When Qi Zhengyang walked down from the platform, all the disciples slowly backed away, leaving a large open space for Qi Zhengyang and Li Yuan.
The school master had made it perfectly clear just now: Li Yuan was very strong. Even if all the Inner Force Realm practitioners in the martial arts school attacked him together, they still would not be able to defeat him.
This was the school master's personal assessment. Once those words were spoken, no one would ever look at Li Yuan with ordinary eyes again. Every disciple's eyes were filled with disbelief.
Even those who had known something about Li Yuan and understood that he was very strong found it hard to accept that he was so strong that all the Inner Force Realm practitioners together could not defeat him... Wasn't that a little too outrageous?
There was shock in the disciples' eyes, along with doubt. The only one among them who believed what the school master had said was Wu Si'an.
Wu Si'an was the disciple who was closest to Li Yuan in the martial arts school. He knew far more about Li Yuan than the other disciples did. As he recalled what had happened during this period, he realized that every time he saw Li Yuan, the other man was stronger than he had been the last time!
What was even more startling was the strength Li Yuan revealed unintentionally!
At this moment, the school master's assertion that Li Yuan was the strongest in the martial arts school also confirmed the guess Wu Si'an had held all along.
Regardless of how strong Li Yuan was, the truth would soon be revealed.
Li Yuan looked at Qi Zhengyang standing before him and gave a bitter smile. "Master, I never expected you to come down personally."
Qi Zhengyang's gaze had turned more serious, without the slightest hint of a joke.
"A few days ago, I ran into Yan Nian. He told me that you were very strong. Since even a True Qi Realm expert said so, I naturally couldn't continue treating you like an ordinary disciple."
Yan Nian?
Li Yuan remembered this person. During his last trip to Changgan, this True Qi Realm expert named Yan Nian had been dressed all in red, looking like a groom. He had been positively radiant with festivity.
It was just that the trip to Changgan had been hurried both coming and going. He and Yan Nian had not even spoken. He had never expected Yan Nian's evaluation of him to be so high.
He had even praised him all the way to Old Qi.
Qi Zhengyang had already assumed a fighting stance and could attack at any moment. "Li Yuan, let me see how strong you are now."
"I've always been curious about how you killed that Half-step Blood Robe."
Li Yuan had no reason to retreat. His eyes sharpened, like a drawn sword. "As you wish."
The instant his voice fell, the stone bricks beneath Li Yuan's feet shattered into dust. His figure shot before Qi Zhengyang in a flash, and a palm covered in Inner Force rapidly enlarged in Qi Zhengyang's eyes.
Qi Zhengyang circulated the Martial Arts True Qi within his body and similarly struck out with one palm.
The two palms collided, blasting out wave after wave of air. The booming impact left the nearby disciples pale and sent them staggering backward.
After the two exchanged a palm strike, Qi Zhengyang's expression immediately changed.
Although his stance had not been broken apart by Li Yuan's palm, the other's terrifying strength pushed him backward in a series of steps. The stone bricks beneath his feet shattered one after another, leaving two deep trenches in the ground!
"Such strength?!"
Qi Zhengyang was thunderstruck.
Li Yuan's physical strength was already close to three thousand jin. Combined with his peerless Shocking Force, the two forces together had actually blasted the True Qi Realm Qi Zhengyang backward with a single palm, while Li Yuan himself remained rooted to the spot, unmoving!
Although Qi Zhengyang was only in the early stage of the True Qi Realm, and although he had not been fighting seriously just now and had used only a small portion of his True Qi, he was still a genuine True Qi Realm expert!
Being blasted backward by a single palm from Li Yuan was something Qi Zhengyang had never expected.
After knocking Qi Zhengyang back with one palm, Li Yuan lightly tapped the ground with the tip of his foot, and his figure vanished from the spot.
Shocking Step.
Li Yuan had long since perfected this lightness technique. In the blink of an eye, he closed in on Qi Zhengyang once more.
Seeing Li Yuan attack again, Qi Zhengyang wore an unprecedentedly solemn expression and likewise met him with palm techniques.
Qi Zhengyang no longer held back his True Qi. He continuously increased the amount of True Qi infused into his moves, and the power of his techniques rose step by step. Then something even more astonishing happened.
