NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 421 - 421: Clash on the River_1
Chapter 421: Chapter 421: Clash on the River_1
Xu Fan, who meditated with closed eyes on the living room sofa, circulated the Spiritual Energy inside his body. Although the Spiritual Energy in the outside world was sparse, he still practiced silently whenever he had the time.
Around 11:25 p.m., Xu Fan let out a long breath and slowly finished his cultivation practice.
The moment he opened his eyes, a flash of golden light sparkled and then vanished within his pupils.
He went to the entryway, changed into his shoes, and locked the door from the outside, all without making the slightest noise.
While descending in the elevator, he sent a WeChat message to Xu Dan, warning him to be vigilant.
…
At the Heart of Heaven Pavilion by the southern river of the city.
Li Fuqiang stood an inch above the water surface, levitating in midair.
The evening breeze by the riverside blew gently, rustling his clothes, which, along with the sound of the flowing river, created a scene as if a revered hermit had stepped out of a painting.
As a Martial King, standing on thin air was his most distinctive trait.
Qian Zongsheng, with Xiao Bai and the trio, leaned on the railing of the pavilion in the heart of the river. They were both in awe of the person before them and extremely envious. They thought how carefree and at ease they would be if they could do the same one day.
Even though Martial Arts Grandmasters were also powerful and admired, they paled in comparison to Martial Kings.
After all, to move through space unbound by gravity has always been one of humanity’s greatest aspirations.
Suddenly, a black Audi A7 sped toward them on the riverside road. As it drew near the Heart of Heaven Pavilion, the Audi slowed down and parked by the side of the road.
Xu Fan opened the car door, closed it, then leaped from the road over the railing, landing steadily from a height of three meters.
His steps were unhurried and graceful, seemingly measured with precision, his footsteps ‘tap, tap, tapping’ in almost perfect unison.
At exactly midnight, Xu Fan arrived as promised and entered the Heart of Heaven Pavilion.
“Protector Xu, you are very punctual indeed,” said Qian Zongsheng with a wry smile.
Xu Fan replied, “Time is the most equitable thing in the world, so naturally, I must make good use of it.”
“Fair enough. Then I won’t keep you. Tonight, we are just spectators.”
Qian Zongsheng nodded, then assumed a look of eager anticipation.
Xu Fan turned to look towards Li Fuqiang in the center of the river, and at that moment, Li Fuqiang also turned his gaze towards him.
Their eyes met in midair, their gazes clashing like thunder meeting fire, almost igniting sparks in the air.
“Nephew, are you ready?” Li Fuqiang’s voice was as deep and magnetic as ever.
“Uncle Li, I look forward to our duel,” Xu Fan replied. He tapped the ground with the tip of his foot, leapt up, and flew towards the river surface.
Li Fuqiang was taken aback. He had been prepared to move closer to the shore to engage in a match with Xu Fan on the beach. After all, Xu Fan was not a Martial King and had not yet mastered the ability to float in the air.
Yet Xu Fan actively flew towards the river surface. Wouldn’t he fall into the water?
“Uncle Li, you are the elder, so let me come to you.”
Xu Fan laughed in the air. Immediately, Spiritual Energy surged and shifted around him. His figure paused and hovered an inch above the river surface.
Standing on thin air!
Incredibly… Qian Zongsheng and the onlookers gasped, their eyes nearly popping out. They couldn’t help but exclaim, “My God, is he a Martial King? How is this possible?!”
“Am I seeing things?”
“What… what… what is going on here?”
“My brain is glitching; can someone tell me if this is an illusion?”
Xiao Bai and the trio looked at each other with faces full of disbelief.
Li Fuqiang stared blankly at the scene, quite surprised, but upon closer examination and sensing, with his realm, indeed, he discovered something unusual.
Xu Fan’s performance undoubtedly resembled an ability that only a Martial King could master—treading on air.
However, Xu Fan’s ability did not seem to be inherent to his realm; it appeared to be an extremely profound application of True Qi.
Thinking this, he intended to ask, but then he saw a stream of light flowing behind Xu Fan, revealing a pair of wings as white as jade, formed by the condensation of True Qi, thin as the wings of a cicada and fluttering, appearing quite dreamlike and emitting an enchanting and soul-stirring beauty.
