Under One Person: Rebuilding the Glory of the Beast Master

Chapter 55 A Slap

"Brother, I'll go! I've wanted to fight that guy Lu Jin for ages." Lu Ci said to his older brother, his blood boiling with excitement, eager to get up and have a fierce battle.

"Don't panic, let me do it first," Lü Ren said.

Lu Ci, the mad dog, dares to argue with anyone, but he is unusually obedient in front of his elder brother.

"Hmm!" Lü Ci nodded.

Then Lü Ren walked to the center of the field, clasped his hands in greeting to the four directions, his posture was calm and composed, and his whole body exuded the demeanor of a scion of a noble family.

"My name is Lü Ren. I would like to ask about the extraordinary skills of the Celestial Master's disciple."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly throughout the entire square.

All eyes turned to Zhang Zhiwei.

Zhang Zhiwei lay back down on the stone steps, half asleep. Hearing someone call his name, he opened one eye and lazily glanced at Lü Ren in the room, then yawned.

"Me?" He pointed to himself.

"Indeed." Lü Ren clasped his hands in greeting, his smile gentle and polite. "I have long heard that the Celestial Master's disciple's cultivation is unfathomable. Today, I am fortunate to ask the Daoist brother for some guidance."

Zhang Zhiwei scratched his head, sat up from the stone steps, dusted off his Taoist robe, and then slowly walked to the center of the area.

His gait was casual and nonchalant, not at all like a Taoist practitioner, but more like an old farmer strolling in the fields.

He stopped in front of Lü Ren and tilted his head to look at him.

"The Lü family?"

"Exactly."

"Alright then." Zhang Zhiwei yawned again, rubbed his eyes, and said, "Let's have a yawn then."

Zhang Jingqing's lips twitched in the audience. He didn't want anything else right now, he just hoped that this unfilial disciple wouldn't be too arrogant and would restrain himself a little, otherwise his old face really couldn't take it.

The battle between the Great Jade of the Lü Family and the Celestial Master's disciple is the true climax of the story.

Lu Ren stood in the center of the arena, his hands hanging naturally at his sides, his posture composed. Unlike the previous competitors, he didn't adopt any starting stance; he simply stood there quietly, his gaze calmly fixed on Zhang Zhiwei opposite him.

Zhang Zhiwei's posture was much more casual, with his legs planted in the sand and gravel like the branches of a large tree. His right hand was tucked into the sleeve of his Taoist robe, and his left hand hung at his side. He was completely relaxed.

"You wicked disciple!" Zhang Jingqing was so angry at Zhang Zhiwei's appearance that he wanted to curse. If it were anywhere else, he would have slapped him twice.

"Master, your disciple is truly extraordinary!" Zuo Ruotong said, finally understanding the difficulties the Master faced.

Compared to Zhang Zhiwei, Lu Jin is nothing.

"Brother Dao, please." Lü Ren nodded slightly.

"You go first," Zhang Zhiwei said nonchalantly.

Lü Ren didn't stand on ceremony, taking half a step forward with his right foot, his toes touching the ground.

And it is this half step.

To onlookers, Lü Ren had only taken one step, but the instant his toes touched the ground, an extremely subtle Qi seeped into the ground from the soles of his feet, like an invisible snake, silently burrowing towards Zhang Zhiwei.

Ruyi Jin.

It's not about throwing punches and kicks directly, nor about releasing projectiles outwards. Instead, it's about penetrating into any medium that can provide leverage—the land, the air, even the opponent's field—and launching an attack from any angle or position through resonance and conduction.

Ignoring defenses, impossible to predict.

There's a saying that perfectly fits the Ruyi Jin (a type of magical energy): "Ruyi, Ruyi, do as I wish, quickly manifest your power."

Lu Ren's Qi traveled extremely fast underground, reaching Zhang Zhiwei's feet in the blink of an eye.

"boom--!"

The sandy ground beneath Zhang Zhiwei's feet suddenly exploded, and a spiral-shaped jet of water gushed out from the ground, carrying rubble and dust straight towards Zhang Zhiwei's chin.

This attack came without warning, at an extremely tricky angle. An ordinary person would probably not even have time to react before being knocked to the ground.

But Zhang Zhiwei responded.

He didn't even look down at his feet, he just tilted his head slightly to the side.

The gust of air grazed his chin and shot into the sky, without even touching the hem of his clothes.

"Oh." Zhang Zhiwei looked down at the crater at his feet, then looked up at Lü Ren. "The Lü family's Ruyi Jin is really interesting."

Lu Ren's pupils contracted slightly.

