"Brother Ren, would you consider joining my school? I think you have great talent!"

I'm naturally talented in martial arts, do I really need your praise?

Lu Ren shook his head, "Thanks for the offer, but I've already found my own path."

Upon hearing Lu Ren's gentle refusal, Kong Qiu sighed softly, still a bit reluctant as he said, "Really not joining? If you were by my side, under my guidance, you could learn much."

Lu Ren smiled without speaking, confirming that the system prompt showed no issues, and for the moment, set aside some of his vigilance. However, he wasn't too pleased with some of Kong Qiu's foolish words.

This guy seems to have been domineering in the past, to the extent that beings on the same level think they should join his school.

Perhaps due to the limitations of the times, during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, there might have been many Bright Awakening Cultivators wandering and studying.

In the next three days, Lu Ren hunted over a dozen lifeforms of relatively high levels. He even became somewhat addicted to the process, as fighting these fierce creatures also honed his martial arts skills.

"Ding, your comprehension of 'Spring and Autumn' finally yielded results. You have successfully entered the Entry Level, gaining the skill 'Spring and Autumn' beginner level."

Upon truly understanding this fist technique, Lu Ren suddenly realized and slapped his thigh in astonishment.

Is this really the Confucian classic 'Spring and Autumn'?

This fist technique lacks the gentlemanly demeanor of Confucianism. Instead, it is filled with intensely domineering intent, like an emperor descending to crush and suppress the world with unmatched momentum.

The fists form a framework of world order, and the fists trace the paths of dragons and snakes, revealing the battles between the Spring and Autumn and Warring States, all striving to unite and swallow rivers and mountains.

Domineering Fist!

"Mr. Kong, I want to ask, how many people have you accepted as your disciples?"

Kong Qiu devoured the roast meat in large bites and downed a bowl of fruit juice he concocted himself when idle. Lu Ren, however, lacked interest in such leisure.

He spoke contentedly, "Not many, but three thousand, among whom seventy-two have achieved considerable success."

Modest!

Lu Ren carefully read through the 'Spring and Autumn' in his hand, feeling the system's skill level prompt in his mind. Over these days, he had completely recognized the characters on the silk handkerchief.

With his current intelligence, understanding them was quite easy, with no sense of obstacle.

The only thing he found annoying was how these ancient people's fist techniques consisted of few words that could be parsed into vast meanings. Without focused elucidation or profound literary practice, one could easily misinterpret the intent and stray off course.

Without the system's analysis, Lu Ren would have remained unaware of the expressed meanings.

A slight misinterpretation, and one would end up far from the original meaning, let alone...

Lu Ren glanced quietly at Kong Qiu. At some crucial points, he didn't explain anything and completely skipped over them. Training like this poses no major issues, but if one were to clash with Kong Qiu, significant fatal weaknesses would manifest.

Interesting...

The heart eyes of these ancient people are nastier than one another!

"Three thousand people?"

Lu Ren pondered, then asked, "Why did you decide to travel through the kingdoms?"

Kong Qiu answered, "Because they fought continually, causing suffering to the people. I was dissatisfied, so I wanted them to abandon their desires and cease the wars."

"Back then, they likely didn't recognize you too much, right?" Lu Ren asked with interest.

"Hahaha, they did recognize me. That's precisely the case. I was famous everywhere; wherever I went, I was respected, and when I offered food and clothing, every country treated me with hospitality."

Kong Qiu waved his hand boldly. His arms, with bulging veins and muscle vibrations of explosive power, had perfectly recovered mental intent and physique over these few days. He had exceeded human limits and reached the Bright Awakening Level.

This was recovering from the decline in physical function due to long-term hibernation.

It's uncertain how deep this goes, for in ancient times, sustaining Kong Qiu's physique and advancing further was exceedingly challenging.

Moreover, it was the Spring and Autumn era.

Material production before reform was a basic agrarian economy, requiring at least twenty thousand people not eating or drinking to sustain the physique of a Bright Awakening-level System Martial Taoist.

Given such material conditions, how far can one go?

But with this physique, he could also imagine the disciples Kong Qiu gathered.

Lu Ren could easily envision Kong Qiu touring the countries with three thousand subordinates and seventy-two disciples.

Those countries were likely convinced by Kong Qiu's fists and might.

History records him lifting city gates effortlessly.

Overlord Xiang Yu was like a little brother to him...

Despite his gentle demeanor, his 'Spring and Autumn' clearly states that if his wishes are defied, he would reveal his truest nature. Confucian virtues? Just a façade...

Perhaps age has mellowed his temperament somewhat.

Maybe he was extremely aggressive when young.

After a while, Lu Ren casually asked, "I wonder what Mr. Kong plans to do next?"

