Chapter 672: Outsmarting the Simpleton

Wang Sheng knew the burly man quite well. After all, the man was one of the most troublesome Heavenly Immortals he had encountered in the grand array; he was a rare physique cultivator who was already near the Golden Immortal Realm.

His combat strength was terrifying in a way that was completely different from that of Primordial Spirit cultivators.

Back then, Wang Sheng had used both the Heavenly Ziwei Sword Art and the Sword-Controlling Art to cover him in wounds, yet he failed to completely break through his defenses. At best, he inflicted superficial injuries that didn't even reach his divine soul.

Just how sturdy is this man? He sustained six hundred seventy-nine of my full-powered sword strikes, yet he still came out lively and energetic. Even my Pure Yang True Fire just scorched him red all over. He also has those terrifying regenerative abilities of his.

Wang Sheng had not used the Green Lotus Ultimate at the time. He had calculated that even if he unleashed it at full power, he would only manage to punch a hole through the man's Dao Body; he would not be able to lock onto his divine soul. His efforts would have only been wasted.

Physical cultivation had always been difficult. Very few sects in the endless space passed down such techniques. Moreover, the cultivation systems of physical cultivators were chaotic and inconsistent—far less structured than the Primordial Spirit path.

Wang Sheng felt a jolt in his heart when the man called out to him. Showing no sign of panic, he simply turned around and looked at him calmly.

Inside the grand array, they had been mortal enemies. After all, Wang Sheng had been protecting Mu Wanxuan's fated opportunity, while the man had been trying to seize it. Their positions were irreconcilably opposed.

Here and now, however, Wang Sheng's only concern was being recognized, which would likely lead to the experts on Qiling tearing him apart. Everything else was secondary.

He watched as the burly man strode toward him. In just a few steps, the man reached the front of Lingdan Pavilion.

Wang Sheng asked calmly, "How can I help you, Daoist Friend?"

A restless and violent aura rolled off the burly cultivator, drawing countless immortal perceptions and gazes toward him. Naturally, Wang Sheng became the center of attention as well.

The man had bulging muscles, donned a purple-scaled upper armor, and had a short skirt stitched from an unknown hide around his waist. At the end of his thick, hairy legs were a pair of simple straw sandals.

Neither piece of equipment should be underestimated. Wang Sheng knew all too well that the huge cultivator's scale armor and the short skirt possessed formidable defensive power. They were unmistakably defensive spiritual treasures.

The burly man, standing at three and a half meters, frowned as he glared at Wang Sheng. He then bent forward and took two deep sniffs. His nostrils were larger than an ordinary person's eyes.

𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

He muttered. "Strange. You smell kinda familiar. Who are you, Kid? You use a sword, too?"

He sniffed him twice again, with the last one even longer and deeper.

"The more I smell you, the more familiar your scent becomes. Why does it remind me of that sword-swinging monkey who jumped out of those black clouds?"

Wang Sheng felt his heart tighten slightly.

The endless space was full of strange talents. He had never studied anything related to scent, nor had he guarded against it before. Moreover, he could only smile faintly to himself upon hearing "sword-swinging monkey."

Just you wait. If I ever get the chance to fight you in single combat without exposing my identity, I will make you regret it!

Keeping a neutral expression, Wang Sheng replied, "I also find you somewhat familiar, Daoist Friend. Perhaps we have met before?"

"You've seen me before?" The burly man scratched his head, his eyes momentarily unfocusing. "Why don't I remember you, then?"

He leaned in again and sniffed forcefully.

"But yeah, you do smell really familiar..."

He examined Wang Sheng from head to toe, muttering that he and the "sword-swinging monkey" were the same height, that they both used swords, and that their scents were becoming more and more similar.

The longer he murmured, the brighter his eyes became.

Eventually, he clapped once, sending a gust of wind rippling outward in all directions. "Come, fight me, and we will find out!"

