Terrifying Combat Power

As Qi Zhengyang walked off the stage, all the disciples slowly parted, leaving a large open space for Qi Zhengyang and Li Yuan.

The head of the martial arts school had made it very clear: Li Yuan was incredibly strong. Even if all the Inner Force Realm disciples in the school attacked him together, they wouldn't be able to defeat him.

This was the head's personal assessment, and once he said it, no one could look at Li Yuan with ordinary eyes anymore. Everyone's gaze was filled with disbelief.

Even if some of them knew Li Yuan was strong, to the point where all the Inner Force Realm disciples combined couldn't defeat him… wasn't that a bit too unbelievable?

The disciples' eyes held both shock and doubt. The only one among them who believed what the head had said was Wu Si'an.

Wu Si'an was the disciple closest to Li Yuan in the martial arts school, and he understood Li Yuan far better than the others. Recalling his experiences over the past period, he realized that every time he saw Li Yuan, the man was stronger than the last time!

Furthermore, the strength Li Yuan inadvertently revealed had deeply shocked him!

At this moment, the head's declaration that Li Yuan was the strongest in the school confirmed the suspicion Wu Si'an had held all along.

Regardless of Li Yuan's true strength, the truth would soon be revealed.

Li Yuan looked at Qi Zhengyang standing before him, a wry smile on his face. "Head, I never expected you to personally step onto the stage."

Qi Zhengyang's eyes held a newfound seriousness, without a hint of jest.

"A few days ago, I encountered Yan Nian, and he told me you were very strong. Since even a True Qi Realm expert said so, I naturally won't treat you as an ordinary disciple anymore."

Yan Nian?

Li Yuan had an impression of this person. During their last trip to Changgan, this True Qi Realm expert named Yan Nian was dressed all in red, looking like a groom, which was quite festive.

However, the trip to Changgan was brief, and he and Yan Nian hadn't had a chance to speak. He hadn't expected Yan Nian's evaluation of him to be so high?

He had praised him all the way to Old Qi.

Qi Zhengyang had already adopted a fighting stance, ready to strike at any moment. "Li Yuan, let me see what level your strength has reached now."

"I've always been curious: how did you kill that Half-step Blood Robe?"

Li Yuan had no reason to back down. His eyes sharpened, like a drawn sword. "As you wish."

As soon as he finished speaking, the stone bricks beneath Li Yuan's feet shattered into dust. His figure instantly appeared before Qi Zhengyang, a palm covered in Internal Energy rapidly expanding in Qi Zhengyang's vision.

Qi Zhengyang channeled the Martial Arts True Qi within him and met the palm strike with one of his own.

The two palms collided, erupting in waves of energy. The booming sound made the nearby disciples' faces turn pale, and they stumbled backward.

After exchanging that single palm strike, Qi Zhengyang's expression immediately changed.

Although his stance wasn't broken by Li Yuan's palm, the terrifying force behind it pushed him back. The stone bricks under his feet cracked, leaving two deep gouges in the ground!

"This kind of power?!"

Qi Zhengyang was profoundly shaken.

Li Yuan's physical strength alone approached three thousand jin. Combined with his formidable Shocking Force, the two together had pushed back the True Qi Realm expert Qi Zhengyang with a single palm strike, while Li Yuan himself remained rooted to the spot, not moving an inch!

Even though Qi Zhengyang was only in the early stage of the True Qi Realm, and he hadn't gone all out, only using a fraction of his True Qi, he was still a genuine True Qi Realm expert!

Being pushed back by Li Yuan's palm strike was far beyond Qi Zhengyang's expectations.

After repelling Qi Zhengyang with a palm strike, Li Yuan lightly tapped the ground with his toes, and his figure vanished from his original position.

[Shocking Step]

Li Yuan had already mastered this movement technique. In a flash, he closed in on Qi Zhengyang again.

Seeing Li Yuan attack once more, Qi Zhengyang's face showed an unprecedented seriousness. He met Li Yuan's onslaught with a palm technique of his own.

Qi Zhengyang no longer held back any True Qi. He continuously increased the amount of True Qi in his moves, and the power of his techniques gradually increased. Then, something even more shocking happened.

