'What?!' Lu Qingfeng's pupils contracted in shock. He could sense that the power erupting from the young man before him was no longer a weak internal force, but rather a nascent form of True Qi, fundamentally the same as his own.
He hadn't expected this brat from the Evil-Repelling Division to use his fatal blow as a catalyst to break through his cultivation level in such desperate circumstances!
However, his Grandmaster's combat instincts didn't allow him to hesitate for a moment.
'Even if he breaks through, he's just a pseudo-Cultivation Meridian, formidable in appearance!'
Lu Qingfeng's Iron Hand Crushing Stone Technique collided with the azure True Qi that Xiao Wuchen had hastily gathered.
This wasn't overwhelming force crushing True Qi, but a head-on collision between the peak of the early-stage Cultivation Meridian and the nascent True Qi of the early-stage Cultivation.
The massive shockwave blew all the dust off the Star Gazing Platform. Xiao Wuchen felt as if he had been hit in the chest with a giant hammer, flying backwards and crashing into the stone wall. He spat out a mouthful of blood.
However, he neither died nor suffered a fatal injury.
Lu Qingfeng also took a half step back. His true energy, the product of decades of cultivation, had actually been blocked by a newly born true energy! This shocked him beyond measure.Ignoring the blood at the corner of his mouth, Xiao Wuchen continued to convert his internal energy into true qi using the Gathering Yuan Pill within his body. This process was violent and unstable: with each breath, his power increased visibly, but each circulation of true qi simultaneously brought excruciating pain as his meridians tore apart. 'System! True Qi conversion efficiency!' he cried out in his mind, enduring the pain. System notification: Current true qi conversion completion rate: 10%. Power is extremely unstable. Estimated combat duration: three minutes! Only three minutes! Xiao Wuchen knew that he currently had the ability, but lacked a solid foundation. Once the conversion rate stalled, his strength would decline rapidly. He had to end the battle within these three minutes! Lu Qingfeng observed the chaotic fluctuations of true qi on Xiao Wuchen's body; a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes. 'Forced breakthrough, qi deviation! Die!' No longer pursuing ultimate power, he instead utilised the speed advantage of the True Qi realm, transforming into a blur and moving rapidly around Xiao Wuchen.
Xiao Wuchen knew he didn't have time to manoeuvre. Stamping his foot, he used his newly generated true energy to endure the excruciating pain in his meridians, frantically channelling it into his martial technique.
'Flowing Wind Step — Limit!'
This time, he was twice as fast as when he had reached the peak of Qi Refining! Afterimages crisscrossed the Star Gazing Platform.
Lu Qingfeng's fists rained down like a storm, but Xiao Wuchen, relying on his anticipation of grandmaster-level moves and the exquisite nature of the Flowing Wind Step, managed to narrowly avoid vital points every time.
"Your target isn't me, it's that secret passage!" Xiao Wuchen roared, gathering his true energy in his legs. He leapt up, ignoring Lu Qingfeng's attacks, and charged directly towards the entrance to the secret passage he had previously attacked.
Lu Qingfeng's face twitched. This young man actually wanted to destroy the Earth Fire Chamber!
Not only did it contain his secret treasure, it was also his last escape route!
'Don't even think about it!' Lu Qingfeng abandoned his advantage in close combat and gathered all his true energy in his right palm, slamming it towards Xiao Wuchen's back. This palm strike was an unavoidable, deadly blow!
Just as Lu Qingfeng's palm was about to make contact with Xiao Wuchen, he suddenly twisted his body and unleashed his most powerful martial technique:
'Thunderclap Palm – True Qi Burst!'
The newly generated True Qi carried a hint of azure rage and was completely different to when it was driven by internal force. The palm strike howled as it collided with Lu Qingfeng's palm force.
This was merely a feint! At the moment of impact, Xiao Wuchen, bearing the brunt of his own true qi, detonated the Meridian Building Array Plate within his body completely!
The array plate shattered and a terrifying energy pulse spread instantly, rushing straight down from the Star Gazing Platform.
Target: The Earth Fire Chamber's mechanism!
Lu Qingfeng immediately realised he had been tricked. He had focused all his efforts on blocking Xiao Wuchen's palm strike and neglected the explosion of the array plate. He whirled around, his eyes filled with despair and rage.
'You destroyed it!' The energy pulse from the array plate pierced the stone slab, striking the transmission node of the pressure mechanism within the Earth Fire Chamber precisely.
A deafening roar echoed from within the mountain! System notification: Chain mechanism triggered! The underground fire chamber has collapsed!The backlash from the mechanism, the collapse of the underground fire chamber and the fear that the secret passage might be destroyed instantly shattered Lu Qingfeng's resolve. The Grandmaster had a fatal flaw at that moment. "My path! My escape route!' Lu Qingfeng's true energy instantly dissipated and he lost control of his power. Now! Xiao Wuchen seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. His internal true energy conversion rate had reached 50%. He concentrated all his power in his fingertips and used the most exquisite close-combat technique from the Flowing Wind Step. Like a ghost, he appeared beside Lu Qingfeng, avoiding the Grandmaster's old wound on his left rib and aiming directly at the Qihai acupoint below his dantian. "You've lost!" Xiao Wuchen's fingertips pierced Lu Qingfeng's protective true energy with a *pfft*. Although it only just penetrated, the chaotic nascent true energy was like a sharp knife, instantly severing the main meridians near the Grandmaster's Qihai acupoint. Lu Qingfeng's whole body trembled and his abundant true energy dissipated rapidly, like a deflated balloon. He stared in disbelief at the blood-soaked youth before him, his eyes filled with a mix of emotions: shock, resentment and relief. 'Well... well done. A Foundation Establishment trial...' The Grandmaster collapsed backwards, kicking up dust, and fell silent. System Notification: Mission Objective Achieved! Defeat the Foundation Establishment Stage Grandmaster, 'Iron Hand'! Rewards calculated: Realm Breakthrough Stable: True Qi Conversion: 100% complete. You have officially entered the early stage of Foundation Establishment! Martial Arts Fusion: Thunderclap Palm and Flowing Wind Step have been combined with True Qi and upgraded to Thunderclap True Qi Palm and Flowing Wind True Qi Step! System Points: +3000. Xiao Wuchen leaned on his sword, breathing heavily and covered in sweat. He raised his head and felt the surging True Qi within him — a hundred times stronger than before.His internal force was as steady as the deep sea, yet poised to erupt like a volcano. He had succeeded! He was no longer a mere ant in the Qi Refining Realm, but a true Foundation Establishment Grandmaster!