C9 Kill the Innate Master!

Lu Yu's sharp rebukes turned Wang Ming's face a deep shade of red. As a man in his middle years, he had weathered countless storms, yet never before had a young upstart dared to be so insolent in his presence! To make matters worse, he realized he was struggling to overpower his adversary quickly.

A maelstrom of anger and humiliation swirled within him until Wang Ming could hold it in no longer. "I'll rip you to shreds with my bare hands!" His face flushed crimson, veins throbbing visibly on his forehead, his rage utterly uncontainable.

Wang Ming wielded the Tiger Saint Fist, a martial art said to be handed down from the Celestial Gate. Among the myriad mortal dynasties, the Liang Dynasty was just one, its most adept cultivators reaching only the Xiantian realm. But beyond that lay a realm unfathomable to mere mortals. Even the Emperor of Great Liang would kneel in veneration upon encountering an immortal!

Legend held that the Emperor of Great Liang had fortuitously befriended a member of the Celestial Gate, propelling his rise to power and the founding of the Great Liang Dynasty. When this celestial envoy departed, he left behind several martial arts tomes, including the Tiger Saint Fist.

These precious manuals were now safeguarded within the Great Liang Imperial Palace, accessible only to those in the Emperor's inner circle or to heroes who had earned their stripes in service to Great Liang. Though Wang Ming served as a consecrate, it was his exceptional valor that had earned him the privilege of learning the martial arts of the Celestial Gate. With the Tiger Saint Fist, he had made a name for himself across the Jianghu.

"Riddled with flaws, it wouldn't withstand a single blow!" Lu Yu's eight-word critique cut deep into Wang Ming's pride in his Celestial Gate martial arts.

Despite the vast gulf in their realms, with Wang Ming supposedly a hundredfold more powerful than Lu Yu, the fist technique failed to manifest its true potential in Wang Ming's hands. Lu Yu effortlessly pinpointed the weaknesses in Wang Ming's moves and neutralized them with ease.

Wang Ming was left with the stark realization that even after depleting all his strength and expending every ounce of his true qi, he was still no match for Lu Yu.

"Meet your end!" Wang Ming roared, his fist hurtling towards Lu Yu's face.

Unexpectedly, Lu Yu pivoted swiftly, thrusting his palm forward as a jet of black dragon energy surged from his sleeve, striking Wang Ming's stomach with a heavy blow.

The clash of their formidable energies sent Wang Ming stumbling backward, ultimately falling to the ground.

With just a few words, Lu Yu had shattered Wang Ming's composure.

Shaking his head, Lu Yu mused that it was sheer luck for someone with such a mindset to have ascended to the Xiantian level.

To Wang Ming, Lu Yu's dismissive shake of the head was a clear sign of contempt.

"You bastard! I swear, if I don't cut you down today, I'm no longer human!" Wang Ming sprang to his feet, producing a black pill from seemingly nowhere and popping it into his mouth.

With a roar that echoed after a few moments, Wang Ming unleashed a primal bellow.

A demonic aura, akin to that of a wild beast, radiated from his body, and his eyes took on the fierce aspect of a tiger's.

His muscles swelled, tearing through his clothes, and his frame expanded to nearly twice its original size.

Already robust, the pill made him even more imposing.

As he transformed, the aura emanating from Wang Ming soared, propelling him to the third level of the Xiantian Realm.

Lu Yu's brow furrowed. "Beast Spirit Pill?"

Wang Ming charged with a thunderous roar.

"So, you're using the beast spirit's power to boost your physique temporarily?" Lu Yu mused aloud. "Well then, you've forfeited your right to be human in this lifetime!"

Lu Yu's fingers came together as his gaze intensified. Planting his feet firmly, he unified his body's aura.

"Break!" he commanded in a hushed tone.

A ghostly wail seemed to rise as a stream of black mist shot from Lu Yu's fingertips.

The innate true qi, fragile as paper, was effortlessly pierced by the dark mist.

A hole suddenly appeared in Wang Ming's forehead.

Staring at Lu Yu in disbelief, Wang Ming's body wavered before crashing to the ground.