Skill vs Talent.
This was the question many have asked over the years.
A question that led to many debates, with many proving their side was the truth and the right way of life.
However, what was the truth?
Was there no truth?
Could both not be true?
Well, it seems it was time to find out.
Zhao Cangsheng and Sima Tiancheng had made their way to the arena.
Zhao Cangsheng continued to hold that noble presence he carried as he made his way up the steps.
Immediately, he caught the elders’ eyes, who praised him in their heads.
They had immediately suggested that he become an inner disciple in their heads.
Zhao Cangsheng could immediately tell they were liking him.
He was certain he would become an inner disciple.
On the other side stood Sima Tiancheng, who seemed far more nervous.
The piercing gazes were filled with disinterest and disappointment.
No, a single slim hope for him.
Each gaze felt heavy, like gravity increasing with each eye locked onto him.
And who could blame them?
C-grade talent simply gave no desirable results.
Coupled with standing before an A-grade talent, and you might as well just assume the match was already over before it began.
It was no different from a mere rabbit thinking it could take on a wolf.
Yet despite this difference in existence, Sima Tiancheng stood proud.
As he prepared himself to fight, Zhao Cangsheng noticed the scars on his hands & arms, reminders of the suffering he endured.
Not a single break.
Not an ounce of rest.
The same routine every day.
Wake up, eat, and sleep.
A grueling process to improve.
To surpass his lack of talent and become greater than it.
Now he stood before the most talented person of their generation and wouldn’t allow himself to falter.
“Zhao Cangsheng!” Sima Tiancheng shouted.
He gritted his teeth, his fists were clenched, and a fiery determination was blazing within his eyes.
That much, Zhao Cangsheng could see.
Zhao Cangsheng responded silently, looking Sima Tiancheng directly in his eyes while smiling.
“Hear me!
I will defeat you!” Sima Tiancheng shouted loud enough for everyone to hear, his voice reverberating across the forest surrounding them.
The birds flew into the sky as the wind blew in his declaration.
Zhao Cangsheng smirked.
‘Is that all he has to say?’
‘Well, I won’t say anything that might hurt his feelings, so I will keep my mouth shut.’
While Zhao Cangsheng thought that, Sima Tiancheng was feeling the opposite.
His lips curled into a frown, feeling insulted that Zhao Cangsheng didn’t respond.
He felt he was being mocked silently.
He’s heard of this kind of mocking.
The person would usually say nothing at such bold declarations that seem impossible.
Many would do this for various reasons; some for face, others because they didn’t feel it was worth responding, and some just didn’t have the energy.
It was the biggest slap to the face!
He slammed his weapon on the arena ground, which was a large mace.
This mace was jet-black and glossy, with a sturdy build and lacking any spikes.
However, Zhao Cangsheng didn’t lower his guard.
His gaze was strong on the mace, feeling a unique energy coming from it.
‘A sense an energy…’
It’s clearly not just a metal ball or a metal stick.
There’s more to it.’
‘I’ll have to be wary.’
Zhao Cangsheng glanced at his sword, a jet-black weapon as well, without a hilt.
He held it with his finger near where the hilt would be with a tight grip.
After all, I was taught an adept level technique.’
‘I mean, it was only natural that I could learn an adept technique so fast.
My talent far surpasses any hard work needed.’
After thinking that, he looked over at the sect master.
The old man looked away before standing up.
He then raised his hand and said the same three things.
“Ready!
Set!
Fight!” He shouted.
Sima Tiancheng made the first move!
He immediately lunged towards Zhao Cangsheng, his mace thrown back, ready to swing!
Sima Tiancheng cut through the air like a dart, reaching Zhao Cangsheng in a matter of seconds!
‘Oh!’ He was caught off guard by the sudden movement.
He had assumed the weapon would be the heavy lifting, but to see Sima Tiancheng move faster than wind was surprising.
He underestimated him, and that was his first mistake.
Bang!
For a moment, Zhao Cangsheng actually thought he was struck by the mace, but when he looked down, he noticed he had managed to dodge in time.
Sima Tiancheng had swung his mace so hard that he had, for a split second, broken through the sound barrier!
Immediately after this, Sima Tiancheng swung his mace again, but this swing held not as much force.
He had used the Qiang Qi within his body to enforce and empower his muscles, allowing him to swing at the speed he did the first time.
But the cost wore out his muscles, leaving him weaker than before.
It was clear to Zhao Cangsheng that he had intended to finish the fight in one attack by clearing the gap and ending him on the first attack.
