Chapter 254: Slowly Taking Form, Getting Stronger (II)

The corner of Lin Zheyu's mouth twitched as he forced a weak smile. He was enduring the crushing saber intent at every moment. His mind faced constant pressure. The Tortoise Breath Grand Method required mental control to operate, so whether hiding his aura or altering his appearance, both consumed his spirit.

A moment earlier, the saber intent's intensity had suddenly surged, causing him to momentarily lose control. His priority was always maintaining his disguised appearance first, then concealing his aura. Thus, he had accidentally leaked the aura of someone who had undergone seven transformations of blood qi.

If he wanted to continue climbing, with his mental toughness and strong will, he still had strength to spare. He might even have a small chance to reach the summit. But that required abandoning the Tortoise Breath Grand Method entirely and using all his focus to resist the saber intent. If he did that, both his true cultivation and real appearance would be exposed.

"There is no need for modesty, Brother Zhao," said Li Mengxi, shaking his head with a smile.

But he did not mention the blood qi fluctuation he sensed earlier, nor reveal his suspicion that Zhao Hao was a seven transformation genius. Since Zhao Hao wished to conceal it, he saw no reason to expose it. Instead, his interest in Zhao Hao deepened, and the thought of recruiting him surfaced once again.

"

Heh

, why are you not continuing to climb?"

An ill-timed voice sounded abruptly. Tang Weizhong had caught up, panting heavily. His condition was terrible, and his face was pale. Enduring the saber intent at this height was clearly pushing him toward his limits.

A disdainful expression appeared on his face, yet inwardly, he was shocked. Zhao Hao appeared to be in better condition than he was. He was only frowning and breathing heavily, without the pallor he himself displayed.

This man's mental will is actually this strong?

Tang Weizhong was secretly stunned.

"What does that have to do with you?" Lin Zheyu shot him a sideways glance and said coldly.

Tang Weizhong's expression froze, and rage twisted his features. Just as he prepared to act, a powerful aura surged from not far away, dousing his fury like a bucket of cold water. Looking over, he saw Li Guoyao watching him with a half smile. If he acted rashly here, the consequences would be disastrous.

"

Hmph

, old fool. I advise you not to cause trouble." Li Mengxi shot Tang Weizhong a sideways glare and warned him.

"Young Master Li must be joking. I naturally understand the consequences of making a move here. I merely intend to practice my techniques and comprehend the saber intent. That has nothing to do with your Li Family, does it?" Tang Weizhong said coolly.

With Li Guoyao present, he could not strike. But practicing right beside Zhao Hao to disrupt his comprehension was something even the Li Family could not criticize.

"

Hmph!

" Li Mengxi snorted and shot him another glare.

"Brother Zhao, take this pill. Once your essence, qi, and spirit recover a little, climb a bit higher. This old fool is nearly at his limit. As long as we climb a few hundred meters more, he won't be able to follow. He's nothing but an aging piece of trash. In a few years, I'll crush him with one hand," Li Mengxi said coldly.

His voice was loud and deliberate, clearly meant for Tang Weizhong to hear. Tang's expression contorted with fury as he glared viciously at the two.

"No need. This height is enough." Lin Zheyu shook his head. He had no intention of climbing further.

Reaching this point had not consumed much of his essence, qi, or spirit. Even if he used pills, the effect would be limited. Climbing further required dividing more focus to resist the saber intent, which meant he would no longer be able to maintain the Tortoise Breath Grand Method. The saber intent here was already sufficient for comprehension.

"Then... all right." Seeing this, Li Mengxi did not insist further.

"Young Master Li, no need to worry about me. This old fool poses no danger to me. I happen to be lacking a sparring partner. If he wants to disrupt me, he'll be perfect for practice." Lin Zheyu cast Tang Weizhong a provocative glance and spoke lightly.

He did not take Tang Weizhong seriously at all. Tang was in terrible condition, and his mental will was far inferior to Lin Zheyu's. In this state, Tang could not bring out even a fraction of his real strength.

Lin Zheyu was practicing the Barbaric Ox Fist to comprehend fist momentum. The momentum resonated with the Dominance true intent within the saber intent, allowing him to grasp his own Dominance true intent. When he practiced earlier, he felt something was missing. Now he realized it was the lack of an opponent. If Tang Weizhong wanted to interfere, Lin Zheyu welcomed it.

"All right, then be careful. If anything goes wrong, run straight to my fourth uncle," Li Mengxi pointed toward Li Guoyao and said solemnly.

