Chapter 58: Blood Qi Like a Rainbow
Within the royal palace, there was a royal training ground built at the foot of Junshan Mountain.
Before the sky had even fully brightened, the sound of "slap, slap" echoed from the training ground as princes and commandery princesses practiced martial techniques within the field.
The King of Yunwu Commandery had a total of nine sons and thirteen daughters. As long as they had awakened their Divine Martial Marks, they were sure to come to the training ground every morning to cultivate. This was a daily required lesson!
Zhang Ruochen had never come to the training ground before. Today, he was dragged there by the Ninth Commandery Princess, who insisted he accompany her in training.
Truly worthy of being a royal training ground—it was seven or eight times larger than the Lin Clan's training ground, entirely paved with white stone slabs a meter thick.
Within the field, princes and commandery princesses could spar with each other, or they could train alongside guards of similar cultivation levels.
Moreover, every day, a general at the Earth Extreme Realm would patrol the training ground while guiding the princes and commandery princesses in their cultivation.
"Little Commandery Princess, when practicing the Wind-Chasing Sword Art, the most important thing is to keep your steps steady and your sword technique smooth... Raise your left hand a little higher, like this. The sword should be like a swift wind, fast as lightning."
That Earth Extreme Realm general was instructing the Little Commandery Princess in a human-grade lower-class sword technique, demonstrating as he guided her.
The Little Commandery Princess was only six years old, with a delicate and adorable face. She held a small sword in her hand and had already learned the Wind-Chasing Sword Art quite well.
Seeing the Ninth Commandery Princess and Zhang Ruochen, the Little Commandery Princess's eyes lit up. She ran over to Zhang Ruochen with her sword, her voice somewhat childish, and said, "Are you the Ninth Brother?"
Zhang Ruochen glanced at the Ninth Commandery Princess, nodded, and said, "Do you know me?"
"Of course! First place in the year-end assessment, first on the Yellow List, a martial arts prodigy. My master said that Ninth Brother's attainment in the Sword Dao has reached the high-level realm of Sword Heart Follows the Will, and even he can't compare to Ninth Brother. He told me to take Ninth Brother as my role model and train hard. Ninth Brother, can you teach me swordsmanship? Teach me how to reach the realm of Sword Heart Follows the Will?"
Although the Little Commandery Princess was young, her speech was clear and logical, not at all like a child.
Zhang Ruochen smiled, finding the Little Commandery Princess adorable, and said, "Who is your master?"
The Little Commandery Princess pointed to the armor-clad general not far away and said, "My master is one of the ten great experts of the Imperial Guard, General Huo Si."
As Zhang Ruochen looked toward General Huo Si, Huo Si had already walked over. He slightly cupped his hands and bowed to Zhang Ruochen, saying, "Your subordinate, Huo Si, pays respects to the Ninth Prince."
Huo Si was an Earth Extreme Realm powerhouse, holding a very high status in the Imperial Guard. That he could bow and salute Zhang Ruochen showed he held Zhang Ruochen in high regard and dared not be negligent.
The other princes and commandery princesses had to treat him as their master and would never receive such treatment.
"Truly worthy of being an Earth Extreme Realm powerhouse—his aura is like a mountain, like a vast sea, giving a feeling of being unattainable and unfathomable." Zhang Ruochen nodded slightly.
Although it was just a glance, Zhang Ruochen had already guessed Huo Si's approximate cultivation level.
Because of Zhang Ruochen's arrival, the entire training ground became very lively. All the princes and commandery princesses stopped their training and curiously walked over.
The Fifth Prince said somewhat sarcastically, "It's said that your cultivation has reached the Great Perfection of the Yellow Extreme Realm, and you've won ten consecutive matches against Yellow List martial artists, making you the number one on the Yellow List of Yunwu Commandery. Fifth Brother is very curious—just how strong has your power become? I wonder if Ninth Brother can give us a demonstration?"
The Sixth Prince sneered and said, "It's said that even Shui Wenxin, ranked third on the Yellow List, was defeated by Ninth Brother. Now, everyone says Ninth Brother has the valor to stand alone against ten thousand foes. I wonder, compared to a Mysterious Extreme Realm martial artist, who would be stronger?"
The Little Commandery Princess and the other commandery princesses all showed expectant expressions. Recently, they had heard many legends about the Ninth Prince and wanted to know if he was truly as powerful as the rumors said.
"Ninth Brother, let Third Brother test your skills and let your brothers and sisters witness your unparalleled brilliance." The Third Prince stepped out from the crowd, a faint smile on his face.
The Third Prince, now twenty-eight years old, wore a silver robe trimmed with gold. With his hands clasped behind his back, he smiled as he stared at Zhang Ruochen standing opposite him.
Among the King of Yunwu Commandery's nine sons and thirteen daughters, the Seventh Prince had the highest talent, followed by the Second Prince, the Fourth Prince, the Fifth Commandery Princess, and the Ninth Commandery Princess.
The Seventh Prince, not yet twenty, was already an inner disciple of Yuntai Manor.
The Second Prince and the Fifth Commandery Princess had both been accepted into Yuntai Manor. Among them, the older Second Prince was also an inner disciple of Yuntai Manor, while the Fifth Commandery Princess was an outer disciple.
The Fourth Prince had been accepted into the Martial Market Academy last year, becoming an outer palace disciple.
The Third Prince, standing opposite Zhang Ruochen, had taken the outer disciple examination of Yuntai Manor three times, and each time, without exception, he had failed.
Hearing everyone say that the Ninth Prince was a martial arts prodigy who could get into Yuntai Manor, the Third Prince naturally felt very unconvinced. That was why he planned to personally defeat Zhang Ruochen to prove his own strength.
