As an Innate Level Expert, Master Chen Fei's judgment was beyond question, comparable to the legendary 'fiery eyes and golden gaze'. So when he heard his disciple's slightly boastful tone, his mind instantly flashed back to the scene at the bottom of Emerald Lake, and an unusual glimmer emerged in his turbid gaze.

Although he had not witnessed Chen Fei's entire encounter with the Strange Snake, he was well aware of the terrifying creature's strength. With Chen Fei's power, having only recently become a Second Rate Ancient Martial Artist, escaping alive would have been impossible.

With this thought, Master Chen Fei glanced at Chen Fei and suddenly raised his hand. "Trade a punch with me."

No sooner had his words fallen than his stooped, thin body began to emit a terrifying aura, like the Yellow River bursting its banks. It was as if a century-old overlord, long slumbering in the mountains, had returned to the world. His fist seemed capable of shattering mountains and splitting stone as it brutally shot toward Chen Fei.

Obviously, compared to a novice like Chen Fei, his master's mastery of Xingyi Fist had reached the peak of perfection. A single casual punch was so horrifying it seemed capable of stirring up storms, sending shivers down the spine and draining the color from one's face.

"Hey, old man, no sneak attacks!"

Chen Fei's expression changed dramatically. In the nick of time, he clenched his fingers into a tight fist. Spiritual Energy surged wildly within him, emitting a milky-white glow. Kicking up a fierce wind, he crouched like a tiger descending a mountain and threw his own punch forward violently!

BOOM!

The next moment, a dull thud of fist meeting flesh echoed out. Chen Fei felt as if he had punched a plate of solid steel. A powerful counterforce instantly rebounded, nearly sending him flying backward.

At the same time, a tidal wave of intense pain surged through his fingers and fist, causing his eye to twitch violently as cold sweat beaded on his forehead. It felt as if his hand was about to be crippled.

"Hiss... Master, your fist is incredibly hard..." Chen Fei sucked in a sharp breath, his face pale as he muttered in utter shock.

He knew that with his current strength at the Peak of Qi Refining Third Layer, he was on par with a First-Class Ancient Warrior at their peak, and not even far from Half-Step Innate. Yet now, his master's casual punch—one that was likely held back—had nearly crippled his hand. What could be more absurd than this?

An Innate Level Expert for sure. Truly terrifying... The old man's a monster...

"Not bad progress, but that's all it is. Alright, head back for today. Remember to come see me tomorrow. I'll check on how well you've practiced your Xingyi Fist forms." However, upon hearing him, Master Chen Fei simply nodded indifferently. He then picked up the broken fishing rod, turned, and left, leaving Chen Fei with a bitter expression.

Ah, check my Xingyi Fist forms? He knew perfectly well that his current strength was entirely due to the "High Quality" Spiritual Energy in his body.

It was the difference between a tiger and a housecat; his Spiritual Energy was the tiger, while the so-called visible energy and Dark Energy were the cats. As for the Xingyi Fist forms, they were a measure of his mastery over the martial art. He hadn't found any time to practice recently, so of course he was panicked.

What's with this kid's Dark Energy? How did it get so strong? It's unbelievable... Just after Chen Fei had left dejectedly, Master Chen Fei suddenly appeared from a dark corner, his eyes flickering with shock as he watched his disciple's retreating back.

With his age and experience, he certainly understood what a First-Class Ancient Warrior at his peak in his twenties signified. Moreover, just a few months ago, the boy had been merely a new Second Rate Ancient Martial Artist.

Furthermore, during their exchange of blows just now, he had clearly felt that Chen Fei's "Dark Energy" was terrifying beyond his expectations. To be clear, it wasn't just terrifying—it was *exceptionally* terrifying.

Even he, a man who had stepped into the Innate Level over twenty years ago, was this astonished. It just went to show how frightening the situation was.

"It seems this kid has had some kind of fortuitous encounter in the past few months. Otherwise, how could he possibly know the origin of that miraculous golden plant at the bottom of the lake?" A moment later, Master Chen Fei sighed, a proud and self-satisfied expression crossing his benevolent face.

A First-Class Ancient Warrior at his peak, and he's only in his twenties! It seems that I, Ming Daochuan, have found my successor! Hahaha!

「The night passed uneventfully.」

Early the next morning, a troubled Chen Fei arrived at Five Peaks Mountain.

When he had returned home the previous night, he had been worried his mother would ask questions, like how he knew Mayor Huang Tao, or why the mayor would personally come to Chengyang to help him. Fortunately, his mother hadn't seemed interested at all. She casually praised him a couple of times and then dropped the subject, letting him breathe a sigh of relief.

He hadn't been relaxed for long, however, because the next morning, his deceptions were exposed.

