The sight stunned the many martial artists of the Six Harmonies Martial Hall.
They realized that Hall Master Cheng, who was in the Dantian Sea Realm...
Had actually...
Been knocked down by a single blow and could not get back up!
"How could this happen!"
Shock churned through Hall Master Cheng's heart like an ocean turned upside down.
He had initially thought Lin Bei's strike had merely landed on an old vulnerable spot.
Who could have imagined?
That single strike had disrupted the circulation of qi in his Elixir Sea and even shattered the key meridians he needed for Qi Gathering...
What made him want to cough up blood most was that the force driven into his body had mostly come from his own attack.
Compared with Hall Master Cheng...
The most shocked person present was Zhang Teng!
He had always considered himself exceptionally gifted and skilled at combat. During the earlier fight, he had improved rapidly and gained the upper hand against Hall Master Cheng.
But now, he finally understood just how poor his aptitude really was!
Lin Bei had used only a third of his strength to knock Hall Master Cheng flat with one strike.
What did that mean?
That much strength was all it took to defeat Hall Master Cheng.
Yet he had used a full three times as much strength as Lin Bei and still only gained a slight advantage.
Now, as he looked at Lin Bei...
He felt like a mayfly beholding the blue heavens.
Just then...
The people from the Six Harmonies Martial Hall also realized things had taken a bad turn and hurried over to Hall Master Cheng.
"Hall Master Cheng, how are you?"
Zhao Bao and the other martial artists from the Six Harmonies Martial Hall asked anxiously.
"My... Elixir Sea's qi has scattered. Several key meridians have been ruptured. I can't manage Qi Gathering."
Cheng Lu looked at Lin Bei, a trace of terror in his voice.
"He and I aren't on the same level at all!"
His words sent an uproar through the people from the Six Harmonies Martial Hall.
Originally, everyone had thought Lin Bei was nothing more than a fraud.
Someone using an Immortal Cultivation Method they had never even heard of to deceive ignorant villagers...
But only now did they realize.
This man might not be a fraud, but a true master!
"Hall Master Cheng," Zhao Bao could not help asking.
"His strength seemed far below even Zhang Teng's to me. Was he hiding his strength..."
At the mention of strength, lingering fear gripped Hall Master Cheng.
"He must have hidden his true strength, but in his fight with me, he used only a third of Zhang Teng's strength."
Everyone sucked in a breath of cold air.
That...
Was the most terrifying part!
They had considered it perfectly reasonable that Zhang Teng could fight someone in a higher realm.
After all, Zhang Teng had once been in the Dantian Sea Realm. Although his realm had fallen, he had since mastered indestructible vajra.
They could still accept that a genius with such a foundation could fight Cheng Lu.
But...
What about Lin Bei?
Being completely unknown was one thing. Fighting across realms was another.
What was most outrageous?
One strike!
He had defeated Hall Master Cheng with just one strike, leaving him utterly unable to fight back!
Compared with the shock of the people from the Six Harmonies Martial Hall...
The apprentices at the Martial Arts Grounds, though surprised, also felt it was only natural.
After all, Zhang Teng was already so powerful after just a few days of training. As his master, there was nothing remarkable about Lin Bei defeating these martial artists.
However...
The stronger someone was, the more deeply they could appreciate just how terrifying Lin Bei was.
At that moment...
Zhao Bao came to his senses. Even Hall Master Cheng had been defeated so easily. What were they still doing here?
Asking for trouble?
Never mind Lin Bei, who had made Hall Master Cheng cough up blood with a single strike.
Without Hall Master Cheng, even Zhang Teng could handle them effortlessly.
"What are you standing around for? Hurry up and leave..."
Zhao Bao hoisted Hall Master Cheng onto his back and prepared to flee.
But...
Zhang Teng moved straight into their path.
"Do you think our Martial Arts Grounds is somewhere you can come and go as you please?"
Zhang Teng stood in the doorway. Zhao Bao's face went deathly pale, and he did not dare force his way through.
"We failed in our challenge, and we accept our bad luck. Don't tell me you want to kill us too?"
Hall Master Cheng also spoke weakly.
"Before coming here, we registered our challenge with the Martial Arts Headquarters."
"If you dare kill us, once the Martial Arts Headquarters investigates, these unregistered Martial Arts Grounds of yours will probably be shut down, and the killer will go to prison!"
"The Martial Arts Headquarters?"
Zhang Teng sneered. "Martial artists have their own rules. Since we didn't sign a Life-and-Death Writ, killing you would indeed break those rules. But making failed challengers pay a price is something the Martial Arts Headquarters also recognizes."
At those words, the martial artists from the Six Harmonies Martial Hall inwardly sensed trouble.
Sure enough!
Zhang Teng continued.
"Before coming to challenge us, you showed no martial honor and seriously injured Niu Er. Now you expect to leave without a scratch?"
At those words, the faces of the martial artists from the Six Harmonies Martial Hall all turned deathly pale.
"The only thing you did right was leave Niu Er alive. Otherwise, even if the King of Heaven himself came today, you wouldn't walk out of here alive!"
Zhang Teng loosened his limbs, then looked at Lin Bei.
"Master, please leave these people to me."
Lin Bei nodded calmly and said in an even tone, "Our Martial Arts Grounds has always sought peace with the world. We have no taste for competing or proving ourselves superior. Since they want to follow the rules, we'll follow the rules with them."
Hall Master Cheng and the others felt a surge of joy... Lin Bei's words at least guaranteed their lives would be safe.
But before they could breathe a sigh of relief, Lin Bei changed tack.
"However, we cultivators also believe in keeping our thoughts free of obstruction."
The people from the Six Harmonies Martial Hall were still completely bewildered, unable to understand what Lin Bei meant.
But when Zhang Teng heard those words...
A gleam flashed through his eyes.
He already understood Lin Bei's temperament.
Those words were as good as telling him, Beat them hard, as long as you don't kill them!
After all, Lin Bei had once taught him what it meant to keep one's thoughts free of obstruction.
Simply put, it came down to six words.
Strike hard. Don't show any mercy!
"Master, just leave these people to me. There's no need to dirty your hands."
Zhang Teng brimmed with confidence. "As it happens, watching your fight just now gave me some insights. Please guide me, Master."
Lin Bei nodded lightly.
At that moment...
Zhang Teng turned to look at Zhao Bao and the other seventeen people from the Six Harmonies Martial Hall.
"You can leave if you want. You can take Cheng Lu with you too."
At that, a flicker of fighting spirit flashed through Zhang Teng's eyes.
"Now, I'm setting a rule!"
As he spoke, Zhang Teng took a stick of incense from beside the nearby Incense Altar and planted it directly in the altar.
"Come at me together! Once this stick of incense burns out, anyone still standing can take the others away!"
At those words...
Zhao Bao's face turned livid, and he said through gritted teeth, "Arrogant!"
Of course he knew why Zhang Teng had done this.
Because, according to the rules...
When martial artists challenged a hall, if one side surrendered, they could only be punished to a limited degree. The punishment could not go too far.
But... during a fight...
As long as no one was killed!
Anything went.
With this move, Zhang Teng was undoubtedly telling them.
Not a single one of you will walk out on your feet!
"Brother Bao... what should we do?" asked a martial artist from the Six Harmonies Martial Hall.
"What else can we do?" Zhao Bao said grimly.
"Since Zhang Teng has laid down the challenge, how can we back down?"
With that, he fixed his gaze on Zhang Teng and let out a low roar.
"Attack together!"
Before you continue