CHAPTER 690: CHAPTER 550 REALM, SINCERE IN HEART, SINCERE IN SPEAR!_2

Inside Duke Xing Mansion, many people heard that Yang Zhenshan was going to compete with Qu Changkong and rushed over to watch.

Even Qu Shaogong and Yang Wanqing ran over.

"Madam, who do you think is more formidable?" Qu Shaogong asked with a smile.

"Definitely my grandfather!"

"That may not be certain, my grandfather has been in the Innate Realm for forty years, while Marquis Yang’s breakthrough to the Innate Realm, at most, is not even ten years," Qu Shaogong said.

Yang Wanqing raised her fist, "It’s not like the older you are, the stronger you are."

Qu Shaogong was speechless, he was two years older than Yang Wanqing, but his cultivation was far less than hers.

Yang Wanqing has now reached the Postnatal Second Layer, while he had just made a breakthrough to the Postnatal Realm.

His cultivation was not as strong as his wife’s, what a blow to his role as a husband!

On the drill ground, Yang Zhenshan swung his long spear and laughed, "Big brother, be careful!"

"Go ahead, little brother! Haha~~" Qu Changkong laughed out loud.

Yang Zhenshan took the initiative, leaped forward, raised his long spear, and made a Powerful Slash downwards.

Qu Changkong raised his long halberd to block, with a clang, Qu Changkong’s arms bent, barely blocking the Powerful Slash from Yang Zhenshan.

His eyes narrowed slightly, inwardly surprised at Yang Zhenshan’s great strength.

"If big brother underestimates me, you might end up being the laughingstock!"

Yang Zhenshan said while swinging his spear again in another Powerful Slash.

Qu Changkong still raised his halberd to block but this time, he didn’t just rely on brute force, he integrated more technique into it.

In a blink of an eye, the two had exchanged more than ten moves, the sounds of metal clashing became more rapid and urgent.

The probing was over, a green gleam appeared on the long spear, and a red hue emerged on Qu Changkong’s halberd.

Qu Changkong felt more and more apprehensive as he fought, realizing that Yang Zhenshan’s strength was not inferior to his.

In terms of cultivation alone, Yang Zhenshan naturally could not compare to Qu Changkong.

Qu Changkong’s True Qi was more robust than Yang Zhenshan’s.

Qu Changkong also had a deeper understanding of Mystical Mechanism and Ruwei than Yang Zhenshan.

But there was one aspect where Yang Zhenshan far surpassed Qu Changkong, the Martial Arts realm.

The Martial Arts realm is the same as the Entering Tao stage, just as the Xuanzhen Taoist had touched upon the threshold of Entering Tao, Yang Zhenshan has also reached the verge of the Tao.

Yes, it’s the Thunderbolt Strike.

During the battle at Zhengyang Gate years ago, Yang Zhenshan unexpectedly executed a stunning strike.

Ever since then, Yang Zhenshan had been searching for the feeling of that strike, but sadly, after several years, he hadn’t found any clues.

However, during the sea battle with Yue Minghua, he found that feeling once again.

During this time, he has been contemplating the Thunderbolt Strike.

There are three principles to Entering Tao: the first is heaven and earth, the second is cultivating the heart, and the third is only oneself.

The kind of realm like flying with the wind, which Xuanzhen Taoist perceived, should be the first type, a realm realized from heaven and earth.

While Yang Zhenshan’s Thunderbolt Strike should be the third type, focusing on the self, where nothing exists outside the heart, where only the self exists.

The spear in his hands is not a spear, but himself.

Of course, Yang Zhenshan’s current understanding of the realm is very superficial, possibly even less than Xuanzhen Taoist.

But this was enough to put heavy pressure on Qu Changkong.

Yang Zhenshan didn’t even need to use the Thunderbolt Strike to be an equal match with Qu Changkong.

Today was just a sparring session, and he still couldn’t control the Thunderbolt Strike, which was too ferocious; once unleashed, it couldn’t be retracted.

Therefore, he absolutely must not use the Thunderbolt Strike on Qu Changkong, otherwise, Qu Changkong would either be killed or injured.

On the drill ground, their battle became more intense, clashing spears and halberds with each collision bursting with large amounts of True Qi.

Bystanders kept retreating, afraid of being affected by their fight.

Qu Changkong was no longer holding back, every move he made released intense True Qi.

However, the stronger he became, the stronger Yang Zhenshan also became.

Aside from the Thunderbolt Strike, Yang Zhenshan was also unleashing all his strength.

His long spear moved as his heart wished, the pale gleam of the spearhead shone like stars in the night sky, as sharp as thunder in the clouds.

"Ah~~ Break through!"

Qu Changkong roared, slashing through the air with his halberd, the bright edge bearing down.

Yang Zhenshan’s eyes flickered, his long spear shot out like a viper’s tongue, its tip accurately striking the blade.

A ring of sparks scattered with a ting.

