Words That Shocked Everyone

Zhang Teng shifted his footing and sidestepped the incoming sword.

The next instant, he unleashed Tai Chi Inch Force with his palm, striking Mu Qingyue squarely on the wrist.

The sword in Mu Qingyue's hand flew from her grasp.

"What?" Disbelief flooded Mu Qingyue's face the moment she lost her sword.

To her, Zhang Teng's dodge had been dangerously close. Unable to keep up with her speed, he had even anticipated her attack and begun evading in advance.

That meant her strength still utterly surpassed Zhang Teng's, even with her martial intent scattered.

But...

Not only had Zhang Teng's dodge and counter flowed like clouds and running water, more terrifyingly, she had been unable to evade him!

Her attack had clearly been flawless, yet he had forced an opening to appear in the midst of combat, seized it, and knocked the sword straight out of her hand?

For a martial artist whose martial intent took the form of a sword, losing her sword was deeply humiliating!

Still, Mu Qingyue was indeed an expert from the Central Hall. The instant she lost her sword, she turned with the momentum, made her palm a sword, and seized the initiative again.

Yet within three moves of her regaining the initiative, the Adhering Strike of Zhang Teng's Tai Chi Palm Technique showed its tremendous power. Not only could he intercept her attacks, but he repeatedly countered while doing so, striking from fiendishly tricky angles.

Had her strength been any less impressive, she would already have lost.

How is this possible? I'm clearly stronger, yet if we keep exchanging blows at close quarters, I'm no match for him!

Mu Qingyue was shaken to her core!

After all, she was an expert at the manifestation of martial intent realm, stronger than Zhang Teng.

Yet after exchanging blows, she was gradually falling behind?

"Senior Brother Zhang's strength has improved so much!" Tieniu could not help exclaiming.

"How much?" Xiao Liuzi asked curiously.

"When Senior Brother Zhang fought Zhang Yong before, he was completely suppressed, without any chance to fight back. Only by relying on his incredible talent for combat, advancing one careful step at a time, and seizing openings could he gradually turn defeat into victory."

"His foundations still fall short of Mu Qingyue's now, but haven't you noticed? Senior Brother Zhang is fighting her head-on, with both of them attacking and defending."

Understanding dawned on Xiao Liuzi.

"And I can tell that Mu Qingyue is much stronger than Zhang Yong," Tieniu said with a smile.

"He's only at the sixth tempering! If he reaches the seventh tempering, wouldn't that mean..." Xiao Liuzi grew excited.

"At the seventh tempering, his physical strength might be able to keep up with Mu Qingyue's."

As Tieniu marveled, he added, "The turning point of this spar is coming!"

Sure enough!

After several more exchanges, Zhang Teng abruptly changed his fighting style. Seizing an opening, he turned his palm strike into a finger strike and hit Mu Qingyue's shoulder.

Acupoint Sealing!

In an instant, Mu Qingyue felt both her true qi and martial intent begin to circulate sluggishly!

What... kind of move is this?

Mu Qingyue's pupils tightened slightly, horror rising within her!

She had originally believed that once she adapted to Zhang Teng's fighting style, she could defeat him with her superior strength.

But now...

She suddenly realized she might lose!

I'm going to lose?

Unbelievable as it was, once that thought arose, she could no longer suppress it.

"Hm?" Zhang Teng was slightly surprised.

Throughout their exchanges, Mu Qingyue's unarmed skills had astonished him as well. It had been difficult to find an opening.

But just now, he had distinctly noticed her aura fall into disarray, while glaring openings appeared in her punches and kicks!

Her will to fight wavered? Because of Acupoint Sealing?

A keen glint flashed through Zhang Teng's eyes as he instantly understood the reason for Mu Qingyue's change.

He immediately seized that fleeting opportunity and pushed his Tai Chi Eight Trigrams Palm to its limit.

