Chapter 126: I Grant You Three Moves

Yan Fei, himself a practitioner of the martial arts, understood deeply how arduous the path of cultivation truly was. To walk the path of martial arts, one required immense innate talent, abundant cultivation resources, and superior techniques; all three were indispensable. Talent was innate and immutable, resources could be sought, but high-level cultivation techniques were closely guarded secrets, never to be shared by ancient martial families or sects.

Such a young man, capable of unleashing such a formidable aura, could not possibly be a mere rogue cultivator without the backing of a sect or family.

"To which sect or family do you belong?" Yan Fei asked, hoping to clarify the situation and avoid a conflict that might offend powerful ancient martial factions.

Ling Tian, who detested such formalities, retorted immediately, "If you want to fight, then fight. If not, get lost. Why all the chatter? Since you're so curious, I'll tell you: I belong to no sect and no family. Now, can we fight?"

Yan Fei sneered, "Since you have no sect or family, I have no reason to hold back."

Ling Tian replied dismissively, "The reason you haven't made any progress in years is precisely because you are held back by too many concerns."

This sentence struck Yan Fei like a heavy hammer against his heart. A flicker of sudden enlightenment made his vision clear; the cultivation level that had remained stagnant for years finally showed signs of shifting. In that moment, he understood why, despite having reached the quasi-Qi Refinement stage five years ago, he had never been able to advance further.

Suddenly, Yan Fei's aura became incredibly fierce, as if he were a different person. In that instant, he successfully crossed the threshold into the realm of Qi Refinement, becoming a true martial arts practitioner.

Yet, Yan Fei felt no great joy, only a deepening sense of gravity. He realized that even after successfully entering the threshold of Qi Refinement, he still could not withstand Ling Tian's oppressive pressure, which felt like a violent storm. Could it be that he had already reached the middle stage of Qi Refinement, or perhaps even higher?

At this thought, Yan Fei gasped. As the saying goes, a newborn calf is not afraid of the tiger; before his breakthrough, he had arrogantly believed he could defeat his opponent. Now, with his long-stagnant cultivation finally advancing, he could better appreciate the true extent of the other man's power.

Ling Tian watched Yan Fei indifferently, a cold smile curling his lips. This young man was raw talent; to have reached sudden enlightenment and broken through at such a moment was impressive. If his character was sound, he might be worth recruiting. Ling Tian had begun to appreciate his potential.

"I may not be your match, but this is the property of my former superior, Mr. Situ. I must stand by him. Please forgive me." Yan Fei holstered his handgun and bowed to Ling Tian, showing both respect and gratitude for the insight he had just provided.

Ling Tian said calmly, "Let us have a proper fight. I will give you three moves."

*Give me three moves?* Yan Fei thought. *How arrogant. Even if you are stronger than me, it does not mean I will lose so easily.*

Yan Fei threw a punch, accompanied by a sharp whistle like a dragon emerging from a deep pool, striking toward Ling Tian with unstoppable force. As he attacked, his left hand formed a palm, preparing for a follow-up strike. Having been coached by experts, Yan Fei knew that when facing a master, one must maintain a continuous, rapid assault, never giving the opponent a chance to breathe.

*Your power is too scattered!* Ling Tian shook his head. Just as the fist was about to land, he utilized the Seven-Star footwork, shifting his body slightly to evade the strike.

Once the first move failed, Yan Fei’s follow-up strike erupted with the force of a landslide, a palm aiming for Ling Tian’s chest. It was fast and full of momentum, but in Ling Tian’s eyes, the application of force was poor—unable to condense power into a single point. This was the gap between one who had just stepped over the threshold and a true Qi Refinement practitioner of the lower stage.

A martial artist’s realm depended not only on raw power but on the ingenious application of that power.

Ling Tian relied on his graceful movement to evade the second attack, reappearing behind Yan Fei. He smiled and said, "You are improving quickly, but this level of power cannot hurt me."

*Dodged again? And he moved behind me without a sound?* If the opponent had launched an attack just then, it would be he who had fallen. The more Yan Fei thought about it, the more he felt a lingering fear, breaking out in a cold sweat. "Take another palm!" he roared, gathering all his Qi into his palms and thrusting them forward.

This time, Ling Tian did not dodge. He stood his ground and lightly struck out with his right hand. The movement appeared soft and weak, yet it was as swift as lightning. Such a casual palm collided with Yan Fei’s finishing move; the Qi churned and scattered, and the surrounding air surged like crashing waves.

