Li Yuan's strength had already reached the late Inner Force Realm. He would soon be able to step into the True Qi Realm. From the time he began practicing martial arts, barely more than a year had passed, and it had only been a month since he broke through into the Inner Force Realm.
This breakthrough speed was simply too fast. If word got out, it would be far too shocking.
If it drew the attention of people with ulterior motives, they might assume he possessed some fortuitous treasure and grow covetous, which could bring disaster.
Therefore, Li Yuan decided to gradually reveal some of his trump cards and establish himself as a genius martial artist. That way, even if his strength improved a little faster in the future, it would not seem so abrupt.
And the lightness skill Shocking Step was perfectly suited to being brought out for display.
When Li Yuan unleashed Shocking Step, he instantly dodged the thrusting sword. Shocking Force kept exploding beneath his feet as his figure darted left and right, effortlessly evading Ji Hongchun's subsequent pursuit.
The Shocking Step Li Yuan had developed was exceptionally distinctive. It allowed him to move rapidly without the slightest warning, shifting from absolute stillness to extreme motion, or from extreme motion to absolute stillness.
This method of movement defied intuition and inertia alike, making it difficult for Ji Hongchun to judge Li Yuan's next move or predict his direction. He kept pressing the attack, yet could not touch even the hem of Li Yuan's clothes.
Li Yuan could use a series of connected steps to create an utterly disconnected sensation. If one had to describe it, it felt like fighting a high-ping warrior—Li Yuan's figure nearly froze into a slideshow whenever he stopped or moved abruptly!
Come and experience the terror of being ruled by a high-ping warrior!
The sight left all the watching disciples dumbstruck.
"What kind of footwork is that? This is my first time seeing it."
"It's so fast!"
"They're both in the Inner Force Realm, yet Senior Brother Ji can't catch Senior Brother Li."
"I don't know why, but this footwork feels strangely familiar to me. I just can't say what about it feels familiar."
The watching disciples could not see through the secrets of Li Yuan's footwork, but the moment Li Yuan displayed it, Qi Zhengyang immediately saw through the essence of Shocking Step!
Shocking Force!
This was an extremely sophisticated method of using Shocking Force!
Everyone knew that practicing Cinnabar Palm could cultivate Shocking Force, but could Shocking Force really be used like this?
Applying Shocking Force to footwork to increase one's movement speed?!
It could be used this way?
This was the first time Qi Zhengyang had seen such footwork. In application, it could be called heretical, yet it truly worked. Most importantly... Qi Zhengyang had never seen this kind of footwork before.
Could it be... that Li Yuan had created this footwork himself?
While Qi Zhengyang and the watching disciples marveled at the peculiar footwork Li Yuan had revealed, the bout between Li Yuan and Ji Hongchun continued.
The longer Ji Hongchun fought, the more alarmed he became. Li Yuan's speed was simply too fast. Even when he pursued with all his strength, he still could not touch his opponent. Every sword stroke cleaved empty air, leaving him unbearably frustrated.
Suddenly, the sword in his hand halted violently, unable to move. Looking closely, he saw that Li Yuan had clamped it tightly between both palms.
The muscles on Ji Hongchun's arm bulged high as he tried to yank the sword from Li Yuan's grasp, but his sword felt as though it had been locked between two iron pillars. It did not budge in the slightest.
Li Yuan's strength was already nearing three thousand jin, far beyond that of these Inner Force Realm disciples. Even some True Qi Realm practitioners were not as strong as him. Ji Hongchun's sword had been locked down completely.
"Haah—"
Li Yuan exhaled with a shout. Terrifying Shocking Force erupted from his palms, and the wooden sword within them exploded piece by piece, bursting into a fine cloud of splinters!
The power of Shocking Force traveled along the broken sword and invaded Ji Hongchun's body. Ji Hongchun shuddered all over, his face turning pale as he staggered backward.
Li Yuan's figure flashed. He once again used Shocking Step to catch up, then drove a palm toward his opponent's face.
"Boom—"
The violent palm force exploded outright, bursting into a visible ring of ripples in midair. A gale swept past and blasted toward the surroundings.
The palm stopped one foot before Ji Hongchun's face. If it had truly landed, no one would have doubted that Ji Hongchun would have been smashed into minced meat.
Having witnessed the bout, Qi Zhengyang spoke at the appropriate moment and announced the result: "The victor has been decided."
Ji Hongchun gave a bitter laugh. "I lost. You're strong—far stronger than me."
Since this was only a spar, he had used a wooden sword. Li Yuan's Shocking Force had easily destroyed it, leaving him unable to perform sword techniques any longer.
But he had no doubt that even if he had used a fine-steel longsword, Li Yuan would still have shattered it to pieces.
At the instant the two had locked weapons, Ji Hongchun had felt Li Yuan's outrageous strength. Combined with his overwhelmingly potent Shocking Force, it was simply capable of destroying everything!
When the two were preparing to step down, Qi Zhengyang suddenly spoke. "Li Yuan, what kind of footwork was that just now?"
Li Yuan had known Qi Zhengyang would ask. He had been prepared.
"I call this footwork... Shocking Step."
"Shocking Step?"
Qi Zhengyang seemed not to have heard of the name.
"If the Hall Master has never heard of this footwork, that is perfectly normal, because I created it myself," Li Yuan continued.
Created it himself?!
It was not only Qi Zhengyang—the watching disciples cried out in astonishment as well.
"An original technique?"
"I truly have never heard of the Shocking Step technique, nor have I ever seen it before."
"If we're talking about Shocking Step, then it might really be the only one of its kind."
"Could it really be a technique Senior Brother created himself?"
"Unbelievable. Senior Brother Li actually created an entire technique himself."
The disciples discussed it animatedly, while Qi Zhengyang also sank into deep thought.
He had already harbored some suspicions earlier. Now that he had heard Li Yuan admit it personally, a stormy sea surged through his heart.
Li Yuan had actually created a lightness footwork technique himself?
Shocking Step was no trifling skill, nor was it some crude, shoddy creation. It was an exceptionally exquisite lightness footwork technique.
When Li Yuan performed Shocking Step, even a martial artist of Qi Zhengyang's True Essence Realm could not help marveling and applauding its subtleties.
Not only that, Li Yuan was clearly incomparably practiced in Shocking Step. His movements flowed naturally and smoothly, allowing him to fully unleash the might of this lightness footwork technique.
Qi Zhengyang stared fixedly at Li Yuan, as though he were meeting him for the first time. During this period, Li Yuan had given him far too many surprises, and it seemed Qi Zhengyang still had not seen where Li Yuan's limits truly lay.
"Li Yuan, let's have a little practice bout."
The moment these words came out, the entire hall was stunned.
The Hall Master was actually preparing to personally fight Li Yuan!
Under ordinary circumstances, Qi Zhengyang would often give the disciples in the school some pointers, especially the few in the Inner Force Realm. As the group closest to reaching the True Qi Realm, they would often spar with Qi Zhengyang personally.
But Qi Zhengyang choosing to say he wanted to spar with Li Yuan in a setting like this represented something entirely different.
"Li Yuan, I can see it now. You're very strong. Even if every Inner Force Realm disciple in the school attacked you together, they still wouldn't be able to defeat you. There is no need for this bout to continue."
"I am very curious how strong you truly are right now. Display your strength, and you will be the school's senior disciple."
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