Apotheosis Begins with Tai Chi

A simple straight punch landed solidly in Zhuang Zhen’s palm.

Her arm and shoulder visibly shifted back, dispersing the force. Her long legs struggled to hold their ground, but she was still forced back three steps before steadying herself.

”Impressive! Truly impressive!”

She composed herself, and a look of irrepressible surprise bloomed on her face.

”Your Blood Qi is dense and solid, and your Power is pure and refined. You’ve far surpassed most others at the Same Tier.”

”This punch I just threw...”

Chen Cheng recalled how Zhu Qian had wanted to trade punches with him at the Young Qilin Association yesterday, and he couldn’t help but ask:

”How does it compare to Zhu Qian?”

”About fifty percent of her full strength,” Zhuang Zhen said.

”Only fifty percent?”

Chen Cheng’s brow furrowed slightly.

”You’re still not satisfied with that?”

Zhuang Zhen chuckled softly.

”Zhu Qian’s constitution is extraordinary. She’s renowned for her innate divine strength, and her Root Bone is a perfect match for the Upper Grade Martial Arts she’s been tempering since childhood. Besides Secret Martial Artists, you could count on one hand the number of people at the Same Tier in all of Zhao City who possess even half her power...”

She paused, then said with great sincerity:

”You’re already incredible. When I was your age, I was nowhere near your level.”

”I’d like to try again.”

Chen Cheng added,

”This time, you’d better be ready.”

”...You little rascal, you were still holding back?”

Zhuang Zhen smiled and took her stance again.

”Alright. Show me what you’ve really got.”

”Alright.”

Chen Cheng retreated a few steps.

He slowly took a deep breath.

He initiated the Thunder Treading Skill, borrowing the might and speed of a thunderclap.

Empowered by the Entwining Trait, the power in his muscles and sinews layered to its absolute limit, converging at the tip of his fist.

He unleashed his Four Gods Traits. The first Four Pillars of his Blood Qi swelled by thirty percent, the scent of his Blood Qi manifesting as divine phantoms. His Dark Force became a surging, unstoppable river.

’Tai Chi Force...’

A thought flashed through Chen Cheng’s mind, but he ultimately decided against using his Tai Chi Force.

He was worried about the off chance he might injure Zhuang Zhen.

As it turned out, his caution was justified.

His fist was still closing in.

The shriek of tearing wind and the vortex of displaced air were enough to make the color drain from Zhuang Zhen’s face.

Her first instinct was to channel all Seven Pillars of her Blood Qi to their absolute limit, guarding her palm with her strongest Dark Force.

’Not enough!’

Chen Cheng’s fist grew rapidly in her vision.

Her intuition, her experience, her very instincts... all screamed at her, warning her with absolute clarity: Dark Force alone was not nearly enough to block this punch.

Only by using Transforming Force could she possibly block its peerless might.

But unleashing Transforming Force would inevitably injure Chen Cheng with the recoil.

’Dodge!’

In that split second, it was the only option she could think of.

The moment the thought occurred to her, she felt utterly ridiculous.

’A mighty Transforming Force expert with Seven Pillars of Blood Qi, yet she didn’t dare to take a punch from a Lower Rank Martial Artist with only Six Pillars of Blood Qi head-on.’

More importantly, she was no ordinary Seven Blood Transforming Force practitioner.

Ever since her time in the Dragon Mountain Middle Courtyard, she had been a recognized genius. Upon reaching the Upper Courtyard, she became the youngest to ever reach the Transforming Force realm, hailed as the number one talent by the Dragon Mountain Hall Master himself.

Normally, given the sheer density of her Blood Qi, she could crush any Lower Rank Martial Artist without even needing to use Transforming Force.

But now, faced with Chen Cheng’s punch, she didn’t dare to take it head-on, let alone dream of overpowering it.

Perhaps she could take it head-on.

But her Heart Spirit was screaming at her, an instinctual warning not to.

Ever since Chen Cheng had helped her overcome her Heart Demon, she’d never had such a feeling—not even when sparring with more powerful experts from the Upper Courtyard.

This meant her instinct to retreat wasn’t because her strength was being suppressed by Chen Cheng.

Rather, it was her aura, her Mental State, and her Divine Intent that were being utterly crushed.

For an instant, she felt as if her state of mind might shatter, perhaps even giving rise to a new Heart Demon.

’Junior Brother Chen...’

’How in the world did he cultivate such a suppressive aura?’

Zhuang Zhen gasped, her feet already beginning to shift back and to the side.

”Use Transforming Force! Trust me!”

In that instant, Chen Cheng seemed to see right through her.

A tremor ran through Zhuang Zhen. As if moved by some unseen force, her Heart Spirit acted without thought. She subconsciously channeled her Transforming Force, condensing an invisible barrier before her palm.

BOOM—!!

His fist slammed into it. A muffled boom erupted, but before the sound could even begin to propagate, it was as if it had been completely captured and devoured by the invisible barrier, leaving only silence.

Zhuang Zhen stood her ground, perfectly still.

Chen Cheng, however, was forced back several steps.

He could clearly feel a tremendous force surging back up his arm—from his fist, to his wrist, up his forearm and elbow, to his shoulder, and throughout half his body. It was like a backlash from his own attack.

Under such circumstances, an ordinary Dark Force Martial Artist would have most likely been injured by the shock.

But Chen Cheng was different.

Since he was the one who told Zhuang Zhen to use her Transforming Force, he had naturally prepared for the consequences.

His Dragon Scale Shirt activated instantly. With a ripple of his muscles, it dispersed twenty percent of the force.

His Loose and Transparent Characteristic activated passively, instantly dispersing another thirty percent of the force throughout his muscles and sinews. The energy vanished from countless points on his skin, disappearing without a trace as if it had never existed.

His Four Gods Profound Body, in conjunction with his Unyielding Attribute, activated. The physique he had strengthened over a long period of time simply brute-forced another twenty percent of the impact.

The final ten percent of the force was only enough to make Chen Cheng stumble back, his arm aching from the impact, but it was nowhere near enough to actually injure him.

And that was why, while Zhuang Zhen, who hadn’t moved an inch, wore a look of pure shock—even terror, Chen Cheng, the one who had been forced to retreat, looked relaxed, a faint smile playing on his lips.

For a long time.

Zhuang Zhen’s Heart Spirit finally struggled free from the mire of her utter astonishment. Her voice still trembled as she spoke:

”So... so strong... Was that... your full power?”

”...”

Chen Cheng remained noncommittal, calmly asking in return:

”How does it compare to Zhu Qian?”

”...Is there even a comparison to be made?”

Zhuang Zhen pressed her lips together and sighed.

”That punch just now... it would have killed her.”

Chen Cheng smiled and asked another question:

”And what about Qin Zhao?”

”...Qin Zhao?”

Zhuang Zhen thought for a moment.

”I think... you’re probably stronger than him. It’s said he can trade a hundred blows with a Transforming Force Martial Artist, but that was against one of the most mediocre, bottom-tier practitioners...”

Her voice trembled violently. She took a moment to compose herself before continuing:

”If it were you, you’d likely be able to completely dominate that fight...”

”Junior Brother, give me a straight answer...”

She collected herself again, looked Chen Cheng dead in the eye, and asked with the utmost seriousness:

”Have you... already reached the Secret Inheritance Entry Level?”