113: We're going to fight the Python-Dragon Realm!

The two took the stage, and without many words, the battle began!

Boom—!

Yan Chen's figure lunged forward like a falling blazing sun. His palms were crimson like branding irons, carrying a wave of scorching wind as they pressed directly toward Chen Linsheng's head!

This strike, "Fierce Sun Piercing Heavens," was delivered without reservation. The surging True Energy of the Initial Stage Flood Dragon Tendon Realm erupted completely. Before the palms even arrived, the scorching Qi had already caused the air within a ten-foot radius to twist and steam. The surface of the blue bricks on the ground even showed charred patterns as if roasted by invisible flames.

All the spectators subconsciously held their breath.

Take it head-on? Or dodge?

In the blink of an eye, Chen Linsheng moved.

He didn't choose to retreat; instead, he took a half-step forward with his left foot. His foot landed silently, yet it seemed to be nailed into the earth. His blood and Qi flowed like mercury, and over two hundred perfectly tempered muscles bulged and vibrated simultaneously. A faint golden light flowed beneath his skin—it was the Divine Effect of Golden Bell Shield Perfection, the Physical Body Golden Bell that was difficult for any technique to break, operating spontaneously!

At the same time, he pushed his palms from bottom to top, seemingly slow but actually swift.

The palm technique was rounded and heavy, showing no sharp edge, yet it carried a condensed Concept of Hunyuan as one, supporting a mountain—Hunyuan Palm, Mountain Pushing Form!

But this "Mountain Pushing" form was different from the usual.

At the core of the palm strength, the unique spiral explosive power of Python Dragon Strength was nested, and it even faintly carried a trace of the air current's sharp intent induced by the White Crane Wind and Cloud Song!

"You're looking for death!"

A fierce light surged in Yan Chen's eyes. He pushed his palm technique three points further, his crimson True Energy almost condensing into physical flames!

Bang—!!!

The palms collided!

There was no overwhelming crushing as expected, nor was there one side spitting blood and flying backward.

At the moment of impact, a low muffled sound like a giant wooden drum being struck rang out. It was dull yet heavy, making the eardrums of nearby spectators swell and their heartbeats pause.

The Qi energy exploded outward with the two as the center!

The scorching Blazing Sun True Energy and the Hunyuan Palm strength entangled, tore, and annihilated each other violently, turning into a visible circular air wave that swept out. Several nearby tables and chairs shattered with a "crack," wood chips flew, and wine and food spilled everywhere.

With Chen Linsheng's feet as the center, spiderweb-like cracks spread frantically across the ground. The two thick blue bricks beneath his feet were completely pulverized, and his feet sank more than half an inch!

However—

His figure stood straight as a pine, not retreating a single inch!

The sleeves of his dark green martial arts uniform flapped loudly in the violent Qi. The ice heart spirit-calming pendant on his neck glowed with intense blue light, its cool intent protecting his mind and quickly neutralizing a wisp of scorching fire poison that tried to invade his Shao Yang Triple Burner Meridian.

On the other hand, Yan Chen's expression changed abruptly!

He felt as if his palms had struck a mountain peak cast from ten-thousand-year-old profound iron. That counter-shock force was heavy, solid, and continuous!

It even carried a strange spiral force that actually surged back up along the Meridians of his palms and arms!

"Thud, thud, thud!"

Yan Chen flipped backward in the air to dissipate the force. After landing, he still couldn't help but retreat three steps. Every step left a shallow charred footprint on the blue bricks. The fingertips of his right palm even trembled uncontrollably, and a wave of soreness and stinging pain came from his palm.

He stared fixedly at the figure still standing in the dust ahead, and for the first time, a look of unbelievable shock appeared in his eyes.

He took it head-on?!

With a Flesh Refining Realm cultivation, he took a full-force "Fierce Sun Piercing Heavens" strike from an Initial Stage Jiaojin Realm opponent head-on. Not only was he not defeated, but he didn't even... retreat half a step?!

The entire venue was dead silent.

One could hear a pin drop.

After a full three breaths, the sounds of gasping, exclamations, and unbelievable discussions finally erupted like a boiling pot, sweeping through the entire main hall of Lanyue Tower!

"This... this is impossible!"

