Chapter 213 - 129: A Rise to Prominence
Chen Qing’s arms moved like Spiritual Snakes emerging from their dens, his splayed fingers like a Crane’s Beak, yet his motions were as delicate as Picking Flowers and Brushing Willows—so fast they left a trail of blurry afterimages in the air.
He didn’t meet Luo Xinyi’s Fist Edge, which held the Power of Ten Thousand Jins, head-on. Instead, like a supple vine winding around a giant tree, every brush, flick, guide, and pull of his fingertips landed with unerring precision on the critical points along her striking arm.
"Hm!?"
Luo Xinyi felt as if her ferocious Fist Force had just slammed into a dense, multi-layered spiderweb!
The seemingly invincible, direct force of her fist was being continuously guided and deflected by a Soft Force.
The stifling sensation of having power with no way to apply it made her chest tighten.
’To think Chen Qing’s seemingly casual Floating Light and Shadow Hand contains such a profound force-nullifying technique.’
"What exquisite Transmutation Force! Using softness to overcome hardness, four taels to deflect a thousand jins!"
"The Floating Light and Shadow Hand can be used for close-quarters grappling like this? That’s impossible without several years of arduous training!"
.....
Seeing this, the disciples of the Cyan Wood Institute all began to murmur amongst themselves.
Because Li Baichuan rarely offered guidance, few in the institute practiced the *Floating Light and Shadow Hand*. Aside from Chen Qing, no one else had even reached Great Success with it.
Luo Xinyi’s left fist didn’t pause for a moment. Like a master craftsman swinging a Mountain-Opening Iron Hammer, and with the momentum of Sweeping Thousand Troops, she viciously smashed it toward the very arms Chen Qing was using to neutralize her force, determined to shatter them completely.
Chen Qing remained composed.
His figure weaved, shifted, and dodged through Luo Xinyi’s tempest of fist-shadows.
The foundational stance of his Long Arm Fist was as steady as an old tree’s gnarled roots. His lower body didn’t move an inch, his waist and horse stance perfectly unified, allowing him to execute the exquisite techniques of the Floating Light and Shadow Hand to their fullest potential.
Each seemingly light touch completely neutralized the Fist Force from Luo Xinyi’s strikes.
Chen Qing’s movements were as smooth as flowing water, giving off an air of effortless grace and complete control.
In the blink of an eye, Luo Xinyi had unleashed more than a dozen frenzied attacks. The wind from her fists howled like thunder, and the overflowing Strong Qi cratered the ground, sending shards of stone flying everywhere. Yet, she had not managed to so much as touch the corner of Chen Qing’s robes.
"Chief Disciple, is dodging all you know how to do?"
Veins bulged on Luo Xinyi’s arms as the qi and blood surged within her. True Qi converged on her arm as she unleashed a punch.
BANG!
The surging True Qi was immense, carrying an unstoppable momentum. It was the "Furious Vajra" technique from the Vajra Armor-Breaking Fist.
The range of this Fist Force was immense—unavoidable! She was trying to force Chen Qing into a direct clash to determine who was superior.
"Such powerful True Qi!"
As the fierce winds raged, the surrounding disciples hastily retreated.
Just when everyone thought Chen Qing had no choice but to awkwardly dodge and retreat, he made a move that left them all dumbfounded.
Far from retreating, Chen Qing met the terrifying Fist Force head-on, taking a powerful step forward with his left foot.
He sank his waist and hips, his center of gravity dropping in an instant, like an old bear settling onto its haunches!
The muscles on his right arm instantly bulged like coiling Qiu Dragons. Then, his Cyan Wood True Qi surged forth like a monstrous tide.
"BOOM—RUMBLE!!!"
A deafening crash, like two mountains colliding, suddenly erupted across the Transmission Square!
An incomparably violent wave of True Qi exploded outward from the point of impact, spreading like a physical shockwave.
The nearer disciples were forced back several steps by the blast wave. Their robes were plastered to their bodies, whipping loudly in the wind, and they struggled to keep their footing.
The bluestone tiles beneath Chen Qing’s feet spiderwebbed with cracks that spread out in all directions, covering an area dozens of feet across.
Dust and shattered stone were blasted skyward!
Chen Qing’s figure, however, was like a Pan Stone, utterly unmoved.
Luo Xinyi, on the other hand, felt at the moment of impact not that she had struck flesh and blood, but that she had smashed her fist against a wall of solid steel.
A counterforce far beyond her imagination erupted like a volcano and shot back up her arm!
STOMP! STOMP! STOMP!
Luo Xinyi let out a pained grunt, her face instantly turning ashen.
Her powerful frame was thrown backward, stumbling uncontrollably.
Each step she took left a clear footprint in the bluestone paving, sending shards of stone flying.
She stumbled back for seven or eight steps before finally managing to regain her balance, but her upper body still trembled uncontrollably.
The qi and blood churned violently in her chest. Her arms ached with a deep, throbbing numbness, feeling so heavy she could barely lift them.
’How is this possible!?’
’How could Chen Qing’s strength be this terrifying!?’
Luo Xinyi was utterly shocked.
’Not only did he shatter my Vajra Armor-Breaking Fist, but he even overpowered me in raw Power—the one area I was most proud of.’
’It’s unbelievable!’
’She was the one who had brought Chen Qing into the Cyan Wood Institute all those years ago.’
’How much time had passed since then!?’
’Could it be that Master Li already knew about Chen Qing’s true strength? Is that why he made him the Chief Disciple!?’
"I’ve lost..."
Luo Xinyi lowered her head, her expression tinged with dejection.
The disciples of the Cyan Wood Institute were stunned for a moment before erupting into hushed discussions.
"Brother Chen is that strong!?"
"How is that possible! Senior Sister Luo was no match for Brother Chen in terms of Power!"
...
Not only had Chen Qing blocked Luo Xinyi’s full-power punch, but he had also sent her staggering back in such a miserable state.
When Xu Qi saw this, he felt a chill shoot from the base of his spine straight to the top of his skull. In an instant, his back was drenched in cold sweat.
He was at the Mid-stage of Embracing Pill Power, so he saw much more than the other disciples.