My Martial Dao Has No Bottlenecks

...

「Two days later.」

The Lu Mansion was decked out in lanterns and streamers.

Almost every influential power in Lin Wu City had arrived.

Shen Wenyuan represented the City Lord's Mansion. Lü Bingchen and several Masters came from the Martial Arts Academy. The major merchant guilds, Martial Arts Halls, and Noble Families packed the front courtyard to the brim.

Lu Qingfeng, dressed in a brocade robe and a Jade Crown, was the center of attention, surrounded like the moon among stars at the main table in the central hall.

He chatted and laughed with ease, handling the pleasantries gracefully. He didn't fully conceal his True Qi, which added to the sharp aura of a young prodigy.

Throughout the banquet, people continuously came forward to offer toasts and congratulations. He returned each gesture in kind, his prestige unmatched.

In contrast, Lu Qingzhou sat at the third table in the secondary seating area to the right, in an inconspicuous spot.

His face was still somewhat pale, and he had to force himself to stay alert to handle the occasional greetings that came his way. His table was mostly filled with members of the Lu Family's side branches, and the atmosphere was much more subdued.

Liang Cheng sat beside Lu Qingzhou, silently sipping his tea.

Midway through the banquet, the Lu Family's Patriarch, Lu Mingyuan, stood and raised his cup. "Thank you all for gracing the Lu Family's Qilin Banquet today. Qingfeng was fortunate enough to achieve a breakthrough. This is a blessing for the Lu Family and for the younger generation of Lin Wu City. I hope you will all guide and support him in the future..."

After a round of pleasantries, the banquet reached its climax.

After three rounds of drinks, Lu Qingfeng suddenly rose and walked to an empty space in the hall. He cupped his fists to the crowd. "At this grand feast today, I will make a humble display of my family's Flowing Cloud Palm Technique to liven things up!"

The crowd roared its approval.

Lu Qingfeng's figure moved, his Palm Technique as smooth as flowing clouds and water. Infused with True Qi, every palm strike tore through the air with a sharp whistle. At the climax of his demonstration, he suddenly struck a stone lantern in the courtyard.

BANG!

The stone lantern shattered on impact, but the fragments were caught by the force of his palm, coalescing in the air into a spinning ring of cloud that lingered for a moment.

"Excellent!"

"Such masterful control over his True Qi! He's truly the Lu Family's Qilin'Er!"

Cries of admiration rose from all around. Lu Qingfeng withdrew his stance, a smug look on his face as his gaze swept, intentionally or not, over Lu Qingzhou's table.

At that moment, Liang Cheng suddenly set down his teacup, stood up, and walked into the center of the hall.

The entire hall fell silent in an instant.

"Young Master Lu's Palm Technique is exquisite."

Liang Cheng cupped his fists at Lu Qingfeng. "Watching you has stirred my interest. I'd like to ask for a pointer, if I may."

As his words fell, the entire hall was stunned.

'A True Inheritor from the Martial Arts Academy is going to make a move?'

'And at an event like this?'

Lu Qingfeng was also taken aback, but he quickly smiled. "True Inheritor Liang must be joking. I have only just entered this realm. How could I dare to trade blows with you?"

"Just one move."

Liang Cheng's tone was still calm. "I won't use any True Qi. I will receive one of your palm strikes with only my physical strength. If I take even half a step back, it's my loss."

As soon as he said this, the crowd erupted in an uproar.

'Taking a full-power palm strike from a True Qi Realm expert without using any True Qi?'

'Even if Lu Qingfeng just broke through, he's still in the True Qi Realm!'

At his table, Lu Qingzhou clenched his fists. He understood why Liang Cheng was doing this. He was backing him up, telling everyone in the most direct way possible:

Standing behind Lu Qingzhou was someone who could suppress the Lu Family's genius in a single move.

Lu Mingyuan saw this and seemed to want to speak, but ultimately remained silent.

Lü Bingchen simply shook his head, treating it as if Liang Cheng were just fooling around, and didn't intervene.

'He is a True Inheritor of my Martial Arts Academy. With him acting like this, who would dare say anything?'

Lu Qingfeng's expression shifted, but in the end, his youthful pride took over. He nodded. "Since True Inheritor Liang has such an elegant interest, I will accompany you. Please!"

The two stood facing each other, ten yards apart.

Lu Qingfeng took a deep breath as faint cyan True Qi surged around his body. Not daring to be careless, he channeled seventy percent of his True Qi and slowly pushed out his right palm.

Flowing Cloud Palm—Pushing Cloud Technique!

The Palm Force rushed forward like a tide, heading straight for Liang Cheng's chest!

