Chapter 67: Chapter 67 Realm
The martial arts field suddenly fell silent.
It was Yang Luochen. The tall old man, carrying a dragon head stick, walked over leisurely.
This is none other than Elder Yang, the master of the Furious Ape Mighty Staff Martial Arts. In terms of Martial Arts cultivation, he ranks as the second most distinguished figure in the city...
This was Chen Ku’s first encounter with this Elder Yang, also nicknamed "North Yang."
A person’s reputation precedes them.
Especially this towering elder, who was effectively the guardian god of the Medicine King Hall and the ballast that steadied the ship.
In this city, in terms of Martial Arts cultivation, he was second to only one person yet stood above tens of thousands.
Not only did the apprentices and assistants of the Medicine King Hall instantaneously feel like they had found their backbone, but the assistants of the Twin Rivers Guild also involuntarily held their breath, anxiously watching their Sect leader.
Just now, as the eighth contender, their Sect leader had used two moves to beat back Instructor Chai Bao, breaking the bow in his hand.
There had indeed been the advantage of proximity, which the Sect leader himself acknowledged.
But the ranking of strength was an undeniable, ironclad fact.
Now...
This figure from Baojiao County, second only to one and revered by tens of thousands, had appeared. The gap between him and their Sect leader was far more than just a single place in the rankings...
Everyone couldn’t help but feel unease rise in their hearts.
"Master Yang."
Huang Muxia’s expression remained unchanged as he watched the tall elder carry the staff over. He calmly said, "Out of respect for you as my senior, I urge you not to be overly rude. Your Medicine King Hall secretly eliminated members of my Huang Family first. As the head of the Huang Clan and the Sect leader of a guild, it is only just for me to seek an explanation from you."
"What right do you have?!"
The tall elder stood a head taller than Huang Muxia, revealing his large white teeth as he spoke, "Let me repeat: not only do you lack evidence, but even if you had it, and even if the Medicine King Hall really did it, it’s because those with the Huang surname weren’t clean themselves. Why should I owe you, a little whelp, any explanation?"
With these words, Chen Ku secretly gave a thumbs up.
True to Master Yang’s nature!
After all, under the rule of the Daji Dynasty, the law still held sway. Especially when the Imperial Court controlled such immense power and martial might, the authority of the law was not to be underestimated. It was even more intimidating than in his previous life, as it was backed by the iron fist of the Imperial Court’s Martial Path.
Therefore, even if murder could be committed in secret, one would never dare to so brazenly declare they were "cleaning house" by killing someone, admit to it so frankly, and then add, "Do I need to explain to you?" like Master Yang just did.
All the assistants and apprentices of the Medicine King Hall had faces gleaming with excitement.
The three Shopkeepers, on the other hand, remained calm, treating it as a normal occurrence.
"Master Yang!" Huang Muxia called out, his tone more forceful. "It is your prerogative not to provide an explanation, Master Yang; you certainly have the standing for it. But I must seek one regardless. Otherwise, how could I command respect? How could I face my family upon my return?"
Upon hearing this, the three Shopkeepers looked at each other, seemingly coming to an understanding.
Cao Shouxiong glanced at Elder Yang, preparing to speak.
He had understood.
Huang Muxia was here to find a way to save face, and only Master Yang could provide that.
Jianghu was all about social interactions and etiquette. Huang Gun wasn’t important, but some things had to be done for the sake of appearances.
Otherwise, he couldn’t lead a sect; others would condemn him as a coward, too timid to stand up for his own people, and his reputation would be ruined.
However, the tall elder, his back to them, grinned as he listened to Huang Muxia’s words. He then said, "Fine. Since that’s what you mean, this old man will test you."
"Please set forth the challenge, Master Yang."
Huang Muxia flung the front of his long robe aside, his left leg leaning forward and slightly bent. His right hand, half-clenched, was held before his chest. His entire body lowered as he adopted a fighting stance. "Muxia seeks instruction."
"Stop with the fighting stance. Your stance is indeed interesting, but with one swing of my staff, there are only two outcomes: one, you’re turned into mincemeat, and the other, you’re turned into paste. So don’t waste your effort."
Yang Luochen planted his dragon head stick into the ground with one hand, sinking it an inch deep. He said, "Considering the Martial Arts and cultivation you’ve achieved aren’t easy to come by, let’s do this. You come over and try to move this Water-Fire Dragon Head Staff in my hand. If you can shift it even the slightest bit, I’ll have the Medicine King Hall give you an explanation. If you can’t..."
