Chapter 491: Facing the Terrifying Strong Martial

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Zhou You swallowed hard; it was his first time facing a Strong Martial level head-on, so nervousness was inevitable.

He suddenly thought of the silk pouch Hua Youxing had stuffed into his hands before he left, which contained three "Heavenly Path Vigorous Pills."

This pill was an ancestral treasure of the Hua Family, extremely precious, crafted by the hands of the Spirit Mushroom Apothecary; every one used was one less in existence.

This so-called "Heavenly Path Vigorous," as in "the Monarch strives for self-improvement without ceasing," had an effect that was self-explanatory: self-strengthening.

After taking one pill, the body could rapidly recover to its peak state, instantly erasing any poison, injury, or illness, while regulating the functions of all parts of the body to reach an ideal peak.

Because it was so precious, Hua Youxing even told Zhou You that if he encountered danger, he should not hesitate to use it, but no matter how many were left, he must return them intact to her after returning home, to be sent back to the Hua Family treasury for safekeeping.

Although she did not say it, Zhou You could guess how high a price Hua Youxing had paid for this.

"Heavenly Path Vigorous, huh."

Zhou You opened his mouth to hold a pill, soaking it with saliva, not rushing to swallow it.

The sound of Kunpengzi's breathing was like air rushing through a volcanic crater, driving the resonance between heaven and earth; the ground trembled, and the river water boiled.

From the realm of a High-Level Martial Master, he broke into the threshold of Strong Martial without any effort.

The surrounding space was affected by his Strong Martial aura, shifting from the previous state of mutual non-interference to one of submission.

"Strong Martial Omen!"

The familiar aura Zhou You had experienced from the Fist Intent Puppet accumulated more and more on Kunpengzi, reaching the point of being one step away.

Suddenly, at a certain moment, Kunpengzi broke through; it was as natural as water flowing into a channel, and he leaped into the first level of Qiangwu Yichongtian.

Strong Martial means breaking through the limits of the human body with flesh and blood to exert a great power that shakes heaven and earth, comparable to the might of heaven.

When facing a Martial Master, the enemy is only one person, but when facing a Strong Martial, every blade of grass and every tree around is an enemy.

Years ago, Zhou You had caught a glimpse of Yin Sanfen performing palm techniques, draining the air within a thousand-meter radius and purging sickness.

Now, similar characteristics appeared on the Kunpengzi before him; although slightly weaker by comparison, it was a real and existing threat.

He glanced around; on the panel, one red dot and two green dots were very conspicuous.

The red dot represented the enemy camp's Kunpengzi, while as for the two green dots, one was Zhou You, and the other was the Fist Intent Puppet.

Before showing himself just now, Zhou You had secretly released the Fist Intent Puppet, activating the "Zang" Seal Script on his chest to hide his aura; even though Kunpengzi was cunning and treacherous, he had not discovered that a second person was lurking nearby.

As a trump card, the Fist Intent Puppet had to be used at a critical moment to settle the outcome.

Before that, no matter how miserably he was beaten, Zhou You had to grit his teeth and hold on.

"Secret Art of the Outsider Profound Heart, activate."

Zhou You took a deep breath, and one Profound Heart after another erupted, filling his whole body with eight times the blood-Qi; his originally exhausted blood-Qi was rapidly replenished.

He gripped the Iron Spear in his hand, and scenes of his daily hard training flooded his heart, along with various attempts and techniques rushing into his mind.

The enemy he was about to face was unprecedented, exceeding his own major realm, and the intensity and brutality were unimaginable.

If they really started fighting, he wouldn't even have time to react, relying entirely on instinct to counter and dodge.

Kunpengzi's eyelids twitched twice; Zhou You's secret art had actually increased his blood-Qi several times over in an instant.

But in his eyes, that was all it was; the gap in realms could not be made up for by any amount of blood-Qi.

"Kunpengzi, I will win this battle."

"Oh?"

Kunpengzi wore a smile, his tone dismissive; clearly, he was convinced Zhou You was just spouting nonsense.

