He Shaojie's eyes revealed a strong disdain for the bald man with a scar and his associates. Li Chonglou took the opportunity to secretly probe He Shaojie's strength and quickly reached a conclusion.
"So that's how it is. Stuck at that stage and wanting to break through in combat?"
Li Chonglou shook his head, wasted no words, and with a move, disappeared from his original position.
He Shaojie's eyes flashed with sharp light, and he shouted, "Good!" then, mirroring Li Chonglou, he moved to meet him.
However, his speed, in Li Chonglou's eyes, could only be described as slow.
As the two were about to collide, Li Chonglou suddenly accelerated. His footwork shifted, and he was already behind He Shaojie. He Shaojie's pupils contracted sharply, and he instinctively raised his arm to block.
A powerful force instantly coursed through his arm. He Shaojie, unwilling to yield, planted his feet firmly, intending to withstand Li Chonglou's strike head-on. But in the next second, his expression changed drastically.
"Impossible!"
The force transmitted through his arm instantly overwhelmed all his strength like a destructive force. He Shaojie felt as if he had been hit by a large truck, his body completely out of control as he was sent flying backward.
"You think you can challenge me with just this strength?"
Before He Shaojie could stabilize himself, Li Chonglou's voice reached him again, and it was right next to his ear!
"Bastard, don't underestimate me!"
With a strange cry, He Shaojie channeled a hidden strength from somewhere, stabilizing his body. He then punched backward ferociously. This time, Li Chonglou did not evade but chose to throw a punch of his own.
In the next moment, their fists met. However, what happened was not the expected head-on clash. A glint of triumph flashed in He Shaojie's eyes. At the moment of contact, he diffused the force, sidestepped, and used the momentum to fiercely strike Li Chonglou's face with his right elbow.
Li Chonglou raised his palm to block. He Shaojie's right knee followed, and Li Chonglou blocked it with his knee as well. Seizing the opportunity, He Shaojie immediately unleashed a barrage of techniques like a sudden storm, his fists raining down on Li Chonglou.
Li Chonglou remained unhurried, parrying each move as it came. Simultaneously, his Heavenly Eye's clairvoyance activated again, meticulously observing He Shaojie's methods of channeling qi.
He discovered something unusual. With He Shaojie's current realm, he shouldn't be able to string together so many techniques, each one lethal and with a clear origin.
After all, the techniques of some moves required coordination with breathing and qi circulation. For instance, after using a fist, one would typically follow up with a palm strike or an elbow strike to generate sufficient power. Yet, He Shaojie transitioned from fist to fist, palm to palm. The crucial point was that his power not only didn't diminish but actually increased, completely defying logic.
Therefore, Li Chonglou deduced that it was highly likely a unique method of channeling qi that allowed him to exhibit strength far exceeding his realm.
As expected, Li Chonglou soon uncovered the true secret.
"So that's how it is. It's by borrowing the power of the life-acupuncture points to stimulate potential, enabling such bursts of strength in a short period."
Upon understanding, Li Chonglou couldn't help but sigh and say, "You can be considered a genius. It's a pity you've gone astray."
Hearing this, He Shaojie's expression changed dramatically. He couldn't comprehend how anyone in this world could withstand his entire sequence of attacks unharmed. Even his master would have had to temporarily avoid his sharp edge at this point.
Just then, Li Chonglou suddenly grabbed He Shaojie's hands. He Shaojie instantly felt his arms locked as if in shackles, rendering him immobile.
"You wanted to break through, didn't you? Let me give you a hand."
As Li Chonglou spoke, his other hand reached towards He Shaojie's Dantian. The middle-aged man watching from not far away suddenly changed color and cried out, "Stop! You mustn't!"
He Shaojie also sensed the danger and tried to break free, only to realize the immense strength Li Chonglou possessed. Despite all his efforts, he remained completely unable to move!
It was worth noting that Li Chonglou was only using one hand to grip both of his wrists.
Thus, the two watched helplessly as Li Chonglou's other hand landed on He Shaojie's Dantian.
As the person directly involved, He Shaojie felt no pain. Instead, he felt a warm current instantly surge through his bottleneck, like the opening of a reservoir dam. Endless power erupted and flowed towards his entire body.
He Shaojie froze. Was he truly helping him break through?
The middle-aged man nearby, however, looked furious and cursed at Li Chonglou, "Damn you, I'll make sure you have no place to be buried today!"
With that, the middle-aged man charged rapidly towards Li Chonglou. Li Chonglou released He Shaojie, who was still in a daze, and prepared to make a move. But he saw the middle-aged man suddenly pull out a packet of mysterious powder from his embrace.
A smug smile appeared on the middle-aged man's face. He flung the powder fiercely, and the air was immediately filled with a layer of yellow dust. The middle-aged man then closed the distance, brazenly attacking Li Chonglou's heart.
However, in the next instant, a large hand firmly gripped his neck.
The middle-aged man's eyes widened in disbelief, "Impossible, how can you still use your strength?"
Li Chonglou calmly replied, "Did you think I wouldn't know about the tricks you set up in the elevator?"
The middle-aged man suddenly realized, despair dawning on his face.
"Wicked ways, don't ever learn them in your next life!"
Just as Li Chonglou was about to exert pressure, the middle-aged man suddenly spat out black blood and slumped to the side, dead.
Clearly, he had a poison concealed in his mouth for instant consumption.
Seeing this, Li Chonglou casually tossed the corpse aside. He had no interest in the man's origins; his displayed strength was merely that of a frog in a well.
As for He Shaojie, Li Chonglou no longer paid him any mind. The middle-aged man's intentions were anything but good, and the techniques he taught were also unorthodox. If He Shaojie hadn't broken through, it would have been fine. But now that he had, all the accumulated flaws would be exposed.
He would either die or be crippled.
He Shaojie soon realized this as well, for his body at that moment felt like a porous container, unable to retain any of the internal power, his strength rapidly dissipating.
Li Chonglou took out his phone and snapped a photo of the middle-aged man, then turned and left.
He Shaojie, with his complex, shifting expression, spoke, "Why didn't you kill me?"
Li Chonglou did not turn back. He replied calmly, "Your temperament is merely influenced by your cultivation method, and I also promised your butler that I would spare your life."
"However, whether you can survive or not, that depends on fate."
After speaking, Li Chonglou left the rooftop, leaving behind a regretful He Shaojie kneeling there.
Li Chonglou finally understood what was going on. It was clear that the middle-aged man was sent by Lu Weishen to deal with him, and He Shaojie was merely a pawn to be used.
That was why Li Chonglou had taken a photo of the middle-aged man's corpse and sent it to Lu Weishen's phone through a third party.
After completing these actions, Li Chonglou returned to his car and called Ying Yuan again.
"Inform Lu Weishen that the second half of the confrontation will take place in three days."