Chapter 901: Questioning Fists at the Mountain Peak

Chapter 901: Questioning Fists at the Mountain Peak

On the Sweeping Flower Platform of the Banished Immortal Peak on Immortal Capital Mountain.

Pei Qian and Xue Huai, who were about to exchange fists, stood ten zhang apart.

Beside Chen Ping'an, Cui Dongshan had his hands clasped behind his head, ready to applaud and cheer for his senior sister at any moment. Xiao Mo hadn't come; he had gone to the Falling Treasure Shoal to be busy, planning to build a thatched cottage next to the Green Garment River. Xiao Mo wasn't particularly interested in fist exchanges, only saying, "Since they are guests, let the young master and Miss Pei go easy with their fists, so as not to harm the harmony."

In short, it was all flattery, just in a roundabout way.

"Can you really bring yourself to do this?"

Chen Ping'an crossed his arms over his chest, leaned back against the railing, and said through telepathy, "Go on, tell me, how do you plan to explain this to Yu Jin later?"

If he had even called Xiao Mo to go on a long journey together, what other mischief could they be up to?

Cui Dongshan's expression was awkward. Without using telepathy, he muttered quietly, "Senior sister is still loyal to Master, as always. She's completely unreliable, no surprise at all."

Very good, Senior Sister hadn't heard a thing.

This meant Pei Qian was truly able to achieve an undistracted state of mind. This kind of martial artist mentality was what was known as "Ten directions, I am in the center, heaven and earth follow my fist."

She had truly achieved "The fist follows me."

Chen Ping'an smiled and said, "Now you're wronging Pei Qian. It has nothing to do with her. If you don't believe me, wait until the fist exchange is over and ask her yourself whether she leaked any information."

Cui Dongshan immediately said, "Master, please, don't mention this to Senior Sister! I finally managed to balance merits and demerits in that 'Xin' character ledger!"

Chen Ping'an let out a sound of surprise, truly curious, and immediately asked through telepathy, "Dongshan, you're only on the 'Xin' character ledger? Tell me in detail, who are the ones before you? Old Cook, Wei Hailiang, they're definitely at the top. I suspect Zhong Kui, whom she knew early on after leaving Lotus Flower Blessed Land, also didn't escape. Then there's our Wei Mountain Lord, Shi Rou, Chen Lingjun?"

As for the 'Jia' character ledger, Chen Ping'an didn't need to guess; it was definitely himself, the master.

Cui Dongshan shook his head vigorously like a rattle-drum, "Won't say, I won't say even if I'm beaten to death. If Senior Sister finds out, I'm afraid it won't just be adding an entry to the ledger; she'll have to open a new one."

Chen Ping'an nodded, not forcing the issue.

Cui Dongshan suddenly became energized, intending to make amends with his master. He turned sideways, furtively pulled a booklet from his sleeve, spat on his thumb, and was about to start flipping through it to report good news. "Master, on this sea voyage to seek immortals, this student and Xiao Mo..."

Chen Ping'an immediately raised a hand, "Stop. I don't know anything, and I don't want to know anything. I won't interfere in any specific matters of your lower sect."

Cui Dongshan clutched his chest, his eyes vacant, his lips trembling as he said, "'Your'? Master, these words are a stab to the heart, chilling the hearts of all the officers and soldiers of the lower sect."

Chen Ping'an pretended not to see or hear. Don't try to drag me into this. Master can't afford to lose face like that.

Cui Dongshan suddenly said, "A few of those literary fortune and water fortune treasures are suitable to be taken out separately and given as gifts to Nuannuan and Xiaomili. Anyway, this student has already made up his mind. Even if Zhong Kui helps Yu Jin collect debts, we can talk about the other treasures. At worst, we'll return them to their original owners, as if Xiao Mo and I were unpaid escorts. But these few treasures, I'll definitely deny them. If it blows up and Zhong Kui goes against his own, even going so far as to use Master to scare people, the most I'll do is compensate with money. But these seven or eight treasures, I truly like them all. It's hard to choose..."

Before Cui Dongshan could finish, Chen Ping'an slapped him on the head and, with lightning speed, snatched the booklet from his hand and tucked it into his own green robe sleeve.

Chen Ping'an said through telepathy, "I'll handle Zhong Kui. You and Xiao Mo deal with Yu Jin together. Go talk to that senior."

Cui Dongshan suddenly clenched his fist and raised it high. Done.

Chen Ping'an then added some words, "kindly reminding" his student, lest he be "young and impetuous" and make mistakes or be careless. "Remember, next time you see the furious Senior Yu Jin, you and Xiao Mo should be amiable. What's a little spittle? Stay calm and discuss things with him properly. Don't bully others with your power. Don't let a big shop bully a customer. If the deal doesn't go through, the friendship remains. The green hills remain, the green waters flow forever. We'll meet again someday. You two will have plenty of opportunities to meet Senior Yu Jin in the future, won't you?"

Cui Dongshan nodded like a chick pecking at rice. Understood, understood.

In the future, he would have to frequently visit the Gusu fatty to sponge off him. No, to catch up on old times!

Chen Ping'an began to change the subject. "How many moves do you think this fist exchange will take?"

Cui Dongshan smiled and said, "That depends on Senior Sister's sincerity."

As a martial artist from Pu Mountain, Xue Huai, Ye Yunyun's proud disciple, had a solid foundation in the Distant Wandering Realm. He was by no means a paper tiger.

Chen Ping'an gently tapped his toe and asked, "I'll be exchanging fists with Mountain Lord Ye later. Can this Sweeping Flower Platform withstand the fists and feet of two Stopping Realm martial artists?"

Cui Dongshan smiled and said, "Even if it breaks, it doesn't matter. Repairs won't take more than a few days. This student guarantees that by the time of the Beginning of Spring celebration, it will be restored to its original state."

Chen Ping'an didn't confirm or deny.

Ye Yunyun, Qiu Du, and Hu Chuling, the three guests of Immortal Capital Mountain, stood together.

