Seeing Huang Longshi instantly at a disadvantage, the three silver-robed men could barely restrain themselves, each fighting the urge to rush in and assist. Wu Ying and Shan Dian chirped rapidly nearby, sounding like a bucket of cold water dousing their intentions. Only then did the three silver-robed men calm down, drenched in sweat, appearing even more dishevelled than Zhang Yang and Huang Longshi who were currently sparring.
The battle between Zhang Yang and Huang Longshi had clearly escalated to a white-hot intensity; it had reached its most spectacular peak!
With a sidestep, Zhang Yang raised his hand, fingers spread, condensing five streams of energy in his palm which shot out with blazing speed!
"Pfft!"
Huang Longshi's expression shifted drastically. Daring not to resist head-on, he quickly dodged!
"Energy Materialization!"
This was the hidden core of Zhang Yang's ultimate move, and the very source of his confidence in sparring with Huang Longshi while only possessing half his peak strength!
"Well met!"
Though slightly flustered, Huang Longshi stabilized his stance and immediately unleashed several punches, sending gales of energy whistling forth!
"Smack!"
"Thud!"
"Boom!"
Huang Longshi's energy gales collided violently with Zhang Yang's materialized energy, sending out a shockwave that forced both combatants to rapidly retreat, taking several steps back before finally halting!
Zhang Yang's face was flushed, his breath coming in ragged gasps. After all, he was operating at only fifty percent of his peak power, and deploying these techniques exacted a significant toll; it was anything but easy.
In contrast, Huang Longshi looked equally wretched. His black robe cloak was utterly disordered, revealing his full countenance. This cloak was clearly no ordinary garment, as in his spar with Hua Feitian, both their clothes had been shredded to rags after a similar exchange.
"Exhilarating!"
Shouting once more, Huang Longshi wore an expression of pure delight. Every bone in his body seemed to sing with a satisfying friction, achieving a comfort beyond measure!
Zhang Yang laughed heartily, casually picking up a dead twig from the ground and channeling inner force into it. The twig suddenly seemed to burst into a second spring, abruptly growing several centimeters longer.
"Brother Huang, be wary! Receive this!"
The twig became a sword in Zhang Yang's hand. With a slight flick, the Heaven-Shattering Sword Art circulated rapidly within his core. A boundless surge of cosmic energy traced a beautiful white circle at the tip of the twig—the circle pulsed with vibrant energy.
Heaven-Shattering Sword Art, First Form!
That torrent of Heaven-Shattering Sword Art, imbued with five layers of sword skill, surged inexorably toward Huang Longshi!
"Five layers of skill again?"
For the first time in the battle, a look of bitterness crossed Huang Longshi’s face. This move from Zhang Yang was not only magnificent in appearance but devastating in power. Five layers of sword skill—was that a joke?
Vast energy swept in from all directions, aimed squarely at Huang Longshi. With nowhere to evade, he could only split into four, deploying energy clones to counteract the relentless sword qi attacking from every angle.
Each clone was infused with Huang Longshi's energy, making them indistinguishable from the real thing, yet this tactic was useless against Zhang Yang by now.
The sword qi subtly shifted its trajectory. The subtlety of the Heaven-Shattering Sword Art would not allow itself to be so easily blocked!
The momentum of the battle instantly reversed!
The surrounding sword qi that had encircled Huang Longshi suddenly condensed, focusing its attack on a single clone, dismantling them one by one!
In the blink of an eye, the sword qi split into three distinct paths, obliterating three of Huang Longshi’s energy clones!
Huang Longshi’s energy clones were utterly shattered by Zhang Yang in a single move!
Energy clones and the Heaven-Shattering Sword Art were not on the same plane of existence; immediate destruction upon contact was to be expected. Moreover, Zhang Yang’s mastery of the Heaven-Shattering Sword Art was now far superior to before, easily achieving this result.
Only Huang Longshi’s true body remained, facing the consolidated stream of Heaven-Shattering Sword Qi, with absolutely no room left to flee!
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"
A series of explosions erupted. Huang Longshi could only meet the assault with his own energy, but his energy level was outmatched by the five-layered skill of the Heaven-Shattering Sword Art. Swiftly, Zhang Yang's sword qi pierced through Huang Longshi's defense and struck his body!
Whoosh!!!
Just as the Heaven-Shattering Sword Qi was about to slash through Huang Longshi’s black robe and pierce his body, Zhang Yang let out a sharp shout, veins bulging on his temples and arms!
The oppressive heat of the Heaven-Shattering Sword Qi paused, freezing before Huang Longshi!
Zhang Yang had not forgotten that this was merely a friendly spar. Huang Longshi was clearly defeated, and continuing the fight against the Heaven-Shattering Sword was unnecessary. Furthermore, the defensive capability of Huang Longshi’s black robe might not surpass the golden vest worn by Hua Feitian; if he didn't stop, Huang Longshi would surely sustain severe injury from the sword art.
Halting the attack at the final second tested Zhang Yang’s control over cosmic energy and his mastery of the Heaven-Shattering Sword Art even more severely!
