War Sovereign Soaring The Heavens Chapter 5: Genius Martial Artist

“What kind of martial skill did Duan Ling Tian just perform?”

“It didn't actually look like a martial skill. It seemed like a basic straight punch, yet he effortlessly evaded Li Xin’s Fierce Tiger Fist, circled to his rear, spun around, and unleashed that strike—all in the blink of an eye... How on earth did he manage that?”

“You must be joking! How could a move that powerful not be a martial skill? With only one punch, Duan Ling Tian shattered Li Xin’s shoulder blade!”

......

The disciples of the Li Family were engaged in a spirited debate, yet none could decipher the secrets of the Collapsing Fist that Duan Ling Tian had utilized.

Though that fist technique appeared basic, its destructive power was truly terrifying.

“Li Xin’s shoulder blade is utterly pulverized. His right arm is ruined!”

After inspecting the wounds, the Fifth Elder sucked in a sharp breath of cold air. A flicker of shock crossed his face as he turned his gaze toward Duan Ling Tian.

A mere martial artist at the first level of the Body Tempering Stage had actually managed to deliver such a devastating blow.

Once he had directed some Li Family disciples to take Li Xin away for medical attention, Li Ting approached Duan Ling Tian, who remained standing there with a composed expression.

In that moment, he felt a strange sensation—it was as if the person before him wasn't a young boy, but a veteran expert of the Martial Dao.

“That technique you just used... what is its name? It lacks the complexity of typical martial skills, yet it strikes with the force of a mountain collapse. For how many years have you practiced it?”

Li Ting’s eyes shimmered as he looked at Duan Ling Tian.

The ordinary disciples couldn't grasp the depth of that move, but he had seen it with perfect clarity.

The strike seemed simplistic, but it actually employed a masterful method of generating power.

The very moment Duan Ling Tian threw his fist, the entirety of his body's strength was concentrated into a single, perfect point.

Achieving such a feat was difficult even with a high grade Yellow Rank martial skill.

No, perhaps even standard Profound Rank martial skills would struggle to match it!

On the Cloud Continent, martial arts were categorized into four ranks, descending from Heaven, Earth, and Profound to Yellow.

Furthermore, each rank was subdivided into three grades: high, middle, and low.

Within the Li Family, aside from the low and middle grade Yellow Rank techniques stored in the Martial Pavilion, there was only a single high grade Yellow Rank martial skill: the Wind Chaser Palm.

Only those who had reached the Core Formation Stage or higher were permitted to practice this skill.

Yet, Li Ting was certain that even if one perfected the Wind Chaser Palm, its power delivery would still pale in comparison to the move he had just witnessed.

“It is called Collapsing Fist,” Duan Ling Tian replied, though he remained silent regarding the duration of his training.

He could hardly admit that he had practiced it for more than a decade.

Collapsing Fist, a component of the Five Elemental Fists from Form and Will Boxing, was essentially a straight punch.

Its execution focused on hiding the buildup of power before launching a sudden, rapid, and violent strike that could pierce through internal organs. It was a technique designed for extreme penetration!

While Collapsing Fist looked easy, it required the coordinated force of the entire body, including the internal organs.

To reach Duan Ling Tian’s level of proficiency, a person would typically need at least ten years of grueling practice.

“Fifth Elder, I shall be heading home. Regarding today's events, I believe you saw who the instigator was. I trust you can testify for me if needed.”

Duan Ling Tian gave Li Ting a brief nod before turning to walk away.

“Collapsing Fist? This boy is truly something else... Li Rou, it seems even you were kept in the dark by your son... He has been hiding his true talent, waiting for the perfect moment!”

Li Ting exhaled deeply, attempting to calm his racing heart.

He realized that the Collapsing Fist was not something that could be mastered overnight. Consequently, he assumed Duan Ling Tian had been biding his time, concealing his true capabilities.

The crowd of Li Family disciples who had gathered to watch the fight began to drift away.

