Elder Qilin Lin Ping was arrogant and full of himself. Naturally, he had no idea that Lu Rou had already succeeded to the position of Chief of the Beggars' Sect. In his heart, he merely looked down upon this insignificant branch leader of the Beggars' Sect.
Lu Rou's face flushed crimson when he heard those words, but he said nothing. With a sudden shift of his body, he slipped away from the barrage of punches and palm strikes, doing everything he could to evade the attacks.
Once he had regained his composure, he thought to himself, "This man truly thinks far too little of a mere branch leader of the Beggars' Sect! The jianghu is vast indeed. There is always someone stronger, and beyond every height there is another height!"
Little did he know that even above the lofty Mount Tai there was still the sky; even beneath the depths of the boundless sea there was still the earth. As the saying went:
There is always a stronger fighter among the strong, and beyond every mountain stands a higher mountain.
Elder Qilin Lin Ping had already lost much face by displaying such formidable martial arts against a mere branch leader of the Beggars' Sect before all the heroes of the realm. Yet after beating the Tibetan monks until they were barely able to breathe, Lin Ping was feeling immensely pleased with himself.
What he never expected was that Lu Rou would remain calm and refuse to rush forward recklessly. By now, he had already seen through the variations in Lin Ping's attacks and thoroughly observed every movement of his technique.
Lu Rou steadied his steps and gathered his qi. Silently, he recited the internal-energy formula from the Beggars' Sect's Bihuan True Scripture:
"Its qi is formless and primordial, flowing freely in every direction, changing without limit. Circulate the energy and regulate the breath. Forget the body to nurture the qi; forget the qi to gather the spirit; forget the spirit to enter emptiness; forget emptiness to enter truth. What is within flows outward, and what is without flows inward. The qi moves in and out without awareness, and only then is attainment achieved. Yet forget even attainment itself. What departs shall return; what returns shall depart. Within emptiness lies substance, yet it cannot be called substance. Within substance lies emptiness, yet it cannot be called emptiness. Let substance be no substance, and emptiness be no emptiness. When neither emptiness nor substance remains, the cultivation is complete, perfect and whole. This is true attainment."
In an instant, his qi became abundant and his spirit invigorated. The energy surged through every limb and bone in his body.
With a sudden thrust of his palm, Lu Rou swept his left sleeve outward and struck with his palm. A fierce gust of internal force burst forth.
Lin Ping was still basking in his own confidence when the palm wind came rushing toward him with a roaring sound. Lu Rou immediately launched a series of horizontal strikes and powerful blows, forcing Lin Ping into a flurry of desperate movements.
Suddenly, Elder Qilin Lin Ping spun around and struck out with a palm.
Bang!
Stones flew and dust billowed as the two men were both forced backward by the collision.
Lu Rou said, "I am young and strong, so I have the advantage. Senior, please take care."
As the old saying went:
"Fists fear the young and vigorous; staffs fear the old and seasoned."
Elder Qilin Lin Ping felt a tightness and sharp pain in his chest, as though he were on the verge of suffocation. He struggled desperately for breath and, after finally managing to draw one in, said, "Young man, you rely on your skills to bully your elders!"
The spectators surrounding the arena were astonished when they saw Lin Ping gasping for breath. None of them could understand how the Beggars' Sect could possibly possess such a formidable fighter—and one who was supposedly nothing more than a minor branch leader!
Lu Rou said, "Senior, why not rest by the side for a while? We can continue the fight later."
He truly meant nothing more than kindness. Seeing that Lin Ping was struggling to catch his breath, Lu Rou had simply stopped attacking and offered him a chance to recover.
Unexpectedly, Elder Qilin Lin Ping shouted, "Absolutely not! What is this? Are you trying to back out? Are you retreating in the face of battle?"
A dignified Elder Qilin had actually resorted to sheer shamelessness. His own strength was failing, yet he accused Lu Rou of retreating and losing his nerve!
Lu Rou said, "What would Senior have us do, then?"
