Physical enlightenment begins with Xingyi Quan

Chapter 100 Fierce Battle (Please subscribe, godfathers!)

The moment the crossbow bolt pierced Liu Qingshui's heart, Chen Jianghe moved.

He didn't look at the figure lying in a pool of blood, nor did he have time to regret anything.

All his attention was focused on the direction from which the three darts had grazed past him.

Deep in the dense forest, two figures were rapidly disappearing into the distance.

Feng Yan. Song Qi.

A cold glint flashed in Chen Jianghe's eyes, and he suddenly exerted force with his feet, unleashing the full power of his Shadow Step! His figure transformed into a blur, chasing after the two auras!

Wang Tiesheng stood there, looking in the direction where Chen Jianghe had disappeared, then at Liu Qingshui's gradually cooling body on the ground. His Adam's apple bobbed, and the veins on his hand gripping the knife hilt bulged.

He gritted his teeth and didn't follow.

He knew that if he went to fight at that level, he would only be a burden.

The night was as dark as ink, deep in the dense forest.

Feng Yan and Song Qi sped through the woods, one after the other.

Both of them were superb in their movement techniques; with each step, their figures swept across several feet, as fast as ghosts.

But their expressions were not good.

"Damn it!" Feng Yan cursed through gritted teeth. "That Liu Qingshui is a complete waste! He didn't even manage to sprinkle the medicine before he was caught red-handed!"

Song Qi's face remained gentle, but the light in his eyes was now frighteningly cold.

"There's no use talking about this now," he said in a deep voice. "With Liu Qingshui dead, half of our plan has been exposed. That kid Chen Jianghe must already be suspicious."

"So what if he suspects something?" Feng Yan sneered. "He has no evidence. Liu Qingshui is dead and can't testify, and we'll deny everything. What can he do to me?"

Song Qi did not answer.

He felt a vague unease. Chen Jianghe's reaction was too fast. They hid in the forest, holding their breath and using Liu Qingshui as bait, waiting for the beasts to riot, and then using the name of the beast tide to lure Chen Jianghe into the trap.

But that kid actually noticed in advance and even brought Wang Tiesheng to block Liu Qingshui.

Even more terrifying, he dodged all three spears.

Those three darts were fired by him personally. The angles were tricky and the timing was ruthless. Even someone who had just entered the realm of internal energy might not be able to escape unscathed.

But Chen Jianghe dodged it.

Not only did they dodge, they also chased after them.

Song Qi turned around and glanced back.

That one glance made his pupils shrink sharply.

In the darkness of the night, a figure in green robes was rapidly approaching at an astonishing speed!

"He's catching up!" Song Qi said sternly.

Feng Yan turned around, his expression changing as well.

He originally thought that with his and Song Qi's agility, they could easily outmaneuver a junior who had just entered the Gang Jin realm.

But now it seems...

"Let's split up!" Feng Yan decided immediately. "I'll go to court number six, you go to court number five. He won't dare chase after two of us!"

Song Qi nodded, and the two figures suddenly separated, one to the left and one to the right, rushing off in different directions!

But at that moment, "Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"

Three sounds of air being torn apart rang out almost simultaneously!

Three willow-leaf darts flew from Chen Jianghe's hand, turning into three streaks of green light that shot towards Feng Yan and Song Qi respectively!

Feng Yan snorted coldly, and with a flash of crimson light, he knocked down the willow-leaf dart that was being shot at him.

With a slight tremor of his longsword, Song Qi precisely struck the willow-leaf dart, sending it flying.

But in the instant they were distracted by the hidden weapons, the third willow-leaf dart quietly bypassed the two of them and shot straight into an ancient tree three zhang in front of them!

"Knock!"

The willow-leaf dart sank into the tree trunk, with a very thin silver thread tied to its end.

In the instant the silver threads tightened, Feng Yan and Song Qi's escape route was abruptly cut off!

The two men's expressions changed drastically!

They turned around abruptly, only to find that the figure in green had already closed to within ten feet!

Chen Jianghe stood with his gun in hand, his face calm as still water, his gaze slowly sweeping across the two men's faces.

"Senior Brother Feng, Senior Brother Song," he spoke, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching their ears, "What brings you two to my place, Bingzi No. 7, in the middle of the night?"

Feng Yan's face turned ashen, but he did not answer.

Song Qi forced a stiff smile, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Junior Brother Chen, you misunderstand. Senior Brother Feng and I were patrolling the border tonight when we heard some unusual activity here, so we came to investigate. We didn't expect to run into that traitor Liu Qingshui... Alas, it's a pity that I was too slow to act and couldn't save him."

