Jiang Jichen was domineering. He took the offensive, radiating an aura of invincibility.
The crowd was stunned. They simply couldn't connect him with the cripple from the rumors—the one whose Qi Sea was shattered and Spirit Veins were severed.
A Spirit Cultivator's Qi Sea and Spirit Veins were their foundation. If they were destroyed, any Cultivator would likely fall into despair.
Yet, Jiang Jichen was calm and self-assured. He showed no hint of dejection, only the passion and vigor of youth.
BOOM!
Jiang Jichen struck without any fancy moves. His motions were grand and sweeping as he threw a devastating punch.
He unleashed his strength and speed to their absolute limits. Even with the powerful Spiritual Power of a Seventh-level Mortal Warrior, Murong Qingshu had no time to fully unleash it and could only hastily raise a palm to defend himself.
The plaza trembled. A fierce gust of wind swept past, kicking up dust and smoke that billowed around their robes.
Fist and palm collided. Jiang Jichen stood firm, but Murong Qingshu was forced back a step. The seven faint cyan Spiritual Power Lines swirling around his body fell into disarray, flickering as if about to be extinguished.
On Cyan Moon Plaza, a silence fell. Below the stage were commoners; upon it were nobles.
But no matter who they were, all eyes were fixed on the two youths on the battle stage.
Murong Qingshu, the top-ranked youth; Jiang Jichen, the fallen genius!
Both were prominent figures in Cyan Moon City. Their battle right now had captured everyone's attention.
Some had even caught wind of the fight and were rushing over. In the shadows, powerful experts of the older generation were also watching.
They had all assumed Jiang Jichen was bound to lose. No one held out any hope for a genius whose Qi Sea and Spirit Veins had been destroyed.
But in this moment, they were utterly shaken.
"Murong Qingshu was actually forced back a step! Didn't Jiang Jichen just start on the Body Cultivator path? How can he be this strong?"
"Body Refiners have strong initial attacks, but they lack stamina. Besides, the Body Refining Dao is broken. He can't possibly achieve anything."
"This Jiang Jichen is truly a rare genius, whether in Spirit Cultivation or Body Refining, but in the end, he's still destined to fail!"
"No matter the outcome, even with his Spirit Cultivation crippled, Jiang Jichen can still fight Murong Qingshu. But this is limited to the Mortal Realm. A Spirit Cultivator can reach the Innate Realm and even progress endlessly, while a Body Refiner is forever stuck at Level 9 Body Warrior. So, no matter how amazing he is now, it's all meaningless."
...
The crowd murmured with varied opinions. Even Ouyang Xue, Bai Yiyi, and the others were shocked by the Body Refiner's power. But it was a pity. The Dao of Body Refining was broken. No matter how much of a genius Jiang Jichen was, he could never achieve greatness. As time went on, they, as Spirit Cultivators, would advance further and further, while Jiang Jichen could only remain at the Body Warrior Ninth Level Realm, staring up at their departing backs.
"Jiang Jichen, you cripple who can't practice Spirit Cultivation! When I reach the Innate Realm, I will repay today's humiliation a hundredfold!"
Hex Feng was growling like a wounded beast, his heart filled with a bone-deep hatred for Jiang Jichen.
'To think that I, the dignified Young Master of the Hex Family, would be so thoroughly humiliated in front of everyone in Cyan Moon City. Today's events have made me a laughingstock, completely disgraced.'
Hex Yao's pretty face also turned cold. The man who had humiliated Hex Feng was her former fiancé, and he hadn't shown her the slightest bit of courtesy. However, she didn't say anything, instead staring icily at Jiang Jichen on the stage, her mind already scheming how to wash away today's shame.
On the battle stage, having gained the upper hand with a single punch, Jiang Jichen's attacks became relentless, like the surging waters of a great river.
His aura was ferocious and his movements nimble. At times he was like a fierce tiger descending a mountain, at others a nimble ape scaling a cliff, as he relentlessly assaulted Murong Qingshu from all sides.
