The two quickly stood on the training ground.
However, Yan Zhengtong looked at Lin Ce with a gloomy expression, no longer the relaxed and carefree person he used to be.
The opponent's overwhelming strength during the previous attack left a deep impression on him.
"Chief Escort Lin is also a Xiantian (innate)?"
A huge uproar erupted outside the venue.
What is the concept of a "natural-born martial artist"?
It is said that there are only three such people in the entire Sanjiang Prefecture today, and each of them is a famous figure who has been renowned for many years.
What merit or ability does this boy, who looks to be under twenty, possess to be a member of the Innate Realm?
However, it is an undeniable fact that Yan Zhengtong, a martial artist of innate talent, was forced back by a single blow.
"innate?"
Lin Ce smiled but did not give a clear response.
In fact, he wasn't sure whether he was considered a pre-heavenly being at this moment.
According to Zhuo Tianqing, he should cultivate the five elements of his body—skin, flesh, tendons, bones, and meridians—to a certain degree before he could hope to leap from the acquired to the innate body without flaws.
But right now, I've only practiced the four limbs; I haven't even practiced the remaining "pulse" limb yet.
However, his experience on Black Mountain left him with a large amount of "true qi needles".
Although only a small portion of it has been refined into the flesh and blood at this moment, it is by no means a small amount for a sixth-grade innate cultivator.
Moreover, martial arts like "Mountain-Breaking Fist" and "Great Ginseng Skill," which break through the limits of their own level, seem to be shining with a different kind of brilliance.
All of these factors combined gave Lin Ce the confidence to stand before the Innate Realm.
"In that case, I'll have to offend you."
Without another word, Yan Zhengtong stomped his right foot on the ground, instantly crushing the bluestone beneath his feet. As he swung his fists, a shimmering light surged to three feet in length.
This is "true qi," which is different from the "qi strength" that a seventh-grade acquired martial artist can cultivate; their levels are completely incomparable.
The "qi energy" that stretches for tens of feet may seem astonishing, but its offensive power is far less than that of this three-foot-long "true qi".
That is indeed the case.
Yan Zhengtong shot out like lightning. Wherever he passed, his "true energy" touched a weapon rack not far from him, and the swords, spears, and halberds on it shattered instantly, as fragile as tofu.
This is the power of innate true qi, which ordinary metal cannot withstand at all.
Lin Ce narrowed his eyes slightly and also assumed the "Mountain-Breaking Fist" stance.
If one does not cultivate "true qi needles" into their flesh and blood, no matter how strong their protective hard skills are, their fate under the opponent's true qi attack will definitely not be better than those weapons.
"Buzz~"
An ordinary punch was thrown.
The moves and routines of "Breaking the Mountain Fist" are not particularly unusual.
At this level, victory is no longer solely based on the sophistication of techniques.
Yan Zhengtong had three feet of true qi outside his body, while Lin Ce had no true qi at all.
Their fists collided.
"ah--"
Contrary to expectations, the "true qi" did not sweep away everything in its path. Instead, Yan Zhengtong, who possessed three feet of "true qi" outside his body, was once again sent flying backward.
Lin Ce remained firmly in place.
At that moment, he was absolutely certain of one thing.
Having refined true qi into his flesh and blood, his flawless body now possessed strength that was no less than that of Zheng Tong, a sixth-rank innate being.
Yan Zhengtong got up from the ground and looked at Lin Ce in front of him in horror.
The other person's fist was perfectly fine, without even the slightest scratch.
In that exchange just now, he was absolutely certain that his opponent had not released any internal energy.
This is precisely what he can't understand.
Without the support of true qi, how can one resist the benefits of true qi by relying solely on the flesh and blood?
No, saying it's to resist is a bit of an exaggeration.
The opponent clearly crushed me.
"What exactly is your approach?"
Yan Zhengtong didn't dare to make another move, but he also had deep questions in his heart that needed to be answered.
Lin Ce certainly wasn't going to be so kind as to explain to the other party; he simply cupped his hands in greeting and said something.
"Master Yan, you flatter me."
After saying that, he turned to leave, neither removing the martial arts school's signboard nor making any other requests.
It was as if he had simply come to have a friendly spar.
Yan Zhengtong, however, dared not harbor such naive thoughts.
He knew very well that if he let the other party leave like that, it would be tantamount to admitting that he was inferior in skill.
From now on, the martial arts school, which has been built up with great difficulty, will suffer its greatest blow.
Most people don't care about whether it's innate or not.
All they knew was that the renowned Master Yan Zhengtong had been defeated by a mere youth in just a few moves.
In the future, let alone taking on apprentices, even the sponsorships from various parties will likely be reduced as a result.
"Chief镖师 Lin, please wait a moment. I still have weapons that I haven't yet asked you about."
With a wave of his hand, several disciples carried his weapon into the arena.
It was a long spear, its black shaft bearing faint traces of time.
"This spear is nameless and weighs 1,300 jin. I obtained it by chance in my early years. Only after advancing to the Innate Realm could I barely wield it by relying on the power of my true qi."
He looked at Lin Ce, his eyes filled with an unyielding resolve, and said:
Please advise.
Where can I find a weapon now?
Lin Ce thought to himself, "This is what I'm thinking."
At the very beginning, the sword was just an ordinary single-edged sword, which could be bought for a few taels of silver at a regular blacksmith's shop.
The next giant iron rod was personally delivered by Li Tianwang of Tianwang Village.
After that, the "Tiger Soul Blade" on Black Mountain was the strongest weapon he had ever seen, but it belonged to someone else and he eventually returned it.
Right now, it seems that all we have left is our fists.
"This fist has no name, and its weight... well, I don't know how heavy it is either. I was born with it and have been able to use it very smoothly since I was a child."
Lin Ce clenched his fists and smiled.
"Come on, if you want to teach me, then I'll teach you."
"You don't use weapons?"
Yan Zhengtong frowned.
"My fists are my weapons."
Faced with Lin Ce's words, Yan Zhengtong nodded solemnly and said something.
"good."
Having been in the martial arts world for so many years, he had met many people, and there were quite a few like Lin Ce who were arrogant in their youth.
He knew, of course, that fighting unarmed with weapons would give people something to talk about, but at this moment, he couldn't care less about that.
He absolutely cannot allow himself to be completely defeated by his opponent in today's battle.
Even if it's a fight between weapons and bare hands, as long as you win, all discordant words will naturally disappear.
The principle of "the winner takes all, the loser is a bandit" was something Yan Zhengtong had known for a long time.
"Then be careful. My spear is incredibly powerful, but I haven't mastered its control yet. Even I'm afraid of using it. If it injures Chief Escort Lin, don't blame me for not warning you."
"Come on, enough with the nonsense."
Yan Zhengtong's gaze turned cold, and powerful true energy surged through his meridians, while the spear in his hand was enveloped in a shimmering light.
Clearly, this is a good weapon capable of withstanding the infusion of innate true energy.
"Buzz~"
The spear, like a dragon emerging from the sea, stirred up an endless tidal wave and arrived in front of Lin Ce in the blink of an eye.
As the spear traveled, the floor seemed to have been gnawed through, and a trench about ten feet deep appeared out of thin air.
At the end of the ditch was Lin Ce.
At this moment, facing the spear that was wrapped in true energy and pounced like a black dragon, his expression remained calm as he slowly threw a punch forward.
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