He spoke succinctly, his face full of regret.

Chen Jianghe looked at him, his gaze calm to the point of being almost empty.

"Senior Brother Song, your arrow is incredibly fast," he said slowly. "Liu Qingshui had barely opened his mouth when the arrow arrived. This archery skill must have taken many years of practice."

Song Qi's expression stiffened slightly.

Feng Yan sneered and stepped forward: "Chen Jianghe, stop spouting nonsense! Liu Qingshui was your man. He sneaked off to the East District in the middle of the night; who knows what he was up to? Now that he's dead, there's no way to prove anything. Are you trying to throw dirt on us?"

He stared at Chen Jianghe, his eyes full of provocation: "If you really have evidence, show it! If not, get out of my way! Senior Brother Song and I don't have time to waste here with you!"

Having said that, he picked up his knife and prepared to leave.

Chen Jianghe did not move.

He simply looked at Feng Yan quietly and slowly spoke, "Senior Brother Feng, there's still my willow-leaf dart nailed to that ancient tree behind you. The silver thread on the dart is blocking your way back. Tell me... what's the silver thread for?"

Feng Yan paused in his steps.

Chen Jianghe continued, "Of the three darts I just shot, two were knocked down by you, and one circled around to the front. You were only focused on dealing with those two, and didn't notice where the third one went."

He paused, a slight smile playing on his lips, a smile that carried an indescribable chill.

"If you want to go back now, you'll have to get past me first. Or... take a detour. But if you take a detour, you'll have to walk at least twenty miles more through the mountains. Twenty miles is enough for me to catch up with you several times over."

Feng Yan's face was ashen, and the veins on his hand gripping the knife bulged.

The smile on Song Qi's face vanished completely, replaced by a gloomy expression.

They understood.

From the moment Liu Qingshui died, Chen Jianghe had already laid out his plan.

He used the willow-leaf dart to cut off their retreat, forcing them to stay and fight him head-on.

"Chen Jianghe," Feng Yan gritted his teeth, enunciating each word clearly, "Do you truly intend to be our enemy?"

Chen Jianghe looked at him but did not answer.

He simply raised the Dingyuan Spear slowly, its tip pointing diagonally at the ground.

That posture was the best answer.

Feng Yan laughed angrily, "Fine! Fine! Since you're courting death, don't blame us for ganging up on you!"

He suddenly drew his sword!

The blade was crimson red, and its blade aura surged three feet, drawing a fiery arc in the night!

"Song Qi, make your move!"

Before he finished speaking, he had already pounced forward!

The crimson blade flashed down like a bolt of lightning, aiming straight for Chen Jianghe's head!

At the same instant, Song Qi drew his longsword!

The sword light was as cold and clear as the moon. The sword tip struck three times in quick succession, and three sword flowers sealed off all of Chen Jianghe's space to dodge!

The sword and the blade worked together perfectly.

Even at the beginner level of Gang Jin, the combined power of an attack is enough to threaten someone who has mastered Gang Jin!

Chen Jianghe's pupils contracted slightly, but he did not back down.

Dingyuan Spear was held horizontally in front of him, and the spear trembled violently!

"clang--!!!"

Swords and spears clashed, sparks flew!

The immense impact made Feng Yan's hands go numb, and he almost dropped the crimson longsword!

He froze, a look of horror flashing in his eyes.

He had used eighty percent of his strength in this strike; even someone at the minor stage of Qi cultivation wouldn't dare to take it head-on!

But Chen Jianghe remained completely unmoved!

Before he could react, Song Qi's sword was already upon him!

Three sword flowers bloomed simultaneously, piercing Chen Jianghe's throat, heart, and lower abdomen!

Chen Jianghe had nowhere to run.

He did not avoid it.

His blood and qi surged throughout his body, and his internal energy circulated wildly!

The newly broken through Silver Dirty Realm displayed its power for the first time in a life-or-death battle!

"Ding ding ding!"

Three crisp sounds rang out almost simultaneously!

The sword tip pierced Chen Jianghe's body as if it were piercing iron and stone, only managing to tear through his outer robe before it could go no further!

Song Qi's pupils suddenly contracted!

"Body-refining martial arts?!" he exclaimed. "You actually cultivate your body as well?!"

Chen Jianghe did not answer.

His right shoulder trembled slightly, and that extremely powerful aura burst forth, knocking Song Qi and his sword back three steps!

Feng Yan and Song Qi exchanged a glance, their eyes flashing with disbelief.