The Ninth Commandery Princess said somewhat displeased, "Third Brother, your martial cultivation has already reached the middle stage of the Mysterious Extreme Realm. Ninth Brother is only at the Great Perfection of the Yellow Extreme Realm. Even if you defeat him, what does it prove?"
The Third Prince snorted coldly, "Ninth Sister, what do you mean by that? I, the Prince, am afraid that Ninth Brother might become arrogant after becoming number one on the Yellow List, so I intend to spar with him. Besides, even if Ninth Brother loses to me, there's no shame in it. After all, I am his elder brother. Losing to his own brother is also a kind of training for him."
"Slap, slap!"
From outside the training ground came a series of applause.
"Well said, Third Prince!"
Lin Chenyu and Lin Ningshan walked over from a distance, entering the training ground.
"Greetings to all the princes and commandery princesses." Lin Chenyu bowed to the princes and commandery princesses in the field, but there was no respect on his face; instead, there was a hint of mocking smile.
The Ninth Commandery Princess frowned slightly and said, "Lin Chenyu, Lin Ningshan, this is the royal training ground. How can you come here?"
Lin Chenyu took out a waist token and said, "By order of the Queen, from now on, Ningshan and I can also train martial techniques in the royal training ground and spar with the princes and commandery princesses."
Then, he put the waist token away, revealing a slight smile, and said, "I just heard the Third Prince's words and found them very reasonable. Cousin, are you afraid of losing, and that's why you dare not spar with the Third Prince? Or do you simply look down on the Third Prince?"
Hearing Lin Chenyu's words, the Third Prince's expression turned somewhat cold. "Ninth Brother, do you dare not spar with me? Or do you truly look down on me, your third brother?"
Zhang Ruochen looked around at the crowd and said, "Since it's come to this, I'll spar with Third Brother for a bit."
The Ninth Commandery Princess shook her head at Zhang Ruochen and said, "Ninth Brother, don't be impulsive. Third Brother just can't get into Yuntai Manor no matter how many times he tries, so he wants to defeat you to find a sense of achievement."
Zhang Ruochen smiled and said, "Ninth Sister, don't worry. I know my limits."
After several days of cultivation, Zhang Ruochen's cultivation had improved again. His maximum explosive power had reached the strength of ninety-two bulls.
Even though the Third Prince was at the middle stage of the Mysterious Extreme Realm, Zhang Ruochen was not without a chance to defeat him.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen agree, a smile of scheming success appeared at the corner of Lin Chenyu's mouth. He also felt that the Ninth Prince was too sharp and using the prince's hand to dampen his spirit was quite an amusing thing to do.
A smile appeared on the Third Prince's face. "Ninth Brother, you'd better be careful. Don't lose to me on the very first move, or the face of the number one on the Yellow List will be thoroughly lost."
"Barbarian Bull War Fist."
The Third Prince unleashed a human-grade middle-class military martial technique, the Barbarian Bull War Fist.
The Barbarian Bull War Fist was divided into ten layers.
Cultivating to the first layer allowed one to unleash the strength of one barbarian bull.
Cultivating to the second layer allowed one to unleash the strength of four barbarian bulls.
Cultivating to the third layer allowed one to unleash the strength of nine barbarian bulls.
And so on. Cultivating to the tenth layer allowed one to unleash the strength of one hundred barbarian bulls.
In the military, many soldiers practiced the Barbarian Bull War Fist, but no one had ever reached the tenth layer before the Mysterious Extreme Realm.
Even now, the Third Prince had only cultivated to the ninth layer, able to unleash the strength of eighty-one bulls.
Although Zhang Ruochen was only at the Great Perfection of the Yellow Extreme Realm, his strength far exceeded that of martial artists at the same cultivation level. Even without using the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Palm, he could still unleash the strength of eighty-one bulls.
Zhang Ruochen struck out a palm, colliding with the Third Prince's Barbarian Bull War Fist.
"Boom!"
With one exchange, it was a draw.
Zhang Ruochen flicked his sleeve and said, "Is this the strength of a middle-stage Mysterious Extreme Realm martial artist?"
"It's just the beginning."
The Divine Martial Mark on the Third Prince's brow lit up, and true qi infused into his blood. A faint reddish blood qi emanated from his body, like a rainbow, swirling around him.
Blood Qi Like a Rainbow.
Only a martial artist at the middle stage of the Mysterious Extreme Realm could achieve Blood Qi Like a Rainbow, forming a red rainbow ring behind them. The deeper the color of the rainbow ring, the stronger the martial artist's cultivation.
The rainbow ring the Third Prince activated was very faint, indicating he had just reached the middle stage of the Mysterious Extreme Realm.
The hallmark of the early stage of the Mysterious Extreme Realm was Blood Qi Boiling.
The hallmark of the middle stage of the Mysterious Extreme Realm was Blood Qi Like a Rainbow.
The hallmark of the late stage of the Mysterious Extreme Realm was Blood Qi Surging to the Heavens.
By activating the power of his blood qi, the Third Prince's strength surged dramatically. He unleashed the full power of the tenth layer of the Barbarian Bull War Fist, each punch carrying the strength of one hundred bulls.
"Boom!"
With just one punch, the Third Prince sent Zhang Ruochen flying backward.
"So this is the strength of the number one martial arts prodigy on the Yellow List? Nothing special."
The Third Prince let out a wild laugh, kicked off the ground, and charged at Zhang Ruochen like a barbarian bull, throwing a series of eighteen punches.
Every time Zhang Ruochen blocked a punch, he took a step back.