The sound of a blade slicing through the air.
Pffft!
A crimson gash appeared on Feng Qinghe's chest. It wasn't deep, but it was far from shallow. Blood began to pour out in torrents.
Feng Qinghe's reflexes were quick enough to leap backward, avoiding what could have been a serious injury.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
The blood droplets fell, crisp and lingering, causing a momentary silence around them.
"I'm not mistaken, right? That's... physical Gang Qi?" someone gasped in shock.
When Feng Qinghe seized the opportunity and closed in on his opponent, everyone believed the outcome was already decided. But to their surprise, the outer palace disciple still had an ace up his sleeve—a physique so powerful that it had even formed Gang Qi, which blocked Feng Qinghe's attack. The counterattack was swift, and Feng Qinghe was injured.
"Wonderful!"
With no absolute stakes in the matter, the spectators naturally wished for more twists and turns in the battle. Otherwise, a predetermined outcome would be far too boring.
"I remember you need to practice at least a mid-tier body-refining technique at the Mystic Tier, reaching a minor success, to develop Gang Qi, right?"
Someone commented.
"Exactly. I never imagined that an outer palace disciple would not only master a mid-tier sword technique at full mastery, but also practice a mid-tier body-refining technique!"
"This is truly unbelievable!"
The crowd was in shock. A person's energy is limited, especially at lower cultivation stages, making it impossible to practice too many martial arts. To reach the Mystic Tier in one area is already an extreme, let alone in two. Such an individual must have extraordinary talent—an exceptionally rare phenomenon.
"Hmph, I told you I would knock your jaws off!" Cheng Qingman crossed her arms smugly.
Jiang Hai and Lin Rufeng did the same, their heads raised with a sense of pride. The three of them were well aware of Luo Mu's situation, as Elder Lin had briefly mentioned it at their headquarters. At that time, Mo Luo hadn't been able to force out all of Luo Mu's abilities. Therefore, they couldn't fully assess his strength. Now, seeing Luo Mu's performance, it was clear that his strength was on par with Feng Qinghe's—perhaps even surpassing it!
"Not bad."
At a nearby tavern, the Ninth Prince couldn't help but clap lightly, even nodding in approval.
An outer palace disciple mastering two mid-tier Mystic arts, with one at full mastery and the other at minor success—this was truly unexpected.
"Master Yuan, this young man is more impressive than your son," the head of the Wang family remarked.
Upon hearing this, Master Yuan opened his mouth but found himself unable to respond. The disparity was so evident that it was impossible to argue against it.
"I didn't expect you to have such a powerful physique!" Feng Qinghe glanced at the wound on his chest, his eyes twitching with a cold glint.
How long had it been since he had suffered an injury like this? If it were someone of a higher cultivation level, it would be understandable. But this person was only at the Fifth Layer of the True Aperture Realm!
"Your reflexes are quick, though." Luo Mu looked at the blood dripping from the tip of his sword. If it had been anyone else, they would have been cleaved in two by now, but Feng Qinghe had narrowly avoided the attack. It was no wonder he was considered a top talent on the Hidden Dragon Ranking. No doubt, he was truly deserving of his title.
"It seems I underestimated you. If our cultivation levels were even, I wouldn't have complete confidence in winning. But for now, I will still be the victor!"
Feng Qinghe tapped his chest a few times, forcing the blood to stop flowing and suppressing the deadly aura spreading inside him. His expression grew serious.
His cultivation was higher after all, and his vitality was sufficient to support a prolonged battle. Once his opponent's energy ran out, that would be his chance.
Although this approach wasn't exactly honorable, he saw no other option at the moment.
"You're quite confident," Luo Mu shook his head slightly. "Fine, the testing's about done. It's time to end this."
It was rare to find a worthy opponent like this. Luo Mu wasn't going to end the fight quickly. He needed to test a few things, like the power of his sword technique and the limits of his Gang Qi.
