Yang Zhong did not take all the vegetables away,
but he summoned guards and took away seventeen large baskets, over 1800 catties of vegetables,
which were thus taken by the Grand Emperor.
Watching the Grand Emperor Yang Zhong’s thieving behavior, Yang Hong was also somewhat enraged, grinding his teeth.
So, he endured for three days, and then went to the Grand Emperor’s palace, intending to beat him up.
The reason for enduring three days was because Yang Zhong greatly valued those vegetables. On the day he took them back, he had already summoned three hundred Innate Grandmaster guards and over two thousand first-rate experts to protect his safety.
Initially, Yang Hong was startled by such a lineup.
In the end, he couldn’t resist the urge to try his luck and directly appeared to challenge them.
Looking at the three hundred people moving as one in their military formation, feeling the aura condensed on them, far exceeding that of a Grandmaster,
the aura was like a man-eating tiger, like a mountain suppressing the world, pressing down, making Yang Hong’s breathing somewhat difficult.
Only then did Yang Hong truly understand why no one dared to trespass into the imperial palace,
even though there were only five Grandmasters openly present in the palace.
“Come, let me test the might of this military formation!”
Standing on the small square in front of the Tai Xiao Hall, Yang Hong felt his blood begin to boil.
“Attack!”
Yang Zhong’s voice was low, containing a hint of anger.
The three hundred Innate Grandmaster guards dispersed into a circular formation, their movements orderly and precise, clearly well-trained.
Yang Hong did not attack first. Instead, he crouched slightly, assuming a stable horse stance. His body was low like a wild ox about to charge, his fists raised like two horns.
His entire aura began to condense.
“Hoo hoo ~ Hoo hoo ~”
Before the two sides could even engage, their auras stirred a gust of wind, which began to churn continuously.
“Circular Grinding Annihilation!”
The Grand Emperor, standing outside the crowd, narrowed his eyes. He had noticed that this man in black had become stronger.
So strong that he had touched that threshold.
“Hah ~”
The three hundred Innate Grandmaster guards also wore serious expressions and began to circle, continuously shrinking the encirclement.
The guards in the innermost layer, holding shields, let out a roar like thunder, intending to shake Yang Hong’s spirit.
Simultaneously, five round shields, carrying the momentum of a heavy mountain, slammed down.
“Hah ~”
Yang Hong did not evade. He channeled his basic body-refining technique, a wall of true qi surging on his body, directly meeting the impact of the five round shields.
*Boom ~*
There was only a sound like hitting leather. Yang Hong stood firm, unmoving.
“Again ~”
Yang Hong’s eyes lit up. The blunt impact of the round shields couldn’t even break his true qi wall.
*Boom ~ Boom ~ Boom ~*
The Innate guards paid no heed to Yang Hong’s taunts. The twenty-five shield-wielding soldiers, like a grinding mill rotating, one after another, after striking, immediately ducked back, and others immediately filled their places, continuing their attacks.
There was no interruption. Powerful shield strikes were carried out continuously.
‘So satisfying. Such attacks can even help me condense my true qi. I’ve found a new way to cultivate.’
Watching the shields continuously striking, feeling his true qi within his body condense slightly, Yang Hong secretly chuckled.
At the same time, he even deliberately let out occasional muffled groans, so as not to let these shield-wielding soldiers feel underestimated and retreat.
“Shield and saber wielders, then spearmen, attack!”
It was a pity that such shield strikes only lasted for nine rounds. Yang Zhong saw that the attack was ineffective and immediately changed tactics.
Five simple sabers, imbued with Innate internal energy, slashed down with the force of wind and thunder, and ten long spears pierced through the air with a whistling sound.
“Damn it ~ Old man, you’ve got no martial ethics!”
Seeing such an attack, Yang Hong dared not meet it head-on.
He unleashed the fully charged Wild Ox Fist.
“Moo ~”
The fist strike broke through the air, actually emitting a low moo. This was the first time Yang Hong had unleashed such an attack, and even he was stunned.
A phantom of a wild ox, condensed from true qi, flew out along with his fist.
