A thunderous detonation coincided with a crack of lightning in the dark clouds overhead. It shook the earth, stirred a storm of dust, and rippled outward in a shockwave visible to the naked eye.
The force of the impact drove deep into the ground, cracking the soil into a spiderweb before causing it to cave in. The dispersing gale swept up the debris, whipping into a miniature sandstorm that raged across the surroundings. Only after a long while did the violent tempest subside, mixing the sand, dirt, and rain into a churning, muddy torrent.
Moments later, the dust cleared.
What came into view was Li Yiran slumped on the ground, his mental fortitude utterly shattered, his pupils filled with abject terror.
On the other side stood Wang Ping, a slight look of surprise on his face.
Between the two of them, a man had appeared out of thin air. His expression was fierce, and his lips parted slightly with each breath, revealing teeth sharp as blades.
*It's him...*
Wang Ping recognized him at once. He was one of the two imperial enshrinees who had given him the Thirteen Taipo Horizontal Training Hard Qi Art that day. He seemed to be called Xu Dog.
"What a punch..."
At the same time, having intercepted Wang Ping's fist in the nick of time, Xu Dog felt an excruciating pain shooting through his palm, his heart flooded with shock.
Only by confronting that punch head-on could one grasp the magnificent force contained within Wang Ping's seemingly simple strike. After all, with his own martial cultivation and physique, bolstered by a military art and protected by armor, he had still been injured and failed to fully stop the blow.
Not far away, the other imperial enshrinee, Shen Monkey, was even more stunned.
Just a short time ago, he had witnessed Wang Ping's strength with his own eyes. While it could not be called weak, it was merely average, far from powerful.
Yet what in the world was this?
Killing Xu Bingzheng, a titled martial master, in one strike was one thing, but he could actually injure Xu Dog!
*Three times? Five times? No, this is at least a tenfold, even dozens-fold increase! Did he swallow an immortal elixir? How could he have improved so fast?!*
The next instant, beneath the incomprehending, stunned stares of Shen Monkey and Xu Dog, Wang Ping withdrew his fist. Far from looking pleased, he sighed with regret.
"There really is always someone better, and a higher sky above."
Though that punch had looked straightforward, it was by no means mere brute strength; it had genuinely incorporated many of his current techniques and methods.
Force born of the earth, surging through the spine, permeating every bone and sinew before uniting as one. What appeared to be a single punch was actually the concentrated weight of his entire body focused upon his knuckles. Without the aid of his spiritual sense, attaining such a realm would have taken at least twenty years of bitter cultivation.
Pity he had no internal jin.
Given his current physique, if he could refine internal jin, its quality would surely be extraordinarily high. Unleashing it at full power, Xu Dog would never have been able to block his fist.
*And once I possess an internal jin physique, I can use Demonic Disintegration.*
Then his strength would surge even higher.
The future was promising.
Naturally, he still had other trump cards.
For instance, the Soul Seizing spell he had learned in his previous life had many applications. Unfortunately, he had yet to cultivate dharmic power, so he could not display its true might.
Wang Ping silently reviewed his gains and losses, then looked at Xu Dog before him. Having confirmed he was at least capable of escaping, he cupped his hands in greeting. "Greetings, Senior—"
Before he could finish, Shen Monkey walked over and got straight to the point via divine intent voice transmission: "Did you master the Thirteen Taipo Horizontal Training Hard Qi Art?"
Wang Ping paused, then nodded.
At that, Shen Monkey inhaled sharply. Sure enough, this armed cavalryman was a gifted thaumaturge, born with miraculous traits and strength far surpassing ordinary men.
With that thought, he grew even more excited and pressed on, "How many arts?"
"..." Wang Ping blinked.
Seeing his hesitation, Shen Monkey said impatiently, "Don't be afraid. Just speak honestly. One? Two? It can't possibly be three, right?"
Wang Ping: "?"
*Wait, is this martial art that hard?*
*I didn't notice when I took out the loan.*
For a moment, Wang Ping fell into rare doubt. After a brief thought, an idea formed, and he looked at Shen Monkey, replying in kind through divine intent voice transmission: "One art."
"What?" Shen Monkey froze, then shook his head instinctively. "Impossible. With just one art, how could you have thrown such a ferocious punch..."
His voice cut off abruptly.
A moment later, horror gradually surfaced on his face. "One art... one art... You mastered the entire Thirteen Taipo Horizontal Training Hard Qi Art as one?!"
Wang Ping nodded.
"Really?" Shen Monkey gritted his teeth. "I don't believe it."
If this fellow had truly mastered the complete Thirteen Taipo Horizontal Training Hard Qi Art, how could he, with his powerful divine intent, fail to notice?
Hearing this, Wang Ping quietly withdrew the concealment of Life-Stealing Thief.
*Rumble!*
In an instant, Shen Monkey felt heaven and earth spin. His divine intent locked onto Wang Ping, only to suffer a sudden searing pain, as if staring straight into the midday sun.
