C40 A Mysterious Perfection Stage

Woo Zhengyang, the lowest-ranked disciple, had just killed Liu Tianli, the seventh-ranked disciple, in a shocking turn of events. Everyone gathered at the martial practicing field witnessed the scene unfold.

With the first punch, Liu Tianli's fist disintegrated into a mist of blood. The second punch shattered his heart, sending blood spraying everywhere. Those standing behind Liu Tianli had a clear view of his back distorting grotesquely under Woo Zhengyang's powerful blow.

The sheer force of that punch was terrifying, leaving the entire field in stunned silence for a long time. Yue Liqing and Liu Tiancheng, who had been watching, were left speechless, their arrogance replaced by sheer terror.

Woo Zhengyang, ignoring the blood dripping from his own wound, pulled out the Green Steel Sword from his abdomen. He didn't bother to take Liu Tianli's seventh-ranked badge and simply walked away.

For many, being the seventh-ranked disciple was a coveted honor, but for Woo Zhengyang, who only cared about strength, it was insignificant. After all, what badge could compare to being number one in the Xuan Iron rankings?

It wasn't until Woo Zhengyang's slightly weary yet still proud figure left the martial practicing field that the crowd began to process what had happened. Yet, no one could quite understand how Woo Zhengyang managed to defeat Liu Tianli. Those seemingly ordinary punches held a mysterious power that left everyone baffled.

Not long after, Woo Zhengyang's martial arts skills were discovered.

The "Tyrannical Mountain Shattering Fist," a technique that had been overlooked by many in the Profound Arts Pavilion, suddenly shone with extraordinary brilliance in Woo Zhengyang's hands.

It wasn't the martial art itself that was astonishing, but rather Woo Zhengyang himself. According to Liu Tianli's level of cultivation, even without physical enhancement, his body's strength was formidable due to the protection of his inner energy.

People speculated that the power of Woo Zhengyang's two punches could reach such a level only if his physical training had achieved the equivalent of Liu Tianli's eight-star Martial Disciple strength of 800 pounds, and if he had mastered the "Tyrannical Mountain Shattering Fist" to perfection, or even its peak state.

For someone of Woo Zhengyang's age to possess 800 pounds of strength, it could be attributed to an extraordinary natural ability suited for physical training. Mastering the "Floating Light Step" to a certain level was already considered exceptional talent, but to also bring the "Tyrannical Mountain Shattering Fist" to mastery was beyond anyone's comprehension.

The most intriguing part was that Woo Zhengyang had copied the "Floating Light Step" and the "Tyrannical Mountain Shattering Fist" just a few days ago. How did he manage to achieve this?

For a time, Woo Zhengyang's reputation soared within the Profound Heaven Sect, sparking all sorts of wild speculations about him. Unfortunately, no one dared to directly ask Woo Zhengyang about it.

Before this battle, Woo Zhengyang was known for his arrogance, earning the nickname "Outer Sect Number One Madman," surpassing even Dao Wuming. But after this fight, he undeniably claimed the title, becoming someone the outer sect disciples feared to provoke. The tragic fate of Liu Tianli served as a stark warning.

Yet, Woo Zhengyang remained indifferent. In a world where strength dictates status, the higher he climbed, the more he felt his limitations and craved greater power. If he had mastered a powerful sword skill, he wouldn't have struggled so much against Liu Tianli's "Thunderous Sword Technique," nor would he have needed to resort to a self-destructive attack to win.

Fortunately, Liu Tianli, despite his decent skills, lacked the warrior's spirit. If it had been someone as ruthless as Dao Wuming, Woo Zhengyang couldn't guarantee his survival.

As for Woo Zhengyang's mastery of the "Tyrannical Mountain Shattering Fist," everyone had guessed wrong. He wasn't at the Great Completion Stage or even the Peak Stage; he had reached the Perfection Stage. This stage surpasses the peak of any martial skill, a level of mastery that many never achieve in their lifetime. Yet, Woo Zhengyang had done it.

Speculation was rife about Woo Zhengyang's mastery of the "Tyrannical Mountain Shattering Fist." People found it hard to believe he had reached its peak. If they knew he had achieved perfection, they might just lose their minds. And if they discovered how quickly he mastered it, "losing their minds" wouldn't even begin to describe their reaction.

It took the time of a single incense stick to burn.

From the moment Woo Zhengyang started practicing the "Tyrannical Mountain Shattering Fist" to achieving perfection, it took only that brief span. To be precise, Woo Zhengyang casually went through the motions once, and somehow, he reached perfection.

That day, realizing his "Azure Cloud Embracing Moon Palm" was hard to master, he randomly flipped through the "Tyrannical Mountain Shattering Fist" and began practicing.

Unexpectedly, with the first punch, his body entered an indescribable, profound state. After completing the set, Woo Zhengyang found he no longer needed to refer to the martial arts manual; he had fully grasped the essence of the technique.

Feeling like he was dreaming, Woo Zhengyang continued practicing and confirmed it was true—his mastery of the technique was complete!

The sudden joy left Woo Zhengyang a bit overwhelmed. Once he regained his composure, he practiced the "Azure Cloud Embracing Moon Palm," "Silky Hair Soft Finger," "Floating Light Step," and even the "Dragon Countering Nine Steps," but they felt no different than usual.

Ultimately, Woo Zhengyang couldn't figure out what was going on, which is why he was late for the challenge that day but still dared to face Liu Tianli. Over the next three days, Zhengyang returned to the Profound Arts Pavilion, searching through countless techniques, yet he couldn't recapture that elusive state. Reluctantly, he had to give up, but he knew that the mysterious feeling he experienced wasn't a coincidence. It must be connected to the vortex that altered his physique.

What exactly is this mysterious vortex, and what surprises will it bring? Zhengyang could only leave these questions for future exploration. For now, his goal remained to enhance his strength, both in cultivation and martial skills.

As the amount of Sword-shaped Genuine Qi increased, practicing the Sword Sacrificing Spell became less of a struggle. However, compared to ordinary meridian refining techniques, progress was still slow. Zhengyang remained at the first level of the Meridian Refining Stage, consistently testing as a One-star Martial Disciple.

In terms of physical training, the battle with Liu Tianli helped improve his Flesh Condensing Technique, pushing his strength close to 700 pounds. Yet, breaking through in the short term wasn't easy.

Most of Zhengyang's focus was on martial skills. The Silky Hair Soft Finger technique was still unsuitable for his current level, and the Azure Cloud Embracing Moon Palm hadn't reached even a minor level of mastery. After achieving a small success with the Floating Light Step, further progress through external force training was ineffective, halting his advancement for the time being. As for the Tyrannical Mountain Shattering Fist, it had reached perfection, leaving no need for further practice.

All that remains are the four-word sword techniques from "Dragon Countering Nine Steps" and "Sword Sacrificing Spell."