Singing with a Sword

The following is the main text of the novel "{?$article_title?}" ({?$jieqi_title?}) provided by {?$jieqi_sitename?}. Please enjoy! In Zhang Qiang's world, only those with strength and power are called men! Those who always rely on dodging and weaving with their footwork, or on some petty tricks to win against their opponents, are all women!

The Shenfeng Hall disciples below the stage were unhappy. Damn it, you're forcibly forcing others to accept your worldview and philosophy of life! The Xianfeng Hall disciples were suffering terribly. Over the years, Zhang Qiang had been advocating the cultivation of strength, causing some disciples who preferred gentler techniques to complain endlessly.

Faced with Zhang Qiang's unreasonable request, Yi Ranxiao said, "Fine, then I'll show you my power!" After saying that, she suddenly moved, but still used the elusive movement technique!

Zhang Qiang scoffed, "Another sissy like this!" He raised his greatsword and swiftly slashed at Yi Ranxiao, who was attacking. Yi Ranxiao's figure twisted and turned, his feet creating a gust of wind as he changed positions, dodging Zhang Qiang's attacks one after another. Then, he leaped three steps away from Zhang Qiang, and the green sword in his hand had vanished, replaced by a heavy-duty weapon—the Demon-Slaying Cudgel!

The demon-slaying blade slashed fiercely at Zhang Qiang!

Seeing this, Zhang Qiang smiled slightly. It seemed that Yi Ranxiao had finally "turned over a new leaf." But as for wanting to kill him, no way! Zhang Qiang raised his greatsword and held it horizontally above his head!

It was at this moment that Yiran Xiao's "Demon-Slaying Blade" arrived!

boom!

It wasn't the sound of metal clashing at all; it was the devastating sound of two mountains colliding! Centered on the point where the two blades struck, a violent shockwave emanated outwards, making the already dilapidated arena even more wretched.

But still, Xiao's attack—

"Hmph, Yiranxiao, your strike was far too weak! Far too weak!" Zhang Qiang said nonchalantly, holding his greatsword with ease. Yiranxiao remained in the air, his demon-slaying blade still striking Zhang Qiang's sword; the two greatswords remained locked in a stalemate.

"Put more force into it, you're too weak, you're like a woman." Zhang Qiang looked directly into Yi Ranxiao's eyes and said mockingly.

A strange and extremely cold smile suddenly appeared on Yi Ranxiao's lips! The next second, he flipped his left hand and took out another heavy-duty destructive immortal weapon—the Decapitation Executioner! One Demon-Slaying Executioner can't kill you, so what about adding a Decapitation Executioner?

And don't forget, this is a celestial artifact! A celestial artifact—what a terrifying existence! The power it contains is definitely several times stronger than the "Demon-Slaying Blade"! Even tens, hundreds, or thousands of times stronger!

As soon as Yiran Xiao took out the decapitation blade, he immediately slashed at Zhang Qiang's large cleaver!

boom------

What a powerful strike! What an astonishing strike! Just how terrifying is the force contained within this strike? How destructive is this strike?

The answer was simple: Yi Ranxiao sheathed the decapitation sword, leaving only one person on the arena! Zhang Qiang, however, was below the arena, forcefully pressed down by that decapitation strike! Only his upper head was visible, his bull-like eyes filled with astonishment. How could this be? How could that heavy sword contain such immense power?!

This kind of force was something he had never seen in his entire life!

Yi Ranxiao looked at Zhang Qiang with the same gaze he had given him at the beginning. Yi Ranxiao then said softly, "A weak little girl."

These words pierced Zhang Qiang's heart like an awl, and he was enraged! Enraged like never before! He had actually been forcefully pressed into the ground!

The disciples of the Vanguard Hall were astonished. Was this... really true? Their senior brother had actually lost to someone in terms of strength? Besides being surprised, they began to feel ashamed. In the first round, Han Shuo was slammed into the ground by Huangfu Cheng's spirit beast, and this time, Zhang Qiang was once again shoved into the ground!

Twice humiliated like this! The disciples of the Vanguard Hall wished they could disappear into a hole and never come out again. On the high platform, Wu Changfeng's expression was uncertain. How could this kid at the seventh level of the Transcendent Realm possibly defeat Zhang Qiang, a peak eighth-level Transcendent Realm cultivator? It didn't make sense!

Because the decapitation sword was coated with black jade, Wu Changfeng couldn't tell it was a celestial sword. He thought the slash was mostly due to Yi Ranxiao's own strength.

The disciples of Shenfeng Hall were practically in an uproar. They couldn't contain their excitement, and some had already started cheering. Shenfeng Hall had won! From this day forward, they were no longer the bottom-ranked branch of the sect! No one had the right to call them trash anymore!

But Zhang Qiang on the stage hadn't given up. Although he had been pushed off the stage, he wasn't defeated! He roared, "No! Forgiveness!"

