Chapter 1645: Fists for Giggling Freaks

The spectators were incredibly shocked. Qiu Chanzi had always been very polite in the group stage and treated everyone well. Even those who had been defeated by him accepted it wholeheartedly. Why had he suddenly become like this, as if he were possessed by a demon?

Seeing people’s skeptical looks, Purity Temple’s Vice Temple Master wiped off some cold sweat while explaining, “Qiu Chanzi is not possessed by a demon; rather, his nature is a bit strange. He seems to have two personalities. Furthermore, because his cultivation method is special, he always enters this kind of state whenever he encounters a difficult situation.”

The other sect leaders felt more at ease when they heard that. It turned out Qiu Chanzi had been holding back so far! Now that he was facing a powerful enemy like Wan Guiyi, he couldn't hold back any of his skills. Still, his current state really was a bit frightening.

…

Meanwhile, Yun Jianyue was smacking her thigh and laughing. She remarked, “This kid isn’t bad! Let’s try to get him into our Devil Sect if there’s a chance. He has the potential to become a great devil!”

Qiu Honglei rolled her eyes and replied, “Master, didn’t you tell me not to call us the Devil Sect?”

Yun Jianyue’s smile froze. She hastily replied, “It’s different when I say it, compared to when you say it.”

“Isn’t that a double standard?”

“Whatever! You should be watching the competition seriously right now.”

…

Meanwhile, on the stage, Wan Guiyi was also shocked. He finally realized that something was off. It was the middle of winter, so why did he hear cicadas? Furthermore, even though he had always been rather prideful, it was strange for him to completely lose his cool. The mysterious sense of restlessness he felt seemed to come from the cicada noises all around him.

With a flick of his finger, his longsword instantly left its scabbard. He didn’t grab the sword, instead launching it at Qiu Chanzi.

Even though the sword was flying hilt-first at Qiu Chanzi, a burst of sword ki flooded the entire stage. Wherever the blade passed, its sharp sword ki left long gashes all across the stage.

The disciples watching were all incredibly shocked. This Wan Guiyi’s sword ki seemed to be a bit too strong! How did even this casual attack have such power?

Even Wu Xiaofan’s eyes widened a bit. He carefully watched the battle.

Just then, Wang Wuxie turned to Zu An and asked, “Sir Zu, what do you think about Wan Guiyi’s sword skill?”

The other sect masters and elders also looked toward him. Before, they wouldn’t have cared about his opinion at all. There had been no way they would ask him about what he thought. However, after that shocking battle, they no longer viewed him as a junior. Between that and the fact that he already held such an important post in the court at such a young age, his future prospects were clearly limitless. They all naturally wanted to improve their relationship with him.

“He’s like a sword himself. He seems like a rough diamond that was born to wield the sword,” Zu An commented. He couldn't help but laugh at himself. In the past, he had always been the ones fighting to the death while other judges and elders commented on his performance. He hadn’t expected to be the one evaluating someone else now.

Wang Wuxie couldn't help but say to Wan Tongtian, “Brother Wan, you’ve given birth to an excellent son.” He secretly glanced at the nearby Yan Xuehen as he spoke. He was filled with regret.

“Not at all, not at all,” Wan Tongtian replied. He merely sounded polite on the surface, but he was so happy that it was almost as if his tail were wagging.

Elder Huo Ling harrumphed. She clearly became more annoyed the more formidable Wan Guiyi showed himself to be. She remarked, “They both use swords, but in my opinion, he is still far too lacking compared to Sir Zu.”

The others’ expressions changed. Elder, how can you just kill the conversation like that?

…

Meanwhile, several changes had taken place on the battlefield. Qiu Chanzi crouched slightly before leaping high into the air, avoiding Wan Guiyi’s vicious attack.

Many of the experienced spectators frowned when they saw the move, thinking that it didn’t seem like a particularly wise choice. Those who hadn’t reached the master rank could only float in the air for a short time. Additionally, their mobility decreased substantially in the air. Wouldn’t Qiu Chanzi just become a living target then?

Wan Guiyi’s sword hilt missed and smashed into the barrier around the stage. The barrier flickered, and the sword was launched backward along its original trajectory. He seemed to have already anticipated that, though, and easily grabbed it; his move made him look incredibly handsome. Many of the younger female disciples screamed in amazement. Unfortunately, Wan Guiyi was an unromantic man, and only felt that their cheers were a bit noisy.

He looked up at Qiu Chanzi, clearly recognizing an opening, and said, “You’re completely courting death!”

He transformed into a streak of light, rushing into the air toward Qiu Chanzi. He was confident that with the speed of his sword, there was no way Qiu Chanzi, who had just expended his strength, could avoid it. Earlier, Wu Xiaofan had dealt with Luo Dongjiang with just two palm strikes; winning here with two moves would be just as good.

However, his expression quickly froze, because the attack that he had believed would definitely land missed!

He had already broken through into the master rank and could move through the air at will. He quickly turned to look behind him, and saw Qiu Chanzi reappear a hundred or so meters away. Rings of blue patterns suddenly surged around Qiu Chanzi.

