Chapter 170: What’s the Difference?
Chapter 170: What’s the Difference?
What happened? The Cloud-Piercing Hand failed?
At that moment, every person in Lou Ri City focused their attention. Countless eyes locked onto Cheng Lingyu, straining to see what had occurred.
On the Battle Platform, Cheng Lingyu stood unmoving. A giant hand glowing with brilliance descended from the sky, seizing him—Yan Lingfeng’s Cloud-Piercing Hand.
Yet the hand never touched Cheng Lingyu’s skin. It was halted by a seven-layered octagonal pagoda.
No matter how fiercely Yan Lingfeng exerted force, the pagoda remained uncrushed, creating a deadlock.
The crowd gasped in shock.
The Cloud-Piercing Hand’s might was legendary. How had Cheng Lingyu blocked it? What was this indestructible seven-layered octagonal pagoda?
“Cheater! Using a magical artifact! Disgraceful!”
A Feixing Ridge disciple hurled insults, accusing Cheng Lingyu of breaking the rules.
“Idiot! Isn’t the Cloud-Piercing Hand a magical artifact too? He gave you ten free strikes! Your eyes are full of shit—can’t see that? Stop barking nonsense!”
A Fallen God Ridge disciple roared back, defending Cheng Lingyu.
Arguments erupted. Feixing Ridge disciples cursed while others shouted support, the dispute spiraling.
On the Lou Ri Battle Platform, Yan Lingfeng trembled with fury, repeatedly straining to shatter the pagoda and kill Cheng Lingyu—yet it proved futile.
Cheng Lingyu gazed calmly at the radiant Cloud-Piercing Hand. Slowly, almost lazily, he lifted his right hand. The motion drew every eye.
A gentle flick of his fingers struck the giant hand. A crystalline *clink* rang out.
Invisible ripples exploded outward like embers igniting time and space.
*Crack!* The dazzling Cloud-Piercing Hand fractured, disintegrating into glittering shards. The crowd froze in disbelief.
Yan Lingfeng shuddered, unleashing a guttural scream. Despair and rage twisted his face, a sight that stirred pity.
Cheng Lingyu tilted his head, studying the howling Yan Lingfeng.
“What difference does it make?”
The soft question hit like thunder. For Yan Lingfeng, it was utter humiliation.
“I’ll kill you!”
Yan Lingfeng plunged downward, attacking madly—a true life-or-death assault.
“A night-blooming cereus… pitiful.”
Cheng Lingyu spoke the phrase a second time, heralding the end.
As Yan Lingfeng lunged, Cheng Lingyu stepped sideways—not defending, not attacking, but strolling toward a cave heaven.
The cave heaven’s surface shimmered with formations. As Cheng Lingyu neared, it *whooshed*, swallowing him whole.
Spectators gaped in confusion. Only those with higher cultivation levels shook their heads, sensing the truth.
Wan Fang snorted. “That brat’s determined to enrage Feixing Ridge to death.”
On the Battle Platform, Cheng Lingyu’s figure blurred through nine cave heavens in a split second, reappearing where he’d stood.
Yan Lingfeng’s strike found empty air. As he whirled around, his body convulsed violently. Blood gushed from his mouth. His eyes dulled instantly, drowning in despair.
“You… you… ruthless…”
“I let you have ten moves, didn’t I?”
Cheng Lingyu gave a faint smile, turned, and walked away. The formation on the ground faded with his departure.
The spectators stared in disbelief. Was it over already? This felt nothing like the three prior matches.
As confusion lingered, the Nine Cave Heavens atop the Battle Platform erupted in rapid explosions, vanishing completely within moments.
The abrupt turn stunned the crowd. Feixing Ridge disciples roared in outrage while Fallen God Ridge’s followers erupted in cheers. Others from various branches gasped, finally grasping the meaning behind “the outcome remains unchanged” from earlier. The moment Cheng Lingyu had asked Yan Lingfeng “What difference does the outcome make?” sealed this fate.
Liu Haocun shook with rage. Yan Lingfeng had been Feixing Ridge’s genius—blessed with an innate Immortal Soul and the Cloud-Piercing Hand, destined for greatness. Now he lay crippled by Cheng Lingyu’s hand.
The Seventh Palace’s master from Feixing Ridge stormed onto the Lou Ri Battle Platform, intent on killing Cheng Lingyu for revenge. But Zhang Chengtian, Palace Master of Liyun Palace, intercepted him.
“Move! I’ll tear that brat apart! Such savagery!”
Zhang Chengtian scoffed. “Savagery? Weren’t you the ones who taught us? Was Feixing Ridge merciful yesterday—or this morning?”
The two palace masters locked horns, neither yielding.
“Yan Lingfeng was chosen by the Divine Trees’ Portal! How dare Cheng Lingyu maim him?”
