Chapter Eighty-Nine: The Duel with Wang Zhen

Zhao Xu said, "Exactly. Once we bring down the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, the three of us will divide their wealth equally. What do you think?"

Wang Rui pondered for a moment, then said, "That seems a little unfair. My family is the strongest, so we ought to receive a larger share."

Zhao Xu frowned slightly. By rights, it was the Zhao family that had captured the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect men and drawn them here, making it possible to wipe them all out in one fell swoop; the Zhao family should have received the largest share. Yet on second thought, the Wang family was indeed the strongest, and it would not be unreasonable for them to take the largest portion.

"Very well. If we can eradicate the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect completely, the Wang family may take forty percent of their assets. Will that be acceptable, City Lord Wang?" Zhao Xu said at last.

After hearing this, Wang Rui thought it over briefly and said, "Good. Elder Zhao is as straightforward as ever. Let us do it that way."

Then he looked at Liu Feng and asked, "May I ask who the young man accompanying Elder Zhao is?" The last time he had seen Liu Feng at the Zhao residence, he had not been his true self, so Wang Rui had failed to recognize him.

Zhao Xu smiled and said, "This is my grandson. I brought him along so he could broaden his horizons."

"Ah, heroes come from the young. May I ask how his cultivation stands?" Wang Rui asked, his eyes flickering.

"To answer City Lord Wang, my cultivation is not worth mentioning," Liu Feng said calmly.

"Have someone bring Wang Zhen here," Wang Rui instructed the guard outside.

"Father, what do you need me for?" After a moment, a youthful voice came from outside, and then a young man about twenty years of age entered.

Wang Rui said, "I want you to spar with Elder Zhao's grandson. You are both young men; you should temper yourselves through more experience."

At this, Wang Zhen's eyes flashed as he looked toward Liu Feng, and a powerful fighting spirit surged from him.

"Elder Zhao, what do you think of letting them spar?" Wang Rui asked Zhao Xu.

Zhao Xu considered it and said, "That will do, but let them stop at the right point. We should not wound our harmony."

"Good. Everyone, come with me to the training grounds." Wang Rui opened the door and led the way outside.

Before long, they arrived at a vast and spacious platform paved with stone, covering an area of nearly a square kilometer.

By then, a guard had brought over two chairs, and Wang Rui and Zhao Xu sat down separately.

Liu Feng and Wang Zhen exchanged a glance, then both leaped onto the platform.

"Elder Zhao, who do you think will win?" Wang Rui asked, watching the two on the platform.

Twisting his beard, Zhao Xu said, "Both are heroic youths. It is hard to tell at a glance who will prevail."

At that moment, the two on the platform had already begun.

Wang Zhen struck first. He joined two fingers like a sword, and a sharp sword-light condensed between them, its keen aura sweeping in all directions. With a flick of his fingers, he slashed diagonally toward Liu Feng's body. In an instant, the brilliant sword-light had reached his face.

Liu Feng activated his flawless golden body. Brilliant gold light appeared over his fist, and a fierce, heavy force surged forth like a flash of divine brilliance, directly crushing toward the sword-light before him.

Clang!

A sound like metal striking metal rang out, and the sword-light was shattered.

Wang Zhen's expression changed. He formed sword-fingers with both hands, and two cutting edges condensed in shape. With repeated sweeps of both hands, he thrust toward Liu Feng's body. The sword-lights shot out like two arrows loosed from a bow, piercing through the air with sharp hissing sounds, their momentum alarming to behold.

Liu Feng remained calm. Facing the incoming sword-lights, he merely swung out his right fist, and a thick golden column of qi burst forth. Like a raging sea and surging tide, its violent force crashed directly into the sword-lights.

Bang!

The golden qi pillar collided with the sword-lights with a thunderous boom, and then, with a great roar, both dissipated simultaneously into the air.

"The Young City Lord truly has extraordinary strength, condensing his true qi to the point that it seems almost solid. That requires powerful spiritual force and superb control over one's own true qi."

"That young man is also gifted beyond the ordinary. Even under the Young City Lord's repeated attacks, he remains calm and composed. He is no simple matter."

Some guards who were off duty, having heard that the Young City Lord was sparring with someone, came to watch. When they saw the fierce contest on the training grounds, they could not help but exclaim in shock.

"Elder Zhao, I never would have thought that your grandson, though three or four years younger than my son, could still fight him to a draw. Truly remarkable," Wang Rui said as he watched the two youths trading blows on the platform.

Zhao Xu wore a faint smile. "City Lord Wang, a tiger father produces no dog son. Your son is only twenty, yet already has the strength of the third level of the Yin-Yang realm. Many renowned figures who have made names for themselves over the years would feel ashamed by comparison."

"Elder Zhao, that is merely a roundabout way of praising your grandson," Wang Rui said with a淡淡 smile.

"Not at all, not at all. Both of them are peerless talents. Their future achievements will be beyond measure," Zhao Xu said seriously.

"Heaven-Shaking Sword Finger!"

With a loud shout, Wang Zhen sprang into the air. His sword-like fingers stabbed repeatedly downward, and at once dozens of razor-sharp sword-lights burst forth, streaking through the sky like flowing radiance. They blanketed a space of several dozen meters, resembling an overwhelming sword net as they pierced toward Liu Feng.

"Annihilate!"

Liu Feng's fists trembled, and strands of dazzling golden light burst out from him, bright as two small suns. A will of crushing, shattering, and destruction swept violently across the field.

He hammered both fists upward, and the fist-light surged like golden waves, sweeping toward the descending sword net.

Bang bang bang...

Dense impacts echoed continuously through the air. The aftermath of the raging force struck in all directions, blasting cracks across the training platform. Then, with a tremendous roar, a huge pit more than ten meters across appeared at the center of the collision.

Wang Zhen was hurled dozens of meters into the air by the fierce impact before falling swiftly back down. Liu Feng's feet, too, were forced by the tremendous power to sink into the platform.

"Liu Feng, your strength is indeed extraordinary. I am impressed," Wang Zhen said after landing on the platform, his steps slightly unsteady as he looked at Liu Feng with admiration in his eyes.

"The Young City Lord is also astonishingly strong. I am equally impressed," Liu Feng replied sincerely.

At that moment, Wang Rui and Zhao Xu also came over. Looking at the two gifted youths, both men showed satisfied expressions.

"Your grandson is truly extraordinary in talent, Elder Zhao. One day he will surely stand upon the summit of the martial path," Wang Rui praised as he looked at Liu Feng.

"The Young City Lord is likewise endowed with heaven-sent talent. He will certainly become an unmatched powerhouse in the future," Zhao Xu said, stroking his beard.

"Brother Liu, if you have time, you may come to the city lord's manor to find me. We can spar again," Wang Zhen said. Through this contest, he had developed a feeling of mutual appreciation for Liu Feng.

"Very well. When I have the chance, I will certainly come again to ask Brother Wang for guidance," Liu Feng said with heartfelt feeling.

Wang Rui then spoke with Zhao Xu at length about the details of the preparations for the battle against the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect. Only after they had reached agreement did the conversation come to an end.

Zhao Xu and Liu Feng rose and left the city lord's manor, heading back toward the Zhao residence.