One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

Nie Lingfeng slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, a spark of excitement flashing in his eyes. Since leaving the mountain, although he had fought some opponents, he had either crushed weaker ones or hesitated to go all out due to his status. An opponent like Zhang Lingyu, with a solid foundation, profound skills, and also a top figure among the younger generation, was the best whetstone to test his own martial arts and hone his combat skills!

"Master Lingyu," Nie Lingfeng clasped his hands in greeting, his true qi beginning to circulate quietly within his body, "please offer your guidance."

"Benefactor Nie, please." Zhang Lingyu returned the greeting, his aura instantly becoming solemn and imposing.

Before he could finish speaking, Nie Lingfeng made his move!

Wind God Leg Technique 1 – Catching the Wind and Shadows!

Without warning, his figure suddenly blurred, leaving only a faint blue afterimage in place. His true form, like an arrow released from a bow, tore through the air and rushed straight towards Zhang Lingyu! His speed was so fast that it left a series of visual afterimages behind him, and a sharp sound of wind breaking suddenly pierced the eardrums!

"So fast!" A murmur rippled through the crowd. Many of the young Taoists hadn't even seen how Nie Lingfeng started moving.

Zhang Lingyu's pupils contracted slightly, but he stood as steady as a mountain, his hands quickly forming a hand seal in front of his chest, and he uttered a low shout: "Golden Light Mantra, Cover!"

A dazzling golden light erupted from his body, instantly solidifying into a tangible golden armor that covered his entire body! The golden light flowed, runes appeared and disappeared, exuding an indestructible and weighty aura. Simultaneously, he clenched his right hand and pushed forward, unleashing a surge of golden light that coalesced in mid-air into a gigantic golden palm, about ten feet in diameter, accompanied by a thunderous roar, crashing down towards Nie Lingfeng! Even before the palm's force arrived, dust billowed everywhere!

"Golden light takes form! Master Lingyu's Golden Light Mantra has actually advanced to this level!" An elderly Taoist priest exclaimed in surprise.

Faced with this incredibly powerful attack, Nie Lingfeng not only didn't stop, but instead twisted strangely in his rapid charge, like a drifting catkin in the wind, narrowly missing the golden giant palm! The giant palm slammed down on the open ground beside him, cracking the bluestone slabs inch by inch, sending fragments of stone flying everywhere!

While dodging the giant hand, Nie Lingfeng's left palm had already silently struck Zhang Lingyu's chest—

First move of the Cloud-Dispelling Palm: Flowing Clouds and Water!

This palm strike appeared light and airy, like a drifting cloud, without a trace of fire or smoke. Yet, where the palm struck, the air hummed under the weight of the force, subtly distorting! The palm's power was layered upon layered, seemingly slow but actually rapid, seemingly soft but actually hard, striking Zhang Lingyu's chest, where the golden light protecting his body was most concentrated!

"Thump—!"

A deep, resounding crash, like the striking of an ancient bell, exploded out! The golden light surrounding Zhang Lingyu trembled violently, spreading out like ripples. The light dimmed slightly, but he only swayed slightly before regaining his balance.

"What formidable palm strike!" Zhang Lingyu thought with alarm. The opponent's palm force was so strange that it could transmit its shockwave directly through the golden light. He dared not harbor any further thoughts of probing, and unleashed a flurry of palm strikes, shouting, "Hundred Lights!"

In an instant, the golden light split, and dozens of condensed, almost tangible golden palm shadows roared out, dense as a sudden rain, covering all of Nie Lingfeng's dodging space in front, behind, to the left, and to the right! Each palm shadow contained the fierce power to split rocks and shatter stone, and the air was compressed and made to explode!

Lu Jin, who was watching the battle from the corridor, couldn't help but nod: "Lingyu's use of the Golden Light Mantra has reached a state of perfection, combining strength and gentleness, and changing at will."

Nie Lingfeng chuckled lightly, and amidst the countless palm shadows, his figure changed again.

Wind God Leg Technique 3: Strong Grass in the Wind!