The old woman asked through telepathy, "Mountain Lord Ye, did you already know about Sword Immortal Chen's identity earlier?"

Ye Yunyun smiled and nodded. "I was planning to give you a surprise."

The old woman, having survived a close call, had a complex expression and murmured, "It certainly was a huge surprise."

At the Dragon Palace ruins, she had nearly been scared to death by this Sword Immortal Chen teaming up with the True Dragon King Zhu. Fortunately, it was a false alarm, and compared to her expectations, there was even an unexpected, bountiful gain.

If Mountain Lord Chen hadn't been meticulous and followed her all the way in secret, her trip to the Dragon Palace would have been fraught with endless troubles. It would have been a loss outweighing the gain. If that Wang Zhu had caught a handle on her, returning the "stolen goods" wouldn't have been such a relaxed and pleasant affair.

Just looking at the temper that Wang Zhu displayed before Chen Ping'an showed up, she wasn't exactly easy to deal with.

A bit further away from Chen Ping'an's group, Sui Youbian stood with her disciple Cheng Zhaolu and sword cultivator Yu Xieke.

Before the fist exchange, Cui Dongshan had first found Sui Youbian and asked to borrow a place. Sui Youbian, of course, had no reason to refuse.

Cheng Zhaolu asked softly, "Master, is Sister Pei and that old gentleman going to have a martial fight or a literary fight? Or will they just take a stance and grapple?"

Sui Youbian couldn't help but laugh. "Read fewer unreliable miscellaneous books. This kind of fist exchange at the mountain peak is nothing like the street vendor sparring down the mountain."

In the center of the training ground, the two sides were about to throw their fists when Pei Qian glanced sideways at her master.

Chen Ping'an nodded, signaling his senior disciple not to suppress her realm too much and to treat others with sincerity.

He secretly raised one hand, making a 'eight' gesture, then quickly turned his palm over once.

Pei Qian understood.

Eighth realm, ten fists.

On Pei Qian's side, Chen Ping'an had only taught her fists and fed her fists twice in total. Especially the first time teaching fists, the process and the outcome were best left unmentioned.

Plus, having grown accustomed to being an absentee shopkeeper, Chen Ping'an had never truly seen Pei Qian in action. It was impossible not to be curious.

Chen Ping'an only knew that at the Thunder Lord Temple of the Ai'ai Continent, Pei Qian had exchanged fists with Liu Suiyu of the Mountain Summit Realm. Later, on the Golden Armor Continent, she had been on the battlefield with Cao Ci and Yu Juanfu.

And he knew Yu Juanfu's martial arts aptitude, methods, and temperament very well.

Just the move "Divine Man Drums" was broken by Yu Juanfu for the first time in Yu Juanfu's life.

Sui Youbian had a faint smile on her face. It was truly difficult to superimpose the Pei Qian before her eyes with the image of that little charcoal-skinned girl from back then.

Before her was a young woman with a bun hairstyle, a smooth forehead, a lovely face, and a tall, slender figure. Especially her calm and steady aura, she was truly worthy of being called a grandmaster.

It was hard to imagine that this woman, as a child, had been lazy, cunning, vengeful, full of schemes, most afraid of hardship, most fond of taking small advantages, with a wild imagination and all sorts of strange, nonsensical talk.

Xue Huai put one hand behind his back and extended the other forward. "Xue Huai of Pu Mountain. Please enlighten me."

Pei Qian cupped her hands in return, her voice crisp, her expression calm. "Pei Qian of the Fallen Mountain. I apologize for what's to come."

Just this sentence, this grandmasterly demeanor, filled Chen Ping'an with a myriad of emotions.

He wanted a drink.

Cheng Zhaolu stared wide-eyed, his mind shaken. Sister Pei truly had the aura of a legendary grandmaster. His own performance in the Cloud Cave Blessed Land, that flailing mess of punches, was truly... unbearable to look back on! Damn it, it was all that You Qi, the one with the twisted mind, who made a fool of him. Later, when he had achieved some skill in boxing, he'd find a chance to go to the White Dragon Cave and have a word with him. Yes, he had to learn from the Hidden Officer, be steady. Be capable of fighting, and capable of running away afterward. Then he'd call Bai Xuan, the "undefeated in single combat," to join him.

Xue Huai suddenly asked with a smile, "In this fist exchange, can Grandmaster Pei suppress her realm by half or a whole realm?"

The old gentleman had no shame in bringing this up voluntarily.

On the battlefield of the Dali auxiliary capital, the nicknames "Zheng Qingming" and "Zheng San Qian" were famous far and wide. They were known for their fierce punches, determined to settle life and death battles with the enemy quickly.

Especially after Xue Huai witnessed Pei Qian uproot a huge rock from the river and, relying solely on her own strength, move it across the sea of clouds to Immortal Capital Mountain from a thousand li away. Xue Huai admitted that he could never accomplish such a feat.

If she didn't suppress her realm at all, he would likely not be able to withstand ten punches. Then, the so-called fist exchange would be a one-sided affair. Pei Qian would just throw punches, and he would only be able to endure a few before collapsing. It wouldn't be the mutual sparring and honing of the martial path that had been intended. Xue Huai wasn't afraid to lose; he was only afraid of losing without any meaning.

Besides, even though it was called a fist exchange, Xue Huai knew deep down that it was more like a "concession game" on a Go board. Although it wasn't exactly a top national player deliberately feeding moves to a lower-ranked player, it wasn't far off.

Invisibly, Xue Huai now regarded Pei Qian as a junior on the martial path.

Ye Yunyun was well aware of the subtle shift in her direct disciple's mindset, but she didn't feel disappointed in him. A pure martial artist...

Pei Qian, who had originally planned to suppress her realm to the Distant Wandering Realm, immediately turned to her master. This kind of matter, she had to let her master decide.

