Chapter 198

Chapter 198 Slightly at a disadvantage

In the nameless valley, Lu Qing and Wei Shanhai were fighting to a standstill.

The splashing sword energy and energy cut cracks in the muddy riverbed in the valley, which was quite terrifying.

Ma Gu and Wei Zian on the hillside were already stunned, watching the scene in horror.

Even Wei Shanhai was filled with disbelief.

He didn’t expect that even after using his innate true energy, he couldn’t quickly defeat Lu Qing. He could only suppress him and gain a slight advantage.

And this advantage was not a sure thing, because Lu Qing was extremely resilient. Even when he was at a disadvantage, his sword skills were still extremely sharp.

If you were not careful, he might be overturned in an instant.

At the same time, Wei Shanhai was shocked by Lu Qing’s physical strength.

Logically speaking, a warrior who used explosive secret techniques would consume physical strength very quickly, and the burst would definitely not be sustained.

Yet, Lu Qing, despite battling him for so long, showed no sign of weakening. Not even his breathing was disordered, his composure eerily steady.

It was unknown what secret explosive technique Lu Qing had unleashed, but not only was the unleashed power extraordinary, comparable to that of a beginner Xiantian.

The effect also lasted for so long, it was simply incredible.

“Should I also use a secret technique?”

After a prolonged battle, Wei Shanhai suddenly pondered this thought.

However, he quickly dismissed the idea.

What a joke! As a Xiantian Realm cultivator, sparring with a junior from the Houtian Realm, failing to quickly defeat him would be disgraceful.

Amidst Wei Shanhai’s turmoil, he and Lu Qing exchanged swords again.

Bang!

Another crisp sound.

It wasn’t Wei Shanhai’s blade energy that was shattered, but Lu Qing’s sword, unable to withstand the immense pressure, instantly shattered.

Swaying gently, Lu Qing retreated several steps to avoid the scattered sword fragments.

He glanced at the hilt in his hand and Wei Shanhai’s nearly intact sword, sighing inwardly.

The Qi and blood power of the acquired realm was ultimately no match for the innate Qi gained by refining the primordial energy of heaven and earth.

Although he had tried his best to use his Qi and blood to protect the sword in his hand, it still shattered in the repeated collisions.

Conversely, Wei Shanhai’s sword, blessed with innate Qi, remained unscathed.

“Young Master Lu, would you like to continue sparring? I remember you have a divine sword you forged yourself. Would you like to bring it over?”

Seeing Lu Qing’s sword shattered, Wei Shanhai felt a pity.

He had been enjoying the fight to the fullest, but

Lu Qing’s sword intent was even more profound. During their clash, he had even felt a faint sense of improvement in his own sword intent.

The sudden interruption left him feeling rather uncomfortable.

“No need,” Lu Qing shook his head. “This battle has benefited me greatly. I’ve also gained a lot of insights into my inner confusion. Thank you, Senior Wei, for your help.”

“Oh, you’ve gained some insights?” Wei Shanhai was pleasantly surprised. “Have you glimpsed the path ahead, sensed the opportunity to enter the Innate Realm?”

Upon learning that Lu Qing had already reached the Perfection of the Postnatal Realm, Wei Shanhai subconsciously assumed that the bottleneck Lu Qing was referring to was the barrier between the Postnatal Realm and the Innate Realm.

“I suppose so,” Lu Qing nodded. “The path to the Innate Realm is already quite clear to me. Once I accumulate some more experience, it shouldn’t be difficult to break through.”

“That’s excellent!”

Wei Shanhai was delighted. Lu Qing’s gains made his time as sparring partner worthwhile.

“Senior Wei, how much strength did you exert in your earlier sparring session with me?”

Lu Qing asked a crucial question.

“Using conventional strength, I’ve pretty much exhausted it. If we keep fighting, I’m afraid I’ll have to use my secret techniques to defeat you,” Wei Shanhai said truthfully.

Meanwhile, he felt a complex mix of emotions.

His words weren’t meant to be polite.

He had indeed used nearly all of his strength just now.

Aside from not using any secret techniques from the Xiantian realm, he had already pushed his Xiantian Qi to its limit.

Normally, a Xiantian realm warrior, even without using secret techniques, could easily crush any master of the Internal Viscera realm with just their Xiantian Qi.

But he hadn’t expected Lu Qing to be so formidable. With his explosive secret techniques, the power he unleashed was not much weaker than his own.

Coupled with his even more refined swordsmanship, Wei Shanhai was unable to defeat Lu Qing for a short period of time.

Thinking of this, and seeing Lu Qing’s undiminished aura, Wei Shanhai could no longer contain himself.

He asked, “Young Master Lu, what secret technique did you just unleash that was so powerful, allowing you to unleash a force comparable to that of the initial stage of the Innate Realm?”

“It was an inheritance I accidentally acquired, and I cultivated it for a long time before perfecting it,”

Lu Qing said vaguely.

This perfect burst of energy could be considered a secret technique he had created, the key to which lay the extraordinary power of his soul.

The soul talisman was one of Lu Qing’s greatest trump cards, and he hadn’t shared it with even his master, so he wouldn’t reveal it easily.

“I see.”

Wei Shanhai, knowing Lu Qing didn’t want to elaborate, tactfully stopped asking.

“Grandmaster, Doctor Lu Qing!”

At this moment, Wei Zi’an and Ma Gu also descended the hillside, their faces filled with shock.

Wei Zi’an, in particular, was incredibly excited.

He looked at Lu Qing with eyes filled with admiration: “Doctor Lu Qing, you are truly amazing. You managed to fight the old master to a draw. It’s incredible!”

“I wouldn’t dare call it a draw. Didn’t you see my sword is shattered?” Lu Qing laughed. “If we continue, I’m unarmed. I’m no match for Senior Wei in a single blow.”

“Young Master, you’re being too modest. I only have the advantage of a little innate zhenqi. If you had used your own divine sword, it would be hard to say who would win.” Wei Shanhai disagreed.

“The old master also has his own divine weapon. In this case, I still lose…”

The group slowly left the valley, praising each other.

After emerging from the mountains and bidding farewell to Wei Shanhai and the others, Lu Qing returned home to rest and recuperate. After recovering his strength, he slowly reflected on the results of this sparring match.

There was one thing Lu Qing had lied to Wei Shanhai about.

His desire to spar with him wasn’t because he had hit a bottleneck in his cultivation.

As a supernatural being, he naturally possessed skills that were almost like sudden enlightenment.

There was hardly any technique he couldn’t comprehend.

The line between the acquired and the innate was already clear to him, without a trace of confusion, and he could cross it at any time.

It was simply some intuition that had held him back from taking that step.

Lu Qing’s real purpose in inviting Wei Shanhai to spar was to personally experience the power of the innate realm and understand its true strength.

This would then serve as a reference for his next move.

(End of Chapter)