This sound was like a thunderclap from a clear sky, jolting Wu Changfeng and the disciples of the Vanguard Hall out of their shock and shame. That's right, their senior brother hadn't lost yet! He hadn't used that technique yet!

Yes, as long as the senior brother uses that technique, he will definitely not lose!

Zhang Qiang suddenly shouted, "Multiplication Technique, Twenty Times!" His body suddenly swelled, growing twenty times larger in an instant! His enormous body directly shattered and cracked the ground that buried him!

Click~

Zhang Qiang burst forth from the ground! He was already nearly two meters tall, but now he was almost forty! A forty-meter giant suddenly appeared before everyone's eyes! He was practically a mountain!

Giant Zhang Qiang stomped his foot, and like an earthquake, all the buildings of the Vanguard Hall shook! The disciples watching the battle lost their balance and almost fell.

Yi Ranxiao was completely taken aback. This giant actually knew the "Multiplying Technique." He couldn't help but look at the behemoth in front of him with a serious expression. It was even taller, stronger, and more terrifying than the ancient giant he had encountered in the White Desert!

The enormous Zhang Qiang looked down at Yi Ranxiao and said, "Yi Ranxiao, prepare to die!" With that, his giant palm slammed down on Yi Ranxiao, covering the sky and the earth.

Yi Ranxiao moved swiftly, dodging immediately! Zhang Qiang roared, unleashing a barrage of blows with both hands and feet, relentlessly slamming his fists and kicks down on Yi Ranxiao's head. His combined attack covered an area roughly half the size of the arena, leaving no space on the platform. Left with no choice, Yi Ranxiao leaped high into the air!

But to everyone's surprise, the enormous Zhang Qiang reacted with lightning speed, his massive hands suddenly closing towards Yi Ranxiao with astonishing speed! Several times faster than when he had just struck out with his palm!

Snapped!

With a crisp crack, the two palms came together, and everyone's hearts tightened, as if they themselves had been hit! Zhang Qiang looked at the two palms that had come together and grinned maliciously, "Hehe, I'm a man of both roughness and shrewdness. I deliberately slowed down my strike just now so you would think I wasn't very fast. Then I suddenly accelerated, hehe, and look, I've turned you into a meat patty."

The disciples of Shenfeng Hall were stunned for a moment, staring at those two enormous hands. Their senior brother had really been... smashed into a pulp?

Just then, Zhang Qiang's expression suddenly changed, and a bone-chilling coldness emanated from his palms! In an instant, his hands began to freeze! Gradually, he realized that what he was holding in his palms was not a meat pie, but a huge block of ice! This block of ice continuously emitted waves of extremely cold air!

Zhang Qiang couldn't help but shiver, instinctively letting go of his hands; but inside was still Yi Ranxiao, a living Yi Ranxiao! The difference was that he was emanating visible white chilling energy!

Yi Ranxiao shouted, and the cold air suddenly increased, freezing Zhang Qiang's hands into two huge blocks of ice!

However, Zhang Qiang's strength in his berserk state was many times greater than before. Seeing this, he gritted his teeth, mustered all his strength, and slapped his hands together again! "Crack~ Crack~" shattering sounds rang out as the ice shattered, falling from his hands and landing on the arena, melting into water. In an instant, the arena resembled a miniature lake.

Zhang Qiang's hands were free again! However, Yi Ranxiao had already landed back on the arena, his mind racing: The decapitation weapon was a celestial artifact. Although it contained a large amount of endless icy energy, how much icy energy he could control, and how cold it would be, depended entirely on his own Yuan Power! The more and deeper the Yuan Power he inputted, the more icy energy he would generate, and the colder it would become.

Clearly, with her current Yuan Power, Yi Ranxiao was not yet able to control the decapitation to release enough chilling energy to freeze Zhang Qiang. Yi Ranxiao frowned deeply; this Zhang Qiang was indeed much more powerful than Xiang Wuji.

Zhang Qiang broke free from the ice and looked at Yi Ranxiao, saying, "Yi Ranxiao, let's see what other tricks you have up your sleeve!"

Yi Ranxiao kept thinking about how to deal with the enemy. It seemed that the only way to deal with such a huge creature was to attack its vital points. Only by finding the right opportunity, getting close to its head, and then using the "Sword Light Surge" move could he defeat it!

Thinking of this, Yi Ranxiao immediately leaped high into the air, and Zhang Qiang's giant hand swiftly reached out to grab her. Yi Ranxiao controlled the decapitation technique, releasing bursts of icy energy that instantly froze into ice blocks in mid-air. Yi Ranxiao stepped on one of these ice blocks, using the momentum to leap forward and change direction, avoiding Zhang Qiang's giant hand as she continued to approach his head.

Zhang Qiang had already guessed Yi Ranxiao's intention, so he leaped high into the air just like her. This made it difficult for Yi Ranxiao to reach Zhang Qiang's head, no matter how high she jumped, and she was forced to land.

When Zhang Qiang, this behemoth, landed, his feet smashed a large hole in the ground, from which a jet of water gushed out – it was groundwater.

groundwater?