Inside the nameless valley, Lu Qing and Wei Shanhai were locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle.
The scattering blade energy and powerful strikes cleaved the muddy riverbed in the valley, creating numerous cracks that were quite terrifying.
Ma Gu and Wei Zi'an, who were on the hillside, were already dumbfounded, watching this scene in horror.
Even Wei Shanhai was filled with disbelief.
He hadn't expected that even after using his innate true energy, he still couldn't quickly defeat Lu Qing, only managing to suppress him and gain a slight advantage.
Moreover, this advantage is not secure, because Lu Qing is extremely resilient. Even when at a disadvantage, his swordsmanship remains incredibly sharp.
If you're not careful, he could turn the tables on you in an instant.
At the same time, Wei Shanhai was also shocked by Lu Qing's physical strength.
Logically speaking, a martial artist who uses an explosive secret technique will consume stamina very quickly, and the burst of power cannot be sustained.
However, despite fighting him for so long, Lu Qing showed no signs of weakening, and his breathing remained perfectly steady, which was frighteningly calm.
It is unknown what kind of explosive technique Lu Qing used, but the power he unleashed was extraordinary, comparable to the initial stage of the Innate Realm.
It's incredible that the effects can last so long.
"Am I also going to have to use a secret technique?"
As the battle dragged on without a clear victor, a thought suddenly popped into Wei Shanhai's mind.
However, he quickly dismissed the idea.
Just kidding. As a cultivator at the Innate Realm, it would be one thing if he couldn't quickly defeat a junior at the Acquired Realm in a sparring match, but it would be far too embarrassing if he had to resort to secret techniques.
Amidst Wei Shanhai's fluctuating thoughts, he and Lu Qing clashed again with a single blow.
Bang!
Another crisp sound.
All of this was not because Wei Shanhai's sword energy was shattered, but because Lu Qing's battle sword could no longer withstand the immense pressure and instantly exploded.
With a slight sway of his body, Lu Qing dodged the scattered fragments of the battle blade and took several steps back.
He glanced at the hilt of the sword in his hand, and at Wei Shanhai's almost intact battle sword, and sighed inwardly.
The power of blood and qi in the acquired realm can never compare to the innate true qi obtained by refining the primordial energy of heaven and earth.
Despite his best efforts to protect the sword with his vital energy, it shattered in the repeated collisions.
Conversely, Wei Shanhai's battle blade, which was enhanced by innate true qi, did not suffer much damage.
"Young Master Lu, shall we continue our sparring? I remember you have a divine weapon that you forged yourself. Shall we fetch it?"
Seeing Lu Qing's battle sword shattered, Wei Shanhai also felt it was a pity.
He was having a great time fighting, but Lu Qing's sword intent was far more profound and sophisticated than his own.
During his exchange with Lu Qing, he vaguely sensed that his sword intent had also shown signs of improvement.
The sudden interruption left him feeling quite uncomfortable.
"No need." Lu Qing shook his head. "I have benefited greatly from this battle and have gained considerable insights into the confusion in my heart. Thank you for your help, Senior Wei."
"Oh, you've gained some insights?" Wei Shanhai asked with delight. "Have you glimpsed the path ahead and sensed the opportunity to step into the Innate Realm?"
After learning that Lu Qing had reached the peak of the Acquired Realm, Wei Shanhai subconsciously assumed that the bottleneck Lu Qing mentioned was the barrier between the Acquired Realm and the Innate Realm.
"I suppose so." Lu Qing nodded. "The path to the Innate Realm is already quite clear in my eyes. After I accumulate more experience, it shouldn't be difficult for me to break through."
"That's excellent!"
Wei Shanhai was very pleased that Lu Qing had made some progress, which made his training with Lu Qing worthwhile.
"Senior Wei, how much of your strength did you use when you sparred with me earlier?"
Lu Qing asked a very important question.
"With conventional strength, I've already used almost all my power. If we continue fighting, I'm afraid I'll have to resort to secret techniques if I want to win," Wei Shanhai said truthfully.
At the same time, my feelings were quite complicated.
His words were not mere politeness.
He had indeed used almost all his strength just now.
Aside from not using any innate realm secret techniques, he had almost pushed his innate true energy to its limit.
Normally, even without using secret techniques, a martial artist at the Innate Realm could easily crush any martial arts master at the Perfected Internal Organ Realm with just their innate true qi.
Unexpectedly, Lu Qing was so powerful that the power he unleashed with his explosive secret technique was not much weaker than his own.
Coupled with his even more exquisite swordsmanship, Wei Shanhai was unable to deal with Lu Qing for a short period of time.
Thinking of this, and seeing that Lu Qing's aura still showed no signs of weakening, Wei Shanhai could no longer hold back.
He asked, "Young Master Lu, what secret technique did you just use that was so powerful, allowing you to unleash power comparable to the initial stage of the Innate Realm?"
"That was a skill I acquired by chance, and it took me a long time to master it."
Lu Qing gave a vague answer.
The Perfect Burst technique can be considered his own unique secret method, the key of which lies in his exceptionally powerful spiritual energy.
The Soul Talisman is one of Lu Qing's greatest trump cards. Even his master didn't tell him about it, so naturally he wouldn't reveal it easily.
"I see."
Upon hearing this, Wei Shanhai knew that Lu Qing didn't want to elaborate, so he wisely refrained from pressing the matter.
"Ancestor, Doctor Lu Qing!"
At this moment, Wei Zian and Ma Gu also came down from the hillside, their faces filled with shock.
Wei Zian, in particular, was extremely excited.
Looking at Lu Qing with eyes full of admiration: "Dr. Lu Qing, you are really amazing! You were able to fight to a draw with the ancestor. It's unbelievable!"
"I wouldn't dare call it a draw. Didn't you see my knife is shattered?" Lu Qing laughed. "If we continued fighting, I would be unarmed and no match for Senior Wei."
“Young master, you are too modest. I only have the advantage of a little bit of innate true energy. If you were to use your own divine weapon, it would be hard to say who would win or lose.” Wei Shanhai had a different opinion.
"The senior also has his own divine weapon, so in that case, I will still lose..."
The group, praising each other, slowly left the valley.
After leaving the deep mountains and bidding farewell to Wei Shanhai and the others, Lu Qing returned home, rested, and recovered his strength before slowly reflecting on what he had learned from the sparring session.
There was one thing Lu Qing lied to Wei Shanhai about.
His desire to spar with them wasn't because he had encountered a bottleneck in his cultivation.
Possessing superpowers, he naturally possesses skills that almost grant sudden enlightenment.
There were almost no techniques he couldn't comprehend.
The boundary between acquired and innate qualities was already clear to him, without a trace of confusion, and he could cross it at any time.
It was just some kind of intuition that kept him from taking that step.
Lu Qing invited Wei Shanhai to spar, but his real purpose was to personally experience the power of the Innate Realm and understand just how formidable it was.
Then it can serve as a reference for my next actions.
