However, when it comes to actual combat, it’s not like striking a strength-testing stone, where you just pound away at something that doesn’t move—after all, no one is going to just stand there and take a punch.

When two people compete, strength is one factor in determining who is stronger, but it’s not the only one; skill is also needed, that is, the application of strength.

In the martial realm, there are martial arts; after entering the path of immortality, there are spells. Both emphasize technique.

Martial arts are about the application of strength, while spells are about the application of magical power.

Powerful martial arts can allow the practitioner’s strength to erupt with more than double, or even two or three times the effect. They can also neutralize the opponent’s strength, enabling the user to defeat opponents who are stronger than themselves.

But the application of strength through martial arts is limited; it only allows the practitioner to defeat enemies within a certain range of strength difference. If the gap is several times greater, it’s basically impossible to turn the tables with martial arts alone.

As for spells, they are truly wondrous—they can multiply one’s power several times, even more than tenfold, and possess all sorts of magical effects. Therefore, after becoming a cultivator, mere strength can no longer be used as the sole measure of one’s power.

“That’s more like it! Heh heh...!” Seeing John Reed agree, Felix Reed let out an excited, cold laugh.

Although John Reed had long since fallen from his pedestal, he was once a lofty figure who oppressed all the younger disciples, making it hard for them to breathe. The thought of defeating John Reed and humiliating him thoroughly gave Felix Reed a surge of inexplicable satisfaction.

His strength was over 1,600 jin higher than John Reed’s—he absolutely didn’t believe he could lose to John Reed.

John Reed could use martial arts, but so could he, and his base strength was higher, so his martial arts would be even more powerful.

Seeing that the two were really about to fight, many people showed excitement on their faces.

Hugh Reed and Eugene Reed exchanged glances, their eyes full of pride.

Jane Taylor looked a bit worried, but since John Reed had spoken, she said nothing more. She believed that John Reed was not a reckless person.

Some younger disciples passing by saw the commotion and immediately understood what was about to happen, each one running over energetically to watch.

The two competitors drew a lot of attention. Felix Reed, needless to say, had already entered the True Qi Realm and was one of the few outstanding younger disciples.

As for John Reed, he was even more interesting. Although he had fallen from grace, his former reputation still lingered.

Three years ago, John Reed was at his peak—no one dared challenge him. In the past three years, although John Reed’s strength had been stuck at the body-tempering limit, the younger disciples all had their own concerns, and no one challenged him.

It wasn’t until now, after John Reed broke through the limits of the flesh, and everyone was convinced he could never enter the True Qi Realm and was finished for life, that someone finally came to challenge him.

The crowd of onlookers quickly grew, and John Reed and Felix Reed didn’t waste words—they soon started fighting.

“Great Strength Monument-Breaking Palm!”

Felix Reed shouted, circulating the true qi in his body, and struck at John Reed with his palm.

A sharp whistling sound cut through the air.

This Great Strength Monument-Breaking Palm was a mid-tier martial art of the Luo family. When used, it could break monuments and split stones, causing the user’s strength to erupt, instantly increasing by more than fifty percent.

Felix Reed’s own strength was over 5,800 jin, and with this palm strike, the force was at least over 8,000 jin.

“Triple Wave Breaking Force!”

John Reed called out softly in his heart and threw a punch.

As he punched, his strength coursed through his whole body—one wave after another, three surges of power rose in an instant and converged together.

His strength instantly tripled.

With a base strength of over 4,200 jin, tripled, that was more than 12,000 jin.

Bang—

Fist and palm collided with a loud crash.

Over 8,000 jin of force clashed with over 12,000 jin—the result was obvious.

Under the shocked gazes of the crowd, Felix Reed staggered back eight or nine steps and finally couldn’t keep his balance, landing hard on his backside.

The arm that had collided with John Reed’s fist was wracked with piercing pain, making Felix Reed cry out in agony.

Unbelievable—the one who lost was actually Felix Reed!

All the younger disciples were stunned, their gazes at John Reed completely changed.

Chapter 009: The Wrath of Nathaniel Reed

The outcome of the battle was beyond everyone’s expectations.

Felix Reed was one of the outstanding younger disciples, and the martial art he practiced was a mid-tier one. Unless someone had a huge advantage in strength, no one could easily defeat him.

But John Reed’s strength was only a bit over 4,200 jin—compared to Felix Reed, he was at a disadvantage, with a gap of more than 1,600 jin.

So, there was only one possible reason for John Reed’s victory: he must have used an extremely advanced martial art.

The Luo family was the most powerful cultivation clan in Pingyang County, but in Jiangyue City, it was nothing special, let alone in the entire Donglin Prefecture. Therefore, the clan’s martial arts were relatively mediocre, mostly lower and mid-tier, with few high-tier arts and no top-tier ones at all.

Younger disciples generally had to reach the fourth level of the True Qi Realm, “Qi Transformation,” before they could learn high-tier martial arts, so Felix Reed had learned a mid-tier one.

John Reed’s martial art was clearly not learned in the clan, but was directly taught to him by his father, Nathaniel Reed.