C14 A Punch Sent Flying
What was amiss?
Yuan Ling gazed at Yuan Sang with a look of surprise, yet despite his scrutiny, he couldn't pinpoint anything out of the ordinary.
While Yuan Ling racked his brain with guesses, Yuan Mu, standing nearby, hadn't noticed anything amiss either. He continued to mutter to himself about the recent events, highlighting the despicable shamelessness of those individuals.
Yuan Sang, overhearing this, felt a surge of anger as well.
"I've always known that the people from the Main City were brazen, but now it seems they're even worse than I'd been told."
"That child we saw earlier, he's really opened nine meridians, hasn't he?"
"That's what the village chief said, so it must be true."
"Could it be?"
A disheartened Yuan Sang spoke up, feeling utterly powerless as he had yet to open even a single meridian himself.
For a while, the three children in the carriage fell silent.
The emergence of the prodigious young talent had shattered their self-assurance, leaving them steeped in a sense of defeat.
As the carriage journey began, the two younger children quickly forgot the recent altercation, captivated instead by the passing landscape.
Yuan Ling, still focused on Yuan Sang, furrowed his brow and asked,
"Did you genuinely not notice what transpired outside the carriage?"
"Why would I lie to you? I honestly didn't hear a thing," Yuan Sang answered.
"Don't you think something's off? Entering such a deep meditative state is something only those of a very high level can achieve. How did you manage it?"
"Now that you mention it, it does seem peculiar, but I can't explain it. During my meditation, I was engulfed in darkness, completely devoid of sensation, until you all returned."
Yuan Sang's experience resembled someone breaking through to an Independent Acupoint for the first time. Could it be that he hadn't yet opened his meridians but had begun to challenge the even more formidable Acupoints?
The difficulty of accessing meridians compared to Acupoints was vast, and Acupoints were much harder to locate. Even someone at the Hidden Consciousness Stage, like the village chief, might not notice them.
In that moment, as Yuan Ling looked at Yuan Sang, a gentle warmth emanated from his eyes.
Gradually, an Acupoint on the verge of breaking through began to emerge within Yuan Sang's body.
"Is there something odd about it?"
Yuan Sang shifted uncomfortably, seemingly disconcerted by Yuan Ling's intense gaze.
Cough...
Yuan Ling cleared his throat.
"If I'm not mistaken, it looks like you're on the brink of breaking through your Acupoints. If you keep at it, you might manage to break through in the next few days."
"An Independent Acupoint?"
Yuan Mu and Yuan Sang looked at Yuan Ling with puzzled expressions.
Yuan Ling went on to clarify.
"Martial artists can cultivate not only their meridians but also the Independent Acupoints within their bodies. Yuan Sang, your current condition closely resembles this."
Yuan Mu, intrigued, inquired, "Which is more formidable, cultivating meridians or Independent Acupoints?"
Yuan Ling chuckled, "Breaking through an Independent Acupoint is more challenging than the meridians, but once you do, your strength will certainly surpass that of someone who only cultivates their meridians."
"My goodness!"
Yuan Mu's eyes widened in amazement as he gazed at Yuan Sang.
"I always said, you either don't take off at all or you soar to the heavens. Now you're aiming to break through an even mightier Acupoint. I can't wait to see how Yuan Kong dares to mess with you after this!"
"By the way, Yuan Ling, how did you figure out he was on the verge of breaking through an Independent Acupoint?"
"It was quite simple because I've already broken through one myself."
"That explains it! How else could you send Yuan Kong flying with a single kick? No wonder!" Yuan Mu exclaimed, jumping up and down with excitement.
Yuan Sang, equally thrilled, quickly asked, "Do you have any tips to help me?"
"Absolutely, I'll share them with you right now!"
"That's fantastic! I can't thank you enough."
"It's nothing, really. We're brothers, after all. We're supposed to help each other out."
"You're absolutely right!"
"I'm your brother too, right? Help me check if I have this talent!"
"Well... I'm not sure about that. You'll only know once you can sense your own Acupoint."
"Please, tell me what I should do!"
"Just listen to what I'm about to say..."
...
"Hahaha, it's almost time. Once I undergo the baptism, I'll transform into that kind of genius too!"
By noon, the carriage had come to a slow halt.
Yuan Mu was the first to leap out, his impatience palpable after a long morning of travel.
However, his smile soon faded after disembarking. They hadn't reached Yuan Town; instead, they found themselves amidst a dense, primitive forest.
"Could there be a mistake? Weren't we supposed to have arrived? How did we end up in the forest?"
The children hopped off the carriage, their curiosity piqued by the new surroundings. Even a simple, untouched forest could hold their wonder for quite some time.
Soon after, Yuan Ling and Yuan Sang joined them.
The trio gazed into the forest, each grappling with a feeling that words couldn't quite capture.
Something about this forest seemed off.
"Is it just me, or is there something not quite right here? It's not haunted, is it?" Fatty shivered, instinctively moving closer to Yuan Ling.
Yuan Ling was at a loss; this was his first baptism, and he had no prior knowledge of what Yuan Town should look like.
"Hehe, not recognizing the Misty Forest just outside Yuan Town? Lucky for you, you're descendants of the Yuan family."
Their hushed conversation was interrupted by a jarring voice from behind.
By now, everyone had disembarked and was clustered together, making the area outside the forest quite bustling.
Yuan Ling's face subtly shifted as he turned to see who had spoken.
Three unfamiliar teenagers had appeared behind them unnoticed.
Dressed extravagantly, they stood to the side, sneering at the group.
The one who had just been mocking them loudly was a robust-looking kid, about thirteen, who appeared to have opened four acupoints.
Keen to avoid a confrontation with these kids from Qian City, Yuan Ling, with a slightly annoyed Yuan Mu in tow, decided to move away.