Wang Sheng's lips twitched as he frowned. "Your aura is far too powerful, Daoist Friend. I fear I am no match for you. Have I offended you in some way? If so, please just let me know."

The burly man scratched his head again and stared at him. "Now that you mention it, how come you're so weak? What Heavenly Immortal Realm stage are you at, anyway?"

Wang Sheng put on an embarrassed look. "I've just broken through to the Heavenly Immortal Realm less than a hundred years ago. Naturally, I don't hold a candle to you."

He technically wasn't lying; it had been less than a hundred years since he broke through. It was no different from someone earning three thousand Spirit Stones a month claiming that they made "less than ten thousand monthly."

"

Tsk!

" The man dug at his nostril with his little finger, which was as thick as a carrot. "Before I left, my master and senior sister kept warning me that all you Primordial Spirit cultivators are brainy types who are as sly as monkeys. You hide your cultivation and pretend to be weak, then strike when people least expect it.

"I can't tell what your real cultivation is, and even if I ask, you won't tell the truth! So let's just fight! If you refuse, I'll stand here and keep shouting! The sword-swinging monkey I'm looking for has killed plenty of people, which means he has enemies everywhere. I'm sure someone out there would rather kill the wrong person than let him slip away."

Unsure whether to laugh or cry, Wang Sheng stopped underestimating the man. On second thought, despite his crude delivery, he actually sounded quite shrewd.

The burly man seemed simple-minded, but in truth, he was anything but. His foolishness could even be a deliberate act—a disguise that suited his appearance perfectly. He could simply be pretending to be dumb as a deception.

Fighting him would not be a problem. Using Dual-Polarity Sword Intent alone would be enough to prove that Wang Sheng was not the "guardian spirit of the grand array."

Wang Sheng showed hesitation and appeared to be deep in thought, but it was merely for appearances. He felt no fear at all.

After all, they had already fought once under the divine tree, and Wang Sheng had kept him firmly suppressed the entire time. To him, the man's slow and heavy attacks posed little threat.

Just as Wang Sheng was about to nod in agreement, Cha Yue used voice transmission and gently said, "Do not fight him. That man cultivates to strengthen his physique. His flesh is like forged steel, and it is nearly impossible for anyone below the Golden Immortal Realm to suppress him.`

"No one knows his origins, and all we know about him is that his surname is Hu. He just appeared out of nowhere. When he first arrived, a rather famous Grand Dao Golden Immortal from the Northern Sky Region accompanied him, which made the many celestial sects mark him as someone not to provoke.

"Don't let his mannerisms fool you into thinking he's dim-witted. He is sharper than he looks. Just a few days ago, he swindled several hundred top-grade alchemical pills from our sect. A few of my martial uncles cursed him for half the day in anger. Do not argue with him, either. Soften your tone. I will smooth things over and send him off with a few alchemical pills."

Wang Sheng listened, then shook his head at Cha Yue. He turned to the burly man and said calmly, "We are in the Qiling Immortal Sect's territory. If we start fighting mindlessly, we could cause trouble for them. Why not—"

The big man grinned. "Well said. Let's take it outside the city! We'll only trade a couple of moves. Once I've confirmed that you are not that sword-playing monkey, I will immediately apologize and give you two bottles of spiritual medicine from the Qiling Immortal Sect. Fair deal, right? You came here to buy medicine too, did you not?"

Behind him, Cha Yue could not help but frown. She stepped forward and stood in front of Wang Sheng. "Daoist Master Hu, if you have business, why not sit inside and talk? This immortal master is a distinguished guest of the Lingdan Pavilion. Please show us some respect.

"And a few days ago, did you not claim your injuries were severe and ask our sect for many spiritual herbs? How come you have turned your back on us and are now disrupting our business? This seems rather unreasonable."

The burly man blinked and raised his chin toward her. "Who are you?"

Cha Yue smiled. "I am the shopkeeper here. I have managed this establishment for over six thousand years."