That attack was meticulously planned. From the half-step he took to the transmission path, to the timing and angle of the burst, every detail had been repeatedly analyzed.

As a result, they didn't even touch the hem of the other person's clothes.

It wasn't luck; the other party's perception was just too sharp.

"Again," Lü Ren said.

He stretched out his hands, fingers slightly spread, and performed the Ruyi Jin · Qiansi Yin.

Ten beams shot out from his fingertips, transforming into ten invisible threads that wrapped around Zhang Zhiwei from all directions.

These Qi threads do not attack directly; their function is to borrow strength and probe. Once they entangle an opponent's limbs, they can use the opponent's own strength as a medium to transmit the attack to the opponent's weakest point.

If you struggle, the Qi threads will exert force on your joints; if you don't move, these Qi threads will tighten and squeeze your body from all directions.

This is the most terrifying aspect of Ruyi Jin (如意劲): it doesn't win through sheer strength, but rather by striking unexpected weaknesses. Once the Lü family finds an opening, Ruyi Jin can unleash its full power.

Instantly, ten strands of Qi wrapped around Zhang Zhiwei's limbs, waist, abdomen, and neck from different directions.

Lu Ren's lips curled up slightly.

"It's done."

Then he sensed something was wrong.

His Qi threads did indeed entangle Zhang Zhiwei, but the sensation was wrong. It wasn't the feeling of entanglement with flesh and blood, but rather like entanglement with a mountain.

He tried to tighten the silk, hoping to draw out Zhang Zhiwei's strength, but it wouldn't budge.

Lu Ren frowned. He increased the amount of Qi he used, and the threads on his ten fingers became even more solid, binding Zhang Zhiwei's body like ten steel cables.

Zhang Zhiwei looked down at the silk wrapped around his body, then reached out, pinched a strand, and tugged at it.

"It's quite sturdy," he said.

Then he moved.

It wasn't about breaking free or dodging; it was about taking a step forward.

It's that simple.

Lu Ren's expression suddenly changed, because he felt a tremendous force coming back from the silk.

The other party is resisting? That was his first thought.

wrong!

He soon realized that this was his own backlash.

"How is this possible?"

The most important aspect of cultivating Ruyi Jin is proper control. This is a skill that every member of the Lü family must repeatedly hone from the very beginning of their cultivation. While the Lü family may be inferior to others in other areas, they are undoubtedly at the pinnacle in controlling Qi.

The result was surprisingly simple: they suffered a backlash and were crushed in their strongest area.

And it wasn't over yet. An incredibly powerful surge of Qi flowed upstream along the Qi threads, rushing straight into Lü Ren's meridians.

"This one"

Without hesitation, Lü Ren swiftly pulled his ten fingers together, severing all the Qi threads.

The moment the silk snapped, he was thrown back seven or eight steps by the recoil, each step leaving a deep footprint on the ground.

He steadied himself and looked down at his hands; his fingertips were trembling slightly.

It wasn't an injury; it was just that the meridians were shaken by that powerful force, and the ability to control them precisely was temporarily lost.

Lu Ren took a deep breath and looked up at Zhang Zhiwei.

Zhang Zhiwei stood still, without even changing his posture.

He tilted his head and looked at Lü Ren, his usually emotionless eyes now showing a hint of curiosity.

"With your skills, if you faced a different opponent, they probably wouldn't even know how they lost. Using brute force against brute force, and overcoming strength with softness—it's certainly a good technique. Unfortunately—"

He paused, scratched his head, and said, "You can't borrow my strength."

This statement, though made so casually, somehow evokes a sense of despair.

Everyone present knew what Lü Ren's Ruyi Jin meant. It was a secret technique passed down through the Lü family for hundreds of years and refined by generations of ancestors. It could draw upon the power of all things and launch attacks from any angle. Once it entangled an opponent, it was like a bone-deep infection, extremely difficult to get rid of.

The terrifying aspect of Ruyi Jin lies not in its destructive power, but in its "unsolvable" nature.

But Zhang Zhiwei also gave the simplest and most unsolvable answer: it cannot be borrowed.

You can't borrow my strength.

No matter how exquisite the Ruyi Jin technique is, it's useless.

"Phew~"

Lu Ren looked at his hands in silence for a moment, then let out a long sigh. There was no resentment or frustration, but rather a sense of relief.

"I am extremely fortunate to have received your guidance today, fellow Daoist." He cupped his hands and said, "I concede defeat."

"Thank you for your kind offer." Zhang Zhiwei nodded and turned to walk back.

He took two steps and then stopped, turning back to look at Lü Ren: "With your skills, if you can use objects to attack, you won't be so easy to deal with."

