The banquet resumed, and the atmosphere in the Sect Master Hall was completely different from before.
The candles were brightly lit, illuminating the entire hall.
The leaders of the five sects and the guests Cangyue Sect were sitting on both sides of the table, and while they were drinking and drinking, the eight-move discussion that determined the outcome had been tacitly dismissed, replaced by polite greetings and various discussions about Shenxing Sect Selection.
Yue Yunzheng did not return to the Cangyue Sect's seat.
Holding the wine glass, he walked straight to Chen Jianghe and sat down on the empty chair.
This move made everyone present stunned. A disciple of Yue Sect Chief Disciple, who had just been defeated by eight moves, now took the initiative to sit next to his opponent. What does this mean?
Liu Shuling stood behind Chen Jianghe, standing with his arms folded. Looking at Yue Yunzheng's frank face, the hostility in his eyes subsided a bit.
Although she was unforgiving in her words, she could tell that this person came to befriend him sincerely and was not here to play some tricks.
"Brother Chen." Yue Yunzheng raised his glass with a sincere look, "Yun Zheng still thinks about that punch just now. The punch came out like a spear stabbing, and the punch landed like a spear sweep. Yun Zheng has never heard of this accomplishment of incorporating spear skills into boxing skills. I wonder where did Brother Chen learn this boxing technique from?"
Chen Jianghe picked up the wine glass and clinked it with him, and said calmly, "It's just a coincidence according to the sect."
He didn't elaborate.
The realization that turning a gun into a fist suddenly came to light during the life-or-death battle with Zhao Tian, which involved the perfection of Heaven Pivot Breaking Formation Spear, the ineffective use of Spirit Attachment, and the instincts engraved in the bones after countless near-death experiences.
These things are not enough for outsiders to understand.
Yue Yunzheng Seeing that he didn't want to say more, he didn't ask further questions. He just nodded and drank the wine in one gulp.
After a few glasses of wine, he gradually began to talk more.
"Although Qingtian Prefecture and Changxi Prefecture are only separated by a Green Rock Mountain Range, their patterns are very different." Yue Yunzheng put down the wine glass and put his finger on the case. The outline of the map was lightly drawn on it, "Cangyue Sect has established the sect for hundreds of years, and the Subordinate Fifth Rank sect has come to today step by step. It relies not only on hard fists, but also on one thing, and that is to assess the situation."
He turned his head and looked at Chen Jianghe, "I, Cangyue Sect, can dominate the Qingtian Prefecture family because I was on the right side in the sect war three hundred years ago. Heaven Sword Sect of Upper Three Prefectures competed with the Myriad Forms Pavilion for the mineral veins in the northern part of Yu Province. Zhou Dozens of lower-level sects nearby were involved. My Cangyue Sect ancestor bet all the sect's wealth to help Heaven Sword Sect win that battle. After the war, Heaven Sword Sect designated Qingtian Prefecture as the jurisdiction of the Cangyue Sect, and other sects either merged in or moved out. After three hundred years of operation, the structure we have today is the result."
Chen Jianghe listened quietly, picked up the wine glass and took a sip.
He had heard a few words about these things from Han Shuitian, but they were not as detailed as Yue Yunzheng's.
Yue Yunzheng continued, "But it is not uncommon in lower-class mansions to divide the five factions like Changxi Prefecture. In some mansions, the two powerful factions merge.
Establishment to check and balance each other: Some houses are even worse. They can't even form a decent fourth-grade sect, and are riddled with holes by the influence of the middle house. Mines, medicine fields, and even disciples have been poached, leaving only an empty shell."
He paused and lowered his voice a bit, "Brother Chen, Shenxing Sect Selection is coming soon, and Yu Province will gather the geniuses of the seventy-two houses. In the eyes of those people, the name Changxi Prefecture may not even be ranked."
Chen Jianghe raised his eyes to look at him, his expression unchanged.
Yue Yunzheng met his gaze and said word by word, "Did you know that those true disciples of the first-grade sects of Upper Three Prefectures were already Half-Step True Essence at the age of sixteen or seventeen, and there are many who broke through to the True Essence Realm in their early twenties. Most of Middle Twelve Prefectures's geniuses are True Essence Realm's background. In their eyes, those of us from lower-class houses are just here to make up for the numbers."
As soon as these words came out, the expressions of several Changxi Prefecture disciples at the table changed.
Fei Wenli's hand holding the wine glass tightened slightly, Liu Shuling's brows furrowed, and even Blazing Sun Sect the elders over there looked solemn.
Although they don't want to admit it, they also know that Yue Yunzheng is telling the truth.
Among the five Changxi Prefecture sects, how many young disciples of the True Essence Realm have emerged in the past ten years?
None.
Gang Force Peak is already the best, and Half-Step True Essence is even rarer.