Even after Qi Zhengyang had used seventy percent of the True Qi within his body, he still could not suppress Li Yuan!
Li Yuan's hair and beard stood on end, making him look like a mad demon. The Inner Force surging through his entire body was nearly boiling as he wildly vented the strength within him.
Each of his palms came faster than the last. Dense palm shadows repeatedly exploded before Qi Zhengyang, while the waves of air stirred up by their palm force swept in every direction, blowing the martial arts school's disciples about like weeds in a storm!
No one could approach the circle where Li Yuan and Qi Zhengyang were fighting. Touching it meant death; merely brushing against it meant injury.
Now, all the disciples believed that Li Yuan truly possessed the strength to sweep aside every Inner Force Realm practitioner!
Forget surrounding and capturing Li Yuan—the martial arts school's Inner Force Realm practitioners would not even be able to flee for their lives. In just a few breaths, Li Yuan could kill every last one of them! They would not even be able to escape!
Several Inner Force Realm disciples had originally been unhappy that Qi Zhengyang had exempted Li Yuan from the remaining contests and personally appointed him as senior disciple. Now, they had not a single objection.
If they truly faced Li Yuan, they would definitely be throwing their lives away!
As for Qi Zhengyang and Li Yuan, the two sides had already reached a stalemate.
Li Yuan had struck Qi Zhengyang with more than a hundred Cinnabar Palms in total. His Inner Force seemed endless. Qi Zhengyang had already drawn upon ninety percent of the True Qi within his body, yet he still could not suppress Li Yuan.
"With strength at this level, you could enter the True Qi Realm at any moment!"
Qi Zhengyang looked at Li Yuan as if he were looking at a monster. He clearly remembered that Li Yuan had come to find him a month ago and told him that he had broken through into the Inner Force Realm. Yet now, he had already reached the peak of the Inner Force Realm, with battle power comparable to the True Qi Realm?
What kind of heavenly talent was this?
How had such a freak appeared in his Zhengyang Martial Arts School?
Moreover, Qi Zhengyang now found himself in an extremely awkward position... He could not defeat Li Yuan!
If he really ended up being overturned onto the ground by Li Yuan, where would he put this old face of his?
Could he still remain the school master?
Qi Zhengyang suddenly regretted coming down to spar with Li Yuan personally in front of so many people. He had put himself in an awkward position, unable to advance or retreat, and he was beginning to grow anxious.
Just as the two were locked in a fierce struggle, Li Yuan used a Shocking Step to retreat, breaking away from the combat circle with Qi Zhengyang.
"Master, I've run out of Inner Force. Let's stop."
Qi Zhengyang shot Li Yuan an exasperated look. How could he not know whether Li Yuan had enough Inner Force?
When their fists and palms had clashed, Qi Zhengyang had clearly sensed the terrifyingly vast Inner Force within Li Yuan's body. There had not been the slightest sign of depletion. Li Yuan was merely giving them both a way down.
At least you know what's good for you.
After calming the surging Martial Arts True Qi within his body, Qi Zhengyang slowly nodded at Li Yuan. "Your strength is impressive. Even throughout the entire Jiujiang Commandery, there won't be an Inner Force Realm practitioner stronger than you."
Qi Zhengyang then swept his gaze around the martial arts school's disciples and called out, "Li Yuan will take up the position of senior disciple in the martial arts school. Do any of you have objections?"
How could these disciples possibly have objections?
If even a fierce fighter like this was unqualified, then no one could become the martial arts school's senior disciple.
Li Yuan's performance just now had completely conquered these disciples. If they had not witnessed it with their own eyes, not one of them would have believed that an Inner Force Realm practitioner could fight a True Qi Realm expert to a standstill.
As expected, Li Yuan became the martial arts school's senior disciple without incident.
From then on, Li Yuan's status was completely different. Every disciple of the martial arts school had to respectfully address him as senior disciple upon seeing him.
Once everything had settled, Qi Zhengyang dismissed the disciples and then turned to Li Yuan.
"Li Yuan, come over here."
"I have something to tell you."
With that, Qi Zhengyang walked toward the martial arts school's rear courtyard.
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