‘Smart.
He wanted to end this fight quickly.’
‘Even if I’m a higher talent, I’m still as weak as a human, and he knew that.’
A drop of sweat ran down his face.
‘Never again.’
Upon thinking those words, Zhao Cangsheng fought back.
Immediately, he used an adept technique!
Everyone watching was stunned, except Xu Changfeng.
He smirked, chuckling to himself while looking at Qing Yuru, and he gave him a nasty glare.
Slash!
Sima Tiancheng felt the full force of such a powerful technique against his body!
He felt the cold steel cut through his chest, opening a large cut in his body.
That feeling was soon followed by a large red dash across his chest and leaking blood onto the floor.
But it wasn’t just one gash, but two gashes made to form a bloody red X!
“Cough!” Sima Tiancheng felt his body slowly getting weaker.
His legs trembled as he tried to stand.
His grip loosened as he tried to hold onto his mace.
He was fading as he tried to keep himself awake.
‘…n-no.
I can’t lose after one swing!’ He shouted from the bottom of his heart.
He screamed needlessly in his head, venting all his frustration to himself!
‘I worked every day!’
‘Every single day!’
‘I trained until I bled!
I cut down my meal time to swing my mace.
I meditated endlessly!’
‘I never delayed or made excuses!
I…’
His breathing became heavy and raspy as his injuries caught up to him.
Drop.
Drip.
Each drop of blood pulled him back to the cruel reality of his circumstances.
He was weak.
His talent was worthless compared to Zhao Cangsheng.
Compared to him, Sima Tiancheng might as well just give up.
“That’s it?” A voice cut through his sorrow; it was Zhao Cangsheng.
I won’t say I can relate to you, because my talent far surpasses yours, but surely that’s not all you have.”
Silence.
“Did you forget?
The point of this tournament isn’t necessarily to win.
Winning only gives you more chances to show off.”
“The point of this tournament is to impress the elders.”
Zhao Cangsheng turned around, meeting Sima Tiancheng eye to eye.
“Stand up and fight!”
Sima Tiancheng’s eyes widened at his words.
His voice tugged at his heartstrings, moving him like a beast to a mountain.
He was right.
Everything he had worked for all led to this moment.
The point was to impress, not win.
‘I was so focused on winning; I forgot the point of this tournament.’
‘I… blinded myself and let myself act without understanding the circumstances.’
‘I was rash.’
Sima Tiancheng gritted his teeth…
SLAM!
…and stomped on the floor!
The elder with the sword by his side had caught wind of his determination.
He was a middle-aged man with long black hair with streaks of white.
“Hmmmm…”
Once Sima Tiancheng stood on both feet, he squeezed the handle of his mace with all his might!
The blood loss was starting to become severe, but the sect master didn’t seem to step in for some reason, something Nangong Xuanhe was puzzled about.
He watched from the side, waiting for the sect master to stop the fight, but he didn’t.
‘Why isn’t the master stopping the fight?
He stopped it for my brother.’
Qiang Qi was fed into the acme, every last drop left that he had.
Madness tugged at his lips, curling them into a grin.
“Fine then!
I’ll just hit you with everything I have!”
The sudden quaking of the floor occurred, and everyone held on for dear life!
They questioned what was happening, a blinding red light coming from the arena!
No, it was coming from Sima Tiancheng’s mace!
“Haha!
I get it now!” Zhao Cangsheng exclaimed.
“The mace amplifies your output!
That’s the reason you broke the sound barrier!
For someone from a poor family, such a treasure is indeed valuable!”
He readied his blade, aiming it at Sima Tiancheng.
“Come, I will strike you down!”
What followed was a bright flash that no one could see.
It was so bright everyone had to look away, but then…
Thump.
A body dropped to the floor.
Sima Tiancheng had dropped to the floor before he could deliver an attack.
Zhao Cangsheng sighed, but not from disappointment, but rather from relief.
‘Wow, to think he fell before we could clash.’
‘I won’t lie, I was a little scared.
But, at the same time, I really wish I could have seen the full extent of that attack.’
Only after he was confirmed to be unconscious did Jiang Haotia stand up and raise his hand.
“Zhao Cangsheng is the winner!”
Everyone clapped for him as he stepped off the arena.
Sima Tiancheng was dragged away by the doctors, who began to assess and see if they could save him before he died from his wounds.
Taking a seat, Zhao Cangsheng glanced at Nangong Xuanhe, whom he was most intrigued to see.
“The next match, Lu Yinqiu vs Liu Dazhuang!”