"I will leave at once," Huang Muxia agreed without hesitation.
Chen Ku stared at the dragon head stick, held by Master Yang and planted in the ground, astonished by the bet between the two men.
Is that staff incredibly heavy, or is it due to Master Yang’s own cultivation Realm? How dare he make such a bet?
Chen Ku now possessed strength exceeding 14,000 jin. Even wielding a Refined Iron Dragon Stick that weighed a thousand jin, he would never dare claim that someone with only a thousand jin of strength couldn’t move it even slightly. After all, it was standing upright; finding the right point of leverage would be enough to topple it.
So how strong must Master Yang’s grip be for him to say such a thing?
Huang Muxia moved.
He walked up to the tall old man and stared at the staff before him, pondering. He first moved to the left, then... to the right.
He reached out his hand three times, only to pull it back each time.
Just as everyone was puzzled, Huang Muxia suddenly splayed his fingers and pressed down on the head of the Water-Fire Dragon Head Staff, attempting to push it downwards...
A mighty rush of Blood Qi converged on his fingertips; all his strength, Force Power, and Blood Qi surged into the attempt.
The result, however, was that the tall old man’s eyes flashed with brilliance. His body suddenly expanded, instantaneously growing into a two-meter-tall giant. His wide robes swelled, yet his hands and the staff remained at their original height.
Huang Muxia’s eyes narrowed. He stepped back in shock, releasing his hand. "Transforming Tendons and Bones, enlarging the body, swelling of flesh and organs... Inner Strength? Has Master Yang reached the Realm of Inner Strength?!"
"Inner Strength!!"
Chen Ku instantly heard exclamations around him, especially from the masters. "Master Yang has reached the Fifth Realm of Inner Strength! He has broken through!"
The Fifth Realm? Inner Strength?
Amidst the voices of the masters, Chen Ku heard Ke Yansheng’s and immediately slipped over to his side, seizing the opportunity to ask, "Master Ke, what is Inner Strength?"
Ke Yansheng initially didn’t want to respond. But, turning his head and seeing Chen Ku, he pondered for a moment and said, "This was meant to be a secret that comes after Inner Qi; I hadn’t planned to tell you beforehand. However, since today marks Master Yang’s moment of divine revelation, come closer..."
After listening to Ke Yansheng’s softly imparted teachings, Chen Ku finally understood the Realms following Inner Qi.
Inner Qi, Mystic Barrier, Jade Skin, Meridian-Opening, Inner Strength.
"What about after that?" Chen Ku seized the opportunity to continue asking. "Is that it?"
Ke Yansheng shook his head and said, "The Martial Arts and Cultivation Techniques of the Medicine King Hall can only be cultivated to the Fifth Realm, Inner Strength. It’s also the highest level anyone in Baojiao County can achieve. Originally, there was only one person... now..."
He looked towards Master Yang. Now there was one more.
On the martial arts field, Huang Muxia had already taken several steps backward, his eyes filled with solemn admiration. "Master Yang, I congratulate you. News of today’s events will likely spread throughout the city by this afternoon. When that happens, the story of me attempting to move your dragon head stick here today will surely become a tale fondly recounted by the townsfolk and in the common Martial Forest. As for the matter concerning Huang Gun, let us consider it settled. I am outmatched in strength and utterly convinced."
With that, he led the people from the Twin Rivers Guild back to their residence.
"WHOOSH!!" The assistants and apprentices of the Medicine King Hall all shouted excitedly.
At this time, the three Shopkeepers excitedly approached Yang Luochen. "Master Yang, when did you break through?" "Why did you even keep it from us?"
Just as they were asking, Yang Luochen’s form shrank back to normal. A trickle of fresh blood spilled from the corner of his mouth as he said, "Cover for me a bit; don’t let the young ones see... It was just half a day ago."
The three Shopkeepers were shocked and immediately surrounded Yang Luochen.
They saw Yang Luochen gently lift the front of his robe, revealing a patch of skin on his chest that was burned and blistered, as if by an explosion.
"What—what happened here?" Cao Shouxiong was shocked.
Yang Luochen closed his robe again, grimacing in pain. He said gruffly, "Damn it! We encountered Demon People. Little Shang is hurt even worse than I am; he’s currently lying in the Butcher Court... barely hanging on to life. If I hadn’t desperately fought to break through that pass, I reckon we two old codgers would have been done for, left there completely."