My Martial Dao Has No Bottlenecks

...

True Inheritance Peak, outside Courtyard Three.

Two figures landed at almost the same time.

The man on the left was burly, with a thick broadsword on his back and rugged features. It was Chen Han.

The man on the right was leaner, wearing two straight sabers—one long, one short—at his waist. His gaze was as sharp as an eagle’s. This was Han Li.

Both men were travel-worn, but their auras were composed and their True Qi was abundant. It was clear their training expeditions hadn’t caused their cultivation to stagnate; they had already stepped into the True Qi Realm Middle Stage.

"Junior Brother Liang Cheng, please show yourself!"

Chen Han’s voice boomed like a great bell as his gaze swept across the courtyard. Han Li stood with his arms crossed, his tone sharp.

"What, now that you have the title of First True Disciple, you’re just going to hide behind closed doors, afraid to see anyone?"

The stone door to the Quiet Chamber slowly slid open.

Liang Cheng, dressed in black robes, walked out at a leisurely pace.

His expression was calm. His gaze swept over the two men outside the courtyard, and he cupped his fist. "Senior Brothers, you’ve returned to the academy from afar. Forgive me for not welcoming you sooner. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Chen Han sized Liang Cheng up and down. He saw that Liang Cheng was surprisingly young, with a reserved aura. At first glance, there was nothing astonishing about him.

Chen Han grew even more dissatisfied and said in a low voice, "The two of us have been stationed away for six years, guarding a major border town for the Martial Arts Academy. We only recently heard that the academy has a new, incredible First True Disciple. We were curious, so we’ve come to ask for your guidance."

"That’s right."

Han Li’s fingertips brushed lightly over the hilt of his saber. "Among True Disciples, strength reigns supreme. The title of First True Disciple can’t be earned by reputation alone. Junior Brother Liang, do you dare to spar with us and convince us of your worth?"

The challenge in his words was completely undisguised.

Liang Cheng looked at Chen Han and Han Li, then nodded. "Since you two Senior Brothers wish to offer some pointers, I am happy to oblige. How shall we spar?"

The title of First True Disciple determined the allocation of the Martial Arts Academy’s resources. It was a mayfly’s race for prominence; how could he back down?

Chen Han and Han Li exchanged a glance.

Han Li said, "It’s simple. You can pick either me or Senior Brother Chen. We’ll fight one-on-one and determine a winner."

Although they were unconvinced, they hadn’t planned on fighting two-against-one and becoming a laughingstock.

But Liang Cheng shook his head.

"No need for all that trouble. Both of you Senior Brothers can come at me together. If I cannot convince you both of my worth, then I will return the title of First True Disciple to the Martial Arts Academy today."

As soon as he said this, Chen Han and Han Li were stunned for a moment before anger flooded their faces.

"Arrogant!"

Chen Han shouted, his broadsword already in hand. "Junior Brother Liang, careful that big talk doesn’t make you bite your tongue!"

Han Li’s gaze turned completely cold as he unsheathed his twin sabers, their cold light glinting. "If that’s what you want, then so be it!"

Before his voice had faded, the two of them attacked simultaneously with perfect coordination.

Chen Han’s broadsword chopped down from above, heavy and powerful. The wind from the blade howled, carrying the faint pressure of a mountain crashing down. This was the Mountain-Suppressing Sword Technique he had painstakingly cultivated for years.

Meanwhile, Han Li moved like a phantom, circling to the flank. His twin sabers transformed into two streaks of cold light like venomous snakes, one striking for Liang Cheng’s ribs and the other slicing at the back of his knee. The angles were vicious and cunning.

One launched a direct frontal assault while the other harassed from the flank. Though their coordination wasn’t flawless, it showed their synergy, and their combined power was far greater than the sum of its parts.

An ordinary True Qi Realm Middle Stage Martial Artist would likely be sent scrambling by this single exchange.

Faced with this simultaneous assault from all directions, Liang Cheng stood his ground, not moving an inch.

Not until the broadsword was upon his head and the light of the sabers reached his body.

He formed a sword with the fingers of his left hand, a wisp of True Qi issuing from their tips. He tapped lightly upward, his fingertips making contact with the edge of the broadsword.

CLANG—!

A clear, bell-like ring echoed out. Chen Han felt an unimaginable force travel up the blade. His entire arm went instantly numb, and his broadsword was knocked uncontrollably aside, leaving him wide open!

At the same time, Liang Cheng swept the sleeve of his right robe, and a tide of True Qi surged out, precisely entangling the twin sabers.

Han Li felt his Saber Momentum sink as if into a mire. All his follow-up moves were instantly sealed. A strange, twisting force pulled at his blades; if he didn’t let go, his sabers would be ripped from his grasp!

