Pei Xuanjing remained unfazed, his Innate Thunder Gang Qi circulating around him. His body became enveloped in a purplish -blue glow, and the domineering power of the punch seemed to dissipate like cotton, disappearing into nothingness.
Countless streams of Thunder Gang Qi permeated the atmosphere as if all the thunder power between heaven and earth was converging on him. At this moment, Pei Xuanjing could easily sense the thunder power that existed between heaven and earth.
"Innate Gang Qi!"
Zhao Baiyang frowned slightly, unable to repress his exclamation.
He had not expected at all that Pei Xuanjing had obtained this exemplary martial arts skill.
He had long coveted this renowned technique that was a treasured possession of the Great Ming imperial court. Despite not having an opportunity to acquire it, he had unexpectedly seen it demonstrated by Pei Xuanjing.
"This is the Innate Thunder Gang Qi which I have created by incorporating the Innate Gang Qi. I respectfully await your evaluation," Pei Xuanjing announced confidently.
The purplish-blue thunder power was released from his hand, carrying a destructive intent, and rushed towards Zhao Baiyang.
"I hardly thought you managed to acquire this divine technique from the Martial Academy." Zhao Baiyang's tone was filled with resentment as he maximized his Mire Sect technique.
A more aggressive punch was launched, dispersing the thunder power in front of him with its heavy and overbearing aura.
He knew this divine technique, deemed forbidden by the Great Ming imperial court, had been displayed at the Martial Academy. However, he had believed it to be a ruse and not real. It seemed he had guessed wrong.
Pei Xuanjing knew Zhao Baiyang's assumption was incorrect but had no intention of enlightening him.
He leaped into the air, descending from the sky.
With his strong physique, each of his actions carried immense power.
Now, as he fell from high in the sky, his force was even greater, as if a great mountain was plummeting from the heavens.
Boom!
Zhao Baiyang swiftly dodged Pei Xuanjing's strike with masterful footwork However, the mere vibrations caused by Pei Xuanjing's landing made Zhao Baiyang's expression change slightly.
Because the severe tremors caused by that hit made him feel like what he was facing was not a human at all, but more of a prehistoric beast wearing a human disguise.
With each step Pei Xuanjing took, it felt like the powerful movements of a dragon or the reckless charge of an elephant, causing severe vibrations due to the boundless power.
Even without the use of any technical skill, the sheer berserk power alone was enough to astonish many people.
Whoo, whoo…
Zhao Baiyang roared, "The real strength of the True Man indeed makes this Lord ecstatic!"
Next instant, he seemed to separate into dozens of shadowy forms, all enveloping Pei Xuanjing at once.
Fist, palm, finger, leg!
All sorts of moves and techniques were unleashed in unison by the dozens of shadows. In a blink of an eye, countless moves were executed, shattering numerous waves of Qi, all looming over Pei Xuanjing.
An all-encompassing, all-around attack suggested as though Pei Xuanjing was about to be drowned in it.
"Ha ha…"
Confronting such an attack, Pei Xuanjing was not intimidated. He chuckled as he let the Innate Thunder Gang Qi circulate, intensifying the purplish-blue glow around him.
He actually disregarded the attack and let Zhao Baiyang's strikes land on him.
The Innate Thunder Gang Qi, being the essence of the Innate Gang Qi after all, offered an extremely robust protection.
In the meantime, Pei Xuanjing used the Universe Shift, stimulating his potential, utilizing the power of force against force, and borrowed the principle of manipulating and moving forces to deflect the attacks unscathed.
Despite Zhao Baiyang's powerful aggressive move, the end result was just a slight dimming of Pei Xuanjing's protective glow. But when Pei Xuanjing circulated his technique, the thunder power between heaven and earth reconvened, restoring itself as if nothing had happened.
"Huh?" Zhao Baiyang frowned slightly; he had not thought that Pei Xuanjing's protective technique would be this resilient and brazen.
"It seems that if one cannot break the protective Gang Qi at once, as long as the opponent's True Qi is not exhausted, it can continuously absorb the Qi of heaven and earth and recover," Zhao Baiyang observed with his experienced eyes, quickly understanding the subtleties of Pei Xuanjing's technique.
The two men locked gazes, their stare indicative of countless sparks flying.
Pei Xuanjing knew that Zhao Baiyang had seen through his Innate Thunder Gang Qi's Achilles heel.
Indeed, the highlight of this divine technique lay right there. As long as the protective Gang Qi was not broken and Pei Xuanjing's own True Qi was not exhausted, he could draw the Qi of heaven and earth to recover.
Of course, another way to overcome this weakness was to drain your opponent, based on who had more profound True Qi and who couldn't hold on any longer.
However, it was not about whether one knew or did not. Instead, it was whether they could do it or not.
With Pei Xuanjing's current strength, there were only a handful who could boast of having more profound True Qi than him. Therefore, the second method was not feasible.
The way to break Pei Xuanjing's divine protective technique was to shatter the protective Gang Qi with a staggeringly powerful attack.
Of course, he wasn't foolishly waiting for the opponent to find a solution. After his protective Gang Qi restored, Pei Xuanjing clenched his five fingers into a fist and lashed out.
The punch triggered endless explosive sounds, the power was boundless and carried a terrifying aura.
Zhao Baiyang didn't back down either. With a twist of his body, countless palms were thrown out.
The figures of both men were flickering, with continuous clashes of fists and palms, fighting fiercely.
