I can only beat noobs.

Chapter 169 I'll Take Care of It
Qiu Xiang and Dong Xiang were Yu Haitang's maids before, so they probably wouldn't lie to her.

But she still didn't believe it. This was a judgment based on common sense. She had some assessment of Chen Ming's abilities.

There may be geniuses in this world capable of fighting beyond their level, but she had never seen one. Even if one appeared in Jiangzhou, it couldn't be Chen Ming.

She said coldly, "Impossible."

At this moment, Ji Qianxing stepped forward from behind her, grasped the hilt of the knife, and a hint of solemnity appeared in her indifferent eyes. She said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Let me see how you cut off Lai Xiangran's arm!"

Chen Ming felt somewhat helpless; to be honest, no one would believe him.

He cautioned, "Brother Ji, be careful."

Then he grasped the hilt of the sword, drew it, and swung it lightly.

Yu Haitang's eyes narrowed as she sensed an unusual fluctuation emanating from the once-familiar "Mingfeng Sword".

"how is this possible?"

The next instant, a visible red light shot out.

It's sword energy!
Yu Haitang was taken aback. Her emotions surged violently, and her internal energy went out of control, causing her veil to fly off, revealing her stunningly beautiful face. She was somewhat stunned by the shock.

Ji Qianxing's pupils contracted as she faced the sword energy head-on. She only had time to raise her sword an inch before a clang rang out, and she was forced back four or five steps by the immense force.

He stopped, his sword-wielding hand trembling slightly, his thumb and forefinger splitting open and bleeding. He seemed oblivious, staring intently at Chen Ming opposite him, his gaze somewhat vacant.

A moment later, Ji Qianxing bowed and said, "Thank you for your mercy, Brother Chen!"

His tone was extremely complex.

This was also the first time he addressed Chen Ming as "Brother Chen".

Chen Ming said sincerely, "I'm sorry. I went a little too far in order to prove myself to the young lady. Please don't take offense, Brother Ji."

Ji Qianxing didn't say anything, silently stepped aside, and put her right hand behind her back.

Yu Haitang stared blankly at the "Phoenix's Repayment" in his hand, muttering, "How is this possible? How did you do it?"

She realized that Chen Ming was able to unleash a sword aura comparable to a fourth-grade swordsmanship by borrowing the power of this divine weapon.

But, how is this possible?
The "Mingfeng Sword" was once her favorite sword, and she cherished it dearly. However, the primordial spirit within the sword has dissipated, rendering it unable to unleash the divine power of a peerless weapon.

Chen Ming's sword strike just now clearly regained the power of a divine weapon. Although it was very weak, there was no doubt that this divine weapon had become different in his hands.

Chen Ming explained, "By chance, it absorbed a sword intent and underwent some strange changes. That's how it became like this."

Sword intent?

Yu Haitang fell silent.

It's one thing that he, with only a fifth-grade cultivation level, could unleash sword energy. But to also possess an unparalleled sword intent? That's even more outrageous.

Even the sword intent of a first-grade expert is useless against the "Phoenix Cry Sword." Only the sword intent of a Divine Realm expert can work.

This kid has more secrets than she imagined.

Yu Haitang suddenly shook her head, "You can't defeat Lai Xiangran with just sword energy."

Chen Ming wondered how she knew Lai Xiangran's strength so well. He said, "When you're traveling the martial world, you naturally have some trump cards up your sleeve."

Yu Haitang gave him a deep look, but didn't press him. Instead, she sat down in the chair prepared for her, her posture elegant. "So, you called me here because you're worried the leader of the Tianji Sect will seek revenge on you?"

"The young lady is truly intelligent; she guessed it right away."

"You can rest assured about that. Although Sect Leader Liao is extremely protective of his own, he doesn't dare to step into Jiangzhou City. As long as you don't leave Jiangzhou City, he can't do anything to you."

The implication was that if he dared to leave Jiangzhou City, he would have to bear the wrath of a second-rank expert.

Chen Ming said, "I can't stay in Jiangzhou City forever, can I?"

Yu Haitang countered, "Why not?"

“I’ve been away from home for two months now, my family must be worried.”

"Are you worried that Sect Leader Liao will harm your family? You can rest assured about that. After all, he is the leader of a sect. Unless you kill both of his disciples, he wouldn't be so heartless."

Chen Ming thought to himself, who can guarantee something like this?
Yu Haitang seemed to see through his thoughts and said, "When you break through to the fourth rank, I can help you settle this matter and make sure Sect Leader Liao stops bothering you."

That's quite a boast.

A second-rank expert, can be dealt with so easily?
Chen Ming naturally wouldn't have questioned it back then, he just nodded and suddenly asked, "I have another favor to ask, and I hope you can help me."

In the past, Yu Haitang would most likely have dismissed him with a simple, "Since you know it's an unreasonable request, don't say it," thus sending him away. But now, she patiently asked, "What is it?"

"I enjoy sparring with martial artists of similar strength to see the skills of different schools. You must know quite a few fourth-rank martial artists in Jiangzhou City. Could you introduce me to a few who I can spar with?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Haitang thought it was just a small matter and nodded, saying, "Okay, I'll arrange it."

"Then thank you very much, young lady." Chen Ming's gaze towards her was different now.

Yu Haitang thought this guy was really a martial arts fanatic. She hadn't seen him this happy when she gave him the divine weapon "Mingfeng Sword".

At this moment, the two maids, seeing that they had finished their conversation, came over to serve tea.

She picked up her teacup, took a sip, and suddenly waved her hand.

Ji Qianxing, who was standing behind her, was taken aback and silently withdrew from the courtyard.

The two maids also left.