If it weren't for the fact that Ye Yunyun was about to exchange fists with her master next, the person Pei Qian truly wished to exchange fists with was, of course, Ye Yunyun, whom she had failed to "get to know through a fight" at the Yellow Crane Pier, not Xue Huai.

She had no grievances with this Elder Xue, whom she found quite agreeable.

If she truly had a chance to exchange fists with Ye Yunyun, since both were at the Stopping Realm, Bold Spirit Layer, she could go all out and throw her fists freely.

When two martial artists of the same realm exchange fists, a little bumping and scraping is not unusual. It doesn't count as settling a personal score.

Chen Ping'an nodded, signaling Pei Qian to suppress her realm by one level.

Ye Yunyun and Xue Huai still didn't know that Pei Qian had already broken through to the Stopping Realm.

This was only natural. How long had it been since they last parted in the Cloud Cave Blessed Land?

The fist exchange began.

According to the customary rules of the jianghu, in a competition without a life-and-death pact, where martial artists only spar to determine superiority, the one with the higher skill yields the first move.

The ground of the Sweeping Flower Platform trembled slightly. Xue Huai was already closing in on Pei Qian. His first punch was without any reservation. His fist intent surged, like a painting of a waterfall, but with the vertical scroll turned horizontal.

Xue Huai, relying on his own aptitude and high comprehension, had thoroughly understood the six immortal paintings passed down through Pu Mountain and created his own complete set of boxing techniques. From each immortal painting, he extracted the most exquisite part and refined it into a single punch. Once the first punch was thrown, the subsequent five moves would flow continuously, the fist techniques tightly connected, like a river rushing to the sea.

Pei Qian didn't retreat but advanced. She actually raised her elbow and directly blocked Xue Huai's punch.

Having grown accustomed to the old man in the bamboo building's "Iron Cavalry Formation Breaking" technique since childhood, this punch before her was too slow, too light. It was like playing with cotton.

Pei Qian stood still, motionless. She only raised one hand, fingers spread wide, about to slap the old gentleman's face.

Back then, when she was learning to box, the little charcoal-skinned girl had been sent "bouncing" on the bamboo floor by this very move of the old man, countless times.

Then would come a few harsh words like "enjoying crawling on the ground for practice." The old man's fist-feeding wasn't over. The little girl would be kicked in the chest or forehead by his toe, slammed into a corner, her gut twisting in pain as she curled up. Then she'd get another comment from the old man: "So you like being a rag, eh? Just like your master, your talent for martial arts is too poor, and you're lazy at practicing. What a grand future you have! From now on, just stick close to Little Nuan Tree. Or stand with your useless master, staring blankly at each other. One with 'waste' written on the forehead, the other with 'thing.' That would be fitting for the pair of you."

Of course, every time he talked, the old man never rested. He never gave Pei Qian a chance to catch her breath. He would step on her fingers or press his foot on her forehead, constantly increasing the pressure.

Now, Xue Huai leaned his body back slightly and swung one arm like splitting wood to make a qin body. It was fierce and powerful, the fist aura roaring, whistling like wind.

At the same time, Xue Huai viciously kicked out, his toe like a sharp blade, fast as an arrow, aimed at Pei Qian's ribs.

Pei Qian blocked his arm at her shoulder and suddenly raised her leg, twisting her ankle, skillfully kicking Xue Huai, simultaneously blocking both his fist and foot.

No longer standing still, she sidestepped a few paces. In that instant, it was as if Xue Huai had been waiting for Pei Qian to move. The old gentleman's steps were like an immortal treading on the stars, harmonizing with the celestial principles. In the space of a step, mountains and rivers seemed to shrink. His fist intent reached its peak. His pure true qi circulated nearly twice as fast as before. At this moment, Xue Huai's momentum was no less than that of a Ninth Realm martial artist. Behind him emerged streaks of blue-purple fist aura, making him look like an eight-armed deity. He took a big step forward, and a single punch scattered into countless punches, all raining down on Pei Qian.

On the Sweeping Flower Platform, Xue Huai's fist intent condensed into something almost tangible. The fist energy scattered violently in all directions.

Cui Dongshan waved his snow-white sleeves, guiding it all out of the Banished Immortal Peak, shattering countless clouds in the passing sea of clouds.

Cui Dongshan laughed through telepathy, "Senior sister really knows how to handle people." If not for Pei Qian's imperceptible holding back, she could have easily taken Xue Huai's first moves, then simply slapped him hard on the forehead. After that, Xue Huai would probably be lying in some big crater, snoring soundly.

Cui Dongshan asked cautiously, "Master, you don't think Senior Sister is being too arrogant, do you?"

Chen Ping'an shook his head with a smile. "How could that be? She's not exchanging fists with Mountain Lord Ye. When facing Elder Xue with a suppressed realm, one must still observe some formalities."

In truth, Chen Ping'an could already see that it wasn't just because he, her master, was watching as an observer that Pei Qian was holding back. There was a bigger reason. When Pei Qian threw a punch, if she wanted her fist intent to be perfectly complete, she would habitually go for the kill. To put it simply, Pei Qian was more suited for fighting without holding back, deciding victory or defeat in a single blow. She was completely unsuited for this kind of touch-and-go sparring.

That's why Pei Qian's real fights were when she used the Eighth Realm to challenge Liu Suiyu of the Mountain Summit Realm at the Thunder Lord Temple, or when she fought four consecutive matches with Cao Ci on the city wall of the Great Duan Dynasty.

If one were to be harsh, Xue Huai of Pu Mountain was still too low in realm. Even facing a Pei Qian who had suppressed her realm, he still couldn't serve as a proper touchstone.

Cui Dongshan said cautiously, "Senior sister might be trying to let Xue Huai throw more punches."

Chen Ping'an laughed in exasperation. "Alright, after my fist exchange is over, I'll have to thank her properly."

Ye Yunyun hesitated for a moment, then couldn't help but condense her voice into a thread and asked Chen Ping'an curiously, "How do you usually teach boxing?"

