บท 24: Jiang Heng, the Invincible Figure in the Outer Sect

"Jiang Heng? Is he the one who won the duel in the arena?"

"While he's considered a top contender, his strength is obviously weaker than a few others, especially Qipeng and Buhanyi."

"Why do you say the championship is destined for him?"

The man smirked mysteriously and asked, "Since you all know that Qipeng was injured, do you know why he got hurt?"

Everyone started discussing.

"Of course, the steward said there was an intruder with True Qi cultivation who appeared and clashed with Qipeng, causing him severe injuries."

"This doesn't mean Qipeng lacks strength. Instead, the fact that he could hold his ground against a True Qi cultivator in a head-on fight shows his immense strength. He's still the top in the outer sect."

The man didn't confirm or deny, smiling mysteriously.

"Do you know how that intruder died?"

Hearing this, everyone hesitated and said, "The steward didn't say."

"But it was Jiang Heng who killed him!"

"Jiang Heng confronted the True Qi intruder head-on, punch after punch, until he pulverized the intruder and buried him in the ground."

The man looked slightly displeased and glanced at the one who spoke first but was met with a cheerful smile.

Other people were shocked.

"How is that possible?"

"Even if Jiang Heng is strong, can he defeat a True Qi cultivator head-on?"

"Even Qipeng barely managed to withstand one move from the intruder, and now you're saying Jiang Heng could kill him?"

"Are you kidding? If that's true, how big is the gap in strength between Jiang Heng and Qipeng?"

Most of the people who hadn't witnessed it firsthand expressed disbelief.

The man argued passionately, as if defending his honor.

Just then, someone shouted, "Jiang Heng is back!"

"And Buhanyi is back too!"

These two were considered top contenders for the championship, so their appearance side by side immediately drew the attention of the crowd.

They saw Buhanyi, carrying her longsword with a heroic and impressive demeanor, walking alongside Jiang Heng.

Jiang Heng, carrying the black-wrapped package, walked steadily with a calm expression. He approached the servant in charge of tallying and casually opened the package, giving it a shake.

"Clatter!"

Many bloody ears fell onto the ground.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, two servants started counting.

"One, two, three... one hundred and three!"

"Damn! Over a hundred!"

"The highest score so far was only 86 points for Lan Gaozhuo! This sudden increase of nearly 20 points?"

"He's way ahead! It's terrifying!"

"With this score, Jiang Heng is almost certainly the champion of the first round!"

"But why didn't Buhanyi bring a package? Does she not have any spoils?"

"She returned with Jiang Heng; could it be he just snatched everything from her?"

As people discussed, the two servants double-checked the count, confirmed there were no issues, and recorded it.

Buhanyi approached the sect leader, Su Qinghe, and said, "Steward Su Qinghe, I've broken through to the True Qi Realm."

Su Qinghe raised an eyebrow in surprise and asked, "You broke through during the trial?"

"For your age, you truly are one of the sect's top talents! But as customary, you should demonstrate it."

Buhanyi's expression froze slightly. In the past, she would have accepted the title "top talent" with no qualms. However, now, it sounded somewhat grating in her ears.

Nevertheless, she didn't show any signs of discomfort. She activated her True Qi and showcased her martial realm openly.

Not far away, many people were observing Buhanyi. They were amazed when they saw the True Qi enveloping her.

Among all the outer sect disciples, Buhanyi was one of the youngest in her batch. However, her cultivation and martial skills were top-notch. Since last year, many regarded her as the top talent of the outer sect.

She had only ranked 29th in the previous year's competition due to her young age, but this year, at the age of 17, Buhanyi was considered one of the top contenders for the championship.

Her talent was already astounding, but now she had achieved a breakthrough directly into the True Qi Realm.

"This is... truly astonishing!"

"I'm already considered a genius among ordinary people, but I feel that I may never break through to the True Qi Realm in this lifetime, and yet, Bu Hanyi managed to break through at the age of seventeen!"

"Truly deserving of being the number one talent among the outer disciples!"

"All the outer disciples are no longer qualified to compare themselves to her; Bu Hanyi has already risen to a higher level. Soon, she will shine brightly among the inner disciples."

"I dare say that even when she enters the inner sect, Bu Hanyi will still be considered one of the top talents!"

The exclamations of the crowd reached Bu Hanyi's ears, but all the praise and flattery made her blush a bit, and she instinctively looked in the direction of Jiang Heng.

Others might not be aware, but deep down, she knew that she couldn't be considered the number one talent. That one person was the true peerless genius who stood above everyone else, beyond ordinary comprehension.

Meanwhile, Jiang Heng and two other miscellaneous disciples had finished counting the spoils of war and recording the points. They walked over in Bu Hanyi's direction.

A steward immediately approached Su Qinghe and whispered softly, "Steward Su, that person is Jiang Heng."

"Oh?"

Su Qinghe turned his gaze toward Jiang Heng's direction. When several stewards had reported to him earlier, he had found it hard to believe. A body refining realm martial artist killing a True Qi Realm cultivator head-on—such a thing was unheard of, even for someone with decades of experience like him.

But now, as he watched Jiang Heng approach slowly, Su Qinghe was even more astonished.

"So young, and it's actually true!"

"This is a real peerless talent!"

He cleared his chaotic thoughts and composed himself, smiling as he called out, "Young man, you must be Jiang Heng, right?"

Jiang Heng turned his gaze toward Su Qinghe with a calm expression. "That's right."

"Earlier, some stewards reported to me that you single-handedly killed the intruders. Is that correct?"

"Correct."

"When we return to the sect, I will report your contributions and request rewards for you."

Su Qinghe nodded approvingly and said, "To kill a True Qi Realm cultivator head-on with your body refining realm power, you are truly a contemporary genius."

Jiang Heng continued to smile without being humble or arrogant. "Thank you for the praise, Steward Su."

Their conversation wasn't intentionally whispered, and everyone present, being powerful martial artists, had keen senses. Moreover, Jiang Heng and Su Qinghe were already the center of attention.

In no time, most of the people present had caught wind of their conversation and were left in shock.

"What? Jiang Heng really killed a True Qi Realm expert head-on?"

"Even the Senior Steward is treating her with courtesy and respect. Is this how geniuses are treated?"

"Invincible! Jiang Heng is truly peerless among the outer disciples!"