The Legendary Peak of Manifest Strength!

"Huo Danian? You are the son of Huo Danian?"

The Carriage Shop Owner revealed genuine astonishment.

Huo Danian's son was only nineteen years old, yet he was actually this young man before him who could injure Old Ghost Luo?!

The tall, thin man was also stunned. Wasn't it said he was at the Great Accomplishment of Manifest Strength? How did he become a peak Manifest Strength? And such a terrifyingly fierce peak Manifest Strength at that?!

"Yes, that's me."

Huo Yuanhong nodded, then frowned as he looked at his arm and asked, "Boss, I wonder how one should dispel the Internal Force of this Old Ghost Luo?"

During the exchange just now, every collision caused strands of sinister Internal Force to seep into his arm, and he hadn't been able to dispel them until now.

"Your master didn't teach you? This is the Yin Soft Force cultivated through Heart-Mind Unity; it already carries some characteristics of Dark Force..."

The Carriage Shop Owner was somewhat surprised. He stepped forward, patted Huo Yuanhong's arm several times, and then began to rub it gently in a rhythmic pattern, slowly kneading out those strands of sinister Internal Force.

"No, my master hasn't taught me Heart-Mind Unity yet."

Huo Yuanhong said.

"Hasn't taught you Heart-Mind Unity..."

The Carriage Shop Owner fell silent, a storm raging in his heart.

He had originally assumed that Huo Yuanhong was the type of combat expert specifically trained by a sect for the purpose of fighting in the ring.

Even if such a person hadn't stepped into Heart-Mind Unity, because they were extremely familiar with the Heart-Mind Unity stage and often sparred with such experts, they would have rich experience. It was indeed possible for them to catch Old Ghost Luo off guard and seize the initiative to suppress him.

Who would have thought that Huo Yuanhong didn't even know how to dispel Yin Soft Force? Clearly, his master had never taught him Heart-Mind Unity.

It was even highly likely that this was his first time fighting a Heart-Mind Unity expert.

To achieve such results in his first fight without understanding the characteristics of Heart-Mind Unity and without ever having sparred with such an expert...

This talent, this combat instinct...

It was nothing short of terrifying!

Especially since the Carriage Shop Owner knew the conditions of the Huo family; it was absolutely impossible for them to be like the great clans that specifically cultivated combat instincts from childhood. Even formal martial arts training had likely only begun in the last few months.

Thinking about it this way, it was even more incredible.

"If one is to have a son, he should be like Huo Danian's!"

The Carriage Shop Owner sighed inwardly. As he looked at Huo Yuanhong, the more he saw, the more pleased he became. His eyes were filled with admiration and a trace of a sense of accomplishment.

After all, he could be considered to have watched Huo Yuanhong grow up, but they had rarely met in recent years. Coupled with the fact that Huo Yuanhong's temperament was vastly different from the past, he hadn't recognized him at first glance.

In the blink of an eye, that child who was once crying for milk, that young man who had injured his body practicing martial arts and lay bedridden, had grown up, and was so outstanding.

He was so outstanding that even he felt a bit jealous of Huo Danian.

"Big Brother, for the gambling match on the twelfth, why don't we have him come too? As long as he can hold off those three peak Manifest Strength experts and keep them from interfering, we might have a few more chances of winning!"

Old Six couldn't help but say.

"This..."

The Carriage Shop Owner was also somewhat hesitant.

At first, he thought Huo Yuanhong was just an ordinary Manifest Strength at Great Accomplishment, so even if he came, it wouldn't be of much use and could easily lead to trouble.

But now that he realized he wasn't just at Great Accomplishment, but was clearly at the peak of Manifest Strength—and the kind of fierce peak Manifest Strength that could fight a Heart-Mind Unity expert for a short time—he was an invincible force!

A fierce fighter like this was worth three ordinary peak Manifest Strength experts. As long as he didn't get involved in the Heart-Mind Unity battlefield and only held off the three peak Manifest Strength experts from the Red Robe Society, nothing should go wrong!

