a coward!"
"He's so short, he looks like a grandson..."
...
Qian Zheng has already conceded defeat, and the competition is now over. From now on, Lu Shenzhi will be ranked twelfth on the Prodigy Ranking, and Qian Zheng, having switched places with Lu Shenzhi, is no longer a known figure.
In the history of the Outer Realms Arena, there has never been a battle like this one, where one soared into the sky while the other fell into the dust and was never found again. The difference was unbelievable.
The key issue is that Qian Zheng's magic weapon was damaged in this battle, making it virtually impossible for him to regain his position.
On the training ground, Qian Zheng's face looked even worse because of the damage to his natal magic weapon.
"How could this be! You must have done something!" Qian Zheng frowned angrily and questioned Lu Shenzhi.
Lu Shenzhi slightly twitched the left corner of his mouth, trying to imitate Shi Xuan's way of speaking, but in the end he didn't quite get the hang of it. He replied casually, "It's just a normal fight. Even people can't guarantee injuries or deaths, let alone a magical artifact."
His tone seemed to be explaining seriously, but Qian Zheng could still detect a hint of contempt, which was very unpleasant.
"You!" At this moment, Qian Zheng wished he could have killed him when the magic array was working.
This guy is so hateful! Not only did he steal his ranking on the Prodigy Ranking, but he also shattered his Void-Piercing Array. And him, a formation cultivator who has lost his Void-Piercing Array, how will he ever regain his ranking?!
He's probably not even able to defeat a cultivator at the peak of the Golden Core stage, let alone a sword cultivator.
If Lu Wenxing from yesterday were to challenge him again today, he would truly be defeated...
Qian Zheng's eyes were bloodshot with rage.
"No, you must have mixed other attack methods into those nine lightning sword strikes just now. Otherwise, how could you have broken through the shield and shattered my Void Array?!"
Lu Shenzhi looked at him with a hint of surprise and said, "What? In the competition of the Heavenly Pride Ranking, you can only use one attack method at a time?"
These words confirmed that Lu Shenzhi had added something else to the nine lightning sword strikes just now, something he hadn't noticed. Lu Shenzhi was clearly targeting him; he had deliberately damaged his magical artifact!
Qian Zheng was filled with rage, but he knew that nothing he said would make a difference. Since the moment he shouted "I surrender," Lu Shenzhi hadn't made a move. All his actions were within the permitted limits of the training ground.
But it is precisely because of this that Qian Zheng hates him even more.
"A gentleman takes his revenge, even after ten years," he silently vowed. This top-notch team, Shi Xuan and Lu Shenzhi—he would not let a single one of them escape!
Just as Qian Zheng was gritting his teeth in hatred, a clear female voice came from outside the arena. It was Shi Xuan!
She turned around and, facing the best team members, sternly reprimanded them: "Did you see that? What did you learn from this competition?"
Lu Wenxing, who was injured yesterday, said excitedly, "I've learned that I need to cultivate properly. If I'm too weak, I'll end up like Qian Zheng, getting knocked to the ground!"
Shi Xuan nodded slightly: "That's right. The most important thing is to improve your own strength. If you want to take shortcuts and rely on external things, you've all seen the result! No matter how useful spiritual treasures and magical artifacts are, they're not your own. External things are easily damaged, and they're not your own strength!"
The team members cheered enthusiastically: "Yes, the captain is absolutely right! We will definitely not rely on external things, but will cultivate ourselves well and not be swayed by external influences!"
...
They weren't speaking very loudly, but since they were all high-level cultivators, people could naturally hear what they were saying when their attention was focused on them.
Qian Zheng, who was already injured, coughed up another mouthful of blood upon hearing this.
They've gone too far!
Not only did they destroy his magic weapon, they also mocked him for relying on external things and saying it wasn't his own true skill!
This is Qian Zheng's Achilles' heel; no one can mention that he's incompetent... or his height.
Seeing his reaction, the members of the Hongmeng team were afraid he would die of anger on the field, so two of them came up and took Qian Zheng away.
Seeing Qian Zheng appear in such a state, the onlookers started discussing it again.
"Who said that anyone who comes to the rescue or admits defeat is a coward? This guy is both a coward and a great-grandson!"
"I never expected that a newcomer could defeat Qian Zheng, who had dominated the rankings for so long."
"Therefore, we should be extra careful with newcomers, those we've never even heard of before."
"Yeah, you can easily fall into a trap and become a coward."
"The problem is, what will we call Qian Zheng from now on? Qian's grandson?"
...
Qian Zheng had already foreseen what kind of image he would have in the eyes of cultivators from other regions. If time could be turned back to yesterday, he certainly wouldn't have said anything like "who is the grandson"!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com