Even Lǐ Yúndōng hadn't anticipated Zhang Cunyí’s swift defeat, nor that the sect’s treasured artifact, the Three Sovereigns Sword, would be snatched away by the opponent!

Although the cultivators from various sects harbored ancient grudges and rarely saw eye-to-eye, facing Shénxiù’s blatant arrogance now ignited a collective sense of righteous fury. They all shot to their feet simultaneously, roaring, "Bastard, what did you just say?"

"Say that again if you dare!"

"Japanese dog, come here and let Uncle show you if the Chinese cultivation world has any masters!"

Shénxiù glanced at them dismissively. He spoke arrogantly to Zhang Cunyí, who was clutching his chest and coughing blood on the ground, "I’ve heard a saying in your Chinese cultivation world: the world’s spiritual artifacts belong to the capable. I am stronger than you now, having defeated you. Does that mean this artifact now belongs to me?"

Zhang Cunyí hadn't accounted for his overconfidence leading not only to grievous injury but also the theft of his sect’s sacred treasure. Overwhelmed by shame and rage, the sudden surge of emotion caused him to gasp and vomit another mouthful of blood.

The little foxes from the Fox Zen Sect, despite their disdain for his character, couldn't help but feel a pang of pity. They turned their heads away, unable to witness his miserable state.

Zhang Cunyí’s two junior brothers rushed forward, supporting him. One channeled his true essence to heal him, while the other snarled furiously at Shénxiù, "How dare you injure our Young Sect Master? Return the Three Sovereigns Sword immediately, or our entire Green Sheep Palace will never rest until we have vengeance!"

Shénxiù burst into a wild laugh. "Is that the extent of the Young Sect Master’s strength? If this is all he has, what concern is it to me if you swear vengeance?"

Hearing this, Zhang Cunyí’s shame and anger intensified, his vision blurred, and he fainted.

The surrounding cultivators gasped in alarm. Both Zhāng Tiānhé and Zǐyuàn instantly sprang towards Zhang Cunyí, ignoring sectarian differences. One grabbed an arm, the other the opposite, to check his condition.

As soon as they each took a hand, they exchanged a glance. Zhāng Tiānhé looked at Zǐyuàn with undisguised admiration and whispered, "Master Zǐyuàn, we meet again!"

Zǐyuàn offered him a faint smile and a nod, then immediately focused on examining Zhang Cunyí’s injuries.

Seeing that Zǐyuàn had merely offered a polite greeting and then ignored him, Zhāng Tiānhé felt a pang of loss and sighed sadly to himself.

After checking the injuries, Zǐyuàn turned to Zhang Cunyí’s anxious junior brother and said, "It’s alright. He fainted from acute emotional distress, but Master Zhāng’s injuries are somewhat severe; he will likely need a period of recuperation."

The junior brother, visibly worried, finally relaxed slightly. He glanced at the swaggering Shénxiù, wanting desperately to reclaim the Three Sovereigns Sword, yet fearing he was no match for him. He lowered his voice submissively to Zǐyuàn and Zhāng Tiānhé. "Master Zǐyuàn, Master Zhāng, this Shénxiù is so arrogant, and he has stolen the supreme artifact of our Green Sheep Palace. Given that we all share the same Daoist origins, could the two of you help us retrieve the Three Sovereigns Divine Sword?"

Zǐyuàn replied without hesitation, "Of course. How can a supreme treasure of the Daoist path fall into the hands of a Japanese man?"

Zhāng Tiānhé also cupped his hands. "Rest assured, I will step onto the stage shortly and reclaim the Three Sovereigns Sword!"

With that, he stood up proudly and called out loudly to Shénxiù, "Shénxiù, if you know what’s good for you, return the Three Sovereigns Sword quickly, or don't blame me for being impolite!"

Shénxiù glanced at him and sneered, "And who are you?"

Zhāng Tiānhé replied coldly, "Zhāng Tiānhé, of the Orthodox Unity Sect!"

The Orthodox Unity Sect had been the paramount Daoist sect in China since the Song Dynasty. Even though Shénxiù was Japanese, the name of the Orthodox Unity Sect resonated with him like thunder. He felt a slight tremor of apprehension, and much of the arrogance on his face melted away. He snorted and asked, "Are you stepping in for him?"

Zhāng Tiānhé raised an eyebrow. "Precisely!"