“Cheng Lingyu was also chosen by them. Take your complaints to the Divine Trees’ Portal instead of humiliating yourself here. Begone.”
A flick of Zhang Chengtian’s sleeve hurled the Seventh Palace’s master backward.
“You go too far!”
“Too far? You hosted this friendly match on Feixing Ridge’s soil. Shouldn’t you be the ones ashamed?”
Liu Haocun barked, “Enough! Cheng Lingyu wins. Proceed to the next match.”
Grudgingly, the Seventh Palace’s master retreated, carrying the broken Yan Lingfeng away.
The Soul Martial Fourth Realm’s top three emerged: Xuanmoon Ridge, Lou Ri Ridge, and Fallen God Ridge. Next came their trio of clashes. Who’d claim victory?
Cheng Lingyu, the crowd’s favorite, drew eager anticipation—but the matches defied expectations. He won both battles decisively, yet this time, the fights were fair, restrained sparring matches devoid of prior brutality. The message rang clear: Cheng Lingyu’s earlier ferocity had been reserved for Feixing Ridge alone.
At dusk, the match ended. Though only the friendly competition’s second day, Cheng Lingyu’s brilliance left the crowd electrified.
“Elder brother… was I too obvious?”
On their return, Cheng Lingyu glanced at Wan Fang, his smile tinged with bitterness.
“Obvious? You might as well have stripped naked. Still… not bad overall.”
Wan Fang clapped his junior apprentice’s shoulder, no reproach in his tone. Before the matches, he’d warned Cheng Lingyu to hold back—to avoid standing out.
Who would have thought Feixing Ridge’s deliberate provocation against Fallen God Ridge would lead to such consequences?
Returning to Supreme Spirit Palace, Wan Fang visited his Master while Cheng Lingyu walked outside to admire Fallen God Ridge’s night scenery.
During that day’s battle with Yan Lingfeng, Cheng Lingyu had confined the Immortal Soul Blue Crystal Fire Scorpion within his sea of consciousness, severing its connection to its host Yan Lingfeng.
Cheng Lingyu hadn’t decided how to deal with it yet, so he kept it imprisoned in his mind for the time being.
Yan Lingfeng’s Cloud-Piercing Hand had been surprising, but Cheng Lingyu discerned it was actually a low-grade spirit artifact replica fused with Yan Lingfeng’s right arm, enabling that fearsome attack.
The Cloud-Piercing Hand technique could either be cultivated or engraved on spirit artifacts to release similar force. Yan Lingfeng used the latter method, but Cheng Lingyu shattered it using the Ghostly Magic Blade’s power.
Cheng Lingyu’s triumph sparked a feud with Feixing Ridge, making future peace unlikely.
The night breeze ruffled Cheng Lingyu’s clothes, fluttering lightly as he stood with transcendent poise. Xiyun Divine Mountain’s hazy nightscape lay perpetually veiled in Mist, exuding mystery.
Though Fallen God Ridge offered tranquility, Cheng Lingyu pondered his future path. He couldn’t stay forever – matters demanded his attention. His main goal in Lou Ri City had been improving his cultivation level and securing refuge. Having achieved this, he now focused entirely on cultivation.
On the third day of friendly matches, the number of disciples participating had grown to sixty-four, and the rules were adjusted. After yesterday’s Feixing Ridge conflict, matchups were now determined by drawing lots for fairness.
Fallen God Ridge had only two participants today: Fang Ruohua (already at the fifth level of soul martial transformation) and another disciple. Qu Wei from Anmoon Ridge, also at Soul Martial Fifth Realm, joined the competition. Though other female disciples participated, Cheng Lingyu paid them little heed.
The lottery spared Fallen God Ridge’s disciples from facing Feixing Ridge opponents in the first round, disappointing many spectators.
Cheng Lingyu watched closely. Battles at the fifth level of soul martial transformation proved more thrilling than cave heaven stage contests, showcasing techniques he might later employ.
In the tenth first-round match, a Fallen God Ridge disciple fought a Xingyun Ridge rival. After two hundred exchanges, the Fallen God disciple lost.
The sixteenth match featured Fang Ruohua against a twenty-year-old Yunjir Ridge male disciple. Clad in martial attire, Fang Ruohua stood like a regal peacock – her striking beauty matched by formidable skill. She defeated her opponent in dozens of moves, drawing thunderous cheers.
This event offered excellent exposure, especially for beauties like Fang Ruohua whose looks and cultivation made them instantly memorable.
Lou Ri City remained relatively isolated with limited external contact. Among thousands of disciples, fewer than twenty percent were female. Discounting plain-faced mediocrities, rare gems like Fang Ruohua – excelling in both appearance and power – stood out starkly.