As promised, Liang Cheng used no True Qi. He simply raised his right hand, spread his five fingers, and pressed forward.

The movement wasn't fast; it even looked somewhat casual.

But in the instant Lu Qingfeng's palm force was about to hit him, the muscles in Liang Cheng's arm trembled slightly, and a faint golden luster appeared beneath his skin.

The physical power of Golden Armor Realm Perfection erupted in that one moment!

BOOM!

A dull thud echoed.

Liang Cheng stood his ground, completely unmoved.

The green bricks beneath his feet didn't even have a single crack.

Lu Qingfeng, however, turned pale and stumbled back three steps before steadying himself.

He felt as if his Palm Force had slammed into an iron mountain. The rebound force made his entire arm go numb, and his Meridians throbbed with a dull pain.

One move.

It really was just one move.

And his opponent hadn't even used True Qi!

The entire hall was deathly silent.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on Liang Cheng. 'Has the Martial Arts Academy's youngest True Inheritor's strength already reached such a level?'

'No wonder he could escape from a True Essence Realm expert.'

'The Martial Arts Academy has produced a true dragon!'

Liang Cheng then retracted his hand and nodded at Lu Qingfeng. "Thank you for the match."

As he turned to walk back to his seat, no one noticed the slight frown that creased his brow.

'For a fleeting moment during the impact, I sensed a very faint, familiar feeling from Lu Qingfeng's True Qi, but I can't quite place it.'

He suppressed his doubts and sat back down beside Lu Qingzhou.

The atmosphere of the banquet turned subtle.

The gazes that had been focused on Lu Qingfeng now shifted, with more than half of them landing on Lu Qingzhou's table. Many people began to whisper among themselves:

"True Inheritor Liang is backing Lu Qingzhou..."

"Defeating Lu Qingfeng in one move without even using True Qi... He's clearly telling the Lu Family not to dare neglect Lu Qingzhou just because he's fallen behind for now."

"With a friend like that, even if Lu Qingzhou breaks through a few years late, as long as Patriarch Lu doesn't step down, his position in the family is secure."

Lu Qingfeng returned to the main table, his face ashen. He had no appetite for the rest of the banquet.

Lu Mingyuan gave Liang Cheng a deep, complicated look, a mix of gratitude and helplessness.

The banquet continued in a slightly awkward atmosphere.

Another hour passed. Seeing Lu Qingzhou's complexion worsening, Liang Cheng stood up to take his leave.

Lu Mingyuan personally escorted him to the mansion's entrance and thanked him in a low voice.

"True Inheritor Liang, thank you for today."

"Uncle Lu, you're too kind."

Liang Cheng cupped his fists in return. "Brother Lu's injuries haven't healed. I'll take him back to the Martial Arts Academy to recuperate first. I will pay another visit another day."

Liang Cheng then helped Lu Qingzhou into the carriage, which departed from the Lu Mansion.

Inside the carriage, Lu Qingzhou let out a long breath. "Brother Liang, today's kindness..."

"There's no need for such words between us. If you hadn't risked your life to take that mission for me back then, allowing me to escape a calamity, where would I be today?"

Lu Qingzhou was moved. Finally, he steeled himself and said, "Brother Liang, to be honest, I was also making a gamble that day. I wanted to add to my own achievements. My motives weren't pure."

Liang Cheng waved his hand. "Look, the fact that you can say this now means your previous thoughts don't matter. In any case, I still owe you a debt of gratitude."

Lu Qingzhou could no longer suppress his emotions, and his eyes reddened. Liang Cheng spoke before he could. "Focus on recovering and breaking through soon. Only when you yourself reach the True Qi Realm will today's events have truly meant something."

Lu Qingzhou nodded heavily.

Halfway through their journey, the sound of urgent hoofbeats suddenly came from ahead.

A troop of Black Armored Knights with a caravan of carriages galloped past, heading in the direction of the City Lord's Mansion.

"Commander Yue Shan!"

Hearing this, Liang Cheng lifted the carriage curtain to look.

Every knight in the troop was wounded, and there were several stretchers in the procession, covered with white cloths.

The common people on the streets hurried to get out of the way, whispering to each other.

"Commander Yue has returned, heavily injured..."

"What in the world happened at the Border Sea?"

"Is the Fire Worship Sect really that fearsome?"

Liang Cheng dropped the curtain, his expression grave.

Yue Shan was a True Qi Realm expert who fought alongside Shen Jun. For him to be injured this badly, the battle at the Border Sea was likely far more brutal than the rumors suggested.

"Back to the Martial Arts Academy first," Liang Cheng said to the driver.

The carriage sped up, heading toward the Martial Arts Academy.

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