Although the Artifact Spirit of The Earth List was powerful, it had some limitations.
The organ spirit, the original organ spirit, could take the initiative to pass some information to the organ spirit’s bilocation, but the bilocation could not take the initiative to pass information to the organ spirit’s original organ spirit.
If an artefact spirit bilocation wanted to contact the artefact spirit’s main body, it had to use the spiritual power of the spirit crystal.
Therefore, Zhang Ruochen’s test results would not be immediately transmitted by the Artifact Spirit bilocation to the Artifact Spirit Honour.
As for how to communicate with the bilocation of the 《Earth Ranking》 Artifact Spirit, that was Lei Jing’s business. After all, the bilocation of the 《Earth Ranking》 Artifact Spirit was also under the management of the Martial Market Money Bank.
Lei Jing was the highest person in charge of the Martial City Money Bank in the 36 counties of the Heavenly Demon Ridge, and the bilocation of the 《Ground List》 artefact spirit here was naturally subject to his management as well.
If not for this, Zhang Ruochen would not have gone to ask Lei Jing for help.
Zhang Ruochen said, “I challenge the 130th position of the 《Earth Ranking》, Wei Wuhen.”
Before entering the testing chamber, Lei Jing told Zhang Ruochen that his overall strength was comparable to the 130th ranked martial artist on the Earth Ranking.
That was why Zhang Ruochen chose this ranking for his first challenge.
He also wanted to know if he could defeat his opponent with comparable strength.
“Wow!”
In the testing chamber, the name “Wei Wuhen” flashed, and a steady stream of aura converged over, condensing a man in his thirties.
The man standing opposite Zhang Ruochen was Wei Wuhen.
To be exact, he was the Earth Ranking Artifact Spirit Split that had condensed into a Spiritual Void Body according to Wei Wuhen’s information.
All martial artists who participated in The Earth Ranking’s tests, including strength, speed, martial arts, mentality, language, habitual movements, and so on, all sorts of information would be recorded by The Earth Ranking’s Artifact Spirit.
As long as one possessed this information, the Artifact Spirit of The Earth Ranking would be able to use aura to coalesce a Spirit Void Body that was as powerful as the person himself.
“Actually challenging me, boy, would you be a little too arrogant?”
Wei Wuhen’s Spiritual Void Body was no different from a real person, and between his words, he revealed a flighty and domineering demeanour.
Zhang Ruochen carried the Sinking Abyss Ancient Sword and stood horizontally as he said, “Whether it’s arrogance or true ability, won’t you know after the battle?”
The corner of Wei Wuhen’s mouth curled up in a sneer, saying, “Somewhat interesting!”
“Wow!”
Wei Wuhen’s arm stretched out, and a ten foot by three foot long green lance coalesced in the void.
The green lance, shaped like a lance, had a tip shaped much like a dragon’s tooth, giving off a chilling feeling.
“This Heaven Shaking Long Lance, which was forged from a single block of meteorite iron, weighs four thousand three hundred jin, has fifty-seven inscriptions within it, and belongs to the eighth grade True Martial Treasure Weapon. Can you block one of my lances?”
Wei Wuhen’s voice was like wind and thunder, echoing continuously in the testing chamber.
Wei Wuhen lifted his lance with both hands, his eyes erupting with golden aura as he swung down towards Zhang Ruochen head on.
That one Zhentian Long Lance was condensed by the Spirit of the Earth Ranking Artifact with Spiritual Qi, yet it possessed the full power of the Zhentian Long Lance.
When Wei Wuhen swung the lance, the entire space shook violently, emitting a “crackling” sound.
Whether it was speed or power, Wei Wuchen was on par with Zhang Ruochen.
Even in terms of combat experience, Wei Wuchen was also quite rich, and with just one move, seven phantoms appeared, like seven figures attacking at the same time, sealing all of Zhang Ruochen’s moves.
