Chương 89: Supreme Grade

Within the heart of Yan Hiazan, head of the Yan clan, a flicker of surprise stirred. The Yan family boasted three Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators, yet he was the only one at the Mid stage. But Tian Jianmo, a fourth level cultivator, had been unable to withstand even a single blow from Zhang Huaijin. The realization weighed heavily on Yan Hiazan's heart. Though he himself stood at the fifth level, victory against Zhang Huaijin was far from certain.

Still, seeing the battle intent blazing in Zhang Huaijin's eyes, and driven by the interests of his family, Yan Hiazan had no choice but to step forward. After all, they were contending over an annual profit of two to three thousand spirit stones. For a power at the Foundation Establishment Realm, that was a prize no one could willingly abandon.

"Senior Yan, please enlighten me," Zhang Huaijin said calmly, extending his challenge. A collective gasp swept through the surrounding cultivators.

'He wants to keep going? Could Yan Hiazan truly stand against this young monster?' The power Zhang Huaijin had just displayed was nothing short of terrifying. Yet, with the challenge issued, Yan Hiazan could not refuse. Among the Zhang family, however, excitement surged like a tidal wave. Zhang Liwei, in particular, gazed at Zhang Huaijin with eyes full of pure, unguarded worship. Though he was technically Huaijin's young uncle, they were close in age, and Liwei had followed in Huaijin's footsteps since childhood.

Now, witnessing Huaijin's rise, his admiration had only deepened. Yan Hiazan rose slowly, his expression grim. The Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator from the Gao family narrowed his eyes. Gao Zenyu, the Gao family patriarch, focused with rapt attention, eager to gauge Zhang Huaijin's true combat strength.

"Please," Yan Hiazan said, his voice low. Boom! Yan Hiazan struck first. A black staff materialized in his palm, its surface coiled with writhing threads of baleful qi. A Tier 2, mid grade spirit artifact, the Heaven Crippling Shadow Staff. Forged primarily from Heaven Crippling Stone and imbued with both earth and dark attributes, it was a weapon of considerable renown throughout Langya County. Yan Hiazan's face was taut as he unleashed the full force of his fifth level cultivation.

Zhang Huaijin stirred his thoughts, and the Green Ape Seal materialized in the sky before him. Boom! The two spirit artifacts collided. An invisible shockwave rippled outward, twisting the air before erupting in a deafening roar that sent nearby cultivators stumbling back several steps. Zhang Huaijin's aura remained undisturbed as he continued his relentless barrage with the Green Ape Seal. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

He feared no one in a battle of attrition. His foundation was simply too deep. Within moments, the two artifacts clashed directly seven or eight times. Yan Hiazan's face paled slightly. Horror flickered across his eyes.

'Does his spiritual energy never run dry?: Zhang Huaijin cast a brief, rueful glance at his Green Ape Seal. Fine cracks had begun to spider across its surface. The Green Ape Seal was a high-quality piece among Tier 2, low grade artifacts. But it was still outmatched by a Tier 2, mid grade spirit artifact. He put it away. Red light swirled in his palm. The Blood Dragon Sword materialized, thrumming with dense blood qi as a resonant dragon's cry echoed from its edge. Zhang Huaijin stepped forward.

Red sword qi flashed as he struck down with brutal force. Even ordinary swordsmanship, amplified by his Sword Shadows, could unleash devastating power. Blazing sword strikes, one after another, faster and fiercer, rained down from all directions, completely enveloping Yan Hiazan. Two Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators were now locked in a fierce battle. But the longer the fight dragged on, the more alarmed Yan Hiazan became.

After so many exchanges, Zhang Huaijin's spiritual energy showed no sign of weakening. In fact, as time passed, Zhang Huaijin began to steadily suppress him. Gao Zenyu's expression was grave. He sent a private mental transmission to Gao Zhengxin: "Build a good relationship with this man from now on. His potential is immense."

"I understand," Gao Zhengxin replied silently. He had realized this back at Blood Lion Mountain. Thanks to the matter of repairing the formation array, he had established a decent working relationship, even a thread of goodwill, with both Zhang Lixian and Zhang Huaijin. This was a connection he needed to preserve. Deep within Zhang Huaijin's Dantian, strands of chaotic energy swirled around the foundation of his Dao.

The liquid spiritual pool below him boiled furiously, replenishing his energy at an astonishing rate. A cultivator with a supreme grade dao foundation possessed triple the combat power of a peer with an upper grade dao foundation. And Yan Hiazan didn't even have an upper grade foundation, his was merely mid grade. That single fact alone was enough to erase the two level gap between them. The Blood Dragon Sword was only a Tier 2, low grade artifact, but as long as Zhang Huaijin's blood qi held, it would not shatter.

Yan Hiazan, by contrast, had already exhausted most of his spiritual energy through the constant clashes. He could no longer draw out the Heaven Crippling Shadow Staff's full power. Desperate, he deployed a Tier 2, low grade needle type spirit artifact, hoping to harass and distract Zhang Huaijin's mind. But Zhang Huaijin's spiritual sense was immense. Yan Hiazan's sneak attack could never evade his perception. Bang!

The Blue Bamboo Serenity Sword materialized silently beside him, deflecting the needle type artifact with a single strike. Then, with a cold snort, Zhang Huaijin unleashed a storm of sword qi, once again pinning Yan Hiazan down. He wasn't using flashy techniques. He was simply overwhelming his opponent with raw, inexorable power, giving Yan Hiazan room to withdraw with dignity. Half an hour passed. Yan Hiazan's face had turned ashen, his body trembling faintly. His spiritual energy was completely spent.

Zhang Huaijin, meanwhile, fought with effortless ease, keeping Yan Hiazan suppressed that the man could barely resist. A bitter, admiring smile touched Yan Hiazan's lips. Zhang Huaijin had been more than gracious. If they had truly fought with intent to kill, Yan Hiazan suspected he would not have lasted five moves.

"I concede," Yan Hiazan said, offering himself a dignified exit. A sigh rippled through the Yan family members gathered nearby. Zhang Huaijin's battle prowess was simply overwhelming.

"Senior Yan, you are gracious," Zhang Huaijin said, ceasing his assault and calmly retracting his aura.

"A true hero emerges from youth. This old man yields willingly." Yan Hiazan bowed slightly and returned to his seat. then, Gao Zenyu rose slowly.

"I'll give you two hours to recover," he offered. Zhang Huaijin's expression remained calm as he replied, "Senior Gao, I know I am no match for you. I concede this fight." Zhang Huaijin knew when to stop. He did not press his luck. Zhang Lixian nodded approvingly at this. Know when to advance, know when to retreat. While young men needed to show their mettle, there was a limit to everything. Sometimes, excessive sharpness invited disaster.

Today, Zhang Huaijin had already proven the Zhang family's formidable strength.

"Very well. Another time, then," Gao Zenyu said. He had not expected Zhang Huaijin to concede so readily. Since Huaijin offered a graceful way out, Gao Zenyu gladly accepted it. Though Yan Hiazan had lost, he felt no resentment. Zhang Huaijin had defeated him fairly and squarely. The only one truly hurt in the competition was Tian Jianmo. With Zhang Huaijin's concession, the remaining fights were called off.

Yan Hiazan was no match for Gao Zenyu, and compared to Yan Hiazan, Tian Jianmo had even less chance of victory. After brief negotiations, they divided the shares for the next ten years.