And Chen Jianghe is the only one who, with the appearance of Half-Step True Essence, can surpass True Essence Realm and compete with the True Essence Realm.
But even so, where would he rank among the geniuses of Yu Province Seventy-Two Houses?
Chen Jianghe was not moved at all.
He put down his wine glass, looked at Yue Yunzheng, and said calmly, "Since brother-in-law knows this, why do you still go?"
Yue Yunzheng was stunned for a moment, then smiled.
There was self-deprecation in that smile, but also an indescribable persistence.
"Because if you don't go, you will always be able to stay on this three-quarter acre of Qingtian Prefecture." He stretched out his hand and pointed to the sky outside the hall, "Cangyue Sect has been established for hundreds of years. How many True Essence Realm have been produced? Dozens. But what about going up further? What is above True Essence Realm?"
He retracted his hand and his eyes became deep, "My master once said that warriors from lower-level houses are either not talented enough or have insufficient vision. They have been trapped in a fourth-grade sect all their lives and have never seen how high the real sky is, so they think they are already standing on the top of the mountain.
But when you go out, even if you are just slapped by Upper Three Prefectures's genius in the selection, at least you know how that palm was slapped, where the strength comes from, and how to pursue the realm."
He looked at Chen Jianghe with a bit of admiration and a bit of sympathy in his eyes, "Brother Chen can defeat Half-Step True Essence at Grandmastery of Gang Force, can he defeat Half-Step True Essence at Defeating me in eight moves at Half-Step True Essence was not just about talent. I can feel that you have blood on your hands and have experienced life and death. Such people are unique in Changxi Prefecture, but in Yu Province, they are everywhere."
Chen Jianghe was holding the wine glass, his face still calm.
But every word of Yue Yunzheng was engraved in his heart.
Upper Three Prefectures's genius, Half-Step True Essence, who was sixteen or seventeen years old, broke through the True Essence Realm in his early twenties.
The disciple of Middle Twelve Prefectures, True Essence Realm is the base. And for him, Five Elements Root Bone, Half-Step True Essence, it is ten times more difficult for him to break through the True Essence Realm than others.
This gap was wider than he imagined.
But he wasn't afraid at all.
He raised his glass and touched it with Yue Yunzheng: "Because of this, I have to go even more. If I don't go, I will never know how high the sky is."
Yue Yunzheng's eyes lit up, he raised his head and drank the wine in the glass. "Okay! Brother Chen's words have touched Yun Zheng's heart!"
After three rounds of drinking, the banquet is about to break up.
Yue Yunzheng stood up, took off a green jade pendant from his waist, held it in both hands and handed it to Chen Jianghe.
The jade pendant is about the size of a palm and is moist all over. It has the word "Yue" engraved on the front and the emblem of the Cangyue Sect on the back.
A majestic mountain peak is shrouded in clouds and mist, and a goshawk with spread wings can be vaguely seen on the top of the mountain.
"This is a token of my Cangyue Sect disciple." Yue Yunzheng said solemnly, "Brother Chen, if you don't dislike it, just accept it. If you come to Qingtian Prefecture in the future, you can enter the Cangyue Sect mountain gate with this jade, and Yun Zheng will sweep the couch to greet you."
Chen Jianghe took the jade pendant and held it warmly, feeling a faint breath contained in it. It was deliberately left by Yue Yunzheng to verify the authenticity of the token.
He took out a Xingyi Sect token from his arms and handed it to Yue Yunzheng.
The token is about the size of a palm, and is entirely blue and green. On the front is engraved the word "Xingyi" and on the back is the mark Soaring Wood Court.
"Brother-in-law, if you don't mind it, this token can be regarded as a return gift."
Yue Yunzheng took it with both hands, looked at it over and over for a moment, and then solemnly put it in his arms.
He raised his head, looked at Chen Jianghe, clasped his fists and said with a smile, "If we meet at Yu Province in the future, we must have a drink and talk. I hope Brother Chen will take care of you."
Chen Jianghe cupped his fists and returned the greeting. "Brother Yue, have a good trip."
The two looked at each other and smiled, saying nothing.
Zhou Yan stood aside, watching this scene, a complicated light flashed in his eyes.
Before he came to Changxi Prefecture, he thought he would win in this business, thought that the five factions of Changxi Prefecture were just a loose mess, and thought that Xingyi Sect and Chief Disciple were just chickens and dogs.
But when I saw it with my own eyes today, I knew there was someone outside.
This Chen Jianghe not only has a hard fist, but also has a good heart.
He defeated Yue Yunzheng in eight moves, but he was neither arrogant nor impatient.
During the dinner, I heard Yue Yunzheng talk about the differences between Yu Province's seventy-two houses, and he was neither humble nor arrogant.
A parting gift, neither close nor distant, just the right amount.