Chen Ping'an couldn't say that as a master, he had never actually taught his senior disciple any boxing. So he had to use some vague wording. "Stupid methods. A lot of teaching. Diligence compensates for lack of talent. When feeding fists, I suppress the urge to feel sorry for the disciple."

Six moves had passed.

Xue Huai still hadn't gained any major advantage.

The fist intent of the six moves was consistent; they could actually be counted as a single punch.

Xue Huai certainly wasn't foolish enough to bring this up.

Pei Qian stood on the white jade railing, extended her thumb, and gently wiped the corner of her mouth where there was a trace of blood.

Xue Huai's final move was a bit strange. His fists and feet had clearly all missed, yet they could create something from nothing. Pei Qian almost failed to dodge. She could only turn her head at the last moment, but still, a trace of the fist aura grazed her cheek.

Now, Sui Youbian, who still had the physical foundation of a Golden Body Realm martial artist, had to squint and concentrate just to see the moves clearly.

It wasn't cheating on Xue Huai's part.

He hadn't used any Qi practitioner techniques. The eight-armed deity that seemed to protect the old man was not a Golden Body Dharmic Form.

The Pu Mountain boxing techniques of Tongye Continent, with their stance and principles derived from the Immortal Paintings, were indeed impressive. They were not mere showpieces.

As for Cheng Zhaolu and Yu Xieke, two sword immortal prodigies, they were basically just watching the spectacle. Their eyes would blur, and Xue Huai would disappear. Blink again, and the scholar-robed old gentleman would be trailing a series of ethereal blue figures, as if there were multiple Xue Huai standing on the Sweeping Flower Platform, making the two sword cultivators dizzy.

Xue Huai felt a little more at ease. Although it was clear that Pei Qian was intentionally holding back a bit, at least with both of them in the same realm, the skill gap wouldn't be too vast.

It seemed that twenty punches, not just ten, were possible.

Xue Huai didn't rest. His figure flickered, and he closed in on Pei Qian again. The speed of his pure true qi circulation increased even more.

This time, Xue Huai chose to break apart all six moves and throw them in a different order.

Street-wise, "fists fear the young." Among grandmasters, "fists most fear the old."

Once the opponent becomes familiar with a favorite punching line, its effectiveness is greatly reduced.

After the seventh punch, Xue Huai suddenly used a boxing technique from outside of Pu Mountain, one he had learned from an old senior he had met by chance in his youth.

But Pei Qian received the punch easily. She wasn't caught off guard. Xue Huai's eighth punch seemed to show weakness, pretending to be out of energy and needing to replenish his pure true qi. However, Pei Qian didn't fall for it and recklessly closed in for close combat.

The ninth punch was Xue Huai's culmination of all his life's learning. It didn't have a name yet, as he planned to give it one after breaking through to the Ninth Realm. He considered it his most accomplished move.

When the Martial Saint Wu Shu was a guest at Pu Mountain, he saw this punch. As the foremost martial artist of Tongye Continent, who was never one for empty pleasantries, he gave it a high appraisal: "Rising above fist principles, approaching the Dao."

The punch came out like a dragon, the majestic and magnificent fist intent blooming, like a great flood engulfing the entire Sweeping Flower Platform, even creating a small realm-like phenomenon like that of a Qi practitioner.

Since Xue Huai had already thrown nine punches.

Pei Qian no longer had to strain to suppress her own fist intent.

The young woman martial artist instantly opened her stance smoothly. Her entire body's fist intent didn't continue to pour out wastefully into the outer world. Instead, it seemed to contract into a single mustard seed in the blink of an eye. At the same time, the thick fist intent on the Sweeping Flower Platform, which seemed to blot out the sky, was like a land-bound flood dragon seeing a true heavenly dragon. It dissipated on its own. The arrival was like a bursting dam; the retreat was like the ebbing tide. However, Pei Qian's mustard-seed fist intent was like a bright moon rising over the sea.

As this punch was released, it was like a divine decree, summoning a bright moon across the sky.

Pei Qian stomped her foot on the ground. The entire Sweeping Flower Platform on the peak showed no unusual signs. But below the Banished Immortal Peak, outside the platform, forest birds flapped their wings, abandoned their branches and scattered. Dust and dirt flew everywhere in the mountains.

One punch, one person, a straight line.

Xue Huai felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. He forced himself to raise a single breath of heart energy, just enough to not close his eyes, not retreat, not dodge. In any case, it was impossible to avoid.

Ye Yunyun narrowed her eyes and asked Chen Ping'an, "Is this punch an untold secret of the Fallen Mountain?"

Chen Ping'an put his hands in his sleeves, lazily leaning against the railing. He shook his head and smiled. "No. No one taught her. It's a move Pei Qian created herself."

The fist stopped a foot away from Xue Huai's face. Pei Qian abruptly withdrew her fist and stepped back three paces. She seemed to want to say something, but in the end, didn't say anything more. She just cupped her hands. "I concede."

When Xue Huai's vision cleared, he was still shaken. In an instant, he was drenched in sweat, as if he had just walked through the gates of hell. He took a deep breath, stepped back five paces, cupped his hands in return, and said in a deep voice, "I am instructed!"

Cui Dongshan hurriedly asked through telepathy, "Senior Sister, when did you secretly create another new move? You didn't even give a heads-up. You scared little senior brother half to death!"

Pei Qian said, "Just recently."

It was during the trip with her master on the Kite Ferry to Tongye Continent. One night, standing alone at the bow, Pei Qian looked at the bright moon over the sea. It seemed within reach, yet it was infinitely distant. Something stirred within her, and this brand-new punch was born.

Ye Yunyun straightened her back slightly. Next, it was her turn to exchange fists with Chen Ping'an.

When Xue Huai came to her side, Ye Yunyun asked, "Next year, when you break through to the Ninth Realm, do you dare to have a second fist exchange with Pei Qian?"