The next moment, he turned around, sweeping his spear, Qu Changkong quickly diagonally raised his halberd to block.

He blocked the sweep, but Yang Zhenshan crouched low, spearhead thrusting out again, aiming straight for Qu Changkong’s face.

Qu Changkong waved his halberd to sweep as he retreated.

Yang Zhenshan leaped up, pressing the advantage, gripping the spear with both hands, stabbing out again and again.

His spear moves were indistinct, forcing Qu Changkong to keep retreating.

At this moment, his spear was incredibly fast, so fast that it made Qu Changkong’s scalp tingle.

Apart from the speed, the movements of his spear were also full of variations.

Every thrust appears the same, but in reality, it contains countless variations.

Acting as one desires is not a matter of mere words or simply using limbs at will, but rather a manifestation of where the mind thinks, the spear goes.

I am the spear, the spear is me.

The spear moves with the heart, unrestrained.

Only the spear, only myself, apart from me nothing else exists.

Facing Yang Zhenshan’s spear, Qu Changkong suddenly felt an inability to contend.

In the blink of an eye, Qu Changkong was forced back to the edge of the training field.

Yang Zhenshan’s figure turned once more, grabbing the spear shaft just below the tip with one hand, and expertly jabbing the butt end against Qu Changkong’s long halberd.

The overwhelming power struck Qu Changkong like a locomotive, and the next moment, he was blasted away, smashing into the armory beside the training field.

A rumbling noise followed by a chaos of clattering sounds.

The wooden walls shattered from the impact, and the weapons inside were thrown into disarray.

"Bravo!" Yang Wanqing clapped in admiration, but she quickly realized it was not the right time to cheer.

The victor was her grandfather, the vanquished was her husband’s grandfather, and it clearly was not appropriate to cheer now.

She hastily covered her mouth and stealthily glanced at Qu Shaogong beside her.

Qu Shaogong’s face was blank; he hadn’t noticed Yang Wanqing’s cheering.

"My grandfather actually lost!"

"How is this possible?"

Qu Shaogong somewhat doubted his eyes, even suspecting he was dreaming.

Surely, this must be a dream!

Yesterday, I dreamed that my wife gave me a thrashing.

Today, I unexpectedly dream that Marquis Yang defeated my grandfather!

He forcefully slapped his own face, feeling the pain before he was forced to accept reality.

"Why are you hitting yourself?" Yang Wanqing asked him with curiosity.

The husband is acting foolish!

"It’s nothing!" Qu Shaogong said somewhat dejectedly.

"Cough cough~~"

Qu Changkong walked out from the ravaged armory, looking at Yang Zhenshan with a complex expression.

"I never expected you to be this strong."

Yang Zhenshan sheathed his long spear, smilingly said, "Just some recent insights!"

Through this battle, his understanding of the sole realm deepened further.

Qu Changkong sighed in frustration, he couldn’t believe that he lost.

He had always assumed his strength to be far above Yang Zhenshan’s, but he never imagined he would be defeated so straightforwardly.

And he also sensed that Yang Zhenshan seemed not to have used his full strength.

This meant that the gap between him and Yang Zhenshan was much greater than what had just been displayed.

"What insights?"

Yang Zhenshan said, "The realm!"

"The realm!" Qu Changkong’s eyes lit up, "Come on, tell me about this realm, you must not keep secrets, you have to guide me!"

Saying this, he pulled Yang Zhenshan towards the teahouse.

Yang Zhenshan handed his long spear to his personal followers and went with him to the teahouse.

The two sat down, and Qu Changkong no longer dwelled on the defeat of the fight; compared to the realm and Entering Tao, what did a minor defeat in a duel amount to?

"Quickly, tell me about this realm!" Qu Changkong said.

Yang Zhenshan slightly shook his head, "It’s indescribable."

"Eh, you’re not tricking me, are you?" Qu Changkong somewhat disbelieved.

Yang Zhenshan laughed helplessly, "Why would I trick you? This is something one must comprehend on their own; I truly don’t know how to express it!"

He thought for a moment, then said, "Do you know the three principles of Entering Tao?"

"I know!" Qu Changkong nodded.

"Do you understand the Law of Sole?"

"I have some understanding, but I fail to grasp its essence!" Qu Changkong looked at Yang Zhenshan expectantly, truly hoping he could reveal something insightful.

Yang Zhenshan spoke, "Sole existence, well, the spear is me, and I am the spear."

He hesitated, then said, "Be honest with the heart, be honest with the spear!"

"..." Qu Changkong was utterly baffled, what is all this!

Yang Zhenshan forced a smile, "It is something you understand in spirit but cannot convey in words."

How to describe that feeling?

Yang Zhenshan truly couldn’t think of any words to explain clearly.

Qu Changkong sighed lightly, "Indeed, if it were so easy to comprehend, then Entering Tao wouldn’t be what it is!"