Chapter 218 - 125: Celestial Pride Trial Completed, Change in Status, Inner Sect Celestial Pride Zhang Su

"Hahaha, he did it! Zhang Su defeated a Gang Force martial artist and completed the second part of the Celestial Pride Trial. He... he’s truly become a Celestial Pride!"

Zhao Qianfeng’s voice was trembling.

He was so excited.

The greatest significance of Zhang Su defeating a Gang Force martial artist with his Pill Force lay in the Celestial Pride Trial.

As long as Zhang Su could complete it, he would be a Celestial Pride of the Guiyuan Sect!

And an Inner Sect Celestial Pride at that.

In the entire history of the Guiyuan Sect, there had only ever been three.

And Zhang Su was the fourth!

Zhao Qianfeng took a deep breath, but he couldn’t suppress the surge of excitement.

Beside him, Wang Dakui shot to his feet, his burly frame ramrod straight, his expression just as excited.

He was happy for his old friend, and for Zhang Su as well.

"Sect Leader... Zhang Su did it! He defeated a Gang Force martial artist with Pill Force! And not just any Gang Force martial artist, but a Peak Gang Force expert who had achieved the Unity of Inner and Outer!"

Tang Tianwen shot to his feet.

He had been sitting beside Meng Shouzhen, but now he was on his feet, his voice trembling with excitement.

"Pill Force defeating Gang Force... Hahaha, excellent. Zhang Su is truly excellent!"

Meng Shouzhen was also very pleased.

He sat poised in the main seat, and though he maintained the calm composure befitting a Sect Leader, the corners of his mouth betrayed him, curling into a smile he couldn’t suppress.

For an Inner Sect Celestial Pride to emerge during his tenure as leader of the Guiyuan Sect was a tremendous achievement!

Thinking back on the Inner Sect Celestial Prides in the Guiyuan Sect’s history, which one of them hadn’t swept through all opposition, creating all sorts of legendary deeds?

Zhang Su had slain an Embracing Pill Martial Artist while at the Huajin realm.

And now, he had defeated a Gang Force martial artist with Pill Force. These were the makings of a legend!

In truth, Meng Shouzhen had been under immense pressure this past year.

Yu Hualong, the Celestial Pride the Sect had poured all its resources into cultivating, had been defeated by Shi Buyi, the Celestial Pride of the Five Elements Sect.

Although he hadn’t attended that battle, the Elders who had spectated described the process in detail.

Yu Hualong had used every trick up his sleeve; his Saber Technique was sharp and his Inner Strength profound, but he still lost.

Shi Buyi’s Five Elements Unite, with its five types of Inner Strength cycling endlessly, was nearly invincible.

Not only was Yu Hualong himself dealt a heavy blow, but the Guiyuan Sect was also put on the back foot when facing the Five Elements Sect.

Among the Three Sects, the Guiyuan Sect and the Five Elements Sect had originally been of equal strength, but ever since Yu Hualong’s defeat to Shi Buyi, the Guiyuan Sect’s situation had gone from bad to worse.

Even winning the struggle for the mining vein in Hengshan County couldn’t reverse the Guiyuan Sect’s decline.

Such was the impact of a sect’s Celestial Pride.

Yu Hualong’s loss to Shi Buyi had far too great an impact.

Meng Shouzhen never spoke of it, but in his heart, he constantly felt immense pressure.

But now, everything had changed.

Zhang Su had appeared.

An Inner Sect Celestial Pride.

As long as Zhang Su could mature smoothly, he could guarantee another hundred years of glory for the Guiyuan Sect!

Thinking of this, how could Meng Shouzhen not be thrilled?

However, while the people from the Guiyuan Sect were ecstatic, the Jianghu Martial Artists, the Medicine Valley, and the Five Elements Sect all fell silent.

Previously, those Jianghu Martial Artists had sworn that Zhang Su had only reached the top eight because the Guiyuan Sect had carried him, and that his journey would end there.

But what about now?

Chu Hanjiang was defeated.

And utterly crushed, at that!

In just two sword strikes, Chu Hanjiang had nearly lost his life at Zhang Su’s hands.

A Peak Gang Force Martial Artist who had achieved the Unity of Inner and Outer... defeated just like that.

Anyone could see the gap between them.

Zhang Su’s strength wasn’t limited to this.

His Fast Sword was already so swift that even Gang Force Martial Artists couldn’t dodge it.

His power was already so great that it could pierce through the defenses of a Gang Force user who had achieved the Unity of Inner and Outer.

Besides, who could guarantee that this was the full extent of Zhang Su’s power?

No one could!

Perhaps Zhang Su had even stronger techniques he hadn’t yet revealed.

"Zhang Su... he actually defeated Chu Hanjiang? Even if Chu Hanjiang is a Jianghu Martial Artist, he’s still a Peak Gang Force Martial Artist who achieved the Unity of Inner and Outer..."

In the Medicine Valley’s section, the voice of the female disciple beside Ye Ling was trembling.

She sat next to Ye Ling, her features delicate, but her face was now pale.

She couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

But it was the truth, and she had no choice but to accept it.

Ye Ling’s expression was extremely solemn.

She sat in the very front row of the stands, her posture perfect.

Her gaze was fixed on the arena, on Zhang Su, her brow slightly furrowed as a complex emotion flickered in her eyes.

She spoke slowly, her voice low and heavy, "Even though I never underestimated Zhang Su, and even held him in high regard, I never imagined he could be this strong. To defeat a Peak Gang Force Martial Artist who had achieved the Unity of Inner and Outer in just two strikes, right after reaching Embracing Pill..."

She paused, her gaze sweeping across the arena, before continuing,

"Zhang Su, like Zhou Dingshan, now has the strength to compete for first place in the Three Sects Gathering of Heroes!"

Ye Ling’s words sent a deeper silence through the surrounding Medicine Valley disciples.

’Compete for first place?’

They thought back carefully. In all the previous Three Sects Gatherings of Heroes, had an Embracing Pill Martial Artist ever taken first place?

Never.

Not a single one!

The Three Sects Gathering of Heroes had been held for so many years, and the winner of every single one had been a Peak Gang Force Martial Artist.

Sometimes it was someone from the Five Elements Sect, sometimes the Medicine Valley, and sometimes the Guiyuan Sect.

But never had an Embracing Pill Martial Artist been able to claim that top spot.

It wasn’t that those Embracing Pill Martial Artists weren’t strong enough, but that the gap between the Gang Force and Pill Force realms was simply too vast.

So vast as to be nearly insurmountable.

But if Zhang Su could do it, he would be the first in the history of the Three Sects!

In the future, the history of the Three Sects Gathering of Heroes would be inextricably linked to Zhang Su.

No matter how many years passed, no matter how many times the event was held, whenever anyone spoke of the Three Sects Gathering of Heroes, they would inevitably mention the name Zhang Su.

The man who won first place in the Heroes Gathering with an Embracing Pill Cultivation.

What kind of glory was that?

The people from the Five Elements Sect felt the same.