Every one of them now knew that the bone-shattering strike Duan Ling Tian used was the Collapsing Fist!

“How refreshing!”

Once he reached his home, Duan Ling Tian let out a long breath, a faint grin appearing on his youthful face.

This was the first time since his arrival in this world that he had used Form and Will Boxing without holding back!

For a brief moment, he felt as if he had returned to his former life, a life defined by thrill and combat.

Returning to his room, Duan Ling Tian saw that the remaining Seven Treasures Body Tempering Liquid was only sufficient for two more sessions.

“It looks like I'll have to ask mother to purchase more herbs for me.”

As he sat in the tub, he practiced the Nine Dragons War Sovereign Technique while soaking in the medicinal bath. He focused entirely on his cultivation, unaware that his victory over Li Xin had caused a massive stir within the normally quiet Li Family.

“Hey! Did you hear the news? Duan Ling Tian, the Ninth Elder’s son, finished his body tempering and has reached the first level of the Body Tempering Stage!”

“Pah! That's old news. Did you know he didn't just reach the first level? He actually crushed Li Xin in a public duel witnessed by the Fifth Elder; he even ended up crippling Li Xin's arm!”

“Are you serious? Li Xin is already at the second level of the Body Tempering Stage and has even reached the Initial Stage of the low grade Yellow Rank Fierce Tiger Fist. How could he possibly lose to someone like Duan Ling Tian, who is only at the first level?”

“Fierce Tiger Fist was useless! Duan Ling Tian’s Collapsing Fist looks simple, but it has been refined to its purest form... It’s incredibly powerful! Even the Fifth Elder was full of praise for it...”

......

As the rumors spread, the accounts of Duan Ling Tian’s Collapsing Fist grew more fantastic.

Some disciples claimed it was a Profound Rank skill, others insisted it was Earth Rank, and some even went so far as to call it a Heaven Rank martial skill!

Inside a room within a grand courtyard of the Li Family Estate...

The Seventh Elder, Li Kun, stood by the bedside, staring at his son's shattered shoulder. The boy had fallen into an exhausted sleep.

The words of the Grand Elder continued to echo in his mind: “Seventh Elder, if this were a simple fracture, a Grade Nine Gold Injury Pill and some rest would suffice. However, Li Xin’s shoulder blade is completely pulverized... Even if the Patriarch provided a Grade Eight Gold Injury Pill, it wouldn't change the outcome... My deepest sympathies.”

“Duan Ling Tian, I will see you dead... You must die!!”

Li Kun’s eyes flared with pure malice as he ground his teeth together. His fists clenched so tightly that Origin Energy surged out while he let out a low, guttural roar.

“Father, how is my brother?”

At that moment, a frantic voice called out from the doorway as a figure burst into the room.

It was Li Jie, the eldest son of the Seventh Elder and a renowned genius of the Li Family.

By the age of sixteen, he had already reached the fourth level of the Body Tempering Stage and mastered the middle grade Yellow Rank martial skill, Falling Leaf Palm.

In the Li Family, sixteen was the age of adulthood.

Following their coming-of-age ceremony, youths were typically assigned to assist in the family’s various businesses in Fresh Breeze Town; even Li Jie had to fulfill these obligations.

He had raced back the moment he heard his younger brother had been gravely wounded.

Li Kun took a ragged breath and spoke with a voice heavy with grief, “Little Jie... your brother’s right shoulder is ruined... Not even the Grand Elder can fix it.”

“What?!”

Li Jie’s body went rigid, as if he had been struck by lightning.

The Li Family’s Grand Elder was a celebrated Grade Nine Alchemist in Fresh Breeze Town! If he couldn't heal the injury, the implications were devastatingly clear.

“Little Xin...”

Standing by the bed and looking down at the sleeping Li Xin, Li Jie’s eyes burned with a hatred that matched his father's.

Their mother had passed away giving birth to his younger brother. Over the years, he had pampered the boy, always giving him the best food and toys.