He no longer met the attacks head-on; instead, he seemed to transform into a tenacious blade of grass swaying in a raging storm, his footwork unpredictable and his figure elusive. The golden palm strikes, seemingly destined to hit, were always nimbly dodged by the slightest margin. Occasionally, a gust of wind from the palms would brush against his clothes, rustling softly. Simultaneously, his attacks were lightning-fast, sometimes fists, sometimes palms, his moves ever-changing, striking from unpredictable angles at the weak points of Zhang Lingyu's golden defense—

The second move of the Heavenly Frost Fist: Frosty Marks! Where the fist wind passes, a bone-chilling cold bursts forth, and fine ice crystals condense in the air, adhering to the golden light, making the golden light flow slightly sluggish!

The second move of the Cloud-Dispelling Palm - Parting Clouds and Embracing the Moon! The palm wind suddenly became incomparably fierce, like a sharp blade cleaving through the clouds, tearing fiercely at the golden light, producing a teeth-grinding friction sound!

He only used about 30% of his strength, intending to test and familiarize himself with the opponent's style.

Even so, Zhang Lingyu felt immense pressure! Under Nie Lingfeng's attacks, which were sometimes strong and sometimes gentle, sometimes cold and sometimes fast, and sometimes continuous and extremely tricky, the protective golden light quickly dimmed and rippled, as if it might shatter at any moment.

"This Benefactor Nie... is truly remarkable!" Tian Jinzhong, sitting in his wheelchair, stared intently at the scene before him and said in a low voice, "Ling Yu's Golden Light Spell has reached the level of 'condensing light into armor, as solid as a fortress,' a level that few among his peers can challenge. Yet now, he has suppressed it to this extent with his bare hands!"

The old master squinted, his long, snow-white beard fluttering slightly in the wind, and slowly said, "It's not just that he's being suppressed. This young friend Nie... his moves are well-organized, his breathing is long and steady, clearly he's not using his full strength, he's handling things with ease. He's using Lingyu's hand to familiarize himself with and refine his skills."

"What?!" Upon hearing this, Lu Jin turned to look at the old master in surprise. "He still held back? Then the spirit jade is..." He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.

"Losing may not be a bad thing." The old master said calmly, "Lingyu is a child with exceptional talent, but his character is too noble, even a bit... stubborn. Letting him see that there are always people better than him and tempering his character may be more beneficial to him than winning ten sparring matches."

In the arena, Zhang Lingyu's protective golden light had dimmed like a candle flickering in the wind, leaving only a thin layer clinging to his Taoist robe.

He took a deep breath, a resolute glint in his eyes, and slowly pressed his hands, which had been forming a hand seal, down to the ground.

"Sizzle—"

A chilling sound, like the surging of some viscous liquid, rang out. A jet-black, thick, glue-like liquid eerily seeped from beneath his feet, rapidly spreading outwards! Wherever this black liquid passed, the solid bluestone pavement emitted a sizzling, corroding sound, wisps of black smoke carrying a chilling aura, and the surface of the stone quickly lost its luster, becoming dull and brittle!

Yin Five Thunders - Water-Dirty Thunder!

The black "swamp" spread rapidly, covering half the area in the blink of an eye, exuding a cold, filthy aura that seemed capable of devouring all life and light. Zhang Lingyu stood in the center of this "Northern Azure Pool," surrounded by black mist. His originally aloof temperament now revealed a sinister and eerie quality, and his eyes became even colder and deeper.

"Finally, it's being used." Upon seeing this, Nie Lingfeng was not surprised at all; instead, a hint of excitement flashed in his eyes. He took a few steps back, withdrawing from the Black Swamp area, and observed the constantly writhing and expanding black domain with great interest.

The chilling, corrosive power emanating from the Water-Dirty Thunder could be clearly felt even from several feet away, as if it could penetrate the skin, directly cooling the blood and stagnate the flow of true qi.