Lu Ren was taken aback, then cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you for your guidance, Brother Dao."

Zhang Zhiwei waved his hand, walked back to the stone steps, and plopped down on the ground. Then he flashed his master a bright white smile.

"Hmph!" Zhang Jingqing glared at Zhang Zhiwei, but her heart finally settled down; at least Zhang Zhiwei wasn't too arrogant.

There was a moment of silence, then a burst of enthusiastic applause and cheers erupted.

"The Celestial Master's disciple is indeed remarkable!"

"The Lü family's Ruyi Force was terrifying enough, yet they couldn't even touch the hem of someone's clothes?"

"What does 'unable to borrow' mean? How much Qi must that require?"

"It's not just about having abundant Qi; it's about having an incredible level of control over Qi."

Discussions rose and fell.

Zeng Su sat in his chair, the apple in his hand already eaten, leaving only a bare core. He stared at Zhang Zhiwei's back, his mind replaying the brief exchange just moments before.

The Ruyi Jin (如意劲) technique uses the opponent's force against them, and it is all-pervasive.

The abilities that Lü Ren just displayed have already shown the terrifying nature of this secret technique. If his opponent hadn't been Zhang Zhiwei, among the younger generation present, there would probably be only a handful who could withstand Lü Ren's two moves.

However, the way Zhang Zhiwei responded to these two moves made Zeng Su even more concerned.

He didn't use any fancy methods; he simply relied on his control over Qi and his overwhelmingly powerful Qi to forcefully break Lu Ren's Ruyi Jin.

This is the "summit".

It wasn't a matter of skill, it was a matter of fundamental superiority.

You're playing with skill, while they're playing with fundamentals. No matter how exquisite the skill, it's all just empty show in the face of absolute power.

Zhang Zhiwei's current state is the ultimate pursuit of all extraordinary individuals.

"Brother, what are you thinking about?" Guan Shihua's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"It's nothing," Zeng Su smiled. "I was just thinking about the competition we just had."

"That's right!" Guan Shihua slapped her thigh. "That Taoist priest is too amazing. We've all heard of Lü Ren's Ruyi Jin in Northeast China, but he didn't even manage to touch a hair on Lü Ren's head."

As she spoke, she suddenly lowered her voice and leaned closer: "Brother, if you went up and fought him, how many moves could you last?"

Zeng Su thought for a moment and answered honestly, "Maybe it'll only be one move?"

"Ah!" Guan Shihua's eyes widened. "Only one move?"

"Yes! It's very possible that he'll make one move and I'll be down," Zeng Su said.

Guan Shihua opened her mouth, then burst out laughing: "You're really something, belittling yourself like that."

"This isn't meant to belittle you, it's the truth." Zeng Su looked at the languid figure on the stone steps in the distance. "That person is on a completely different level from us."

"That's true." Guan Shihua nodded, unusually not refuting.

"Anyway, the minimum is one hit, but it might be able to withstand a few more!" Zeng Su thought to himself.

At this moment, Zhang Jingqing and Zuo Ruotong exchanged a glance and then nodded in acknowledgment.

The competition has progressed to this stage, so it's time for Lu Jin and Zhang Zhiwei to fight this final match.

But at that moment, a young man in a red robe suddenly rushed out from the audience.

After landing, the man introduced himself: "Fengping, from the Huode Sect. I've come here to seek guidance from Young Master Lu."

The Fire Virtue Sect is renowned in the world of supernatural beings for its fire manipulation techniques; every disciple is an expert in fire, especially skilled in [Fire Release].

This technique, capable of instantly traveling hundreds of meters back and forth, is truly incredibly profound.

It shares a similar essence with Master Jin Guang's "Golden Escape Flowing Light".

Feng Ping is the most outstanding disciple among the younger generation of Huo De Sect, and he has few rivals among his peers.

At this moment, the leader of the Huode Sect in the crowd roared at Feng Ping, "Feng Ping, you little beast, what are you doing here? Come back here right now!"

However, Feng Ping had already made up his mind. He turned to his master and said, "Didn't you always teach me that when you meet a master, you should learn from them? Who among our generation doesn't know that Young Master Lu is a master? I'm just listening to you."

"Hey! You little brat, you've learned to talk back now." The Fire Virtue Sect Master was indeed a master of fire control; his temper was as fiery as fire, ready to ignite at any moment. He rolled up his sleeves, eager to rush onto the field and drag Feng Ping down.

The people nearby quickly stopped him.

"Brother Chu! Brother Chu! It's not wrong for a child to want to play, why are you throwing such a tantrum!"

