piratefiction Chapter 55 The Diary, Part 1
Chapter 55 The Diary, Part 1
Lü Bingchen took his seat.
The black-robed deacon stepped onto the high platform: "The ranking battle between the Earthly and Heavenly Abodes begins now. The rules remain the same as before. Each person may challenge three times. The rankings will be finalized at sunset."
"The challenge begins!"
After he finished speaking, the room fell silent.
The disciples of the Earthly Abode sized each other up, while the ten members of the Heavenly Abode stood quietly to the side, making no move.
They were well aware of each other's abilities, and neither of them would easily waste three opportunities unless they were absolutely certain of success.
Fifteen minutes later, someone finally moved.
The 30th-ranked player challenged the 29th-ranked player, and narrowly won after 30 moves, resulting in a swap of rankings.
After that, there were several more internal battles in the venues, and the rankings were slightly adjusted, but no one in the top 20 ever stepped up. Everyone knew that the real showdown had not yet begun.
Liang Chengjing stood to the side, closed his eyes, and regulated his breathing.
He was waiting for the rankings to end in the waiting area.
At the very least, the land is the most stable option.
An hour later, the challenges inside the dwelling gradually subsided. Liang Cheng opened his eyes, and someone stepped out beside him.
It was Yun Jinghong.
He walked steadily into the arena, his gaze sweeping over the back row of the dormitories, his voice clear and resonant:
"Yun Jinghong, a disciple of the Human Academy, challenges Li Yan, who is ranked 40th in the Earth Academy."
Li Yan, whose name was called, looked grim. This disciple of the Human Hall didn't take him seriously at all. He went up on stage with anger in his eyes, determined to teach Yun Jinghong a lesson.
"Please." Yun Jinghong drew her sword, its blade as smooth as an autumn lake.
Li Yan wielded a knife with fierce and powerful strokes, launching a full-scale attack right from the start!
Yun Jinghong neither retreated nor dodged; her sword flashed like a fleeting shadow, and the battle raged on relentlessly amidst the clash of blades.
People on the viewing platform kept glancing sideways, amazed at Yun Jinghong's strength—she was actually able to fight against the fortieth-ranked member of the Earthly Sect to such an extent!
There were gasps of surprise from the sidelines. The rankings of the local shrines were already set, and their strength was widely recognized. Who could have imagined that Yun Jinghong would be so formidable?
After nearly a hundred moves, with a clang, the long sword fell to the ground, and Li Yan stood there dumbfounded, with only a red mark on his wrist. His opponent had already shown mercy.
"You flatter me." Yun Jinghong sheathed her sword.
Applause spontaneously erupted from the audience.
Deacon Gao Xuan: "Yun Jinghong wins, replacing Li Yan, who is ranked fortyth in the Earthly Branch!"
For a moment, the disciples' eyes lit up.
If Yun Jinghong can do it, why can't I? I can challenge the lowest-ranking disciple of the Earthly Abode.
For a time, the challenges continued, but unfortunately, they all failed in the end, and no one won. Only then did they calm down.
It's not that the disciples of the Earthly Abode are weak, but rather that Yun Jinghong is stronger.
Just when everyone had given up, Liang Cheng finally stepped forward.
"Liang Cheng, a disciple of the Renshe family."
His voice was calm, yet it silenced the entire room:
"Challenging the first place in the dormitory, Zhou Tianhao."
A clamor arose from all sides!
"A direct challenge for first place?!"
"How long has he been in the martial arts academy?!"
On the viewing platform, Lü Bingchen stroked his beard and smiled: "This is the spirit of youth!"
Yue Shan crossed his arms and smiled, "You've got guts!"
Shen Wenyuan nodded slightly, then suddenly looked at Wu Zhenshan, his expression meaningful: "What does Treasurer Wu think of this battle?"
Wu Zhenshan replied calmly, "It's like an ant trying to shake a tree."
From the left-hand stands, Xu Zhi suddenly stood up, his face full of sneer: "You're asking for death! How dare you overestimate yourself and challenge the number one team in the Dishe competition? You've brought shame upon yourself!"
Xu Zhang pressed down on his son's shoulder, his expression unreadable: "Sit down."
A family head sitting nearby shook his head: "This young man is ignorant and arrogant. How can the title of the number one in the land estate be so easily challenged?"
Chen Bainian's expression changed, a mixture of anticipation and shock in his eyes: "Liang Cheng, can you really go against the tide?"
Several chamber of commerce managers whispered among themselves, "If he can really win, this kid is a prodigy, and he's worth trying to win over."
Qiao Zhi was taken aback at first, then scoffed, "How ambitious! You really think you can run rampant in the martial arts academy just because you defeated Liu Meng?"
Uncle Wang said in a low voice, "Miss, be careful what you say."
Qiao Zhi pouted, "Did I say something wrong? Zhou Tianhao is the number one in the Earthly Realm, with perfected Transformation Realm. What is Liang Cheng? He really is just a country bumpkin, clueless about his place!"
Regardless of what others were saying, Zhou Tianhao walked out from the crowd of people in the underground residence.
He was tall and muscular, with bronze skin that gleamed metallically in the sunlight—a sign of mastering the Rock-Stone Technique.
"Junior Brother Liang," Zhou Tianhao said, clasping his hands in a deep, resonant voice.
Liang Cheng clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Please enlighten me, senior brother."