Now, with his brother’s shoulder destroyed and his future as a martial artist gone, Li Jie was consumed by fury!

“Father, is it certain that Duan Ling Tian did this?” Li Jie asked, turning to Li Kun.

When he first heard the news, he had felt a wave of disbelief alongside his worry. How could a piece of trash who couldn't even finish body tempering possibly harm his brother so badly?

“It is certain. I spoke with the Fifth Elder. It was Duan Ling Tian! Only three days ago, that loser hadn't even finished his body tempering. Yet today, he has not only reached the first level of the Body Tempering Stage but also crushed your brother. He reportedly used a high-level martial skill known as Collapsing Fist!” Li Kun said through grit teeth.

“First level of Body Tempering Stage; Collapsing Fist, is it?”

Li Jie let out a cold, sharp laugh, his eyes glinting like a venomous snake. “Father, come with me!”

In a serene courtyard.

“Mother, you called for me? Is something wrong?” Duan Ling Tian asked as he stepped out of his room, having finished absorbing the Seven Treasures Body Tempering Liquid. He looked at Li Rou with a slightly sheepish grin.

Li Rou stared at her son, her mind drifting.

She still found the news she had received hard to swallow.

She had thought it would be a major accomplishment just for her son to complete his body tempering and hit the first level. But this boy... after a single visit to the Martial Pavilion, he had crippled the Seventh Elder’s son with an injury that couldn't be healed!

“Collapsing Fist... Tian, don't you think you should tell your mother when you learned a martial skill that even the Fifth Elder finds impressive?”

Li Rou watched Duan Ling Tian with a subtle smile.

“Mother, if I told you that the old man who gave me the medicinal formula also taught me this fist technique, would you believe me?”

Duan Ling Tian offered an awkward smile.

“Tian, you are a man now... If you have secrets you cannot share, I won't press you. Just remember, no matter the time or the trouble, your mother will always stand by you!”

Li Rou sighed softly, her gaze deep and full of emotion.

“Mother.”

Duan Ling Tian felt a surge of emotion, his eyes misting over.

Suddenly, a voice as irritating as a buzzing fly shattered the tender moment. “Ninth Elder, Li Kun requests a meeting!”

“He actually has the nerve to come here?”

Li Rou’s eyes turned cold and sharp.

A moment later, the Seventh Elder, Li Kun, and his eldest son, Li Jie, entered the courtyard, both casting venomous glares at Duan Ling Tian.

“Seventh Elder, I assume you haven't come here specifically to harass my son?” Li Rou stepped forward, placing herself between them and Duan Ling Tian while offering a thin smile.

“Ninth Elder, do not worry... The fight between your son and Li Xin was witnessed by the Fifth Elder. My son being crippled is simply the result of his own lack of skill; he has no one to blame but himself.”

Li Kun took a deep breath, forcing down his boiling anger.

“In that case, why has the Seventh Elder come...?”

Li Rou was surprised by his words.

“Greetings, Ninth Elder,” Li Jie said, stepping forward from his father’s side.

After acknowledging Li Rou, Li Jie’s eyes flashed as he looked toward Duan Ling Tian.

“Ninth Elder, my father is only here to accompany me... I have come to challenge Duan Ling Tian. I’ve heard that his Collapsing Fist is quite remarkable.”

Upon hearing this, Li Rou’s face hardened instantly.

“Li Jie, if I recall correctly, you are a year older than my son and have already reached the fourth level of the Body Tempering Stage. My son is only at the first level... Do you feel no shame in challenging him?” Li Rou said coldly.

“Ninth Elder, Duan Ling Tian is clearly no ordinary first-level martial artist. He defeated my brother with ease, proving his strength is significant!”

Li Jie smiled dismissively, ignoring Li Rou’s growing anger.

Just as Li Rou was about to order them to leave, Duan Ling Tian stepped out from behind her.

“I will accept your challenge, but on one condition!”