Yan Fei’s eyes widened as he stared blankly at his palms. His ultimate technique had been neutralized by Ling Tian’s seemingly effortless strike. Furthermore, his palms felt as if they were suctioned to the other man’s, losing all control, hovering about an inch away from Ling Tian's palm. Yan Fei tried to mobilize his Qi to break free, only to realize with shock that the meridians in his hands had been sealed by Ling Tian.

Only then did Yan Fei realize the vastness of the gap between them. His opponent had neutralized his move with ease and silently sealed his meridians, rendering him defenseless. At this moment, if Ling Tian struck one more time, Yan Fei would be dead or severely wounded.

"Why don't you kill me?" Having already lost, Yan Fei felt there was nothing left to worry about. With his life in the other's hands, he felt a strange sense of ease.

Ling Tian countered, "Why should I kill you?"

The question stumped Yan Fei. It took him a while to collect his thoughts. "Given your strength, you could easily kill me in an instant. I admit defeat and acknowledge my inferiority, but I still hope you will not cause trouble here. Otherwise, even if I have to throw my life away, I will continue to fight you."

*Principled and courageous! A real man!*

Ling Tian looked at Yan Fei with approval. "You said you have a good relationship with the elder of the Situ family, so you were acting for a friend. Moreover, though your strikes were fierce, they lacked true killing intent."

"I only wanted to drive you away; I did not intend to kill," Yan Fei admitted honestly.

Ling Tian laughed, "One can go to any lengths for a friend, but you must consider why you are doing so. If your friend is hiding filth and corruption, is it truly worth it?"

Faced with this challenge, Yan Fei fell into deep thought. "I don't know the specifics of the business here. If what you say is true, I will certainly not assist in their wrongdoing, but I believe Mr. Situ would not do such things."

"Mr. Situ may not, but what if his subordinates are doing it behind his back?" Ling Tian asked again. If not for his appreciation of Yan Fei’s character, he would have simply struck him down and saved himself the trouble.

Yan Fei nodded. "I will personally seek out Mr. Situ to get to the bottom of this."

Just then, the fat man who had been hiding in the corner stood up abruptly. He pulled a revolver from his jacket, aimed it at Ling Tian’s head, and shouted, "Boy, since Yan Fei is no match for you, I'll finish you myself!" As he spoke, he pulled the trigger.

At the sharp report, Ling Tian’s expression became grave. He had been so focused on his bout with Yan Fei that he had forgotten about this piece of trash. The man must have been too busy being beaten earlier to draw his weapon, but now he had seized the opportunity without hesitation.

The moment the fat man fired, Yan Fei shouted a warning, but it was too late to stop him.

As the fat man drew his gun and spoke, Ling Tian had decisively coated his vital points in a thick layer of protective Qi. When the bullet struck, his amulet exploded, blocking the attack, though the bullet quickly pierced the protective barrier and slammed into the Qi layer.

The protective Qi only momentarily blocked the bullet, slowing it down, but that split second was enough. Ling Tian snatched the bullet out of the air, crushed it in his palm, and threw it back at the fat man. The projectile perfectly plugged the barrel of the revolver.

It all happened too fast. The fat man didn't even realize what occurred and fired a second shot. With a dull thud, the revolver exploded. The gun was destroyed instantly, and three of the fat man’s fingers were blown off, his palm split open and covered in blood.

Yan Fei shook his head vigorously, looking from the unscathed Ling Tian to the bloody-handed fat man.

*This isn't right!* The fat man had fired twice; even if he missed, he shouldn't have been injured. Why was the fat man hurt while Ling Tian remained unharmed?

During the first gunshot, a faint golden light had shimmered around Ling Tian, and he seemed to have caught something before throwing it back...

Yan Fei tried to recall everything that had just happened, but it had occurred too quickly. With his level, he could only catch fragments. Yet, those fragments were enough to prove that Ling Tian had reached a level of power where he no longer feared bullets. Thinking of this, Yan Fei looked at Ling Tian with complex eyes.

Mr. Situ, having rushed over, hurried into the hall just in time to see the fat man fire his gun. He was so furious he stomped his feet and cursed. This bastard was attacking his benefactor! If anything happened to Ling Tian, even tearing the fat man to shreds wouldn't satisfy his rage.

But then, the elder was astonished to see that Ling Tian had not only blocked the bullet but had also countered it. That faint golden light was similar to the light emitted when he used a spirit talisman.

"Good heavens, how many more tricks do you have up your sleeve? You can even block bullets." Seeing Ling Tian was unharmed, the elder sighed in relief and began to study him. From the first time they met, he knew this boy was not simple, but he hadn't expected him to be this powerful.

"Everyone, stop!" Mr. Situ walked into the hall with an imposing air, glaring at the fat man with killing intent.