Chapter 12: Zhao Zhen’s Life and Cultivation

As soon as Zuo Ruotong finished speaking, the smile vanished from Lu Jin’s face, replaced by utter seriousness.

“Brother Zhao, please enlighten me.”

“Please enlighten me.”

Zhao Zhen drew a deep breath as well.

Setting aside the earlier pursuit involving Yuan Jingui and Wen Liangong, this should be his first direct confrontation with an Otherworldly Being since arriving in this world.

And his opponent was none other than the universally acknowledged genius of the Lu family. As a test of his current level, Lu Jin could hardly have been more suitable.

The atmosphere in the square suddenly grew taut. A pale-white radiance rose around Lu Jin, while the meridians beneath his skin flowed like white jade. He had already activated the First Stage of Reverse Life.

With a light tap of his toes against the blue bricks, he shot forward like an arrow loosed from the bow. His right palm tore through the air as it struck straight toward Zhao Zhen’s shoulder.

Zhao Zhen neither dodged nor retreated. His spine rose and fell like a great dragon, while the true qi within him surged with the sound of thunder. He met Lu Jin’s palm head-on with his arm and forcibly blocked it—the palm of Lu Jin, who had activated the First Stage of Reverse Life and already possessed the strength of a dragon and tiger in every movement.

The watching disciples of the Three-One Sect cried out softly.

“Such powerful true qi! He can withstand Junior Brother Lu’s strength in the state of Reverse Life using only his own cultivation of essence and vitality?”

A flicker of astonishment also crossed Lu Jin’s eyes. Even he had not expected Zhao Zhen to receive his palm strike with such ease.

“Excellent!”

Zhao Zhen gave a low shout, and his figure suddenly blurred.

In the next instant, he had appeared behind Lu Jin. He moved so quickly that even Lu Jin had not clearly seen how he had circled around him.

Zhao Zhen closed in and launched a flurry of short-range attacks, his fists and elbows descending like a violent storm, every blow accompanied by a sharp whistle through the air.

Lu Jin crossed his arms to block, but Zhao Zhen abruptly changed his technique. As his center of gravity sank, his right leg swept across like a steel whip.

Caught off guard, Lu Jin could only arch backward and flip through the air to evade the lethal blow. He followed with several more flips, temporarily widening the distance between himself and Zhao Zhen.

Upon witnessing this, Shuiyun, who had been watching from the side, furrowed his brow.

“Master, this Zhao Zhen is no simple man…”

“You noticed?”

Zuo Ruotong smiled at Shuiyun.

“At first, I truly paid him little attention. But after seeing him exchange blows with Junior Brother Lu, I realized that, setting aside his other abilities, his cultivation of essence and vitality alone is no weaker than that of our Complete Truth friends.”

“Indeed. I noticed it when I spoke with the boy earlier. The light in his eyes is far more intense than that of others his age.

“His steps are light when he walks, leaving no trace upon the ground. His blood and qi are vigorous, and his gaze is bright as a torch. All these are signs that one’s cultivation of essence and vitality has reached a certain level.”

“But that is rather strange. Wasn’t his master the Golden Light Venerable of the All-Nature Sect? If he did not practice Complete Truth’s inner alchemy methods, how could he possess such profound cultivation of essence and vitality at so young an age?”

Shuiyun asked with some confusion.

“There is nothing particularly strange about it. The methods of the world’s Otherworldly Beings are as varied as they are bizarre, yet all paths lead to the same destination. At the most fundamental level, they still cultivate their own essence and vitality. It is only after obtaining qi that their emphases begin to differ.

“Take Complete Truth’s inner alchemy methods, for example. Its practitioners abandon every clever trick and devote themselves entirely to nurturing the golden elixir that represents their own essence and vitality.

“So if this child, like our Complete Truth friends, chose to devote himself to tempering the most fundamental aspects of essence and vitality, then with his exceptional natural talent, it would not be strange for him to have reached such a level at his age.”

“If things are really as you say, Master, then Zhao Zhen’s talent for cultivation is in no way inferior to Junior Brother Lu’s. What a pity…”

“What is a pity?”

“It is a pity that he chose the wrong master. If he had received a proper orthodox inheritance from childhood, I imagine his achievements today would have been even greater.”

“Shuiyun, that thought of yours is somewhat too absolute. Zhao Zhen has ventured out alone at such a young age, and neither his words nor his conduct suggest a rebellious nature. It is therefore quite possible that he has no family left alive.

“The world is chaotic these days. If he truly was an orphan, then without the Golden Light Venerable, he might have starved to death long ago.

“Under such circumstances, what choice did he really have?”

Zuo Ruotong’s words plunged Shuiyun into thought. A moment later, he cupped his fists toward his master.

“Your correction is well taken, Master. I was too quick to judge and allowed my preconceptions to guide me.”

Zuo Ruotong nodded, then turned his gaze back toward the two men in the center of the square.

“Master, from your perspective, who do you think will win—Junior Brother Lu or Zhao Zhen?”

“If he has only cultivated his essence and vitality, then that level is probably not enough for him to defeat Jin’er.”

“I think so too. Although Junior Brother Lu entered the sect last, he took the least time to master Reverse Life. As long as he continues maintaining Reverse Life, he can simply wear Zhao Zhen down. In the end, even attrition alone would be enough to defeat him.”

“Heh heh. There is no need to rush. Let us watch a little longer.”

…

While the two men spoke, Lu Jin and Zhao Zhen had already exchanged several more blows in the center of the square.

Bang! Bang!

As each of them drove a fist into the other’s shoulder, both men staggered backward in succession.

Zhao Zhen rolled the shoulder Lu Jin had struck. Though his clothes concealed it, there was no doubt that the skin beneath had already turned blue.

Fortunately, he had never relaxed his tempering of essence and vitality over the years. Otherwise, taking Lu Jin’s punch head-on would have left him with far more than a simple bruise.

Lu Jin, by contrast, had also taken a punch from Zhao Zhen, and his entire left arm had been dislocated. Yet with the support of the Third Stage of Reverse Life, he merely used his right hand to set the arm back into place. In moments, it had recovered completely.

“Brother Zhao’s cultivation of essence and vitality is truly extraordinary. If I had not mastered the Third Stage of Reverse Life, I fear I would not even have been able to withstand one of your punches head-on.”

“Brother Lu is too modest. There are no ‘ifs’ in this world. Still, your Third Stage of Reverse Life has certainly opened my eyes today. It truly deserves its reputation as the supreme art of the Three-One Sect.”

“Not at all. Brother Zhao, why don’t we end today’s exchange here and leave it at a draw? In our exchanges just now, each of us had our moments of advantage. If we continue, determining a victor will likely come down to nothing more than a contest of stamina.”

Lu Jin’s meaning was plain. In a direct confrontation, neither of them could do anything to the other. If they continued fighting, they could only slowly wear each other down.

But Lu Jin possessed the Third Stage of Reverse Life and could repair his injuries at any time. He could easily outlast Zhao Zhen until the latter was exhausted. Yet if that happened, the exchange would lose all meaning.

Thus, for the sake of both their dignity, ending the match there was indeed the most suitable choice.

However, faced with Lu Jin’s proposal, Zhao Zhen merely smiled and shook his head.

After exchanging blows with Lu Jin, he had gained a fairly clear understanding of his current level. Now it was time to proceed according to the plan he had made from the very beginning.

So, beneath the gazes of every disciple of the Three-One Sect, Zhao Zhen slowly raised one finger.

“One move! Brother Lu, if you can withstand the next move, I will concede. How does that sound?”