Martial Arts Sainthood Begins with the Tiger-Taming Fist

When Chen Mo left Fangyuan, he was carrying a long sword.

Upon returning to the old mine, he began to practice the Dragon-Slaying Sword Technique from his memory.

It was his first time using a longsword, and his movements were a bit clumsy. Fortunately, the enlightenment he gained from cultivating his skills in the mountains and rivers helped him gradually overcome the initial awkwardness.

Under the pale moonlight, the candlelight and the glint of swords flickered together...

Three sunrises and sunsets in a row.

Every morning, Chen Mo would go to the herb garden to refine pills made from the Nine-Leaf Orchid, and in the afternoon he would return to the old mine to practice his martial arts and swordsmanship.

These past three days.

In the Tai Chen Ying Huo chapter, the student has reached the halfway point in terms of "entry-level" comprehension.

Now, with just a thought, warmth rises in the meridians and bone marrow, as if a gentle flame is dancing within the body.

However, not all meridians and bone marrow have this sensation; it's likely that one hasn't yet reached the required level of cultivation.

In addition, each time a punch is thrown, the fist is enveloped in a layer of scorching heat.

If he were to fight someone, the opponent would most likely be affected by the shockwave. This was the first use of the Tai Chen Ying Huo chapter that he discovered.

As for the Fire-Separating Profound Skill, the Smoke-Covering Step, and the Iron-Eye Skill, they have all made progress, but they have not yet broken through to the next stage.

"I should be more than 90% confident in my fight against Cao Tai tomorrow, as long as he's not too unconventional."

he murmured.

On the way back to Fangyuan, I heard people talking by the roadside.

"Have you heard? This year, Dean Su wants to take some of the Qi-Strengthening Pills from the weaker martial academies, and Dean Fang, who has always kept a low profile, has actually stepped forward to challenge Dean Su."

"Keep a low profile? It's probably because their strength doesn't allow them to be high-profile. Although Elder Fang Liang is incredibly powerful, his disciples are far inferior to those of martial academies like Su Academy and Hongyao Academy. You just mentioned Fang Academy challenging Su Academy—who is fighting whom?"

"He's Fang Academy's new disciple this year, I think his name is Chen Mo. He's at the late stage of Dark Force and he's challenging Cao Tai from Su Academy."

"A late-stage Dark Force cultivator challenging Cao Tai?! Cao Tai is a genuine early-stage Transformation Force cultivator; the difference between them is enormous. Could this just be a publicity stunt?"

"Who knows? We'll know the result tomorrow."

Chen Mo quickened his pace, leaving the murmurs behind.

……

The following day, at the Linzhi Peak Martial Arts Arena.

The people from Fangyuan and Suyuan each lined up at one end.

Besides Chen Mo, Tan Yuan, Li Fengze, Han Yue, and Jiang Xiaoyun also came to the Fang Academy.

Meanwhile, at Su Yuan's side, besides Cao Tai, there were more than a dozen disciples present.

The Su Academy had as many as forty or fifty disciples, three times more than the Fang Academy's sixteen.

In Nine Swords Mountain, such competitions happen every day, so they are not unusual to passersby. What is special about this competition is that it is a contest between a hidden force practitioner and a transformation force practitioner.

In martial arts, surpassing a higher level is never an easy feat.

Cao Tai was dressed in a black outfit, the fabric bulging high at the arms, outlining his extremely strong arms.

He walked up to Chen Mo, just recovering from the praise of his fellow disciples. A confident air, stemming from their overwhelming difference in cultivation level, appeared on his face. He said:

"You're Chen Mo?"

Before Chen Mo could respond, he continued loudly:

"If a low-level challenger loses without punishment, it would be boring, and everyone would want to challenge me. Therefore, the loser today must be punished."

Chen Mo calmly said, "So, it seems Brother Cao has already decided how to punish him?"

Cao Tai raised an eyebrow, looked around, and deliberately raised his voice so that passersby could hear, "Whoever loses, all the Qi-Strengthening Pills for the next six months will go to the winner, how about it?"

