While Long Cheng and Su Yun were fighting, beside a stone table by Tian Xiu Lake, a middle-aged man and a white-haired elder sat facing each other, playing chess and observing the events unfolding at the construction site gate.
"Heh heh, I didn't expect to witness a battle between Xiantian Grandmasters just by visiting Lin Zhou for once. My luck is quite good," the white-haired elder, clad in a white training suit, said with a kind smile, placing a white piece on the board as he spoke.
"Elder Mu, you're mistaken,"
Across from him, the middle-aged man in gray, holding a black piece, smiled and shook his head. "Although that woman has also broken through to the Xiantian realm, her aura is unstable, and her foundation is weak. She's probably at the bottom of the Xiantian Grandmaster hierarchy."
"Long Cheng's strength, however, has reached the peak of the mid-Xiantian Grandmaster stage. With his perfected Hong Quan, he can contend with ordinary late-Xiantian experts. The disparity in their strength means this can hardly be called a duel."
As the gray-clothed man placed his black piece, Su Yun was at that moment having her defense shattered by Long Cheng and was sent flying more than ten meters by a punch to her back.
The gray-clothed man, with the upper hand in the chess game, said to the white-robed, white-haired elder, "Long Cheng's strength is indeed impressive. With the cultivation of the Hongmen, it's very promising for him to reach the peak of the Xiantian Grandmaster realm. I have some acquaintance with him; shall I introduce you?"
"Let's see," Elder Mu neither agreed nor refused, placing a white piece calmly.
...
Witnessing their seemingly invincible chairperson being sent flying by Long Cheng’s punch, Lin Xi and the engineers at the construction site were filled with anxiety. However, being ordinary people, they were powerless in the face of such a high-level confrontation.
"Long Cheng indeed lives up to his reputation as the Vice Hall Master of the Fengyun Hall. Although both are Xiantian Grandmasters, Su Yun is utterly defenseless in Long Cheng's hands."
"Heh heh, Zhang Xing'an, I think you're destined to wear that cuckold's hat," Xu Shichang leaned back leisurely, watching everything unfold, his arm around a beautiful secretary, feeling extremely pleased.
"As expected..." Xiao Xiaoxiao's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she murmured softly. The Fengyun Hall's reputation was immense, and it seemed to possess the strength to match its fame.
...
"Chairman Su, do you now recognize the gap between us?" Although Long Cheng had sent Su Yun flying, he was inwardly shaken. What he thought would be settled within ten moves had dragged on for dozens.
"If I hadn't held back just now, you probably wouldn't be able to stand."
Long Cheng continued, "Your cultivation is profound, not much inferior to mine, but you haven't cultivated any advanced combat techniques. As long as you become my woman, you will also be considered a part of the Hongmen. Even this Hong Quan, you might have a chance to learn."
Hong Quan, as the core martial art of the Hongmen, was generally only accessible to the direct lineage of the Hongmen Master and experts in the sect who had reached the Xiantian Grandmaster realm.
Hearing Long Cheng's words, Su Yun sneered inwardly. In her opinion, although the set of techniques Long Cheng displayed was decent, compared to the few styles Professor Zhang Fan had taught her, it was like dog droppings.
However, to her slight regret, she hadn't managed to learn a single one of those combat techniques yet.
Su Yun got up, preparing to fight again. As she was about to step forward, someone blocked her path.
"You woman, knowing you're no match, why are you still pushing yourself so hard," Zhang Xing'an gently wiped the bloodstain from the corner of Su Yun's mouth, with a hint of reproach.
"Hmph, if you hadn't shown up, old man, you'd be waiting to be alone for the rest of your life."
Seeing Zhang Xing'an, Su Yun's eyes reddened slightly. No matter how formidable she appeared earlier, she was still a woman and had her soft side, which she only showed to one person.
"Don't worry, anyone who dares to have ideas about my wife, I will make them pay with blood," Zhang Xing'an stroked Su Yun's hair, comforted her, and then turned to face Long Cheng.
"You talk big, but do you have the ability?" Long Cheng narrowed his eyes, staring at Zhang Xing'an, with a sneer.
"Did you injure my wife with your right hand just now?" Zhang Xing'an's brow slightly lowered, his voice sounding somewhat indifferent.
"So what?" Long Cheng didn't take Zhang Xing'an seriously at all, saying casually.
He couldn't sense any trace of true qi fluctuation from this man. This could only mean one of two things.
First, this man's strength was incredibly high, capable of perfectly controlling himself, thus leaving no trace.
However, for him not to be able to detect it, this man would have to be at least at the level of an Invincible Grandmaster.
But was that possible?
The Invincible Grandmasters in all of China could be counted on one hand, each a figure of great renown in their own right. He, Long Cheng, knew them all.
But this man before him, he had never seen before.
Therefore, there was only the second possibility: this man hadn't cultivated at all, which was why he couldn't sense any true qi fluctuation from him.
With this thought, Long Cheng found it rather dull. A mere ordinary person who hadn't cultivated, he didn't even want to waste more words. "I've taken a fancy to your wife. If you're sensible, scram quickly. Don't force me to act; my actions are absolutely terrifying."
"Since that's the case, let me see how terrifying you are," Zhang Xing'an said with a cold smile. He tapped the ground lightly with his toe, and instantly, he shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.
"Not good..." Seeing Zhang Xing'an vanish from his spot, Long Cheng's heart lurched. He sensed that things were not going well.
Clenching his fist, the size of a sandbag, and feeling a gust of wind approaching, Long Cheng unhesitatingly threw his fist forward.
Boom!
Zhang Xing'an appeared before Long Cheng and also threw a fierce punch, colliding with it.
Crack!
A bone-breaking sound echoed. Countless eyes converged on the point where their fists met. The atmosphere was extremely tense.
Cold sweat beaded on Long Cheng's forehead. His arm had been broken with a single blow. Though he endured the pain without crying out, he still rolled his eyes in agony.
After breaking Long Cheng's right arm with one punch, Zhang Xing'an formed his fingers into a claw and, with a smooth motion, his claw landed on Long Cheng's neck, effortlessly lifting him up.
A mid-Xiantian realm expert, in Zhang Xing'an's hands, didn't even last a single move, leaving the onlookers stunned.
"I... I am the Vice Hall Master of the Hongmen... Fengyun Hall. You can't touch me." With his neck held by Zhang Xing'an, Long Cheng felt as if he were about to suffocate. Especially upon meeting Zhang Xing'an's ice-cold gaze, he shivered involuntarily.
Sensing killing intent in his eyes, Long Cheng instantly caved. He quickly invoked his background, hoping it would be effective.
After all, even Invincible Grandmasters were reluctant to easily provoke the Hongmen, because while Invincible Grandmasters were arguably invincible within the Xiantian Grandmaster realm, the Hongmen possessed two Saint Domain experts.
...