However, just as his two disciples were dying and he was about to make a move, he suddenly discovered that a figure had appeared in the place opposite him, which had been empty.
Qu Ao didn't know when this figure appeared.
Qu Ao didn't know the extent of this figure's cultivation. Moreover, he didn't want to think about it at all. Because if he did, his own aura would inevitably plummet.
What was this person's purpose? Qu Ao still didn't know.
Despite this, Qu Ao was still sweating profusely and didn't dare to utter a single word.
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Chapter 83: Grandmaster? Lin Yang!
Qu Ao was one of the top martial arts masters in the grasslands beyond the borders, on par with Bi Xuan. In terms of martial arts, he was a first-rate grandmaster.
His life's cultivation process can be summarized by the three words "seven, eight, nine," which represent his achievements in three stages.
The numbers seven and eight refer to his two self-created innate extraordinary skills, known as "Seven Turns of the Raging Waves" and "Eight Turns of the Stormy Tide."
Generally, martial arts practitioners who can cultivate to the point of being able to generate and control their energy at will can be considered masters. However, to surpass others, one must seek variations within these variations to defeat the enemy.
The key to transformation lies in cultivating the acupoints within the body, which serve as the hubs of the meridians. This process is far more difficult than ordinary Qi cultivation. Only when one can use these acupoints as the source to control the flow of true Qi can one reach the level of a first-rate master.
Qu Ao was a martial arts genius. At the age of twenty-three, he had mastered seven acupoints and created the "Seven Turns of the Raging Waves" technique. However, it would take him another ten years to master the "Eight Turns of the Storm" technique. The hardships involved are unimaginable.
By the age of forty-one, he could control all the acupoints in his body at will, a skill he named "Nine Transformations of Condensed Truth." The "nine" did not refer to nine acupoints, but rather to the fact that "nine" is the ultimate number, signifying infinity. His martial arts had reached its peak at this point, and he developed a desire to challenge Bi Xuan to a duel.
Although Qu Ao was later defeated in the duel with Bi Xuan, he did manage to escape from Bi Xuan's clutches. Considering Bi Xuan's martial arts skills, one can understand just how powerful Qu Ao was back then.
If we were to rank Qu Ao's strength, at his peak he would probably be only slightly better than Empress Yin, and about the same level as figures like the Immortal of the South Sea, Huang Gongcuo, or Old Lady You of the Dugu Clan.
But at this moment, all the past achievements and pride are gone.
You should know that, in Qu Ao's view, with his martial arts skills, he could clearly hear even the sound of wind rustling through grass or the sound of a leaf falling from a tree within a radius of several hundred feet.
But at this moment, he truly hadn't noticed when Lin Yang had appeared! What did this mean? It meant that if Lin Yang wanted to, he would already be a dead man.
However, despite being quite surprised and experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions, Qu Ao was still a man of great talent. After a few breaths, he regained his composure and his mind calmed down once more.
This time, Qu Ao still didn't speak. Instead, he concentrated all his energy and spirit, and his condition reached an unprecedented level under the crushing pressure of his powerful enemy, Lin Yang.
In Lin Yang's view, this was Qu Ao's last burst of energy before death. The yellow sea of fortune above his head was churning endlessly, and it was much stronger than when he had just appeared.
However, that's all there is to it; it's merely a death throes. Moreover, the difficulty of persuading this person to surrender is far too great, making it a losing proposition. Therefore, his fate is already sealed: after death, his destiny and fortune will be extracted.
(Although Lin Yang himself doesn't care about or need this little bit of destiny and fortune, it doesn't mean his subordinates can't use it!)
Soon, about half an incense stick's time had passed. Although Qu Ao remained motionless, he had secretly brought his physical condition to its peak.
He even vaguely sensed a return to decades ago, to the great battle against Bi Xuan. However, despite this, in his perception, Lin Yang remained like an abyss, unfathomable and bottomless!