Wan Guiyi felt a headache coming on. What is going on here? Don’t tell me this kid is going to release ridiculous sword ki just like that Zu An?

Zu An’s ridiculous and overwhelming display that day had clearly left an unforgettable impression on his still rather immature mind.

The ripples quickly grew larger and larger until a giant cicada projection manifested behind Qiu Chanzi. It gently flapped its wings and released screams that made everyone present tremble in fear. The disciples who were watching felt their ki and blood stir chaotically. Their mood also became strangely irritable.

On the judge’s seat, Wang Wuxie noticed that something wasn't right. With a swing of his sleeves, a wave of faint purple energy surrounded and covered the stage. Only then did the surrounding disciples gradually calm down.

Meanwhile, Wan Guiyi, who was at the center of the stage, wasn’t so lucky. His entire body trembled and the ki inside him was stirred up. His eyes began to turn red, and he appeared to be on the verge of collapse.

“Heheheh… I avoided it~” Qiu Chanzi said as he grabbed his hair and revealed an extremely pleased smile. His eyes were full of madness.

Many people present felt that something wasn’t quite right with this kid. Only Zu An felt that the sight was somewhat familiar. In his previous world, this kind of character appeared quite often in anime. Should I call him a crazy freak or a sicko?

Guan Chouhai couldn't help but voice his surprise. “Brother He, what is going on with him? Why does this feel a bit similar to a grandmaster’s domain?”

Purity Temple’s He Yuan stroked his beard and said with a smile, “This is the result of a fortuitous meeting Qiu Chanzi experienced when he was young. He obtained a strange cicada. After refining it into his own soul pet, he became this way. He thus decided to change his name to Qiu Chanzi. As his cultivation climbed, the power of the winter cicada also grew stronger and stronger.”[1]

“I wonder what kind of ancient monster this winter cicada is.”

The sect masters began to discuss the winter cicada’s origins. Unfortunately, none of them could come to a conclusion despite their extraordinary experiences.

Only Wan Tongtian had a displeased expression. After all, the one in the current predicament wasn’t one of their sons.

…

Yun Jianyue couldn't help but say with a sigh, “These daoist sects really have a great number of talented people. I didn’t expect the previously harmless-looking Qiu Chanzi to be so formidable. Honglei, you can’t lower your guard in the following battles.”

Qiu Honglei nodded. Qiu Changzi had been publicly acknowledged as the weakest among the representative disciples, and yet he had ended up hiding his real skills so well. She didn’t dare to show any more carelessness toward anyone.

“Heh, it’s time for me to attack now, right?” Qiu Chanzi said as he tilted his head to the side. The cicada projection behind him flapped its wings, and he seemed to merge with it. He flew straight at Wan Guiyi. Even the air around him seemed to be torn apart as he charged forward.

Jadefall Palace’s disciples all cried out in alarm, worried for their senior brother. The winter cicada’s unfolded wings were like two-hundred-meter-long blades! Anyone struck by them would likely be instantly bisected at the waist.

Wan Guiyi clearly intended to retaliate, but the cicada noises were giving him a huge headache. His reaction speed was significantly slower than normal. He could only barely raise his sword, gathering a blast of sharp sword ki to face his opponent.

Jadefall Palace’s people all felt very nervous. Wan Guiyi’s sword seemed significantly weaker than usual.

Boom!

The winter cicada projection smashed directly into Wan Guiyi’s sword ki and released blinding light. In that instant, it was as if space itself distorted. No one could see what was happening inside.

Suddenly, a longsword quickly spun through the air. Then, it stabbed directly into the stage floor, revealing just how sharp it was.

The disciples’ expressions all changed. That was Wan Guiyi’s sword! If a swordsman lost his own sword, it was easy to imagine what his current situation was.

Could it be that Wan Guiyi was going to lose? That would be an upset no less surprising than Zhi Yin’s loss!

Suddenly, the rays of light on the stage gradually disappeared, revealing two figures within.

Wan Guiyi’s entire body was covered in blood; even standing still seemed difficult for him. However, Qiu Chanzi was standing in front of him without moving, as if he were completely frozen.

Qiu Chanzi looked down at the finger his opponent had thrust through his chest. His expression was full of disbelief as he muttered, “How is this possible?”

Wan Guiyi’s entire body was covered in wounds, but his gaze was still extremely sharp. He was just like the sword that was embedded in the ground beneath him. He said, “A true swordsman can use every single part of their body as a sword.”

“So that was it. Hehe,” Qiu Chanzi said with a giggle, seeming to have suddenly understood.

What he got in response was a fist. Blood and snot flew through the air, drawing out two long arcs. Qiu Chanzi’s body fell outside the arena like a broken sack.

Purity Temple’s He Yuan exclaimed furiously, “Wan Guiyi, you already won! Why did you have to be so vicious?!”

Wan Guiyi replied with a sneer, “Isn’t it gross for a grown man to be giggling all day? The only things this one has to give to giggling freaks are these fists!”

1. ’Qiu’ is a surname *, but it can also mean ‘autumn’. ‘Chan zi’ means ‘cicada’. ☜