Combining six strikes into one, reinforced with Three Powers Force, was no small drain for someone in Qi-Linking.
Especially when unleashed continuously in such sweeping, unrestrained motions.
It forced Chang Qiwen to go entirely on the defensive.
Yet he did not clash force against force.
Instead, he held his ground using spells.
He was battered and disheveled, but he remained certain that his opponent could not keep this up for long.
Once that energy ran out, the match would be his.
And yet...
*Bang!*
By the time Chang Qiwen was sent flying and crashed to the ground, he had still not seen Jiang Man exhaust his spiritual qi.
"How can this be?" Half-kneeling, he spoke in disbelief.
"What do you mean?" Jiang Man asked softly.
"Why could you keep combining six strikes into one? And keep reinforcing it with Three Powers Force?" Chang Qiwen asked.
This was the complete Three Powers Force.
It was not just a single strand of covert force.
Using both in tandem was remarkably exhausting.
Yet after unleashing dozens of palms, his opponent showed not the slightest hint of weakness.
Jiang Man looked at him as though stating the obvious. "When facing an enemy, I only use my strongest move."
Chang Qiwen was speechless.
For some reason, he found it impossible to argue.
"You've lost," Jiang Man said.
"I've lost," Chang Qiwen admitted bitterly.
He had thought that even if he could not win this bout, he would at least fight to a draw.
Though his assessment score was somewhat lower, his actual combat skill was certainly not inferior.
In truth, his combat skill really was better.
Yet...
No one had told him that this fellow would only use his strongest move without switching it up even once.
It had made it impossible to hold his ground.
Jiang Man, on the other hand, had already anticipated this outcome.
He absorbed spiritual qi through the ninth layer of the Qi-Linking Method, which naturally made it far denser than the qi absorbed by someone at the first or second layer.
The sheer substance of their spiritual qi was on entirely different levels.
"Can you tell me whose man you are now?" Jiang Man asked.
Since the man had come, he naturally intended to ask a thing or two.
"Who do you think?" Chang Qiwen countered.
Jiang Man studied him, thought for a moment, and said, "If I wound you severely, it shouldn't be against the rules, right?"
Chang Qiwen fell silent for a moment before saying, "I cannot speak of it."
Jiang Man did not press the matter further, asking curiously instead, "You hold the third rank in the courtyard. Why did you make a move against me?"
Jiang Man was referring to the incident before the assessment.
That single act had virtually stripped Chang Qiwen of his qualification to compete.
How could an ordinary person be so reckless?
Had he truly believed Young Master Yang when he said he would take the blame?
Certainly not.
Even Fang Yong had not believed it.
"Because I'm poor," Chang Qiwen sighed. "How many in the Sixth Courtyard didn't come from humble, impoverished origins? Isn't cultivating here just to earn spirit source in the future?
"Could it really be for eternal life and seeing eternity?
"Since it's for spirit source, now that someone gave me spirit source, I did the job."
Chang Qiwen raised his eyes to look at Jiang Man. "It's truly shameful for the third rank to do such a thing, but I couldn't throw away spirit source just for the sake of pride, could I?"
Jiang Man remained silent.
The man had a point.
Spirit source truly was essential.
It was not just used for cultivation, but for everyday survival.
Without spirit source, one dared not even sustain an injury.
Even if injured, one had to endure it through sheer grit.
Every day meant checking how much food was left,
wondering what to do once it ran out.
Perhaps Luoyun City was slightly better; after all, it was a city.
The villages were far worse off.
The Simple Qi-Linking Method was free, and though anyone could cultivate it...
They had to farm.
Cultivation was extremely difficult to advance, and the vast majority of people remained stuck at the Qi-Linking third layer their entire lives.
The Simplified Qi-Blood Method could even be obtained for free once reaching that realm.
Yet who dared to cultivate it?
Cultivating the Qi and Blood Method meant needing to eat far more, which consumed even more spirit source.
Without a renowned master's guidance, groping in the dark on one's own meant taking countless detours, compounding the cost of spent resources.
Pulling his thoughts back, Jiang Man looked at Chang Qiwen and asked curiously, "How much spirit source did they give you?"
"Ten thousand," Chang Qiwen said.
Jiang Man drew in a sharp breath.
Ten thousand?
Selling his spiritual qi, it would take him over half a year to earn that much.
Soon, however, Chang Qiwen added, "But to bail me out, they took back five thousand spirit source, gave you one thousand, and I sent three thousand back home.
"Now I only have one thousand left."
Jiang Man was still pondering whether to demand compensation for his losses, but the other man had already accounted for every bit of spirit source.
With a sigh, Jiang Man said, "Tonight, you came specifically to test my strength for that person, didn't you?"
Hearing that, Chang Qiwen immediately said, "I can give you another five hundred spirit source."
Jiang Man stared at him in silence.
"Six hundred. The rest has to be used to pay the actual combat registration fee," Chang Qiwen said.
Jiang Man felt puzzled. There was actually an actual combat registration fee?
He had never heard of that.
In the end, Jiang Man let Chang Qiwen leave.
He quietly pocketed the six hundred spirit source.
Though he had obtained no useful information, he had at least acquired sixteen hundred spirit source in total.
His originally meager livelihood had suddenly grown affluent.
"You just let him go like that?" the old yellow ox asked as it walked over to Jiang Man's side.
"What else?" Jiang Man stowed the spirit source and spoke softly.
"Aren't you afraid the person behind him will use other schemes against you? You were lucky this time, but if what happened before happens again, will you be able to resolve it so easily?" the old yellow ox asked.
Previously, Jiang Man had managed because he possessed a medallion, but he no longer had it.
Thus, if it happened again, he would easily end up locked away,
waiting months before being released.
By then, everything would be too late.
Yet targeting Chang Qiwen served no purpose.
If the mastermind behind him wished to employ schemes, they could simply swap in anyone else.
Qingyun Pavilion's seven courtyards had more than enough disciples.
It was better to leave Chang Qiwen be. At least Jiang Man knew this particular pawn and understood that he posed no great threat.
If a replacement came, who knew what sort of temperament and capabilities they would have?
So things were fine as they were.
The old yellow ox did not dwell on it, merely cautioning, "Your actual combat capability is lacking."
"Does Senior have a solution?" Jiang Man asked.
"No solution. Actual combat requires clashing with others," the old yellow ox said, shaking its head.
"True enough." Jiang Man nodded, then began walking back. Along the way, a thought struck him, and he asked, "Old Huang, as an evil god, do you have any special abilities?"
"I do, but they haven't recovered yet," the old yellow ox said.
"Like what?"
"For instance, I can find you a wife."
Jiang Man fell silent.
*And take my life too.*
Returning to the courtyard, Jiang Man immediately began cultivating.
First, he would fill the sixth gourd.
Then he would temper his qi and blood to bring his physical realm into the fourth layer.
With Spirit First Layer and the body at the fourth layer, his cultivation could begin breaking through to the seventh layer.
He was not sure if the remaining time would be enough.
If he could achieve it, first place would be secure.
His combat ability might fall short of theirs, but with absolute realm suppression,
first place would be beyond dispute.
Yet while Jiang Man was still cultivating, the old yellow ox suddenly spoke: "Someone is coming."
Jiang Man ceased his cultivation and looked outside.
Under the moonlight, Jiang Man saw a young woman walking in his direction, an expression of curiosity on her face.
The fourth rank of the Sixth Courtyard, Cheng Yu.
*Why did she come?* Jiang Man grew slightly wary.
Chapter 38