Jiang Jichen wasn't using any martial techniques at all. He relied purely on his formidable Physical Strength and speed, attacking freely and with a stylish flair.
Every attack targeted a vital point his opponent had to defend. His discerning eye was so precise, his application of force so exquisite, that even some of the older generation Cultivators watching in secret had to admit they couldn't compare. At the same time, they were secretly relieved that this boy was already crippled. He could never grow stronger and would be stuck at the Ninth Level Body Warrior Realm, so there was no need to pay him any mind, let alone fear him.
At this moment, Murong Qingshu was utterly powerless to fight back. He could only defend passively, feeling incredibly stifled.
This scene also brought back a very unpleasant memory. In a past battle, he had also been completely unable to retaliate, suppressed and beaten by Jiang Jichen in a humiliating defeat.
But that was Jiang Jichen before he was crippled. And now? His opponent's Spirit Cultivation was destroyed, yet he was still being completely suppressed. Didn't this mean he was inferior even to a crippled Jiang Jichen?
"Unacceptable! Jiang Jichen, I have mastered the Murong Family's ultimate skill! I will kill you today!"
Murong Qingshu erupted in a fit of rage. His hands blurred, forming seven faint cyan Seals that floated unsteadily before him.
BOOM!
Jiang Jichen's fist slammed into his opponent's chest. However, there was no sound of bone and flesh colliding. The punch felt like it had struck a wad of cotton, meeting no resistance.
Not only that, he felt the force of his own punch rebound, as if drawn by some mysterious power to attack him instead.
"The Murong Family's ultimate skill, the Star Shifting Skill!"
Jiang Jichen gracefully retreated, neutralizing the rebounding force, his voice tinged with surprise.
"That's right! With my ultimate skill, killing you will be as easy as cutting vegetables! Die, Jiang Jichen!"
Murong Qingshu finally vented his earlier frustration and became high-spirited. His every move now carried the confidence and composure of a master.
He circulated his Spirit Veins, condensed his energy, and a faint cyan light emanated from his palms. With the seven Seals flowing around him, he executed a Profound Mysterious Step Technique. In just a few steps, he closed in on Jiang Jichen and sent two faint cyan Palm Shadows flying toward him.
Although Jiang Jichen was a Body Refiner, he had only cultivated the Undying Scripture to the First Turn Middle Realm, equivalent to the Level 4 Body Warrior Realm. His physical body could not yet withstand an attack from a Seventh Level Great Perfection Mortal Warrior.
An ordinary Level 4 Body Warrior would have absolutely no way to dodge Murong Qingshu's two Palm Shadows. But Jiang Jichen's soul was immensely powerful; he could see through the trajectories of the two Palm Shadows with a single glance.
Jiang Jichen simply took two light sidesteps and easily evaded Murong Qingshu's two palm strikes.
BOOM!
The two Palm Shadows landed on the battle stage, leaving two faint Palm Seals on the hard Cyan Spirit Stone and causing cracks to spread around them.
"Is that the Murong Family's ultimate skill, the Star Shifting Skill? What terrifying power!"
"As expected of the Murong Family's number one genius. Most people can only practice this skill upon reaching the Eighth-level Mortal Realm, but Murong Qingshu has cultivated the Star Shifting Skill to such a profound level while only at the Seventh-level Mortal Warrior Realm. There's no more suspense in this battle."
"Jiang Jichen may have dodged one strike, but he has no strength to fight back. His defeat is sealed. A cripple is a cripple, after all. Any further struggle is futile!"
...
The crowd gasped in amazement, completely shocked as they witnessed the Murong Family's ultimate skill for the first time. Even Ouyang Xue and the others, who came from Great Families and the Five Spirits Sect, were secretly alarmed by the Star Shifting Skill Murong Qingshu had just displayed.
"With the Star Shifting Skill, Young Master Murong's defense is invincible and his attacks are peerless! Jiang Jichen, you piece of trash, what right do you have to fight him?"
The young master in green robes who had been humiliated earlier jeered loudly, his voice echoing across the plaza, as if afraid people didn't already know Jiang Jichen was a piece of trash.