"Boss, I heard you say earlier that on the twelfth, you are going to have a showdown with the people from the Red Robe Society. I wonder how strong the Red Robe Society is?"

Huo Yuanhong took the initiative to ask.

Today was the eighth, so there were still three or four days until June twelfth.

"Very strong. They have three Heart-Mind Unity experts and over ten at the Manifest Strength level. Among them, the old leader of the Red Robe Society is even a cut above me."

The Carriage Shop Owner said in a deep voice.

"Then how many Heart-Mind Unity experts does the Chauffeur's Association have?"

Huo Yuanhong asked.

"Just two, Old Six and myself, plus five or six at the Manifest Strength level."

The Carriage Shop Owner replied truthfully.

"Then you... don't you have very little chance of winning?"

Huo Yuanhong frowned.

"Very little."

The Carriage Shop Owner said bluntly, "Of course, now with your addition, perhaps we have a ten or twenty percent chance."

Huo Yuanhong was speechless. After a long silence, he said, "If you have no chance of winning, why are you still fighting?"

The Carriage Shop Owner was silent for a moment, sighed, and smiled bitterly: "There's no choice; we have to fight even if we don't want to!"

"Three days ago, our men accidentally discovered a stalk of Tiger Blood Grass. This is a top-tier medicinal herb for the Heart-Mind Unity stage. If I could consume it, I could advance further, and the Chauffeur's Association could escape the situation of being on the verge of annihilation under the joint suppression of several gangs..."

"Unfortunately, the news leaked out, and experts from the Red Robe Society came to intercept us. By the time I arrived, half of the Tiger Blood Grass had already been snatched. If my men hadn't been cautious enough to split the Tiger Blood Grass in two and transport it via different routes, I fear it would have all fallen into the hands of the Red Robe Society..."

"That guy from the Red Robe Society also wants to advance further, and fearing I might destroy the remaining half, he proposed a wager. Whichever side wins, the Tiger Blood Grass belongs to them!"

"I know the chances of winning are slim, but even if I don't agree to the wager, the Chauffeur's Association won't last much longer. We're finished sooner or later, so we might as well take the gamble. If we win, the world is our oyster!"

The Carriage Shop Owner sighed.

"For the wager in a few days, leave the strongest member, the leader of the Red Robe Society, to me."

Huo Yuanhong pondered for a moment before suddenly speaking.

For so many years, this chubby man before him had taken great care of his family, and he had learned a thing or two about it from his father.

It could be said that if it weren't for the milk powder the man had secretly sent back then, and the medicinal salves he had smuggled over, he wouldn't be who he is today.

These debts of gratitude had to be repaid!

The Carriage Shop Owner was stunned, then let out a dry laugh. "It's fine, you just need to deal with the Manifest Strength users of the Red Robe Society. Old Six and I will hold the line against the Heart-Mind Unity experts; there's no need for you young people to risk your lives..."

"If Old Six and I are defeated, you run immediately. Don't hesitate."

In his view, Huo Yuanhong had yet to come into contact with powers like Mental Strength or fist intent. Even if he were to step into Heart-Mind Unity, it would take at least until next year.

Being able to barely trade a few blows with an old-school Heart-Mind Unity expert like Old Ghost Luo was already quite impressive; he couldn't possibly get involved in a life-or-death melee between multiple Heart-Mind Unity masters.

"By the way, I see your Manifest Strength is almost at its peak. Why hasn't your master taught you Mental Strength and fist intent yet? These are the foundations of Heart-Mind Unity... Never mind, he must have his own plans, and it's not my place to teach you on his behalf..."

The Carriage Shop Owner shook his head.

Huo Yuanhong was slightly silent. Was there a possibility that his master simply hadn't expected that after being away for only two days, his disciple would have already brought his Manifest Strength to the brink of its peak?