The blow of Pei Xuanjing was unrivaled, each punch and palm carried an unrivaled force, capable of causing injury upon contact or breaking bones upon collision..
Zhao Baiyang's movements were profound, and his True Qi was unrivaled. Numerous maneuvers were performed with finesse and power combining punches, palms, kicks, and legs. Each technique was unique without repetition, reflecting his wide range of knowledge.
The battle was a manifestation of the philosophy of fast versus slow, and slow against fast. Movement and stillness interplayed mysteriously, creating churns of dust around them.
"Sect Leader, take my punch!" Pei Xuanjing roared.
His robe fluttered, his long hair billowed in the wind, and the punch he threw echoed with countless explosive sounds, whipping up an immense wind, reminiscent of thunder, hurtling outwards.
With just his punch, he forsook fancy techniques and relied entirely on raw power, as if all the energies of Heaven and Earth converged into this punch, causing the universe to tremble.
Pei Xuanjing's punch was as mighty as the formidable punch method used by Grand Tutor Bahe Siba of Great Yuan in the Illusion Domain, reaching seventy percent of its power.
If they were to spar again now, even without the Ten Thousand-Forged Divine Weapon, he would have the strength to face Bahe Siba.
Boom…
The sound shook Heaven and Earth, magnificent and powerful.
The intense, domineering force of his punch was like the turbulent flow of the Heavenly River, rushing towards the distance, unstoppable and unyielding.
"Good!"
Zhao Baiyang let out a long roar, his Qi rolled around him, his palms fluctuated, and his sturdy Blood Qi boiled and rolled, his True Qi raged wildly.
With this wave of his hand, countless waves of Qi swept out, the fierce waves lifting countless boulders, breaking trees, altering the colors of Heaven and Earth, even causing the earth to quake.
His ten fingers flickered continuously, and then his palms met, forming a series of complex hand signals, as if creating thousands of variations.
The thick True Qi and Blood Qi interwoven disorderly , forming a transparent colorless lotus out of thin air.
The colorless lotus spun rapidly between his palms, with numerous True Qi and Blood Qi converging within it.
The formidable, majestic, sacred, and terrifying aura was born within the lotus.
This was a unique skill from the Divine Powers that Zhao Baiyang practiced in the Mire Sect, even with his strength, it was extremely difficult to unleash.
Both of them were fighting with their strongest methods without resorting to weapons.
Then, the punch collided with the colorless lotus.
Humming…
The intense collision sound shook Heaven and Earth. It was an ear-splitting roar akin to a silent explosion next to one's ear.
Then, a thunderous sound akin to an explosion from the nine heavens echoed through the sky, exponentially louder than the sounds caused by the previous fights between the two.
The turbulent sea of clouds in the sky quickly dispersed, leaving only the azure sky. Countless currents of air swept in all directions, causing clouds to stir.
The mountain where they were stood fragmented, the rocks shattered, and almost all of the trees were broken at the waist.
Whoosh…
The gusts ceased, and the dust dissipated.
Pei Xuanjing and Zhao Baiyang were about a hundred feet away from each other, standing opposite each other.
"Your strength far exceeds my expectations. I admit defeat this time." Zhao Baiyang put his hands behind his back. Even in defeat, he appeared calm and composed.
Of course, if one failed to notice his trembling hands behind his back, he would appear even more magnanimous in his calm demeanor.
He was astounded by the strength Pei Xuanjing demonstrated today. He had stopped addressing himself as 'Sect Leader' and started using a more humble self-reference 'I', indicating his high regard for Pei Xuanjing.
From today, he treated Pei Xuanjing not as a junior but as a worthy opponent, as a 'Taoist Friend' on his path to the pinnacle of Martial Arts.
Undeniably, judging solely by their fight, Pei Xuanjing was indeed superior to him.
Although he had some tricks up his sleeve that he hadn't revealed yet, wasn't that the case for Pei Xuanjing as well? Remember, he was known for his swordsmanship, but he hadn't used it during their fight.
"Thank you for conceding, Sect Leader," Pei Xuanjing said calmly, smiling faintly.
With one hand resting on the back, he looked at Zhao Baiyang in the distance and thought, "He is indeed very powerful. Even with the Shenxiao Sword, it's easy to defeat him, but hard to kill him."
In their previous fight, apart from not using any weapons, they almost used their strongest fighting powers.
Although Pei Xuanjing did win, it didn't mean he could kill Zhao Baiyang. If Zhao Baiyang wanted to escape, he wouldn't be able to stop him.
"So, are you ready to have a chat with me now, Brother Pei?" A slight smile appeared on Zhao Baiyang's face.
With the strength that Pei Xuanjing had just demonstrated, Zhao Baiyang was enthralled and determined to pull him into his plans.
"No more fighting," Pei Xuanjing said calmly.
There was no need to continue.
Even with the Shenxiao Sword, Pei Xuanjing was unsure about killing Zhao Baiyang.
If he didn't have a Thousand Refinement Divine Weapon, given his position as the Maitreya Sect Leader, it would be a joke. If the latter were to produce a Ten Thousand-Forged Divine Weapon, Pei Xuanjing wouldn't be surprised.
The White Lotus Sect had a long-standing inheritance and profound background. The Mire Sect was one of its most powerful branches. If they didn't have a Divine Weapon to suppress their forces, no one would believe it.
The Holy Flame Sect, even now a fallen house, still had six Sacred Fire Orders that catalyzed the Ten Thousand-Forged Divine Weapon, so what about the Mire Sect?