Chapter 809: Move back! Move back! Move back! (II)

The wind swept across War Tomb Mountain, as the crowd roared with excitement.

Zhang Chen silently ascended the weathered and ancient platform with a calm expression.

War Tomb Mountain, a sect rooted in martial traditions, was home to numerous dueling platforms. The grandest of them all, the Judgment Stage, was reserved for when arguments could not be settled clearly by mediators. In scenarios like this, all disputes were ultimately settled through direct and brutal combat—a duel. In this place, the stronger fist was always right.

Today, Zhang Chen stepped onto the Judgment Stage for much the same reason. Since the conflict between Yushan Academy and War Tomb Mountain could not be settled through words, a duel was the only way.

However, this wasn’t just a simple contest. The stakes were incredibly high. The result would not only determine the winner of the duel but also decide which side would continue participating in the selection for a place in the Terrestrial Ten. The loser would be forced to withdraw from the competition for a spot in the Terrestrial Ten.

Opposite Zhang Chen stood a massive figure wrapped in a heavy cloak, brimming with tightly packed muscles that seemed to exude raw power. His broad face, framed by thick, fierce eyebrows and a weathered brownish-yellow beard, was set with piercing eyes. The solemnity of his expression made it clear that he wasn’t to be taken lightly.

This was Qiu Fenglie, the current leader of the War Tomb Mountain. He was widely regarded as one of the most powerful figures in the Northwest. Renowned for his immense strength, he was considered the greatest master in War Tomb Mountain’s history, with abilities far surpassing his cultivation realm.

Many of the Yu Dynasty’s top military generals had trained at War Tomb Mountain, and though Qiu Fenglie did not officially serve in the court, his influence in the military was on par with that of any active general.

For this reason, War Tomb Mountain had strong backing from the military in its bid for the Terrestrial Ten. However, its opposing stance to the imperial court meant that this support had to be kept hidden.

Aside from the Great Lunar Dao Sect, which held an advantage due to its overwhelming number of votes, War Tomb Mountain had the greatest chance of securing a spot.

Yushan Academy seemed more like a filler in this competition than a true threat.

While the bet looked fair, the reality was far from it. Zhang Chen had only just entered the seventh realm, making him significantly weaker than Qiu Fenglie. That was why Qiu Fenglie allowed the challenge, knowing the odds were in his favor.

Zhang Chen greeted him with respect, bowing slightly as a junior would. "Sect Leader Qiu, I apologize for any offense I may have caused."

"No need for such formality. Just come at me!" Qiu Fenglie said, stepping forward. With a shake of his shoulders, his heavy cloak flew off, revealing the dragon-scale armor he wore beneath.

With the unveiling of his armor, a crushing pressure surged toward Zhang Chen, enveloping the entire arena.

Behind Qiu Fenglie, martial artists from the War Tomb Mountain and the Great Astral Sect cheered fiercely, their roars filling the air. Meanwhile, Zhang Chen’s supporters from Ascending Dragon Academy and Noblemen’s Hall remained composed, silently watching with clenched fists.

"Please enlighten me," Zhang Chen said calmly, making no move to attack first.

Qiu Fenglie snorted coldly. "Hmph."

Qiu Fenglie might have been wary at first. But once he stepped onto the stage, the confidence he had built over many years of combat surged, and his overwhelming presence bore down upon Zhang Chen.

Boom!

Qiu Fenglie stomped his left foot heavily, vanishing in an instant. When he reappeared, he was already above Zhang Chen.

In the world of martial arts, strength was often the gauge of a martial artist’s understanding of the Dao. At the beginning of their cultivation, they would progress rapidly. Upon reaching the seventh realm, it would become difficult to continue progressing due to a lack of comprehension of the Great Dao, which then resulted in them being at a disadvantage.

Qiu Fenglie, though, was an exception. With his vast experience as a seventh-realm cultivator, he had comprehended nearly ten Great Daos, the majority of which had nothing to do with martial arts. Without his martial artist background, his comprehension would have been remarkable but not extraordinary.

Because of his identity as a martial artist, his intelligence and perception elevated him to the level of a peerless genius. It was like a scholar emerging from a family where no one had ever learned to read—this path was undoubtedly much more difficult."

As he punched downward toward Zhang Chen, the force of his strike roared with the might of wind and thunder!

The power from the Great Dao of Yin Wind, Severed Breath, and the Great Dao of Yang Thunder, Divine Clouds, merged together. His fist, charged with the combined might of these forces, was poised to smash Zhang Chen into a pulp. Qiu Fenglie did not show any mercy, aiming to kill with this strike!

