Chapter 512: Beyond the Line of Sight

"Didn't arrive too late, did I?"

Liang Qu crossed the threshold, arriving swiftly with the Dragon Girl.

Though his aura had been well-contained thanks to the Wan Sheng Bao Yuan technique, subtle fluctuations still escaped the Hunting Tiger Grand Martial Artist's perception.

Broke through?

Human Bridge?

Yang Yang Dongxiong stroked his beard, his pupils slightly dilating.

The King of Xu Yue himself had marked him as a True Martial Seed; forming the meridian bridge should not have surprised, yet witnessing it firsthand was different.

Too fast.

Liang Qu is indeed a junior disciple, but not a closed-door disciple.

Since Xiao Jiu, the martial hall has not lacked other disciples with both virtue and talent—indeed, there were many.

Because Pingyang Town rose to become Pingyang Prefecture, the population kept growing, and the martial hall's disciples more than doubled.

Yet Yang Yang Dongxiong took not a single one.

Faced with pearls before him, he would always harbor thoughts of taking on disciples, yet end up taking none.

Enough.

Nine is the ultimate number; heaven's will is thus—let him be the closed-door disciple.

Ignoring the complex gazes around him, Liang Qu stepped forward and bowed.

"Master! Master Master Helian! Master Zhang."

In the southeast corner of the hall, Xu Xu Shila held Zong Zong Lichan's hand, smiling, and waved at the Dragon Girl.

Men's affairs belong to men; women's affairs belong to women.

Six women gathered.

Xu Xu Shila pulled Long Long Eying to her left and Zong Zong Lichan to her right.

Nan Di, Long Li, and Long Yao lagged half a step behind, walking together toward the flower-windowed rear of the training ground, watching from behind the railing.

Ma Ma Shaobai stared at the slender back, his teeth grinding audibly.

Pei Pei Yunkun gripped Ma Ma Shaobai's collarbone and squeezed hard.

"Ow, ow, ow, Kun-ge, what are you doing?" Ma Ma Shaobai collapsed, half his shoulder paralyzed by pain.

Pei Pei Yunkun sneered: "Staring at someone's female relatives is terribly rude. If you truly want one, there are plenty of painted boats past Long River Mouth."

"It won't cost much," Xie Yan chuckled. "If you're short on silver, pawn your gold medal there—I'm sure it's more than enough."

The others snickered.

Ma Ma Shaobai's face flushed red: "I didn't mean it that way!"

"Even situations that seem innocuous can be suspicious!"

"Alright, alright, watch the match, watch the match!"

Ma Ma Shaobai said nothing in defense, hugged the puppy, and followed the crowd out of the hall to the outer edge of the training ground.

The setting sun cast shadows of tung trees; a light breeze carried the scent of gardenia.

The rich floral fragrance seemed to drift two li away.

The training ground, painstakingly compacted by Lu Gang and Xu Xu Yue, was smooth and level, its surface hardened by infused water as tough as Golden Body, glowing with an orange-red sheen under the sunset, carrying the iron-blooded scent of battlefield sand.

Qi Zhao Hongyuan's Liuli bone allowed him to cultivate at night with divine aid, so his daily routine was entirely opposite to normal people—he slept by day and woke by night.

I know you have Dragon Tendon and Tiger Bone, immense strength, but your advantage lies mostly in recovery; though I've never compared, I must tell you.

When I, Guan, was born, the midwife was so startled she dropped me, yet I crawled up on my own!

Guan Guan Congjian stripped off his top shirt and flung it to the left of the Lan Qi.

The crowd outside erupted.

His exposed torso was extraordinarily solid, every strand of muscle tightly twisted like iron ropes.

Bathed in slanting sunlight, he seemed to have shed his skin, oozing blood—truly terrifying.

Four Symbols Coiled Tendon and Bone!

Immense strength!

Without a word, Liang Qu removed his clothes side by side.

The Dragon Dragon Lingxiao, worth tens of thousands of taels, floated gently to the right of the Lan Qi.

His entire body's muscle lines flowed with ease and grace, like weathered rocks shaped by ocean tides.

The aura of the Wolf Smoke Human Bridge exploded without restraint!

After returning from the auction, the entire afternoon, relying on Qi-Blood Harmonizing Pills and swallowing many lotus seeds, I successfully formed the bridge!

Guan Guan Congjian, too, is a Wolf Smoke Human Bridge.

Their realms were nearly identical!

The sunset's blood-red light grew heavier; the killing intent mingled with gardenia fragrance.

Both men's muscles tightened fully, bones cracking loudly, like two tigers lying in ambush for prey!

"Come!"

Liang Qu spat out the word with his tongue.

BOOM!

His voice and the thunderous crash sounded simultaneously.

The training ground, painstakingly compacted by Lu Gang and Xu Xu Yue, shattered instantly; the sudden gale whipped the garden's flora into chaos.

Liang Qu and Guan Guan Congjian became two crimson whirlwinds, entangling and colliding.

Blood vessels surged, power like a runaway dragon, the furious qi shredded falling leaves into powder.

No flashy tricks.

Hard clash against hard clash!

Fist against fist!

