I Have an All-Knowing Mirror

Chapter 124: Is This Just Entering the Top Three Ranks?

"A spar?" Su Yuan's gaze was calm. "Sure."

He had never truly fought against a top three ranks expert. One had to know that to reach the top three ranks in the Void Shattering world...

In reality, ninety-nine percent of them were Starry Sky Lifeforms.

To step into the top three ranks without being a Starry Sky Lifeform was simply far too rare.

Currently, in the entire Void Shattering world, including Su Yuan, there were only four such individuals. The other three had barely touched the threshold of the top three ranks and were nowhere near being his match.

Of course, this was only because the Void Shattering world had just been released, and not many citizens were playing yet. Given time to develop, massive numbers of Imperial Citizens would flood in, bringing countless Starry Sky Lifeforms with them. Only then would a true multitude of powerhouses emerge.

'He agreed that easily? Is he genuinely confident, or just taking the easy way out?'

For a moment, Fu Qingcheng could not figure out Su Yuan's intentions. He had watched the video of Su Yuan's previous battles, concluding that the man had just entered the Third Rank but possessed mid-level Third Rank combat strength.

As a fellow expert of the top three ranks, Su Yuan must have seen his combat footage as well and known that he was a peak Third Rank powerhouse.

Under these circumstances, he still dared to agree to a spar?However, since the words had already been spoken, Fu Qingcheng naturally would not take them back. Besides, he had absolute confidence in himself.

"Let us head to the martial arts arena."

Su Yuan stood up and made his way to the Money Gang's martial arts arena.

The news of their Gang Leader sparring with a top three ranks expert from the Capital City quickly attracted a large crowd of Money Gang members to watch.

"Our Gang Leader is going to spar with a top three ranks expert?"

"Good heavens, this is my first time seeing two top three ranks experts fight."

"The Gang Leader will definitely win!"

The numerous Money Gang members chattered animatedly, their expressions filled with excitement and absolute confidence in their Gang Leader.

These gang members were Native Residents of the Void Shattering world. They were not particularly clear on the power divisions within the top three ranks, so they supported Su Yuan without reservation.

However, some of the Imperial Citizen players among the gang members wore grave expressions.

"That is Fu Qingcheng from Canglan Pavilion in the Capital City. I have seen the video of his fights; he is a peak Third Rank expert."

"This old guy, a peak Third Rank expert, is coming to spar with our Gang Leader? Isn't this just bullying?"

"Why did the Gang Leader agree to this?"

The Imperial Citizen players conversed in hushed tones. As players, they were well-informed and fully aware of the massive gap between someone who had just entered the Third Rank and someone at the peak of the Third Rank.

Thus, they silently cursed Fu Qingcheng for being shameless and bullying the weak.

"Gang Leader..."

Mad Saber Qin Mo looked slightly puzzled.

Unlike the other Imperial Citizen players, he did not think Su Yuan had zero chance of winning.

Mad Saber Qin Mo understood his Gang Leader quite well. Ever since he had come into contact with Su Yuan, Qin Mo had never seen him fail at anything he set out to do.

For any matter, it was only a question of whether Su Yuan chose to do it or not.

If he chose to do it, he would definitely succeed.

Take the Lu family of Gongyang City, for example. As a family guarded by a top three ranks expert, how difficult would it be to force them to hand over their Superior-grade Martial Arts Manual, the Nine Yang True Art?

It was incredibly difficult.

But in the end, under Su Yuan's careful planning and maneuvering, Lu Heng, the Lu family's top three ranks expert, chose to compromise, trading the Nine Yang True Art for three hundred kilograms of gold.

'Since the Gang Leader chose to accept the spar, he must be confident,'

Mad Saber Qin Mo thought to himself.

On the martial arts arena.

Su Yuan and Fu Qingcheng stood facing each other.

Since it was a spar, the weapons they chose were naturally standard-issue arms provided by the arena.

Su Yuan naturally chose the long spear.

He used spear techniques to comprehend the Extreme Yang and Extreme Yin power.

