102: Destroy the spirit

Dawn's light was faint, and shadows were already moving on the Drill Ground of the Yang Wei Martial Arts Hall Branch.

Chen Linsheng held that slightly light Solid Iron Long Spear, standing in a corner on the east side of the Drill Ground, his mind calm and focused. Senior Brother Shi Poyue, Second Senior Brother Di Moyu, and Third Martial Sister Liu Ruyan were not far away, either practicing their hand-to-hand combat or polishing their weapons, but their gazes would occasionally sweep over to Chen Linsheng's side with a bit of concern.

Today, he did not Cultivate the newly acquired White Crane Wind and Cloud Song, but chose to continue solidifying his Foundation, alternating between practicing Overlapping Waves Archery and the Startled Swan Spear Technique.

He was seen drawing his bow and nocking an arrow, his gaze sharp as a hawk's, locking onto a moving target a hundred paces away.

"Buzz—Swoosh!"

The arrow left the string, not flying in a straight line, but carrying a strange spiral force; the sound of it breaking the air was slightly muffled, yet it possessed even greater penetrative power. The arrowhead accurately hit the bullseye, and even more surprisingly, that specially made hardwood bullseye was actually bored through with a spiral-shaped hole, wood chips flying like flowers!

This was precisely the result of his attempt to combine the Triple Wave Surge force of Overlapping Waves Archery with the properties of the newly purchased "Armor-piercing Arrowheads."

Although far from Perfection, it already revealed terrifying potential.

"Junior Brother's archery... is becoming increasingly terrifying." Shi Poyue stopped swinging his blade and couldn't help but praise, "That target was made of hardwood that can withstand a full-strength strike from the Middle Stage of the Flesh Refining Realm."

Di Moyu wiped his throwing knives, his eyes sharp: "It’s not just the arrows; his control over force has reached a subtle level. Triple hidden forces condensed into a single point, exploding instantly; the penetration power is naturally astonishing."

Liu Ruyan's beautiful eyes flickered, and she chuckled, "It seems those fifteen hundred taels of Silver weren't spent in vain."

After finishing a set of archery, Chen Linsheng put down the fierce wind bow and picked up the Solid Iron Long Spear instead.

The Startled Swan Spear Technique unfolded, spear shadows appearing like a startled swan skimming the water, sometimes light and swift, sometimes heavy as a mountain.

He integrated the Layered Waves power-generation technique into it; with every spear thrust, there was a faint Triple Wave Surge of Qi force following, the air being stirred and letting out a low wail.

At the same time, his footwork was not fixed; sometimes he moved and shifted in a small area like a spirit monkey, and sometimes he stepped on waves like a white crane, his figure elusive, integrating the Spirit Monkey Hundred Changes and the newly glimpsed Profound Truth of the White Crane Wind and Cloud Song into his spear movement, making his spear momentum even more unpredictable.

He practiced with focus, his breath steady, combining movement and stillness, possessing an extraordinary Aura.

Gradually, many Disciples of the branch on the Drill Ground were attracted, stopping their practice to watch from a distance, discussing in low voices.

"Is that the Chen Linsheng who came from the Qinghe Main Hall? I heard he performed the greatest merit and was appreciated by the Special Envoy."

"His archery is indeed something; that bullseye was almost bored through by him."

"His spear technique is also good, and his footwork is quite strange. It looks like the mortal grade Spirit Monkey Steps, but also a bit unlike it..."

"Hmph, just flashy moves. No matter how strong the Flesh Refining Realm is, how strong can it be? I bet it's just because there are no experts in Qinghe that he seems impressive."

Among the crowd, there was no shortage of scrutinizing or even contemptuous gazes.

In the commandery city's martial arts halls, competition was fierce. For an "outsider" who arrived out of nowhere and was famous, natural exclusion and doubt were inevitable.

Just then, a burst of unbridled clamor and cheering came from the west side of the Drill Ground, deliberately amplifying the volume and breaking the tranquility of the east side.

