Wei Canglong, an elder of the Ironclad Sect, was already over a hundred years old. He and Ji Hong were old acquaintances.
The two of them—one the commander of the Guiyuan Sect's Black Armored Army, the other an elder of the Ironclad Sect—were of similar age. When people get old, they sometimes develop a childlike nature; the term ‘old child’ isn't without merit. Neither man would concede to the other, and in terms of strength, they were nearly equal.
Wei Canglong had once made it onto the Earth Ranking, but Ji Hong had not, which often gave Wei Canglong the feeling that he held an advantage over his old rival.
Now, the look in Ji Hong’s eyes caused a surge of annoyance in Wei Canglong’s heart: “Your Guiyuan Sect has produced a Teng Qingshan among the younger generation, and you old dog feel triumphant? Hmph. I heard rumors that Teng Qingshan defeated Meng Tian—who knows what truly happened! Perhaps he resorted to despicable means.”
Wei Canglong lowered his head to look at Feng Wuxue, concerned, “Wuxue, there are countless experts in this world. Don't worry about losing this one time; you’ll win it back next time!”
Barring surprises, Feng Wuxue was set to be the future Sect Master of the Ironclad Sect, so naturally, the sect invested heavily in cultivating him.
“Martial Ancestor! Wuxue understands. Yan Tie’s saber technique is indeed formidable. I lost genuinely convinced,” Feng Wuxue said, looking toward the distance where a cold young man in a short shirt and barefoot stood. He stated firmly, “Three years! Within three years, I will surely surpass him!”
A satisfied smile bloomed on Wei Canglong’s face.
“Martial Ancestor, who do you think will win between Teng Qingshan and Sima Feng?” Feng Wuxue asked, simultaneously glancing toward the distance where a stout, gray-templed old man was walking toward the center of the open ground spanning several dozen yards. That elder wore a cyan robe and carried a heavy black sword on his back.
Wei Canglong sneered, “Sima Feng, although he’s only the master of a small sect, he is over eighty years old and has immersed himself in swordsmanship for sixty to seventy years. Even you, Wuxue, would struggle to defeat him. As for Teng Qingshan? Just watch!”
...
Night. Torches were lit one after another, casting the surroundings in a fiery red glow.
Over a thousand martial artists formed a circle tens of yards wide. They were all extremely excited, while in the center of the cleared space stood a single figure—the cyan-robed elder. This elder boomed, “Teng Qingshan, are you afraid?” His sharp gaze locked onto Teng Qingshan nearby.
“Teng Qingshan! Are you scared?”
“Where is Teng Qingshan? Come out!”
Shouts erupted from among the thousand martial artists. With so many people, it was impossible to tell who started it, but the crowd seemed eager to stir up trouble.
“Chhh~~” Teng Qingshan completely ignored the surrounding cries, focusing on joining the two sections of his Reincarnation Spear together.
“Sima Feng, you are an elder too. I am merely preparing my weapon. Are you that impatient?” Teng Qingshan’s voice echoed across the night sky as he strode toward the center of the open ground. Seeing him emerge, the thousand martial artists burst into cheers.
Teng Qingshan versus Sima Feng!
Witnessing a battle between masters of this caliber was a true delight.
“Haha, Teng Qingshan. Let’s skip the pleasantries! Let’s see what you’ve got!” Sima Feng drew the heavy black sword from behind his back.
Clang!
The heavy sword hissed as it left its sheath, emitting a resonant metallic vibration. Holding the black greatsword in one hand, Sima Feng’s face grew serious. His entire presence instantly merged with the weight of the sword. Sima Feng stood there as immovable as a massive mountain.
“Hoo!”
Holding his spear in one hand, Teng Qingshan smiled as he faced Sima Feng in the distance.
...
“That Sima Feng, his unity of man and sword projects an overwhelming aura. A Sect Master—truly a master,” observed the barefoot youth, ‘Yan Tie,’ from within the crowd. “But that Teng Qingshan seems rather ordinary. I can’t sense anything special about him. Well, I suppose I’ll know soon enough. If he truly defeated Meng Tian through sheer personal power, then this fight with Sima Feng will be spectacular.”
