Unmatched Realm, Qin Zheng

Unmatched Realm, Qin Zheng

The Vermilion Bird Formation, grand in scale, had endured since the era of Ancient Grand Xia. Even during the rebellion of the nine grand clans, they couldn't gain sole control over this formidable formation. It remained impervious to their efforts, keeping its rich ancient luck accessible only to those of the Yuanfu Realm.

Among Grand Xia's eighteen trial grounds, the Vermilion Bird Formation stood as the highest level of challenge available to Yuanfu practitioners.

To this day, thousands of years after the fall of Ancient Grand Xia, the transcendent powers continued their quest to unlock the secrets of the Vermilion Bird Formation. In each triennial ranking battle, they dispatched their mightiest Yuanfu cultivator, hoping for a breakthrough or a glimpse of its mysteries.

Over the millennia since Ancient Grand Xia's demise, several formidable individuals were rumored to have reaped great rewards from the formation. It was said that even the Azure Emperor himself acquired an immensely powerful cultivation art, though the specifics remained shrouded in mystery.

Qin Wentian, however, was unaware of this history. To him, the Vermilion Bird Formation was an enigmatic world that had birthed the true spirit of a Vermilion Bird. Given his current strength, penetrating the formation's secrets was impossible. He did grasp that it utilized spatial concepts, creating an expansive realm. Despite exploring for three days, he had only encountered a handful of individuals.

He also spotted some ancient ruins within this realm. Some had been explored long ago, while others, like the mountain wall with the colossal axe embedded in it, concealed their secrets beyond his current capabilities.

In this battle for ancient luck, Qin Wentian could have chosen to set up fourth-ranked inscriptions at a safe location, unhindered by others. Unfortunately, the vastness of this world made such a passive approach ineffective. To seize ancient luck from others, he had to actively hunt.

As his potent heart sense extended outward, a few breaths later, a figure entered Qin Wentian's perception.

It was Chen Wang!

Chen Wang, hailing from the prestigious Great Solar Chen Clan, had a clear objective in this ranking battle: to seize the coveted first position. In the previous rankings, he had held the second spot, right under Hua Taixu. Now that Hua Taixu had reached the second level of Heavenly Dipper, one could only imagine the formidable power Chen Wang had cultivated during his three-year preparation. All three of his Mandates had attained the second level, and his Flames Mandate had even reached the Advanced Boundary of the second level. His years of dedication had all led up to this moment.

Yet, Chen Wang harbored unrevealed trump cards, a mystery to all. No one truly knew the extent of his capabilities. What everyone did agree on, however, was that Chen Wang was not someone to provoke in this ranking battle.

Qin Wentian calmly altered his path, choosing a different direction and continuing on. His decision left the spectators perplexed. Just when it seemed that Qin Wentian and Chen Wang were about to cross paths, he changed course. Was this a matter of chance? Or did Qin Wentian possess a perception sharper than Chen Wang's?

In fact, Chen Wang had remained oblivious to Qin Wentian's presence. He maintained his leisurely pace and adjusted his direction. Clearly, he didn't anticipate immediate conflict, fully aware of the vastness of this world and the need for proactive action to seize ancient luck.

To the amazement of onlookers, Qin Wentian didn't depart. Instead, when Chen Wang altered his course, Qin Wentian surreptitiously followed him from behind, earning admiration for his audacity. Perhaps his confidence in his perception bordered on arrogance, for he had chosen to shadow Chen Wang of all people.

"Next up is the unlucky Qin Zheng! This dark horse with the same surname as Qin Wentian is about to encounter Chen Wang," the spectators outside gleefully discussed. Their attention focused on remarkable contenders like Chen Wang, Shi Potian, Wang Jue, and others.

Dark horses such as Si Qiong, Qin Zheng, and Hua Shaoqing also garnered significant interest.

As expected, Chen Wang soon encountered Qin Zheng. Clearly, Chen Wang had amassed more ancient luck than Qin Zheng. Furthermore, his Vermilion Bird-formed ancient luck was unique, featuring a golden-feathered Vermilion Bird, whereas Qin Zheng's bore a standard appearance.

"Qin Zheng," Chen Wang declared, his gaze fixed on the illusory Vermilion Bird representing Qin Zheng's ancient luck, which bore five glimmering points of light. In Chen Wang's calculation, absorbing Qin Zheng's Vermilion Bird would equate to claiming five portions of ancient luck.

Qin Zheng chuckled, seemingly unfazed. "Chen Wang, my ancient luck is not yours for the taking."

A cold smirk curved Chen Wang's lips as he sneered. Stepping forward, he infused both arms with blazing red energy, invoking the power of his Great Solar Universe Art. The temperature in the vicinity skyrocketed, evaporating the very air around him. He was ready to force Qin Zheng's hand.

"Seems you need a demonstration," Qin Zheng quipped with a laugh. Chen Wang unleashed a devastating barrage of flaming fist strikes, each brimming with ferocity and tyranny. The spectators watched in amazement as the punches landed on Qin Zheng's body, yet he managed to reappear at another location, having miraculously dodged the attacks. It appeared as though he had been struck by the last punch, but he had deftly avoided it.