A group of five or six Disciples, led by a haughty young man dressed in brocade blue martial attire, was "practicing" saber techniques over there. The saber light flashed, the Aura was arrogant, and with every slash and thrust, the wind overflowed, swirling up the dust on the ground, clearly exceeding the scope of normal practice and looking more like showing off and interfering.

The leading young man was named Zhou Tong, one of the Elite Disciples of the branch. He had tempered over a hundred and seventy muscles and had entered the Late-stage Flesh Tempering Realm half a year ago. His "Splitting Wind Saber Technique" was quite ruthless, and he was quite famous among the ordinary Disciples of the branch. He was also one of the few who had shown hostility toward Chen Linsheng in the Record Hall a few days ago.

While swinging his saber, he glanced toward Chen Linsheng with the corner of his eye, a provocative sneer on his lips.

The followers beside him cheered loudly on purpose:

"Senior Brother Zhou, great saber technique!"

"This 'Wind Sweeping the Clouds' strike has truly captured the essence!"

"I think some people from the countryside won't even catch up to half of Senior Brother Zhou's skill in their whole lives!"

The clamor was like noise, constantly impacting the tranquility of the east side of the Drill Ground, seriously interfering with Chen Linsheng's practice rhythm.

Shi Poyue frowned and was about to go forward to scold them, but was stopped by a look from Di Moyu.

Di Moyu said in a low voice, "Senior Brother, stay calm. Let's see how Junior Brother handles it."

There was a hint of expectation in his eyes.

Liu Ruyan also lightly pressed the hilt of her sword, her lips curving slightly into a playful smile as if watching a good show: "Some people just need to be taught a lesson. It's good to let Junior Brother stretch his muscles a bit."

The long spear Chen Linsheng thrust out suddenly froze in mid-air.

He slowly retracted his stance, stood the long spear by his side, turned around, and calmly looked across half the Drill Ground, his gaze falling directly on Zhou Tong, who was still vigorously swinging his saber.

The Drill Ground instantly became much quieter. The gazes of all the onlookers gathered, carrying various emotions—curiosity, expectation, and schadenfreude.

Chen Linsheng spoke; his voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears without a hint of anger:

"Senior Brother Zhou Tong."

Zhou Tong paused his movements, stood with his saber, and raised an eyebrow in feigned surprise: "Oh? Does Junior Brother Chen have any advice?"

The few people around him also stopped their clamor, crossing their arms in a posture of watching a good show.

Chen Linsheng's tone remained flat: "Seeing Senior Brother's sharp saber technique and abundant blood and Qi, your cultivation must be profound. I have just arrived and my spear technique is rusty, and I was worried about having no one to spar and verify with. I wonder if Senior Brother would condescend to give me some guidance?"

He said this politely, but the meaning behind it was clear to anyone.

A flash of success crossed Zhou Tong's eyes; he was dying for a chance to publicly teach this "rule-breaking" newcomer a lesson.

He laughed, stepped forward with his saber, and said arrogantly, "Since Junior Brother Chen is asking for guidance with an open mind, as a Senior Brother, it's naturally hard to refuse. Don't worry, I will show mercy and stop when appropriate."

A low clamor immediately broke out around them.

It was one thing for Zhou Tong to take the initiative to provoke, but for Chen Linsheng to actually dare to accept the challenge still surprised many people.

After all, Zhou Tong was in the Late-stage Flesh Tempering Realm and had been famous for a long time, while Chen Linsheng's Aura didn't seem particularly fierce.

Shi Poyue, Di Moyu, and Liu Ruyan exchanged a glance, the playful smiles on their lips becoming even more obvious. They even stepped back half a pace to give the two more space.

"Senior Brother, how many moves do you think it will take for Junior Brother to win?" Liu Ruyan asked in a barely audible voice.

Shi Poyue stroked his chin: "Within ten moves, probably. Junior Brother shouldn't want to reveal too much of his strength."

Di Moyu was concise: "Five moves."

In the center of the Drill Ground, Chen Linsheng and Zhou Tong stood facing each other.

"Junior Brother Chen, please!"

Zhou Tong twirled his saber, his blood and Qi surging, and his Aura of the Late-stage Flesh Tempering Realm was released without reservation, trying to pressure Chen Linsheng mentally.

