Lin Ming felt that the Seven Profound Valleys was like a giant bloodsucking vampire that squeezed out all the cultivation resources in a radius of several hundred thousand miles. They caused the martial artists of small countries to be lacking in all cultivation resources, and thus a martial artist found it difficult to enter a tiny step into the Houtian stage.
After the Seven Profound Valleys had opened Seven Profound Martial Houses in all of the various countries under their control, with their superior position, they bestowed resources and they bestowed cultivation methods to the most outstanding talents so that they could use them.
But the royal families of these small countries knew this well. Even so, while they dreaded the specter of the Seven Profound Valleys, they simultaneously hoped for the support and protection of the Seven Profound Valleys. That is why they were willing to offer their countriesâ resources, bowing to them with both hands. This caused the remaining few resources in these countries to skyrocket in price. In Lin Mingâs situation, even if he had talent, with his family circumstances he did not have the money to cultivate martial arts!
Between the parasitic relationship formed between the Seven Profound Valleys and the Sky Fortune Kingdom, Lin Ming had a fully uncomfortable feeling.
âIf it were not for the Seven Profound Valley, then if I wanted to practice martial arts, it wouldnât have placed such a big burden on my family. The Seven Profound Valleys, so detestableâŚâ Lin Ming thought. He wanted to say so, but he held his tongue.
âIf I want to reach the higher realms of martial arts, I actually must become a core disciple! Otherwise, I will not have the resources to do so. All will wait until I have the strength to speak out.â
âWell Lin Ming, the points that I wanted to remind you of have already been mentioned. Your superiority lies in your heart of martial arts, but, in terms of current combat ability, you cannot compare to Zhu Yan. Most importantly, you do not have a martial skill. You defeated Zhang Cang with the most basic âFlood Dragon Goes to Seaâ. At first I didnât want you to choose the âBody Tearing Bone Shattering Firstâ, but you were very insistent. Now it is too late to learn another martial skill.
âBut whatâs done is done. A martial artist should freely follow their nature and desires. No matter what, you should not regret your decisions. If you had changed your mind, then your heart would not be satisfied, then it will also not be open. Now, I want to hone your foundation spear skills, and have you use those foundation spear skills to defeat Zhu Yan! However, I will tell you this now. Zhu Yan has already mastered three kinds of martial skills! You must be prepared!
Lin Ming nodded and said, âUnderstood, Instructor Hong.â
âNow attack me. Let me take a good look at your spear skills!â
âThen I shall be impolite.â Lin Ming flicked his hand and Penetrating Rainbow jumped into his grip. With a shake of his power, the spear point began to unexpectedly tremble and hum. Dark purple elastic iron was immeasurably tough and resistant, even if it was only a slight tremor, it was enough to twist muscles and break bones!
âOh? You can shake dark purple elastic iron so easily? Good strength!â Hong Xi laughed, and also flourished the long spear that he carried on his back.
âFlood Dragon goes to Sea!â Lin Ming shouted. Both hands held the spear, and with a sudden movement, he thrusted the spear forwards!
As this spear thrust went out, Lin Mingâs imposing aura suddenly rose. The airflow around him began to change, as if there was an invisible current flowing around him and converging upon this aura and melting into Lin Mingâs long spear.
Hong Xi exposed a look of appreciation. He leaned a step forwards, gripped his spear shaft and aimed his spear point at Lin Mingâs spearhead, and then gave a fierce jab!
However, the power of this jab hadnât managed to stop Lin Mingâs spear. That spear seemed to be cast from gold and iron, and did not change directions, still thrusting straight towards Hong Xi!
This was the result of Lin Ming practicing his spear thrust countless times underneath the Icy Cold Pond Waterfall. It had achieved the state of being immovably steady!
Hong Xiâs eyes flashed with a glint of light. âGood spear!â
âHoh!â Hong Xi suddenly burst with strength. The true essence in his long spear began to stir. Lin Mingâs spear was stiffly swung aside by the brute force. He grasped his long spear and took a sudden step forward, and the spear point approached Lin Mingâs throat like a poisonous snake!
Hong Xiâs spear was twice as fast as Lin Mingâs! By the time Lin Ming had used one spear move, Hong Xi had used two!