As soon as these words were spoken, some hesitant passersby stopped and looked at the two people facing off in the arena.

The imposing Cao Tai, and the somewhat unremarkable Chen Mo.

New disciples can receive a Qi-stabilizing pill once per quarter within the first year, and under normal circumstances, they will receive six pills in half a year.

Cao Tai believed that this move was a response to Chen Mo's challenge to him.

Everyone waited for Chen Mo's answer.

Chen Mo thought for a moment and replied, "I disagree."

Upon hearing this, Cao Tai was about to make a joke when Chen Mo continued:

"Half a year's supply of Qi-Strengthening Pills isn't enough, Brother Cao. Six pills wouldn't even fill a tooth gap. How about we wager a year's supply of Qi-Strengthening Pills?"

Chen Mo looked up at Cao Tai.

The other party was clearly taken aback, a look of suspicion appearing on their face, but after a few moments, it quickly turned into confidence, "Then one year."

Their conversation drew much discussion from those around them.

A year's supply of Gu Yuan Dan (a type of elixir) represents a considerable gamble.

However, Cao Tai has a reason to gamble, but what gives Chen Mo the right?

Cao Tai then said, "Since it's settled, let's begin. The rules are as follows: the fight will continue until one side surrenders. It's a friendly competition, and life or death will be decided separately!"

"it is good."

The two men each took a few steps back, creating a distance of about half a zhang (approximately 1.3 meters)

Battle is imminent.

At this moment, not far from the martial arts arena, two figures stood proudly. These two were Qin Yang and Tong Lu.

Tong Lu's eyes brightened slightly as she asked Qin Yang, who was standing beside her:

"Senior Brother Qin, do you think Junior Brother Chen has even a 10% chance of success?"

Qin Yang did not answer directly, but instead sighed slightly, "Extremely difficult."

Tong Lu nodded slightly, "Yes, but after this incident, Junior Brother Chen Mo has earned a reputation for 'bravery' on Linzhi Peak."

Their eyes met.

In the center of the martial arts arena.

Cao Tai and Chen Mo arrived together and suddenly collided.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

In just a few breaths, the two swords clashed seven or eight times, and sparks were visible flying from the blades.

"this……"

On Su Yuan's side, a disciple murmured, "That Chen Mo doesn't seem as weak as I thought."

"But he's still in the late stage of Dark Force..." another person said.

Clang!

The swords clashed again, and both men retreated several steps, stomping hard on the ground to steady themselves.

Cao Tai's expression turned slightly serious, unlike his previous smugness.

In this first encounter, he realized that his swordsmanship was clearly inferior to his own, and he thought to himself:

"Could it be that Chen Mo used to be a swordsman? How come there's no mention of that in the intelligence reports..."

Cao Tai was lost in thought.

A cold glint flashed in Chen Mo's eyes. He twirled his sword halfway around, then kicked up dust with his feet and stepped out with the Luo Yan Step, his figure flashing and shifting.

In the blink of an eye, he had closed to within five feet of Cao Tai, and thrust his sword straight at the man's heart.

Cao Tai gripped the hilt of his sword and swung it sharply upwards at an angle.

Clang!

Two swords scattered dazzling sparks.

In the blink of an eye, Chen Mo had circled Cao Tai three or four times, his long sword striking continuously, the crisp sound of sword strikes ringing out in the air.

Combining Luo Yan Step with Liu Yun Strike, the speed reached its limit, kicking up dust beneath their feet.

On the surface, it displays swordsmanship, but in reality, it contains the essence of fist techniques.

On both sides of the arena, everyone held their breath, no one daring to utter a word that would interrupt the battle.

Li Fengze and Han Yue stared wide-eyed, their eyes filled with disbelief.

Tan Yuan and Jiang Xiaoyun were also very surprised.

As for Dean Su, they all frowned deeply.

A few more breaths passed.

The two exchanged sword blows for more than ten rounds, leaving small nicks and nicks on the blades.

At this moment, Chen Mo's expression suddenly turned serious, and he silently recited in his heart:

"The time has come..."