Rising Reputation

After a moment of thought upon hearing this, Chu Yunxiao said faintly, "Looking at it now, even though that person is suppressing the big guy, they can't land any effective attacks. If this drags on, that person will definitely be defeated due to insufficient Inner Qi."

Everyone nodded in agreement. To be honest, it was already beyond their expectations that Lu Ming, at the mere eighth level of Inner Qi, could suppress an early-stage Zhen Qi Realm expert.

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

"So that means Sect Leader Li will definitely win?"

The person who had asked before inquired again.

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

After speaking, he stopped talking and focused on watching the battlefield.

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

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

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

Skyward 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 Technique.

A bright saber light sliced through the air, taking advantage of the opponent's wide-open center, and cleaved down towards his head.

"Haha, I was waiting for this!"

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

Now that the opponent had taken the bait, although the saber strike was fast, it was also powerful and heavy. To retract or change the move at this point would surely be slower than his previous saber techniques.

And he could catch it.

Indeed, with a dull thud, accompanied by a faint hum of the saber, the long saber was firmly grasped by his True Qi-infused claws, making it impossible to break free.

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

He said, preparing to crush the long saber into pieces.

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

With his saber caught, Lu Ming's expression remained calm. The opponent's plan had not escaped his keen senses; it was clearly a tactic to lure the enemy deeper.

And he had chosen to turn the tables.

The moment the saber, which had been slashing down from above, was caught by his claws, Lu Ming immediately abandoned the saber. He then spread his legs, using the momentum to both dissipate the force of the downward strike and stabilize his stance.

Following this, he struck out with both palms towards Li Chonghu's abdomen.

This was precisely the third stance of the Soaring Dragon Palm, Dragon Emerges From Sea Strike.

What?

At this moment, Li Chonghu was holding the saber above his head with both claws and hadn't anticipated this move from his opponent.

But it was too late. His abdomen was solidly struck by both palms.

Bang!

A muffled sound echoed, and Li Chonghu was sent flying several yards back. However, he didn't fall, managing to stabilize himself after taking a few steps.

Lu Ming, however, wasn't faring much better. His palms felt like they had struck a steel plate, and he was repelled back several steps.

"True Qi Bodyguard?"

Looking at his trembling hands, Lu Ming finally understood the difficulty of the Zhen Qi Realm. Although the 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 a mere Inner Qi Realm cultivator comprehend the wonders of True Qi?"

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

If it had been hit, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Fortunately, at the critical moment, his True Qi automatically activated to protect his body. Thus, despite feeling a surge of pain, he was unharmed.

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, wanting to know how an Inner Qi Realm cultivator could unleash 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.

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

Li Chonghu gave Lu Ming a deep look, uttered a threat, and then actually used his Lightness Skill to flee.

Lu Ming didn't pursue. His own condition wasn't great either. Not only had he lost his saber, but he also had a foreign type of True Qi invading his body.

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

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

The situation had changed too quickly, and everyone hadn't had time to react. It wasn't until Li Chonghu fled that they realized the outcome of the battle.

While many were present, only a handful could truly grasp the details of the battle.

Chu Yunxiao was one of them.

Even though most didn't fully understand the fight's intricacies, they understood the outcome, leading to an explosion of discussion.

"Unbelievable, someone at Inner Qi level eight defeated a Zhen Qi Realm expert by crossing a major realm. I've only heard of such things happening within the great sects."

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

"I do. The shopkeeper who buys Demonic Beast materials said 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 here, so he said:

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

With that, he ignored everyone's reactions and walked away, slinging his cloth bag over his shoulder.

"Farewell, Young Hero Lu. Let's meet again."

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

Amidst the voices, Lu Ming quickly disappeared.

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

"Lu Ming, huh? Both in terms of strength and strategy, he's top-tier. I never expected to encounter such an interesting person on this mission."

Chu Yunxiao was very interested in Lu Ming. The battle of wits during the fight had not escaped his notice at all.

He was full of admiration for the other party's timing in seizing openings and his decisive choices when facing traps.

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

If he were also at Inner Qi level eight, 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, the martial arts he possessed were too few, and his methods of dealing with enemies were singular.

Ultimately, despite being a Sect Leader, Li Chonghu was merely a rogue cultivator.

Compared to disciples from sects like them, he was far inferior.

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

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

"I've been watching 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 huge surprise."

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

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

"Alright."

Lu Ming only truly relaxed after crossing the single-plank bridge and arriving outside Old Man Zhao's courtyard. Then, he could no longer suppress it and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"What's wrong with you, kid?"

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

"An aberrant True Qi. Were you hit by a Zhen 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 Zhen Qi Realm expert."

"That's interesting. Tell me more."

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

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

"Thank you, Old Man Zhao."

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