Chapter 76: The Grandmaster’s “Way”

At this moment, Lu Ming glanced at Lin Feng and spoke slowly.
“The country invited you here to teach them martial arts, not to bring home a lord to be served. If you refuse to teach, isn’t it only natural for someone else to take your place?”
Lin Feng, hearing Lu Ming dare to contradict him, instantly flew into a rage.
“How dare you! Such arrogance in front of a grandmaster—you truly don’t know your place.”
Seeing the two begin to argue, Sun Zhengde grew anxious, pacing in circles.
After all, both men were formidable: one a bona fide grandmaster, the other a powerhouse who had subdued Yang Jun and the others—if not a grandmaster, then close enough.
With these two at odds, he wouldn’t dare interrupt lightly.
Yang Jun and his comrades, on the other hand, watched the quarrel with odd expressions, gathering to enjoy the spectacle.
They weren’t afraid of trouble—in fact, they welcomed it. To watch a grandmaster and a mysterious powerhouse clash was a rare opportunity. They were eager to see what would happen if the two came to blows.
Lu Ming let out a hearty laugh. “And what’s so impressive about being a grandmaster?”
Lin Feng’s expression grew grave.
“Do you know what happens to those who insult a grandmaster?” Lin Feng said coldly.
Lu Ming looked at him and said unhurriedly, “I don’t consider this an insult. Besides, being a grandmaster really isn’t all that remarkable.”
“In that case, allow me to experience your skills firsthand. Please.”
With that, Lin Feng gestured for Lu Ming to make the first move.
Lu Ming smiled and walked to the center of the training ground.
He was quite interested in testing himself against this arrogant grandmaster.
He had heard that grandmasters all had their own “Dao,” and Lu Ming was curious to learn what this so-called “Dao” truly was.
The onlookers saw the two men squaring off and, excitement written on their faces, quickly backed away to a safe distance.
Lu Ming’s earlier fight with Yang Jun had been ferocious enough; going up against a grandmaster could only be more intense. Anyone caught in the crossfire would be in serious trouble.
Sensing that things were getting out of hand, Sun Zhengde hurried back to his office, grabbed the emergency phone, and dialed.
Two grandmaster-level figures dueling at the base was no small matter—he had to report it immediately.
Meanwhile, on the square, Lu Ming and Lin Feng faced each other, a group of special forces soldiers watching intently from afar, not wanting to miss a single detail. After all, a grandmaster-level duel was not something one witnessed every day.
Lin Feng slowly extended his right hand, from which a biting cold aura of true energy began to emanate. In moments, he had conjured a massive sword of black ice, half a foot wide and five feet long.
With a flick of the black ice sword, Lin Feng said to Lu Ming, “Draw your weapon.”
Lu Ming smiled. A golden glow enveloped his fists as he replied, “These are my weapons.”
“If you wish to die, don’t blame anyone but yourself.”