It was a full fourteen soaring rays of colored light—Copper Head and Iron Forehead, Arms Pulling a Thousand Jun, Ground-Standing Vajra, Hundred-Step Divine Fist, Monument Cleaver and Stone Shatterer, Land Treader Piercing Steel, Mountain-Sinking Elbow, Copper-Wall Battering Knee, Abdomen Hard as Armor, Metal-and-Stone Piercing Fingers, Throat Locking Steel Blades, Golden Spear Never Falls, Steel Sinews and Iron Bones, and Indestructible Vajra Body.
"..."
At this moment, Shen Monkey fell into unprecedented bewilderment. For a time, he did not know what was real, even wondering if he was dreaming.
He had practiced martial arts for nearly thirty years.
From catching the First Seat's eye and being chosen for the Enshrinement Hall, to ten years of bitter cultivation and claiming the title of Shen Monkey in battle, he had always been a peerless genius in the eyes of others.
He had once thought that the Thirteen Taipo Horizontal Training Hard Qi Art, an unranked martial art, would be trivial to learn. Yet that trivial task had occupied him for thirty whole years, and in the end, he had barely mastered nine arts, with ten still hopelessly out of reach.
Yet now, an upstart who came out of nowhere...
He had received the manual yesterday, and by today, he had mastered it. What was more, he had achieved the great completion of all thirteen arts, a feat none other than the First Seat had ever accomplished...
What was this?
His thirty years of bitter cultivation could not even compare to a single night for someone else?
For a moment, Shen Monkey stared at the fourteen rays of colored light. They were so dazzling, so beautiful, yet the longer he looked, the more his eyes stung with a bitter ache.
*Am I actually not a genius?*
Shen Monkey could not stop the thought. Compared to himself, the young man before him was the true peerless prodigy of an era, a blessed darling favored by the martial path.
*Hiss!*
The next second, Shen Monkey drew a sharp breath, his body swaying slightly where he stood. Only with effort did he steady his composure, forcing a stiff smile at Wang Ping.
"I believe you. Little brother, your talent is extraordinary, even a notch above mine."
Only then did Wang Ping withdraw the phenomenon.
As the Life-Stealing Thief technique resumed its operation, the soaring colored lights vanished once more, and Wang Ping reverted to his previous unremarkable appearance.
Shen Monkey watched with reluctance; those fourteen rays of colored light were something he dreamed of day and night. For a moment, he wished Wang Ping would put on another display for him.
"Shen Monkey?"
On the other side, Xu Dog was still utterly baffled. Wang Ping and Shen Monkey had communicated entirely through divine intent voice transmission, an encrypted exchange, so he had heard nothing.
Yet his call snapped Shen Monkey out of his daze. Shen Monkey glanced at the crane-feather black cloak on Xu Dog's shoulders—a symbol of status and rank within the Enshrinement Hall—and suddenly seemed to recall something. "Little Dog, don't you see it's pouring rain?"
Xu Dog froze. "Huh?"
Before he could react, Shen Monkey continued, "It's cold out. Hurry up, take that coat off and drape it over Little Brother Wang."
Xu Dog: "..."
For a moment, Xu Dog thought Shen Monkey was recalling their earlier conversation and making a joke, until Shen Monkey actually reached out with a large hand.
The next instant, Shen Monkey stripped the black cloak from Xu Dog's shoulders and draped it warmly over Wang Ping, his face filled with an elder's gentle benevolence. "Little Brother Wang, priorities must come first. Put aside the assignment in Longxing County; let us return to the capital first. The First Seat will surely be eager to see you."
Wang Ping blinked. "I am here on imperial orders."
"Special circumstances call for special measures," Shen Monkey said with a broad wave of his hand. "Trust me, right now, you are more important than anything. When His Majesty learns of this, he will understand as well."
"That won't do."
Wang Ping shook his head, adopting a solemn tone. "I am an imperial guard, gold-bearing armed cavalry, and my family has received imperial favor for generations. Now that I have come by imperial decree, how can I leave the task half-finished?"
"What do you mean?" Shen Monkey frowned.
"...You have to pay more!"
Wang Ping finally revealed his true motive, murmuring, "This Thirteen Taipo Horizontal Training Hard Qi Art should have a follow-up internal jin physique chart, right?"
"Oh? You want the Martial God Catalog?"
Shen Monkey was surprised, but he did not agree right away, looking somewhat troubled. "It's not that I can't give it to you, but the version in my hands has been abridged."
"It's only suited for someone like me... well, someone with just a tiny bit less talent than you."
"Since you have completely mastered the Thirteen Taipo Horizontal Training Hard Qi Art, you ought to learn the complete Martial God Catalog, but only the First Seat has that..."
At this point, Shen Monkey said helplessly, "So you still have to come with us to the capital and see the First Seat first."