Xue Huai laughed heartily. "Why wouldn't I? Master, your question is baseless!"

Ye Yunyun nodded approvingly. "Excellent! You can lose in boxing, but you cannot lose in character. A Pu Mountain martial artist must possess this heart and this state."

Pei Qian came to her master's side, looking shy, habitually scratching her head.

Chen Ping'an smiled. "Especially the last punch, the atmosphere was quite remarkable."

Cheng Zhaolu and Yu Xieke were even more energized. Finally, it was the Hidden Officer's turn to throw his fists!

Chen Ping'an suddenly turned his head to look at Ye Yunyun and asked with a smile, "Mountain Lord Ye, would you mind if I used a convenient weapon?"

Ye Yunyun smiled and shook her head. "No matter."

When martial artists spar, they never stick strictly to bare hands. For example, the Martial Saint Wu Shu was accustomed to using his sword or wooden spear against opponents. If he didn't use any, it meant it was a spar for teaching purposes with a huge realm disparity, where the opponent wasn't even worth Wu Shu suppressing his realm.

Chen Ping'an smiled at Pei Qian and extended his hand. "Master needs to borrow something from you. That trophy from your battle on the Golden Armor Continent, the one Talisman Master Yu Xuan gave you."

Although Pei Qian was extremely surprised in her heart, her expression remained calm. She had never seen her master display any spear techniques.

Pei Qian took out a long spear from the "Small Cave Heaven" that Master Xiao Mo had given her. Both ends of the spear tips had been broken off by her.

It was a spear she occasionally took out in recent years to practice some spear techniques derived from that set of "Mad Demon Sword Techniques." In truth, it was just something she did for fun when she had nothing else to do.

Chen Ping'an reached out, grabbed the middle of the spear, and slowly walked towards the center of the Sweeping Flower Platform. As he walked, he weighed the spear a few times and twisted his wrist several times, drawing arcs in the air with the spear, making circles.

Even if it wasn't convenient, it was now.

The spear felt like an extension of his arm.

Chen Ping'an glanced at his senior disciple, suppressing a smile. It was as if he was saying, "Watch closely now. Learn as much of the essence of this spear technique as you can."

Because of Prime Minister Zhou, Chen Ping'an was not unfamiliar with Wu Shu, the man who had earned the title of "Martial Saint" on Tongye Continent.

Moreover, in the martial world, all streams of learning flow like a hundred rivers, eventually converging into the sea. All paths lead to the same destination. Practicing fists or practicing swords, how is a fist technique not a spear technique?

Pei Qian was too clever. She immediately understood and turned her head to glare angrily. "White Goose, did you tell Master that I was secretly practicing spear techniques?!"

Cui Dongshan was stunned, dumbfounded. Could he be suspected like this? Was their bond as fellow disciples so fragile? Cui Dongshan quickly raised two fingers, his eyes full of grievance. "I swear to heaven, it wasn't me! Senior Sister, you're truly wronging me! The heavens pity me, little senior brother is not the type to gossip behind people's backs."

Pei Qian leaned against the railing, too lazy to waste words with the White Goose. She began to concentrate, determined to closely observe her master's fist exchange. When he fought the Moving Mountain Old Ape at Zhengyang Mountain, her master hadn't used his full strength at all.

A figure in a green long gown stood in the arena.

Strictly speaking, it wasn't a conventional long spear, so it had neither tassel nor spike.

Ye Yunyun, dressed in yellow, followed closely, standing opposite him.

Both were Stopping Realm martial artists, and coincidentally, both were at the Bold Spirit Layer for now.

Following protocol, they each announced their names and titles.

"Ye Yunyun of the Cloud Grass Hall, Pu Mountain!"

"Chen Ping'an of the Bamboo Building, Fallen Mountain."

Pei Qian grinned.

Ye Yunyun was going to suffer.

If her memory served her correctly, this was the first time her master had added "Bamboo Building" to his self-introduction.

Outsiders certainly wouldn't understand the subtlety. Only the pure martial artists of their Fallen Mountain would know the weight of those words.

In an instant.

Two Stopping Realm martial artists, both very young in their respective continents, moved almost simultaneously.

Chen Ping'an held the tail end of the spear. The spear pierced in a straight line, its transformations infinite. In the blink of an eye, he shook out a dazzling spray of spear flowers.

Her yellow-clad figure seemed to move a hair faster than his green-clad one, already evading the stormy spear flowers. The green-clad figure sidestepped, raised the spear, and pressed down with a downward scrape. The extremely sturdy spear remained perfectly straight, only bending in a strange arc near the tip, which slammed towards Ye Yunyun's shoulder.

Ye Yunyun bent at the waist, twisted her torso, spun like a thunderbolt, and slapped the spear with her palm. At the same time, leaning slightly forward, she was already in front of the green-clad figure, delivering a knee strike.

Chen Ping'an only used the six-step stance from the Mountain-Shaking Fist Manual, just slightly altering his path. The two seemed to switch positions with unspoken understanding. Chen Ping'an turned and thrust his spear back, still straight out and straight in. Ye Yunyun actually stood on the tip of the spear, like a dragonfly touching water, and then kicked diagonally at the green-clad figure's head.

Chen Ping'an leaned back, dragging the spear with one hand and retreating several zhang. Suddenly, he spun around, the spear following his body. He swung the spear towards Ye Yunyun's waist, aiming to cut her in two.

Ye Yunyun's floating figure vanished into thin air. The fierce fist aura from the missed spear shot up through the spear shaft, directly splitting the high sea of clouds in two, accompanied by a terrifying sound like muffled thunder.

A spear slammed down from above.

Ye Yunyun turned sideways. The spear shaft almost landed vertically in front of her eyes, but a mere inch above the Sweeping Flower Platform, it suddenly stopped, suspended in the air. However, the ground, affected by the abundant fist aura, still cracked open, creating a gully on the spot.

The speed at which the two moved was like lightning. Not only Sui Youbian, straining her eyes, couldn't catch any of the images, but even Xue Huai could only see the general gist.

