Chapter 696: Root Bone Breakthrough

Yang Jing’s heart surged with excitement. He immediately bowed, his tone respectful and solemn. “Master, please instruct me!”

Bai Bing smiled faintly and gave a slight nod. She remained standing in place, not releasing the slightest bit of aura, as calm as if she were merely admiring the scenery.

Yang Jing immediately took a deep breath, his chest swelling. The vast Inner Qi of his Qi Absorption Realm cultivation roared to life, surging entirely into his right arm.

He then activated the most ferocious and direct technique of the Mountain-Breaking Seal, the Mountain-Shattering style. His fist grew solid, trailing a whistling wind as he attacked Bai Bing head-on.

Watching Yang Jing attack with all his might, Bai Bing’s expression remained serene, showing no trace of panic. She simply raised a jade-white hand, casually moving to meet his fist.

The Mountain-Breaking Seal was known for its fierce and domineering nature, its offensive power unparalleled.

Now that Yang Jing had broken through to the Qi Absorption Realm, his Inner Qi was vast and refined. The power of this punch was astonishingly potent; wherever it passed, the very air seemed to crackle with a dull boom.

Yang Jing’s expression was grave. Fully focused, he pushed his power to its absolute limit. Fist and palm collided with a boom.

The instant they made contact, Yang Jing felt his master’s palm, cool and soft to the touch. It seemed slender and delicate, holding no force whatsoever. Yet, no matter how much ferocious, explosive power he unleashed, it felt like crashing into a colossal, immovable mountain.

No matter how hard he struck, he couldn’t break through the defense of that single palm. All of his ferocious power was effortlessly dissipated into nothing.

Not at all surprised that his first strike was ineffective, Yang Jing steadily withdrew his fist, shifted his footing, and abruptly changed direction. From a new angle, he once again unleashed a deadly technique from the Mountain-Breaking Seal, striking with fierce speed.

However, no matter how he varied his techniques or how vicious his assault, Bai Bing still blocked him with a simple, effortless raise of her hand.

The speed of her palm strikes was clearly not fast—one might even call them unhurried—yet she always managed to intercept him. Her hand would land precisely on his fist, the edge of his palm, or his leg, each block perfectly timed and without the slightest deviation.

BANG! BANG! BANG!—

The rapid sound of collisions echoed across the summit. Shockwaves from the clash of fist and palm radiated wildly in all directions, kicking up dust and even causing the nearby grass and trees to bend.

Yang Jing poured his all into the fight, unleashing one technique from the Mountain-Breaking Seal after another in rapid succession: Mountain-Shattering, Stone-Splitting, River-Cutting, and Mountain-Breaking. He used every move he had mastered, his Inner Qi surging endlessly as he put every ounce of his strength into each blow.

Meanwhile, Bai Bing consistently kept her power suppressed to the level of the Qi Absorption Realm. From start to finish, she used only a single hand to counter him, her feet only occasionally shifting a mere half-inch.

Her posture was poised and elegant, her expression forever cool and serene. Even her breathing remained perfectly even, so relaxed she seemed to be merely brushing away a speck of dust.

As they exchanged blows, Bai Bing casually parried his attacks and spoke slowly to Yang Jing. “I’ve suppressed my strength to a level comparable to your Senior Sister, Si Jiawen. Even if I’m a bit stronger than her right now, it’s not by much.”

Her tone was calm as she continued, “Pay close attention and feel it for yourself. Now you should understand the true gap between you and the top senior brothers and sisters of the other lineages.”

Hearing this, a chill shot through Yang Jing, and he was deeply shaken.

‘I originally thought that after breaking through to the Qi Absorption Realm, my cultivation had soared, and the gap between me and a top Senior Sister like Si Jiawen had narrowed considerably.’

‘But now, experiencing this firsthand, I realize the gap is still immense. I never would have expected this.’

Yang Jing was utterly stunned. ‘The level of strength Master is displaying right now already seems unfathomable and unbeatable to me.’

‘And yet, she’s only suppressing her power to the Qi Absorption Realm.’

‘If this is what the Qi Absorption Realm is capable of, then just how terrifyingly powerful is the True Qi Realm that lies beyond it?’

The thought ignited an intense yearning and desire in Yang Jing’s heart—an overwhelming craving for a higher realm, for the True Qi Realm.

After all, even in a great, thousand-year-old sect like the Xuanzhen Sect, a True Qi Realm Cultivator was already part of the true upper echelon, holding the rank of an Elder, wielding significant power, and commanding immense respect.

Yang Jing took a deep breath, swiftly suppressing the distracting thoughts and shock. He stopped overthinking and refocused his entire being on the match, concentrating on his responses and carefully absorbing the insights from each exchange.

They exchanged over a hundred more moves. A fine layer of sweat had long since beaded on Yang Jing’s forehead, dripping from his chin. His clothes were soaked through, and his breathing had grown ragged. He was clearly giving it his absolute all.

In contrast, Bai Bing’s posture remained ramrod straight. Her expression was cool and serene, her dark hair stirring gently in the breeze. She showed not a single sign of fatigue, as poised as ever.

Fist and palm collided violently once more. Qi Force exploded outward. Yang Jing used the force of the rebound to retreat a dozen steps before steadily finding his footing.

He let out a long, cloudy breath as the Qi circulating around him slowly settled. He then bowed to Bai Bing, his tone both respectful and exhilarated. “Thank you for your instruction, Master!”

Since breaking through to the Qi Absorption Realm, Yang Jing had been completely immersed in his training and had never once engaged in true combat. Today’s sparring match with his master was utterly exhilarating; it felt as though every muscle and bone in his body had been thoroughly stretched and limbered up.

After all, his master’s strength surpassed his by an immeasurable degree. Even with her power deliberately suppressed to the Qi Absorption Realm, she was far beyond what he could possibly challenge. He didn’t have to worry in the slightest about striking too hard and injuring her, so he could cast aside all his reservations and fight without holding anything back.

Bai Bing nodded slightly, a hint of approval in her cool eyes. “Your Mountain-Breaking Seal is already quite fluid and masterful, and your foundation is exceptionally solid,” she said. “Continue to polish your skills, and strive to advance your cultivation and reach the Peak of the Qi Absorption Realm as quickly as possible.”