...
“Commander, beat that old fellow soundly!” Du Hong shouted.
“Qingshan, show him your might!” Teng Qinghu also yelled excitedly. The group from the Guiyuan Sect had arrived early and were now cheering for Teng Qingshan. As for Commander Guan, he watched the impending battle with cold detachment.
...
Among the multitude of martial artists, there were many masters. Every single one watched intently, and suddenly, the thousand people fell into absolute silence.
Sima Feng’s eyes narrowed slightly. Holding the heavy sword in one hand, he began to walk step-by-step toward Teng Qingshan.
With every step Sima Feng took, his imposing aura surged.
“Cousin, watch closely the true essence of these two moves: ‘Pouring Oil on Fire’ and ‘Plucking the Chestnut from the Fire’!” Teng Qingshan suddenly declared loudly. This statement immediately caused an uproar around him. What was Teng Qingshan trying to do? Was he planning to use this grand battle to teach his cousin?
“Qingshan, smash him!” Teng Qinghu’s shout rang out.
In the open arena, Sima Feng’s state of mind was unaffected by Teng Qingshan’s words.
When Sima Feng reached a distance of three zhang from Teng Qingshan, he suddenly pushed off, and the formidable momentum he had been gathering erupted instantly. He lunged toward Teng Qingshan like a fierce tiger, the heavy black sword slicing down toward Teng Qingshan’s head with a strange, sharp whistle, as if accompanied by a demonic cry.
Clang!
Silently, Teng Qingshan’s Reincarnation Spear shot out like a venomous needle, moving with incredible speed and generating almost no sound, leaving Sima Feng no time to react.
Five Forms of Blazing Fire—Plucking the Chestnut from the Fire!
...
“Hm? That Teng Qingshan actually achieved the ‘Subtle Precision’ realm?” Wu Yue, the ‘Thunder God Blade,’ who had been watching the fight casually while eating roasted rabbit meat, was shocked by that single spear thrust. He stared intently at Teng Qingshan. “Not bad, it is indeed the subtle precision realm! His internal energy control is perfectly smooth, without any waste. But… how deep is his subtle precision realm? I need to watch closely! Given his youth, he should only be in the initial stage of subtle precision.”
Although Wu Yue continued to chew his roasted rabbit meat, his gaze was fixed entirely upon the two figures in the open arena.
...
The Subtle Precision realm—even across the entire Nine Provinces, very few Houtian realm martial artists reached this level. The reason martial artists were formidable was their internal energy. The ability to control this internal energy with perfect smoothness, making it an extension of one's will, without wasting a single bit, allowed for the execution of extraordinarily exquisite attacks through that energy.
That was Subtle Precision!
It represented a mastery over internal energy control!
Teng Qingshan? Teng Qingshan had not reached the ‘Subtle Precision’ realm in his ‘internal energy’! His application of internal energy was rough! However, when using his spear technique now, he wasn't using internal energy. He was using the strength of his physical muscles. Teng Qingshan’s control over his physical strength was precise to the apex.
Muscle, fascia, bone—even the flow of blood and qi—Teng Qingshan could control.
Absolute control!
...
Struck by ‘Plucking the Chestnut from the Fire,’ the heavy sword was deflected, but Sima Feng twisted his body, utilizing the rotational force to bring the heavy sword around in a sweeping horizontal slash.
Boom!
The heavy sword once again whistled with its peculiar sharp sound.
Teng Qingshan’s Reincarnation Spear shot out like a viper striking from its hole. The moment it connected with the heavy sword, Teng Qingshan’s stored force erupted instantly. The spear shaft visibly curved slightly, then Teng Qingshan’s force abruptly shifted, creating an opposing momentum that caused the energy accumulated at the spear tip to climb another level.
Boom!
The tip of Teng Qingshan’s Reincarnation Spear sprang back fiercely.
