[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign":3,"chapter-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-52":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Eternal Green Immortal Sovereign",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2270060,4432,"Chapter 52: Bullying an Old Man?","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-52",52,"\u003Cp>Fifteen minutes later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liang He defeated his opponent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his methods were truly dishonorable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd stared at the burly man lying on the ground, clutching his groin and howling in pain; their own groins tightened, lips twitching uncontrollably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The King of Low Blows?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heaven and Earth Alliance never claimed to be a righteous sect, but such vulgar techniques were still rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Interesting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Qin sat upright on the platform, her expression turning curious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yue gazed at Han Qin with a strange look: “Senior Han, are you favoring that disciple?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Qin nodded:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In martial combat, victory is what matters. Especially in life-or-death fights, you must seek weaknesses—don’t lose your life for the sake of face.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yue’s eyelids twitched violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He never expected Han Qin, who appeared so refined and elegant, would say such a thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He quietly shifted his seat to the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He silently vowed never to offend Senior Han.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t want to suffer that kind of groin pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui watched his two only disciples with satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This grand examination, though Zhou Shulin and Liang He weren’t as dazzling as Liu Tong, both still won—this was already quite impressive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your rankings have risen. If you want to transfer to another hall, just let me know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui was very open-minded about such matters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you have talent and are still young, there’s no point wasting time in Tianyi Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to his surprise, both Zhou Shulin and Liang He shook their heads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, we’re staying with the Hall Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui fell silent, then smiled and shook his head: “Do as you wish.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The grand examination lasted two full days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The competition among ordinary disciples had ended; now came the matches between Hall Masters and Executives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike last year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>News had spread that the Heaven and Earth Alliance’s Ning Alliance Master had broken through; many well-known martial artists from Qinghe had come to join.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there were only so many positions for Hall Masters and Executives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, there were too many candidates for too few posts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By past custom, any ranked martial artist could at least secure a Deputy Executive role in a branch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now Qinghe Branch had over forty ranked martial artists, meaning some—even if ranked—could only receive benefits, not an official title.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to the bustling energy of the ordinary disciples,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the platform now was far quieter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one stepped forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ranked martial artists were naturally more cautious; whoever stepped up first risked exposing their strengths prematurely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, a bearded giant broke the stalemate, striding onto the platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bearded giant scanned the Hall Masters and Executives below, instantly locking eyes with Li Rui among the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raised his massive hammer and pointed at Li Rui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You, old man, stop staring—I’m talking to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui, standing at the very back of the crowd, unnoticed, never expected to be called up so soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu whispered beside him: “That red-beard is Sha Jinliang. He used to run a small martial school in West City. Heard the Alliance Master broke through, so he came over. Wields twin hammers, strong as an ox.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he walked calmly onto the platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the two men on the platform—their size difference so stark—many in the crowd regretted not rushing up first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Should’ve moved sooner.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without doubt, Li Rui, in both build and age, was clearly the easy target.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being Hall Master of Tianyi Hall was still better than being a senior disciple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, as the Heaven and Earth Alliance grows, Tianyi Hall’s status will rise too—competition will only get fiercer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bearded giant chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt he’d scored an easy win.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man before him looked at least fifty or sixty—likely older. Martial cultivation declines if you don’t advance; at this age, his blood and qi were already waning. Perfect to bully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m Sha Jinliang. Old man, save yourself the trouble—step down now, or I’ll bury you early!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Jinliang glared fiercely at Li Rui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beating up an old man gave him zero guilt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui smiled faintly: “You’re Brother Sha, right? Perfect—let this old man stretch his bones.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Jinliang hefted his massive hammer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grinned wide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Old man’s trying to hang himself—looking for death.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he finished speaking, he charged at Li Rui, twin hammers swinging, smashing straight for his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite his eight-foot-tall, burly frame, Sha Jinliang moved swiftly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, he was upon Li Rui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui seemed slow to react.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only when the hammer was about to strike did he roll aside, then drew his blade and engaged Sha Jinliang in close combat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One hand gripped the hilt, the other supported the blade’s back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned his longsword into a short weapon, pressing tight against Sha Jinliang’s body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Jinliang grew increasingly frustrated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His twin hammers needed wide swings to unleash their full power, but now the old man kept darting into his chest, forcing him to never fully extend his arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Old bastard, have the guts to step back—we’ll fight properly!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Jinliang’s temples bulged with veins, but the old man slipped like an eel—he couldn’t land a single clean hit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui replied: “Have the guts to come closer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yah! Yah! Old thief!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Jinliang let out a furious roar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Rui gave him no opening—his sword form was tight, flawless, with no gaps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They fought for a full half-hour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Li Rui seized an opening and slammed the flat of his blade into Sha Jinliang’s back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Jinliang lost his balance and tumbled off the platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Sha Jinliang crawl up from the dust, the crowd wore smug grins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Served you right for bullying an old man!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any seasoned observer could see:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui had defeated Sha Jinliang purely through years of combat experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simple to say, but such insight took decades to cultivate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s true youth holds the edge in fists, but don’t forget the next line:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The staff fears the old master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It means that when aged, wielding weapons, one’s experience lets them easily overpower those who rely only on brute strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui walked calmly off the platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He ignored Sha Jinliang’s shouts demanding a rematch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heaven and Earth Alliance’s grand examination had a rule: once challenged, a fighter could refuse to fight again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, no one could survive a wheel of challengers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Sheng on the platform studied Li Rui curiously: “How old is this old man?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dao Xiong answered: “He just turned seventy this year.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Tang Sheng couldn’t help marveling: “Truly, age brings no weakness.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most martial artists at seventy have long retired; Li Rui was rare indeed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yue was also astonished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This old Li was nothing like the old stablehand he remembered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I wouldn’t stand a chance against him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yue’s expression darkened further at the thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He, a disciple of Huaqing Sect, had been outshone by an old stablehand—his daily cultivation must have gone straight into the dog’s belly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Yan’s gaze drifted aimlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1177,"2026-06-19T22:01:09.077Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","5afb44b711030ac967280f64baedfe8da195cf392f59182fe42b2b16dbf41114","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-53","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-51",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Feternal-green-immortal-sovereign-cover.jpg"]