Rising Reputation

After a moment of thought upon hearing this, Chu Yunxiao said calmly:

"Looking at it now, even though that person is suppressing the big guy, they can't land effective attacks. If this continues, that person will inevitably be defeated due to insufficient inner energy."

Everyone nodded in agreement. To be honest, Lu Ming's ability to suppress a True Qi Realm early stage expert with only the eighth level of inner energy had already exceeded their expectations.

To say he could win, they wouldn't even dare to imagine it, as the gap between them was simply too vast.

"So, does that mean the gang leader Li will definitely win?"

The person who had asked before inquired again.

However, Chu Yunxiao shook his head. "I'm talking about a long duration. In the short term, it's hard to say."

With that, he stopped speaking and focused intently on the battlefield.

Although the crowd was confused, they didn't dare to ask further.

At the center of the battle, Lu Ming and Li Chonghu exchanged blows. However, most of the time, Lu Ming was on the offensive, and Li Chonghu was passively defending.

It could be said that Li Chonghu had fallen into Lu Ming's rhythm.

Flying Sky Slash!

After a few more exchanges, Lu Ming seized a significant opening left by his opponent and unleashed the third stance of the Heavenly Saber Saber Art.

A bright saber light streaked through the air, taking advantage of Li Chonghu's exposed center and slashing down towards his head.

"Haha, I was waiting for this!"

Li Chonghu was not surprised but delighted. It turned out this was a feint he had deliberately created, intending to lure Lu Ming into a direct confrontation.

Now that his opponent had taken the bait, although the saber strike was fast, it was also powerful and heavy. To retract or change the move now would make its speed much slower than before.

And he could catch it.

Indeed, with a dull thud and a faint hum from the saber, Li Chonghu firmly grasped the long saber with his qi-infused claws, unable to break free.

"Let's see how you dodge this time!"

With that, he prepared to crush the long saber into pieces.

"Hmph, if you have a trick, I can play along!"

Even with his saber caught, Lu Ming's expression remained calm. His opponent's plan had not escaped his keen perception; it was clearly an attempt to lure the enemy deeper.

And he had chosen to play along.

The moment the descending saber was caught by the claws, Lu Ming immediately abandoned it. He then spread his legs, simultaneously dissipating the force of the downward strike and stabilizing his stance.

Next, he unleashed both palms towards Li Chonghu's abdomen.

It was the third stance of the Soaring Dragon Palm, Dragon Emerges from Sea.

What?

At this moment, Li Chonghu had his claws raised above his head, gripping the saber. He hadn't anticipated Lu Ming's next move.

But it was too late. His abdomen was squarely hit by Lu Ming's palms.

Bang!

A muffled sound echoed as Li Chonghu was sent flying back several yards. However, he didn't fall. After taking a few steps, he stabilized himself.

Lu Ming wasn't faring much better. His palms had struck Li Chonghu's abdomen as if hitting a steel plate, and he was repelled back several steps by the impact.

"True Qi Body Protection?"

Looking at his trembling hands, Lu Ming finally understood the difficulty of dealing with the True Qi Realm. While his opponent didn't have the thick scales of a Demonic Beast, he had True Qi to protect his body.

"Haha... You guessed correctly. How could an Inner Qi Realm cultivator comprehend the marvels of True Qi?"

Li Chonghu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He had been startled just moments ago. His abdomen was where his Dantian was located, a vital spot for any martial artist.

The consequences of being hit there were unimaginable.

Fortunately, at the critical moment, his True Qi automatically protected him. Thus, despite feeling a sharp pain, he was not seriously injured.

However, he didn't have much time to celebrate before he suddenly let out a muffled groan and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Palm Force!"

Clutching his abdomen, he looked at Lu Ming in disbelief. He desperately wanted to know how an Inner Qi Realm cultivator could produce Palm Force.

"There are countless martial arts in the world, how could you possibly comprehend them all?"

Lu Ming clenched his fists tightly to alleviate the numbness in his arms.

