Chapter 52

Behind him, the silence deepened. Inside Jiang Feng's body, the Tianxin Seed began to activate, and the Ming Force started to flow slowly, gradually dispelling the cold.

In front, Pingluan Shan no longer cried for help. Instead, he gritted his teeth and desperately dodged the giant tree's attacks, without crossing the stream to expand the battle. Blood splattered from his body, half of it dyed red. Although he had not yet been critically injured, it was only a matter of time before he fell into danger!

At this moment, Hua Su took a step forward, and a crunching sound came from under his feet, as if he had stepped on something.

He muttered, "Do your best, and have no regrets..."

Not far ahead, the young man's face had turned pale from the cold, but the Ming Force inside him had already started to flow.

Hua Su's level was far higher than his. To reach this point, he had already exerted all his strength. Even if he could break free from the restraint, he would undoubtedly suffer a backlash and be severely injured.

The young man further away was determined to keep the giant tree on the other side of the stream, vowing to die rather than bring it into the innocent crowd.

At his speed, he could have easily escaped the danger far away.

"Huff..." Hua Su took a deep puff of his cigarette and exhaled. White smoke spewed from his mouth, forming a long white dragon.

This white dragon remained in the air, not disappearing.

Suddenly, it lunged forward, expanding outward with each step.

Its speed was faster than lightning. In less than a breath, it had expanded dozens of times, reaching the giant tree!

Pingluan Shan was retreating, dodging the dense attacks created by the tree's leaves.

The white dragon bypassed his body and collided fiercely with the tree trunk!

A loud "Boom"!

White frost enveloped the giant tree, spreading rapidly. The tree seemed to be devoured and assimilated by the white dragon, turning pale in an instant.

The giant tree was frozen, standing still, completely unable to move.

Its previous grand attack had shaken the entire forest, as if an earthquake had occurred. Now, the violent tremors vanished without a trace, and the surroundings suddenly returned to calm, the stark contrast creating a powerful sense of shock.

At this moment, Jiang Feng's body relaxed, and the previously stagnant Ming Force began to flow rapidly, like a released spring!

Driven by the Ming Force, his body moved involuntarily, crossing the stream with a series of thuds, rushing to the edge of the Twilight Forest.

The Ming Force in his body continued to flow, surging out of his palms, crackling in the air, and emitting sparks of electricity.

The electricity gradually intensified. Moments later, a bolt of lightning struck the top of the giant tree. A huge crack appeared in the trunk, rapidly expanding from top to bottom. Then, with a loud "Bang," the entire giant tree exploded, turning into countless fragments!

Jiang Feng's Lightning Palm had directly shattered this massive high-level Ming Plant!

Jiang Feng looked down at his palm in shock.

He knew very well that this was not his doing.

The giant tree was shattered because Hua Su's breath of cold air, forming the white dragon, had completely frozen it, destroying its internal structure.

But that Lightning Palm just now... He felt that the Ming Force in his body had influenced the air outside, causing the electricity to gather in the air. The final bolt of lightning did not come from his palm but was generated in the air and struck from a distance!

It should be noted that only cultivators of the Heart Enlightenment Martial Ancestor level or higher could externalize their Ming Force. Hua Su's guidance of his Ming Force in this strike pointed him to a new path.

How to use Ming Force to influence the external environment!

The giant tree exploded, and its core also burst out.

Pingluan Shan leaped up, catching the core, and said in shock, "Second-stage... Second-stage Ming Plant!"

To kill a second-stage Ming Plant in a single breath, while also guiding Jiang Feng's Ming Force and teaching him a new attack method...

There was indeed a reason for Chong Fan to bring them to this remote martial arts hall!

Hua Su said nothing. He threw the cigarette on the ground, crushed it with his foot, and turned to leave.

Pingluan Shan, holding the core, stared at his back, unable to speak.

...

...

That night, Pingluan Shan and Jiang Feng lay on their respective beds, breathing steadily, but neither of them was asleep.

Pingluan Shan held his head with both hands, his eyes gleaming in the darkness.

Jiang Feng repeatedly savored the sudden surge of Ming Force he felt in the afternoon and the strike guided by Hua Su, gaining some insight.

No wonder Chong Fan had brought them to the remote martial arts hall. Hua Su, though seemingly carefree, was even stronger than he had imagined!

Yexiao jumped onto the bed, snuggling into Jiang Feng's neck, ready to sleep soundly.

As if startled by the slight sound, Pingluan Shan suddenly asked, "Old Jiang, do you think I'm stupid?"

Jiang Feng's thoughts were interrupted, and he said irritably, "Yes, you were really stupid today!"

Pingluan Shan had only wanted to vent, but he didn't expect Jiang Feng to be so direct. He touched his nose and said awkwardly, "Could you be a bit more tactful..."