Body-refining martial arts techniques are always time-consuming and energy-intensive, and extremely difficult to master. Ordinary martial artists exhaust their mental and physical strength by practicing just one technique, let alone have the energy to cultivate their bodies as well.

But this nineteen-year-old youth in front of me not only has superb marksmanship, but also such a powerful physique!

"What kind of monster is this kid?" Feng Yan murmured.

Song Qi took a deep breath, suppressing his shock. His gaze toward Chen Jianghe held a mixture of fear and...greed.

He suddenly laughed.

The smile remained gentle and polite, yet it carried an indescribable eeriness.

"Junior Brother Chen, you are truly skilled." He spoke slowly, "In my twenty years in the sect, I have never seen such a brilliant and extraordinary talent as you. Five Elements aptitude, a year and a half of Breaking the Qi Realm, superb spear technique, and you also cultivate your body..."

He paused, looking directly at Chen Jianghe, and said, word by word, "Why waste your talent like Junior Brother's time in a place like Lingmu Academy? Why not join us and share the resources of this hunting ground? You can have as much exotic beast flesh, medicinal herbs, and ores as you want. Even the Breakthrough Pill that helps people break through realms, I can find for you."

Feng Yan was taken aback, but quickly recovered and smiled broadly: "Yes, yes, yes! Junior Brother Chen, we've become friends through this fight! If you're willing to join us, the next five, six, and seven rounds will be ours to rule! Those resources will be enough for you to cultivate to the peak of the Gang Jin realm!"

Chen Jianghe looked at the two of them, his expression calm as still water.

"Join us?" he asked slowly. "Join us with what? To embezzle the flesh and blood of strange beasts? Or... to collude with the Sun Moon Cult?"

""

The moment the last four words were uttered, Feng Yan and Song Qi's expressions changed drastically!

"You...!" Feng Yan's pupils contracted sharply, and his hand gripping the knife trembled. "How did you know?!"

Chen Jianghe did not answer.

He simply watched the two of them quietly, his gaze calm yet sending chills down their spines.

They suddenly understood.

Liu Qingshui didn't say anything before he died.

But Chen Jianghe had already guessed everything.

Song Qi took a deep breath, suppressed his fear, and put on a smile again.

"Junior Brother Chen," his voice grew gentler, "since you already know, then I won't hide it from you. Yes, Senior Brother Feng and I do have some dealings with them. But so what? They offer higher prices, we supply the goods, it's just a mutually beneficial arrangement."

He stepped forward, his gaze fixed intently on Chen Jianghe: "Junior Brother, if you're willing to join us, we'll share the resources they provide! Breakthrough Pills,罡元 Pills, and hundred-year-old precious herbs—we'll have them all! At that time, not only will you achieve minor mastery of罡劲 (Gang Jin), but even major mastery will be just around the corner!"

Feng Yan chimed in, "That's right! Junior Brother Chen, think about it. How much is your monthly stipend at Lingmu Academy? A hunting ground steward earns two thousand taels a month, plus a bottle of Gang Yuan Pills. What can that even cover? But with us, you can earn more from a single job than you would in a year!"

He became more and more enthusiastic as he spoke, his eyes gleaming with seductive light: "Besides, we can pretend tonight's events never happened. Liu Qingshui is dead; the three of us can join forces to cover it up. Who will know? And what can anyone say?"

Chen Jianghe listened and suddenly laughed.

The smile was faint, yet it carried an indescribable chill.

"My two senior brothers," he spoke slowly, "your plan tonight is to have Liu Qingshui unleash the Berserk Powder, triggering a horde of monstrous beasts. Then, under the guise of a beast tide, you'll lure me into holding them off with all my might. Once I'm exhausted, you'll kill me. Is that right?"

The smiles on Feng Yan and Song Qi's faces froze instantly.

Chen Jianghe continued, "Unfortunately, Liu Qingshui was killed by you before he could even spray the poison. You wanted to silence him, but you didn't expect that I was already waiting for him."

He paused, his gaze slowly sweeping across their faces, and said, word by word, "You're trying to persuade me to join you now just to keep me in check. You can kill me when you find an opportunity later."

Feng Yan's face was ashen, and the veins on his hand gripping the knife bulged.

The smile on Song Qi's face vanished completely, replaced by undisguised murderous intent.

"Chen Jianghe," he spoke slowly, his voice as cold as frost, "since you refuse to listen to reason and are forced to drink the penalty cup, then don't blame us for being ruthless."

He brandished his longsword, the blade humming as its light surged three feet higher!

Feng Yan also raised his crimson longsword, his body surging with fierce energy!