Only Chen Ming and Yu Haitang remained in the courtyard.

Yu Haitang put down her cup and said, "Your skill has improved greatly. Have you already mastered the 'Mysterious Wood True Skill'?"

Even with a divine weapon in hand, an ordinary fifth-rank martial artist would be unable to unleash sword energy. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so surprised.

At least, even when she was at the peak of the fifth rank, she couldn't do this while practicing the "Mysterious Wood True Skill".

Chen Ming's "Mysterious Fire True Skill" and her "Mysterious Wood True Skill" are techniques at the same level.

If he couldn't do it himself, there was no reason he could. Therefore, there's only one answer: he had successfully cultivated the "Mysterious Wood True Skill," and the two complemented each other, which led to his great advancement in power. He had already surpassed most of the world's top fifth-rank masters.

Such quality of true qi is comparable to the most supreme divine skills passed down by those top forces.

Chen Ming nodded and said, "I have indeed made some progress during this month of seclusion."

Yu Haitang's eyelids twitched involuntarily when she received an affirmative answer.

She has always had absolute confidence in her abilities.

If Pan Zhiyuan hadn't stopped her, she would have been confident of reaching the third rank last year. Looking across the world, there were only a handful of people who could compare to her.

For the past month, she had been studying the "Mysterious Fire True Skill" and had made some progress, but she was still too impatient and made some mistakes in her cultivation, which caused her true energy to clash. If she hadn't reacted in time, she would have already suffered a qi deviation and become a cripple.

This also made her realize how dangerous it was to cultivate another skill, the "Mysterious Fire True Skill."

In the same month, Chen Ming not only comprehended the technique but also mastered it, resulting in a significant improvement in his skill. He was even able to defeat a fourth-rank opponent while holding a fifth-rank position.

What kind of monster is this?
In comparison, her supposedly superior talent and comprehension are far inferior.

Yu Haitang suppressed the irritating sense of defeat in her chest and said, "Perfect timing. I have some questions about fusing true energy. May I help you clarify them?"

She readily admitted to having questions and directly asked him for advice; he admired her willingness to learn from those less knowledgeable.

At least it's not the kind of person who's hesitant and wants to save face while also being concerned with substance.

"nature."

He readily agreed.

No one knew better than him how difficult it was to integrate these two techniques. Theory is one thing, practice is another.

He even suspected that the Longevity Emperor of yesteryear had failed to integrate these five cultivation techniques; otherwise, he wouldn't have passed them on to five different people.

……

Yu Haitang didn't leave until it was dark, clearly having gained a lot from the day.

For the next few days, she went to Chen Ming's house every day to discuss with him how to integrate the two cultivation methods that originated from the same source.

Chen Ming taught her everything he knew without reservation.

After all, she had given him a divine weapon and promised to introduce him to a fourth-rank expert with whom he could spar. He owed her a favor, and this was a good opportunity to repay it.

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

In the small courtyard where Chen Ming lived, the two sat together and chatted. Before they knew it, it was already dark.

"I see!"

Yu Haitang suddenly sighed, her eyes shining with joy. She looked at Chen Ming and smiled, "Chen Ming, thank you so much."

This was the first time Chen Ming had ever seen such a genuine smile on her face. He was momentarily moved and swallowed hard before saying, "You gave me a divine weapon and promised to help me. I'm just returning the favor."

"Tomorrow, I will send someone over to introduce you to some fourth-rank martial artists."

"it is good."

Chen Ming had been waiting for this day for half a month, and he was naturally happy.

Seeing the joy on his face, Yu Haitang felt a strange sensation. It seemed that this man preferred sparring with other fourth-rank martial artists to being with her.

"I am leaving."

For some reason, the joy in her heart faded considerably. She got up to take her leave and put on the veiled hat.

Chen Ming escorted her all the way to the door.

……

Outside the door, Ji Qianxing was already waiting. After Yu Haitang got into the carriage, she bowed to Chen Ming before sitting down next to the driver and slowly driving away.

After the carriage had traveled a long distance, Yu Haitang's voice suddenly came from inside the carriage, "Starting tomorrow, I will be going into seclusion for a period of time."

"Yes."

After a while, she added, "Send someone to keep an eye on this place."

"Yes."

"How is Qin Changyuan doing?"

Just as Ji Qianxing was about to answer, a carriage suddenly rushed out of the alley next to him, blocking his way. He was about to take action, but stopped after seeing what the carriage looked like.

That's the Qin family's carriage!
The coachman pulled the galloping horse back, bringing it to a close with great difficulty, avoiding a collision with the carriage in front.

The door of the carriage opposite opened, and Qin Changyuan stepped out, like an angry bull, his eyes filled with deep disappointment and hatred. He demanded sharply, "E'niang, why?"

Inside the carriage, Yu Haitang calmly said, "What kind of madness is the Third Young Master going through?"

Qin Changyuan said through gritted teeth, "What's your relationship with that little bastard? Why do you go to his house every day? Tell me!"

He grew angrier and angrier, eventually becoming almost insane. "At first, when others told me, I didn't believe them. But what I saw with my own eyes today... You—how could you do this to me?"

At this moment, he was like a husband in a fit of impotent rage upon discovering that his wife had cheated on him.

The only response he received was Yu Haitang's icy voice: "Who I associate with is none of your business. Uncle Wan, let's go."

The coachman cracked his whip, and the horse continued forward. The carriage blocking their path seemed to be pushed aside by an invisible force, clearing the way.

The carriage started moving again.

From behind came Qin Changyuan's frantic roar, "I'm going to kill him... I will definitely kill him..."

Ji Qianli hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Should we send someone to protect him?"

"No need."

(End of this chapter)