"Benefactor Nie," Zhang Lingyu spoke, his voice lower and hoarser than usual, "you were a bit too arrogant just now. My Yin Five Thunders, also known as 'Water-Dirty Thunder,' are heavy, turbid, and sticky, sucking away bone and marrow, eroding the heart and spirit. Once it invades the body, it can penetrate and steal heat, causing a chilling, damp feeling that corrodes both the soul and the body. Now that the 'Northern Azure Pool' is complete, half of the area is under my control. Do you... have any countermeasures?"

His tone carried a hint of cold confidence characteristic of a user of Yin Wu Lei.

Nie Lingfeng smiled, and that smile shone brightly in the afterglow of the setting sun, which was gradually being swallowed by the black swamp.

"Master Lingyu, I wasn't being arrogant just now. I simply wanted to see more of the profound mysteries of the Longhu Mountain's orthodox methods." He moved his wrists and ankles, and his bones emitted a series of slight popping sounds. His eyes sharpened. "Now... the warm-up is over. It's time to get serious."

The moment he finished speaking, Nie Lingfeng's figure vanished again!

Wind God Leg Technique 5: Torrential Rain and Gale!

This time, he no longer held back his speed. His body and legs became one, transforming into a sky-reaching, earth-shattering azure tornado that crashed headlong into the dark mud pit with overwhelming force! The gale howled, whipping up rubble and dust from the ground, creating a terrifying spectacle!

Zhang Lingyu's pupils constricted sharply, and she abruptly raised both palms upwards: "Rise!"

The jet-black, ink-like water-based lightning erupted forth, like a giant, living black python or a viscous oil fountain, coiling, striking, and covering the blue tornado! The moment they made contact, a dense hissing sound, like rain pattering on banana leaves, erupted as the water-based lightning's powerful corrosive and slowing properties were activated, attempting to contaminate, penetrate, and disintegrate the raging tornado!

However, Nie Lingfeng's speed was only slowed down for a negligible moment!

Because inside that raging tornado, an even more astonishing change is taking place!

Invincible in all directions—a series of attacks!

As Nie Lingfeng spun rapidly, he suddenly split into ten figures! It wasn't an afterimage, but rather as if ten Nie Lingfengs had actually appeared simultaneously! Ten figures burst forth from the tornado, attacking Zhang Lingyu, who was in the center of the black swamp, from all directions, with ten completely different postures!

The first figure, with palms like thunder, used the strongest killing move of the Cloud-Dispelling Palm, "Dark Clouds Descending from Heaven," the palm strike like dark clouds pressing down, covering the area!

The second figure, his fist condensing frost, unleashed the ultimate move of the Heavenly Frost Fist, "Proud Snow and Frost." Wherever the fist passed, even the pervasive black mist was frozen into frost flowers!

The third figure, with legs as thick as mountains, unleashed the "Swift and Decisive" Wind God Leg technique with immense power, striking straight at the heart of the enemy!

The fourth figure, with fingers as swift as lightning, unleashed a set of sharp and rapid finger techniques specifically designed to break through protective energy!

The fifth figure, with its fierce claws, struck Zhang Lingyu's vital points like an eagle soaring through the sky!

The sixth, seventh, eighth... each figure represents a unique martial art, some fierce and unparalleled, some subtle and cunning, some as solid as a mountain, some as swift as the wind! Ten martial arts, ten kinds of power, complementing each other yet distinctly different, forming a deadly net with no blind spots!

"What...what kind of kung fu is this?!" "A clone? An illusion? No! It has physical attacks!" "How can someone use so many different styles of martial arts at the same time?!" The corridor instantly erupted in chaos, with exclamations rising and falling. Even some well-informed elders were dumbfounded, unable to comprehend what they were seeing.

Zhang Chulan's mouth gaped open wide enough to fit an egg: "Ten...ten Feng-ge?! How are we supposed to fight that?"

Xu Si forgot to eat his sunflower seeds and muttered, "This kid... he used to fight us like it was child's play..."

Feng Baobao stared at the field, tilted her head, and unusually offered her opinion: "Oh, this one's fierce."