Fortunately, the sword qi finally stopped inches from Huang Longshi’s chest, not advancing a single step further to injure him, allowing Zhang Yang to finally exhale in relief.
Once the sword qi—which had threatened his life—vanished, Huang Longshi collapsed onto the ground, drenched in sweat, his face bright red, gasping for air. After a moment, he lifted his head, looked at Zhang Yang before him, and conceded with resignation: "I forfeit!"
Hearing these words, the tension instantly drained from Zhang Yang’s entire body, and he too sank to the ground. His victory had been anything but easy!
Whoosh!
The white mist that had enveloped Zhang Yang and Huang Longshi suddenly dissipated into the air as the energy they had expended in battle was finally released.
The three spirit beasts—Wu Ying, Shan Dian, and Zhui Feng—were unaffected, but it was tough luck for the three silver-robed men who had accompanied Huang Longshi. The residual shockwave of the battle slammed into their faces like shards of glass, causing them intense discomfort.
However, what truly distressed them was the word that escaped Huang Longshi’s lips: I forfeit.
They could not believe that their respected Huang Longshi, the famous figure within the State Security Bureau, had actually lost to a young man barely in his twenties!
"Brother Huang, you simply weren't fighting with all your might. If this had been a true fight for survival, facing you with less than half my peak strength, I would undoubtedly be dead."
Although Zhang Yang had won, he felt immense respect for the man. Everything Huang Longshi had learned and used consisted of lethal military techniques. Military moves prioritize one-strike elimination; they were never designed for sparring or exhibition. Infusing military techniques with the energy of a Great Perfection realm cultivator unleashed a power that could not be underestimated.
This was also why Huang Longshi had held back, showing leniency to Zhang Yang, who possessed less than fifty percent of his peak power, giving Zhang Yang a crucial chance to breathe.
In the end, if Zhang Yang had not possessed the five-layered skill of the Heaven-Shattering Sword Art to suppress his opponent through sheer technique level, he truly would not have stood a chance against Huang Longshi. This was why, despite winning, Zhang Yang uttered those words.
This was not Zhang Yang gloating or mocking Huang Longshi after his victory; it was a statement of undeniable fact.
Huang Longshi understood Zhang Yang’s intent and showed no sign of displeasure. He laughed heartily twice, then said to Zhang Yang, "Don't be so humble. Winning is winning, and losing is losing. I, Huang Longshi, am not someone who takes losing badly!"
Huang Longshi laughed, unconcerned.
It was the three silver-robed men, ignorant of the context, who interpreted Zhang Yang’s words as sarcasm, their expressions turning displeased as they cast unfriendly glances toward Zhang Yang.
"Before our spar, your strength hadn't fully recovered to its peak, had it?" Huang Longshi suddenly asked, ceasing his laughter.
Zhang Yang nodded; it was indeed the truth. "Then that settles it!"
Huang Longshi slapped his thigh decisively and then declared loudly, "You had only half my peak strength, and yet you nearly killed me. How can that not count as my loss? I accept this result wholeheartedly!"
"But this fight was truly exhilarating. Even in defeat, I am extremely pleased!" Huang Longshi’s face was alight with inexpressible excitement.
The three silver-robed men, hearing Huang Longshi state that Zhang Yang was sparring with less than half his peak power, gaped in disbelief.
Before, they could at least rationalize the victory by saying Zhang Yang had luckily used a high-level sword technique to defeat Huang Longshi. But for Zhang Yang to fight a Great Perfection cultivator like Huang Longshi using only half his strength—even a loss would have been an honorable defeat. Yet, he had won.
"Your sword skill, that was a five-layer skill, right?"
Huang Longshi rested for a moment, then inquired of Zhang Yang.
Zhang Yang nodded, answering truthfully, "Correct. This sword skill is called the Heaven-Shattering Sword Art. I stumbled upon it by chance; it is a high-level technique belonging to a five-layer powerhouse."
"Truly a genius favored by the heavens!"
After receiving the answer, Huang Longshi couldn't help but sigh deeply, then stared intently at Zhang Yang and announced loudly, "To be honest, I am truly envious of you!"
"Haha..."
During the fight, Zhang Yang had already guessed that Huang Longshi’s background was likely tied to the Chinese military. Hearing such candid words now, he couldn't help but burst into laughter, his good impression of Huang Longshi rapidly increasing.
"However, Zhang Yang, you must listen to one piece of advice from me."
Huang Longshi suddenly turned serious and spoke to Zhang Yang.
"What is it?"
"Before you reach the Fifth Layer, you must use five-layer skills as sparingly as possible. Otherwise, it will have an unimaginable impact on your future advancement to the Fifth Layer."
Remembering the message he was tasked to deliver, Huang Longshi repeated the warning he had given before, adding an extra insistence lest Zhang Yang dismiss it.
"Believe me, I am not deceiving you!"
"Alright, but I also advise you: next time you look for us, don't be so arrogant, forcing us to visit you personally!" Zhang Yang responded with a chuckle.
"That’s just a clumsy method. You must understand, we are directly subordinate to the state and must maintain our mystery within the cultivation world. It’s not that we are deliberately putting on airs," Huang Longshi explained, his eyes wide with helplessness.