Xiao Bao's eyes lit up the moment he heard this.
"Shaking the heavens and uprooting the earth, fist as high as beyond the sky?"
"Your friend must be a master, right!"
Facing Xiao Bao's expectant gaze, Ying Chen shook his head, "No, he's not."
Xiao Bao's eyes instantly dimmed.
But in the next second, he patted his chest, "It doesn't matter. Whether he's a master or not is irrelevant. What's important is that these eight words of his perfectly convey the spirit of a master! Based on this alone, I declare him a master!"
"Can you tell me his name?"
Ying Chen looked at Xiao Bao with some surprise and slowly uttered two words: "Meng Zi."
"Ah? That's really a strange name. But I've noted it down. If I become the kind of master he describes, I will advertise his name to the world, so that everyone knows there was such a person who created such a concept and spirit of fist arts!"
Xiao Bao looked up at the sky, as if the fist intent in his chest had already flowed beyond the heavens, soaring higher than the sky.
Meanwhile, Ying Chen looked at Xiao Bao's tender face, his thoughts inevitably drifting back two thousand years.
Meng Zi.
The son of General Meng Tian.
However, he was merely a concubine's son, with a low status.
Meng Tian, along with his brother Meng Yi, had once enjoyed great favor from the First Emperor, wielding immense power. The Meng clan thus reaped glory and wealth.
Most of the Meng clan's descendants found official positions in the court.
Only Meng Zi was an exception.
His mother was of humble origin, and she passed away early, so Meng Zi was never doted upon since childhood.
He was frequently suppressed by his brothers.
Although Meng Tian was aware of this situation, he did not interfere. Perhaps, in his eyes, Meng Zi's background dictated that he should be treated this way.
Finally, one day, Meng Zi, who had always wanted to escape the Meng family, joined the army.
He followed the army south, sweeping through the remaining forces of the six states.
Ying Chen met Meng Zi around that time.
Back then, Ying Chen held a low opinion of the scrawny youth, assuming he was sent into the army by Meng Tian to gain merits.
It was only after numerous battles that he learned the story of this young man, and that he did not possess the habits of a spoiled brat.
Instead, he possessed a spirit of unwavering progress and fearless bravery.
It was also during that time that Ying Chen learned those eight words from Meng Zi.
Shaking the heavens and uprooting the earth, fist as high as beyond the sky.
This was Meng Zi's understanding of martial arts and his belief.
However, Meng Zi's talent for martial arts was truly ordinary; he struggled to break through even the most basic Human Martial Realm.
Furthermore, it was widely believed at the time that martial arts had a limit. After the Human Martial Realm, one had to switch to practicing auxiliary arts, communing with heaven and earth, and thus ascend to the heavens.
Meng Zi's eight-word belief thus became a source of ridicule among his peers.
But Meng Zi never gave up, constantly muttering, "Fist arts are boundless; surely someone can unleash a punch that changes the winds and clouds, overturns heaven and earth, and shakes the entire universe."
He kept repeating, "Martial arts should not be so low; martial arts should soar beyond the heavens."
While Ying Chen did not agree with Meng Zi's words, he did not mock him either.
He silently waited for the day Meng Zi would personally unleash that "beyond the sky" punch.
What Ying Chen never expected was that this youth, whose belief burned like a flame, would tragically fall in a battle.
In that battle, he advanced step by step, never retreating.
Each punch was higher than the last.
With his own strength, he pierced through the enemy's entire defensive line and infiltrated their sacrificial formation!
Then, to everyone's astonishment, he staged a play of fist arts breaking auxiliary arts!
With his bare fists, he bludgeoned the Grand Priest of the sacrificial formation to death!
Finally, Meng Zi expended all his strength and fell in the enemy camp.
At the moment of his death, his eyes were fixed on the sky, as if he had already witnessed his punch soaring beyond the heavens.
The look in Meng Zi's eyes at that moment was exactly the same as Xiao Bao's eyes now!
The same youth, the same understanding of fist intent, made Ying Chen unable to resist a moment of daze: Could Xiao Bao be Meng Zi's reincarnation?
But in the next second, Ying Chen shook his head and banished this thought from his mind.
Reincarnation was merely a doctrine used by religions to pacify the common people. Reincarnation was not impossible, but it was definitely not for ordinary people.
To achieve reincarnation, top-tier magical artifacts and top-tier cultivation were indispensable.
Even then, the success rate was extremely slim, not a hundred percent.
In Ying Chen's understanding, only his esteemed master possessed such an ability.
Anyone else would be incapable.
Otherwise, the First Emperor would have exhausted all his efforts seeking reincarnation.
Emperors throughout history would have long since reincarnated and turned the history of Long Country into their own family saga.
"Hmph! Idle talk, absurd ramblings!"
"What fist arts soaring beyond the sky, what boundless martial arts, are simply the dreams of fools!"
"No matter how high one cultivates martial arts, they are still human! But when auxiliary arts are cultivated to their limit, they break through human limitations and cease to be human!"
At this moment, the Hidden Dragon Daoist, who had been sitting silently, suddenly spoke.
He was attempting to suppress Xiao Bao's martial arts belief.
The surrounding onlookers nodded in agreement, "Immortal Hidden Dragon speaks wisely. Martial arts ultimately only cultivate the body, and even at its strongest, there is a limit. But auxiliary arts can cultivate the soul and ascend to become immortals. The two are fundamentally not on the same level."