Xue Huai admitted to himself that if he took any punch from either of them, even a seemingly casual move, the fist exchange would be over. His Distant Wandering Realm physique was completely fragile against spear techniques and fist moves of this caliber.

Ye Yunyun's figure was graceful. Throwing punches at the green-clad figure, she was elusive and unpredictable, like a painting of a sage walking and reciting poetry. Her fists came out like dragons, dragons swimming through water.

She seemed to be gaining the upper hand.

A fist was supposed to smash into the opponent's chin, but the green-clad figure just sidestepped. The spear on his shoulder seemed to be carrying a mountain.

The green-clad figure's shoulder tilted slightly. The spear shaft rolled a little. Ye Yunyun instantly retreated several dozen zhang, dodging a punch.

Chen Ping'an withdrew his two fingers, which had been about to touch Ye Yunyun's brow. He returned to holding the spear with both hands and drew arcs again and again, as if deliberately exploiting the advantage of distance.

On the Sweeping Flower Platform, the firefly-like radiance dragged by the spear tip, circles overlapping or intersecting, was dazzling and brilliant.

Ye Yunyun remained calm and unhurried. The more than sixty stances and fist moves evolved and derived from the six Pu Mountain Immortal Paintings were skillfully executed by her hands. Compared to those her disciple Xue Huai used with all his might, there was a world of difference between master and disciple.

And that green-clad figure's offensive frequency was roughly three attacks to seven defenses. However, each time Mountain Lord Chen attacked, especially with his "Collapsing Spear" moves, Xue Huai was almost misled into thinking it was Wu Shu himself wielding the spear.

Because Xue Huai had once had a private fist exchange with Guo Baisu, Wu Shu's sole direct disciple. This astonishingly talented young martial artist was only slightly defeated by Xue Huai, even though Xue Huai was a realm higher.

And Xue Huai knew in his heart that the other party was holding back, not fully unleashing his killer moves. Of course, Xue Huai hadn't suppressed his realm either, and he hadn't exerted his full strength.

Through that sparring session with Guo Baisu, Xue Huai had roughly glimpsed the subtle and unique aspects of Wu Shu's spear techniques.

Now, watching Mountain Lord Chen's spear techniques, he felt that although the moves were completely different from Wu Shu's, the spirit and meaning were close.

In the jianghu world, there was a saying: "For the saber, a month; for the staff, a year; for the spear, a lifetime." Putting aside the suspicion of some spear technique masters blowing their own trumpets...

No wonder Mountain Lord Chen had said "convenient" when he asked his master earlier.

A spear shot swiftly towards Ye Yunyun's neck.

The spear tip missed.

After that, several spear thrusts aimed at her face all missed.

From beginning to end, Ye Yunyun's expression was indifferent, her demeanor composed. In the end, she actually reached out and grabbed the spear tip. She pulled it towards herself, then kicked out.

This simple "pull and kick" utilized two untold secrets passed down orally between successive Pu Mountain lords. One fist move was called "Dao Ancestor Leads the Ox," and the other was called "Water God Leans on the Mountain."

The kick hit like striking a bell, sending Chen Ping'an flying straight backward. However, the spear tip also cut a groove in Ye Yunyun's palm, deep enough to reveal bone.

Like a shadow following its form, Ye Yunyun swept a kick towards Chen Ping'an's temple.

In haste, Chen Ping'an could only cushion a palm behind his ear. Then, with a bang, the green-clad figure flew sideways for over ten zhang. He barely stopped himself by pointing the spear tip at the Sweeping Flower Platform's railing in the distance and stomping his foot on the ground.

Ye Yunyun quickly replenished her martial artist true qi. In an instant, her spirit was full, and her vast fist intent even had an aura of going further, a step beyond the hundred-foot pole.

Like a drunkard drinking a pot of strong wine, still unsatisfied.

Xue Huai, watching from the sidelines, looked at Mountain Lord Chen, who had taken two kicks and still hadn't fallen.

An idea suddenly crossed the old gentleman's mind: Stealing the fist techniques?

The same Pu Mountain boxing move, even the same fist principle, executed by Xue Huai himself and by his master Ye Yunyun, would have a vast difference.

His master had once said that the wondrous scene of the Tenth Realm, the Bold Spirit Layer, and any mountain-top grandmaster who broke into the Stopping Realm seemed to be able to "see a fist" and then "learn the fist."

But thinking again, Xue Huai felt it was far from that. He must be overthinking.

This Mountain Lord Chen was a gentleman.

Although he hadn't dealt much with this young Hidden Officer, Xue Huai felt he had this much insight and ability to judge people.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to teach Pei Qian, a senior disciple whose "boxing techniques are open and aboveboard, and whose manners are impeccable."

Moreover, in the world of boxing, when one's realm is high, moves cannot be used freely.

Contradictory fist principles and conflicting boxing techniques are major taboos in martial arts.

The exquisite fist moves from different schools in the world are not like gold and silver; they can't be spent once they enter your pocket.

Some fist moves are like iron cavalry charges, while others are like infantry formations. Furthermore, the hardness, softness, speed, slowness, lightness, and heaviness of fist techniques, and the viciousness, dominance, or blandness of fist principles, make it extremely difficult for a martial arts grandmaster to reconcile them. Not only does one bite off more than one can chew, but it can also affect the speed of a single thread of pure true qi.

Just like the Martial Saint Wu Shu of their own Tongye Continent, known for integrating the strengths of a hundred schools and successfully fusing all spear techniques in the world. How could he truly be, as rumored, "the only one in the world, with no spear techniques left in the mortal realm"?

With his master not present, Cui Dongshan abandoned all pretense of being the lower sect master. He had already sat down on the railing, leaning back, secretly glancing at the focused Xue Huai, who was watching the battle intently. He secretly tattled, "Senior Sister, if I were Elder Xue, at this point, I would definitely suspect that my master is stealing Pu Mountain boxing techniques."