Chen Linsheng seemed oblivious, simply raising his spear in a starting stance, his breath restrained like a calm well.

"Pretentious!" Zhou Tong snorted coldly and no longer hesitated. He exerted force with his feet, his figure charging forward, the long saber in his hand letting out a whistle as it tore through the air. With a move called "Violent Wind and Torrential Rain," the saber light cascaded like a waterfall, enveloping several vital points on Chen Linsheng's upper body! He spoke of stopping when appropriate, but his strike was extremely ruthless, intended to make Chen Linsheng look bad.

Facing this fierce attack, Chen Linsheng shifted his steps, his figure like a willow catkin in the wind, avoiding the sharpest part of the blade by a hair's breadth.

At the same time, the long spear in his hand thrust out like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, without a hint of flashy movement. It wasn't a killing move from the Startled Swan Spear, but the most basic and concise straight thrust, yet it contained the profound force of the Hunyuan Palm and the technique of Layered Waves power generation. It struck second but arrived first, pointing directly at Zhou Tong's wrist holding the saber!

Zhou Tong only felt a blur before his eyes; the opponent's Movement Technique was weirdly fast, and there was a condensed force transmitting through the spear tip, causing his wrist to ache sharply and his blood and Qi to stagnate!

"What?!" He was greatly shocked and hurriedly changed his move to defend.

However, Chen Linsheng did not let up, his long spear following like a shadow.

The second thrust pointed at the opening under his ribs, forcing him to stumble back.

The third thrust brushed aside the saber he had hastily used to block, making his arm go numb from the vibration.

The fourth thrust, the spear tip trembled slightly, creating several cold stars that dazzled him.

The fifth thrust!

At the moment when Zhou Tong's old strength was exhausted and his new strength had not yet been generated, leaving a huge opening, Chen Linsheng's long spear once again turned into that extremely concise black lightning, its speed suddenly soaring!

"Chiss!"

The spear tip accurately struck the pulse point on Zhou Tong's right wrist!

A condensed hidden force instantly penetrated!

Zhou Tong felt his entire right arm go numb and painful as if struck by lightning, and he could no longer hold the saber hilt.

"Clang!"

The fine steel saber fell from his hand, hitting the bluestone ground with a crisp sound.

The entire Drill Ground suddenly became so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.

Everyone's eyes widened, looking at the scene in disbelief.

From the start of the fight to the weapon falling from Zhou Tong's hand, it had only been five or six breaths of time, definitely not exceeding ten exchanges!

Zhou Tong, who was in the Late-stage Flesh Tempering Realm, was actually defeated so easily and gracefully by this newcomer Chen Linsheng with such a basic straight thrust in just one encounter?! He hadn't even used a proper Martial Skill!

Zhou Tong clutched his painful and numb right wrist, his face turning from green to white. He stared blankly at the saber on the ground, then looked up at the composed Chen Linsheng opposite him, his eyes filled with shock, shame, and a hint of indescribable fear.

Chen Linsheng slowly retracted his spear, his breath as steady as before, as if he had just casually swatted away a fly.

He looked at Zhou Tong calmly and said flatly:

"Good match."

These two words were like two silent slaps across Zhou Tong's face, and also across the hearts of all the branch Disciples who had harbored contempt.

Shi Poyue, Di Moyu, and Liu Ruyan smiled at each other; everything was understood without words.

The silence on the Drill Ground lasted for several breaths, then a louder buzz of discussion erupted, but this time, the contempt and doubt in their eyes had mostly been replaced by shock and gravity.

Chen Linsheng no longer paid attention to the despondent Zhou Tong and his followers. He turned to pick up his long spear and fierce wind bow, nodded slightly to his three Senior Brothers and Senior Sister, and walked toward the exit of the Drill Ground.

The crowd automatically parted to make a path, watching this seemingly peaceful but actually deeply hidden youth from Qinghe with complex gazes.

After this battle, Chen Linsheng had preliminary established his reputation in this Yang Wei Martial Arts Hall Branch.

At least, no one would dare to view him as a "country boy" who could be easily bullied anymore.