Immortal Path Space

Chapter 256: Another Victory

Ten more days had passed. By this time, Skinny Monkey's realm had stabilized, and Zhao Ning had successfully completed his Foundation Building, working on solidifying his realm.

With two additional Foundation Building subordinates, Wang Hong, no longer worried about rear attacks, issued a challenge to the Gao Family.

The Gao Family, possessing two mid-stage Foundation Building cultivators, quickly accepted Wang Hong's challenge.

This time, Gao Family's patriarch Gao Rong personally stepped forward. He had prepared specifically for Wang Hong's unique style of fighting to the death, observed in the previous battle.

Upon entering the arena, Gao Rong unveiled a top-grade Spiritual Weapon passed down in his family, a turtle shell Refinement defensive Spiritual Weapon.

This Spiritual Weapon could split into thirty-six pieces, surrounding him, or combine into a single piece to defend one direction.

Gao Rong, with his mid-stage Foundation Building cultivation level, adopted a cautious approach, aiming not for triumph but to avoid faults.

He planned to rely on his higher realm and deeper Spiritual Power to slowly grind Wang Hong down.

For Wang Hong, defeating Gao Rong without revealing his other techniques would indeed require some effort.

"Clang, clang!"

Wang Hong, wielding a Long Spear, clashed with the opponent's offensive and defensive Spiritual Weapons.

The Gao Family's ancestral Spiritual Weapon was indeed powerful. Its thirty-six turtle shell pieces could defend attacks from any direction.

Whenever Wang Hong exerted full force, aiming to break through at a point, the thirty-six pieces would swiftly combine, becoming unbreakable.

Gao Rong's defense was like a tortoise, unyielding despite Wang Hong's continuous strikes, steady as Mount Tai.

Meanwhile, a mid-grade Flying Sword harassed Wang Hong, aiming to drain more of his Spiritual Power.

Once Wang Hong's Spiritual Power weakened, Gao Rong would unleash a storm-like counterattack.

However, after half an hour of battle, Wang Hong still seemed to have energy to spare, showing no signs of Spiritual Power deficiency.

A typical early-stage Foundation Building cultivator would have run out of Spiritual Power by now.

In fact, Wang Hong's Spiritual Power was no less formidable than Gao Rong's, even stronger.

His dantian sea was larger than that of a typical mid-stage Foundation Building cultivator, which slowed his progression and required more resources.

But the benefits were clear: a solid foundation and Spiritual Power several times stronger than his peers.

At this moment, Wang Hong pondered whether to conceal some of his strength. Revealing all his secrets was not advisable.

Wang Hong attacked a few more times, his face turning pale, sweat beads forming on his forehead, and the power of his attacks diminishing, indicating his weakening Spiritual Power.

He then deflected an incoming Flying Sword with his Long Spear, retreated a few meters, and took out a bottle of Spirit Wine, preparing to drink.

Gao Rong, experienced in magical duels, refused to let Wang Hong drink the Spirit Wine unchallenged. He quickly maneuvered his Flying Sword, swiftly striking towards Wang Hong.

Wang Hong, turning into a blur, retreated to the right side of the arena. He seemed determined to drink the Spirit Wine at any cost.

Gao Rong, disregarding defense, circled the edge of the arena, aiming to cut off Wang Hong's retreat.

The Flying Sword in the air, along with Gao Rong, closed in on Wang Hong, prepared to end the fight in a decisive blow.

The audience admired Gao Rong's strategy, praising his veteran skills and cunning.

"Experience does matter. Gao Rong is truly like a cunning old fox."

"Wang Hong is still too young. How can he outsmart someone like Gao Rong, who has lived over a hundred years?"

In battles between cultivators, when their powers are not vastly different, victory often depends on experience and strategy rather than sheer strength.

Of course, if the gap in strength is too wide, strategies become ineffective against overwhelming power.

As Gao Rong thought he had Wang Hong cornered, ready for the Flying Sword to strike him down, a smirk appeared on his face.

At that moment, disregarding the Flying Sword striking from behind, Wang Hong lunged forward with his Long Spear, targeting Gao Rong's chest.

Gao Rong was caught off guard by Wang Hong's seemingly suicidal tactic.

His defense was too late; he had dispersed his thirty-six turtle shell pieces too widely for effective interception.

In desperation, he managed to bring only a few pieces to the front as a shield.

Wang Hong's Long Spear spun rapidly, deflecting the turtle shells.

Realizing he might have been tricked, Gao Rong tried to retreat, but he couldn't match Wang Hong's speed.

A black Long Spear, like a dragon, snaked through the gaps between the turtle shells, deflecting them upon contact.

Then, a sharp pain in his chest, his vision blurred, and his consciousness sank into darkness.

Before dying, he vaguely saw his Flying Sword struggling to penetrate Wang Hong's back, only to be stopped as his consciousness faded, and the sword fell to the ground.

Wang Hong pulled out his Long Spear, and Gao Rong's body fell heavily to the ground.

Wang Hong then proficiently looted and destroyed the body. Gao Rong, the head of the Gao Family, was erased from the world.

Wang Hong collected Gao Rong's belongings, including the ancestral turtle shell Spiritual Weapon, which he found very satisfactory.

During this process, Wang Hong feigned exhaustion from battle.

He noticed another mid-stage Foundation Building cultivator from the Gao Family among the spectators.

This old man, who had debated with him previously and then left in silence, might be tempted to challenge him, providing an opportunity for Wang Hong to eliminate him as well.

However, the old man disappointed him by leaving expressionlessly after witnessing Gao Rong's death.

Feeling like hitting cotton, Wang Hong returned to his residence, sorting through Gao Rong's items.

He found that Gao Rong's Storage Bag contained little apart from a small bottle of Spirit Wine and a healing pill – not even a single Spirit Stone.

Thankfully, he had acquired Gao Rong's top-grade defensive Spiritual Weapon and a mid-grade Flying Sword, making his efforts worthwhile.

Unbeknownst to him, Gao Rong had made contingency plans before the battle. If he won, nothing needed to be said.

But in case of defeat, another mid-stage Foundation Building cultivator was to take over as the head of the family.

They were to avoid further confrontations with Wang Hong on the Life and Death Platform, preserving the family's strength for a future resurgence.

Gao Rong had also taken multiple measures to ensure the family's safety, leaving a secure fallback plan.

For a Cultivation Clan with centuries of heritage, ups and downs were common, and they wouldn't collapse from a single defeat.

[Read at /shanefreak, and heartfelt thankyou for your support!]