Seeing them attempt to leave, the first boy's taunts grew more brazen.
His gaze swept over Yuan Ling and Yuan Sang, and he burst into mocking laughter.
"The best among you has only opened a single meridian. What a waste. In the Qian City Yuan Family, someone like that would be kicked out on the spot. Allowing such a person to participate in the baptism would only bring shame upon our clan."
"Yuan Ji is absolutely right! In Qian City, the best someone like him could ever hope to achieve would be sweeping the streets. But it's hardly surprising—what kind of talent could you expect to find in these small towns? Among them, Yuan Ji would undoubtedly stand out as a rare genius!"
"How dare you compare that trash to Yuan Ji!"
The two boys echoed each other, relentlessly ridiculing Yuan Ling and his companions.
Yuan Ling and Yuan Sang could tolerate it; having lived in Yuan Village, they were well accustomed to such toothless taunts.
But for Yuan Mu, this was a new experience, and he responded with a defiant glare.
The three had been idle, so a few jeers would usually be brushed off. If Yuan Ling and his friends had simply walked away, that would have been the end of it.
But Yuan Mu's glare escalated the situation, and the trio seized the opportunity to provoke further.
Yuan Ji let out a cold laugh.
"Get on your knees, all three of you, and slap yourselves three times. Entertain us, and then you may leave. If not, you're in for a world of pain."
A scornful smile played across Yuan Ji's face, his body exuding a chilling presence.
Yuan Ling's eyes narrowed. The man before him, who had opened the same number of meridians, was far more formidable than Yuan Shi.
This intimidating presence stemmed not just from his cultivation level but also from the advanced martial arts he practiced. Mastery over such power required extensive combat training.
If only they could train in the highest martial arts like Yuan Ding, they would be able to hold their own against fighters of the fifth or sixth stage with no real combat experience.
However, Yuan Ling was unfazed by them. Even if he hadn't opened a single meridian, dealing with them would be effortless.
Having already witnessed their pettiness, Yuan Ling dismissed Yuan Ji's actions.
Stepping forward, Yuan Ling sneered in kind.
"If you want us to kneel, you'll need the skill to back up your demand."
At that moment, Yuan Mu realized he had stirred up trouble once again.
He had long been acquainted with the unsavory nature of these individuals.
He hadn't anticipated the repercussions of provoking them.
Yet, witnessing Yuan Ling stepping forward to defend him, he couldn't show weakness.
"Let's see who ends up kneeling today!"
Yuan Sang stood beside Yuan Ling, his expression icy, silent.
His stance was clear through his actions alone.
Yuan Ji's anger flared at Yuan Ling's response.
Though not as otherworldly as the two anomalies in his family, he was still a top-tier prodigy.
To him, Yuan Ling's reaction was nothing short of an insult.
"Excellent! Very excellent! You three are so insolent. If I don't teach you a lesson today, you'll think I'm a pushover!"
Yuan Mu's rage boiled over at these words.
The people from Qian City were unbearably arrogant, acting as if everyone feared them.
"You've completely lost face. You were the one spouting nonsense, and now you accuse us of being reckless? Utterly shameless!"
"You're asking for it! It seems you no longer want that foul mouth of yours!"
Yuan Ji, seething with anger, lunged forward.
He closed the gap in an instant, aiming a palm strike at Yuan Mu's face.
The fierce palm wind hit him head-on. Although Yuan Mu had braced for an attack during the exchange, the sudden move still startled him.
"Yuan Ling, help me!"
"Hmph!"
Yuan Ling's reaction was swift. With a step, he moved like lightning, positioning himself in front of Yuan Mu.
What seemed like an imposing strike was laughably slow to him.
With a cold snort, Yuan Ling countered with a punch, as if his fist were a sword.
Dragon-Binding Sword!
This technique from the Horned Dragon Sword Scripture suggested that it could ensnare even a dragon, perfect for leveraging minimal force against great weight.
"You're the one courting death!"
Yuan Ling's punch appeared effortless, lacking any visible power.
A vicious grin spread across Yuan Ji's face.
He couldn't believe that someone who hadn't opened a single acupoint would dare to intercept his blow!
Puff!
However, when they collided, the anticipated bone-shattering outcome did not occur.
Instead, the snow beneath Yuan Ling simply scattered, and his clothes whipped about in the wind.
Employing softness to overcome strength, Yuan Ling's Desire Aperture trembled slightly, effortlessly expelling all the Genuine Qi from Yuan Ji's strike. He remained completely unharmed.
A flicker of astonishment crossed Yuan Ling's eyes.
The Horned Dragon Sword Scripture was indeed profound...
In the moment their fist and palm met, Yuan Ji's palm force was divided into countless fragments and expelled from Yuan Ling's body, as if his body contained myriad uniquely structured channels.
The spectacle resembled a fierce exchange of blows between two combatants.
Yuan Ji's face contorted with shock.
He felt as though he had struck nothing but air with full force, a psychological blow far more humiliating than any physical defeat!
He had opened four meridians, yet his palm strike had been nonchalantly intercepted by someone he deemed worthless.
It was an utter disgrace!
Yuan Ji immediately resolved to exert his full power, vowing to break every vein in Yuan Ling's body.
But as Yuan Ji was about to gather his strength, his expression dramatically shifted.
He discovered that after delivering his palm strike, he couldn't withdraw his hand.
Yuan Ling's fist acted like a magnet, firmly holding his palm in place.
Regaining his composure, Yuan Ji saw Yuan Ling's hand coiling around his arm like a serpent.
Startled, the fist before his eyes loomed ever larger.
Bang!
He was propelled through the air by a single punch.
"Ah!"
Just one punch was all it took!
Yuan Ji was sent flying several yards by Yuan Ling.