Ming Sha and Mo Luo were too weak for him to properly test his abilities. Only someone like Feng Qinghe, a true genius, could serve as an ideal test subject.
"Test?"
Feng Qinghe was taken aback.
His expression darkened.
"Does this mean... you're using me as a sharpening stone?"
"This kid is too arrogant! He dares to use Feng Qinghe as a sharpening stone. But at this point, it seems Feng Qinghe still holds the advantage," someone muttered in the crowd.
Although Feng Qinghe was injured, it was simply because of carelessness. He had underestimated Luo Mu's powerful physique. Now, focusing on the fight, his higher cultivation would give him the upper hand.
Even if he couldn't win, a draw would be the most likely outcome.
"Then let me see what other hidden cards you have!" Feng Qinghe was enraged, his body splitting into multiple afterimages as he charged toward Luo Mu.
His speed was so fast that it was nearly impossible to track.
Luo Mu took a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes.
When he opened them again...
Boom!
A domineering, unparalleled aura erupted from his body, enveloping the entire arena!
For a moment, everyone felt as though a mountain was crushing down on their shoulders. Their steps became heavy, and breathing became difficult.
Feng Qinghe froze, as if trapped in a quagmire, his body unable to move. He was rooted to the spot.
"How... is this possible?!"
Feng Qinghe's eyes widened in disbelief, his pupils shrinking as he was filled with astonishment and fear.
As a disciple of a major sect, he immediately recognized the terrifying pressure emanating from Luo Mu.
"Blade Intent!"
"You've actually comprehended Blade Intent!" Feng Qinghe's voice faltered as his face turned pale.
This was a mystical power that every martial artist dreamed of. After years of cultivation, Feng Qinghe had yet to even touch the fringes of it!
But the person before him, Luo Mu, had already comprehended it!
For a moment, Feng Qinghe was stunned, his mind going blank.
Whoosh!
In the tavern, the Ninth Prince rushed to the railing, his amber eyes filled with shock.
Blade Intent!
It was indeed Blade Intent!
If it were a Spirit Sea Realm martial artist, he could somewhat understand, as this level of insight into martial arts came with a higher realm. For a genius, comprehending such a grand force wasn't entirely impossible.
But for someone at the True Aperture Realm, this was exceedingly rare.
Even in top academies, such a thing was practically unheard of.
At first, he thought it was some secret technique passed down by an ancestor, but after careful observation, he saw no trace of a powerful bloodline. It was entirely the work of an "ordinary person."
"I didn't expect to see such a genius from the Seven Prefectures of Chang Le!"
The Ninth Prince's handsome face suddenly broke into a smile of joy, and he gripped the railing tighter.
Blade Intent!
After a brief moment of silence, the crowd erupted into astonished murmurs.
Some gasped in disbelief.
They had just witnessed the legendary Blade Intent!
"Is this kid really from the outer palace? He's more like an inner palace prodigy!" someone muttered in awe.
To most, only inner palace geniuses could comprehend such a force.
"No, wait, maybe he's a prodigy among prodigies!"
After all, the person before them was only at the Fifth Layer of the True Aperture Realm, still far from the Spirit Sea Realm! This completely shattered their understanding of martial arts!
Cheng Qingman and the others were also left stunned, their eyes wide in shock.
Blade Intent?
This was a joke, right? When had Luo Mu comprehended Blade Intent?
Hadn't he just perfected his sword technique six days ago?
Mystic-tier martial arts were profound and wide-ranging. After mastering a technique, intense practice could indeed help one gain insight into martial laws, but this would only offer a small amount of assistance.
The most important factor was the person's own talent.
"Luo Mu... is he even human?" Lin Rufeng swallowed hard, barely able to speak.
Comprehending Blade Intent in just six days—it was truly something out of this world.
"Compared to Luo Mu, maybe we should really be the outer palace disciples," Jiang Hai remarked bitterly.
Inner palace disciples were always proud, but right now, all that pride had vanished without a trace.
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