Chen Wang, undeterred, lunged forward and aimed to seize Qin Zheng with a powerful flaming palm imprint. However, Qin Zheng effortlessly shattered the palm imprint into fragments with a single word, "Shatter." In the blink of an eye, Qin Zheng's presence shifted, and he countered with a formidable sword qi. Chen Wang, radiating blinding solar brilliance, attacked with his Great Solar Swordplay. Qin Zheng shut his eyes briefly to avoid the intense glare. When he reappeared, he unleashed a palm strike that mimicked a sharp saber's edge, infused with a vicious cutting energy.

Chen Wang's arms blazed with Great Solar Energy as he met Qin Zheng's strike with a palm-to-palm clash. The scorching heat enveloped them, turning Qin Zheng's arms a fiery red as he absorbed Chen Wang's energy.

With a resounding boom, the two combatants disengaged. Qin Zheng's sleeves had been burned away, and his arms bore deep black scorch marks. Chen Wang's boiling red arm returned to its normal hue, marred only by a bloody wound on his palm.

"Mandate of Space," Chen Wang muttered as he inspected his injury. He gazed at Qin Zheng with renewed understanding. "No wonder you're so confident with that Mandate of yours."

Chen Wang's eyes flared with blazing intensity as he dashed toward Qin Zheng. His movements resembled a fiery sun hurtling forward, scorching the very ground he traversed, leaving barren, lifeless earth in his wake.

"INCINERATE!" Chen Wang's voice rang out like a battle cry, commanding the enormous sun flames to surge toward Qin Zheng. As the flames bore down on him, Qin Zheng channeled the will of two Mandates into his palms, executing a potent downward chop. An indescribably mighty slash manifested from the heavens, slicing the flaming orb in half. Despite the two flaming halves hurtling toward him, Qin Zheng vanished from view once more, reappearing in a different location.

Chen Wang regarded Qin Zheng with keen interest. "Spatial Laceration infused into the Mandate of the Wind, allowing you to wield the Grand Cleaving? Tell me, who are you?"

"Qin Zheng of the Unmatched Realm," came the response.

Chen Wang sneered. "Your Mandate of Space grants impressive dodging abilities, but do you truly believe you can defeat me in combat?"

Qin Zheng's fusion of the Mandate of Space and Mandate of Wind was formidable, causing even Chen Wang to feel a hint of fear. "Chen Wang, don't overestimate yourself just because Hua Taixu is no longer a threat. Besides, your failure began the moment you didn't notice you were being followed, even before you encountered me," Qin Zheng taunted, sending a chill down Chen Wang's spine. He instantly expanded his perception, scanning his surroundings more intensely.

In a fit of frustration, Qin Wentian silently cursed Qin Zheng for revealing his presence for amusement. Quickly, he turned and darted away, his heart pounding.

It seemed Chen Wang had finally sensed something amiss. His face stiffened as he moved with incredible speed, hot on Qin Wentian's trail. The cultivation gap between them made it clear that if it came to a direct confrontation, Qin Wentian was outmatched.

"QIN WENTIAN!" Chen Wang bellowed with manic laughter. His ninth-level cultivation allowed him to close the gap rapidly, and soon, Qin Wentian was within sight. Chen Wang's Great Solar Illumination radiated with blinding brilliance as he gestured with sword fingers, conjuring several solar swords that descended upon Qin Wentian.

Qin Wentian countered with a dragon imprint, but the Great Solar Swordplay effortlessly shattered it, sending residual force crashing into Qin Wentian's body.

Qin Wentian's face remained an icy mask as he pressed forward, his garuda wings beating with increasing vigor, striving to escape with all his might. After a brief moment, he spotted a cave entrance nestled within the mountainside. Despite the cave's darkness, he hesitated no longer and plunged into it.

"Courting death," Chen Wang sneered, observing Qin Wentian's move. He too accelerated his pace, channeling more Great Solar Energy into a colossal fireball that materialized behind him.

Yet, the moment he entered the cave, an overwhelming force surged forth, drilling into him. Chen Wang's murderous intent surged as he flung the enormous fireball toward the cave entrance.

"BOOM!" Trepidation filled Chen Wang's narrowed eyes as the gushing force not only obliterated his fireball but also continued its advance, targeting his heart.

With a furious roar, Chen Wang felt his blood transform into molten magma. Intense heat radiated from him as he struggled against the force, but for a moment, he was helplessly propelled backward, regaining control only after being shoved several steps back. His arm trembled violently, and blood oozed from it. He had been wounded!

A searing burst of flame erupted, instantly vaporizing the blood droplets into steam. Clutching his injured hand, Chen Wang's face turned ashen.

He couldn't lay a finger on Qin Zheng earlier, yet now, he found himself at a disadvantage against Qin Wentian?

How had Qin Wentian unleashed such a devastating attack?

Scorching solar flames enveloped the surroundings as Chen Wang attempted to destroy the cave. However, he noticed that despite the cave's violent trembling under his assault, it showed no signs of collapsing.

An expression of disbelief crossed Chen Wang's face as he stood at the cave's entrance. He icily sneered, "Are you reduced to cowering inside like a coward?"

"Chen Wang, could it be that you're afraid of someone like me, who lags two levels behind in cultivation? Is this the mighty Chen Wang's true form? Just standing there hurling empty boasts? Seems like you're nothing but a scaredy-cat," a voice laced with cold laughter floated out from the cave, tinged with mockery. "Come in if you dare."

Chen Wang seethed with rage at the taunt. His face remained frigid as he continued to hurl massive sunfire balls into the cave.