"Are you trying to anger me to death? What is this slop? Have you forgotten everything I taught you?" Sure enough, upon seeing Chen Fei's Xingyi Fist, which had grown incredibly rusty from months of neglect, his master, Uncle Ming Daochuan, flew into a rage. He grabbed Chen Fei's ear and started yelling.

"From now on, don't you dare tell anyone you're from my Xingyi Fist school! It's a complete embarrassment," Uncle Ming Daochuan grumbled incessantly, still not appeased after yanking his ear and scolding him.

It couldn't be helped. To an outsider, Chen Fei's grasp of Xingyi Fist might have seemed impressive and powerful enough to be convincing. The problem was that in front of his master, a grandmaster who had immersed himself in the art for decades... What in the world is this garbage? I can't even watch. No wonder he was so furious.

"Master, don't be angry! It's my fault. I've been slacking on my Xingyi Fist practice these past few months. But you can rest assured, I guarantee I'll practice diligently from now on and never slack off again. Please, trust me one more time," Chen Fei said, feeling genuinely guilty as he patted his chest and made a loud promise.

"Trust you one more time?"

Uncle Ming Daochuan shot his disciple a displeased look and said grumpily, "If this happens again, I'll break your little rascal's legs."

"Hehe, master, don't be angry, cool down." Upon hearing this, Chen Fei immediately played dumb, grinning like a fool. This was his tried-and-true method for handling his master, and it never failed.

"Angry? Of course I'm not angry. What do I have to be angry about!" Sure enough, Uncle Ming Daochuan rolled his eyes at his disciple's antics, his anger genuinely subsiding.

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly added, "You stinking brat, I know you must have had some incredible opportunity. But if you could just improve your understanding and control of Xingyi Fist by two or three levels, your current strength would increase by at least another twenty or thirty percent." He meant every word.

In his eyes, Chen Fei was a fool sitting on a mountain of treasure but not knowing how to use it.

The sheer power of the terrifying Dark Energy in Chen Fei's body, in his opinion, was nearly on par with the True Qi of the Innate Level. Yet Chen Fei's current strength hadn't even reached Half-Step Innate.

Therefore, if Chen Fei's understanding and control of Xingyi Fist weren't so "trash," his strength might have already been comparable to the Half-Step Innate level. A twenty-something with the power of a Half-Step Innate... what would that even mean? The thought alone was terrifying.

"Master, I..."

Chen Fei could hear the sincerity in his master's tone, and his guilt deepened. "Master, don't worry," he said earnestly. "I definitely won't disappoint you next time." He vowed this in his heart.

Having inherited the legacy from that great expert of the Cultivation World, he knew that these secular martial arts were no longer as important. That was why he had grown so negligent, his Xingyi Fist becoming sloppier. But now, he was suddenly reminded that in his master's eyes, he was the sole heir, shouldering not just a responsibility, but also a hope.

Therefore, he could not abandon Xingyi Fist. In fact, he had to make it shine with a dazzling light and not let his master down!

"Disappointed? I wouldn't go that far. I never imagined you could achieve so much at your age. To have a disciple like you—a First-Class Ancient Warrior at his peak in his twenties—I, Ming Daochuan, am content. But right now, you're like someone sitting on a mountain of treasure but not knowing how to use it. It would be a terrible waste not to mine it for all it's worth, wouldn't it?" Ming Daochuan said with a sigh.

"Oh, by the way."

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he added, "The month after next, there's a three-day martial arts conference on Lingnan Mountain. They sent an invitation last time, but I declined. With your current strength, however, you have the right to attend without one. Remember to go have a look. And you should suppress your Cultivation Level and spar with others your age. It will be helpful for you."

"A martial arts conference? What kind of conference?" Chen Fei asked, surprised. He didn't think his master had ever mentioned it.

"I believe I've told you before, haven't I? We Ancient Martial Artists of Huaxia are divided into North and South. This Lingnan Mountain martial arts conference is an event organized by us Southern Ancient Martial Artists, a grand affair held only once every three years. Ancient Martial Arts sects, factions, and families from all over Southern Huaxia will gather to discuss and demonstrate their techniques. These demonstrations are usually split into two main events. The first is for the younger generation: under thirty years old and at the level of Second Rate Ancient Martial Artist or above. The second is a contest between us old folks: Innate Level and above. Understand?" Ming Daochuan explained.

"Oh, I see. So martial artists from all over Southern Huaxia will be there. In that case, I'm quite interested in going to see it for myself," Chen Fei replied, his curiosity piqued.

Despite having the title of Xingyi Fist heir for all these years, he had rarely interacted with that circle and knew very little about it. Now that he had such a perfect opportunity, he was eager to experience that mysterious world within Huaxia.

And those heirs from the other sects and families, his peers... would any of them be as freakish, as outstanding as him? Hehe, he was genuinely looking forward to it!

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