Hong Xi thought that this one move would be the finisher. With his cultivation at the peak Pulse Condensation of Body Transformation, to deal with the Third Stage of Body Transformation Lin Ming should have been easy. Even if he used 30% of his strength, it should have been a simple task, but he did not think that he would have been wrong.
Seeing this spear reflected in his eyes at it came at him, Lin Mingâs long spear was out wide, and he would not have enough time to receive it and defend against this move. He immediately reached out with his right hand towards Hong Xiâs spearhead! At that moment, all of the tiny units in Lin Mingâs body began to breathe in unison. True essence began to vibrate in his body, and was concentrated into his right hand!
Hong Xi saw Lin Ming move his bare hand towards the spear point that was thrusting forwards at high speed, and he suddenly hesitate. This Lin MingâŚ
âMmm?â
As soon as Lin Mingâs palm touched the spear point, Hong Xi felt an intense vibration transmit down the spear shaft and cause his spear to be unsteady. This⌠what was going on?
Hong Xi had naturally heard that before when Lin Ming was fighting Zhang Cang, he had used his open hand to receive Zhang Cangâs saber At that time, Hong Xi had thought Lin Ming had merely predicted Zhang Cang attack pattern and had avoided the saberâs blade edge, so it had succeeded. But now it appeared that it wasnât so simple!
âHo!â
Hong Xi was a master at the Pulse Condensation Stage. With a sudden effort of both hands, he jerked hard and counterbalanced the trembling of the spear shaft. But now, Lin Mingâs second spear had arrived!
âTotal Annihilation!â
Hong Xi had just enough time to dodge, and he leapt backwards from the strike. Even so, a strong heavenly wind followed Lin Mingâs spear as it swept past. This strong wind contained a strange vibrating power. As Hong Xi was swept by this strong wind, he felt his heartbeat and blood flow be affected, and a tightness in his chest!
This move completely startled Hong Xi. He was a martial artist who had reached the Large Success stage of Pulse Condensation. His meridians had already been opened and connected, and true essence had tempered his entire body, without a single weak point. In this situation, he had still felt a slight uncomfortableness when Lin Mingâs spear wind swept past him. Although he wasnât injured, if it were a Viscera Training stage martial artist who had been touched by this wind, they might have suddenly spat blood!
âThis kid, what kind of cultivation methods has he been studying? I thought that I would catch him with one move, but heâs managed to last three rounds. If I canât handle him, how would I have face as an instructor!â Hong Xi raised his strength by another 20%. He twisted in midair, and his long spear fell down like a wild rainstorm!
Peng!
Lin Ming lifted his spear to meet the approaching enemy, but this time he actually felt an inexhaustible strength contained in Hong Xiâs spear, as if he was unable to even think of contending with it, and his spear was swept away!
â!â
The spear point appeared like an invisible ghost at Lin Mingâs throat. The approaching icy coldness of the spear point made Lin Mingâs hairs stand on end. The fight had ended.
Hong Xi withdrew his spear and said, âGood young man, your hidden skills are truly deep, no wonder Zhang Cang was defeated with just a palm, fist, and spear. My cultivation far surpasses yours, but today it seems I can still learn from you!â
Hong Xi looked Lin Ming up and down, sizing him up. He recalled that strange vibration he felt; where had Lin Ming learnt that from?
This kind of fierce fighting style was impossible to be self-taught. It was certainly from studying some jade slip. Thinking back to the three jade slips Lin Ming had selected from the depository, they were the âFoundation Spear Techniqueâ, âFoundation Movement Techniqueâ, and the âBody Tearing Bone Shattering FistââŚ
Hong Xi had already seen the âFoundation Spear Techniqueâ before. In fact, every person who joined that army had to study the âFoundation Spear Techniqueâ. But even if the âFoundation Spear Techniqueâ from the army differed from that of the Seven Profound Martial Houseâs depository, it was only some more concise ways of cultivating true essence; there was nothing different in the spear skills themselves. This kind of scary vibration did not originate from the âFoundation Spear Techniqueâ, and it couldnât be anything from the âFoundation Movement Techniqueâ. That meant thatâŚ