Jiang Feng sat up on the bed, turning to look at him, "You were not only reckless but also foolish today. You provoked that second-stage Ming Plant to test Mr. Hua's strength, right? If possible, you also wanted to embarrass him to vent your anger?"

Pingluan Shan was indeed thinking that. He muttered, "Who made him target me all this time..."

Jiang Feng said bluntly, "Before you did this, did you clearly assess his strength? What if he wasn't as strong as you thought and couldn't defeat that thing?"

Pingluan Shan was speechless. Jiang Feng continued, "He is only temporarily here to help us pass the big exam. He doesn't owe us much. Even though his words were harsh, they were not wrong. Why should we think he should risk his life to save us?"

Pingluan Shan clenched the bedsheet, and after a long while, he said quietly, "Yeah... I was wrong."

Jiang Feng shook his head and lay back down, "What good does it do to say this to me? Apologize to Mr. Hua tomorrow. After all, he did save us today."

Pingluan Shan remained silent for a long time before finally saying softly, "Yeah."

Jiang Feng turned his head and glanced at the shadow in the darkness.

Though first impressions may not be accurate, Pingluan Shan had changed a lot since the time Jiang Feng first met him.

He still appeared carefree and unrestrained on the surface, but he often showed obvious signs of anxiety. He would often fall silent and then force a smile, and his sensitive and impulsive behavior stemmed from such emotions.

Jiang Feng could roughly guess why.

In Hezhong County, it was Pingluan Shan's rash actions that exposed the truth, leading to the massacre of many independent cultivator candidates by the Fuliang Sect.

To be honest, this incident was not entirely his fault. It involved a struggle between two forces, and even if it wasn't Pingluan Shan, the noble families would have arranged for the truth to be exposed.

But for Pingluan Shan, it was different. He had triggered the incident, causing the independent cultivator candidates to become enraged and the Fuliang Sect to decide on the massacre.

This became a heavy burden on his mind, hard to shake off.

Jiang Feng could do nothing about this and could only wait for him to overcome it himself.

Additionally, there was Mr. Hua...

To kill a second-stage Ming Plant in a single breath, he must be at least a Heart Enlightenment Martial Ancestor level. Why would such a master be hiding in a place like Linxi Town, teaching a few rural students for a living?

Chong Fan bringing them here to him indicated that there must have been some connection in the past.

What kind of past did Hua Su have?

Yexiao's fluffy body snuggled into Jiang Feng's neck, and his breathing was steady and even.

In this steady breathing, Jiang Feng fell asleep without realizing it.

...

...

A month seemed short but passed quickly.

Hua Su continued to design various training regimens for them, but since the strike by the pear blossom stream, even Pingluan Shan no longer said a word of nonsense.

Who would have thought that such a master was hidden in this rural county? With such a master tailoring their training, what more could they ask for?

After that day, Pingluan Shan found an opportunity to apologize to Hua Su.

His attitude was very sincere, and he was prepared for a verbal assault, but Hua Su only glanced at him, hummed lightly, and let it go.

Moreover, Hua Su no longer deliberately targeted Pingluan Shan as before, which made Pingluan Shan a bit uneasy: "Is he still angry at me? He doesn't even mock me anymore!"

For such remarks, Jiang Feng could only shake his head helplessly, thinking, "Abuse and being abused can both become habits..."

During this time, he had already opened the eighth acupoint and was working on the ninth.

For so long without breaking through, Hua Su found it a bit strange. In his perception, although Jiang Feng's bloodline was not pure, his other talents were astonishing, and breaking through should have been easy.

But this was uncertain, and he only gave a few gentle reminders about time, without asking more.

Three days before the big exam, Jiang Feng finally broke through.

The breakthrough came suddenly and silently.

The weather that day was extremely clear, and the midday sun was already carrying some of the heat of summer.

Jiang Feng's eyes were half-closed, and he felt himself glowing from inside out. The Ming Force flowed down like water, enveloping him and everything around him.

The entire world seemed to be rejoicing at the arrival of the Ming Force. His consciousness expanded around his body, completely merging with the water-like Ming Force.

The barrier between him and the surrounding Ming Force disappeared, and the Ming Force surged into the Tianxin Seed, thick and substantial.

The Tianxin Seed's ability to absorb Ming Force was already stronger than the Nine-Ring Mingxin Seed. Using the new method taught by Hua Su, the efficiency doubled.

The Ming Force in the Yuanzhi gathered at a visible speed, surging upward.

A silent wave gently struck, and the wall of the ninth acupoint was easily shattered. The Ming Force surged in, and the ninth fruit naturally formed.

At the moment of opening the ninth acupoint, Jiang Feng's consciousness suddenly turned dark.

It was still noon, but he felt as if the sky had suddenly turned black.

After a moment, like the first light of dawn, a ray of light appeared in the darkness. The light grew brighter, thinly spreading down, illuminating his consciousness and the entire world before him!

...

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