Pei Qian said impatiently, "That's only human nature. Stop stirring the pot on my side, you white goose."

Cui Dongshan slapped the railing heavily. "Senior Sister's cultivation of the mind is accomplished! Your heart is as vast as the sea, your bearing like a mountain! You make little senior brother feel ashamed!"

Pei Qian chuckled dryly. "Alright, that's enough."

Next, after replenishing her pure true qi, Ye Yunyun unleashed the Pu Mountain ancestral boxing techniques and some of her own creations on the Sweeping Flower Platform. She threw her fists with all her might, to her heart's content.

Even Sui Youbian, also a woman, felt a little dizzy and mesmerized. This Ye Yunyun of the Tongye Continent was truly a great beauty whose temperament and looks complemented each other perfectly.

During this time, Chen Ping'an's most advantageous move was when he swung his spear in a full circle and hit Ye Yunyun in the abdomen, nearly knocking her backward in a slide. However, she knocked her elbow on the ground and quickly stood up.

She soon retaliated. A punch hit the spear shaft, bending it into a half-moon shape, which then slammed into Chen Ping'an's chest.

This fist exchange, overall, ended without a true victor.

Ye Yunyun's fists were like beating cloth or overlapping waterfalls.

When she threw a punch, it was like an immortal tuning a zither. Her fingers twisted imperceptibly, and her fist aura flew as fast as a flying sword.

As her figure moved, her fist aura overflowed, and a mist of water spread. Ye Yunyun seemed to perform a Qi practitioner's "Shrinking the Land into an Inch."

In the end, Chen Ping'an exchanged a punch for Ye Yunyun's fist and kick.

After that, both sides stood their ground and replenished their pure true qi.

But Xue Huai's mood was not at all relaxed.

Because, although his master had thrown one extra kick, the distance both sides retreated was roughly equal.

This meant that Mountain Lord Chen's Stopping Realm martial artist physique was actually a cut above his master's.

Pei Qian felt a little guilty, but she couldn't say anything while her master was exchanging fists.

It was like when she was a child, watching Old Wei and Xiao Bai play Go. The real gentleman watches the game without speaking.

When martial artists exchange fists, an outsider's words are a major taboo.

Chen Ping'an lightly tossed the spear back to Pei Qian.

Like an opening move in a game of Go.

The warm-up was over.

Chen Ping'an seemed to read Ye Yunyun's mind and smiled. "Cao Ci is not as weak as Mountain Lord Ye imagines."

Ye Yunyun smiled. "I know you didn't use your full strength."

She paused for a moment. Unlike before, when she just announced her name and started boxing, this time she stepped back and stood firm in the Pu Mountain starting stance. "Did I?"

Seeing this, Xue Huai's expression turned serious.

If they continued to fight, regardless of who won or lost, one side was definitely going to be seriously injured.

Chen Ping'an dismissed it with a smile.

He rolled up one sleeve.

Then, he wiped his arm with his palm, as if wiping something off.

On his left arm, layers upon layers of some kind of talisman were wiped away by his hand.

He did the same with the other sleeve.

Finally, with a twist of his toe, the three "Half-Catty True Qi Talismans" on each of Chen Ping'an's legs, from the knees down to the ankles, shattered into pieces.

Pei Qian looked stunned.

This, she really hadn't known.

She elbowed the White Goose beside her. The White Goose raised his sleeves, gathered his qi into his dantian, but instantly lost his composure, grinning and grimacing. Mumbling, "Senior Sister, heaven and earth as my witness, the sun and moon be my judge! If I knew the truth and deliberately didn't say, may I never be your little senior brother again. Just call me your big senior brother!"

As the person facing Chen Ping'an in this fist exchange, Ye Yunyun could most directly feel that suffocating pressure.

In the end, only one thought filled her mind.

Inhuman.

Although Ye Yunyun had never formally exchanged fists with Wu Shu, she had met him a few times. The Martial Saint of Tongye Continent always brought her a tremendous pressure. Wu Shu gave everyone a natural feeling of vigorous blood and strong sinews and bones. It could even cause the surrounding martial artists to involuntarily feel dwarfed.

That feeling she had before when facing Wu Shu was already terrible enough. It was like a weak, frail young girl walking alone at night in an alley and meeting a burly man. Whether the man had ill intentions or not, it would make the woman uneasy.

But at this moment, Ye Yunyun actually felt a great despair, contrary to her own heart, unworthy of her martial arts and the surname of the Cloud Grass Hall.

It was as if a voice kept echoing in her heart.

Don't exchange fists! You can't exchange fists! You'll lose, you'll die!

And this suffocation and despair, which a pure martial artist absolutely should not and must not have, nearly enraged Ye Yunyun, a Stopping Realm grandmaster.

No wonder Jiang Shangzhen had advised her not to exchange fists with this man.

With such a heart, how could she claim to be the fist that rules over an entire continent? How could she help the Cloud Grass Hall ascend to the ranks of a Confucian sect?

Chen Ping'an keenly noticed the change in Ye Yunyun's state of mind and suddenly shouted through telepathy, "Ye Yunyun!"

Ye Yunyun's scattered eyes and mind, as if hearing a sudden clap of spring thunder, involuntarily gathered somewhat.

Then, she instinctively concentrated her mind. In an instant, Ye Yunyun's mind was clear, as if the great outer world and the small human body world were both empty of anything.

Chen Ping'an slowed down his punches, just standing in place.

After a while, Ye Yunyun withdrew her entire mind from that wondrous state. After the emptiness came the mountains, rivers, and ten thousand li, unfurling like a scroll.

Memories of vivid people and events were like colored scrolls. Life scenes that were relatively blurry were like meticulously crafted line drawings. And those things she thought she had long forgotten, but which were actually sealed away inside her, were like ink-wash paintings, formless, only the spirit remaining.

At that moment, Ye Yunyun felt like a divine being, standing aloft in the void, high in the sky, looking down upon the mountains and rivers below.