"Because, after you joined the Golden Immortal Path, you abandoned the dignity of a martial artist, wasted your fist-martial arts, and hid behind the scenes to manipulate people's hearts; how can such a mindset command powerful strength?" "You are now blind in both eyes, a broken body; have you forgotten the fundamental foundation of a martial artist?"

"And, do you really think that so-called realm transition can return you to your peak? Keep dreaming!"

"Once a realm falls, unless you rely on bitter cultivation to return, everything else is just a bubble in a dream; right now, you are at best a Pseudo-Strong Martial, a paper tiger!"

"And I, however, am a real-deal Martial Master, solid gold and silver, full weight and measure."

"Flesh, state of mind, strength—you have nothing to show for yourself; how will you win against me?"

With every word Zhou You spoke, Kunpengzi's complexion grew uglier, until finally, his face was livid, and he wished he could kill him.

He roared, "Kid, you're playing this verbal psychological warfare with me? Don't forget, when I was playing this, you hadn't even been born yet!"

As Kunpengzi's voice fell, he lunged forward, his palm expanding ten times over and slapping down from the air.

In the blink of an eye, a large shadow was cast on the ground, enveloping Zhou You's entire body.

Zhou You thrust his spear with all his might; it was too fast, he had no time to react at all, and it was entirely a subconscious counterattack.

The move was simple and unadorned, without so many flashy bells and whistles, nor did it pay attention to stances or patterns.

Yet, it was precisely this spear thrust that was smooth and vigorous, with his blood-Qi utilized to one hundred percent, without the slightest waste.

Zhou You vaguely guessed in his heart that perhaps this was the true essence of fist-martial arts returning to simplicity.

Reaction in the heat of battle is the most authentic, and also the most natural movement of the human body; as long as one can fully grasp this, it is destined to be infinitely useful.

Unsurprisingly, Kunpengzi easily blocked this spear, his backhand gently guiding it, and the huge force dragged the Iron Spear, causing Zhou You to stumble forward involuntarily.

Danger!

Zhou You executed the Feather-Stepping Heaven-Ascending Step, his whole body becoming as light as a feather, and he took a leap while gripping the spear tip.

He spread his Iron Feather battle robe, the sound of the wind lifting his torso, and the cry of a crane rang out.

Kunpengzi did not expect this turn of events and exclaimed, "Flying Tiger Shirt? No, it's something else."

The surprises Zhou You brought him were endless; he actually had a Flying Battle Robe similar to a Flying Tiger Shirt—where was this a common martial artist? People would believe him if he said he was the illegitimate son of the Prefecture Monarch.

Uh, no way, right? Kunpengzi's mind suffered a severe shock; he once began to doubt his life.

Amidst the crane's cry, Zhou You held the long spear and stabbed toward his ears, his posture like a mischievous child stepping on a riverbank and using a wooden stick to spear fish.

Kunpengzi felt a pain in his ear roots and realized that regardless of anything else, taking this kid down was the right thing to do.

He flicked his hand to deflect the iron tip and casually slapped out with a palm, hitting Zhou You squarely on the shoulder.

Zhou You felt as if his shoulder was about to shatter; if not for the soft armor cushioning it, the bones in half his body would certainly not have been saved.

A Pseudo-Strong Martial is still a Strong Martial; hitting a genuine, solid Strong Martial is like throwing an egg against a rock, but bullying a Primary Martial Master like him is still a piece of cake.

Kunpengzi struck out with a palm, his moves continuous and unending, and in one breath, palm shadows filled the sky, enveloping Zhou You's entire body.

Seeing this, a chill rose in Zhou You; if he were to be swept into it, his end would be no better than that of soybeans in a millstone.

He hurriedly activated his Iron Feather battle robe, increased his altitude, and kicked out in a rapid series, avoiding this wave of attacks.

"..."

Kunpengzi was so angry that he was fuming; although his name contained the word for a bird, he truly could not fly.

After a martial artist advances to Strong Martial, if they specifically strengthen their physical body, it is possible to master the ability to fly, but unfortunately, he did not know how to do this.

(End of this chapter)