Meng Shouzhen said flatly.
His voice was calm, but his tone carried an imperceptible hint of resignation.
Zhou Dingshan was ten years older than Zhang Su.
Ten years was enough time for a Martial Artist to cultivate from Embracing Pill to the Peak of Gang Force, or even higher.
Zhang Su was only seventeen and had just recently reached the Embracing Pill Realm, while Zhou Dingshan had been tempering himself at the Peak of Gang Force for many years.
’If Zhang Su had another ten years, what would a mere Zhou Dingshan matter?’
Zhong Taiheng simply gave a faint smile and said nothing.
He sat in the guest’s seat, lifted his teacup for a light sip, a composed smile on his face.
After all, with Zhou Dingshan’s victory all but assured, he was naturally in high spirits and couldn’t be bothered to argue with Meng Shouzhen.
’Nothing Meng Shouzhen could say would change the fact that Zhou Dingshan was about to take first place at the Three Sects Gathering of Heroes!’
It wasn’t just the Postnatal Realm Elders; many Martial Artists in the stands could also see that Zhang Su was in a terrible position and would most likely lose.
The disciples of the Guiyuan Sect were no longer cheering. They had all fallen silent, their eyes glued to the tournament stage.
The disciples from Medicine Valley had mixed feelings.
They were bitter that Ye Ling had lost to Zhang Su.
But now that Zhang Su was on the verge of losing to Zhou Dingshan, they didn’t know whether to feel pleased or regretful.
The disciples of the Five Elements Sect, on the other hand, were all smiling.
Zhou Dingshan stood there, unmoving, letting Zhang Su attack him without suffering a single scratch.
This sight boosted their confidence immensely.
The Jianghu Cultivators shook their heads.
They had thought Zhang Su might create a miracle. For an Embracing Pill Martial Artist to reach the finals was already astounding.
But now, it seemed the miracle was not to be.
SWOOSH.
Suddenly, Zhang Su took a few steps back.
He came to a stop.
"Hm?"
Zhou Dingshan’s eyebrow twitched as he watched Zhang Su retreat.
"What, are you giving up?"
Zhou Dingshan asked, looking at Zhang Su.
His arms were still crossed over his chest, the Gang Force covering his body shimmering faintly.
"Give up?"
Zhang Su shook his head.
His voice was quiet, but firm.
He had just used every conventional technique at his disposal.
The Nine Shadows Sword Technique, the Wind and Thunder Sword Technique, the Light and Shadow Killing Sword, the Twelve Layers Killing Sword, Triple Wave... he had used every method he had to enhance the power of his swordsmanship.
But the fact was, he couldn’t break through Zhou Dingshan’s turtle shell.
Zhou Dingshan, with his Four Elements Unite, was indeed powerful.
Ultimately, his Cultivation was a level too low; he was only at the Pill Force stage.
If he were also at the Gang Force Realm—even just the Outer Gang Realm—Zhang Su was confident he could shatter Zhou Dingshan’s Gang Force.
Unfortunately, there were no ’ifs’.
He was currently at the Embracing Pill Realm.
But Zhang Su still had one sword technique he hadn’t used.
A technique he had never used in real combat.
He knew its power all too well.
And it was precisely because he knew its power that he had held back from using it.
The technique was too powerful—so powerful that even he couldn’t fully control it.
"I have one last sword technique, and it’s incredibly strong. If you can block this strike, I will admit defeat. But once I use it, I can’t control it. You might die..."
Zhang Su’s expression was grave.
"I’ll die?"
Zhou Dingshan stared at Zhang Su, then laughed.
His Four Elements Unite, with Rock Gang Force as its core, was equivalent to a fusion of four different types of Gang Force.
He wouldn’t boast about other things, but when it came to defense, his was the absolute best among everyone in the Postnatal Realm across the Three Sects.
This was both his confidence and the fruit of his long years of arduous cultivation.
His Gang Force had once withstood a full-powered blow from one of the Five Elements Sect’s Postnatal Realm Elders.
He had withstood that blow.
He had been injured, but he hadn’t died.
The idea that Zhang Su, with his Embracing Pill Cultivation, could kill him with a single strike was utterly preposterous.
’What kind of sword technique could possibly shatter my Gang Force and kill me in one go?’
’Impossible!’
"Zhang Su, use whatever technique you have! If you can break through my Gang Force, then you are the champion of the Three Sects!"
Zhou Dingshan declared loudly.
His tone was resolute.
He knew full well that if Zhang Su could break his Gang Force, the fight would be over.
His Gang Force was his foundation, the source of his confidence.
’If even my Gang Force is broken, what will I have left to fight Zhang Su with?’
But he refused to believe Zhang Su could break through his Gang Force.
’How could an Embracing Pill Martial Artist possibly achieve that?’
Zhang Su’s gaze shifted toward the Sect Leader of the Guiyuan Sect.
He turned toward the high platform and called out, "Sect Leader, on the tournament stage, blades have no eyes. If I were to kill Zhou Dingshan..."
His voice was loud, every word carrying clearly to the ears of everyone present.
Hearing this, Meng Shouzhen’s pupils contracted slightly.
Sitting in the seat of honor, his gaze fell upon Zhang Su.
’Kill Zhou Dingshan?’
He knew Zhang Su wasn’t one to make idle boasts.
’If he said it, he must have some level of confidence.’
’What on earth was this sword technique that made Zhang Su so confident?’
However, the Three Sects Gathering of Heroes was a special case.
It was, at its core, a competition. Injuries were the worst that could happen; no one had died in this year’s gathering yet.
But in a martial arts competition, accidents happen, and injuries or even death were unavoidable.
There had been deaths in previous Three Sects Gatherings of Heroes.
It was just luck that this year’s event had progressed this far without any serious injuries or fatalities.
Zhou Dingshan’s identity was also quite special.
He was the Chief Disciple of the Five Elements Sect’s Thick Earth Peak, a prodigy the sect was heavily invested in nurturing.
If Zhang Su killed him at the Three Sects Gathering of Heroes, the relationship between the Five Elements Sect and the Guiyuan Sect would likely become even more strained.
With this in mind, Meng Shouzhen turned his gaze to Zhong Taiheng.
Zhong Taiheng, sitting in the guest’s seat, had also heard Zhang Su’s words.
He understood Meng Shouzhen’s unspoken question and replied with a smile, "In a tournament, blades have no eyes. Some injuries or even death are unavoidable."