On the battle stage, Jiang Jichen ignored the crowd's voices. He gave Murong Qingshu a dismissive glance and said, "This is but a trivial technique. What's more, a good-for-nothing like you has only learned its most superficial aspects. I only need seven punches to utterly defeat you!"
As soon as he said this, the plaza fell silent. The crowd thought they had misheard. But when they processed his words, they all thought Jiang Jichen had gone mad.
"Defeat his enemy in seven punches? Does he think he's still the number one genius he used to be?"
"Such shameless boasting! He's nothing, yet he dares to look down on the Murong's ultimate skill!"
"Young Master Murong, destroy this arrogant cripple."
...
Many people were in disbelief, and all of them felt Jiang Jichen was far too arrogant.
Murong Qingshu was beside himself with fury. He had been called a good-for-nothing, his Murong Family's ultimate skill was dismissed as a trivial technique, and his opponent had boasted of defeating him in seven punches.
"You, a cripple, want to defeat me in seven punches? Dream on in the underworld!"
At that moment, Murong Qingshu struck out with seven faint cyan Palm Shadows, sealing off every one of Jiang Jichen's escape routes and trapping him in a truly desperate situation with nowhere to hide.
However, Jiang Jichen had no intention of dodging. Instead, he pressed forward, executing the Seven-Star Step. Following a miraculous trajectory, he stepped out of the encirclement of the seven faint cyan Palm Shadows just before they landed, causing them all to strike the ground behind him.
At the same time, his figure flickered and he threw his punches!
CRACK, CRACK, CRACK...
Seven consecutive sounds of Fist Force tearing through the air rang out. Murong Qingshu felt his body jolt as the Seven-Star Light Cyan Seal surrounding him shattered violently.
'The Star Shifting Seal, with its power to rebound attacks, couldn't even withstand a single sky-breaking punch?'
PUH!
He spat a mouthful of blood toward the sky before collapsing to the ground, his eyes filled with horror and disbelief.
The world fell silent. No one could believe it. The tables had turned so quickly, and the one defeated in the end was actually Murong Qingshu.
"Wh-what was that technique? It could even shatter the Star Shifting Seal."
"It must be a martial technique, something unique to Body Refiners."
"There was once an era when Body Refining and Spirit Cultivation coexisted. If I'm not mistaken, that must be a foundational martial technique for Body Refiners, the Seven Stars Sky-Breaking Fist!"
...
Some of the old-timers hiding in the shadows, who knew of a few secrets, whispered in astonishment.
And what Jiang Jichen had just used was, of course, the Seven Stars Sky-Breaking Fist. With the Beidou Step, he condensed Endless Star Power into his fists. If cultivated to the Supreme Realm, seven steps could tread the heavens, and seven punches could shatter the sky!
Jiang Jichen knew countless martial techniques, but his Realm was too low. Only the Seven Stars Sky-Breaking Fist was barely usable.
However, to defeat this enemy, seven punches were more than enough.
"The Star Shifting Skill is indeed a peerless technique for the ages. Even cultivating it to its lowest realm—turning an opponent's attacks back on them—is enough to become a powerful expert. But it is still just a trivial technique. And you have only learned its most superficial aspects. The fact that I used seven punches to defeat you was me showing you respect!"
"From now on, anyone who wants to challenge me must first prepare one thousand First-Grade Spirit Condensing Pills!"
Jiang Jichen didn't even glance at Murong Qingshu on the ground. Instead, he swept his eyes over the crowd and spoke calmly.
Han Qing, standing at the side, was grinning from ear to ear. He hadn't expected to get five hundred Condensing Spirit Pills so easily. He could hardly believe it, feeling as if he were still dreaming.
"I think one thousand is too low a price! It doesn't reflect the prestige of our city's top young expert. Let's set the standard at two thousand First-Grade Spirit Condensing Pills! For any less than that, don't bother Cyan Moon City's number one young expert. He's a very busy man!"
Han Qing stepped forward at this moment, acting as Jiang Jichen's spokesman. His eyes gleamed as he faced the crowd with an incredibly greedy expression.