"Yan Chen's Fierce Sun Piercing Heavens is something even a typical Middle Stage Jiaojin Realm wouldn't dare to take head-on!"

"Chen Linsheng actually blocked it?! Is he really in the Flesh Refining Realm?"

"Look at his feet! The blue bricks are shattered, but he didn't retreat half a step! How terrifying must his Foundation and Physical Body be?!"

"When did the Yangwei Martial Arts Hall... produce such a monster?!"

At the VIP seats, the Master of the Blazing Sun Martial Arts Hall—the red-faced, red-bearded old man—heard a light "crack" from the wine cup in his hand, which was actually squeezed until fine cracks appeared.

His face was as dark as water. His eyes stared fixedly at Chen Linsheng in the arena. Besides anger, there was also a hint of unconcealable suspicion.

The Prefect's hand stroking his beard paused slightly, and a sharp light flashed in his eyes. He turned his head and whispered to Ling Feng beside him, "Special Envoy Ling, is this boy... truly only in the Flesh Refining Realm?"

Ling Feng's expression was calm, but the admiration deep in his eyes could no longer be hidden. He nodded slightly: "To answer your Excellency, he is indeed in the Flesh Refining Realm without a doubt. However, the Cultivation Technique he practices is special. His Foundation's depth, blood and Qi's purity, and Physical Body's strength all far exceed those of the same level, and he can even... fight across Realms."

"Fight across Realms..." The Prefect slowly repeated, his gaze toward Chen Linsheng gaining a bit more depth.

By the west window, Mu Qingxue's beautiful eyes, which were always as cold as an icy lake, finally showed obvious ripples.

She gazed at Chen Linsheng's straight back and the spiderweb-like cracks at his feet. Her long fingers unconsciously tapped lightly on her knee.

"Hunyuan as one, Foundation like a mountain... to actually be able to temper the Physical Body to such an extent." She whispered to herself, her cold voice almost inaudible. "It seems that in this Hidden Dragon Banquet, a variable has emerged."

At the side of the north VIP seats, Young Master Yu's action of gently waving his folding fan stopped at some point.

The gentle smile on his face remained, but his eyes, which always seemed to see through everything, were now slightly narrowed. His gaze lingered for a moment on the faint golden light that had not yet completely dissipated around Chen Linsheng.

"Golden Bell Shield? No... A Major Achievement in Golden Bell Shield only shows a phantom of a golden bell on the surface. How could it completely merge with the flesh and blood, showing signs of an indestructible golden body?" Thoughts spun in his mind. "And that palm strength, with a dragon-like explosive spiral hidden in its thickness, and even a hint of sharp wind intent... Interesting, truly interesting. Uncle Fu, what do you think of this boy?"

The sword-holding old man behind him, Uncle Fu, still had his eyes closed. His withered lips moved slightly, his voice raspy like a grinding stone, audible only to Young Master Yu: "The depth of his Foundation is something this old servant has only seen once in his life. The Body Refining method he practices is definitely not an ordinary Golden Bell Shield; it is likely something like the lost 'Hunyuan True Body.' What's even rarer is that his blood and Qi are pure and stainless, with a faint luster of jade marrow, indicating he must have supplemented his cultivation with a highly sophisticated marrow-tempering guiding technique. This boy... has great ambitions."

The light in Young Master Yu's eyes grew even brighter as he tapped his folding fan against his palm:

"Hunyuan True Body... No wonder Ling Feng values him so much. It seems that this trip to Jiuqu Prefecture to observe on my father's orders was indeed the right choice."

Lei Hao was so excited at this moment that he almost jumped out of his seat. He threw a fierce punch and growled, "Good! Brother Chen, beautifully done! I knew you weren't that simple!"

On the Yangwei Martial Arts Hall's side, Shi Poyue, Di Moyu, Liu Ruyan, Zhao Linger, and the others let out a long sigh of relief, followed by a surge of strong pride and excitement. The speed at which the iron balls in Martial Arts Hall Master's hand rotated returned to a steady pace, and a very faint, almost imperceptible curve even appeared at the corner of his mouth.

In the arena.

Yan Chen slowly stood up straight, forcibly suppressing the trembling in his right palm. He stared at Chen Linsheng, the contempt and arrogance on his face long gone, replaced by an unprecedented solemnity and... a thoroughly ignited, even more intense Battle Intent!