Yet, Zhang Chen did not even look up—or rather, he did not have time to. The speed of a martial artist at the peak of the seventh realm was still terrifyingly fast when compared to someone at the same rear rank

However, Zhang Chen didn’t have to see. The moment Qiu Fenglie disappeared from his vision, he knew the man had already closed in.

Zhang Chen didn’t flinch or try to evade. Instead, he shouted with a voice like rolling thunder, "Move back!"

The instant his voice rang out, Qiu Fenglie involuntarily moved backward by over ten zhang.

What is this...?

Murmurs of shock spread through the crowd.

An immortal art? The Spoken Divine Law?!

Zhang Chen had indeed been proficient in this immortal art before, but at the seventh realm, most fights relied almost entirely on the Great Daos, making immortal arts nearly useless. With Qiu Fenglie’s overwhelming cultivation, this move should have been completely ineffective.

Why was his Spoken Divine Law so effective?

As the crowd gasped in disbelief, Zhang Chen commanded once more, "Move back!"

Qiu Fenglie was once again flung over ten zhang away. Just as he was about to tumble off the stage, he forcefully stomped down at the last moment, barely managing to regain his balance.

Fortunately, he had not yet lost. The power of the Spoken Divine Law diminished with distance, and at this range, Zhang Chen’s command should no longer be able to influence him.

Qiu Fenglie was baffled by how those two commands had managed to affect him. But it didn’t take long for him to figure out the reason.

Zhang Chen raised his fingers, and a white scroll materialized in the air. In an instant, a brilliant radiance erupted from it, illuminating the sky like a constellation!

"What is that...?" The martial cultivators behind Qiu Fenglie were utterly stunned. "A... tattered scroll?!"

They had no idea what kind of enchanted artifact this was, but the sheer spiritual energy it radiated was overwhelming. It was terrifying that something so ancient and worn could exude such an immense amount of spiritual aura.

"..." The Confucian cultivators behind Zhang Chen were speechless. Finally, Vice Headmaster Shentu Yang shouted, "You ignorant lot! This is the Remnant Scroll of Righteous Qi!"

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The martial cultivators collectively gasped. "I can’t believe it’s the Remnant Scroll of Righteous Qi!?"

Shentu Yang rolled his eyes. "Judging by your expressions, you don’t even know what I am talking about, right?"

The martial artists exchanged uneasy glances, their silent looks confirming his accusation.

In truth, this was not some obscure relic. Three thousand years ago, the Scroll of Righteous Qi had been the greatest treasure of the Confucians. Back then, the Catalog of the Mortal World’s Ten Thousand Treasures had not yet been compiled, but even so, the Scroll of Righteous Qi was already regarded as one of the ten greatest legendary artifacts in the mortal realm. It was also the only legendary artifact that had not come from the heavens.

The Scroll of Righteous Qi was the final masterpiece of the great Confucian advocate, Half-Saint Huo Xiang. It contained the essence of his life’s teachings, imbued with the righteous aura of countless scholars over generations. As time passed, their courageous and righteous qi refined the scroll, eventually elevating it to the level of a legendary artifact.

However, during the Demon God’s Calamity, the Confucian sect’s leader was killed, and the Scroll of Righteous Qi was torn by a ninth-realm Demon God. From that moment on, it disappeared without a trace.

Last year, while exploring a hidden realm, Zhang Chen unexpectedly stumbled upon the Scroll of Righteous Qi. Though it was tattered and incomplete, its spiritual essence remained overwhelmingly powerful. By comprehending the Remnant Scroll of Righteous Qi, he was able to swiftly understand the Great Dao of Righteous Qi.

Without this precious artifact, he would never have dared to stand against Qiu Fenglie, whose strength had been acknowledged for decades, especially given the clear gap in their cultivation.

Now, it was clear that the Remnant Scroll of Righteous Qi was as formidable as ever. With its power reinforcing him, Zhang Chen’s Spoken Divine Law commanded unquestionable authority.

Of course, the Scroll of Righteous Qi and the Great Dao of Righteous Qi were intrinsically tied to justice and righteousness. If he dared to command actions that strayed from justice, he would face immediate backlash from both the Dao and the artifact.

Against a righteous sect cultivator like Qiu Fenglie, Zhang Chen could only force Qiu Fenglie to step back, but he could not harm him.

For Zhang Chen, who had been acknowledged by the Great Dao of Righteous Qi, these restrictions were hardly restrictions at all. Acting with righteousness was already second nature to him.

Without hesitation, Zhang Chen looked at Qiu Fenglie, who was barely holding his footing at the edge of the stage, and spoke for the third time, "Move back!"