"Incredible speed."

Ma Ma Shaobai's pupils trembled.

Inside the arena, Wolf Smoke and Galloping Horses were roughly evenly matched, with only a few reaching the Four Passes.

Many could not follow the two men's darting figures at all, hearing only heavy thuds, as if someone swung a giant hammer against thick, layered oxhide.

Each thud left a cracked depression beneath their feet, causing the entire garden to tremble slightly.

Yet everyone present knew this was merely a probe—neither had released their true qi Gang!

The Bronze Medal holders gazed with reverence.

Zhang Xu nodded slightly.

"Immense strength."

Liang Qu did not use Zhou You Liu Xu; he endured Guan Guan Congjian's blows with sheer body strength.

Each of his opponent's punches felt like hundreds of men pushing a siege hammer, sending his blood and qi churning.

The Four Symbols Coiled Tendon and Bone truly were formidable!

Coupled with its piercing force, it was wildly violent!

Had Cheng Chong, the boss of the Shahe Gang from Huazhu County, stood here, one punch would have sent him to his knees, vomiting blood, his internal organs shattered.

Truly… stirred the heart!

Step forward, turn.

Punch!

Twist body, counter-charge!

Within mere strikes, the thrill of combat surged into their hearts.

The two men ignited true fire, no longer holding back—blue and white light blazed fiercely!

Azure Dragon and Bai Hu clashed!

The cracked training ground could no longer hold, shattering further, raising low clouds of dust.

Air howled; fists within three inches.

Fist met fist, speed countered speed!

The thunderous clashes rang like metal striking metal!

The puppy's yelps rose and fell; those with weaker cultivation outside were forced to step back, lest the qi Gang injure them, staring at the duel, hearts pounding.

This kind of battle—even a Ground Bridge expert rushing in would shed a layer of flesh!

Liang Qu holds a Jade Medal; Guan Guan Congjian must hold a Gold Medal!

Whoosh, BOOM!

Beneath the sunset, the qi Gang surged like tides, sending out invisible ripples.

From afar, it looked like two great beasts fighting, crushing all in their path to dust.

"Again!"

In the gap between clashes, Guan Guan Congjian had already discerned Liang Qu's fist and foot patterns and force characteristics; he roared a warning and charged again.

"Good!"

Liang Qu's gaze burned fiercely; he was not naturally combative, yet Guan Guan Congjian's resilience and strength had genuinely ignited his desire to win.

ROAR!

White light emerged!

Beneath a green light obscuring half the sky, a ferocious great ape emerged into the heavens, like a trapped dragon ascending, its long arms stretching out as it opened its five fingers and seized the azure dragon!

At the moment of contact.

It yanked back sharply.

The azure dragon, like a venomous snake gripped at its vital spot, saw all its green light condense into the white ape's palm!

Second True Gang!

Pei Pei Yunkun, Xie Yan, and others stepped back another pace, stunned yet not surprised.

Some gold medalists possessed the Second True Gang; it was odd that the jade medalists did not.

Yet the azure dragon underwent a transformation, utterly unexpected.

And then came the next scene.

Boom!

A Buddhist chant echoed through the air.

A golden bell enveloped the white tiger, gilding it with radiant brilliance, unbreakable!

The sinking sun seemed to rise once more from the west!

Again, the Second True Gang!

Guan Guan Congjian also had the Second True Gang!

Liang Qu raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise arising.

"What's so surprising?"

Facing Liang Qu's surprise, Guan Guan Congjian felt no joy—only anger.

Liang Qu had the Second True Gang —he knew that.

He himself had the Second True Gang, yet Liang Qu showed astonishment.

The reason lay in:

During the May observation of the prodigy phenomenon, Liang Qu ranked first!

In contrast,

Guan Guan Congjian had never even entered Liang Qu's field of vision!!!

"Phase!"

Guan Guan Congjian roared!

He knew: Liang Qu's True Gang had a spiritual phase!

Liang Qu's thoughts clicked into place—he realized he had disrespected his opponent, and now perceived Guan Guan Congjian's intent with absolute clarity.

Whoosh!

A great wind suddenly swept through the arena, scattering all dust and smoke.

Liang Qu stepped forward against the wind, his loose trousers flapping like a mountain shifting, his blood surging like a thundering river.

After the white ape's True Gang, white clouds arose, and an immortal isle floated into view.

Then—

Golden light erupted!

The white ape, gripping a golden pillar, roared to the heavens, every strand of its flowing hair rendered in exquisite detail, each one ablaze with roaring golden flames!

Pei Pei Yunkun and Ma Ma Shaobai stared in shock.

Again, golden light?

And the golden light's aura bore a striking resemblance to Guan Guan Congjian's Second True Gang?

Yang Yang Dongxiong caught the hint and turned his head to look.

Master Helian Nianci's pupils contracted and expanded, her heart reeling.

Has this boy learned the Xuan Kong Temple's secret technique, the Golden Bell Shield?

No.

Not right!

If it were the Golden Bell Shield, and not yet perfected, it could not be so perfectly seamless, internally and externally unified.

It is…

The untransmitted secret!

"Indestructible Golden Body!"