As the strongest martial artist on the Meishan side, Kong Zhuohua possessed incomparably vigorous Martial Arts True Qi and was highly skilled in swordsmanship.
He had never considered himself unrivaled in the art of the sword, but he was still among the very best—until he saw Li Yuan unleash that slash just now. He was instantly struck with awe!
"This fellow... actually possesses such swordsmanship?"
Kong Zhuohua had devoted himself to swordsmanship and visited many renowned masters of the sword, yet even those experts who had immersed themselves in the sword for decades could not compare with Li Yuan!
The slash Li Yuan had unleashed moments ago was peerlessly fierce. Just one distant glance had given Kong Zhuohua the sensation of a sword edge pressing against his body, accompanied by the agony of his skin and flesh being sliced apart piece by piece!
If that slash had been aimed at him, Kong Zhuohua had no doubt... he would have been killed in an instant!
He still possessed that much self-awareness!
"Didn't Zong Lin say that Li Yuan had only just broken through to the True Qi Realm?"
"How can a newcomer who just entered the True Qi Realm possess such strength? Swordsmanship like this is simply unheard-of!"
After Li Yuan's single slash obliterated the Evil Ghosts' long dragon, he did not stop. The Rune Soldier Longsword continued to sweep out, sending one sharp streak of Sword Qi after another into the horde of Evil Creatures outside the city!
True Qi was different from Inner Force. If one wanted to attack enemies at a distance by sending Inner Force out of the body, it was extremely difficult.
True Qi, however, could easily traverse a hundred zhang. Any martial artist in the True Qi Realm could effortlessly project True Qi beyond their body.
Li Yuan's True Qi was astonishingly powerful. Even many martial artists in the late True Qi Realm could not compare to his cultivation, allowing his True Qi to reach a thousand zhang away!
The True Qi within Li Yuan surged without end. As his longsword slashed out, it transformed into streaks of Sword Qi that swept across the sky. Even Evil Creatures a thousand zhang away could be cut down!
The slender Sword Qi continued to flash past. Every zombie and Evil Ghost struck by it was cleaved in two!
They fell in swaths, like wheat beneath a sickle!
He unleashed more than twenty slashes in one breath, scouring the entire ground south of Meishan City. The Evil Creatures south of the city were almost entirely slaughtered by him alone!
This display stunned everyone atop the southern city wall. After the Evil Creatures on the wall had also been wiped out, everyone stared blankly at Li Yuan.
The crisis at the southern city wall had been completely resolved. Li Yuan deserved ninety percent of the credit. The strength he had revealed far surpassed that of the other True Qi Realm martial artists; only martial artists in the True Essence Realm could compare with him.
Li Yuan possessed the Divine Wisdom talent, and all his cultivation arts had been raised to the Perfection Realm. Regardless of the cultivation art—even the lowest-grade martial technique—as long as it could be cultivated to perfection, its power would undergo a qualitative transformation and display all kinds of incredible might.
Now, with a body full of martial techniques cultivated to perfection, Li Yuan's combat strength far surpassed that of other martial artists.
After countless battles and bloody clashes, Li Yuan had gained a relatively clear understanding of his own strength.
As long as he broke through his existing realm, he would obtain a terrifying increase in strength.
Once he broke through the Inner Force Realm, he would be the strongest in the Inner Force Realm!
Once he broke through the True Qi Realm, he would be the strongest in the True Qi Realm!
He had always roamed above the peak!
A figure flashed, and Kong Zhuohua appeared beside Li Yuan.
"Li Yuan, you did very well. On behalf of the tens of thousands of people in Meishan County, I thank you."
Li Yuan smiled faintly. "It was only right. There's no need to thank me."
With the crisis in the south resolved, Kong Zhuohua felt much more at ease. He continued speaking to Li Yuan.
"Generally speaking, a nighttime assault on the city won't happen only once. The first attack is usually a probe, and the subsequent assaults will be even more ferocious."
"I'll leave this side to you for now."
After saying a few brief words, Kong Zhuohua left. There were still three other city walls he needed to oversee. Zong Lin came over right after him, wearing an expression as though she had only just met Li Yuan.
"Li Yuan, I've discovered that the more I look at you, the less I understand you."
Zong Lin had noticed Li Yuan ever since he gazed toward her inside the carriage back then.
Whenever Zong Lin thought she had come to understand Li Yuan a little, he would always do something that broke through the limits of her understanding.
Take just now, for example. The terror of Li Yuan's slash was such that Zong Lin suspected even Jiujiang's Young Commander, Chu Han, might not be able to compare!
She had worked with Chu Han for many years and understood him very well.
An unbelievable conjecture surfaced in Zong Lin's heart.
Could it be that Li Yuan's strength... was actually above Chu Han's?
How was that possible?!
How long had it been since Li Yuan broke through to the True Qi Realm?
Not even ten days!
What kind of person was Chu Han?
He was the Young Commander of the Jiujiang Special Capture Division! His strength was unfathomable!
He was a martial arts powerhouse only one step away from the True Essence Realm. It would not be surprising if he broke through to the True Essence Realm tomorrow!
In Zong Lin's heart, Chu Han had always been among the strongest martial artists. But today, if Li Yuan occupied the other side of the scales... who would be stronger?
Facing Zong Lin's doubt, Li Yuan gave a sly chuckle and did not answer.
Nothing he said at a time like this would be appropriate. He might as well continue maintaining his air of mystery.
Seeing that Li Yuan did not respond, Zong Lin let the matter drop and asked with concern, "You unleashed so many streaks of Sword Qi in one breath. You must have suffered severe depletion. Hurry and rest for a while—there may be another Evil Creature assault on the city later."
Li Yuan smiled faintly. His depletion was nowhere near severe.
His True Qi was already far more vigorous than that of other True Qi Realm martial artists. Moreover, he had now opened four meridians, causing the True Qi within his body to surge fourfold!
That burst of Sword Qi had consumed less than one percent of his True Qi.
After only a dozen or so breaths, the True Qi he had expended had recovered completely.
Li Yuan offered no explanation. He nodded, then slowly walked to a corner of the city wall, leaned against it, and closed his eyes to rest.
The strength he had displayed had earned everyone's respect. The nearby martial artists and guards did not dare disturb him. They all moved aside, leaving Li Yuan a quiet, empty area.
Mi Lan lingered nearby for a while, looking as though she wanted to approach but did not dare. Li Yuan opened his eyes and smiled. "Mi Lan, is something the matter?"
Seeing Li Yuan call for her, Mi Lan relaxed and stepped forward. "Captain, thank you."
Two Evil Ghosts had pounced on her just now. If Li Yuan had not acted in time to kill them, she might have suffered severe injuries—or even died.
No matter what, she had to come over and offer her thanks.
Li Yuan raised a hand, signaling her not to take it to heart. "It's nothing. Rest for a while. There may be another Evil Creature assault on the city later."
Mi Lan nodded respectfully and retreated to the side. Her attitude had undergone a great change without her realizing it.
She had heard earlier that Li Yuan was young and accomplished, having broken through to the True Qi Realm before the age of twenty, but she had never possessed a concrete sense of what that meant. After witnessing Li Yuan's attack just now, that realm and imposing might had left her thoroughly impressed.
As expected of the youngest martial artist in the True Qi Realm in Jiujiang Commandery!
While Li Yuan and the others took a brief rest, several pitch-black figures stood atop a hill several li outside the county city. Their gazes were fixed on Li Yuan atop the city wall.
After a long while, a hoarse voice slowly rang out.
"It seems Meishan has gained quite an extraordinary fellow."
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