Before Zhang Su’s sword strike, Zhou Dingshan’s Gang Force was like paper, torn apart with ease.
Zhong Taiheng was a powerhouse at the Peak of Postnatal Realm, and his insight was sharper than anyone’s.
He could see the true nature of that sword strike.
That wasn’t power an Embracing Pill Martial Artist should possess. It wasn’t even power a Gang Force Martial Artist should have.
The power of that strike was comparable to a full-force blow from a Postnatal Realm Martial Artist.
An Embracing Pill Martial Artist had actually unleashed a strike at the Postnatal Realm level.
Endless fury burned within him, yet he had no way to vent it.
Because Zhang Su had warned him beforehand.
He had said he couldn’t control the power and that Zhou Dingshan might die.
At the time, everyone, including Zhong Taiheng himself, had thought he was just bluffing.
Now that Zhou Dingshan was truly dead, who could he blame?
Zhong Taiheng took a deep breath and slowly sat back down in his chair.
He said nothing, but his gaze was terrifyingly grim.
Meng Shouzhen, the Sect Leader of the Guiyuan Sect, was also inwardly shocked.
Even though he favored Zhang Su, he knew that in the battle against Zhou Dingshan, Zhang Su had been at a disadvantage.
His conventional techniques—the Nine Shadows Sword Technique, the Wind and Thunder Sword Technique, the Twelve Layers Killing Sword—none of them had been able to break through Zhou Dingshan’s Gang Force.
In terms of overall strength, Zhang Su was indeed a notch below Zhou Dingshan.
But who could have possibly expected such a reversal?
Zhang Su had actually killed Zhou Dingshan so cleanly.
One strike.
Just one strike.
After fighting for so long and using so many different swordsmanship techniques, Zhang Su hadn’t managed to harm Zhou Dingshan in the slightest.
But this final strike had taken Zhou Dingshan’s life directly.
"Sect Leader, that strike... could it be Innate Realm Swordsmanship?"
Tang Tianwen murmured.
His eyes were filled with astonishment and doubt.
Meng Shouzhen’s eyes narrowed slightly.
’Innate Realm Swordsmanship?’
’It must be.’
’Besides Innate Realm Swordsmanship, what other technique could possess such terrifying power?’
’Even Ye Ling’s Nine Spirits Sword Technique, performed at the Perfection stage and stacked to the Ninth Sword, probably couldn’t match the power of the strike Zhang Su just unleashed.’
’The Nine Spirits Sword Technique is Medicine Valley’s Unparalleled Swordsmanship. Although it was simplified from an Innate Realm technique, it’s ultimately not a true Innate Realm Swordsmanship.’
’But this strike from Zhang Su didn’t seem like a simplified technique.’
’Only an Innate Realm Swordsmanship could produce that kind of explosive power.’
’As for where he got an Innate Level swordsmanship...’
’That was even simpler to figure out.’
’Zhao Qianfeng is in the Instructor Pavilion.’
’The Instructor Pavilion houses the Martial Arts Secret Manuals the Guiyuan Sect has accumulated over generations, including quite a few Innate Level Secret Scriptures.’
’How hard would it be for Zhang Su to obtain an Innate Level swordsmanship?’
’That Elder Zhao... to think he’d dare to teach Zhang Su an Innate Level swordsmanship...’
Meng Shouzhen secretly shook his head.
’It’s not that the Sect forbids teaching Innate Level swordsmanship, but that it’s simply too difficult to master.’
’The prerequisite is the Innate Realm.’
’Without Innate Cultivation, forcefully practicing an Innate Realm swordsmanship would only cause harm to one’s own body.’
’Unless, of course, one was a true one-in-a-million swordsmanship genius.’
’Zhao Qianfeng surely understood this principle.’
’And yet, Zhao Qianfeng still gave Zhang Su an Innate Level swordsmanship.’
’Truly... one was audacious enough to teach it, and the other was audacious enough to learn it.’
’And Zhang Su actually managed to master it... It’s completely absurd!’
’Then again, true Celestial Prides have always been this unreasonable.’
’They make the impossible possible.’
’They create miracles time and time again.’
’Weren’t the three Inner Sect Celestial Prides in the Guiyuan Sect’s history all the same?’
’Zhang Su’s actions were befitting of an Inner Sect Celestial Pride.’
’However, Meng Shouzhen was also somewhat familiar with the Sect’s Innate Level swordsmanship techniques.’
’He had seen and skimmed through basically all the Innate Realm Swordsmanship manuals in the Instructor Pavilion.’
’But this particular swordsmanship... he didn’t seem to recognize it.’
’Its style didn’t resemble any of the Guiyuan Sect’s Innate Realm techniques.’
’And its power was a little too astonishing.’
’I’ll have to ask Zhao Qianfeng later which Innate Realm Swordsmanship it was.’
’As for right now, it was time to announce the result!’
Meng Shouzhen stood up.
With unhurried movements, he straightened his robes and strode toward the fighting stage.
Meng Shouzhen walked onto the stage.
He glanced at Zhou Dingshan’s corpse on the floor before looking away.
Then, he approached Zhang Su, his eyes filled with gratification.
This young man had given him too many surprises today.
Defeating Gang Force with Pill Force, and now killing Zhou Dingshan—a cultivator at the Peak of Gang Force—with a single strike to win first place in the Three Sects Gathering of Heroes.
Such a record of achievement was in a league of its own, even in the history of the Guiyuan Sect.
"I declare Zhang Su the victor and the champion of the Three Sects Gathering of Heroes!"
Meng Shouzhen’s voice reached everyone’s ears.
At his words, the disciples of the Guiyuan Sect were the first to erupt in cheers.
After all, it had been decades since the Guiyuan Sect had produced a disciple who ranked first among the Three Sects.
In every past gathering, they had been overshadowed by the Five Elements Sect or Medicine Valley.
But this time, the Guiyuan Sect had achieved a resounding victory!
The Medicine Valley disciples were reluctant to accept it, but Ye Ling had lost and Zhou Dingshan was dead. Zhang Su was now number one among the Three Sects.
It was a fact they had to accept.
The disciples of the Five Elements Sect, however, were collectively silent.
They all hung their heads, no one saying a word.
Zhou Dingshan’s death was a huge blow to them.
He was the Chief Disciple of their Thick Earth Peak, one of the strongest Martial Artists in the Five Elements Sect below the Postnatal Realm.
To die just like that, at the hands of an Embracing Pill Martial Artist.
They were devastated, but there was nothing they could say.
On the stage, Zhang Su’s expression remained unchanged upon hearing Meng Shouzhen’s announcement.
The Jianghu Cultivators, however, had a different reaction entirely.