Chapter 483 - 168: Yunqiao Jade Marrow, Qi-eating Sparring
He was just an ordinary disciple in the Inner Strength Realm. He rarely had the chance to even watch a spar between those at the Qi Eating Realm, let alone participate in one.
Seeing two Qi Eating Realm experts fight with his own eyes was a rare learning opportunity for him, one from which he was certain to learn a great deal.
Once they had agreed, the three of them walked toward a nearby clearing in the woods.
It was May, and the vegetation on the mountain was exceptionally lush.
The trees lining the mountain path had lush foliage, their dense canopy of leaves obscuring much of the sky. Sunlight filtered through the gaps, casting a dappled pattern of light and shadow on the ground.
Clusters of unnamed wildflowers bloomed in the grass—red, purple, and yellow—dotting the verdant foliage and drawing the eye.
A gentle breeze drifted by, making the leaves rustle. The sound was interspersed with the crisp chirping of birds, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of vegetation and soil.
Before long, the three arrived at the spacious clearing.
The clearing was surrounded by dense trees. A thick layer of fallen leaves covered the ground, feeling soft underfoot.
Lin Ziheng, showing good sense, retreated to the edge of the clearing and found a spot with a good vantage point.
Yang Jing and Fang He walked to the center of the clearing, standing opposite one another in a standoff.
The sunlight fell upon them, casting two tall silhouettes.
Fang He warmed up his wrists, a smile still on his face as he said in a relaxed tone, "Junior Brother Yang, you’re a Qi Eating Realm Martial Artist now. I won’t be holding back in our spar. This is your chance to get a good feel for the rhythm of combat at this level. If you think I’m using too much force, just say so, and I’ll adjust."
Yang Jing recognized the goodwill in Fang He’s words and felt a surge of gratitude.
It wasn’t every day that a long-renowned Qi Eating Realm expert was willing to lower himself to spar with a newly promoted junior brother. This was a significant favor.
He solemnly cupped his fists at Fang He. A smile touched his lips as he replied in a clear voice, "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother Fang!"
Fang He saw this and waved his hand with a smile. "No need for formalities, Junior Brother. You go first."
Yang Jing nodded and didn’t hesitate any longer.
He shot off the ground, his body rushing toward Fang He like an arrow loosed from a bow. With his hands clenched into fists, the Inner Qi within him began to circulate rapidly according to the Heart Method of the Mountain-Breaking Seal.
Wisps of Inner Qi surged continuously toward his fists, coalescing over his knuckles into a faint white gleam.
The air whistled around his fist, which carried ferocious, unmatched power as it shot straight for Fang He’s face.
Fang He’s expression sharpened. Not daring to be complacent, he met the attack with open palms, which emanated a dense glow of Inner Qi. He executed his most practiced palm technique, striking out to meet Yang Jing’s fist.
"BANG!"
The moment fist met palm, a muffled boom erupted in the clearing.
A powerful shockwave blasted outward, sending the fallen leaves on the ground swirling into the air.
Fang He’s expression changed drastically. He felt an overwhelmingly powerful force surge through his palm, the impact making his arm go numb. He stumbled back two steps before he could steady himself.
He looked down at his slightly trembling palm, his eyes filled with utter shock.
’I never imagined Yang Jing’s strength would be so immense, so powerful!’
It dawned on Fang He. ’No wonder the Mountain-Breaking Seal is so highly rated within the sect. A Mid-grade True Skill that can unleash power comparable to a Top-grade True Skill... It truly lives up to its reputation.’
’Yang Jing just broke through to the Qi Eating Realm, so his foundation should be shallow, yet he can unleash such ferocious power. He’s not the least bit weaker than me, a veteran who’s been in this realm for years!’
Meanwhile, Yang Jing used the recoil from the blow to come to a steady halt.
He flexed his slightly numb fist, his mind abuzz as he processed the differences in combat at the Qi Eating Realm.
This battle made him keenly aware of the vast difference between combat in the Qi Eating Realm and combat in the Inner Strength Realm.
At the Qi Eating Realm, one’s Inner Qi became so dense and powerful that it could cover the entire body. Furthermore, it could be concentrated to thicken the defenses on specific areas as needed in battle.