The two exchanged a glance and lunged forward simultaneously!

This time, there will be absolutely no holding back!

Feng Yan's sword strikes were wide and sweeping, the crimson blade light like a raging fire, each strike aimed at Chen Jianghe's vital points!

Song Qi's swordsmanship was subtle and cunning, with the tip of his sword like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, specifically targeting Chen Jianghe's weaknesses!

The sword and the blade, one hard and one soft, complement each other perfectly!

This is a combined attack technique they have honed over many years, and they have even used it to kill a powerful enemy who had reached the initial stage of Qi cultivation!

Chen Jianghe was enveloped in a hail of swords and spears, and every move he made sealed off all his escape routes!

But his expression remained calm.

The Dingyuan Spear seemed to come alive in his hands.

The spear was used to block horizontally, to parry diagonally, and to thrust straight forward. Each thrust was incredibly precise, deflecting Feng Yan's knife and parrying Song Qi's sword.

His figure moved nimbly and abruptly amidst the flashing swords, his Shadow Step fully unleashed, each movement perfectly avoiding the most fatal attacks.

Ten moves.

Twenty moves.

Thirty moves.

Feng Yan and Song Qi grew increasingly alarmed as they fought.

They went all out, yet they couldn't defeat Chen Jianghe, who had just entered the Gang Jin realm!

What's even more terrifying is that this kid only defended from beginning to end and never launched a single counterattack!

What is he waiting for?

A strong sense of unease welled up in Feng Yan's heart.

We can't delay any longer!

He gritted his teeth, abruptly sheathed his sword, and his inner energy surged wildly into the blade!

"Flaming Heaven-Burning Slash!"

The blade's light surged five feet, transforming into a crimson streak that slashed down towards Chen Jianghe!

This strike was his trump card, powerful enough to severely injure someone at the minor stage of Qi cultivation!

At the same instant, Song Qi also moved!

He wielded his longsword repeatedly, the tip transforming into countless cold stars that swept towards Chen Jianghe's vital points!

"The Vast Ocean Hundred Swords Technique!"

Two deadly moves struck simultaneously, sealing off all of Chen Jianghe's escape routes!

A cold glint flashed in Chen Jianghe's eyes.

We've been waiting for this moment.

He did not back down.

The Dingyuan Spear suddenly rose upwards, its shaft trembled violently, and its spear light surged three feet!

"clang-!!!"

The deafening roar of clashing swords and spears echoed through the mountains and forests!

Feng Yan's strike landed squarely on Dingyuan Spear!

The immense impact caused his hand to split open, and the crimson longsword flew out of his hand!

"What?!" Feng Yan was shocked, his eyes filled with disbelief.

That strike was delivered with all his might!

But Chen Jianghe actually withstood it and even knocked his weapon away!

Before he could react, Chen Jianghe fired his second shot!

The gun swept across like an iron chain across a river, slamming hard into his chest!

"Snap!"

The crisp sound of ribs breaking echoed clearly in the night!

Feng Yan let out a miserable howl and was sent flying backward like a broken sack, crashing into an ancient tree and spitting out blood!

He struggled to get up, only to find that he could no longer stand.

Three ribs were broken, blood and qi surged in his chest, and even breathing was excruciatingly painful.

He looked up at Chen Jianghe, his eyes filled with fear.

Meanwhile, Song Qi's sword had already pierced Chen Jianghe's body.

The tip of the sword was only three inches away from Chen Jianghe's throat.

But he couldn't penetrate that three inches anymore.

Chen Jianghe's left hand had somehow gripped his wrist, his five fingers clamping down like iron pincers, the force almost crushing his wrist bones!

Song Qi's pupils contracted sharply, and he struggled desperately, but he couldn't break free from that hand.

Chen Jianghe looked at him, his gaze calm as still water.

"Senior Brother Song," he began slowly, "you just said, 'If you won't listen to a polite toast, you'll have to drink a forfeit'?"

Song Qi's face was deathly pale, his lips trembled, and he couldn't speak.

Chen Jianghe did not give him another chance to speak.

He twirled his spear in his right hand, the tip of which transformed into a cold glint, piercing straight for Song Qi's right shoulder!

"Pfft!"

The spear's edge pierced through his body, piercing right through his shoulder blade!

Song Qi let out a miserable cry, his longsword slipped from his hand, and he collapsed to the ground.

Chen Jianghe sheathed his gun, flicked away the blood droplets from the tip, and glanced at the two men on the ground.

Feng Yan collapsed under the tree, his face ashen, blood gushing from his mouth.

