Combat was always the fastest way to raise one's cultivation, no matter where one was.
It was very easy for one to get injured or killed in a normal battle, but that was not the case in the Ethereal Hall. It was for this reason that the dueling ring in the Ethereal Token was always a favorite of cultivators.
Even before arriving at the dueling ring, he could already see countless people gathered together, staring at the massive crystal screen before them with agitated looks on their faces.
Two figures were currently clashing with one another.
Both of them were only at Saint 1-dan, but their battle techniques and battle techniques were completely different from one another. It was apparent that both of them possessed exceptional control over their battle techniques and battle techniques.
"Wind Herder has already won five consecutive duels! He's incredible!"
"Incredible? His control over his battle techniques is unheard of! Every single one of his moves is calculated to perfection! He's simply too powerful!"
"There's no way I'm a match for him!"
"I can learn quite a few battle techniques just by watching him battle, and my fighting prowess has also increased significantly …"
…
A commotion broke out amidst the crowd.
The reason why the Ethereal Token was so popular in the Forsaken Continent was not only because it allowed one to battle without fear of injury, but also because one could observe the battles of others and gain more insights from it.
Zhang Xuan did not rush to register for the dueling ring. Instead, he observed the dueling ring for a moment before nodding in agreement.
There was a limit to the number of battle techniques that a Saint 1-dan cultivator could execute, so the dueling ring would be determined by who had the better grasp of timing and decisiveness.
After gaining a deeper understanding of the dueling ring, Zhang Xuan walked over to the registration counter and passed his identity card over.
"What's your name? You can even use a nickname!"
The person in charge of arranging the dueling ring, a young lady in her twenties, asked.
"Nickname?"
Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment.
This kind of dueling ring required one's name or nickname. Otherwise, it would be meaningless if the dueling ring did not even know who he was.
Since I can conceal my identity using the Ethereal Token, I can't possibly call myself Zhang Xuan, Zhang Xuan thought.
Just like how he had chosen a username in his previous life, who would be foolish enough to use their real name?
"Yang Xuan, Sun Qiang, Xuan Zhang, Luo Tianya …"
He went through the pseudonyms that he had come up with in his mind one by one. After a while, he nodded and said, "Just call me … Tianya!"
"World's Edge?" The lady nodded as she wrote down the name on the book before her.
It didn't take long for the dueling ring to be completed.
"World's Edge versus Silent Walker!"
Along with the shouts, Zhang Xuan walked onto the stage.
It was a circular area, and the surroundings were sealed off by a huge crystal screen. Through the screen, the people outside could see the situation inside.
His opponent was a skinny middle-aged man. Even though they had the same level of strength and cultivation, they gave off a strong sense of oppression.
"I know this Silent Walker. Even though this is his first time participating in the Open Tournament and he has never fought before, he is extremely powerful!"
"Indeed. I was just chatting with him earlier, and we even secretly sparred a few times. Be it in terms of reaction speed or movement speed, they are both extremely powerful. I'm afraid that he's at least a Dimension Shatterer realm intermediate stage cultivator!"
"So strong? Looks like he's not a nobody! "
"With such an expert, this battle will be interesting to watch. I wonder if World's Edge is strong or not!"
"I can tell from the name that it's weak. It should be very weak …"
"Yeah, Tianya, Tianya my ass!"
Even though Zhang Xuan wasn't able to discern the other party's true identity through the Ethereal Token, he was still able to sense the other party's strength and standing as long as the other party didn't intentionally conceal it.
Those who had met the Silent Walker before could tell that he was a powerful expert.
So … it seemed like the other party was in for a tough time.
"Let's begin!"
The Silent Walker shot a cold glance at the young man before him and sneered, "I won't go easy on you!"
He was going to show his prowess!
Just like those famous experts, he was going to achieve two consecutive victories, three consecutive victories, or even five consecutive victories!
He was going to make sure that the name 'Silent Walker' would resound throughout every single corner of Starlight City!
Zhang Xuan raised his hand and said, "Please!"
Hu!
The Silent Walker dashed forward with a unique movement technique, causing his silhouette to flicker on the dueling ring.
Seeing that the other party had made a move, Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement.
There were many occupations in the Azure that weren't as detailed as those on the Master Teacher Continent, but the cultivators' comprehension of battle and control over battle techniques were far superior.
Any single one of them would be far more powerful than the master teachers of the Mingshi Tang Academy. In fact, even the combat masters were no match for them!
Perhaps, the reason why the Silent Walker was able to achieve such a feat was because of the Ethereal Token. After all, even the Combat Master Hall couldn't possibly continue fighting without worrying about their injuries.
I can't win in one go, or else it won't be easy for me to find another opponent …
In an instant, a plan formed in Zhang Xuan's mind.
Even without the Library of Heaven's Path, Zhang Xuan was able to see through at least seven or eight flaws in the other party's movements with a single glance, so it wouldn't be too difficult for him to achieve victory.
However, this was an open duel. If he were to win in a single move, it would be difficult for him to find another opponent for the second round. How was he going to earn more money?
Without money, the tenth disciple he had just accepted might not even make it through the night.
Realizing this, Zhang Xuan dashed forward to face the Silent Walker.
Peng peng peng!
In the blink of an eye, the two of them clashed.
