Sun Qing knew the state of the prodigies in Shuiyang Prefecture—or rather, throughout the entire Linshan Provincial Capital.
The outstanding ones, such as the children of top aristocratic families in the prefectural city and first-rate aristocratic families in the provincial capital, could reach the mid-stage of the Pulse-Opening Realm through piled-up resources and the guidance and cultivation of famous teachers.
The very best, disciples of the most elite powers in the provincial capital, could open six or seven of the twelve regular meridians. The gap was not especially great.
But for civilian families, this was already exceedingly difficult.
The greater disparities lay in one's understanding of martial techniques, wholly dependent on individual talent, as well as differences in the quality of those techniques.
But overall, they were all within the range Li Chengfeng and Zhao Lie could handle.
The gap between them and martial artists of their age throughout the Linshan Provincial Capital had been stretched far too wide!
Even if the quality of their martial techniques and their mastery of them fell short of those family disciples who had cultivated profound techniques since childhood, before the profound gap in their realms, that small disparity would be crushed by overwhelming force like withered branches and rotten wood.
That was why Sun Qing had acted decisively at this moment. He wanted to hitch a ride on this favorable wind and achieve his own goals.
The prefectural city's prodigies would crush the entire province; two men from one prefecture, none able to stop them. With such a reputation, coupled with the novelty of the Heavenly Prodigy Ranking and the added momentum from a half-step Innate Realm expert like himself—
Once the two men's fame spread and became tied to Shuiyang Prefecture, it would be as certain as a nail driven into a