Song Qi lay curled up on the ground, a bloody hole in his right shoulder from which blood was gushing out.

Two moves.

With just two moves, he severely injured two beginners in the Gang Jin realm.

This is the Heavenly Pivot Formation-Breaking Spear enhanced with spear intent.

This is the physical strength that the Vajra Skill's Silver Dirty Realm bestowed upon him.

Feng Yan struggled to lift his head, his eyes filled with fear and resentment as he looked at Chen Jianghe: "You... what kind of monster are you..."

""

Chen Jianghe did not answer.

He picked up his gun and walked towards Feng Yan.

Feng Yan's pupils contracted sharply, and he desperately tried to shrink back, but behind him was that ancient tree, leaving him nowhere to retreat.

"No, don't kill me!" he screamed. "I'll confess everything! It's the Sun Moon Cult! They approached us! They said they'd give us Breakthrough Pills and Qi-Gathering Pills if we provided them with beast flesh, herbs, and ores! We just wanted to get stronger, we never intended to harm anyone!"

Chen Jianghe kept moving.

"Liu Qingshui! Liu Qingshui is their designated contact person! He's responsible for transporting the goods out and exchanging them for pills and gold! We're just splitting the profits; he's the one who actually contacts them!"

Chen Jianghe had already walked up to him.

Feng Yan stared in despair at the spear pointed at his throat, his voice trembling: "You...you can't kill me! I'm a disciple of Yan Chen Academy! My master is an elder of Yan Chen Academy! If you kill me, Yan Chen Academy will not let you off!"

Chen Jianghe looked at him, his expression calm and composed.

Then, he drew his gun.

A flash of light from the spear pierced through his throat.

Feng Yan's eyes bulged, his Adam's apple bobbed, but he could no longer utter a single word.

His body slumped down and fell beneath the tree, lifeless.

Chen Jianghe drew his gun and turned around.

Song Qi curled up on the ground, and when he saw him coming, he desperately crawled backward.

But his right shoulder was severely injured, and he couldn't crawl at all.

"Junior Brother Chen!" His voice trembled, his eyes filled with terror. "We're from the same sect! You can't kill me! You can't kill a fellow disciple!"

Chen Jianghe walked up to him and looked down at him.

"Fellow disciples?" he spoke slowly. "When you and Feng Yan joined forces to kill me, did you ever think of your fellow disciples? When you shot Liu Qingshui with a crossbow, did you ever think of your fellow disciples?"

Song Qi's face was deathly pale, his lips trembled, and he couldn't speak.

Chen Jianghe said no more.

The tip of the spear touched down.

Song Qi groaned, his body twitched a few times, and then fell silent.

Chen Jianghe holstered his gun and stood there.

He looked down at the two corpses on the ground and remained silent for a moment.

Then, he crouched down and began skillfully searching the body.

Hidden inside Feng Yan's inner lining was a thin booklet containing the first three chapters of the Yan Chen Academy's internal cultivation method, "Nine Heavens Fiery Prison Technique."

Song Qi also possessed a copy of the first three chapters of "The Secret of Returning to the Origin of the Mysterious Sea".

Chen Jianghe put the two booklets into his pocket, and then searched the two men for gold notes, pills, and tokens, which he also put away.

Outside the wooden house, Wang Tiesheng, holding a knife, paced back and forth in the yard.

He waited a long time.

It went on for so long that he thought Chen Jianghe would never come back.

Just as he was about to run back to the sect to report, a figure in green robes slowly walked out of the dense forest.

Chen Jianghe.

He approached with a gun, his steps steady and his expression calm.

It was as if he had merely gone out to patrol the area, rather than to hunt down two beginners in the Gang Jin realm.

Wang Tiesheng looked at him, his Adam's apple bobbing, and after a long while he managed to squeeze out a sentence: "Deacon Chen...they..."

'

Chen Jianghe looked at him and nodded.

Wang Tiesheng's pupils suddenly contracted.

Two beginners in Gang Jin (罡劲) died just like that?

He recalled Chen Jianghe's departing figure, the long spear gleaming coldly in the moonlight, and Chen Jianghe's ever-calm gaze.

He suddenly felt a sense of relief.

I'm glad I chose to stand with Chen Jianghe from the very beginning.

Chen Jianghe walked up to him and suddenly stopped.

"You know nothing about tonight's events," he said slowly.

Wang Tiesheng was taken aback, then nodded solemnly: "This disciple understands."

Chen Jianghe said no more, picked up his gun, turned around, and walked towards the direction of Hunting Ground No. 6.