Kong Qiu pondered briefly and then shook his head slightly.

"Now that time has changed so much, tonight I don't even know what year it is. Back in those days, the old tales, I'm afraid there's little left of them."

He looked up at the sky. At this moment, the Great Sun, after several days, had gradually tilted to the west.

Kong Qiu let out a sigh: "I don't know if this path is right or wrong."

He slowly stood up, his tall and burly figure as solid as Mount Tai. He stretched his body, then looked at Lu Ren.

"I am pursuing the path to immortality."

Lu Ren's expression didn't show the slightest hint of strangeness.

Such a person, in an era with no family or friends, only the path he pursued throughout his life could support him, becoming the motivation to keep living.

Or rather, for his path, apart from himself, everything else could be discarded.

He spread his arms wide, staring directly at Lu Ren.

"Brother Ren, you always say fists are not exciting, how about trying out fists? "

At this moment, the gentleness on Kong Qiu's face disappeared, his expression filled with domineering intent, a dense will constantly rising and spreading, the surrounding 'Qi' also trembling along with it, faint arcs of electricity occasionally appearing around him.

The tangled white hair wrapped with wooden sticks suddenly rose without wind, the sticks falling off, and his hair wildly danced.

Lu Ren saw clearly that this was due to static electricity filling the spaces between the strands causing such signs.

"Ding, the legendary Kong Qiu, Confucius is challenging you. It seems there will be some rewards after winning."

Upon hearing the system prompt in his mind, Lu Ren's eyes involuntarily brightened up, his spirit excited as if everything within sight was a few degrees brighter than the surroundings.

He slowly stood up, his eyes showing strong fighting intent.

"Alright, I also want to see how strong the legendary Saint Kong from two thousand years ago really is."

Kong Qiu, upon hearing this, showed a slight smile, yet due to his full face of horizontal flesh, appeared sinister.

"Great, truly great! It's been a long time since I encountered something so exhilarating. In my era, almost no one focused on physical cultivation who could be my match. My blood has been boiling."

Kong Qiu slightly sank his waist and hips, slightly bent his legs, positioned his arms, his muscles and tendons prominently showing, a feeling of near explosion rising from Lu Ren's heart.

It's the Heart Burst, isn't it.

"Great!"

Lu Ren stepped out, his body began to undergo dramatic changes, with his forcibly compressed body rapidly restoring at this moment, his size starting to expand extremely, his muscles and tendons tightening, the spiral meat buns on his head began to stand out, and his originally slightly dark skin turned into dark bronze, even showing faint metallic luster, under the magnetic field agitation, also like Kong Qiu, arcs of electricity danced around.

Seeing this scene, Kong Qiu's eye corners slightly twitched, his eyes showing surprise, seemingly not expecting Lu Ren to change so drastically, giving him a moment's unresponsiveness.

"Why has your appearance changed this way?"

Lu Ren also understood, in that era two thousand years ago, Buddhism had not yet spread east, so Kong Qiu's confusion was understandable.

Due to his increased size, Lu Ren's voice was somewhat deep.

"Heaven and Earth, can't you do it?"

"Heaven and Earth?"

Kong Qiu's eyes mixed with curiosity.

"Is it a Divine Power Technique? No, it can't be. The degree of change you achieved with your body is unbelievable."

"Can't you do it?"

In his words, Lu Ren's foot landed, the ground was directly splashed with countless stones and dirt, scattering like bullets.

And Lu Ren, evidently carrying immense wind resistance due to explosive speed, caused a booming sound, causing the surrounding mountain forest trees to quake violently, the intense air currents so sharp they seemed like blades, the ground underfoot being shaved a layer by such powerful friction.

"How can a person change so much... Come on!"

Kong Qiu's eyes opened wide, as blood surged in his muscles with no slightest retreat, then struck out a punch to clash directly with Lu Ren without hesitation!

Boom!

A thunderous sound instantly echoed, visible air ripples spread out from the clash of fists in all directions, the intense gust even blowing up a sky full of smoke and dust, filling the entire mountainside.

Evenly matched.

The two clashed with one punch each!

"Great!"

Lu Ren's eyes shone brightly, with the vigorous motion of his own magnetic field, the skin started to reveal dark golden luster, making Kong Qiu's eye corners twitch.

Can people really change like this?

Even Heaven and Earth shouldn't be like this!

After Lu Ren's size increased, there wasn't the slightest reduction in speed due to size, on the contrary, his speed actually increased by at least fifty percent of his normal state.

This is a very terrifying value rise.

Then, the two didn't speak, fist and foot intersecting, every punch and kick having tremendous power, the fist rising and falling, the air under high-speed friction raised sharp shrieks.

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