"Got it." Lin Zheyu nodded. Then he smiled faintly, glanced at Tang Weizhong, and resumed practicing his fist technique.

Is this brat bluffing?

Tang Weizhong stared at Lin Zheyu's training stance, uncertain.

His condition was indeed poor, and this height was nearly his limit. Yet Zhao Hao still appeared fine. If they actually fought, he might be the one to suffer. But watching the boy peacefully comprehend saber intent made Tang Weizhong feel unbearably frustrated.

How dare he?

Tang Weizhong's eyes suddenly narrowed.

Just as he hesitated, Lin Zheyu moved first. Immersed in the Barbaric Ox Fist, fully absorbed, his movements grew broader, and he quickly approached Tang Weizhong.

"

Hmph

, as if I'd fear you!" Tang Weizhong clenched his teeth and formed an eagle claw. He could not back down. Retreating in front of so many martial artists would destroy his reputation.

Tang Weizhong stomped forward, attacking first before Lin Zheyu struck. His hands, trained like steel talons through decades of tempering and medicinal soaks, clawed toward Lin Zheyu's arm.

If this claw landed, it could tear the arm off even a Marrow Refining realm martial artist. Yet Lin Zheyu showed no fear. He shifted slightly and sent a Barbaric Ox Fist crashing forward. Fist and claw collided with a dull thud. Lin Zheyu was forced back several steps by the tremendous force, and several bloody scratches appeared across his knuckles.

With this strike, he did not use the blood qi burst technique. He fought Tang Weizhong purely with his normal strength. In such a state, the disparity between them was enormous. Yet Lin Zheyu chose to do it anyway. He wanted to understand, at the deepest level, how to maintain an invincible conviction in the face of someone overwhelmingly stronger, and how to embody the belief of breaking all techniques with a single force, of throwing a punch none could withstand.

Why is he this weak?

A look of surprise crossed Tang Weizhong's face.

He had fought Lin Zheyu before and knew what his strength used to be. Back then, Zhao Hao's strength had been nothing like now.

So he really was bluffing. The saber intent here is terrifying. Even I can barely endure it, so he clearly can't bring out even a fraction of his strength. Heh, daring to bluff in front of me. Since you struck first, if I beat you half to death, even that old fossil, Li Guoyao, can't say anything.

Tang Weizhong's thoughts spun quickly, and a cruel smile crept onto his face.

He stepped forward again, launching a fresh assault, each strike more vicious than the last. As Lin Zheyu endured the crushing saber intent and searched for its Dominance true intent, he also used the Barbaric Ox Fist to withstand an opponent far beyond his level. He tried to grasp, from within the saber intent's overwhelming Dominance, the answer that had eluded his understanding.

Bang, bang, bang!

The two figures clashed repeatedly. Lin Zheyu relied on his exquisite lightness techniques to maneuver and counter with the Barbaric Ox Fist. But without the blood qi burst technique, the gap between him and Tang Weizhong was enormous.

Lin Zheyu was knocked away again and again by Tang's immense strength. Dozens of bloody claw marks tore across his body. Fortunately, his physique was unbelievably tough; otherwise, he would already be gravely wounded.

Bang, bang, bang!

The dull impacts echoed repeatedly, drawing the attention of the surrounding resting martial artists. They watched the two combatants with curiosity. Under their gazes, Tang Weizhong's expression grew darker.

What kind of hard-body technique has he trained? His defense is monstrous! Even Marrow Refining realm beasts rarely have such terrifying toughness,

thought Tang Weizhong as he grit his teeth.

Though he had the absolute advantage, the boy was like a stone from a latrine pit; disgusting yet impossibly hard. No matter how he struck, he could not truly injure him. After all this time, he had only left superficial wounds.

"I don't believe this!" Tang Weizhong snarled and began using more ferocious martial techniques.

Boom, boom, boom!

Lin Zheyu attacked again and again, only to be blasted away each time, in a state of complete disarray. Yet his eyes grew brighter. The Dominance momentum compressed within him withstood the combined assault of Tang Weizhong's attacks and the saber intent's pressure. Ignoring his wounds, he immersed himself entirely in the saber intent, in its extreme Dominance, grasped at the profound truth contained within.

He felt as though he understood something, yet also not quite. A thin layer of obstruction, like a sheet of paper, blocked his advancement. If he could pierce through it, his fist momentum would undergo a tremendous transformation.

Rumble...

Within his body, his surging blood qi roared with thunderous resonance. Stirred by the immense power of his blood qi, the momentum compressed by the saber intent began to boil. Within that boiling force, an indescribable trace of intent slowly took shape.