"Hmm? That World's Edge doesn't seem to be weak either! "
"Was that the move that the Silent Walker executed the Spatial Treading Footwork? Is it possible for a Saint 1-dan cultivator to execute a battle technique of that caliber? "
"That is … the Drifting Palm? Why would it have such an effect? "
"Those two moves were meant to be executed in an instant, but World's Edge actually managed to dodge them both. Is it due to luck, or is he really that powerful?"
…
At the start of the battle, what everyone thought to be a one-sided battle suddenly changed. Everyone widened their eyes in disbelief.
Just as they had expected, the Silent Walker was extremely powerful. Every single move of his was infused with a unique might. On the other hand, even though World's Edge's movements were ordinary, he was able to dodge every single one of his attacks and even find the time to counterattack!
That was truly frightening!
If it was luck, it was impossible for the Silent Walker to be able to dodge every single attack by a hair's breadth. But if it was strength … just how powerful was the Silent Walker to be able to do so with such ease?
"Look, World's Edge is going to retaliate!"
Someone suddenly exclaimed.
In the previous ten moves, the Silent Walker had been the one who didn't take the initiative to attack, and World's Edge had been forced to retaliate. However, at this very moment, the tables had turned.
The Silent Walker had been frustrated by the futility of the Silent Walker's attacks, but the Silent Walker was slowly gaining control of the entire battle.
Zhang Xuan feinted to the left before abruptly striking forward with his right hand.
Seemingly having seen through World's Edge's maneuver, the Silent Walker didn't fall for it.
Just as the two palms were about to come into contact, Zhang Xuan flicked his right hand lightly, and before he knew it, his left hand had already reached the Silent Walker's chest.
What he had just executed was also a feint!
"Turning Feint into Reality … Even the city lord of Starlight City isn't capable of such a feat, right?"
"He's capable of such a feat! A few years ago, I saw the city lord using this move in the open dueling ring … Even though it's a feint, it's still a feint if one doesn't guard against it, and it's still a feint if one doesn't guard against it … Countless people have tried to learn this move, but none of them have been able to do so. I've practiced it for three years, but I'm still unable to do so … Yet, World's Edge is actually able to pull it off?"
"That's too frightening! I take back my words. That World's Edge is definitely an expert!"
"To be able to achieve such proficiency in turning Feint into Reality … Could that fellow be the city lord in disguise?"
"How could that be? I know that the city lord's nickname in the open dueling ring isn't that … Besides, the city lord has already won innumerable matches. There's no need for him to disguise himself as an insignificant figure who hasn't participated in a single duel, right?"
…
Turning Feint into Reality wasn't a difficult move, but there weren't too many people in Starlight City who were capable of such a feat. Yet, a fellow whom they had never heard of was actually able to pull it off … How could they not be shocked?
Peng!
Mo Xuan was forced to retreat as blood trickled down the corners of his lips.
Even though the person trapped in the jade token wouldn't truly die, he would still feel excruciating pain and spurt blood. This was a huge blow to his confidence.
"I've lost …"
Knowing that he would only lose even more miserably if he were to continue fighting, Mo Xuan immediately admitted defeat.
He had intended to make a name for himself in a single battle, but who could have thought that he would lose in the very first round?
Zhang Xuan nodded. Following which, the young lady's voice sounded once more. "Do you want to continue fighting, or do you want to challenge another duel?"
Since he had won the first round, he could choose to continue or forfeit.
With a smile, Zhang Xuan replied, "Let's continue with the second round."
Even though he had expended some of his energy in the previous duel, it wasn't too much. He had come here specifically to earn money, so naturally, he couldn't just walk out like that.
Soon, the second opponent was arranged to enter the dueling ring. This time, it wasn't a newcomer but a young man who had fought many duels before.
The other party seemed to know that Zhang Xuan was a formidable opponent, so he immediately rushed forward and executed all kinds of moves.
Zhang Xuan hurriedly dodged the attacks.
"It's the Millimeter Steps!"
Seeing how Zhang Xuan was dodging the attacks, the crowd exclaimed in shock.
"The Millimeter Steps is a technique that allows one to dodge one's opponent's attacks by just a hair's breadth each time. This allows one to conserve one's stamina and allow one to launch a more effective attack. However, it's also extremely dangerous. The slightest mistake could result in severe injuries! That fellow actually managed to execute the Illusory Materialization move as well as the Millimeter Steps? "
"It's impossible to accomplish such a feat without several decades of hard work!"
"It's not just impossible, it's impossible to accomplish such a feat!"
"I have a cousin who worships the Millimeter Steps the most. He has been practicing the Millimeter Steps for thirty years, but he still doesn't dare to use it in battle. This isn't just due to his precise control over his strength, but more importantly, his mental fortitude. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to achieve such a feat!"
Many of the crowd were rendered speechless.
Just the Millimeter Steps and the Illusory Materialization move were enough to show that World's Edge was a top-notch expert.
Oblivious to the shock beneath the stage, Zhang Xuan didn't take too long to defeat his second opponent either. In just ten moves, he had already defeated the other party.
Seeing that his opponent had backed down and the third duel had begun, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He was extremely satisfied with his performance.
"My disguise should have been quite good. No one should be able to see through my actual strength. This should make things much more convenient for me in the upcoming duels. Suppressing my strength and using less than a twentieth of it, to be honest … it's been quite tiring …"
Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan turned to look at his third opponent. It was a green-robed lady.
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