In the span of a single breath, he sealed at least twelve of Mu Qingyue's aperture points, completely disrupting the rhythm of her true qi and martial intent circulation.

This is bad! Mu Qingyue was horrified...

Her mind raced, but she had no idea how to break free of this predicament.

At that very moment...

Lin Bei suddenly spoke.

"That's enough. This is a spar. Stop short of hurting each other."

At those words, Zhang Teng, who had been about to press his advantage, halted his advance and cupped his hands toward Mu Qingyue.

"Fellow Martial Artist Mu, thank you for the match."

Mu Qingyue was still somewhat dazed.

Although she did not appear to have lost on the surface, in truth, she knew better than anyone.

She had lost! Completely and utterly.

"Thank you!"

Mu Qingyue returned his salute, then cupped her hands toward Lin Bei in gratitude as well.

She understood that Lin Bei had preserved her dignity. Otherwise, with her aura in disarray and her true qi circulating poorly...

She would have suffered a miserable defeat, perhaps without a shred of composure.

"Who won?" Xiao Liuzi asked curiously.

Tieniu flicked his forehead and said with a smile, "What winning or losing? This was a spar. They stopped short of hurting each other."

In truth, he knew the outcome had already been decided. They were merely preserving some dignity for Mu Qingyue of the Central Hall.

"Mu Qingyue really is impressive, though. Her unarmed skills are much better than Zhang Yong's." Xiao Liuzi was a sly little thing.

"All right, shut your mouth!" As Tieniu spoke, he stuffed a pear from the fruit platter into Xiao Liuzi's mouth.

"Master! Tieniu's picking on me!" Xiao Liuzi immediately complained.

"Tieniu!" Lin Bei rebuked him at once. Tieniu hastily ducked his head, then shot Xiao Liuzi a fierce glare.

Xiao Liuzi, meanwhile, looked thoroughly pleased with himself.

At that moment...

After catching the sword Zhang Teng tossed back to her, Mu Qingyue instinctively sheathed it.

She was somewhat dazed.

It was not merely her defeat that astonished her. How long had it even been since she left the Martial Arts Grounds?

Zhang Teng's growth was simply defying the heavens!

Moreover, Zhang Teng had previously been a cripple with a destroyed Dantian.

How many days had passed? Not only had Zhang Teng's Dantian recovered, but his strength had undergone an earth-shattering transformation...

Only one thought remained in her mind.

This new Immortal Cultivator path might... be absurdly powerful.

Seeing Mu Qingyue sit down in a daze, Lin Bei said, "Miss Mu, what do you think? Do you still believe Zhang Teng is overestimating himself by challenging the Zhang Clan?"

"Well..."

Mu Qingyue had wanted to say that Zhang Teng's strength was still far below that of the Zhang Clan's Zhang Conglong, but she soon found herself unable to continue.

Because she understood that Zhang Teng was still growing!

When the day of the Ten-Day Pact arrived, would Zhang Teng truly be no match for Zhang Conglong?

She could no longer be certain.

"Master Lin, which tempering has Zhang Teng reached?"

Watching Zhang Teng resume practicing his fist techniques after the spar, Mu Qingyue could not help asking.

"The sixth tempering."

Lin Bei concealed nothing.

"The seventh tempering is a little harder. Even Zhang Teng will probably need quite some time."

Mu Qingyue thought for a moment, then asked, "Can he reach the seventh tempering before the Ten-Day Pact?"

"Of course!"

Mu Qingyue understood.

"Now I finally understand what gives Zhang Teng the confidence to challenge the Zhang Clan."

He could defeat her at the sixth tempering. How strong would Zhang Teng be after reaching the seventh?

After hesitating repeatedly, Mu Qingyue suddenly mustered her courage and asked loudly.

"Master Lin... can I cultivate the Immortal Cultivator path?"

At those words, many of the Martial Arts Grounds' disciples nearby looked stunned.

Her words shocked everyone present!