Lin Ping replied, "Your internal power is indeed profound and extraordinary. This old man admires you! In an unarmed contest, the young possess an advantage because of their strength. Why don't we use weapons instead?"
Having said this, he shook his head repeatedly and continued coldly, "The power of my weapon is too great. It will end with either death or serious injury! You may not be able to withstand it. The only question is whether you have the courage to try!"
Everyone in the jianghu knew that Elder Qilin Lin Ping had earned his reputation through the Eighteen Forms of Qilin Saber Technique. Its eighteen forms were exquisitely crafted, and the technique was renowned throughout the martial world. It was certainly not something to be underestimated.
Thus, although Lin Ping's words were deliberately intimidating, they were not entirely empty threats.
Lu Rou turned toward the Four Elders and called out loudly, "Elder Song, may I borrow the Dog-Beating Staff?"
Elder Song was just about to toss the Dog-Beating Staff toward him when, at that very moment, Zhang Yongjun, a disciple of the Fire-Worshipping Sect standing at the edge of the arena, called out:
"Lu Rou! Our sect has a Vajra Staff that can withstand anything! Give it a try!"
He immediately rushed back into the main hall and soon emerged carrying the Vajra Staff.
"The Vajra Staff is here!"
With that, he casually hurled the staff through the air.
A sharp whistle sounded as Lu Rou reached up and caught it effortlessly.
Holding the Vajra Staff in both hands, Lu Rou gave it a powerful swing. The staff tore through the air with a deep, roaring sound.
Then he suddenly planted the end of the staff against the ground and said:
"Shall we have a little match, then?"
Elder Qilin Lin Ping looked at the Vajra Staff in Lu Rou's hands and sneered.
"Little branch leader, have you even mastered the Dog-Beating Staff Technique? How dare you make such a boast?"
Lu Rou remained exceedingly respectful. He raised his left hand, held the Vajra Staff upright in his right, rested its end against his palm, and cupped his hands in salute.
"It is my good fortune to have the opportunity to exchange moves with Senior today. I humbly ask Senior to instruct me."
His words had barely left his mouth when a fierce blade wind suddenly swept toward him.
Under the firelight of the dark night, a flash of steel streaked through the air.
Elder Qilin Lin Ping had launched his attack with lightning speed, giving Lu Rou no time to react.
Clang!
The sound of metal striking metal rang out.
All the martial heroes watching from the sidelines were startled.
No one had expected Elder Qilin Lin Ping to be so overwhelmed by anger that he would launch such a vicious attack!
Lu Rou had never imagined that he had somehow provoked a deadly grudge. Yet he was no newcomer to the jianghu. The disciples of the Beggars' Sect had witnessed far too many incidents of people stabbing one another in the back.
Although Lin Ping's sudden downward slash was swift and vicious, an attack like this could not possibly catch Lu Rou off guard.
He had no need to dodge.
With a single raise of his iron staff, he blocked the fatal blow with a resounding clang.
No matter how far a saber technique was cultivated, its ultimate ideal was the unity of man and blade. At its highest level, a single slash could split stone and cleave mountains, its power seemingly limitless.
The martial world was filled with rising masters. To practice martial arts was like rowing against a powerful current: advance, or be swept backward.
The spectators watched as Elder Qilin Lin Ping gripped his saber and unleashed the Qilin Saber Technique.
This was a technique designed primarily for close-quarters combat, emphasizing the perfect union of skill and physical strength and striving toward the ultimate state of man and blade becoming one.
The saber moved as swiftly as lightning, sweeping freely in every direction with breathtaking fluidity.
With a technique known as "Wind Rushes, Rain Descends," the blade seemed to fall like a torrential rainstorm, its momentum and power astonishing.
Yet Lu Rou wielded the Vajra Staff with equal freedom and mastery.
After all, the Dog-Beating Staff Technique was the supreme secret art of the Beggars' Sect. It consisted of thirty-six forms, each one possessing tremendous power. It was a technique that combined hardness with softness, offense with defense.
Throughout the jianghu, the Dog-Beating Staff Technique was renowned as one of the Beggars' Sect's most formidable martial arts.