"True Qi..."
When the spiritual golden serpent appeared in Lin Changkong's hand, the faces of the many knowledgeable experts inside and outside the lake grew grave, and the awe in their gazes as they looked at him deepened.
The second level of the Divine Ability Master stage: the True Qi Realm.
This strand of True Qi was extremely difficult to cultivate. It required painstaking effort to gather Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi, followed by countless rounds of condensation and tempering before it could take shape.
But once it did, its power was beyond imagining.
True Qi was an advanced form of Primordial Qi and the foundation for a future breakthrough to Divine Ability Grandmaster. Once one cultivated True Qi, not only would one's Divine Ability Feather Robe undergo a transformation, but the divine abilities one used would also contain the power of True Qi. Their might was markedly different from divine abilities previously driven by Primordial Qi.
Now that Lin Changkong had cultivated this strand of True Qi, his strength would probably place him among the foremost Divine Ability Masters in all of Qingyuan Market.
Lu Jin gazed at the golden serpent formed from True Qi in Lin Changkong's palm. He fell silent for a moment, then sighed. "The younger generation truly inspires awe."
When Lin Changkong had founded the Golden Gang Sword Hall, he, like Lu Jin, had only been at the Feather Robe Realm, the first level of the Divine Ability Master stage. Back then, Lu Jin had even been a shade stronger than Lin Changkong. But now, while Lu Jin remained trapped in the Feather Robe Realm, Lin Changkong had already stepped ahead, cultivating a strand of True Qi and becoming a True Qi Master.
But nothing could be done about that. Lin Changkong possessed a high-grade divine ability bone and had been a heavenly genius in his youth. Lu Jin, on the other hand, because of the Spirit-Sealing Curse contained in the Lu Clan's bloodline, had possessed only the aptitude of a middle-grade divine ability bone. He had struggled until he was sixty before finally securing Thunderfire Hall as a foundation for the utterly fallen Lu Clan.
Over those decades, he had fought countless battles of life and death. Who knew how many injuries lay hidden within that gaunt, aged body? They had long since damaged his foundation and exhausted his potential, making it difficult for him to take another step forward.
"Hall Master Lu, it's not too late to withdraw now. Once I've taught this grandson of yours, who doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth, a small lesson, I'll naturally spare him." Lin Changkong held the golden serpent in his palm, his tone indifferent.
Hearing this, Lu Jin narrowed his eyes. His aged face gradually turned cold and stern, and his voice grew low. "Who are you to teach my family's child a lesson?"
"You're trading on your age and refusing to back down."
Coldness flashed through Lin Changkong's eyes. He wasted no more words. With a thought, he sent the golden serpent hissing toward the sky. At once, Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi stirred, turning into a torrent of Primordial Qi that came roaring toward it.
The golden serpent opened its jaws and swallowed the entire torrent of Primordial Qi in one gulp.
Roar!
The golden serpent's body swelled in the wind. In just a few breaths, beneath countless stunned gazes, it became a colossal golden python three hundred meters long. Its scales stood on end like countless golden sword blades, incomparably sharp.
Countless people watched, dazzled and enthralled. Was this the might of a Divine Ability Master?
The next moment, the golden sword python formed from a strand of True Qi dove from the horizon. A piercing roar erupted throughout heaven and earth, as though a colossal golden sword capable of destroying heaven and earth had descended from the highest heavens to wipe out every lurking evil.
The sight of such an attack filled many experts' faces with deep apprehension.
This was Lin Changkong's all-out attack unleashed with True Qi. Could Lu Jin, a Feather Robe Master, withstand it?
Beneath countless watching gazes, Lu Jin raised his head. The golden sword python grew rapidly in the reflection of his eyes, but his aged face did not change color. Instead, he looked quite calm.
"True Qi is indeed very powerful, but... I promised my grandson I'd secure a draw. As his grandfather, how could I disappoint him?"
Lu Jin extended an arm as withered as dead wood. Thunder and fire intertwined around it, forming strange, ancient thunderfire runes. The runes seemed to reach deep into his flesh, and with every tremor, they scorched it, bringing searing pain.
Boom!
The Thunderfire Feather Robe on Lu Jin's body seemed to ignite, transforming into endless thunder and fire that poured into his withered arm.
The arm swelled in the wind.
In just a few breaths, it had become a thunderfire arm three hundred meters long, and it smashed head-on into the diving golden sword python.