Was this the second layer of the Stopping Realm, the Return to Truth?!

Chen Ping'an continued through telepathy, "Don't be in a hurry to exchange fists. You can wait a moment."

Ye Yunyun's eyes were unusually bright. She put away the ancient Pu Mountain stance, stepped back, and cupped her hands again. She gave a silent thanks to the green-clad figure before her, who still felt "inhuman" to her. But now, there was no trace of despair in her heart. She was silent for a moment, then smiled like a blooming flower. "You need to be careful!"

Chen Ping'an asked, "Are you sure?"

His original intention was to ask this Mountain Lord Ye if she was sure she didn't need to stabilize the Return to Truth realm a bit more.

After all, she was currently only half a Return to True martial artist.

But Ye Yunyun had already opened her stance, even showing signs of... conceding the first move because of her higher skill?

So, Chen Ping'an disappeared from his spot.

Since this Ye Yunyun wanted to use his realm to roughly infer Cao Ci's level in martial arts and depth of realm.

No problem.

Chen Ping'an still chose to hold back twenty percent of his strength, exactly as he had done when exchanging fists with Cao Ci at the Gongde Forest.

At that time, Cao Ci had also held back twenty percent.

Ye Yunyun instantly lost all perception. It was as if... there was no green-clad figure in the world.

Then, her head tilted to one side, and Chen Ping'an pressed his palm against one side of her head and pushed heavily.

Ye Yunyun's body seemed to be suddenly suspended horizontally in the air.

The green-clad figure then stepped sideways, raised an arm high, and punched straight down.

Ye Yunyun was hit in the waist by the punch, and her entire body slammed heavily into the ground.

Cui Dongshan sucked in a cold breath, turning his head away from the sight.

Fortunately, Chen Ping'an quickly extended his instep, slightly slowing her descent, and immediately retreated a few steps.

On the Sweeping Flower Platform, besides Cui Dongshan and his disciple Pei Qian, probably no one else could see this action.

Still, Ye Yunyun lay heavily "horizontally" on the ground, looking a bit... dazed.

Chen Ping'an spread his hands wide, tucking them into his sleeves, and cupped his fists. "I accept your concession."

Ye Yunyun staggered to her feet, forcefully suppressing the great upheaval within her small human body world and the chaos of disturbed spiritual energy that had been caught in the crossfire. Her expression was complex as she cupped her hands in return and smiled wryly. "I accept your concession."

The same phrase "I accept your concession" could have very different meanings.

For a moment, the entire Sweeping Flower Platform fell silent as both sides of the fist exchange each fell into silence, drawing everyone else into the quiet.

Ye Yunyun forced herself to swallow a mouthful of blood. Her pale complexion improved slightly before she asked through telepathy, "Is it just completely unwinnable when you and Cao Ci are in the same realm?"

Chen Ping'an said, "Sparring with me is manageable, but if you were exchanging fists with Cao Ci, it's definitely unwinnable."

Ye Yunyun fell silent again.

Chen Ping'an felt a bit awkward.

It seemed like no polite words were appropriate at this point.

Cui Dongshan found it a bit heartbreaking. This Mountain Lord Ye was originally planning to become a registered guest elder of their Immortal Capital Mountain. He hoped this bout of fist-feeding by the master hadn't scared that away.

Ye Yunyun finally asked, "I've heard about that 'No Defeat Game' of the Liu Clan of the Ai'ai Continent. Is Cao Ci truly so invincible?"

As for the "Green-White Debate" that had shaken the world at the Gongde Forest, Ye Yunyun had also learned the general gist of it through the landscape gazettes.

Chen Ping'an said, "Cao Ci is naturally very invincible, but there is still a chance."

Ye Yunyun cupped her hands and smiled. "Farewell."

Chen Ping'an was stunned.

Cui Dongshan gave him a pitiful look. Look, Master, see what you've done. Mountain Lord Ye isn't planning to attend the sect's celebration ceremony.

Ye Yunyun was both amused and exasperated. "Going to heal my injuries."

Ye Yunyun simply led Xue Huai towards the Secret Snow Peak. She walked steadily along the way and didn't fly.

But after they had gone some distance, leaving the Sweeping Flower Platform and Banished Immortal Peak, on a mountain path flanked by cliffs on both sides, the woman in yellow stopped. She stood on the bluestone steps, grabbed a cliff wall with one hand, and pressed the other against her waist. She rubbed it gently, but even a Stopping Realm woman martial artist couldn't help but frown in pain.

Her disciple Xue Huai didn't even dare to breathe loudly. He kept his eyes forward, pretending he hadn't seen anything. The old gentleman, being understanding, quickened his pace and silently walked ahead.

Xue Huai slowed his pace. After he had walked down more than a dozen steps, he stood still, his back to his master.

Ye Yunyun climbed the steps. "'The fists of a continent come from Pu Mountain.' Don't take that saying to heart. I can't control what outsiders say, but from now on, if any disciple of the Cloud Grass Hall dares to say that in front of me..."

Just as she whispered, the pain in her waist flared up. Sweat beaded on Ye Yunyun's forehead, and she didn't say another word.

Xue Huai felt it would be improper to remain completely silent. So, he mustered his courage and said, "This Sword Immortal Chen's senior brother, the great swordsman Zuo, in his early years, managed to turn the term 'sword immortal embryo,' which was originally a great compliment for sword cultivators in the Central Earth Divine Continent, into something like a curse word."

Ye Yunyang laughed in exasperation. "You might as well have kept your mouth shut!"

Xue Huai had no choice but to silently continue on his way.

Back on the Sweeping Flower Platform, Pei Qian was beaming with pride, even more delighted than if she had won the fight herself.

Chen Ping'an smiled and didn't say anything. It seemed like a fist exchange at the mountain peak between him and Ye Yunyun, but in reality, it was still only halfway up the mountain compared to "a certain person's certain punch."