Chapter 452: Night Rain Moistens Things Crossing Jiangmen

"Something's off; this fellow has some tricks up his sleeve!" Luo Qianhong's face grew solemn.

Amateurs watch the show, experts watch the technique. Bai Chen was hopping around, spurting blood like a watering can. To others, it looked like dancing, but Luo Qianhong saw something extraordinary. It was clear that the young man's almost-raised foot posed a significant threat to his old friend, so much so that his friend was willing to suffer a backlash injury just to retreat and avoid it.

In other words, this guy had identified the flaw in Bai Chen's moves and devised a counter-method beforehand. This allowed him to be so relaxed and casual, leaving Bai Chen, also a master teacher, in such a sorry state.

"Could it be... he already knew Master Bai would make a move and had researched his martial arts and cultivation methods beforehand?" Ding Mu also saw it and couldn't help but ask.

"Research beforehand? That's impossible!" Luo Qianhong shook his head as he spoke. "No one reveals their cultivation techniques and martial arts to anyone except their closest kin, and even then, they often hold back some knowledge to prevent opponents from learning and exploiting them. I know Bai Chen uses the Great Prajna Hand, but his Clear Wind Consecutive Fists and Departing Sorrow Blade have never been demonstrated in front of others. Even I'm not entirely familiar with them. How could an outsider possibly investigate them beforehand?"

"Then..." Ding Mu's face paled. He remembered the various legends surrounding this young master teacher. He hadn't taken it seriously before, simply thinking the other party benefited from having a good teacher. Now, it seemed, things were probably not that simple.

"It's highly probable that he has either seen or cultivated these martial arts himself and knows their flaws..." After explaining, Luo Qianhong couldn't help but turn to stare at the Crown Prince: "Are you hiding something from me? Did you not explain fully? Is this person truly just an ordinary two-star primary master teacher?"

This guy had come and told him he had offended an ordinary master teacher from a first-tier kingdom. Just a two-star master teacher from a subordinate kingdom; he hadn't paid much attention and thus hadn't investigated thoroughly. Who knew that a moment's oversight would lead to such a problem? Just now, standing atop the savage beast and shouting loudly, he had assumed the young man was a reckless fellow who knew nothing. Even if he had some talent, his age would limit him, making him not worth worrying about. Now, it seemed, that was not the case at all. Could an ordinary two-star primary master teacher have cultivated so many martial arts and coincidentally know all their flaws? Ding Mu's vague and unclear words must have led to his misjudgment!

"He..." Questioned directly, Ding Mu clenched his fist: "I don't know much about him either, only that... he became a two-star master teacher less than ten days ago!"

"Less than ten days?" Luo Qianhong's brows furrowed. Logically, a freshly certified two-star master teacher shouldn't be this formidable, should they?

Still full of doubt and struggling to comprehend, he suddenly heard the sound of a fist connecting with flesh. He quickly turned his head to see Bai Chen, unable to dodge any longer, getting kicked in the face. He flew forty to fifty meters, his head embedding itself in a low wall, having already fainted. Having been repeatedly forced to jump wildly by Zhang Xuan and suffering the backlash of his own strength, he finally couldn't endure it anymore. He risked a desperate attempt to take the opponent down with him, but the result was... he "went down," while the other party was completely unharmed.

"Master Bai was kicked flying?" "His strength is that great?" "Wasn't it said that the Crown Prince was the foremost talent? If he... defeated Master Bai before turning twenty, isn't he even more incredible?"

During the "dancing" earlier, people didn't understand what was happening. Now that Bai Chen had been knocked unconscious, even the most foolish among them knew that this "reckless" young man's strength surpassed that of Master Bai, who was at the initial stage of three-star. They stared at each other, looking dumbfounded.

A flurry of movement! As everyone was astonished, the surrounding soldiers, seeing the young man continue to advance, getting closer and closer to their Crown Prince, collectively charged forward, blocking his path.

"Hold on!" Seeing Ding Mu about to order his guards to act, Luo Qianhong waved his hand.

"Hall Master Luo..." Thinking he was about to change his mind, Ding Mu looked over.

"I'll try to persuade him for you; it's best if we can resolve this peacefully!" Although he blamed this fellow for not telling the whole truth, Luo Qianhong owed a debt of gratitude to the kingdom, which he had to repay. Moreover, matters had progressed to this point, and it was too late to avoid it even if he wanted to, so he could only steel himself and proceed.

"Then I'll leave it to Hall Master Luo!" Ding Mu nodded.

"Alright, you continue with the ceremony and speed it up. Once you become king and hold the Jade Seal, things will be simpler. I'll also have a better reason to speak on your behalf!" Luo Qianhong said.

"Understood!" Ding Mu nodded quickly and hurried toward the central throne.

Seeing him go to receive the crown and undergo the final coronation, Luo Qianhong finally let out a sigh of relief. He then turned and walked towards Zhang Xuan, looking at the many soldiers who had drawn their weapons and were ready to act at any moment: "All of you, stand aside!"

"Hall Master Luo!" Knowing his identity, the soldiers cleared a path and bowed in unison.

"You must be Master Zhang Xuan, correct? I am Luo Qianhong, the Hall Master of the Xuanyuan Master Teacher Pavilion!" Taking a few steps forward, Luo Qianhong clasped his hands: "I don't know what enmity exists between you and Ding Mu, but it's always better to resolve grievances than to escalate them. Since we are all master teachers, I will act as a mediator here. Let's put an end to this matter. Just name your price, and I'll have him prepare any compensation you wish!"

