Chapter 265: The Duel Begins

“The battle of Dharma power is a battle of honor and life”

“If Zhou Daoji wishes to bet on the fight, then let’s make it a fight for his and the Zheng family’s lives.”

Zhang Ziru walked off the peak of the hill with heavy footsteps. He could not make a decision on such a significant matter; he needed to take the matter to the old man himself. He was confident that since both his teacher and the Old Man Zheng possessed decisive characters that were filled with gusto, they would agree to the terms without a blink. If other people learned that the number one master of the Southern Sect was scared off by a youngster, how would anyone expect him to continue holding onto the seat of power in the Lin Nan region? The same logic applied to the Zheng family as well.

“However, could my teacher really defeat him?”

Zhang Ziru had never doubted the skills of his master. Thirty years ago, Zhou Daoji shook the entire Hong Kong by killing a Grandmaster with one finger jab. In the thirty years that followed, Zhou Daoji rarely displayed his strength, therefore, the exact power of Zhou Daoji remained a mystery to many. It wasn’t until Zhang Ziru entered the Dao-Reaching Level very recently did he start to comprehend the depth and breadth of his teacher’s dharmic powers and soul energy.

He was convinced that his teacher could defeat any Grandmaster who challenged him.

However, Chen Fan was quite different than most other Grandmasters.

He was the number one Grandmaster in China and had killed Lei Qianjue with his hypersonic blow. When Kunlun, the publisher of the Heaven Roll commented on his abilities, he said something like this: “Peak of Transcendent state, Peak of Dharma Cultivation, Peak of Physique Refinement.” That meant Chen Fan had reached the top in all three categories of cultivation Martial arts, Physique Refinement, and Dharma Spells. No one, other than an Immortal State cultivator could rival him.

However, the thought of his teacher’s thirty years of experience and the careful preparation over the three days eased Zhang Ziru’s mind slightly. However great Chen Fan’s achievement in Martial Dao was, he was no match against the Heavenly Dao.

After the crowd left the hill, Chen Fan and Zheng Anqi were alone by themselves again.

Zheng Anqi examined the boy with complicated expressions. She had never thought that her oversight could lead to such a grave consequence. Zheng Anqi had thought that even if Chen Fan came to Hong Kong to ask for the debt, he would have to obey the rule of law. The Zheng family was a powerful force in Hong Kong and therefore, could bend the rules and twist the laws to their benefit. Even if Chen Fan had a proof of the debt, the lawsuits could drag on decades, much less when Chen Fan had nothing to prove his statement.

To her disappointment, Chen Fan didn’t care twat about the rule nor the laws. He simply kidnapped her and gave the Zheng family an ultimatum.

Suddenly, realization finally dawned upon Zheng Anqi.

She understood now why Chen Fan would hold her hostage here on the hill while he could simply rob the Zheng family’s treasury. He was clearly building up the fear inside of the Zheng family as a lion prowling toward its prey. He made the Zheng family feel that a knife was constantly hanging over their heads and could be coming down on them at any moment. The fear was far worse than death.

“I wonder what Grandpa would say.”

Zheng Anqi thought to herself.

Meanwhile, the entire elite society as well as the Feng Shui community were shocked by the recent development.

Chen Fan first crashed a birthday party and killed Nin Tianchen before everyone. He had then kidnapped Zheng Anqi. The news had quickly spread throughout Hong Kong and anyone who was even remotely related to the elite class would have heard of it.

Even as everyone discussed the latest news they heard, another explosive piece of information grabbed their attention.

“Zhou Daoji had challenged Chen Beixuan to a duel at the top of the Jiu Long mountain.”

So far, no one knew who exactly Chen Beixuan was. However, that was not the case for Zhou Daoji. He had been a dominating force in Hong Kong for many years and was revered at the number one master of the Southern Sect. Everyone knew he was a truly powerful spellcaster who possessed the Dharmic powers. He had been a frequent guest in the house of the rich and the powerful. Of late, he had retreated to the Jiu Long District and meet only the top dogs of Hong Kong on very rare occasions.

It was shocking to everyone that such a mighty figure would have challenged a kidnapper. By now, it became evident to everyone that there were more than what met the eye about the whole thing.

Most tycoons in Hong Kong had no stake in the event, and therefore their interest in this duel was simply driven by their curiosities. However, when the news reached the Lin Nan International Conference for Chinese Esotericism, it had caused a sizable unrested.

“Zhou Daoji is going to fight again? He has challenged someone to a duel at the peak of the Jiu Long mountain?”

Many Dao cultivators who came to attend the Lin Nan Chinese Esotericism conference were shocked by the news.