Zhang Lingyu's expression changed drastically! He felt as if he were being attacked by ten top masters with different martial arts skills who were of one mind! Although the Water Dirty Thunder was insidious and powerful, capable of corroding and eroding, it was simply not enough to completely neutralize or delay these attacks coming from ten directions with ten different types of force!

"Clang! Clang! Pfft! Sizzle—!"

The collisions and explosions were so dense that they were indistinguishable! Golden light, black water, fist shadows, palm winds, leg strength, finger power... all kinds of light and energy intertwined, collided, and annihilated each other! The entire open space was filled with flying sand and dust, and the violent air currents made the clothes of the people under the corridor flutter. Those with weaker cultivation even needed to circulate their Qi to resist in order to stand firm.

Nie Lingfeng raised his internal energy to about 70%. This level was just enough to steadily suppress Zhang Lingyu, who was unleashing his full power, without immediately defeating him. He wanted to take advantage of this rare opportunity to carefully experience the subtle changes of Yin Wu Lei, to feel the pressure of fighting a life-or-death battle with a truly top-tier young master (although it was controllable), and at the same time to further refine his complex but not yet fully integrated martial arts.

Zhang Lingyu grew increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed, veins bulging on his forehead and cold sweat pouring down his face. He clearly sensed that Nie Lingfeng wasn't just suppressing him, but rather using him as a "training session"! The endless stream of exquisite and seamlessly coordinated martial arts techniques, initially exhibiting slight hesitation between each move, became increasingly fluid and powerful over time! His opponent would even occasionally deliberately expose openings, luring him into counterattacks, only to deftly neutralize them in even more ingenious ways, as if testing some kind of tactical combination!

The feeling of being used as a sparring partner and having one's own techniques studied at a leisurely pace made the proud and arrogant Zhang Lingyu feel extremely frustrated, but more than that, he felt powerless—a sense of helplessness that no matter how he activated the Water Dirty Thunder or changed the Golden Light Mantra, he could never break free from the other party's control!

"Brother Feng... he really went too far with me." Under the eaves, Zhang Chulan felt a chill run down his spine and muttered to himself, "But why didn't he use the Snow Drinking Blade? Why didn't he use that 'Startling Glance' move? Wouldn't it have ended much faster if he had used a blade?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of the old Celestial Master and the others who were standing nearby.

Tian Jinzhong suddenly turned to look at Xu San, a glint of light flashing in his single eye: "Xu San, this young friend Nie... is also skilled with a knife?"

Xu San nodded with a wry smile: "Yes, Elder Tian. And his swordsmanship... is extremely strong, even more ruthless and... dangerous than his fist and foot techniques."

Lu Jin immediately became interested and pressed for an answer: "How strong? Give me an example."

Xu Si picked up the conversation, his tone tinged with reminiscence: "You guys know Jia Zhengyu, the 'Dragon-Pecking Cone' from the World Alliance, right? His cultivation wasn't weak. Back in the World Alliance, he tried to attack Bao Bao, but Xiao Feng slashed him with... oh no, to be precise, with a blade of energy from a distance, sending him flying more than twenty meters away, crashing into a wall. If Bao Bao hadn't stopped him, that slash would probably have cleaved Jia Zhengyu and his Dragon-Pecking Cone in two."

The old master, who had been stroking his beard, paused almost imperceptibly. His deep gaze returned to the young man who was faintly visible among the ten figures, as if he wanted to re-examine him.

"The sword energy still has such power even twenty meters away from the body... This child has been hiding his true strength." The old master thought to himself.

The battle was nearing its end.

Zhang Lingyu's "Northern Azure Pool" was forcibly suppressed back to a three-foot radius around him, and the golden light almost completely dimmed and disappeared. His white Taoist robe was soaked with sweat and clung to his body. His breathing was heavy like a bellows, and his face was slightly pale, clearly indicating that his Qi had been greatly depleted.

In contrast, Nie Lingfeng's ten figures had somehow reunited and stood quietly about ten feet away from Zhang Lingyu. His breathing was steady and long, his expression was normal, and even his hair was not disheveled, as if the fierce battle just now was nothing more than a leisurely stroll.