"Very good, very good! I'll spare your life for today!"

Li Chonghu gave Lu Ming a deep look, uttered a parting threat, and then actually used his movement technique to flee.

Lu Ming did not pursue. His own condition wasn't great either. Not only had he lost his long saber, but he had also been invaded by Foreign True Qi.

He quickly took a Qi Recovery Pill, retrieved his cloth bag, and decided to head back without making any sales.

"Wait, Li Chonghu was just defeated and ran away like that?"

The situation had changed too quickly. The crowd hadn't even had time to react until Li Chonghu fled, and they finally realized the outcome of the battle.

While there were many people present, only a handful could truly understand the details of the fight.

Chu Yunxiao was one of them.

Though most didn't grasp the intricacies of the battle, they understood the outcome, which sparked a heated discussion.

"Unbelievable, a cultivator at the eighth layer of Inner Qi defeated someone in the True Qi Realm, crossing a major cultivation stage. I've only heard of such things happening in the major sects."

"Does anyone know this young hero's name?"

"I do. The shopkeeper who buys demonic beast materials told me, his name is Lu Ming."

"So it's Young Hero Lu."

"Young Hero Lu."

Some people had already stepped forward to converse, cupping their fists in greeting.

Lu Ming naturally returned the gesture. He glanced around. Although the Black Tiger Gang had fled, he couldn't linger. So, he said:

"Everyone, I have other matters to attend to. We can talk another time."

With that, he ignored everyone's reactions and slung his cloth bag over his shoulder before leaving.

"Farewell, Young Hero Lu, let's meet again next time."

"Yes, next time at the Drunken Immortal Tower, my treat."

Amidst the voices, Lu Ming quickly disappeared from sight.

However, the discussion this event sparked did not subside; instead, it spread further and further.

"Lu Ming, huh? Both his strength and his strategy are top-notch. I didn't expect my mission this time to lead me to such an interesting person."

Chu Yunxiao was very interested in Lu Ming. The battle of wits that had just occurred had not escaped his notice at all.

He was deeply impressed by the timing of the openings Lu Ming exploited and his decisive choices when facing traps.

However, admiration aside, he didn't believe he was inferior.

If he were also at the eighth layer of Inner Qi, he was confident he could have defeated that Li Chonghu.

In his opinion, although Li Chonghu's claw strength was astonishing, he lacked flexibility and variety. Furthermore, his martial arts were too limited, making his methods of combat singular.

Ultimately, despite being the leader of a gang, Li Chonghu was merely a rogue cultivator.

He was far inferior to sect disciples like himself.

Of course, while some admired Lu Ming, others harbored ill intentions.

In a corner, two figures wearing bamboo hats were whispering:

"I've had my eye on this kid for a long time. I originally planned to observe him for a while longer before bringing him into the sect, but today he's given us such a great surprise."

"Indeed. Such talent, capable of fighting across cultivation stages, the Sect Master will surely like him."

"Let's go. Investigate his situation a bit more thoroughly. When we act, we must ensure there are no mistakes."

"Alright."

Lu Ming only truly relaxed after crossing the wooden bridge and arriving outside Old Man Zhao's courtyard. Then, he could no longer suppress it and coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"What's wrong with you, kid?"

Old Man Zhao, who was lying in the courtyard, saw this, flashed to Lu Ming's side, and placed a palm on his back.

"Foreign True Qi. Were you hit by a True Qi Realm martial artist?"

As he spoke, he sent a gentle force into Lu Ming's body.

"Half right. I wasn't hit; I hit the True Qi Realm cultivator."

"That's interesting. Tell me more."

Just as Lu Ming was about to speak, he coughed up another mouthful of blood, though it was merely clotted blood.

By now, Old Man Zhao had withdrawn his hand. "Alright, I've removed the foreign True Qi for you. You'll recover from the remaining internal injuries in a few days."

"Thank you, Old Zhao."

"It's nothing. Now, quickly tell me what happened."