Even though Qi Zhengyang had used seventy percent of the True Qi in his body, he still couldn't suppress Li Yuan!

Li Yuan's hair and beard stood on end, his expression wild. The Internal Energy surging through his body was almost boiling, madly releasing his power.

His palm strikes became faster and faster, with dense palm shadows exploding before Qi Zhengyang. The airwaves generated by their palm energy swept in all directions, blowing the martial arts disciples around like ragdolls!

No one could approach the area where Li Yuan and Qi Zhengyang were fighting. To touch them meant death, to graze them meant injury.

At this point, all the disciples believed that Li Yuan possessed the strength to sweep aside all Inner Force Realm experts!

These Inner Force Realm disciples of the martial arts school couldn't even gang up to take down Li Yuan; they wouldn't be able to escape. In just a few breaths, Li Yuan could kill all of them. These people wouldn't even be able to flee!

Originally, a few Inner Force Realm disciples harbored dissatisfaction that Qi Zhengyang had exempted Li Yuan from subsequent duels and appointed him as the senior disciple. Now, they had no objections whatsoever.

If they were to face Li Yuan, they would surely be giving their lives away for nothing!

Meanwhile, between Qi Zhengyang and Li Yuan, the two were locked in a stalemate.

Li Yuan had unleashed hundreds of Cinnabar Palm strikes on Qi Zhengyang. His Internal Energy seemed inexhaustible. Qi Zhengyang had already used ninety percent of the True Qi in his body, yet he still couldn't suppress Li Yuan.

"With this level of strength, he can break through to the True Qi Realm at any time!"

Qi Zhengyang looked at Li Yuan as if he were looking at a monster. He clearly remembered that Li Yuan had approached him a month ago, telling him he had broken through to the Inner Force Realm. And now, he had reached the peak of Internal Energy, with a combat power comparable to the True Qi Realm?

What kind of divine talent was this?

How could such a monstrous talent appear in his Zhengyang Martial Arts School?

Moreover, Qi Zhengyang found himself in a rather awkward predicament now… he couldn't defeat Li Yuan!

If he were truly defeated by Li Yuan, where would he hide his old face?

Is this Hall Master still going to be the Hall Master?

Qi Zhengyang suddenly regretted it a little. He had personally entered the ring to spar with Li Yuan in front of so many people, and now he was in an awkward position. Qi Zhengyang was already getting a bit anxious.

Just as the two were locked in a fierce struggle, Li Yuan took a step back with a Shocking Step, disengaging from the fight with Qi Zhengyang.

"Master, my Internal Energy is running low, let's stop."

Qi Zhengyang shot Li Yuan an exasperated look. Did he really not know if Li Yuan's Internal Energy was sufficient?

When their fists and palms met, Qi Zhengyang could clearly feel the terrifyingly vast Internal Energy within Li Yuan, showing no signs of depletion. Li Yuan's move was merely an excuse to save face for both of them.

He knows what's good for him.

After Qi Zhengyang calmed the surging Martial Arts True Qi within his body, he slowly nodded at Li Yuan and said, "Your strength is impressive. Even in the entire Jiujiang Commandery, there won't be anyone stronger than you in the Inner Force Realm."

Then, Qi Zhengyang scanned the disciples of the martial arts school and announced loudly, "Li Yuan will serve as the martial arts school's senior disciple. Do any of you have any objections?"

How could these disciples possibly have any objections?

If such a formidable individual wasn't qualified, then no one would be qualified to be the senior disciple.

Li Yuan's performance just now had completely conquered these disciples. If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, not a single one of them would have believed that someone in the Inner Force Realm could fight so fiercely with someone in the True Qi Realm.

As expected, Li Yuan became the martial arts school's senior disciple without any surprises.

From this day on, Li Yuan's status was vastly different. All disciples of the martial arts school had to respectfully address him as Senior Disciple when they saw him.

With everything settled, Qi Zhengyang dismissed the disciples and then looked at Li Yuan.

"Li Yuan, come here for a moment."

"I have something to tell you."

As he spoke, Qi Zhengyang walked towards the backyard of the martial arts school.