Chapter 246 - Invincible Stance (2)

Then breaking into the top fifty would be a breeze.They could even aim for something higher.

The sky was beginning to brighten.

Jiang Man looked toward the horizon. "The random matchmaking is about to start. You only have to do one thing: Defense.

"Leave the rest to me."

"My strength isn’t..." Su Qinya faltered, but before she could finish, she felt a powerful gust from a palm.

In an instant, a palm stopped right in front of her face, blocking her vision.

It was as if that palm had become her entire world.

It left her terrified and shocked.

Only then did she quickly retreat several steps.

Her guard went up.

"You were too slow, Junior Sister," Jiang Man said calmly, withdrawing his hand.

’Junior Sister?’

Su Qinya was both startled and embarrassed.

But as she looked at him now, he was no longer the prodigy who pulled all-nighters in her eyes.

But instead...

He was like a steep, towering peak piercing the clouds, radiating a terrifying, oppressive aura.

Gao Rong watched all this, once again understanding why Xiaogao revered Jiang Man so much.

Since reaching Foundation Establishment, he had never felt this way.

It was as if everything was within reach.

A spot in the top fifty of the Seven Peaks—a rank he’d never dared to dream of before.

And now, someone was telling him they would carry him into the top fifty.

And he found himself believing that person with all his heart.

"Daybreak," Jiang Man said, turning to the east. "The random matchmaking has begun."

The moment his words fell, a light descended upon them.

Jiang Man stepped forward. "Let’s go. Time to see what the Outer Sect’s top fifty are made of."

Gao Rong immediately followed, and Su Qinya, not daring to hesitate for even a moment, matched their pace.

For some reason, she had a feeling...

...that this would be her finest hour.

This man possessed an unbelievable, almost baffling, confidence.

After taking a few steps, the three of them vanished into the light.

Immediately after, beams of light descended upon the centermost mountain peak.

When the light faded, six people had appeared in each corresponding location.

Jiang Man was among them.

And the first people he encountered were two men and one woman.

As it happened, he knew two of them.

"I didn’t expect to run into you here, Junior Brother," Xiang Liang said, looking at Jiang Man with some surprise.

Qiao Yu couldn’t help but ask, "Shouldn’t you be back at the Second Courtyard fighting for a spot, Junior Brother? Everyone here is at Foundation Establishment Perfection. And you’ve even brought along someone at the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment. I’m afraid this path will be a difficult one for you."

Jiang Man smiled. "Young Master Gao is a good friend of mine. I don’t think there’s much difference between his Late Stage of Foundation Establishment and Foundation Establishment Perfection."

Hearing this, Xiang Liang laughed. "Not much difference? You must be rather inexperienced then, Junior Brother. Foundation Establishment Perfection isn’t just about one’s Cultivation level; it also represents the Physical Body and Spirit.

"Take me, for example. I’m at Foundation Establishment Perfection, Physical Body Eighth Layer, and Spiritual Eighth Layer. The difference between me and an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator is immense."

The instant his words fell, Jiang Man had already appeared silently by his side. A palm was pressed flat against his chest. As Xiang Liang’s pupils shrank, Jiang Man spoke slowly, "Just how immense could it be?"

The moment he finished speaking, the center of Jiang Man’s palm caved inward.

Then, a CRACK echoed.

A powerful impact, like a storm, roiled Xiang Liang’s Qi and Blood.

His entire body was sent flying from the momentum, his Qi and Blood churning as he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Qiao Yu was shocked, but she still charged forward with her sword to Attack.

Jiang Man glanced at her and threw a casual palm strike.

His palm collided with the Spirit Sword.

CRACK!

BAM!

The Spirit Sword shattered, and the formless palm strike landed on Qiao Yu.

It broke through all her Defenses and sent her flying.

The last cultivator at Foundation Establishment Perfection was stunned. He never imagined Jiang Man would be this strong.

The moment he tried to make a move, sharp thorns erupted from the ground beneath him.

’Bengliu Technique?’

As he dodged, a rosy light shone upon him.

"This is bad!"

BAM!

The light pierced through him.

A pained scream followed. He was sent flying backward before he could even use any of his own techniques.

He tumbled across the ground.

And spat out a final mouthful of blood.

Jiang Man didn’t press his advantage. He simply stood his ground as a gentle breeze rustled the corner of his robes.

He stood there like an impassable, towering mountain.

At that moment, the mountain seemed to press down on them.

It left everyone breathless.

Jiang Man looked down at the three of them. "I was fortunate to win."

Seeing their resentment, Jiang Man chuckled. "Don’t mind it. Everyone is destined to fall by my hand. You’re just a little earlier than the rest."

With that, Jiang Man turned and left.

Gao Rong looked at the three, hesitated for a moment, then said, "The random matches have just begun. Many people will lose to Young Master Jiang. You don’t need to feel ashamed.

"Even among geniuses, there are other geniuses."

After saying his piece, Gao Rong followed Jiang Man and left.

The three defeated cultivators were then teleported away.

’Gao Rong was too subtle,’ Jiang Man thought. ’He’s no Li Yuan.’

’Just another day of missing Li Yuan.’

’At his normal pace, he should be entering the Foundation Establishment Courtyard by now.’

’Too bad I’m about to reach Core Formation.’

Xiang Liang watched Jiang Man’s group disappear and remained silent for a long time.

Jiang Man’s strength was...

...beyond their comprehension.

They had assumed Jiang Man was just a normal cultivator at Foundation Establishment Perfection.

They had assumed that to have advanced to Foundation Establishment Perfection so quickly, his Physical Body and Spirit must have only been at the Fifth or Sixth Layer.

But now, it was clear they were terribly mistaken.

’Even with my Physical Body at the Eighth Layer, I was completely unable to resist.’

Jiang Man had beaten them as easily as if they were at the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment.

For a moment, he looked at Qiao Yu.

At the same time, Qiao Yu looked back at him.

If this had just been a random encounter, there would be no animosity between them and Jiang Man.

But...

...they had previously plotted to embarrass Jiang Man, even to deliberately target him.

The plan never came to fruition, and if no one knew about it, it wouldn’t be a problem.

But they had spoken of it aloud, which meant someone knew.

’What if we both stay quiet?’

’But what if one of us decides to curry favor with him by telling him?’

’If you’re a step too slow, won’t you be the one to suffer?’

In an instant, the two who had been allies became mortal enemies.

After the random matchmaking began, many people were incredibly excited.

Especially the powerful ones, whose teammates were also far from weak.