An Unprecedentedly Powerful Expert

"Th-this was way too big a change, wasn't it?! A girl really did change eighteen times as she grew up... uh, was it seventy-two times?!" He could hardly believe that Senior Shi, as burly as a bear before him, was the same person as the little girl in his memory, who had looked as if she had been carved from pink jade!

"No wonder she looked at me a little strangely... no wonder she went out of her way to ask me to dance..." A wave of belated fear swept through Dongfang Ming. She couldn't still remember that old grudge and be looking for a chance to take revenge on me, could she?!

Just as Dongfang Yueming was feeling uneasy and letting his thoughts run wild,

an aged but robust voice sounded behind him:

"Young man, wait."

Dongfang Yueming's heart tightened! He instantly gathered his thoughts and turned around warily!

An old man in a simple Tang suit had appeared behind him at some unknown moment and was examining him with interest. His hair and beard were white, and he looked hale and hearty. His aura was restrained, and he seemed ordinary, but his cloudy eyes appeared to hold a sea of stars, unfathomably deep!

"What can I do for you, sir?" Dongfang Yueming asked politely, keeping his guard up.

The old man chuckled and stroked his beard. "Back inside, I heard that Li family youngster's 'lofty views,' and they made me rather curious. Young friend, what do you make of the question of whether a powerful expert needs to rely on weapons?"

"The Li family youngster?" Dongfang Yueming was baffled. "You mean...?" He searched his memory before recalling the handsome young man who had been with Shi Yu.

"Heh, it seems you didn't take him to heart." The old man stroked his beard and smiled, a flicker of approval in his eyes. "Good, good."

He explained, "The young man who talked so grandly and thought a powerful expert had no need of weapons."

Hearing this, Dongfang Yueming said without hesitation, "Forgive me for speaking bluntly, but that idea is utterly foolish."

"Oh?" The old man's interest deepened. "I'd like to hear more."

Dongfang Yueming spoke freely. "Why give up an advantage that's within easy reach? Human fists and nails are naturally inferior to the sharp claws and fangs of fierce beasts. That's a disadvantage in our physical makeup. Weapons are tools that make up for that disadvantage, allowing us to use our strength more effectively and with greater killing power!"

"To leave sharp blades unused and insist on meeting attacks head-on with flesh and blood? That's not strength; it's foolish arrogance! Unless one has cultivated the body to some extraordinary realm where blades and weapons hold no fear, making good use of weapons is the wisest choice for a martial artist!"

A sharp light flashed in the old man's eyes as he listened to Dongfang Yueming's blunt, incisive words!

He clapped his hands and laughed. "Hahaha! Well said! Very well said!"

"Human fists were never suited for attacking! I've studied the martial path all my life and have always believed this! Unfortunately, many young people today have been dazzled by those flashy fist and palm techniques and forgotten the importance of weapons!"

The old man looked at Dongfang Yueming with admiration and approval:

"I never expected to meet a young man today whose thoughts matched mine so perfectly! Interesting! Truly interesting!"

Just as the old man clapped his hands and laughed!

A sudden change occurred!

A brilliant light flared in the eyes of the seemingly harmless old man!

Without any warning, his withered hand darted out like a ghost, fast as lightning, grabbing straight for Dongfang Yueming's shoulder!

Its speed and tricky angle were completely beyond Dongfang Yueming's expectations!

"!!!"

Dongfang Yueming's pupils contracted sharply! Every hair on his body stood on end!

An intense sense of danger shot through his body like an electric current!

He had no time to think and reacted almost instinctively!

"Gale Movement Technique"-perfection!

His body drifted backward in an instant, like willow fluff caught in the wind! At the same time, the long saber at his waist rang out as it slid half an inch from its sheath! A fierce saber intent gathered, ready to strike!

Yet the old man's hand clung to him like a maggot to bone. No matter how Dongfang Yueming dodged, it remained firmly locked on his shoulder. That seemingly slow grab contained a profound intent that sealed off space, leaving him nowhere to evade!

"Hm?" The old man gave a soft exclamation, the surprise in his eyes growing!

His grab had looked casual, but it contained grappling techniques he had immersed himself in for many years, as well as his understanding of space. An ordinary Body Tempering Realm martial artist wouldn't have been able to react at all!

But this young man... had reacted the instant he struck, and his movement technique was so graceful and swift?!

Even more surprising was that, at the moment of contact, he sensed an extremely condensed, weighty, and terrifying force of qi and blood within Dongfang Yueming, as if it held an ancient behemoth! This was definitely not something one could possess in the Skin Tempering Realm!

"Interesting! Truly interesting!" The old man's interest deepened, and the force in his hand abruptly increased!

At the same time, he laughed aloud. "Kid! Stop holding back! Show me what you can really do! Let me see what you're made of!"

Dongfang Yueming's expression instantly turned grave!

He knew he had encountered an unprecedentedly powerful enemy! This old man was definitely an unfathomable expert!

I can't hold back! I have to give it everything!

"Forgive the offense!" Dongfang Yueming shouted!

The next moment, he stopped dodging!

He drove his perfected "Gale Movement Technique" to its limit! His figure moved like a ghost, leaving an afterimage where he stood!

At the same time!

His perfected "Basic Thirteen Fast Saber Forms" erupted!

Clang-!!!

The long saber came fully out of its sheath!

In an instant, saber light poured forth like a raging storm! Fast! Fierce! Unpredictable! Every slash contained speed and killing intent pushed to their limits! Combined with his ghostlike movement technique, they swept toward the old man!

He had brought out the greatest strength he currently possessed!

Yet faced with Dongfang Yueming's violent assault, powerful enough to kill someone in the Flesh Refining Realm in an instant, the old man remained completely composed!

He didn't even take half a step back!

He merely gave a gentle sweep of his sleeve! The motion seemed slow and soft, yet appeared to contain some mysterious, profound principle!

Clang, clang, clang!

A rapid series of crisp metallic clashes rang out!

Dongfang Yueming's continuous flashes of saber light, fast as lightning, were all effortlessly blocked by the old man's seemingly casual sweep! They hadn't even touched the hem of his robe!

As the old man dealt with the attack with ease, he clicked his tongue in amazement, the surprise in his eyes growing!

"Impressive, kid! What a fast saber! What an uncanny movement technique!"

A storm of astonishment rose in his heart!

This strength... it's definitely at the level of the Flesh Refining Realm's Dragon Elephant's Force! It might even... be on the verge of touching the threshold of the Heaven-Splitting Body?!

And this skin... smooth as jade and extraordinarily tough! This... this is clearly the legendary Jade Skin of the Skin Tempering Realm!!