The difference in quality is obvious at a glance.

After barely managing to deflect a dozen or so more attacks, Zhang Lingyu sidestepped Nie Lingfeng's palm strike, which was delivered at a tricky angle. Suddenly, she used the force of the black swamp beneath her feet to propel herself backward, flying three zhang away. Then, she dispersed the water-stained lightning and the remaining golden light around her, clasped her hands together, and breathed slightly:

"Benefactor Nie... possesses great supernatural powers and extraordinary martial arts... Lingyu concedes defeat."

His tone carried a hint of resentment, but more so of composure and admiration.

Nie Lingfeng immediately withdrew his stance, his fierce aura vanishing instantly. A hint of lingering satisfaction appeared on his face as he returned the greeting with clasped hands: "Master Lingyu, you flatter me. The Dragon Tiger Mountain Thunder Techniques, with their Yang Five Thunders being powerful and righteous, and Yin Five Thunders being unpredictable and mysterious, have been very enlightening today. If I have the time in the future, I hope to have another opportunity to exchange ideas and discuss the Dao with you."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lingyu gave a wry smile, but her eyes became much clearer: "Alright, I'll ask Benefactor Nie for guidance again then."

He turned around, walked heavily down the corridor, knelt on one knee before the old Celestial Master, and bowed his head, saying, "Master, your disciple... is not skilled enough and has brought shame to you and the Celestial Master's Mansion."

The old celestial master reached out and helped him up, gently patting his dust-covered shoulders, and said in a gentle voice, "Lingyu, today's defeat is not your fault. Young friend Nie's knowledge is vast, his skill profound, and his adaptability in actual combat is extraordinary. It is already remarkable that you were able to withstand him for so long and force him to use his true abilities. Remember what you learned today, recognize your shortcomings, and then you can improve. Losing this match is better than you spending three years in seclusion cultivating diligently."

"Disciple...will remember Master's teachings." Zhang Lingyu took a deep breath, the dejection in his eyes gradually disappearing, replaced by a firmness that came after reflection.

The old celestial master then raised his head and looked at Nie Lingfeng, who was walking back slowly. The admiration in his eyes was no longer concealed: "Young friend Nie, you have truly excellent skills and cultivation! If I may ask, may I ask which master you studied under? To be able to teach a disciple like you, your master must be a reclusive and peerless figure."

Nie Lingfeng bowed again: "Reporting to the Celestial Master, my master's Taoist name was 'Feng Daoren,' and he passed away many years ago. He lived a life of leisure, secluded in the deep mountains, never venturing into the martial world, and disliking leaving his name. Before his death, he instructed me not to reveal his specific name. Please forgive me, Celestial Master."

"Master Feng..." The old Celestial Master pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "Indeed, I have never heard of him. However, there are hidden talents in the mountains and wilderness, and extraordinary people in the world. It is your good fortune to have met a wise teacher; and to have cultivated your knowledge to such a level is due to your own diligence and talent."

He paused, stroked his beard, and smiled, "Would young friend Nie like to give it a try at tomorrow's Luo Tian Grand Ceremony?"

Nie Lingfeng glanced at Zhang Chulan, who was staring at him expectantly, and nodded with a smile: "I was just about to participate. Firstly, to meet heroes from all over the world and meet powerful figures from all sides; secondly..." He looked at Zhang Chulan, "to accompany Chulan on this trip. Since he calls me Brother Feng, I have to keep an eye on him."

"Good! Hahahaha!" The old Celestial Master laughed heartily, his voice shaking the roof tiles. "Then tomorrow, this old Taoist will keep his eyes wide open and see just how much trouble you energetic young people can stir up on Mount Longhu!"

The setting sun finally sank completely behind the western mountains, its last rays painting the glazed tiles of the Celestial Master's Mansion a golden-red hue. Dusk descended, and the mountain breeze grew cool.

The first day of our trip to Longhu Mountain ended with a spectacular and awe-inspiring sparring match.

But everyone knew perfectly well that this was just an appetizer.

The real storm, the battle for supremacy, will only officially begin tomorrow!