Chapter Thirty-Two: The Arrival of the True Inheritor

Zhou Yi didn’t believe it either. Whether it was the ferocity of inner strength or the chasm between realms, which was superior? He was about to find out!

...

Time passed swiftly. Since he had already taken the item, Zhou Yi decided not to leave. They would meet eventually, so why make things complicated?

“How should I address you?” Zhou Yi and Song Hai gazed at the large, bald man who suddenly appeared before them and asked gently.

“Ru Chi,” the bald man replied, standing before them with a single hand raised in greeting. His gaze lingered briefly on the Tiger-Head Sabre at their sides, a flicker of recognition in his eyes, before he turned to them.

“The Vajra Monastery!” At the mention of this name, Zhou Yi immediately recalled what the bearded man had said earlier. In that instant, he understood the identity of the bald man before him: a true disciple of the Vajra Monastery.

“Is this what you want?” Zhou Yi took out the wooden box, placed it on the table, and asked.

“Thank you, benefactor.” Ru Chi expressed his gratitude and reached naturally for the box.

Smack!

Song Hai’s hand shot out like lightning, striking Ru Chi’s hand and pushing it aside.

“What does the benefactor mean by this?” Ru Chi’s hand was brushed away, and a dangerous glint appeared in his eyes. A strange aura began to radiate from him.

“So this is the innate realm?” Zhou Yi narrowed his eyes, observing the rhythm that emerged around Ru Chi as his anger grew. It wrapped about him like madness, and Zhou Yi realized this was the true essence he had comprehended—the very intent contained within his martial arts.

“No particular reason.” Song Hai’s expression remained blank as he stared at Ru Chi. “You may take it, but only if you can best the blade in my hand.”

With that, he picked up the Tiger-Head Sabre from his side.

“You wish to challenge a monk?” Ru Chi looked at the earnest Song Hai and felt he ought to laugh. How could someone in the acquired realm possess such boldness? “Are you tired of living?”

Yet Ru Chi did not laugh. Instead, the hint of madness in his aura intensified, and his expression grew more dangerous.

Suddenly, silence fell all around. In an instant, everyone departed, leaving the inn empty.

In the vacant inn, only three remained: Ru Chi, Zhou Yi, and Song Hai.

---

“You must understand, my strikes are heavy. If I am not careful, you may be gravely injured—or dead!” Ru Chi’s face gradually became calm, as if kindly reminding them.

At the same time, his fingers tightened around the golden monk’s staff. The aura of madness spread, growing stronger and enveloping the entire inn. The air seemed to distort and swirl, as if they were in a dream.

With the onset of this madness, Song Hai suddenly felt a formless pressure weighing upon him. It was immense, almost suffocating, as if it could crush him.

“Let’s see!” Before he could dwell on it, his robust inner strength surged instinctively. With a slight tremor, he swept away the pressure that had settled on him. Song Hai’s eyes brightened instantly.

It seemed that the innate realm was not as formidable as he had imagined!

“Hm?” Ru Chi sensed the heavy feedback from his aura of madness. For the first time, a solemn expression appeared in his eyes as he regarded Song Hai with genuine respect. “Such profound inner strength!”

“With that level of inner strength, it’s no wonder you could become a true disciple from the acquired realm!” Along the way, Ru Chi had heard that the Autumn Leaf Ganoderma had fallen to two true disciples of the Mountain Blade Sect. He expected a fierce battle and was excited, but upon arrival, he found neither Zhou Yi nor Song Hai possessed any innate essence. They seemed like mere novices—how could they be true disciples?

Immediately, he assumed it was all rumors. After all, they carried the Tiger-Head Sabre, a symbol reserved only for true disciples of the Mountain Blade Sect. Carrying it meant they must be true disciples.

Yet even so, judging from their strength, he doubted their legitimacy, suspecting they had used some trick.

This belief persisted until his innate essence was dispersed by Song Hai’s instinctive defense. Only then did he truly regard them as worthy adversaries. Such profound inner strength, able to shatter his aura by reflex alone, was already sufficient to qualify as true disciples.

Ordinary practitioners in the acquired realm, under the suppression of innate essence, would be lucky to display one-tenth of their strength—those who could were considered elite, the cream of the acquired realm.

But Song Hai, still in the acquired realm and without even fighting, could disperse innate essence with his inner strength alone. Though he hadn’t used his full power, it was enough to prove his strength!

Judging from the feedback of his essence, Song Hai’s inner strength must have accumulated over at least sixty years; anything less could not have achieved this.

“Sixty years of inner strength—such power is enough to be my opponent!” Ru Chi mused inwardly, looking at Song Hai with newfound gravity. His fingers tightened further around the staff. “I’ll defeat you within thirty moves!”

This strength would be enough against an ordinary innate practitioner, but Ru Chi was hardly ordinary. Strength was sufficient, but not enough to truly match him.

As he spoke, Ru Chi moved his arm, raising his staff. Innate essence surged from his body, and the golden staff darkened with streaks of black. The aura of madness condensed, and a sharp sonic boom echoed through the air.

Boom!

Ru Chi swung his monk’s staff down at Song Hai.

Buzz!

---

The staff hummed softly, like a swarm of bees. Innate essence twined around Song Hai like ropes, binding him and preventing movement. Black madness enveloped him, and waves of crazed intent pierced his mind. The constant ringing in his ears filled Song Hai’s heart with irritation.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Feeling trapped and suffocated, Song Hai’s mood soured. He was about to act, but unexpectedly, his mountain-like inner strength surged furiously through his meridians, as if provoked. Its speed increased instantly, and the sound of crashing waves filled his consciousness.

In a flash, the annoying buzzing was replaced by the roar of waves. The irritation vanished, replaced by a vast sense of grandeur.

Boom!

His inner strength swept forth, shattering the aura of madness that had bound him.

“Die!” Ru Chi, wielding his staff, looked utterly crazed and ferocious. He shouted at Song Hai with a visage more akin to a demon than a monk.

Smack!

Freed from restraint, Song Hai instinctively reached up, his inner strength wrapping his palm as he caught Ru Chi’s staff in his hand!

“Ah!” Ru Chi’s eyes widened in madness. Feeling his staff halted, he did not retreat. Instead, he shouted again, inner strength surging, his robes billowing, waves of force coursing through his arm and into the staff, increasing his power.

Boom!

Song Hai responded easily. He gripped the staff tightly, and a sudden sonic boom echoed. He lifted his gaze to the staff, smiled faintly, and wedged his fingers into its grooves, tightening his hold before giving it a sudden yank.

This innate realm isn’t as formidable as I imagined. In fact, it seems much weaker.

Bang!

Ru Chi felt an irresistible force surge through his staff. With no resistance left, his grip loosened, and the staff flew from his hand!