"I've already said: bring me Ding Mu's life, and I will leave!" Zhang Xuan's tone was calm. No compensation, however precious, could compare to the life of his student!

"Ding Mu is the Crown Prince, and he is about to ascend the throne as the King of Xuanyuan Kingdom. If he were to be killed, it would lead to national turmoil and widespread suffering. Any Master Teacher Pavilion would intervene if this matter were to reach them, and your own master teacher status might even be implicated..." Frowning, Luo Qianhong couldn't help but add.

"Move!" Seeing Ding Mu accelerating the succession ceremony, and realizing this fellow was clearly stalling for time, Zhang Xuan's face darkened.

"I refrained from acting because I appreciate talent, seeing you possess such strength at a young age. Don't be ungrateful!" Luo Qianhong snorted. Giving face only to have it slapped away... So what if he's a genius? Does he really think a dignified three-star pinnacle master teacher, a half-step Transcendent Mortal expert like himself, would be afraid of him?

"If you don't move, then you'll end up lying down just like that fellow!" Seeing him still dawdling, Zhang Xuan raised an eyebrow and said no more. His figure suddenly flickered. He vanished from his spot, darted dozens of meters, and reappeared directly in front of the other party.

Heaven's Path Movement Art. During his fight with Bai Chen earlier, he had deliberately not used Heaven's Path martial arts, saving them for this very moment. Otherwise, if his ultimate moves were discovered, the opponent might take precautions in advance, rendering them ineffective. With his cultivation reaching the Grand Perfection Realm, his Heaven's Path zhenqi had become even more refined and dense, greatly increasing the speed and effectiveness of his Heaven's Path Movement Art.

Even Luo Qianhong, being a half-step Transcendent Mortal, hadn't expected such speed. By the time he reacted, the person was already before him.

"You..." His pupils contracted, and Luo Qianhong hastily retreated. Before he could even retreat half a step, a fist appeared in his vision, growing larger as it approached.

Heaven's Path Fist! The speed of this fist was no slower than his movement art, perhaps even faster, quite possibly exceeding the speed of sound. Luo Qianhong knew he couldn't dodge. His zhenqi surged within him, filling his hands. Crossing his arms, he met the attack. Fist met palm. He felt a numbness in his palms, and his face paled. Luo Qianhong retreated seven or eight steps consecutively before stabilizing his posture. To dissipate the opponent's violent power, with every step back, his feet sank three inches deep into the ground. Under the impact of the force, the hard rock beneath shattered into powder.

"What powerful fist art!" Intense pain shot through him, and Luo Qianhong's arm trembled slightly. After a direct clash, he could tell: although the opponent's strength was considerable, it was still quite inferior compared to his own, a half-step Transcendent Mortal. What was truly terrifying was this fist art! It conformed to the Great Dao, appearing before him in the blink of an eye, and incredibly... there were no flaws to be found, no imperfections whatsoever! Even he, a three-star pinnacle master teacher, had suffered a hidden disadvantage in such a hurried situation.

Taking a deep breath to suppress his somewhat chaotic zhenqi, he flipped his palms and stepped forward. Being forced to retreat by a single move was a complete loss of face. This time, he couldn't let the opponent make the first move; he had to seize the initiative.

Boom! The zhenqi of a half-step Transcendent Mortal expert surged out, forming a vast river around him, and the surrounding air seemed to grow thick. Martial artists cultivate themselves, able to unleash the absolute power of their physical bodies and zhenqi, pushing them to their peak and limits. However, the cultivation method for Transcendent Mortal Realm experts is completely different. True Transcendent Mortal experts can leverage their surroundings, mobilizing the surrounding vital energy for their own use, thereby unleashing combat power several times greater than their own. In Zhang Xuan's words from his previous life, martial artists used their fists and muscles, while Transcendent Mortals were like operating machines, utilizing external forces. They are incomparable. How could one fight tanks and cannons with bare hands?

A half-step Transcendent Mortal, although not yet capable of harnessing nature and the environment to that extent, had still stepped over the threshold. The power they could wield already far surpassed the 40,000 ding of a Grand Perfection Realm pinnacle expert! Even Zhang Xuan's 50,000 ding of strength seemed insignificant in comparison.

His zhenqi spread out, his full half-step Transcendent Mortal power unleashed, controlling the surroundings. Only then did Luo Qianhong breathe a sigh of relief. With a soft snort, he turned his palm and struck down at Zhang Xuan.

It was a Ghost-tier pinnacle martial art, the Flipping Sleeve Hand!

"Warm winds caress the willows, turning sleeves; night rain moistens all things, passing through the river gate!"

This palm strike appeared light and weightless, yet it condensed the surrounding vital energy into a solid block of iron. Let alone rock, it could easily pierce through steel or even Ghost-tier weapons. A half-step Transcendent Mortal wielding a Ghost-tier pinnacle martial art possessed immense power. Not to mention a Grand Perfection Realm pinnacle expert, even a master of the same cultivation level would find it hard to contend. With this move, Luo Qianhong had brought out his full mastery.

His palm, moving at an awe-inspiring speed, arrived before the young man and was about to descend when he saw the opponent not dodge or flee, but instead his body flickered, and he moved straight to meet it.

"Oh no!" The Flipping Sleeve Hand, with its subtle breezes and ethereal movements, was hard to resist... yet it had a flaw, the "Jiangmen" mentioned in its chant. And this fellow was currently standing precisely at his "Jiangmen" flaw! With one move, he had spotted the flaw, located the precise position.

This... how was this possible!

At this moment... Luo Qianhong was utterly terrified.