Before Yang Hong’s fist even touched his opponents, two shield and saber wielders were sent flying, crashing into three spearmen behind them, disrupting their formation.
“Careful, he has comprehended fist intent. Do not face him head-on.”
Yang Zhong’s face changed drastically!
Fist intent, a type of martial intent, was a state of mind, a spiritual realm.
Only some martial artists of the Grandmaster realm with high comprehension, good fortune, and great perseverance had a chance to comprehend it.
If an ordinary Grandmaster could exert a force of ninety thousand catties, then a Grandmaster who had comprehended martial intent could exert eighteen thousand catties or twenty-seven thousand catties of force with the same ninety thousand catties of strength.
This was the ability to challenge a Heavenly Being by being a Grandmaster.
Yang Hong was unaware of this. He only knew that he was getting more comfortable as he fought.
The Wild Ox Fist, with only three moves and nine forms, was the most rudimentary martial art, but now, wielded by Yang Hong, it was like an supreme divine skill.
Yang Hong cycled through the nine forms of the Ox Fist. At first, he used them in order, but gradually, he stopped pursuing the sequence. It was as natural as a swallow’s beak, effortlessly executed.
Seeing this, Yang Zhong’s expression grew even gloomier. He whispered a few words to the eunuch beside him.
In less than the time it takes for a cup of tea to steep, his plan was ready.
“Innate guards retreat, first-rate martial artist guards shoot arrows ~”
The three hundred Innate guards, obeying orders without question, swiftly withdrew from the combat zone; a sky full of arrows shot towards Yang Hong like a torrential downpour.
Furthermore, as the three hundred Innate guards retreated, some immediately handed them powerful bows and crossbows.
The scene exuded an aura of shooting Yang Hong to death on the spot.
“Pfft ~ Pfft ~ Pfft ~”
Facing the rain of arrows, Yang Hong could not counterattack and could only channel his true qi to resist.
“Old man! You are courting death!”
This was the first time since Yang Hong’s transmigration that he was furious, the first time he had wanted to kill someone.
His aura condensed, and a faint wild ox seemed to appear above his head.
Yang Zhong was startled by Yang Hong’s aura and retreated two steps.
After all, he now only possessed the strength of a first-rate martial artist, and that too, at the very bottom of the ranking.
However, as the emperor, he naturally possessed presence and experience, and in a moment, he devised a plan.
“Heh heh ~ Young friend, do not be impatient. My arrows are not spirit-breaking arrows, they will not harm you, and they can even help condense your internal energy. Why don't you persist a little longer?”
Yang Zhong said with a chuckle, acting as if he had Yang Hong’s best interests at heart.
Yang Hong almost believed him.
“Hmph ~ Since you are helping me condense my internal energy, then withdraw the archers and bring up the shield and saber wielders and shield bearers.”
Yang Hong was not an idiot. Although his true qi wall blocked the arrows, his true qi was being consumed very quickly. In at most three minutes, his true qi would be depleted.
At that time, he would surely be shot into a hedgehog.
However, if he wanted to escape, three minutes would be enough.
“Heh heh ~ As the young friend wishes. Archers, withdraw. Shield bearers, and shield and saber wielders, help the young friend condense his true qi.”
Yang Zhong was still chuckling, but inwardly, he was immensely shocked.
Two thousand first-rate martial artists, three hundred Innate Grandmasters, firing at least ten thousand arrows, and still unable to break through this person’s internal energy defense. Could this person already be at the Heavenly Human realm?
Since he couldn’t kill this person, and seeing that he didn’t seem to have any intention of opposing the Great Sui imperial family, he had to change his plan.
“Bang bang ~ Bang bang ~” The sounds echoed for half an hour. More imperial guards arrived, and even Emperor Yang Jian was alerted.
But Yang Hong no longer cared about those things.
The new prompt from the灌顶返还系统 (Veneration Return System) rang in his ears.
“Ding ~ Host has cultivated himself and condensed enough true qi to meet the standard. Realm advancement, advancing to…”