Wei Wuhen wanted to win with one move.
Zhang Ruochen let out a long whistle and stabbed his sword over, colliding with the Zhentian Long Lance, giggling and sending out a particle of sparks.
“Boom!”
It appeared to be just two battle weapons, but the sound of the collision that rang out was like the sound of heavenly thunder, enough to tear the eardrums of the average martial artist.
A strike was exchanged, and the two quickly retreated.
Zhang Ruochen retreated until he reached the stone wall of the chamber before he steadied his footsteps, and his arm, which was gripping the sword, felt incomparable pain. The right half of his body was somewhat numb from the shock.
Wei Wuhen was slightly better than Zhang Ruochen, and only retreated seven steps before he immediately stabilised his footsteps.
Such an outcome was expected by Zhang Ruochen.
This was because Zhang Ruochen had used the “Nine Stacks of Elephant Power” in the first round of the power test and exploded seven times its power before hitting the power of a thirty-two point two-headed savage elephant.
It could be imagined that Wei Wuchen’s strongest burst of power would definitely be around thirty-two savage elephants.
Although Wei Wushang definitely had the increase of martial arts, it definitely could not reach the level of seven times the power.
Therefore, Zhang Ruochen’s power was naturally weaker than Wei Wuhen’s without seven times the power of his palm.
“How did you …… your blades get so sharp?”
Wei Wuhen looked at the beloved Zhentian lance in his hand, only to see that a deep trace had been chopped out of the top of the Zhentian lance by the Sinking Abyss Ancient Sword, and it had almost snapped in two.
An eighth rank True Martial Treasure Weapon was half ruined by Zhang Ruochen after just a single chop of the sword.
The Zhentian Long Lance was forged from a block of meteorite iron and protected by an inscription, even a ninth rank True Martial Treasure Weapon would not be able to traumatise it.
How sharp did the Sinking Abyss Ancient Sword in Zhang Ruochen’s hand have to be in order to chop the Zhentian Lance into scrap metal with a single stroke?
“A battle weapon, isn’t it also a part of a martial artist’s strength?” Zhang Ruochen said.
“Hmph! Don’t be complacent, you’ve only mastered a powerful weapon blade. Compared to true strength, you are still far from me.”
Wei Wuhen put the broken Zhentian lance aside and simply stood towards the ground, a nine-metre diameter blood formation appeared under his feet.
Nine metres in diameter, Saint level blood formation.
“Ow!”
Wei Wuhen stepped on the blood formation and exploded his fastest speed, and almost in just an instant, he struck Zhang Ruochen with a palm in front of him.
After the short rest earlier, Zhang Ruochen’s arm had regained its strength. His body flipped over, avoiding Wei Wuchen’s palm imprint, and at the same time, he stabbed his sword at Wei Wuchen’s left ribcage.
“Taiji Grappling Hand.”
Wei Wuchen’s hands unfolded like an eagle spreading its wings as he rushed to Zhang Ruochen’s face, his hands continuously drawing a circle, forming a Taiji pattern.
His fingers, which kept changing, resembled iron hooks, short blades, and a crane’s beak, and as his fingers changed, the void trembled strangely.
Zhang Ruochen’s face changed slightly, and he was about to retreat when he suddenly realised that his wrist was being held by Wei Wuhen, and the meridians of his right arm were actually sealed by the other party.
“You are a disciple of the Taiji Dao?” Zhang Ruochen said.
Wei Wuchen used the Taiji Grappling Hand to tightly clasp Zhang Ruochen’s wrist, and smiled hehehe, “Counting that you still have some insight, I am a disciple of the Taiji Dao’s Two-Yi Sect. You wouldn’t just realise who your opponent is now?”
In the 36 counties of the Heavenly Demon Ridge, why was no one able to enter the top 3,000 of the Earth Ranking?
It was because the top 3,000 places on the Earth Ranking were almost always occupied by disciples of first-rate, second-rate, and third-rate forces, known as the “Upper Three Streams” heirs.
