Chapter 60

"Never seen before!"

Li Chen shrugged his shoulders, his eyes under his messy hair scanning the gaps where he could escape.

He was no fool. Although his cultivation had greatly improved, it didn't mean he would become overconfident. The three opponents were clearly True Forging Realm martial artists, and they were among the top in their sect. With his newly advanced cultivation, he wasn't afraid, but he wouldn't stay here to be surrounded and beaten.

Most importantly, the Pure Yang True Qi in his body was not the purest form of true qi; it was only at the first transformation stage, and he had just broken through and wasn't fully adept at using it.

In comparison, he was only slightly stronger than before his breakthrough, mainly due to the powerful true qi attacks.

"You have guts, no wonder you dared to injure my sister!"

This tall man was none other than Qiu Qianyi, the older brother of Qiu Qianhua, with whom Li Chen had a grudge. He was the fifth-ranked elite disciple of the Xuan Yun Sect.

At just nineteen years old, he was already a mid-stage True Forging Realm martial artist, wielding a Wave-Cutting Saber and using the advanced Xuan-stage technique, the "Wave-Cutting Art," which made him even more formidable. While he might not be able to challenge higher ranks, he was rarely matched among his peers.

"Injured your sister? Or did I just hit your sister?"

Li Chen's eyes narrowed slightly, recalling the conversation he had with Zhang Chulong and the information he had gathered from Pang Wenshan.

Now, knowing that the person behind his opponent had come to confront him, he cursed and, taking advantage of their momentary surprise, instantly activated the Wind-Drifting Steps, darting to the side.

"Where are you going?"

After so much effort to find Li Chen, the three of them weren't about to let him escape so easily.

A black long saber, a gleaming silver sword, and a dark red flexible whip suddenly attacked from three directions.

With a hissing sound, they were clearly infused with true qi, enhancing their weapons with spiritual energy.

"Storm Break!"

With a powerful punch, Li Chen used the Pure Yang True Qi for the first time in combat. The originally grayish air flow instantly turned golden-red.

Clang!

He deflected the sword and broke the whip, but the force from the long saber came like a wave, relentlessly pressing down.

"Strong, mid-stage True Forging Realm!"

With just this one strike, Li Chen felt as if he were facing Li Kunfeng. He didn't dare to be careless and his right fist suddenly burst with golden-red true qi.

Clang!

The fist and the saber blade collided, sparks flying as both of them were forced back.

"Triple Slash!"

Qiu Qianyi roared, his long saber suddenly transforming into multiple streaks of light. Upon closer inspection, each streak was composed of three overlapping layers.

With a buzzing sound, the sharp blade cut through the air, creating a dull explosion, flying towards Li Chen like a streak of lightning, filled with a chilling killing intent.

With Li Yueqing and Zhang Chulong attacking from the sides, if he retreated, he would face even more intense pursuit. In an instant, Li Chen gritted his teeth and made a decision.

"Get out of my way!"

With no choice, Li Chen twisted his body, his hands moving rapidly in front of his chest, unleashing a full-force Storm Kill.

The bluish-gray energy, under the cover of the golden-red true qi, made his fist appear much dimmer, adding a sense of weight.

"That's a fist momentum!"

Qiu Qianyi, about to deliver a slash, suddenly felt a heavy pressure, as if something was pressing down on him. His saber technique paused, and the gathered momentum dissipated slightly.

Bang!

The sharp blade, as if striking a hard object, the light streaks dissipated, and Li Chen's powerful punch forced it back.

Whoosh!

Squeak!

Lei Peng, who had been waiting on the outskirts, suddenly extended his sharp iron claws, pouncing towards Zhang Chulong's back. If this strike landed, even a mid-stage True Forging Realm martial artist would suffer severe fractures.

After all, Lei Peng was a top-tier first-stage beast, born from a fourth-stage thunder eagle, with exceptional talent, far surpassing ordinary beasts.

Sensing the coldness behind him, Zhang Chulong instinctively turned and thrust his sword upward, but Lei Peng had already flown high into the sky.

On the other side, the little monkey, though only a late-stage first-tier beast, had a small body but immense strength. He suddenly grabbed a large boulder and hurled it at Li Yueqing.

Originally about to intercept with her whip, she was forced to dodge when she felt the wind at her back.

By the time the two of them regained their senses, they saw Li Chen using the force of Qiu Qianyi's saber to fly backward, performing several mid-air flips, and leaping into the forest, disappearing in a few blinks.

"There's no need to chase him. He has already broken through to the True Forging Realm. With the sect's rules, it's not easy to injure him while being restrained!"

Qiu Qianyi extended his hand to stop the two who were about to chase after him, speaking coldly. In his heart, he knew that with Li Chen's agility, they couldn't catch him in the dense forest.

"Damn, that kid got away again!"

Zhang Chulong stomped his foot in frustration, his face full of unwillingness.

"Senior Brother Qiu, the fist momentum you mentioned, my grandfather also mentioned it, but he never explained it clearly. Can you enlighten us, Senior Brother?"

Li Yueqing put away her whip, walking to Qiu Qianyi's side, leaning against his strong body, her breath like a fragrant breeze.

Hearing this, Zhang Chulong also perked up his ears, his face showing curiosity.

"Heh!"

Qiu Qianyi smiled faintly, his hand subtly brushing past her waist, earning him a glare, before he solemnly said, "I also heard from my master that the understanding of martial arts realms is divided into three levels. The first level is called 'momentum,' which is the aura we speak of, but it's more than just that; it's a mental application.

When that kid faced me, his cultivation was only at the initial True Forging Realm, yet he could bring me a strange pressure. I suspect it was the momentum!"

"What are the benefits of understanding momentum?"

Li Yueqing's beautiful eyes flickered as she asked.

"Understanding momentum allows one to absorb more of the elemental energy during cultivation. As long as one's talent isn't too poor, they can at least reach the Essence Consolidation Realm. But seeing that kid, who is only fifteen years old, has already reached the True Forging Realm, he might have a chance to become a grandmaster in his lifetime!"

Qiu Qianyi took a deep breath, his face showing hesitation, as if he was struggling with a decision.

"What? Then Li Chen—"

Li Yueqing's mouth opened wide in surprise, and Zhang Chulong gasped, so shocked by the news that he forgot his jealousy.

"Hmph, don't worry. From his appearance, he clearly doesn't know he has touched upon fist momentum, and he hasn't shown it much. The sect might not know. A genius who hasn't fully grown doesn't need to be feared!"

Qiu Qianyi's eyes flashed with cold light, clearly making a decision.

"But—"

Li Yueqing's mind flashed with Li Kunfeng's instructions, the serious and earnest advice. She stumbled, now realizing she had misunderstood.

He didn't want her to lure Li Chen to the Li family for a birthday celebration; he genuinely wanted to invite Li Chen as a guest.

This time, the three of them had clearly offended Li Chen to the point of death.

"Senior Brother Qiu is right. Li Chen did promise to attend the Li family's birthday celebration. That will be his end!"

Zhang Chulong took a deep breath, speaking coldly.