Lei Jun felt like his trajectory was finally on track.
Dong Yang, on the other hand, felt like he'd seen a ghost.
A body-refining martial cultivator, trained to channel their entire skillset through their physical form, was known for swift, powerful strikes. Their agility, reflexes, and explosive power were often unparalleled within the sa cultivation realm. And yet, he was getting flattened by a young Daoist with a single punch?
Sure, the Daoist’s Talismanic Branch had so close-combat traditions, but hand-to-hand combat was supposed to be the bread and butter of body-refining martial artists!
Fine, this young Daoist was tall, well-built, and honestly looked more like a body-refining practitioner than most of Dong Yang’s own family. Still, Dong Yang found the situation absurd.
The only explanation was a suppression of realms. Dong Yang quickly regained his composure.
The young Daoist might look youthful, but his cultivation was clearly on par with Luo Haoran and Lu Zhaoqing—Third Heaven Realm.
Moreover, unlike the aging and physically weakened Lu Zhaoqing, this young Daoist was in his pri and adept with the Spirit Strike Talisman, a signature technique of Tianshi Mansion.
While Dong Yang’s thoughts raced, Lei Jun—still propping up Luo Haoran—suddenly stepped forward.
Before Dong Yang could react, the pair closed the distance in an instant.
...A Wind Talisman!
Dong Yang’s heart sank. Carrying a burden and still moving at that speed?
What the h*ll? Who’s the body-refining expert here?
The blood and vigor characteristic of martial cultivators surged within Dong Yang. Instead of retreating, he advanced head-on. His muscles tensed, veins bulging like angry dragons as he aid a punch directly at Lei Jun’s throat.
“Smack!”
Lei Jun raised his hand, fingers outstretched, and caught the incoming fist squarely in his palm. Both n’s bodies shuddered from the impact.
Dong Yang’s fist went no further.
Lei Jun found the mont oddly amusing—though he hadn’t intended it, he realized he resembled a : “Pathetic. You’re weak.”
Dong Yang didn’t share the humor. His face twisted in rage and disbelief. As a Third Heaven body-refining martial cultivator, how could his punch be so easily stopped?
His throat bulged like a swollen egg, blood surging again as he prepared to unleash his trump card: Fla Python Spewing Pearl—a devastating martial technique.
Lei Jun felt the heat of Dong Yang’s fist intensify in his grip. The air around them grew scorching, yellowing the nearby grass.
And then…
Dong Yang coughed. His throat seized up, and the move faltered mid-execution. His power fizzled, leaving him stuck in place, unable to attack or retreat.
Lei Jun’s palm had briefly glowed with a flicker of green light, sapping Dong Yang’s vitality and leaving him weakened, his blood energy suppressed.
While Dong Yang hesitated, Lei Jun didn’t.
He released Luo Haoran and clenched his own fist. One precise punch struck Dong Yang’s swollen throat.
“Crunch!”
Lei Jun retracted his fist in ti to catch the wobbling Luo Haoran.
Dong Yang fell limp to the ground, lifeless eyes wide in disbelief.
Nearby, Lu Zhaoqing’s eyes were equally wide. “Has Nephew Lei already crossed Heaven’s Chasm and established his altar?!”
Wait. Wasn’t he supposed to be struggling with the effects of the Blue Stone Ink?
And speaking of that, didn’t it weaken the bodies of lower-realm cultivators? Look at this kid—what part of him looks weakened? He’s ridiculously strong!
The old Daoist suppressed his urge to curse aloud, though his thoughts ran rampant.
Luo Haoran was equally stunned. Within the sa realm, a Talismanic Branch Daoist might struggle against a martial cultivator in close combat. Their edge ca from tools like the Spirit Strike Talisman and Wind Talisman, bridging the gap. That Lei Jun had the advantage over Dong Yang was understandable given Tianshi Mansion’s superior legacy.
But defeating a Third Heaven martial artist in just two moves? Luo Haoran and Lu Zhaoqing found the scene surreal.
Lei Jun, however, remained composed as he looked at Dong Yang’s lifeless body. Had Dong Yang known my full strength and prepared, killing him wouldn’t have been this easy, Lei Jun mused.
Dong Yang’s earlier sneak attack on Luo Haoran had been a perfect storm of timing, location, and opportunity. Without such an alignnt of factors, Lei Jun reasoned, a Third Heaven martial artist couldn’t easily injure a true Tianshi Mansion disciple like Luo Haoran.
Calmly, Lei Jun comnted as if to himself: “I have to thank my master for the Spirit Strike Talisman; otherwise, today would’ve been dangerous.”
Lu Zhaoqing exhaled heavily. “Yes, thank goodness.”
He eyed Lei Jun again. “Nephew Lei, have you established your altar?”
Lei Jun, having revealed his strength, didn’t hide it. “Yes, thanks to my master’s guidance. Using Blue Stone Ink to accelerate my cultivation, and later the Mist-Wrapped Cloud Crystal to counteract its side effects, I successfully crossed the tribulation and established my altar.”
Lu Zhaoqing nodded in understanding. So, it was the much-discussed Moderate On at work. Lei Jun’s prior low profile had finally reached its limit of concealnt.
Four years. Lei Jun’s teoric rise—building his foundation and then his altar—was nearly unprecedented, even in the Daoist Holy Land of Tianshi Mansion.
Lei Jun redirected the conversation. “Rest, Uncle Lu. I’ll treat Brother Luo’s injuries.”
Lu Zhaoqing, now visibly exhausted, sank to the ground without pretense. Luo Haoran, battered and weak, had suffered a severe blow to the chest, leaving a bloody hole near his heart.
Fortunately, Lei Jun had a trove of dicinal supplies, courtesy of Senior Brother Wang Guiyuan. He administered both internal and external redies, stabilizing Luo Haoran’s condition. Still, residual heat energy from Dong Yang’s attack lingered in Luo’s body, causing a fever and leaving him unconscious.
Lei Jun rummaged through Dong Yang’s corpse and found an odd treasure: a golden orb radiating a faint light.
Clearly, it was this artifact that had allowed Dong Yang and his team to traverse the turbulent spiritual currents undetected. Without it, Luo Haoran wouldn’t have been caught off guard.
Lei Jun turned to Lu Zhaoqing. “Uncle Lu, I’ll use this treasure to subrge Brother Luo in the turbulent waters. The spiritual flow should help dissipate the residual heat energy.”
Lu Zhaoqing nodded repeatedly.
Thanks to the golden orb—now identified as Avoiding Water Golden Eye—and the Avoiding Water Talisman, Lei Jun carved out a dry pocket in the chaotic currents of the upper Suspended Lake. Inside, he subrged Luo Haoran, the water vapor aiding the removal of excess heat energy. Luo’s recovery beca visibly faster, though he remained unconscious.
With a mont of respite, Lei Jun examined both the Avoiding Water Golden Eye and the Jiji Stone he had acquired earlier.
It dawned on him that these were likely the Sixth-Grade Opportunity and Seventh-Grade Opportunity ntioned in the Moderate On.
As he studied the Jiji Stone, Lei Jun beca intrigued.
Previously, his plan to enhance his comprehension involved combining three items: Fire Marrow Yangfish, Unaccomplished Cauldron, and Water Marrow Yinfish—a balance of fire and water energies.
Now, with the Jiji Stone’s opposing qualities to the Unaccomplished Cauldron, Lei Jun wondered: What about a four-part combination?
ntors like Xu Yuanzhen and Yuan Mobai had speculated that a three-part combination could elevate his comprehension from Superior to Exceptional, though reaching the next level of Illumination was uncertain.
But with four parts?
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