Seeing that his master was being stopped, Feng Ping rubbed his nose and said to Lu Jin, "Young Master Lu, I sincerely want to learn from you, so please don't stand on ceremony!"

Lu Jin immediately got excited when he heard that someone wanted to challenge him. If his master hadn't told him to follow orders, he would have already stepped up.

Now that Fengping has specifically asked to learn from him, he can't be a coward. He glanced at his master timidly, and seeing that his master didn't seem to mind, he ran onto the field.

"Then you'll have to show some real skills."

Lu Jin smiled and said to Feng Ping:

Immediately, a white light began to appear on his body.

The first level of Reverse Rebirth Triple Technique emanated a jade-like luster from his skin, and he immediately used the Reverse Rebirth Triple Technique. After watching Zhang Zhiwei's battle, he also wanted to quickly end his own fight.

Battle is imminent.

Lu Jin dashed out in one stride, his speed leaving a white afterimage.

"Ouch!"

With a scream, Fengping collapsed to the ground.

Before Feng Ping could even make a move, Lu Jin was already beside him and slapped him.

"You flatter me, Brother Fengping."

Lu Jin turned back to his original spot, clasped his hands in a fist and said.

The people present felt as if a flock of crows had flown overhead; it ended far too quickly.

"Fengping, if your Huode Sect doesn't set fires, what are you fighting about?" someone said at this moment.

Feng Ping, who had been knocked to the ground, sprang to his feet with a swift movement. His face showed no sign of defeat or dejection; instead, he grinned and said, "I know from that one move that Young Master Lu is stronger than me. He's truly a master. Besides, even if you set fires, they wouldn't work. Furthermore, the skills of my Fire Virtue Sect can't be effectively used here."

After saying that, he looked at Lu Jin and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Young Master Lu!"

Putting everything else aside, Feng Ping is truly optimistic and open-minded, which made Zeng Su, who was watching the play below, unable to help but laugh.

He certainly knew Feng Ping, who was also one of the Thirty-Six Thieves of later generations.

Fengping went back and was immediately hit on the head with a sharp rap by his master.

"You little brat, you've really embarrassed me!" The Fire Virtue Sect Master was so angry that his head was practically spitting fire. To be defeated in one move was truly humiliating.

Feng Ping dared not show that smiling face in front of his master, and could only weakly say, holding his head, "Master, I'm telling the truth!"

Hearing this, the sect leader of Huode Sect became even angrier.

"Alright! You little brat, your stubbornness has improved. Wait until we get back, and you'll see if I don't teach you a lesson."

Now that everyone who was supposed to play has played, those who weren't going to play no longer have the will to. They know that showing off their skills wouldn't do any good, so they simply don't want to embarrass themselves.

Mad Dog Lü Ci originally wanted to go on stage to get revenge for his brother, and specifically challenged Zhang Zhiwei.

"Master Zhang, you just defeated my brother, now I..."

"shut up."

The head of the Lü family spoke up to stop Lü Ci.

Lu Ci turned to look at his father, his resentment written all over his face.

"Go back and sit down," said the head of the Lu family, his tone calm but leaving no room for argument.

Lu Ci wanted to argue further, but Lu Ren walked up to him and put his hand on his shoulder.

"Don't be impulsive," Lü Ren said in a low voice. "You're no match for him. Go back and train for a few more years, and you'll have plenty of opportunities in the future."

Lu Ci gritted his teeth, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, but in the end he gave up.

Next, no one else took the stage. Zhang Jingqing and Zuo Ruotong nodded to each other again, even pausing for a moment to see if anyone would suddenly appear.

After confirming that no one was around, the two of them simultaneously looked at their apprentices.

Zhang Zhiwei and Lu Jin naturally understood what their master meant, so they both went on stage.

The Celestial Master's disciple versus the disciple of the Three Ones Sect.

This is the kind of showdown everyone really wants to see.

The two stood facing each other.

Zhang Zhiwei was almost a head taller than Lu Jin and much more muscular, yet he still maintained that same loose and slouchy appearance.

But Lu Jin's feelings were completely different.

Before, when he watched Zhang Zhiwei fight Lü Ren, he only thought that the man was very strong. Now he truly felt that sense of oppression.

It's as if the person standing in front of you isn't a person, but a mountain.

You don't need to touch it; just by looking at it, you know you can't push it.

Lu Jin's palms were sweaty. He had fought with his senior brothers in the sect many times before, but he had never felt this way before.

"But it doesn't matter, I can still fight even if they're stronger," Lu Jin thought to himself.

Moreover, the opponent is a disciple of a celestial master, so it is very likely that he is not only proficient in the Golden Light Mantra, but may even be proficient in thunder magic.