Although at his current realm, he could feel the vast and mighty Extreme Yang and Extreme Yin even without using spear techniques.

The long spear, however, was capable of bringing out his absolute maximum combat power.

Fu Qingcheng, on the other hand, chose a black iron staff as his weapon. Compared to the unstoppable forward momentum of a long spear, an iron staff focused more on absolute crushing force.

A single sweep of the staff could force countless enemies to retreat.

"Gang Leader Wu, please make the first move,"

Fu Qingcheng said, gripping his iron staff, his tone completely flat.

As a peak Third Rank expert sparring against someone who had just entered the Third Rank, Fu Qingcheng was already taking advantage, so he was too embarrassed to strike first.

After all, this was merely a spar.

It was not a life-and-death struggle.

"Alright."

Su Yuan did not decline. Gripping his long spear, he executed a light thrust toward Fu Qingcheng.

This thrust appeared absolutely ordinary and unremarkable, yet it continuously drew upon the Extreme Yang and Extreme Yin power from the surrounding heaven and earth, accompanied by a massive accumulation of these opposing energies.

The might of this single thrust became unimaginably terrifying. By the time it approached Fu Qingcheng, even the air was faintly distorting under its pressure.

"This?"

Facing Su Yuan's thrust, Fu Qingcheng, who had previously been quite nonchalant, felt his expression shift.

Whoosh!

Swinging the iron staff in his hand, Fu Qingcheng relied on his powerful mental Will to perfectly mobilize every ounce of strength in his Physical Body.

Combined with the iron staff linking the Five Elements Metal between heaven and earth, he formed a triple-layered defense to block Su Yuan's incoming spear thrust.

Clang—

The moment the spear tip met the iron staff, two completely different forces of nature violently collided. The surging torrent of Extreme Yin and Extreme Yang power forced Fu Qingcheng to stumble back several steps before he could steady himself.

"You?" Fu Qingcheng was in disbelief. The might of Su Yuan's spear strike completely surpassed the mid-level of the Third Rank. Otherwise, there was no way he would have been left looking so battered.

"Brother Fu's methods are truly extraordinary to be able to block this spear strike of mine," Su Yuan remarked.

The corner of Fu Qingcheng's mouth could not help but twitch.

If he had not blocked that strike, would he not have been severely injured or even killed on the spot?

Beyond the twitching, Fu Qingcheng's heart was filled with absolute shock. The power behind Su Yuan's strike had reached at least the late stage of the Third Rank, and calling it peak-level would not be an exaggeration.

'Just a short time ago, hadn't Su Yuan only recently broken into the Third Rank? Wasn't he just a newcomer to the top three ranks?'

'How long has it been since then? And he can already unleash a strike close to the peak of the Third Rank?'

"Gang Leader Wu's strength..."

Fu Qingcheng's expression grew solemn. Gripping his iron staff tightly, he said earnestly, "...is worthy of my full power."

Swish!

Before his voice had even faded, Fu Qingcheng's figure blurred. The black iron staff descended upon Su Yuan continuously, crashing down like a series of heavy black mountains.

The power of each strike could easily crush a peak Fourth Rank expert to death. With dozens, even hundreds of strikes raining down, the sheer force was earth-shattering.

'As expected of a Starry Sky Lifeform!' Su Yuan was quite amazed in his heart. In terms of comprehending Cosmic Power, Fu Qingcheng was far inferior to him. The man's comprehension of the Five Elements Metal did not exceed sixty percent.

Meanwhile, Su Yuan's comprehension of the Extreme Yang power had already reached ninety-two percent.

Under such circumstances, Fu Qingcheng's rapidly swinging iron staff, relying on his formidable mental Will to concentrate all its power, actually made Su Yuan feel a tiny, almost negligible sense of threat?

Buzz— Su Yuan gripped his long spear and clashed head-on with Fu Qingcheng.

The long spear and the iron staff collided constantly, but fundamentally, it was a clash between two different forces of heaven and earth.

With every sweep of Su Yuan's long spear, surging waves of Extreme Yang and Extreme Yin power were drawn in.