Shénxiù sneered, "My contest with him was a fair match; he conceded defeat willingly! Furthermore, his personal artifact was taken by me, so it naturally belongs to me. On what grounds are you intervening for him?"

Saying this, he brandished the Three Sovereigns Sword and chuckled sinisterly, "Such a fine artifact—I am certainly not giving it back!"

Zhāng Tiānhé was momentarily speechless, but quickly recovered. "Very well, I will fight you. If I lose, you return the Three Sovereigns Sword to its rightful owner. If I win, I give you my Seven Stars Precious Sword!"

The crowd gasped. Zōu Píng couldn't help but exclaim, "Junior Brother, have you gone mad?"

Zhāng Líng, standing nearby, grabbed Zōu Píng's wrist and said sternly, "Don't speak. Cultivators must never hesitate after making a decision! If Zhāng Tiānhé dares to make this wager, he must have absolute confidence in victory. Let us observe the outcome."

Shénxiù was slightly startled by Zhāng Tiānhé proposing the Seven Stars Precious Sword as the stakes. He sized Zhāng Tiānhé up, thinking: I heard the Seven Stars Precious Sword in this man's possession is one of the Five Great Divine Swords of the Chinese Daoist world. I wonder how it compares to the Three Sovereigns Sword? Heh, if I fight him while controlling the Three Sovereigns Sword, the expressions on these arrogant Chinese cultivators must be priceless!

With this thought, Shénxiù attempted to channel his true essence into the Three Sovereigns Sword, intending to subdue the artifact.

But the moment he infused his essence, the Three Sovereigns Sword violently struggled in his hand. A fierce, overwhelming power surged from within—a might akin to the immense pressure exerted by an ancient deity, crashing towards Shénxiù with unstoppable force.

Shénxiù was greatly alarmed. He knew this was the artifact’s inherent power fighting back. He clearly felt this force like Mount Tài bearing down on him, utterly impossible to resist. He dared not try again, his mind racing. In a flash, he brought the Three Sovereigns Sword down hard onto the ground with a thud, embedding it in the dirt. He shouted, "You see this Three Sovereigns Divine Sword as some great treasure, but to me, it’s nothing more than scrap metal! It’s right here beneath my feet—come and take it if you dare!"

The crowd erupted in fury, shouting in unison, "Master Zhāng, go up there and teach this little devil a lesson!"

"Master Zhāng, are you going up? If you aren't, I will!"

Zhāng Tiānhé's face was also contorted with anger. He stepped forward, drove his own Seven Stars Precious Sword into the ground beside the other, and declared loudly, "If I win by taking your artifact, I doubt you’ll be convinced. Since you defeated Zhang Cunyí using only bare-handed combat, I too will engage you in unarmed combat, so you will be utterly defeated!"

The crowd cheered wildly, shouting, "Master Zhāng, teach him a lesson! Let them see the skills of our Chinese cultivation sects!"

Shénxiù glanced down at the crowd disdainfully and huffed, "Fine!"

Zhāng Tiānhé advanced, stopping three meters from Shénxiù. Then, Lǐ Yúndōng called out loudly, "Master Zhāng, be careful! His true essence is strange!"

Zhāng Tiānhé turned to look at Lǐ Yúndōng. Earlier, Lǐ Yúndōng had tried to warn Zhāng Cunyí, and many suspected Lǐ Yúndōng had ulterior motives. Zhāng Tiānhé had harbored similar thoughts, but now he realized Lǐ Yúndōng was offering a genuine warning. Zhāng Tiānhé nodded to Lǐ Yúndōng, shifted into a proper stance, held his hands as if sealing and opening, and adopted a Tai Chi posture. Zhāng Tiānhé said solemnly, "Shénxiù, please begin!"

Shénxiù chuckled darkly. Showing no courtesy, he pressed his advantage from his previous victory and lunged forward with a punch.

Zhāng Tiānhé snorted, reached out his right hand to lightly brush Shénxiù’s arm, and with a move of "Lǎn Què Wěi" (Lazy-Back Bird), deftly guided Shénxiù’s powerful, surging punch aside.

Zhāng Tiānhé hailed from a prestigious lineage. Though young, his Tai Chi skills were already consummate. The moment his hand touched Shénxiù’s arm, his strength flowed out like a mighty river, continuous and boundless.

The spectators watched as Zhāng Tiānhé’s arms moved, keeping contact with Shénxiù’s limbs, leading him into continuous circular motions—it looked comically awkward, like two children tussling.