Thinking of this, Lu Jin's fighting spirit soared, and the trace of fear in his heart vanished instantly.

"Let me experience the Celestial Master's Mansion's unique skills today!"

"Senior Brother Zhang, please." he said.

Zhang Zhiwei looked at the other person, and a hint of seriousness appeared in his usually emotionless eyes.

"please."

Lu Jin didn't stand on ceremony.

Reverse Rebirth Triple Stage - First Stage: Full Power Operation.

The white light emanating from him was stronger than ever before, and a jade-like luster emerged from his skin, making him shine brightly in the sunlight.

By traversing his entire body, his strength, speed, and reaction time were all elevated to their peak.

At this moment, Lu Jin was like a banished immortal.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Zhiwei rolled up his sleeves, planted his feet on the ground, and assumed a fighting stance. He had also heard of Lu Jin's reputation, so he naturally had to be careful.

"Senior Brother Zhang, it's my turn."

Lu Jin shouted, and then his whole body rushed towards Zhang Zhiwei like a white lightning bolt, his right palm wrapped with a thick blade, heading straight for Zhang Zhiwei's chest.

Mountain-Shaking Palm - Mountain-Breaking!

With the blessing of the Reverse Life Triple Power, the power of this palm strike was enough to shatter a thousand-pound bluestone.

Zhang Zhiwei watched the figure getting closer and closer, but he didn't make the slightest movement; he just stood there in place.

There was no Golden Light Mantra, no Thunder Magic, and not even any power accumulation.

He simply raised his right hand, spread his five fingers, and reached out to grab Lu Jin.

"Smack."

A crisp sound.

Zhang Zhiwei placed one of his hands on Lu Jin's face.

Lu Jin froze on the spot.

His right palm stopped less than a foot away from Zhang Zhiwei's chest, unable to advance any further.

Then Zhang Zhiwei swayed his hand from side to side before withdrawing it.

Lu Jin didn't move, as if he was stunned.

The jade-like luster of the reversed life triple was starting from his right hand, peeling off his skin piece by piece like shattered porcelain, turning into white Qi light that scattered and splashed everywhere.

Lu Jin's pupils were filled with disbelief.

He looked down at his hands, where the discolored skin had completely disappeared, revealing the normal skin tone underneath. He could feel the Qi within his body becoming disordered and dissipating.

The triple rebirth was forcibly broken up.

This was something he had never encountered since joining the Sanyi Sect.

The Reverse Rebirth Triple Power can be consumed until it automatically dissipates, but Lu Jin never imagined that it could be shattered with a single slap.

Lu Jin raised his head and looked at Zhang Zhiwei.

Zhang Zhiwei had already withdrawn his hand, put it back into his sleeve, and tilted his head to look at him. There was no smugness or mockery in his eyes, only indifference in his expression.

At that moment, he was like a god or a demon.

What Zhang Zhiwei did just now was actually very simple. He used his powerful perception and strength to directly intercept Lu Jin's attack while Lu Jin was launching a full-scale attack. Then, he probed into Lu Jin's body, shook his three cores, and forcibly released the opponent's Reverse Life Triple Layer.

Yes, it's that simple. But who else but this man could do it?

Lu Jin's mind was completely blank.

It wasn't because I lost, but because I lost so utterly. I couldn't even put up a fight before I was defeated. I had cultivated for so many years, thinking myself exceptionally talented, but in the end, I couldn't even withstand a single slap from someone.

"I—" Lu Jin's voice was a little hoarse, "I lost."

After saying that, he turned and walked back.

He took two steps, then paused.

He lowered his head, his shoulders trembling slightly.

Zeng Su noticed that Lu Jin's ears had turned red.

Then he saw Lu Jin raise his hand and quickly wipe his eyes.

It wasn't wiping sweat.

He was crying.

Lu Jin is crying.

A teenager, the most outstanding disciple of the San Yi Sect and the future heir of the Lu family, lost to a peer in front of hundreds of extraordinary individuals, losing without any chance to fight back.

He didn't wail or cry loudly; he just silently shed tears, wiping them away as he walked, only to have them flow again and again.

The square was silent.

No one laughed, no one spoke.

Everyone watched Lu Jin's retreating figure as he walked back to the Lu family's camp step by step.

"Ugh!"

Zeng Su sighed. Although this scene was a famous trope in the comics, he wasn't too happy that it actually happened.

I thought that with my intrusion, Lu Jin would have a different ending, but in the end, he still got slapped. It wasn't because Lu Jin was weak, but because Zhang Zhiwei was too strong.

"Let me see how many slaps I am."

>

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