The man dug at his nose. "Stay out of this. You're just from an alchemy sect, and this is a personal grudge between the sword-playing monkey and me, which is no small matter. Your sect might not even be able to handle it."

Even the way he addressed people had changed now.

Wang Sheng calmly interjected, "If I keep refusing your insistence to spar, I would bring shame to my master. How about this: I will unleash only one move. If you can break it, I will concede defeat. What do you say?"

With her brow furrowed, Cha Yue looked at Wang Sheng. Worry was evident in her eyes.

Earlier, the sect master had personally instructed her that the moment she saw Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan, she was to escort them back to the mountain gate at once. They were not to attract attention, the matter was to remain secret, and their safety had to be guaranteed.

No one could have expected that a wild Hu would appear in the midst of her operation.

The burly man slapped the back of his head and shouted firmly, "Fine! One move it is! Right here, right now! Come at me!"

He stepped back several paces and stomped his left foot, causing the entire Cloud Street to tremble three times. Passing cultivators hurriedly withdrew, and from the distance, countless strands of immortal perception swept over.

Wang Sheng gripped the hilt at his shoulder and slowly drew the immortal sword on his back. A cold gleam slid along the blade.

It was a good sword, keen and sharp, though its spirituality was somewhat lacking. In the hands of an early-stage Heavenly Immortal, it was worthy of its wielder.

Wang Sheng closed his eyes as he swayed his sword gently. He appeared relaxed, yet there was a peculiar Dao Rhythm about him, loose in form but unwavering in spirit.

With his sword, he traced a circle in the air. The instant it was completed, two streams of qi, one black and one white, manifested within it. They pulled at each other while remaining distinct. In the blink of an eye, they transformed into slowly revolving twin yin-yang koi.

Wang Sheng smiled. "This is the essence of my sect's sword art. If you can break this circle, I admit defeat."

The burly man's brow furrowed. "Do you think I'm stupid? I've seen the Dao of Dual Polarity before! I want you to attack me with your sword!"

Wang Sheng only smiled faintly. He lifted his immortal sword and lightly pointed it at the man. The Tai Chi diagram before him drifted forward.

Growing irritated, the burly man threw a lightning-quick straight punch. Though it seemed casual, its force pressed upon the spirit.

He was no fool. On the contrary, he understood quite well the principles of borrowing and redirecting force. It was far stronger than what the Tai Chi diagram should have been able to bear. Nevertheless, when he hit it, only a soft, muffled "puff" rang out. Instead of the diagram shattering as he expected, he just felt as though he had just punched the surface of a vast lake.

He put more power into the attack, causing the "water" to surge into towering waves, yet he failed to damage the lake itself. The waves soon fell back into place.

Puzzled over why his force had failed to break the Tai Chi diagram, the yin and yang koi within transformed into two streaks of sword energy, one black and one white. They shot toward his shoulders and slammed into the scales of his armor. Caught off guard, he was forced half a step back.

"Thanks for the win," Wang Sheng said.

He spun his sword in a neat flourish, and the Tai Chi diagram slowly dissipated. Afterward, he cupped his hands toward the burly man, then turned to head toward the rear courtyard of the Lingdan Pavilion.

The burly man scratched his head and muttered, "Your style is nothing like that sword-playing monkey. Figures, you monkeys all smell the same. Hey, Little Monkey—

ahem,

Little Brother!"

Wang Sheng frowned and turned back just as two jade bottles flew toward him. He reached out and caught them.

"My apologies. Until we meet again!" The burly man waved and strode away down the street without a care in the world.

Watching his back, Wang Sheng finally sighed quietly.

At least he kept his word.

Glancing at the jade bottles, a corner of his mouth twitched. Inside each one was an ordinary healing pill, the kind even non-immortal cultivators would hesitate to use. They were low-grade and likely worth less than the bottles themselves.

That fool...

In a certain sense, he was quite a rare specimen.