Although he might not be a match for Lin Yang, they couldn't maintain such a tight defense indefinitely. After all, Qu Ao understood the principle that prolonged defense inevitably leads to defeat.
As the defending side, you must be fully focused at all times and not let your guard down in the slightest. However, this very focus can actually make you more susceptible to mistakes due to external factors.
Just as Qu Ao was pondering whether to make a move, a scream suddenly came from inside the restaurant.
"Hey kid, my master Qu Ao won't let you get away with this!"
Upon hearing this, Qu Ao knew it was the voice of his eldest disciple, Chang Shumou. For those in the martial arts world, the meaning of those words was crystal clear!
"ah!"
"Either perish in silence, or erupt in silence." At this moment, with his only son, Ren Shaoming, dead, and his three personal disciples also perishing one by one, Qu Ao finally could not hold back any longer.
"Although I don't know who you are, you still have to give me an explanation," Qu Ao said, emphasizing each word.
At the same time, an extremely powerful aura erupted instantly. Everyone in the restaurant who was watching the spectacle felt it.
"Who is this? He is incredibly powerful. Uncle Shentong, how skilled is he in martial arts?" Li Shimin frowned and asked his imposing and robust uncle, Li Shentong, who was standing beside him.
Upon hearing this, Li Shentong frowned. As the top expert of the Li clan, Li Shentong's martial arts skills were only at the mid-stage of the Grandmaster level.
He was no match for Song Que, the Heavenly Blade of the Song Clan, nor for Granny You of the Dugu Clan. Furthermore, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he was also no match for Yuwen Shang of the Yuwen Clan, who had already mastered the Ice Profound Force.
In other words, in terms of martial arts skills, Li Shentong was at the bottom among the top masters of the four major clans. However, this did not mean that he lacked knowledge.
He had met Ning Daoqi, one of the three grandmasters, several times and had even received some pointers from him once. Bi Xuan from the grasslands had also seen him from afar when the Li family was engaged in smuggling. Fu Cailin from Goguryeo had also exchanged a few blows with Yang Guang during his three campaigns against Goguryeo.
Therefore, Li Shentong is quite knowledgeable. He is very strong, almost at the very top level among grandmasters.
“This person’s strength is greater than mine. In fact, he is no less than Yuwen Shang of the Yuwen Clan. At this moment, his aura is still rising, as if he has a death wish. I estimate that he will soon be able to compete with the Yin Empress who did not break through back then.” Li Shentong said with a dark face.
If such a master-level expert still harbors a death wish, then what about his opponent? A grandmaster? I'm afraid even a grandmaster would find it very difficult to deal with a master-level expert who harbors a death wish.
Thinking this, Li Shentong quickly left the private room on the second floor and rushed outside. After all, a clash between a top-tier grandmaster and a first-level grandmaster is not something that can be seen all the time.
"So powerful, so powerful! Which grandmaster has arrived?" Dugu Feng asked curiously. Then, with a slight movement, she darted out like an arrow released from a bow.
At the same time, just as the many onlookers were wondering, an even more powerful aura came from the top of the pavilion!
If the aura from before was one of someone with a death wish and extremely strong explosive power, then this aura is unfathomable and incomparably powerful.
"Grandmaster! This is definitely a Grandmaster! But which of the six Grandmasters in the world today is it? Is it the three old ones, the three newly promoted ones, or someone who has made another breakthrough?" Dugu Feng felt the extremely powerful aura and said with a wry smile.
The world has changed since those extraterrestrial visitors arrived; experts are no longer valued. Even those like myself, who broke through to the Grandmaster level at a young age, are not uncommon.
First, Yin Hou made up for the shortcomings of that year and broke through in one fell swoop. Not only did she successfully cultivate the Heavenly Demon Great Law to the eighteenth level of perfection, but it is said that she also created the nineteenth level. Later, she took this opportunity to unify five of the six sects of the Demonic Path.