The significant changes required Yao Qianhe to make a decision, but the details still needed to be discussed in a meeting. Selling off real estate and consolidating funds had to be done discreetly to avoid alerting the enemy. These tasks were immense.
This was also an opportunity for Yao Zixuan to gain power.
Chen Jiuyang left the Yao family, preparing to head to Hu Qijie's house. However, halfway there, a man with white hair, a face that looked to be in his early fifties, and wearing a martial robe blocked his path.
Upon seeing Chen Jiuyang, the other man simply cupped his hands in a salute, left hand over right, with his thumb pointing upwards.
Chen Jiuyang looked confused. Deng Zun, who was driving, took a deep breath and said, "Young Master Chen, he wants to have a duel with you!"
Chen Jiuyang frowned slightly. "Who are you?"
"My name is Li. I've been entrusted by the Gong family to spar with fellow Daoist Chen today. We will decide victory and defeat, and even life and death!" the middle-aged man in the martial robe said calmly. As his voice fell, powerful true qi erupted from him.
Chen Jiuyang's brow furrowed, and his expression immediately turned grim. "You have opened twelve major acupoints and stepped into the Half-step Earth Realm, yet you dare to attack me. What did the Gong family promise you?"
"I have been stuck at the Half-step Earth Realm for ten years, only seeking 'intent' to help me break through to the Earth Realm."
Martial artists of the Yellow Realm cultivate essence, those of the Profound Realm cultivate qi, and those of the Earth Realm cultivate spirit.
When intention is clear, it becomes spirit!
To control qi and shape it is intent, to freely manipulate one's true qi and enter the realm of intention.
Deng Zun trembled slightly. He had only just entered the late stage of the Yellow Realm, still a considerable distance from the Profound Realm. A top master could crush him with a single finger.
Chen Jiuyang said solemnly, "You seek intent, but in my eyes, you seek death. Very well, I shall grant you passage today."
It seemed that the various factions had reached a consensus; no one interfered with the clashes below the Earth Realm.
Master Li's true qi surged, his killing intent flaring. He did not launch a true qi attack from a distance but intended to engage Chen Jiuyang in a cautious close-quarters combat.
"Bang—"
In the space of a single breath, Master Li had reached Chen Jiuyang. The wind howled as his fist shot straight towards Chen Jiuyang's chest.
"Rumble!"
True qi churned, and the air exploded.
Master Li had opened twelve major acupoints, his body overflowing with true qi, his strength terrifying. With a single punch, he shattered Chen Jiuyang's protective true qi shield.
Chen Jiuyang staggered back a few steps, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, his eyes dark.
Due to the cold qi within his body, he dared not unleash his full power recklessly, especially with such a vast disparity in strength. Chen Jiuyang had only opened four acupoints.
He possessed the inheritance of an Immortal Doctor, and some of his techniques and methods could compensate for the gap in raw strength.
"Bang! Bang!"
Chen Jiuyang flicked out two silver needles. They exploded on Master Li's body, barely managing to break through his true qi shield, but he could repair it within a single breath.
Having opened twelve major acupoints, he had almost no obvious weak points. His opponent was well-prepared and in peak condition.
Master Li's expression was one of surprise. "As expected of the disciple of Marquis Feng Han. This move can shatter my true qi shield. The title of genius master is well-deserved!"
The next moment, Master Li lunged at Chen Jiuyang. They engaged in close-quarters combat, both seeking to find the other's weak points to deliver a fatal blow. The more Master Li fought Chen Jiuyang, the more astonished he became. He had opened twelve major acupoints and still had no obvious weak points, yet this Chen Jiuyang, who had only recently entered the Profound Realm, possessed such abundant true qi and almost no weak points.
Furthermore, Chen Jiuyang's close-quarters combat skills were almost flawless. While he could suppress Chen Jiuyang with the true qi from his eight extra acupoints, he couldn't inflict any damage on Chen Jiuyang.
"This person will surely become an Earth Realm master. Perhaps the first Heavenly Realm master in Feng Province will be this young man before me!"
Master Li marveled at Chen Jiuyang's talent, while also sighing inwardly. It was a pity that such a genius as Chen Jiuyang had to perish at his hands today.
Master Li's expression turned serious as he uttered in a deep voice, "Ling Yang Fist!"
He concentrated all the true qi within his body into his right fist. The technique was fierce and ferocious, intending to use this move to kill Chen Jiuyang.
Chen Jiuyang's right eyelid twitched violently. This move was immensely powerful and posed a life-threatening danger to him. He sighed lightly. "It seems I have to reveal a trump card."
The three killing moves of the Profound Realm: the first is Cun Mang, the second is Chao Mang, and the third is Shun Mang!
Shun Mie martial arts were techniques that broke the limits of each realm. To execute this move, one needed at least the cultivation of the late Profound Realm.
Chen Jiuyang took a deep breath, pulled out dozens of silver needles, and inserted them into his body. He then swallowed nine Pure Yang Qi Replenishing Pills. "Shun Mang!"
His body trembled violently. He brought two fingers together like a sword and unleashed a strike at Master Li from a distance.
All of Chen Jiuyang's true qi was compressed and condensed.
It was qi, and it carried a trace of fiery red light, instantly piercing through Master Li's true qi shield, piercing through his palm, and piercing through his chest.
"How is this possible..." Master Li's chest did not bleed. His chest seemed to have been scorched, directly severing his life force. His last thought before dying was: "How can the Profound Realm unleash the 'intent' that only the Earth Realm possesses..."
Could he be an Earth Realm master?
"Thud—"
Master Li's corpse fell to the ground.
Deng Zun was dumbfounded.
"Cough—"
Chen Jiuyang coughed up blood from the corner of his mouth, his body trembling violently. He felt as if his body was falling apart, every part of him aching, as if he had been hollowed out.
Deng Zun quickly stepped forward to support Chen Jiuyang. "Young Master Chen, are you alright?"
Chen Jiuyang said with difficulty, "Take me back to Qingzhu Village, send me into Qingzhu Mountain, and then tell Lin Yuexian to come see me."
"The silver needles on me can only suppress my injuries for a maximum of three hours."
Afterward, Chen Jiuyang dared not speak further. He quickly closed his eyes, his features contorted, veins bulging on his forehead, his complexion pale.
Deng Zun was somewhat frightened. Part of Chen Jiuyang's body was burning hot, as if scorched, while another part was ice-cold, devoid of any warmth.
He quickly drove Chen Jiuyang back to Qingzhu Village, and as per Chen Jiuyang's instructions, used his phone to call Lin Yuexian.
Chen Jiuyang's skin was bleeding. By the time they reached Qingzhu Village, his entire body was covered in blood, and his breath was weak.
Deng Zun sent him into Qingzhu Mountain. Not long after, Lin Yuexian also arrived by car and hurried into Qingzhu Mountain.
Fortunately, Chen Jiuyang had some medicinal ingredients left over from before; otherwise, the consequences would have been truly unimaginable.
Sitting inside the medicinal cauldron, Chen Jiuyang asked Lin Yuexian to start a fire to boil the medicinal bath and to undress so they could cultivate together, exchanging yin and yang.
The most fortunate thing was that Lin Yuexian possessed some of Chen Jiuyang's pure yang true qi, which could be transferred back into him.
As that portion of true qi from Lin Yuexian was transferred back into Chen Jiuyang, the silver needles on him fell off one by one. The cold qi within his body erupted, causing his vision to blacken, and he fainted.
Lin Yuexian, blushing, hugged Chen Jiuyang's neck and sat on him.