The two men ascended the platform, facing each other at a distance of three zhang (approximately 10 meters).
There was no probing.
Zhou Tianhao took a step forward, causing the bluestone of the arena to crack. His right fist slammed out, the wind from the punch sounding like muffled thunder.
Rock Fist - Mountain Splitting!
Liang Cheng neither dodged nor avoided the punch, but met it head-on!
With the force of a wild bull, it can crush mountains!
"boom!!!"
Their fists collided, creating a shockwave!
Zhou Tianhao staggered back three steps, the bluestone beneath his feet shattering inch by inch!
Zhou Tianhao's eyes gleamed: "Great strength! Again!"
He unleashed a flurry of punches, each one carrying the power to shatter mountains and split rocks. Liang Cheng met the attack with his own fists, unleashing the power of the nine layers of overlapping waves, each punch a hard blow!
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!!!"
The explosions on the stage were like a series of thunderclaps!
The two figures clashed wildly on the stage, each collision shaking the arena, sending shockwaves and flying debris!
The disciples below the stage were dumbfounded.
"Is this still a martial arts competition?!"
"It's clearly two humanoid beasts colliding!"
Ten moves! Twenty moves! Thirty moves!
Zhou Tianhao grew increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed. His Rock-Solid Skill had reached its peak, and with the support of his internal cultivation method, his fist power was enough to split stone tablets and shatter rocks. However, when it struck Liang Cheng, it was like hitting refined iron, and the recoil made his arms go numb!
His opponent's physical skills were actually superior to his!?
"That was exhilarating!" Zhou Tianhao roared, his body retreating three zhang, his fists clenched, and his aura suddenly surged!
Beneath his bronze skin, a faint earthy yellow sheen flowed!
"Junior Brother Liang, take my final move—"
"A rock-solid pillar guarding the mountain!"
He planted his feet on the ground, and the arena sank three-tenths of an inch. His right fist slowly retracted to his waist, and the earth-yellow energy on his fist condensed as if it were a solid substance!
This punch concentrated all his power. Liang Cheng took a deep breath, activated his Iron Armor Realm hard skill, and his skin flashed with a mysterious black color, as if covered with heavy armor.
With the Qi and blood of the Broken Wave Technique surging within his body, and the power of the Ninefold Overlapping Wave Force condensing in his right fist, he also stepped forward and threw a punch!
The moment the fist was thrown, the air was torn apart, creating a piercing sonic boom!
Layered Waves Force - Ninefold Unity!
The two fists collided with a deafening roar!
"boom!!!"
The deafening roar was like the sky collapsing and the earth splitting apart. A shockwave exploded in the center of the arena, lifting the bluestone slabs layer by layer, and sending fragments of stone flying like rain!
A figure was sent flying backwards!
Zhou Tianhao crashed through the railing and fell to the edge of the ring. His right arm hung limply, his fist was covered in blood and flesh, and his finger bones were exposed!
Liang Cheng staggered back three steps, the bluestone beneath his feet shattering and dust billowing, before regaining his footing.
The entire room fell into a deathly silence.
The smoke and dust slowly dissipated.
Zhou Tianhao struggled to his feet, supporting himself with his left arm, and looked across the ring at Liang Cheng, who stood steadily. The two stared at each other.
Zhou Tianhao couldn't help but smile bitterly: "I've lost."
Liang Cheng clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Senior brother's skill is truly admirable."
Zhou Tianhao turned around and returned to his seat as a disciple. The disciples of the Earthly Abode rushed forward to help him, fed him pills, and bandaged his right arm. Zhou Tianhao sat cross-legged to regulate his breathing, his face pale.
Chen Yuan and Liu Qing exchanged bewildered glances. They had met Liang Cheng before and knew he was exceptionally talented, but they hadn't expected him to be this strong.
The deacon hesitated for a moment before announcing loudly, "Liang Chengsheng! He replaces the first place in the Earth House!"
On the viewing platform.
Lu Bingchen suddenly stood up, his eyes gleaming: "Excellent! What a fierce duel of martial arts! This young man's physical strength is rarely seen in the Martial Academy!"
Yue Shan slammed his hand on the table and laughed loudly, "Hahaha! That was exhilarating! Now that's what a martial arts competition should be like!"
Shen Wenyuan smiled, while Wu Zhenshan remained silent with a gloomy expression.
Xu Zhi stood there dumbfounded, his lips trembling: "How is this possible..."
The teacup in Xu Zhang's hand turned to dust, and the tea soaked his robes, but he was completely unaware. He stared intently at the figure on the stage, his eyes blazing with murderous intent.
Not far away, Zhao Ming stood there dumbfounded, his palms sweating. He originally thought that Liang Cheng would at most rank in the top twenty of the Earthly Hall, but who would have thought that he would directly reach the top!
I'm afraid I can't count on my own arrangements at all.
On the other side, Chen Bainian burst into laughter, but was too excited to speak. This investment was a brilliant move, yielding a huge return.
Qiao Zhi suddenly stood up, her pretty face as white as paper.
Looking at the figure on the stage, covered in blood yet standing tall like a pine tree, the phrase "ambitious but unrealistic" stuck in her throat, turning into an indescribable bitterness.
She slumped back into her seat, murmuring, "He really won..."
Qiao Zhi's heart was in turmoil, and Uncle Wang was also too shocked to speak.
Madam, you've misjudged him. It seems your son-in-law has truly taken on an extraordinary disciple.