"Children are ignorant and think fists are very powerful. They will know when they grow up that there are many things more powerful than fists in this world."
"It is a universally acknowledged fact that Xuanmen masters in the same realm have combat power that surpasses martial arts masters. The idea of fists being as high as beyond the sky is all nonsense, because fists can never reach beyond the sky. Only Xuanmen auxiliary arts can reach beyond the sky!"
*Swish!*
Xiao Bao's expression changed instantly upon hearing the ridicule.
He seemed to have been psychologically struck.
Meanwhile, Ying Chen patted Xiao Bao's shoulder to comfort him, and then calmly looked at the Hidden Dragon Daoist, "So, when auxiliary arts are cultivated to their highest realm, one is no longer human! Then, if I'm not mistaken, you must not be human, right?"
"..." The Hidden Dragon Daoist's face darkened, and he was speechless for a long time.
Ying Chen's words were too vicious.
If the Hidden Dragon Daoist admitted he wasn't human, he would have endured a scolding for nothing;
If he denied it, it would imply his cultivation realm was insufficient and still lacked some refinement.
Either way was bad, so the Hidden Dragon Daoist could only remain silent.
At this time, Li Fengcheng stepped forward to extricate the Hidden Dragon Daoist, "One might think our duel today is a battle of words, where whoever has the sharper tongue wins."
"If words were useful, why would we cultivate?"
"Therefore, Mr. Ying, please put away your sharp tongue and prepare to fight!"
"Oh, and speaking of the stakes for our duel, have you brought them, Mr. Ying?"
Ying Chen cast a cold glance at Li Fengcheng and suddenly revealed a mocking expression, "I suddenly want to raise the stakes. Mr. Li, are you interested in playing?"
Li Fengcheng froze, then a look of excitement flared in his eyes.
He was certain of victory in this battle and stood to gain without risk.
Ying Chen raising the stakes at this moment was essentially him giving away money!
Only a fool would refuse!
So Li Fengcheng said without hesitation, "Good! What stakes are you proposing?"
Ying Chen held up a finger, "On top of the original wager, I'll double it. I bet your life!"
*Whoosh!*
The entire crowd erupted in an uproar.
Ying Chen intended to add another fifty billion, betting on Li Fengcheng's life?
This was pure rage blinding his eyes, a rash decision!
But they loved such a thrilling spectacle!
Li Fengcheng was also greatly surprised, not expecting Ying Chen to make such a demand.
He didn't answer immediately, but instead questioned Ying Chen, "Then, Mr. Ying, what makes you believe you have the ability to pay an additional fifty billion?"
"You must understand, your current fifty billion was obtained through the formula for the Mirage Realm and a series of debt deductions. I have reason to suspect you are merely making an empty promise and are incapable of producing an additional fifty billion."
Ying Chen chuckled at this.
Then he clapped his hands.
As everyone wondered what Ying Chen was clapping for, two figures appeared on the mountain road in the distance.
One of them was none other than the head of the Hong Kong Fengdun Branch—Director Ming!
Director Ming slowly walked forward, came before Li Fengcheng, and said solemnly, "I can guarantee Mr. Ying's bet."
One sentence shocked the entire crowd.
Everyone looked at Director Ming in disbelief, wondering if he had been possessed or if he had hit his head walking out the door?
Director Ming was actually offering to guarantee Ying Chen's bet?
Why?
On what grounds?
Li Fengcheng frowned and looked at Director Ming, "Director Ming, your unit's involvement in such matters is somewhat against the rules!"
Unexpectedly, Director Ming replied, "It is precisely our unit that should be involved in such matters. Otherwise, wouldn't it appear that we are derelict in our duties? Wouldn't it make us seem useless in the territory of Hong Kong?"
"Then people will say that Hong Kong is actually someone's Hong Kong, not the nation's Hong Kong. Don't you agree, Mr. Li?"
One sentence rendered Li Fengcheng speechless.
Li Fengcheng felt like he had swallowed a fly, disgusted to the point of wanting to vomit, yet he had to pinch his nose and nod, "Yes, yes, Hong Kong is naturally the nation's Hong Kong, no one can deny that."
"Good, that's good. So, Mr. Li, do you accept my guarantee?"
Li Fengcheng cursed inwardly, wondering when Director Ming had gotten involved with Ying Chen.
But it didn't matter. As long as he eliminated Ying Chen, the Fengdun Bureau represented by Director Ming would also suffer, which would be killing two birds with one stone, a double victory.
Perhaps he could even use this opportunity to make the Fengdun Bureau his private unit!
So Li Fengcheng immediately changed his expression and smiled, "I accept, of course, I accept. I must give Director Ming face."
"Then it's settled! Fifty billion, betting on my life, Li Fengcheng!"
"If Immortal Hidden Dragon loses, I, Li Fengcheng, will offer my neck to the blade!"
"If Immortal Hidden Dragon wins, then I will trouble Mr. Ying and Director Ming to pay an additional fifty billion!"
"Let's seal it with a clap! No backing out!"
Li Fengcheng raised his palm.
Director Ming glanced at Ying Chen, then also raised his palm and clapped with Li Fengcheng.
*Slap!*
With a sound, the emotions of everyone present were instantly ignited.
Everyone's eyes burned with intense excitement and anticipation.
Awaiting the formal start of this bet, involving one hundred billion and Li Fengcheng's life!