Top-Tier Perception Starts From Basic Fist Techniques

At the Mingzhou Merchant Association, the chairman's face was grave. Before him stood a martial artist in white robes, his expression calm and detached, as though nothing in the world could affect him.

"Venerable Hu Shan, the Flying Boat Merchant Association has notified us that the decisive duel may proceed. It is set for three days from now.

"According to our intelligence, the martial artist they recruited is Lu Changsheng. He is said to have only just joined the Martial Saint Institute's inner division, yet he was assigned Cave Residence No.1 and became its master. By the principles governing the institute's residence assignments, this Lu Changsheng has been judged by the artifact spirit to be the strongest in the inner division! Venerable Hu Shan, are you confident?"

Hu Shan's gaze was as placid as ever. "Chairman, we fight as agreed. As for who the opponent is, I don't care. No matter whom they send, I will win!"

Hu Shan truly seemed indifferent as to who his opponent was. Supreme Martial Venerable or master of the inner division's Cave Residence No.1, it meant nothing to him. After all, he himself had once been the number one of the Martial Saint Institute's outer division!

If anything, Hu Shan considered even that title too narrow. Number one of the outer division? Across the entire Sacred Earth, setting aside the peerless geniuses of the sacred lands who never showed their faces, who could stand against him?

In the Divine Ability Realm, Hu Shan was invincible; that was the source of his confidence. As for this Lu Changsheng person? Hu Shan had never heard of him, and he couldn't care less about his background.

The Mingzhou Merchant Alliance's chairman thought Hu Shan perhaps a little too confident, but confidence was a good thing. If anything, it at least justified the enormous price he had paid to secure Hu Shan's services.

"Very well. Three days from now, then. We are in your hands, Venerable Hu Shan!" the chairman said respectfully.

***

Three days passed in a blink. Lu Changsheng rose and left his quiet chamber to find a crowd of Flying Boat Merchant Association martial artists waiting outside, the chairman at their head.

"Venerable Lu, please," the chairman said.

Lu Changsheng nodded and set out with the Flying Boat delegation. The arena stood within the city; the two merchant associations had prepared it long in advance, engaging a Nascent Soul True Lord to lay down a formation that guaranteed absolute safety.

A great crowd had already gathered below the stage. This was a public duel, where both associations hoped to crush the other's momentum and burnish their own name in the process.

"Look, the Flying Boat Merchant Association has arrived."

"I hear they recruited the number one of the Martial Saint Institute's inner division this time!"

"Oh yeah, I heard something about that. The number one guy in the inner division is a strange case. Apparently he was assigned Cave Residence No.1 the moment he joined. Whether he's actually stronger than Venerable Tian Ming is hard to say."

"Venerable Hu Shan on the Mingzhou Merchant Alliance's side, though, is the undisputed former number one of the outer division! At the Martial Saint Institute, outer division martial artists are generally stronger than inner division ones. The former number one of the outer division against the current number one of the inner division... This should be quite the duel!"

Discussion rippled through the crowd, and when the Flying Boat Merchant Alliance arrived, every gaze fell upon them—upon Lu Changsheng above all. Curiosity about this so-called number one of the inner division naturally ran high.

Lu Changsheng, however, remained perfectly composed. Spotting the arena, he walked up onto it step by step. As the Mingzhou Merchant Alliance had yet to arrive, he simply closed his eyes and waited in silence.

About a quarter hour later, the crowd stirred once more.

"The Mingzhou Merchant Association is here."

"That must be Venerable Hu Shan?"

"They say Venerable Hu Shan has five supreme major divine abilities in his arsenal. Moreover, all five supposedly complement each other perfectly, unleashing unimaginable power when stacked together. Even the legendary immeasurable divine abilities might fall short of it."

"Indeed, anyone would be confident with such an arsenal. Back in his days at the institute he was the number one of the outer division, undefeated through countless great battles."

"They say the Mingzhou Merchant Association paid dearly to recruit him..."

Eyes brightened at the sight of Venerable Hu Shan. What the crowd anticipated most about this battle was the chance to see with their own eyes whether the famed Venerable Hu Shan was as mighty as the legends claimed.

"That's Lu Changsheng, the number one of the Martial Saint Institute's inner division," the Mingzhou Merchant Alliance's chairman said quietly.

Whoosh!

Hu Shan made no response, shooting straight onto the arena platform.

Lu Changsheng opened his eyes and beheld his opponent: the former number one of the Martial Saint Institute's outer division, Venerable Hu Shan!

"Venerable Lu, I heard you were assigned Cave Residence No.1 the moment you joined the inner division, displacing Venerable Tian Ming himself," Hu Shan said slowly, his gaze fixed on Lu Changsheng. "Many outside speculate that Tian Ming will challenge you in a year, that perhaps you are weaker than he is.

"But only those who have lived in the Martial Saint Institute know how precise its artifact spirit is. It almost never makes a mistake. Since it declared you the master of Cave Residence No.1, then Venerable Tian Ming is absolutely no match for you."

Hu Shan's words caught Lu Changsheng slightly off guard. One glance was enough to reveal everything about him: supremely confident, proud to the bone, with an unbending spine and the arrogance to match. And yet, proud as Hu Shan was, he did not underestimate Lu Changsheng in the least.

"What are you driving at?" Lu Changsheng asked evenly, narrowing his eyes slightly.

Hu Shan shrugged and gave a smirk. "Simple. I never underestimate any opponent. Once our duel begins, give me everything you have. Show me your true strength. As for whether you're stronger than Venerable Tian Ming, it makes no difference to me. I could kill Tian Ming with a turn of my hand. And killing you will be just as easy!"

In that moment, Hu Shan's pride became clear to everyone. He knew Lu Changsheng was formidable, perhaps stronger than Venerable Tian Ming, a true supreme genius. And yet, he was convinced he could cut Lu Changsheng down in one move. That wasn't just confidence; it was unbound arrogance!

Hearing Hu Shan's words, Lu Changsheng smiled. He had an unbending spine of his own. In fact, deep down, Lu Changsheng was prouder than anyone else. He had the Status Panel; his Perception stood unmatched across past and present. To this day he had never met anyone whose Perception exceeded his.

Thus, how could Lu Changsheng not be immensely proud? He was indeed; he just never showed it. What he had never expected, however, was meeting someone who could stand shoulder to shoulder with him in terms of pride and confidence.

Sure enough, Hu Shan was no bluff. His pride came from within, radiating outward from his very core. It was absolute confidence, and any words against him would be wasted.

"Then let us begin," Lu Changsheng said, deciding not to waste any more time.

Boom!

A five-colored radiance burst into the sky, unleashing a terrifying pressure. It was Lu Changsheng's immeasurable divine ability, Five Elements Decomposition!

Everyone lifted their heads, staring dumbstruck at the brilliant radiance hanging in the sky. Though a formation stood between them and the stage, the spectators somehow felt their whole bodies tighten as an overwhelming sense of danger washed over them.

How could a single divine ability instill such an overwhelming sense of danger despite the formation laid personally by a Nascent Soul True Lord?

"What the...? What divine ability is that?"

"That's insane. Is that really a supreme major divine ability?"

"No way... No supreme major divine ability could ever be that scary."

"Then, could it be... an immeasurable divine ability?"

The spectators' eyes went wide when they realized they were beholding an actual immeasurable divine ability, the thing one would only hear about in legends. Indeed, only an immeasurable divine ability could feel so overwhelming.