"Good... very good!" Yan Chen's voice was a bit raspy, but it carried a near-fanatical excitement. "Chen Linsheng, I admit I underestimated you before. To be able to temper your Physical Body and Foundation to such a degree, you are worthy of my full effort!"

The crimson True Energy around him rose again, more condensed than before, faintly forming a distorted, scorching phantom behind him, like a miniature sun.

The temperature in the hall rose sharply again. Those close to the stage already felt dry-mouthed and their skin stinging from the heat.

"But just now was merely a probe!" Yan Chen said word by word, flames burning in his eyes. "Next, I will let you know where the true chasm between the Flesh Refining Realm and the Jiaojin Realm lies!"

Before his voice had even faded, he moved again!

This time, it was no longer just a blunt, forceful advance. He stepped with a strange footwork, his figure flickering left and right. As his palms flew, layers of crimson palm shadows appeared like waves and tides, covering Chen Linsheng from all directions.

Every palm shadow was incredibly hot, sealing off the space to dodge, and constantly releasing scorching Qi that interfered with and eroded the opponent's blood and Qi circulation—

It was precisely another ultimate technique of the Blazing Sun Martial Arts Hall, "Sky-Burning Palm Shadows"!

Chen Linsheng's face remained calm, but a warning rose in his heart.

Yan Chen's change of Moves this time had clearly learned from the lesson of being countered by Movement Techniques before.

These "Sky-Burning Palm Shadows" seemed to cover the sky and earth, but in reality, they used scorching Qi to set up an invisible cage, restricting movement and forcing him into a head-on clash.

Crane Ape Illusory Wind Steps was pushed to its limit. Chen Linsheng's figure was like catkins in the wind, or a spiritual ape in the forest, weaving and flickering between the heavy crimson palm shadows. The extraordinary perception brought by Tracking Perfection allowed him to always capture the weakest point of the palm shadows in the blink of an eye, avoiding them with extreme peril.

However, the ubiquitous scorching Qi was like maggots on a bone, constantly penetrating. Even with the ice heart spirit-calming pendant protecting his mind and Golden Bell Shield Perfection resisting most of it, wisps of dry heat still invaded his Meridians. His blood and Qi circulation gradually felt sluggish, and a stinging heat came from his skin.

"I can't let this drag on!" Chen Linsheng's thoughts spun rapidly. "His Blazing Sun True Energy is scorching and persistent, and it has corrosive properties. Defending for long will lead to failure; I must create an opportunity to break the situation in one strike!"

While dodging, he quietly adjusted his breathing. The Jade Marrow Guiding Technique operated silently, and vitality surged from deep within his bone marrow, slowly pushing out and purifying the invading fire poison. At the same time, the blood and Qi in his body began to secretly build up momentum according to the Layered Waves power-delivery technique.

In the blink of an eye, Yan Chen had attacked with more than twenty palms. Although Chen Linsheng hadn't been hit, his dodging space had been compressed to less than ten feet. Several parts of his dark green martial arts uniform were scorched by the palm wind, and the tips of his hair were slightly curled.

The spectators outside the arena watched with their hearts in their throats. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that although Chen Linsheng was maneuvering with his Movement Technique, he was gradually falling into a disadvantage, and defeat seemed only a matter of time.

"In the end, the gap in Realms is too large..."

"Yan Chen's Blazing Sun True Energy is too overbearing; it's uncomfortable just to be touched by it. It's already a miracle that Chen Linsheng has held out until now."

"What a pity. For such a Genius, if they were both in the Jiaojin Realm, the outcome would be uncertain."

The Disciples of the Blazing Sun Martial Arts Hall showed smug expressions again.

Lei Hao, Shi Poyue, and the others clenched their fists and held their breath, their eyes full of worry.

Unable to land a hit for a long time, Yan Chen's anxiety rose again. He suddenly changed his Move. The crimson light of his palms retracted, but his speed suddenly surged, like two bolts of red lightning, one left and one right, stabbing directly toward Chen Linsheng's ribs! At the same time, he let out a low growl from his throat, and his True Energy frantically gathered at his Shanzhong point in his chest!