Peng! The spear tip smashed against the heavy sword at close range.
Sima Feng felt his hand go numb and instinctively retreated three steps. He looked at Teng Qingshan in shock, then laughed heartily, “Excellent spear work! You mentioned two moves earlier, one being Plucking the Chestnut from the Fire, and the other Pouring Oil on Fire. That last one must have been Pouring Oil on Fire. The explosive power in that instant caught me completely off guard.”
“This is just the beginning!” Teng Qingshan smiled, pushing off with his feet.
Whoosh!
He shot toward Sima Feng like an arrow leaving a bowstring, his spear transforming into a black lightning bolt aimed at Sima Feng’s chest.
Clang! Sima Feng immediately met it with another slash, simultaneously shouting loudly, “Mountain Collapse Nine Swords!”
“Hahaha…”
Teng Qingshan laughed, delivering a ‘Plucking the Chestnut from the Fire’ with his Reincarnation Spear, which was like the gentle prick of a scorpion’s stinger, subtly diverting the heavy sword and disrupting the intended momentum of Sima Feng’s ‘Mountain Collapse Nine Swords.’ Immediately following that, Teng Qingshan unleashed a powerful ‘Pouring Oil on Fire.’
...
In the open ground, Sima Feng’s sword intent grew increasingly savage, and his previous calm vanished, replaced by a growing agitation, his face starting to flush red.
Because…
Teng Qingshan was bizarrely using only the two moves, ‘Plucking the Chestnut from the Fire’ and ‘Pouring Oil on Fire,’ to completely restrain him.
Sima Feng’s natural movement speed wasn't fast. He watched as Teng Qingshan moved agilely around him, freely employing his spear techniques. Teng Qingshan’s ‘Plucking the Chestnut from the Fire’ acted like a biting viper, while the spear tip that delivered the instantaneous burst of power from ‘Pouring Oil on Fire’ was like a venomous dragon.
Sometimes fierce, sometimes insidious and strange.
“This artistic conception…” As Teng Qingshan alternated between these two moves, continuously parrying Sima Feng, he unexpectedly grasped the concept of Yin and Yang alternation he had felt while practicing the ‘Three Forms Stance.’ “These two moves—they should be like this!” In Teng Qingshan’s hands, the two spear techniques slowly transformed.
Plucking the Chestnut from the Fire grew increasingly soft and yielding (Yin). Pouring Oil on Fire grew increasingly wild and fierce (Yang).
The connection between the two moves became utterly seamless. Gradually, when ‘Plucking the Chestnut from the Fire’ was halfway through, it abruptly transformed into ‘Pouring Oil on Fire.’
The concepts of Yin and Yang could alternate instantaneously.
Sima Feng looked frantic; he felt he was being tormented to madness: “What kind of ghost spear technique is this? One moment it’s soft and yields force, the next it bursts with ferocity!” Sima Feng felt that when swinging his heavy sword, he would prepare to deflect the force after Teng Qingshan’s ‘Plucking the Chestnut from the Fire’ to continue his attack.
But suddenly, the Yin and Yang alternated, and the yielding move instantly turned ferocious.
Caught completely off guard, Sima Feng was bound to suffer injury.
...
In Teng Qingshan’s hands, these two moves had come alive; in truth, they had nearly merged into a single technique. This made Sima Feng feel so terrible he wanted to vomit blood; he had never encountered such an awkward, counterintuitive feeling.
Clang!
The heavy sword was wrenched from Sima Feng’s grip. A spear shadow whipped out and struck his body. The sound of breaking bones echoed as Sima Feng was sent flying backward.
...
Among the thousand martial artists, a silver-haired, gray-robed elder fixed his viper-like gaze on Teng Qingshan: “This artistic conception… the concept behind that move is very similar to the one that old rogue Wei Wuyai used when he chased me last time! Although this young man’s conception is still blurry, not as profound as Wei Wuyai’s, he is only seventeen! Should I kill him and rob the Guiyuan Sect of this genius, or should I capture him and make him my disciple?”
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