With the fluttering of the jade-white wings, Xu Fan’s form also took to the sky, quickly approaching Li Fuqiang.
“Uncle Li, don’t be surprised, there’s nothing much to it. What I’m using now is one of the Six Superior Martial Skills, which allows one to form energy wings with True Qi, giving the ability to fly, and of course, to hover in the air.”
Xu Fan said with a smile on his face, three zhang away from Li Fuqiang.
“Not bad, indeed worthy of being a Superior Martial Skill, I can hardly wait to see them.”
Li Fuqiang’s eyes sparkled with spirit, like the stars in the night sky.
Although this flying martial technique was not of much use to a Martial King, Li Fuqiang valued it greatly.
After all, this technique could allow a Martial Arts Grandmaster to also possess the ability to traverse the void, and thereby in some sense be considered half a Martial King.
In the Ancient Martial World, regardless of which major power, Grandmaster-level fighters are the most integral force; after all, in the Flame Dragon Organization, there are only eight Martial Kings but many more Martial Arts Grandmasters.
Therefore, enhancing the overall strength of the group of Martial Arts Grandmasters is tantamount to a significant increase in the overall strength of the Flame Dragon Organization.
Moreover, it has an extraordinary strategic significance.
If two Grandmasters were to battle, and one from his side could fly, they would have much greater initiative in combat; if offensive, the opponent can’t escape, if defensive, the opponent can’t catch up, and it’s also an effective way to avoid the opponent’s attacks, capable of evading in all directions.
Besides, if one is proficient in this martial skill, even when pursued by a Martial King, there is a chance to escape from danger.
These thoughts flashed through Li Fuqiang’s mind, and he already had a general idea of how many Merit Points to exchange for this martial skill, ensuring over half of the Grandmasters could obtain it without diluting its value for easy external transmission, and to enhance the strength of Grandmaster-level fighters as much as possible.
“My worthy nephew, you are the junior, so you make the first move. I am looking forward to more surprises,” Li Fuqiang said cheerfully, with a smile all over his face.
As a Martial King, he certainly had the privilege of speaking this way to Xu Fan, a Martial Arts Grandmaster.
The gap between them is akin to that of a Chinese Domestic Dog and a Chinese Domestic Cat, a dominant advantage in size.
Xu Fan nodded, his cultivation level destined him to be at a disadvantage in strength. At the same level, he could still win by masterfully controlling Spiritual Energy, but if there was a gap in realms, his advantage in the artful use of Spiritual Energy would rapidly diminish.
Luckily, this was a friendly exchange, and there was no need to fight so fiercely; Xu Fan wasn’t overly competitive either.
Therefore, he decided to adjust his power based on his encounters with other Ancient Martial Artists at the Grandmaster level, roughly controlling it to be at the peak of the Grandmaster level; this way, he could fight a vigorous battle at full force without appearing too extraordinary.
Sometimes, being overly monstrous is not a good thing.
After all, a good knife is used on the cutting edge, and trump cards are to be used in critical moments.
“I will demonstrate the Six Superior Martial Skills one by one through this exchange, Uncle Li, watch carefully…”
Xu Fan extended his forefinger and middle finger, and immediately, a golden light appeared on the surface of his right hand, quickly condensing a fearsome power.
Within a few breaths, a one-meter-long Golden Sword had formed above his fingers, with golden light swirling and shining brightly, its mere presence intimidating.
Li Fuqiang gazed at the Sword Control Finger technique, his expression growing several degrees more serious.
He naturally recognized that the principle behind this martial skill was mainly the condensation of compressed True Qi into tremendous power; once the golden sword was launched, its might would explode violently, sharp and fierce.
Therefore, he did not dare to take it lightly.
Whoosh!
Xu Fan swung his right arm, and the Golden Sword instantly swept through the void, circling in the air at a speed as fast as lightning.
“Uncle Li, I’m making my move.”
No sooner had Xu Fan’s words fallen than he used his gesture to wield the Golden Sword, and the sword “whooshed” away in a flash, lightning-fast as it thrust towards Li Fuqiang.