This strike, Seemingly aiming directly at the center palace, In reality, it was a preparation for the next truly deadly move.！

A sharp light exploded in Chen Linsheng's eyes!

It's now!

At the moment when the opponent's Moves transitioned, True Energy gathered, old force was slightly stagnant, and new force had not yet been born!

He no longer dodged. Instead of retreating, he advanced, striking Yan Chen's right palm head-on with his left shoulder!

Bang!

The clothing at his left shoulder instantly charred and shattered, revealing the skin below glowing with a faint golden luster. A burst of intense stinging heat came, but the powerful defense of Golden Bell Shield Perfection stubbornly withstood most of the force of this palm!

Using the force of this collision, Chen Linsheng's figure spun rapidly like a spinning top, perilously avoiding Yan Chen's left palm. At the same time, his long-prepared right arm, like a bowstring tightened to the limit, suddenly released!

His right palm, with fingers together like a blade, was no longer the thickness of the Hunyuan Palm. Instead, it was a palm blade that condensed the triple explosive power of Layered Waves, induced a trace of the wind's sharp intent from the White Crane Wind and Cloud Song, and further integrated the spiral penetration of Python Dragon Strength!

This blade was silent and faster than Yan Chen expected, piercing with incomparable precision toward a spot three inches below his right ribs, which was slightly exposed due to his exertion—

That was a tiny point of stagnation in the flow of the Blazing Sun True Energy, a flaw that Chen Linsheng had quietly captured during the opponent's more than twenty fierce attacks, relying on the perception of Tracking Perfection!

Yan Chen's pupils shrank!

He never expected that while seemingly only able to barely hold on, the opponent could actually capture such a minute flaw and launch such a sharp and tricky counterattack!

In his haste, he forcibly twisted his body. Most of the True Energy gathered at his chest surged toward his right ribs, and the crimson Qi condensed like a shield.

Squelch—!

The palm blade struck the Qi shield, making a sharp sound like tearing silk.

The palm strength, condensed to the extreme, was like a red-hot iron nail, hammering fiercely into the crimson Qi shield! The Triple Wave Surge power erupted instantly, and the spiral penetration force drilled frantically!

"Crack!" A faint sound of breaking.

The crimson Qi shield was actually hammered through, leaving a hole!

The palm blade's remaining force was not exhausted, and it struck three inches below Yan Chen's right ribs!

"Ugh!" Yan Chen groaned, his figure shaking violently. A sharp stinging pain came from his right ribs, and his blood and Qi instantly surged. The gathered killing Move was actually interrupted, and his chest felt a burst of tightness!

Although most of the palm blade's force was neutralized by the Qi shield, and what truly penetrated was only ten or twenty percent, the blow brought not just physical pain, but also interference with his True Energy circulation, and... a heavy psychological blow!

He, Yan Chen of the Jiaojin Realm, had actually been caught in a flaw and struck in a vital point by a Flesh Refining Realm Martial Artist?!

Take advantage of his weakness to take his life!

Chen Linsheng did not let up. His left palm had long been ready. A simple and unadorned Mountain Pushing Form of the Hunyuan Palm landed solidly on Yan Chen's chest, which was wide open due to the blow to his ribs!

Bang！

Yan Chen's figure flew backward, flipping twice in the air before barely landing. He retreated five more steps in a row, each step leaving a deeper charred footprint on the blue bricks. The clothes on his chest were shattered, revealing a light red palm print. His blood and Qi churned incessantly, and a sweetness rose in his throat, which he forcibly suppressed.

He steadied himself and looked up, staring fixedly at Chen Linsheng, who stood several yards away with his palm retracted. There was no longer any contempt in his eyes, only shock, fury, and a hint of... unbelievable horror.

The entire venue once again fell into a dead silence.

Everyone, including the representatives of the major powers at the VIP seats, stared with wide eyes and open mouths, as if they had seen the most incredible scene in the world.

A Flesh Refining Realm Martial Artist not only took a full-force strike from a Jiaojin Realm opponent head-on but also caught a fleeting flaw during passive defense, successfully counterattacking and... knocking Yan Chen back?!

After an unknown amount of time, someone finally spoke with a dry, trembling voice:

"He... just now... he knocked Yan Chen back?"