"Then forget it."
Wang Ping shook his head. "Pay a deposit first... I plan to slaughter this fellow. Just don't get in my way."
With that, Wang Ping turned his gaze back toward Li Yiran.
That man no longer possessed the pride and refined elegance of the Mortal Ranking martial master known as the Mountains and Rivers Brush. Instead, he was coated in mud and filth, utterly wretched.
Seeing Wang Ping approach, terror seized his features.
Yet the next instant, Shen Monkey stepped in front of him once more, whispering, "Killing one is enough to intimidate the rest. Killing another would be going too far."
"The Imperial Academy will never permit this, and we are not prepared for an outright confrontation with them. Things have come to this; both sides might as well take a step back. Xu Bingzheng's death will be swept under the rug, and you can serve as acting county magistrate. Li Yiran keeps his life, but he must return to the capital."
"What do you think?"
Shen Monkey felt that Xu Bingzheng's death was already a blow to the Imperial Academy. If Li Yiran died as well, it would be an overreach, doing no good for the bigger picture.
Moreover, the Enshrinement Hall and the Imperial Academy were both parts of the imperial court.
If things became too strained, handling official business in the future would be difficult. While the Imperial Academy certainly could not defeat the Enshrinement Hall in a fight, they could be exceedingly troublesome once they started creating obstacles.
"I agree!"
Li Yiran spoke up first, lowering his head in complete submission, stripped of all arrogance. "The Imperial Academy lost this time. I will report this to Master Cheng."
"The Imperial Academy accepts defeat. Let the matter end here."
"At the end of the day, a mere Xu Bingzheng is dead, and so be it. He was not from any prominent clan; no one will be willing to offend the Enshrinement Hall over him."
"..."
Wang Ping did not respond.
Though Li Yiran's words sounded pleasant, his Desire Realm Deva Body could capture the emotions and thoughts of others. Right now, he could sense it—
Rage.
Beneath that seemingly submissive exterior lay a monstrous rage. Wang Ping did not doubt for a moment that if Li Yiran survived today, retaliation would inevitably follow.
"...Weeds must be pulled by their roots. What if I insist on killing him?"
Wang Ping spoke indifferently.
At these words, Shen Monkey's expression shifted slightly, while Xu Dog showed visible disgust and could not help but say, "Imperial enshrinees should consider the bigger picture."
"Are you going to sour relations between the Enshrinement Hall and the Imperial Academy just because you fear retaliation? When that happens, the Enshrinement Hall will simply abandon you."
"Really?" Wang Ping looked at Shen Monkey.
"Uh..." Shen Monkey opened his mouth. Considering the young prodigy's unparalleled talent and recalling the First Seat's style, he shook his head. "Not quite. We would still protect you. You're not like Xu Dog."
Xu Dog: "...?"
"Still, he isn't wrong about one thing. As imperial enshrinees, we carry the weight of the realm on our shoulders. In conduct and duty, we should try our best to consider the bigger picture."
"I understand." Wang Ping nodded readily.
"Understand? Understand what?"
Shen Monkey blinked, then seemed to realize something. His expression changed drastically, and he darted forward to shield Li Yiran once more, but it was already too late.
Before he could move, Wang Ping had already activated the Soul Seizing spell. His spiritual sense surged, transforming into an invisible, giant hand that firmly seized Shen Monkey and Xu Dog. Both men were instantly dazed, frozen in place, momentarily forgetting what they were supposed to do. Then, Wang Ping's fist drifted down onto the crown of Li Yiran's head.
"You?!"
Li Yiran's eyes widened in disbelief at what Wang Ping had done, unable to comprehend how he had accomplished it, yet one fact was abundantly clear to him.
He was going to die.
Setting aside that he had already fought his way through the Black Armor Battalion and was far from his peak in strength and stamina, even at his peak, he likely could not have blocked this punch.
*I... I...*
Despair and indignation flooded Li Yiran's eyes, but even channeling his divine intent did nothing more than slightly slow the revolving lantern of memories before his death.
*Thud!*
With a muffled sound, Wang Ping's fist drove straight through Li Yiran's skull. As the force burst forth, his bones and sinews were pulverized into mush.
"Wang Ping!"
The next instant, Shen Monkey and Xu Dog snapped back to their senses. Xu Dog was beside himself with fury, on the verge of striking immediately, only to be held back by Shen Monkey, whose expression was deeply conflicted.
"Why?" Xu Dog glared back in fury.
Shen Monkey's reply was simple: "The man is already dead."
A dead man had no value. Now that Li Yiran was dead and conflict between the Imperial Academy and the Enshrinement Hall was inevitable, a promising talent was all the more important.
In other words—
"'Imperial enshrinees should consider the bigger picture'... Senior speaks with great wisdom."
Wang Ping withdrew his fist, stepped back with immense deference, and bowed. "However, as it stands, my big picture seems to be a bit more important."
Chapter 51