Yet, not a single person on the field laughed. They understood that Zhāng Tiānhé was using the soft, clinging power of Tai Chi to entangle Shénxiù, rendering his raw, explosive force unusable.

It was like a sword, however sharp, being unable to cut flowing water, or a mighty boulder being worn down by the slow drip of water!

Zhāng Tiānhé was a cultivator himself, possessing great physical strength and rich true essence. When he employed this soft energy, not only was his root force immense, but the clinging nature of the force was like silk thread winding a net. Shénxiù felt his arms growing heavier and heavier, his footing becoming increasingly light and unstable. His entire center of gravity was being pulled and loosened by his opponent, making him feel as if he were adrift on a turbulent, surging ocean.

Shénxiù was secretly astonished. He mused, Is this Tai Chi? I heard Tai Chi had no practical combat application—how can it be this formidable? I don't even have an opening to counterattack!

Zhōu Qín, watching from the side, widened her eyes. She couldn't help but ask Lǐ Yúndōng, "Master, is Tai Chi really this powerful? I used to see old ladies practicing it in the park and thought it was just flashy posturing."

Lǐ Yúndōng saw that Zhāng Tiānhé was not underestimating his opponent as Zhāng Cunyí had, and seeing him gain the upper hand in the fight, he felt significantly relieved. He smiled and said, "What are you kidding about? Tai Chi, along with Baguazhang and Xingyiquan, form the three supreme internal martial arts. There's even a saying: 'Ten years of Tai Chi practice before one leaves the door, upon exiting, one can strike a man dead.' This martial art is extremely difficult to master, but once mastered, its power is enormous and terrifying!"

Zǐyuàn also smiled and added, "During the Qing Dynasty, the Tai Chi Grandmaster Yáng Lùchán single-handedly swept through the capital. Amidst the city teeming with masters, he defeated numerous experts using the soft-energy style of Tai Chi. Later, martial arts masters from all over the country came to challenge him, but Yáng Lùchán was never defeated, earning him the title 'Yáng the Invincible'! Consider that—if Tai Chi were such a soft and yielding style, how could he have earned the title of Invincible?"

Zhōu Qín suddenly understood, smiling as she watched the exchange. "It seems Zhāng Tiānhé is set to win this round. Shénxiù now looks like an insect caught in a spider's web; no matter how much he struggles, he can't break free."

Lǐ Yúndōng shook his head. "We can't say that for sure. In the end, this still comes down to sheer strength. Many people mistakenly think Tai Chi is soft and gentle and incapable of injuring anyone, but they completely misunderstand it. Tai Chi still requires immense strength; it's just a style that allows ten pounds of force to overcome a hundred pounds. If you don't even have ten pounds of strength, you certainly can’t counter a hundred pounds. But if you have ten pounds, and your opponent has two hundred, or even a thousand pounds of strength, no matter how you fight, you will lose!"

Just as Lǐ Yúndōng finished speaking, a fierce roar suddenly erupted from the stage. Shénxiù, enraged by Zhāng Tiānhé’s clinging energy, suddenly erupted with countless wisps of dense, dark energy. Strange black lines rapidly spread across his body. Soon, his skin turned entirely dark blue-black, two black, curved horns sprouted from his head, his bones cracked audibly, his frame swelled rapidly, and his clothes tore apart. He transformed into a grotesque monster over two meters tall, with a green face and tusks.

The transformed Shénxiù let out a hideous laugh, his five fingers seizing Zhāng Tiānhé with sudden force. With one heave, he lifted Zhāng Tiānhé high into the air as if tossing a sack of rags, then slammed him violently onto the ground!

Zhāng Tiānhé, seeing his opponent suddenly morph into such a monster, was terrified. He felt an astonishing power surge through him—a force so immense it instantly surpassed the limits of his control. In an instant, he was lifted up and violently thrown down onto the floorboards.

Zhāng Tiānhé let out a cry of agony; his bones shattered, and he instantly fell unconscious.

Shénxiù’s fortunes had instantly reversed. He placed one foot on Zhāng Tiānhé and laughed maniacally, "A soft, sluggish style like that can actually be used to fight people? That’s hilarious!"

The cultivators on the stage erupted in an uproar. Several senior figures from various sects stood up in shocked anger: "Yaksha?! This person is actually a Yaksha!!!"

============================================= Finally caught up on the chapter I owed. Ugh, I'm exhausted, going to sleep now... E