At the instant the two met, everyone expected a terrifying shockwave of Primordial Qi to erupt. Instead, a fissure opened in the palm of the thunderfire arm. Like a gigantic mouth, it unleashed a powerful suction and swallowed the golden sword python whole.
The dazzling golden sword light filling the sky vanished in an instant.
Countless people stared, dumbstruck, not knowing what had happened.
Even surprise flashed across the faces of Zhou Xuan, Li Yan, and Yan Jing.
The three-hundred-meter thunderfire arm shrank rapidly, returning to normal.
Lu Jin lowered his head and looked at his left arm. It was gaunt, and countless thunderfire patterns were inscribed in the folds of its skin. Now, however, he could see a wisp of sharp golden sword light crashing wildly about deep within its flesh, trying to break free.
Every collision of the golden sword light opened gashes in the flesh of Lu Jin's left arm, but thunder and fire quickly surged from within the flesh and forcibly stitched them shut.
Lu Jin seemed to have turned his left arm into a special kind of prison, trapping Lin Changkong's strand of True Qi inside.
"Lu Jin, what did you do?!"
At that moment, Lin Changkong, who had been dazed, abruptly came to his senses. His face was no longer composed as it had been before, and he shouted the question sharply.
He had discovered that he could not recall his strand of True Qi. He could sense that it was trapped inside Lu Jin's left arm.
The experts present also stared at Lu Jin in astonishment, evidently shocked by his unusual method.
"Nothing much. It's only a special divine ability that uses the body as a prison. After decades of arduous cultivation and experiences of life and death, this old man was bound to have a trump card or two," Lu Jin said with a faint smile.
Lin Changkong's gaze turned icy. "You want to use that to seal my strand of True Qi? I'm afraid those old bones of yours won't hold out. Your left arm won't last long before my True Qi strips away all its flesh."
Lu Jin smiled. "Before that happens, I'll severely damage your strand of True Qi with thunderfire Primordial Qi. Even if you take it back afterward, you'll have to spend years nurturing it again."
Lin Changkong understood, and anger flared in him. "You want to trade that arm for my strand of True Qi?!"
"This old body is of no use to me anyway," Lu Jin said.
Lin Changkong's expression shifted between light and dark, his heart full of shock and anger. He had never expected Lu Jin to outmaneuver him. His strand of True Qi was now sealed inside Lu Jin's left arm, and this old thing intended to trade an arm for it.
That was something Lin Changkong could never accept.
He had poured countless efforts into cultivating that strand of True Qi. Founding the Golden Gang Sword Hall all those years ago had also been for that purpose.
If Lu Jin destroyed or severely damaged it, Lin Changkong's efforts over the years would all come to nothing.
So Lin Changkong took a deep breath. "What do you want?"
The experts from all sides looked somewhat peculiar when they heard this. No one had expected Lin Changkong, who had been so overbearing moments ago, to start giving ground.
Sure enough, old ginger was still spicier.
Many gazes turned toward Lu Jin with a trace of admiration. Forcing a True Qi Master to give ground while at a disadvantage was not something an ordinary person could do.
Lu Jin said indifferently, "I told you, all I want is a draw."
He did not press too hard, lest he drive Lin Changkong to leap over the wall like a desperate dog.
Lin Changkong's expression changed rapidly before finally settling. He looked deeply at Lu Jin and said, "I truly underestimated you, Hall Master Lu. I was careless this time. I'll accept this loss."
"This match shall count as a draw."
Lin Changkong was indeed worthy of being someone who had cultivated a strand of True Qi. Seeing that he had slipped up, he immediately made a decisive choice.
A draw in exchange for his strand of True Qi was no loss.
Hearing this, Lu Jin said nothing more. His fingertip swept across the flesh of his left arm, slicing it open. As the flesh parted, the strand of golden True Qi trapped within shot through the air.
Lin Changkong opened his mouth and swallowed the strand of True Qi. Only then did he fully set his mind at ease.
He looked up at Lu Jin, his gaze dark and sinister. "Hall Master Lu, for the sake of this draw, you even revealed your most closely guarded trump card. A method like that won't be much use next time."
"So was using it here really worth it?"
"Even with this draw, your grandson may not be able to live up to your expectations."
Lu Jin said nothing. He merely lowered his head and looked toward the platform below, where Lu Ming happened to be looking up at him, worry in his eyes.
Enduring the intense pain from his arm, Lu Jin gave Lu Ming a gratified, encouraging smile.
Don't underestimate my Lu Clan's Divine Ability Child.
The old man murmured softly to himself in his heart.