It could be said that for Si Xingkong and Zhang Tiangui to be able to enter the top 10,000 of the Earth Rankings was already quite a remarkable thing.
In the eyes of the Upper Three Streams, the Heavenly Demon Ridge was just a small place in the countryside, and the most powerful sect was only a Fourth Stream Sect.
The most powerful sect was only a fourth-rate sect. How could the martial artists cultivated in a small place compete with their “upper third-rate” martial artists?
“What about the Two Yi Sect?”
“To other martial artists, the Two Elemental Sect is indeed sacred and invincible. However, even the disciples of the Two Yi Sect are still far from me in terms of equal strength.” Zhang Ruochen said.
Wei Wuhen sneered, “Since you know about the Two Element Sect, you should understand the power of the Taiji Capture Hand. Once captured, even a Saint cannot get away.”
“Is that so? However, you haven’t cultivated the Taiji Grappling Hand to the point where you can restrain me yet.”
Zhang Ruochen’s five fingers loosened as he took the initiative to give up the Sinking Abyss Ancient Sword.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen letting go of his own accord, Wei Wuhen’s eyes sank as he grabbed Zhang Ruochen’s arm and extended it upwards inch by inch, soon clasping Zhang Ruochen’s shoulder.
Wei Wuhen stretched out an arm and slapped a palm onto the top of Zhang Ruochen’s head.
Seeing that Zhang Ruochen was about to lose to Wei Wuchen, suddenly, a sword qi flew out from the back, severing Wei Wuchen’s neck and sending his head flying out.
Wei Wuhen’s body immediately turned into a wisp of aura and dissipated into the testing chamber.
“Swish!”
The Sinking Abyss Ancient Sword flew round in the void and was inserted at Zhang Ruochen’s feet.
“Worthy of being the 130th ranked expert on the Earth Ranking, actually forcing me to use the Sword Mind Realm.”
It couldn’t be helped, the “Taiji Grappling Hand” was known as one of the twelve most powerful grappling hands.
As Wei Wuhen said, once captured, even a Saint could not get away.
The only way to win was to use the Sword Mind Realm, otherwise, one would have to use the power of the Space Realm.
However, for this Earth Ranking test, Zhang Ruochen did not intend to use spatial power so that he would not be discovered by the Earth Ranking’s Artifact Spirit Diversion. Spatial power was his biggest card, and he absolutely could not expose it.
Suffering from the Taiji Grappling Hand, Zhang Ruochen’s right arm, as if it had been split into two, did not have any sensation, and he could not even feel the flow of True Qi.
“I didn’t expect Wei Wuchen to have cultivated the Taiji Tackling Hand, and Wei Wuchen didn’t expect me to have reached the Sword Mind Realm. Although, I won him, I still have to admit that I did underestimate his strength earlier, and I was a bit contemptuous of him in my heart, or else I wouldn’t have to make use of the realm of Sword Mind Tongming.”
Zhang Ruochen summarised this battle, admonishing himself that in the future, no matter if he encountered a strong opponent or a weak one, he must not have any more contempt, and must be cautious.
Zhang Ruochen walked out of the testing chamber.
Lei Jing glanced towards Zhang Ruochen, noticing that Zhang Ruochen had suffered a considerable amount of injuries, and asked, “How many places on the Earth Ranking are you challenging?”
Zhang Ruochen directly told Lei Jing by voice transmission, saying, “The 130th position.”
Lei Jing’s brows were Avray furrowed, not expecting that Zhang Ruochen would dare to challenge an opponent of his own strength in the first match.
In fact, he wanted Zhang Ruochen to challenge martial artists after the three hundredth position in the first match, after all, every one of those martial artists at the top of the Earth Ranking was a pride of the heavens and very powerful.
Zhang Ruochen was still too young and green compared to them, and had little hope of winning.