For instance, Yang Jing’s fists were currently sheathed in such dense Inner Qi that they were as hard as iron; he could clash with sharp weapons head-on without sustaining the slightest damage.
After a brief pause, the two were in motion once more.
Yang Jing sank into his stance and unleashed a volley of alternating punches. Each move carried the power to split mountains and crack stone, perfectly demonstrating the overwhelming and ferocious nature of the Mountain-Breaking Seal.
Fang He countered with a flurry of palm strikes. His movements were at times grand and sweeping, at others cunning and vicious. The wind from his palms howled, carrying an immense oppressive force.
The sound of fists meeting palms was incessant as shockwave after shockwave radiated outward.
Their figures blurred as they weaved across the clearing, at times locked in close-quarters combat, at others breaking away to test each other from a distance. They were so evenly matched that, for the moment, neither could gain an advantage.
Not far away, Lin Ziheng’s eyes were glued to the fight. His fists were clenched so tightly he didn’t dare breathe, afraid he would miss a single detail.
The shockwaves from their blows grew increasingly violent, and the surrounding woods began to suffer.
Bowl-thick trees, caught by the stray force of their blows, trembled violently. A series of sharp cracking sounds followed as they snapped, and broken branches and leaves rained down, blanketing the clearing in a thin layer.
The longer Yang Jing fought, the more exhilarated he became, his eyes burning with fervor.
He went from being slightly rusty and probing at the start to executing steady, measured moves. He was gradually getting a feel for the rhythm of combat at the Qi Eating Realm.
His movements grew more fluid and composed, and the circulation of his Inner Qi became ever more harmonious and smooth.
Fang He, on the other hand, grew more alarmed the longer they fought. Fine beads of sweat had begun to form on his temples.
’I consider my strength to be in the upper echelons among the Qi Eating Realm disciples of Lingxi Peak,’ he thought. ’But I never imagined that Yang Jing, a complete newcomer, would be this formidable.’
’Even using my full strength, I can’t suppress him in the slightest.’
And as they continued to trade blows, Fang He felt his arms growing heavier and his Inner Qi depleting faster and faster. He was clearly starting to feel the strain.
On the surface, they still seemed evenly matched, trading blow for blow, but only Fang He knew that if this spar continued, he would soon be at a disadvantage and unable to hold out.
Fang He was utterly shocked. ’I was too arrogant,’ he thought, ’I completely underestimated him.’
He also hadn’t expected the Mountain-Breaking Seal Cultivation Technique to be so overbearing; it had drastically boosted Yang Jing’s combat power. ’No wonder it has such a formidable reputation, even though so few people practice it.’
They exchanged another fifty or sixty exhilarating moves, the explosive sound of their collisions startling birds into flight from the surrounding woods.
Just then, Yang Jing abruptly pulled back his fist and retreated, coming to a steady stop. He cupped his fist toward Fang He, his voice filled with sincerity. "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother Fang. I have benefited greatly from this spar!"
Fang He let out a long breath and waved his hand, his face a mixture of emotion and admiration. "I wouldn’t dare claim to have been guiding you. Junior Brother Yang, I underestimated you. Your strength is now no less than my own."
A short distance away, Lin Ziheng stood dumbstruck. He only snapped back to his senses when the two of them stopped, his face a mask of astonishment.
He couldn’t believe his eyes. ’Yang Jing, who just broke through to the Qi Eating Realm, fought Fang He to a draw? That’s just incredible!’
The three chatted for a bit longer in the clearing and agreed to spar again when the opportunity arose. Then, Yang Jing cupped his fists in farewell and turned to walk toward the Training Room.
As he walked, he replayed the entire spar in his mind, analyzing the merits and flaws of every move exchanged.
The experience of fighting a Qi Eating Realm expert was an invaluable asset to him.
Once he had finished processing all his new insights, Yang Jing let out a soft sigh.
It suddenly occurred to him that he hadn’t seen Senior Sister Ning Xiang in a while. ’After I finish training today,’ he thought, ’I could go visit her on Yunxi Peak and see what she’s been up to.’