With every swing and thrust of Fu Qingcheng's iron staff, the sharp aura of the Five Elements Metal spread everywhere.

As a Second Rank expert whose comprehension of Extreme Yang power had reached ninety-two percent and whose practical combat multiplier exceeded thirty times, Su Yuan did not use his full strength. Instead, he engaged in close-quarters combat with Fu Qingcheng while studying the man's fighting techniques.

This was also one of the techniques the gray mirror had provided to increase his combat multiplier.

Boom!

Seeing that he was unable to take Su Yuan down after so long, Fu Qingcheng went all out and swung his staff with everything he had.

Carrying the supreme sharpness of the Five Elements Metal, the staff smashed toward Su Yuan.

However, Su Yuan merely swept his long spear across with a gentle stroke, effortlessly neutralizing the devastating force of Fu Qingcheng's strike.

This scene made Fu Qingcheng's heart turn completely cold. Although he still had more powerful killing moves he had not yet used...

One had to remember that Su Yuan was merely sparring with him right now; they were far from the point of needing to unleash lethal techniques.

Moreover, if he had ultimate moves in reserve, could it be that Su Yuan did not?

'This Gang Leader Wu's comprehension of Cosmic Power is unfathomably deep. His strength has probably already crossed the threshold of a Second Rank expert.'

Thoughts raced through Fu Qingcheng's mind: 'With my strength, if we keep fighting, let alone defeating him, I'd likely be hard-pressed just to protect myself.'

Fu Qingcheng was very self-aware. Aside from those few killing moves, he had practically exhausted all his methods.

And Su Yuan? He remained as relaxed and effortless as before.

It was perfectly clear at a glance who was stronger.

"There is no need to continue this spar." Fu Qingcheng rapidly retreated and offered a slight bow to Su Yuan. "Gang Leader Wu's strength is astonishing and far beyond compare. Let us head inside to discuss matters in detail."

Before rushing to Green Xiang City to recruit Su Yuan, Fu Qingcheng had come with the mindset of recruiting someone who had just entered the Third Rank, perhaps with mid-level Third Rank strength.

But now, the strength Su Yuan had displayed was already at the Second Rank level. Naturally, they needed to renegotiate their terms in detail.

"After you."

Su Yuan also felt exceptionally invigorated. Since he started his cultivation journey, he had never crossed hands with someone like this before.

Watching their Gang Leader and Fu Qingcheng return to the room...

The large crowd of spectating Money Gang members immediately erupted into a frenzy.

"Did the Gang Leader win?"

"Isn't that obvious? Didn't you see that top three ranks expert concede just now?"

"Our Gang Leader is too amazing!"

"I knew the Gang Leader would win."

The Native Resident members of the Money Gang beamed with pride and excitement.

Meanwhile, the Imperial Citizen players were absolutely dumbfounded.

"That Fu Qingcheng is at the peak of the Third Rank, and he just straight up surrendered?"

"Didn't our Gang Leader just break into the Third Rank?"

"Is this what it means to have just entered the top three ranks?"

"Fu Qingcheng is a peak Third Rank expert. If he conceded, does that mean the Gang Leader is already a Second Rank powerhouse?"

The Imperial Citizen players discussed fervently, incredibly shocked by the strength Su Yuan had displayed.

'As expected...'

Mad Saber Qin Mo thought silently to himself.

Before Su Yuan and Fu Qingcheng's spar, almost none of the Imperial Citizen players had favored Su Yuan to win.

Only he, Mad Saber Qin Mo, had faintly sensed that something was up. With Su Yuan's methods, he would only do things that were guaranteed to succeed.

Since he had chosen to spar with Fu Qingcheng, he was absolutely going to win.

As for losing?

If that were the case, they never would have seen Su Yuan sparring with Fu Qingcheng in the first place.

Inside the room.

Su Yuan and Fu Qingcheng sat facing each other.

However, at this moment, Fu Qingcheng's mindset was entirely different.

Before the spar, he had not actually paid much attention to Su Yuan. After all, whether in the Void Shattering world or in reality...

...strength reigned supreme.