Seeing Lu Ming dare to act so recklessly before him, using only his bare hands as weapons, Lin Feng was furious. He resolved then and there to sever Lu Ming’s hands.
Anyone bold enough to insult a grandmaster must pay a heavy price.
“I’ll give you three moves, lest others accuse me of bullying the weak.”
Lin Feng stood unmoving, sword in hand, his voice proud and aloof.
Meanwhile, Lu Ming activated his Insightful Eye, carefully observing the flow of Lin Feng’s true energy.
Hearing Lin Feng’s words, Lu Ming chuckled, “Why don’t you go first? Otherwise, people might say I’m bullying an old man.”
“Insolence!”
Unable to tolerate Lu Ming’s repeated provocations, Lin Feng lunged forward, swinging the black ice sword down at Lu Ming’s head. He had no patience left for this sharp-tongued adversary.
As the sword swept down, a bone-chilling cold surged toward Lu Ming.
Lu Ming frowned, the dragon crystal within him spinning as potent magical power rushed to his limbs, resisting the icy force.
By now, Lu Ming had gained a clear understanding of the so-called “Dao.”
This Dao was a unique natural force one had comprehended and could wield.
For instance, Huang Zhen, the half-step grandmaster, had fused with the lake over three days, using the lake’s power in combat.
Lin Feng, it seemed, had mastered the power of ice, enabling him to fight with ice’s elemental strength.
The black ice sword was already above Lu Ming’s head. He dodged to the side, letting the sword pass, and struck at Lin Feng’s chest with a punch.
At the same time, Lu Ming sensed the sword’s formidable power. It radiated a freezing cold that, in attacking, would slow and freeze the opponent’s body.
The effect varied depending on the target.
An ordinary person, upon nearing the black ice sword, would be frozen to death instantly; most skilled fighters would soon find themselves sluggish in its presence, and, if the fight went on, suffer grave damage to their internal organs. It was indeed a fearsome weapon.
But with his magical defenses, Lu Ming was immune to the sword’s icy properties. He felt no discomfort at all.
Lin Feng, seeing Lu Ming able to counterattack so fluidly under the threat of his black ice sword, showed a flash of surprise.
Even innate-level masters would be affected by this sword, falling within three to five moves.
Yet Lu Ming appeared completely unscathed—could he be a grandmaster as well?
Though Lin Feng was suspicious, he refused to believe someone as young as Lu Ming could have reached grandmaster level.
He dodged Lu Ming’s punch, his black ice sword whirling through the air, slicing at Lu Ming again.
Even if Lu Ming was immune to the sword’s cold, that meant little.
As a grandmaster, Lin Feng’s understanding of martial arts was far above ordinary experts. He was confident that his technique alone could leave Lu Ming utterly defeated.
He launched a storm of sword strikes, like falling snowflakes, enveloping Lu Ming. Lin Feng was certain he could cripple Lu Ming’s arms within five moves.

Lu Ming watched the flurry of sword shadows with a faint smile and met them head-on with his fists.
Fist met sword with a ringing clash of metal.
Lin Feng was stunned. His black ice sword, forged from hard-won cold true energy, could slice through metal itself.
Yet Lu Ming was blocking it with his bare flesh. His true energy must be incredibly powerful.
At this point, Lin Feng began to take Lu Ming seriously.
To withstand the black ice sword with mere flesh and blood, and to ignore the sword’s freezing aura, meant that Lu Ming, if not a grandmaster, was close—a half-step grandmaster worthy of real respect.
Lin Feng shed his previous contempt and attacked with all his might, the black ice sword flashing like a rainbow toward Lu Ming.
Noticing Lin Feng’s intensified assault, Lu Ming laughed. “Now that’s more like a grandmaster.”
With that, he unleashed his fists, golden like twin meteors, to counterattack.
Endowed with the strength of a dragon, Lu Ming’s body had undergone immense transformation, acquiring some of a dragon’s attributes.
Even without using his internal power, ordinary blades could not harm him.
Once he activated the dragon’s might, even divine weapons would be hard-pressed to injure him. With both fists shrouded in this power, he clashed with the black ice sword unscathed.
Employing his Insightful Eye, the dragon’s power, and the Priest’s Combat Technique, his abilities grew sharper with every exchange.
Every move Lin Feng made, no matter how swift, was caught and predicted by Lu Ming’s eye, allowing him to anticipate the next strike.
Meanwhile, his mastery of the Priest’s Combat Technique deepened with every iteration, its second consciousness endlessly calculating possibilities.
Though he had only uncovered a fraction of the art’s secrets, it had already elevated his martial skills to new heights.
Even facing a grandmaster—someone with their own unique understanding of power—Lu Ming was not at a disadvantage in the slightest.
The men of Flame Dragon watched, entranced, as the two exchanged blows, their techniques flawless and exquisite.
Their duel was a textbook display.
Lin Feng’s style was elegant yet fierce, alternating between swift and slow, keeping his opponent guessing.
Lu Ming’s technique, meanwhile, was seamless and unpredictable, his strikes flowing like water. He could launch an attack from the most unexpected angle, catching his foe off guard.
The longer Lin Feng fought, the more alarmed he became. He had believed his understanding of martial arts profound, yet every move Lu Ming made rendered him defenseless—were it not for the black ice sword, he might have already lost.
With a sudden flurry of sword strikes, Lin Feng forced Lu Ming back and said, “You are impressive—truly worthy of pride. But it’s time to show you what a true grandmaster can do.”