In a flash, both of them were at a disadvantage in the very first exchange.

Chen Han staggered back a step. Han Li grunted, forcing himself to stabilize his body before rapidly retreating with his sabers. The expressions on both their faces had changed drastically.

Before they could regroup, Liang Cheng took the offensive.

He took a single step, instantly appearing between the two of them. He didn’t use his Zhenxian Saber. He simply threw a punch at Chen Han’s chest and stamped another fist toward Han Li’s shoulder.

Fierce Bull Force!

The Fist Force seemed ordinary, but it was incredibly fast and carried an oppressive weight that seemed to compress the very air around it.

Chen Han roared, circulating his True Qi at full power and blocking horizontally with his broadsword. Han Li crossed his twin sabers to defend himself.

BANG!

BAM!

Two muffled thuds sounded almost simultaneously. Chen Han was sent sliding back over ten feet, man and sword together, his feet carving two shallow grooves into the stone tiles. The Qi Blood in his chest roiled, and his broadsword wouldn’t stop vibrating.

Han Li felt as if he’d been struck by a giant hammer. His sabers vibrated violently, the skin between his thumb and forefinger split open, and he was thrown backward uncontrollably. After landing, he stumbled back several more steps before barely managing to steady himself. His saber-wielding hands trembled faintly, numb and weak.

The second exchange had decided the victor.

Liang Cheng didn’t press his advantage. He stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the two men, their faces horrified and their auras in disarray. "Senior Brothers," he said calmly, "do you wish to continue?"

Chen Han and Han Li stood frozen in place, their faces alternating between red and white. Their earlier anger and doubt had been completely replaced by utter, incredulous shock.

They had been away on expeditions for six years, yet they had been defeated so decisively. They couldn’t even force their opponent to take half a step back.

’So this is the First True Disciple. The title is well-deserved. The new waves have truly pushed the old ones far onto the shore.’

After a long silence, Chen Han was the first to sheathe his broadsword. He took a deep breath, cupped his fist, and bowed to Liang Cheng. His voice was sincere. "Junior Brother Liang, your strength is profound. I have lost. Please forgive my earlier offense."

Han Li also silently sheathed his sabers and bowed. "I have lost as well."

Liang Cheng stepped forward and helped them up. "Senior Brothers, there is no need for this. You have been stationed away for years, toiling to guard the borders for the Martial Arts Academy. I have the utmost respect for you. I hope you will not hold it against me that I was a bit heavy-handed just now."

Chen Han straightened up and gave a bitter smile. "Toiling to guard the borders? Looking back now, it was nothing more than being a frog in a well, wasting our years."

A trace of regret appeared in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by determination.

"Six years stationed away, mired in trivial matters... My cultivation seemed to have improved, but in truth, my foundation is weak and the path ahead is uncertain. Only after seeing you today, Junior Brother Liang, do I understand what a truly firm Dao Heart is, and how precious it is to focus on cultivation within the academy."

Han Li also sighed. "Indeed. We were full of vigor when we left the academy, thinking the world was vast. Now that we’ve returned, we realize we’ve become frogs in a well. Junior Brother Liang, thank you for waking us up today."

The two of them exchanged a look, having apparently made some kind of decision.

The two bid their farewells and went to Mingxin Pavilion.

Upon seeing Lü Bingchen and Yan Song, they both dropped to one knee and cupped their fists. "Master! First Seat!" they declared in loud, clear voices. "We, disciples Chen Han and Han Li, have been stationed away for over six years, far exceeding the three-year term. We request permission to return to the Martial Arts Academy, hand in our Exile Orders, and remain here to cultivate in peace, solidify our foundations, and pursue the Martial Dao!"

Lü Bingchen and Yan Song looked at the two men kneeling on the ground, a flicker of gratification in their eyes.

Lü Bingchen raised a hand in a gesture to help them up. "Rise. To feel shame and then become brave is the greatest virtue. It is good that you have come to this understanding; your time stationed away was not in vain. Your request to return to the Martial Arts Academy is approved."

"Thank you, Master!"

Chen Han and Han Li kowtowed heavily before rising.

On the path of the Martial Dao, if you do not advance, you fall behind. One must always strive to be first!

They had fallen behind others for now, but they were both geniuses of the Martial Dao. Who among them would be willing to be left behind?

Cultivate diligently, fight again another day! The road was still long. He who laughs last is the true hero!

And after this battle, no one dared to question Liang Cheng’s title as the First True Disciple ever again.

Countless people in Lin Wu City wished to pay a visit to Liang Cheng.

However, no matter how many people came to his door, they were all turned away by the Steward Disciples for the same reason.

"Senior Brother Liang has had a sudden insight and is in seclusion. Please come back another time."