"Right, Boss, my Manifest Strength has reached its peak now. I wonder if there is a path forward, or if I must start Heart-Mind Unity?"

Huo Yuanhong recalled his previous training and asked.

"Your Manifest Strength... can it actually be polished further?"

The Carriage Shop Owner was slightly startled and asked.

"I feel like it's still missing a little something."

Huo Yuanhong said.

"...Normally, at your level of Manifest Strength peak, you should be starting Heart-Mind Unity, but..."

The Carriage Shop Owner pondered for a moment before saying: "I have heard my master say that the peak of Manifest Strength may not be the end of Manifest Strength. It's just that most people's talent only allows them to reach this level, which is why it's called the peak of Manifest Strength..."

"But there are a very small number of people with extraordinary talent who can reach the true limit, the end of Manifest Strength. Yet, this is too difficult; even a peerless genius cannot achieve it..."

"It is said that for Manifest Strength, Dark Force, and Transformation Strength, as long as any one of these realms is pushed to its absolute limit, it means one can break through to the level above Transformation Strength!"

"Most of the monsters in the martial arts world today who are above Transformation Strength are rumored to have simply reached the end of one of these realms. You can imagine just how difficult it is!"

"In fact, let alone the limit of Manifest Strength, just being able to walk a little further after reaching the peak, polishing it just a bit closer to the limit, is already considered an incredible, peerless talent! And this often requires ten or a hundred times the effort, spending over a dozen months or even longer to meticulously polish it!"

The Carriage Shop Owner shook his head, sighing with emotion.

He looked at Huo Yuanhong with some astonishment, clearly feeling that Huo Yuanhong might be that kind of incredible, peerless talent who could polish his skills a bit more after reaching the peak of Manifest Strength.

Even if he couldn't reach the absolute limit, he could still lay a more solid foundation for the future!

"Then what if one reaches the absolute limit in every realm?"

Huo Yuanhong felt that this didn't seem particularly difficult; he could probably get it done in half a day.

"Hahahaha..."

The Carriage Shop Owner couldn't help but laugh, but he could understand. Young people are always proud and arrogant, thinking they can reach the very top, just like he was when he was young.

"Let's put it this way, let me mention someone: Divine Spear Li Shuxing. It is rumored that he reached the absolute limit in both the Dark Force and Transformation Strength realms, which is why he was far stronger than other experts above Transformation Strength, suppressing the top experts of the entire Jin Gate until they couldn't even breathe. He became the only 'Supreme' among the 'One Supreme, Two Heroes, and Thirteen Protectors'!"

"As for reaching the absolute limit in every realm, if one could truly do that, they would be a myth of the current age, a living legend! To take an enemy's head amidst an army, to hold the life of a monarch in one's palm, to draw one's blade and walk out of the forbidden palace!"

"The last person suspected of having reached the limit in all realms was True Man Zhang, who dominated the world three hundred years ago!"

"If another such myth could emerge, this person alone could make the great aristocratic families tremble with fear and reverse the trend of the prohibition of martial arts against commoners!"

The Carriage Shop Owner laughed and teased, "Young man, do you want to try?"

"I was just asking." Huo Yuanhong laughed and looked around. "Is there a place to practice here?"

After that hearty and satisfying battle just now, he had gained many insights and needed to digest them as quickly as possible while the memory was still fresh.

"Yes, follow me."

The Carriage Shop Owner led Huo Yuanhong to a quiet room in the basement of the carriage shop, where various weapons were displayed, all of them sharpened.

"Practice wherever you like. The walls and pillars have been reinforced, so don't worry about them collapsing."

"Alright."

Huo Yuanhong didn't act coy. He grabbed a sharpened long spear, shook it a few times, and felt it was too light. He picked up a heavier one from the side, weighed it a few times, and nodded with satisfaction.

This one!

Then, he found a stack of rice paper, hung it on the wall, and thrust the spear forward!

"Sshh!"