If this boy doesn't die, he will become a great person in the future.
He straightened his robes, walked up to Cen Qianfan, clasped his fists and said goodbye, "Sect Leader Cen, there are many disturbances today. Within three days, double the amount of spiritual materials will be sent to the Xingyi Sect. Cangyue Sect will keep his word, please rest assured Sect Leader Cen."
Cen Qianfan stood up and clasped his fists in return. "Elder Zhou, walk slowly. If you have free time in the future, come to the Xingyi Sect as a guest at any time."
Zhou Yan nodded, and with the Cangyue Sect everyone turned around and headed towards the outside of the palace.
Yue Yunzheng walked at the end. Before leaving the house, he looked back at Chen Jianghe, nodded slightly, and then strode into the night.
Late at night, quiet room.
Chen Jianghe sat cross-legged on the couch, took out the blue jade pendant given by Yue Yunzheng, and looked at it carefully in the palm of his hand.
The candlelight flickered, making the cloud patterns in the jade pendant seem to come alive, and the goshawk on the top of the mountain fluttered its wings and was about to fly.
He closed his eyes and replayed every detail of today's fight with Yue Yunzheng in his mind.
Cangyue Mountain-Subduing Art is composed and thick, and Yue Yunzheng's palm technique has an unshakable meaning like a mountain.
Every palm strike carries a crushing weight, like a whole mountain pressing down.
But just because it is too "heavy", there is little change.
Azure Dragon Claw Probe, Cangyue Pressing Down, Earth's Descent, after three moves, he had figured out the context of this palm technique.
On the eighth move, he found the flaw.
The punch is like a spear stabbing, going straight to the weakest point of the palm.
Yue Yunzheng's Body-Protecting Gang Qi shattered like paper, as evidenced by the two purple fist marks on both arms.
But Yue Yunzheng has no annoyance, no resentment, not even the slightest bit of unwillingness.
The magnanimity of the gift, the sincerity in the toast, and the sympathy when parting.
This person is worth getting to know.
Chen Jianghe opened his eyes and carefully put away the jade pendant.
He remembered what Yue Yunzheng said again.
Upper Three Prefectures's genius, Half-Step True Essence, who was sixteen or seventeen years old, broke through the True Essence Realm in his early twenties.
Middle Twelve Prefectures's disciple, True Essence Realm's base.
And Changxi Prefecture went out, in the eyes of those people, just to make up for the numbers.
He looked down at his hands.
Half-Step True Essence, Minor Achievement of Golden Marrow, the five elements circulate and blend.
This strength is already unrivaled among Changxi Prefecture's peers, but how high would it rank among the geniuses of Yu Province's seventy-two houses?
He doesn't know.
But he knew one thing, he couldn't stop.
Half-Step True Essence is just the beginning, not the end.
If you can make a breakthrough before the selection and step into the True Essence Realm, you will be able to compete.
But the five elements go hand in hand, and the difficulty of breakthrough is ten times that of others.
Gu Changqing has stopped here for life. Xingyi Sect Countless talented people in history have failed at this hurdle.
Can he step over?
Chen Jianghe Take a deep breath and suppress the surging thoughts in your heart.
Yue Yunzheng is right, if you don't go, you will never know how high the sky is.
Go ahead, even if you get slapped with a palm, at least you know how that slap was slapped.
He closed his eyes and his mind sank into his Dantian.
The five-color rays of light rotate like a ring, with gold, green, red, yellow and blue connected end to end. They complement each other and are harmonious and harmonious.
The foundation of Half-Step True Essence has been stabilized.
What we need to do next is to use this period of time to push the five elements cycle further and make final preparations for the breakthrough True Essence Realm.
Early the next morning, Hundred Herb Peak.
When Chen Jianghe arrived at Han Shuitian's residence, there was no one in the courtyard. The green lamp had been extinguished, and the ashes were still warm.
He stood in front of the door and was about to knock when footsteps came from behind him.
Han Shuitian walked from the medicine field with his hands behind his back. His gray linen clothes were stained with dew, and he held a few freshly picked herbs in his hands.
He was not surprised when he saw Chen Jianghe standing at the door, and just said lightly, "Didn't you sleep well last night?"
Chen Jianghe followed him and said truthfully, "Court Master, this disciple is thinking about how to prepare for Yu Province's trip."
Han Shuitian didn't answer, just pushed open the fence door and walked into the hall.
He placed the few herbs on the table, sat cross-legged on the futon, and raised his hand to signal Chen Jianghe to sit down.
"Come, let me tell you something."
He took out a folder from his sleeve and handed it over.
Chen Jianghe took it and unfolded it.
The names, cultivation levels, and sects of people are densely written on the folds. From Upper Three Prefectures to lower-level mansions, there are hundreds of people.
