The Fool Who Shook the Heavens

Chapter 10

The selection results showed that several Inner Disciples had already reached the third level of the Qi Gathering Stage. They were immediately declared qualified for the special tier. However, to compete for the title of Talented Disciple, all Inner Disciples, old and new, had to enter the competition. Only those who had passed the fifth level on the jade monument were allowed into the arena.

The fighting was fierce. Contestants stepped up one after another, and not a few left the arena gasping for breath with their clothes in tatters. After several rounds, only Yuan Cheng remained standing on the arena.

"Who else dares to come up?" Yuan Cheng spread his arms with a mocking smile. "Or would you all rather go home and hide under your blankets?"

No one answered. Yuan Cheng's name was already notorious among the disciples for his cruelty. After watching several contestants get defeated with ease, no one wanted to be his next victim.

At the edge of the arena, Ouyang Jun nudged Tang Hao, who was busy devouring fried chicken.

"Boy, stop eating for a moment! Get up on that arena and teach that arrogant fool a lesson!"

Tang Hao was still chewing when he turned to look at him.

"Grandpa, if I win, will I get yummy food?"

"Of course!" Ouyang Jun replied firmly.

Tang Hao's eyes lit up. He set the rest of his chicken on a leaf, wiped his hands on his robe, and trotted toward the arena, humming.

The sight drew immediate laughter from the watching disciples.

"That's Yuan Cheng's opponent? He's barely old enough to fight!"

"Hahaha! Yuan Cheng won't even need to lift his sword to beat him!"

"Poor kid. One hit might be enough to crush his bones!"

Hearing the jeers, Yuan Cheng snorted. He drew the sword from his waist. Red light pulsed along the blade of the mid-grade spiritual weapon, and a few disciples gasped in admiration.

Tang Hao stopped in front of him and tilted his head. After studying the sword for a moment, he shook his head.

"Your sword is ugly."

The smile vanished from Yuan Cheng's face. A vein bulged at his temple, and his jaw tightened.

"Get up here, you idiot! I'll make you regret insulting it!"

"That's right!" Ouyang Jun chimed in from beside Tang Hao. Naturally, only his disciple could hear him. "In my glory days, nobody would have bothered touching a cheap sword like that!"

On the other side of the arena, Lin Yue clenched her fists inside her sleeves. She wanted to leap in and stop the fight before Tang Hao got hurt. But when she saw how relaxed the boy was, she held back.

If Tang Hao truly couldn't handle Yuan Cheng, stepping in would only make it harder for him to learn from his mistakes.

Reluctantly, Lin Yue stayed where she was.

Yuan Cheng didn't want to waste any more time. He charged with his sword raised and unleashed a slash that split the air, leaving a trail of red light.

Tang Hao dodged at once. He leaped left, ducked right, then spun around to avoid the next strike. His movements were nimble and carefree, like a child playing tag.

The sword's tip passed within a hand's breadth of his body again and again, but not a single strike landed.

"Hey, slow down!" Tang Hao protested. "What if you tear my clothes?"

Yuan Cheng grew even more furious. He poured Qi into his sword and launched a relentless barrage. Every slash smashed into the arena floor, leaving cracks in the stone.

The watching disciples began to hold their breath. Yuan Cheng's attacks grew fiercer, yet Tang Hao kept slipping away.

After several failed attempts to hit his opponent, Yuan Cheng finally stepped back. His chest heaved, and sweat dripped from his chin.

"All you can do is run like a rat!" he snarled. "That's enough. I'm ending this fight right now!"

He raised his sword high above his head. Crimson Qi surged along the blade, making the air around it tremble. Some of the disciples in the front rows unconsciously shrank back.

"Sky-Splitting Sword Technique!"

But just as Yuan Cheng gathered his energy to power up the strike, Tang Hao suddenly stopped moving.

He closed his eyes.

Golden runes appeared on his skin and began to rotate slowly around his body. The light wasn't dazzling, but it gave off a strange pressure that made the air around the arena feel heavy.

In his mind, line after line of text from the Seven Universes Weapon Control Scripture appeared with perfect clarity. The technique that had once seemed impossible to grasp now opened itself up on its own, revealing the meaning hidden behind every sentence.

Ouyang Jun's jaw dropped.

'What is this kid doing? Don't tell me he's about to break through again in the middle of a fight!'

Tang Hao's lips moved softly, repeating the words echoing in his mind.

"Weapons are born from nothingness... the soul is the weapon."

He stretched out his right hand.

Golden light gathered in his palm. The spiritual energy spun faster and faster, then condensed into a sharp blade.

In an instant, a sword formed from pure spiritual energy.

Its blade was clear as glass, giving off a soft golden glow. Yet the aura radiating from it was so powerful that the entire arena suddenly felt oppressive.

Yuan Cheng's smile froze. His red sword was still pointed at the sky.

The disciples who had been laughing at Tang Hao fell silent. They stared at the golden sword floating in the boy's hand, eyes wide.

Ouyang Jun even forgot to breathe.

'Impossible! Just mastering this technique is extremely hard, even for a cultivation master. But this kid only just learned it, and he can already form a sword out of spiritual energy?'

He stared at Tang Hao as if seeing his own disciple for the first time.

'What kind of monster is this idiot boy?'