The nine layers of rice paper remained unbroken, and the tenth layer was still slightly lacking.

[Baji Quan (591/600)]

Although that real-life life-or-death struggle had lasted only five or six breaths, he had gained tangible benefits from it.

Through the verification of actual combat, his mastery of the Baji Quan Manifest Strength had taken a significant step forward, increasing by 21 points!

Now, he was extremely close to the pinnacle of Manifest Strength.

In terms of mastery over Manifest Strength, he had actually surpassed the vast majority of people; after all, most martial artists chose to force a breakthrough as soon as they reached the peak of Manifest Strength, which was 540/600.

"Again!"

Huo Yuanhong continued to practice, his grasp of Manifest Strength deepening further and further, drawing closer and closer to the absolute limit.

Time gradually slipped away until, in an instant, a sense of perfection welled up in his heart.

"Now is the time!"

As he thrust the spear forward, the Internal Force throughout his entire body seemed to fuse completely into one, condensing into a single point and erupting as the most rigid, most tyrannical masculine force!

"Ssh!"

The spearhead pierced through the ten layers of rice paper with silky smoothness and then drove into the wall without any resistance, sinking in a full two inches!

Looking closely, not only was there no excess damage to the ten layers of rice paper, but the point where the spearhead had entered the wall looked as if it had been carved out with a small knife, with almost no excess force leaking out!

The pinnacle of Manifest Strength...

It was done!

[Baji Quan (Manifest Strength 600/600)]

Looking at the prompt appearing before his eyes, joy surged in Huo Yuanhong's heart.

In less than ten days, he had gone from an ordinary person who hadn't even touched the edge of Manifest Strength to an expert at the pinnacle of Manifest Strength, surpassing 99% of those who practiced it!

The capable come first; now, he was qualified to be respectfully addressed as "Master Huo"!

With his current pinnacle Manifest Strength and the ability to concentrate his force entirely into a single point of eruption, if he were to catch Old Ghost Luo off guard again like before, he would likely be able to break the man's arm!

"Hungry, so hungry..."

After stepping into the pinnacle of Manifest Strength, waves of irrepressible hunger surged wildly from every corner of his body.

Previously, when he had begun moving from the peak of Manifest Strength toward the absolute limit, his body had already started feeling hungry, but it hadn't been this intense; using more of the ordinary Manifest Strength secret medicine from Spring Return Hall had been enough to suppress it.

But now that he had completely reached the pinnacle of Manifest Strength and forged his entire body's force into a unified whole, this hunger had become exceptionally intense, and even swallowing several mouthfuls of the internal medicinal paste couldn't suppress it.

"I'm depleted... The consumption required to train to the limit is too great, causing a severe bodily deficit. I must use stronger secret medicine to nourish and replenish it!"

He had consulted the doctor at Spring Return Hall and knew the root cause of this hunger: it was a bodily deficit caused by training too fast and too fiercely while the nourishment failed to keep up.

He needed to take appropriate potent medicine in the short term to fill the deficit before continuing to train, otherwise, he might damage his foundation and cause irreversible hidden injuries.

However, such rare potent medicines were not available at Spring Return Hall, let alone the carriage shop; they were all held by noble families and the Martial Arts Hall supported by them.

"Fortunately, the small competition between Martial Arts Halls is coming up soon. The prize for first place is a potent medicine like Crimson Refining Paste, which should be able to replenish my bodily deficit! And with my current strength, taking first place will be a breeze!"

"Time to head back!"

"I accidentally poked a hole in this wall; they shouldn't make me pay for it, right..."

Huo Yuanhong put down the spear and strode toward the outside of the quiet room.

"Big brother, why don't we make a bet on how much longer it will take Huo Yuanhong to polish his Manifest Strength to be even slightly closer to the limit? I bet it will only take two months! Let's see who guesses closer!"

Outside the quiet room, the thin, tall man seemed bored and spoke with a smile to the Carriage Shop Owner...