Every line is written neatly, with some new and old ink. It is obvious that this list has been accumulated and revised repeatedly over many years.
"This is the list of the top geniuses of this generation in Yu Province's seventy-two prefectures that the head asked Shadow Guards to collect." Han Shuitian said slowly, with an old voice, "Those who can be on the list are all the top figures in each prefecture. Take a closer look and you will have an idea."
Chen Jianghe turned over the pages, and his eyes became more and more solemn.
The first page, Heaven Sword Sect direct descendant Lin Qingyuan, sixteen-year-old Half-Step True Essence, eighteen-year-old True Essence Realm, twenty-year-old True Essence Realm second level. He once penetrated into the barren mountains with one sword and killed the True Essence Realm monster Red-Scaled Flood Dragon. He escaped with his whole body. His swordsmanship was so powerful that he was known as "the best swordsman among his peers".
The second page, Myriad Forms Pavilion Su Yao, proficient in hundreds of martial arts, Half-Step True Essence at the age of seventeen, True Essence Realm at the age of nineteen, now True Essence Realm is at the peak of the first level and is known as "invincible at the same level". This person is extremely talented and has defeated seven Middle Twelve Prefectures Chief Disciple on his own. There is no single enemy.
On the third page, Yan Wugui, the core disciple of the Mystic Heaven Sect, has practiced Nine Mysterious Heaven Transformations and has reached the fourth transformation. Half-Step True Essence was sixteen years old, and entered True Essence Realm at eighteen, and now True Essence Realm is the second level. This person rarely makes moves, but when he does, his opponent has never lasted ten moves. His combat power is unpredictable, and his strength is unfathomable.
He flipped through page after page, and found that most of Middle Twelve Prefectures's geniuses were from the True Essence Realm.
The cultivation, achievements, and sect evaluations marked after the names gave off a suffocating sense of oppression in every line.
Turning to the last few pages, he saw his name.
"Chen Jianghe, Xingyi Sect Soaring Wood Court Chief Disciple, Half-Step True Essence. Defeat Half-Step True Essence with Grandmastery of Gang Force Lie Fangxu, Half-Step True Essence Defeat Cangyue Sect with the last eight moves Chief Disciple Yue Yunzheng. His marksmanship is superb, he is also good at fists and kicks, and he has a calm mind, which should not be underestimated. In terms of combat effectiveness evaluation, he is in the mid-range."
In just a few lines, more than three years of his efforts were condensed into a plain description.
Chen Jianghe closed the folder and raised his eyes to look at Han Shuitian: "Court Master, where are the disciples ranked?"
Han Shuitian stroked his beard and smiled and said, "In terms of cultivation, you are ranked last among these people. In terms of combat ability, you are in the middle of the pack. But in terms of character, I think you are not inferior to anyone."
He stood up, walked to the window with his hands behind his hands, and looked at the mountains in the distance.
"Jiang He, you have to remember one thing." He turned around, his eyes as bright as lightning, "On the day of selection, the competition is not only about the strength of the fists, but also whether the heart is stable enough."
He walked up to Chen Jianghe, stretched out his hand and slapped him hard on the shoulder, "You rose from the bottom, and every step you took was on the edge of life and death. Blood Hand Gang, Green Wolf Gang, Chang Family, Blazing Sun Sect, Demonic Sect, how many times did you not fight your way out of a desperate situation? This resilience is your biggest trump card."
He picked up the tea cup and took a sip, and his voice slowed down a bit. "So, you only need to do one thing, and that is to survive until the end. The selection is not an arena competition, and it is not that whoever has the strongest fist will win. It is actual combat, a game between life and death."
Chen Jianghe was silent for a long time and nodded slowly. "Disciple understands."
Han Shuitian looked at him. "As long as you understand. Go and prepare, the selection day is not far away. I'm waiting to see how you can make those Upper Three Prefectures geniuses taste defeat at Yu Province."
Chen Jianghe stood up and solemnly clasped his fists. "Disciple, please remember the teachings of Court Master."
Han Shuitian nodded, turned around and walked back to the futon to sit down again.
He picked up the tea cup and took a sip, and his expression returned to normal. "Go ahead. Before the selection, practice well and lay a solid foundation. As for other things, the sect will protect you."
Chen Jianghe clasped his fists and resigned, turned around and walked toward the door.
Walking to the door, Han Shuitian's voice came from behind. "Jianghe."
He paused in his steps and looked back.
Han Shuitian was holding the tea cup and her eyes fell on his face. Those old eyes were filled with deep meaning and expectation.
"Yue Yunzheng is someone you can make friends with. Although Cangyue Sect has a mineral dispute with Changxi Prefecture, he is an open-minded person who knows how to advance and retreat, and knows how to make sense. Such a person may be able to help you in Yu Province in the future."