Zhou Daoji was the most powerful Feng Shui master in Hong Kong and was one of the very few Perfected Cultivators of Dharma Cultivation level. He had killed a Grandmaster from southeast Asian thirty years ago and rose to fame. Who was this Chen Beixuan that deserved so much of his attention?

“What? It was Chen Beixuan? Master Zhou is in trouble.”

A few of the conference attendees who had heard of Chen Fan’s name suddenly pulled a tight face and said.

“Who is this Chen Beixuan? Is he really that powerful?” Someone questioned. The spellcasters were a small circle and they rarely talked to anyone outside of the community.

“He was recognized as the most powerful Grandmaster in China. He has already killed three Grandmasters and was ranked number one on the Heaven roll. So yes.. he is very powerful.” Someone replied with a wry smile.

Hearing the revelation, many people’s faces darkened.

Although they rarely bothered themselves with news in the martial arts community, they knew that once an Internal Force user reached Transcendent State and became a Grandmaster, his power was on par with that of a Perfected Cultivator of Dharma Cultivation level. Chen Beixuan was not only considered the most powerful Grandmaster in China, but he had also already slaughtered three of his Grandmaster peers. That was unheard of. Could Zhou Daoji really defeat him?

Despite their concerns, most people were still confident in Zhou Daoji’s victory.

Zhou Daoji was the top spellcaster of the Southern Sect. His status among the spellcasters was the same as Ye Nantian among the martial artists.

Worse, a Perfected Cultivator such as Zhou Daoji possessed many tricks, such as Dharma Artifact, Dharma Array, and Talisman Inscription under his sleeves to surprise his opponent. On the other hand, a Martial arts Grandmaster relied only on his physical strength. If a Perfected Cultivator was well prepared, he could be able to hold himself against attacks of multiple Grandmasters at the same time. Zhou Daoji was a seasoned spell caster and had accumulated an incredible amount of resources in Hong Kong, both factors would make his power very unpredictable.

No one could fall asleep that night as they kept on thinking about the coming duel.

Before the dawn break, many people had already arrived at the Jiu Long mountain and picked a good spot to enjoy this fight of the century.

The number one Spell Caster of the Southern Sect against the number one Grandmaster Martial Artist on the Heaven roll.

It was a battle between a veteran Perfected Cultivator against the most powerful Grandmaster.

The world of spell casters hasn’t heard of such big news for ages. Everyone was curious as who would eventually emerge victoriously. If the fight were to take place a few days later, allowing more people to hear about it, even the top spell casters in southeast Asia would fly in to watch the battle.

Chen Fan’s reply finally arrived at Zhou Daoji and the Zheng family. He had agreed to the duel.

Jin Junxi was the man who delivered Chen Fan’s message. Even when he left the hill, he still couldn’t believe that he was about to witness the battle of the two most powerful men with his own eyes. Everything about this battle was so dramatic that it seemed like the stuff in a TV drama. People started to bet on each side and the amount of money that poured into the bets was too much to count.

Chen Fan still sat still on the peak of the mountain as he projected his Divine Will into the void dimension. No one knew what he was after.

Meanwhile, Zheng Anqi lay in a sleeping bag under the tree. Fear of losing everyone in her family kept her sleepless at night. Meanwhile, if Chen Fan was defeated, her troubles would be gone once and for all. That being said, every time she thought of the moment when Chen Fan killed the giant snake, her heart would be taken over by fear all over again.

“Zhou Daoji, is he going to win?”

She was not the only person who asked this question, it was shared by practically everyone who went to watch the battle.

Chen Fan’s illustrious battle record was recent, but Zhou Daoji hasn’t fought for many years, and no one was certain that he still had it. Could he unleash the same power that allowed him to kill the Grandmaster with one finger thirty years ago?

As time passed by, a sliver of light finally appeared at the eastern horizon. The dawn was about to break.

When the sun finally appeared, Chen Fan rose to his feet slowly. The motion startled Zheng Anqi. She looked toward Chen Fan and was shocked. Every step Chen Fan took seem to make his body grow a few inches. After he had finished his seventh step, he was about one meter and eighty centimeters tall with long hairs that reached his waist. His statuesque body and handsome features made him look like a god.

If Zheng Anqi didn’t see the transformation with her own eyes, she would never believe that this handsome godly looking young man was Chen Fan.

“Follow me.”

Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and sauntered off the hill. Winds from the ocean puffed up the loose sleeves of his robe and tousled his silky long hair as a glinting light shone in his eyes. Stunned by Chen Fan’s godly demeanor, Zheng Anqi hurried to catch up with him.