He, Fu Qingcheng, was at the peak of the Third Rank, while Su Yuan was merely a newcomer to it. Even if his combat strength was a bit higher, so what?

But now, Fu Qingcheng was noticeably much more respectful.

"Has Gang Leader Wu stepped into the Second Rank?"

Fu Qingcheng asked cautiously.

"More or less," Su Yuan nodded casually.

In the Void Shattering world, the definition of a Second Rank expert was someone whose combat multiplier exceeded thirty times.

And in that aspect, Su Yuan had clearly already met the requirements.

"A Second Rank expert..." Fu Qingcheng sighed with emotion. "In that case, Gang Leader Wu may naturally take his pick of three Superior-grade Martial Arts Manuals."

Hearing this, Su Yuan nodded slightly.

Three freely chosen Superior-grade Martial Arts Manuals were already the absolute limit of what he could acquire with his current strength.

Any more than that, and it would not be up to Fu Qingcheng to decide. It would need to be reported to the Pavilion Master of Canglan Pavilion for personal review.

"With Gang Leader Wu's joining, our Canglan Pavilion will undoubtedly be like a tiger that has grown wings."

After saying this, Fu Qingcheng sighed and continued, "In this Void Shattering world, we Starry Sky Lifeforms face far too much targeted suppression."

"Indeed."

Su Yuan nodded.

Although he was not a Starry Sky Lifeform, through the gray mirror, he was crystal clear on many of the hidden mechanics within the Void Shattering world.

Among these was the suppression of Imperial Citizen players possessing top three ranks strength.

In the Void Shattering world, Imperial Citizen players with top three ranks strength faced targeted suppression that vastly exceeded that of Planetary Lifeforms.

For instance, if an Imperial Citizen player with top three ranks strength attempted to rob a Money House, it would definitely trigger the alertness of all nearby Authorities' experts.

Even if the robbery were successful, they would end up on the dynasty's wanted list.

And while under a wanted status, Imperial Citizen players were completely unable to place any items into their inventory.

As for the stolen loot? That also could not be put into their inventory.

If it could not be placed in the inventory, it could not be converted into Azure Surge Coins. On top of that, being on the wanted list meant facing an endless barrage of pursuit and assassination attempts from Native Resident experts.

Even other Imperial Citizen players would strike from the shadows. Killing the criminals on the wanted list would yield heavy rewards from the Dayong Dynasty.

The Imperial Citizen players were not a truly unified front, either. Even a faction like Canglan Pavilion could not genuinely keep all its members in check.

For example, if the Dayong Dynasty were to issue a wanted poster for Fu Qingcheng right now, offering a reward of five thousand kilograms of gold for his head...

...then Su Yuan would seriously consider killing the man himself.

Conversely, Fu Qingcheng would do the exact same thing.

"By the way, when does Gang Leader Wu plan on heading to the Capital City? You will need to go to the Capital City to retrieve those three Superior-grade Martial Arts Manuals."

Fu Qingcheng asked.

"In about two months."

Su Yuan replied.

Experts were as common as clouds in the Dayong Dynasty's Capital City. Even with his current combat prowess as a Second Rank expert, Su Yuan would still have to tread carefully there.

Furthermore, through the gray mirror, Su Yuan knew that no fortuitous encounters or treasures suitable for him would be appearing in the Capital City in the near future, so going early would not make much difference.

Under these circumstances, Su Yuan naturally chose to stay in Green Xiang City for two months.

In two months, Su Yuan would advance to the Level 9 Life Form stage. His strength would greatly surge once again, making his trip to the Capital City much more convenient.

"Two months, that works."

Hearing this, Fu Qingcheng did not feel any dissatisfaction. After all, to a Starry Sky Lifeform, two months was but a fleeting moment.

"Then I shall await Gang Leader Wu's arrival in the Capital City."

Having said his piece, Fu Qingcheng stood up and took his leave.

Su Yuan watched the man's silhouette disappear, his thoughts drifting toward the Dayong Capital City.

That place was the true core of the Void Shattering world, and Su Yuan's greatest fortuitous encounter in this world lay right there.