Chapter 28: Bound to Prevail

Zhen Shan raised his palms to withstand the pressure of the righteous incantation, his feet sinking three inches into the ground instantly.

Meng Yuxi realized only then that the illusory, receding scenery around him had finally come to a halt. Observing his surroundings, he saw he was now atop an unknown mountain peak, with Su City reduced to a mere speck in the distance.

With a sudden *whoosh*, Zhang Tiantai appeared before Meng Yuxi, his palm transforming into a blade as he struck violently at the wrist Zhen Shan held.

Zhen Shan was struck with alarm and quickly pulled back, retreating with a leap. Although Zhang Tiantai’s strike missed, the sheer force of his hand-blade carved a bottomless chasm into the sturdy mountain peak.

"Zhang Tiantai, do you really have to play so rough?" Zhen Shan retreated half a yard, pointing a finger at Zhang Tiantai’s nose.

"Rough? If it weren't for the old ties I have with your mother, I would have squeezed the yolk out of a mere third-rank Spirit-Changing realm egg like you by now," Zhang Tiantai retorted, standing with his hands behind his back.

Zhen Shan flicked his sleeve. The bearded, elegant old gentleman who had been chatting with Meng Yuxi moments ago vanished, replaced by a gaunt, withered old man with eyes flashing like lightning. He looked significantly older than Zhang Tiantai.

If Zhen Shan was this old, how could his mother have had a past with Zhang Tiantai? Could she have been Zhang Tiantai's wet nurse? Meng Yuxi felt his brain overheating, and he was even more stunned by Zhen Shan’s next remark.

"Zhang Tiantai, have some shame, will you? That was a hundred or eighty years ago, and you’re still bringing it up? Are you trying to take advantage of me? If you were capable, why didn't you get with my mother, my father, and then have me? You really have no shame."

As Zhen Shan spoke loudly, Meng Yuxi couldn't help but shake his head and smile bitterly; he felt embarrassed on behalf of both old men.

"Senior, I have indeed already taken Zhang Tiantai as my master. I am afraid I cannot comply with your request to apprentice under you," Meng Yuxi said, bowing deeply.

"Bah! What has that old shameless Zhang Tiantai taught you? I grabbed your hand earlier and realized you don't have a shred of internal energy in you. He’s just letting you go to waste. You should know that although my, Sun Rongshi’s, realm may not reach this old man’s level, I am never stingy with my disciples. I would pass on all my signature skills to you."

Zhen Shan had been a pseudonym stolen by Sun Rongshi, but now he revealed his true name. As he spoke, Sun Rongshi shook his wide black-and-gold sleeves, and as they fell, the gaunt, sharp-eyed old man transformed back into the appearance of an ordinary farmer.

Meng Yuxi’s eyes widened in shock. It wasn't just his face that changed; his entire physique and temperament underwent a massive transformation. Sun Rongshi was quite satisfied with Meng Yuxi’s expression, and with another slight twitch, he reverted to the appearance of the old man from before.

"How about it? What do you think of this masterpiece of mine? You only need to learn thirty percent of it, and without even needing to change your aura—just altering your appearance and physical traits—tell me, is there any place in the Great Li Dynasty you wouldn't be able to come and go from freely?" Sun Rongshi laughed with satisfaction, pleased with his performance and the shock on the young man's face.

"Hah, all these years and you’re still showing off that little trick you learned from his mother. You have the nerve to boast about it?" Zhang Tiantai rolled his eyes in disdain.

"Zhang Tiantai, can you stop bringing her up at every turn? That history between you two is a thing of the past! And what do you mean, 'little trick'? Back outside the Su City government office, you didn't see through me, did you? If an old immortal in the True Martial realm like you couldn't tell, how can you call it a small trick?"

As Sun Rongshi spoke, he curled his fingers into a seal. With a rumble like muffled thunder, the clear sky was suddenly blanketed in dark clouds. With a flick of his finger, a bolt of heavenly lightning struck down, pulverizing the boulders on the peak into dust. He continued to shift his hand seals rapidly, clearly intending to summon more lightning.

Zhang Tiantai simply sneezed, blowing the storm clouds away instantly.

"You!" Sun Rongshi pointed at Zhang Tiantai, furious, looking as though he despised him yet was completely helpless to do anything about it.

Only then did Meng Yuxi realize that Zhang Tiantai’s power had reached an unfathomable level. Yet, he felt a genuine sense of admiration for Sun Rongshi as well; both were otherworldly experts of a caliber he had never seen before.

Meng Yuxi bowed to Sun Rongshi. "Thank you for your generosity, Senior, but may I ask why you are so insistent on taking me as your disciple?"

Sun Rongshi flicked his sleeves at Zhang Tiantai in frustration and replied to Meng Yuxi, "As for disciples, I actually have a few under my tutelage. Though they aren't exactly prodigies, they hold some prestige in the martial arts world..."

"Shi Yiluo begged you to come, didn't he? How many rare treasures did he give you?" Zhang Tiantai cut him off.

Sun Rongshi’s face flushed red instantly; he had indeed been petitioned by Shi Yiluo. When Shi Yiluo had approached him, claiming that Zhang Tiantai had taken on a primary disciple and intended to establish a new sect to create a name for himself, Sun Rongshi—who already despised Zhang Tiantai—thought that if he stole this disciple, Zhang Tiantai would be unable to found his new sect, dealing him a significant blow.

Sun Rongshi’s philosophy was simple: he didn't care if something benefited him, as long as it harmed Zhang Tiantai. After all, Zhang Tiantai was always bringing up his mother, which had infuriated his father so much that he moved far away from Great Li.

However, after meeting Meng Yuxi, he found the boy’s bones to be exceptional. Even more, he remained unmoved by the advances of beautiful women, proving his heart was truly resolute—a perfect match for the requirements of his Five-Thunder Palm technique. He had genuinely developed the desire to take him on as a disciple, though it would be an added bonus to get one over on Zhang Tiantai.

Hearing Zhang Tiantai call him out, Sun Rongshi denied it. "Nonsense! I just recognized his talent, that’s why I wanted to take him on. What does Shi Yiluo have to do with it? Besides, you don't even teach anything; it’s a waste to have such a good disciple."

"Who says I don't teach? I am just about to pass my most prized technique to my primary disciple!"

"Get lost while you still can, or not even your mother’s name will save you!"

Zhang Tiantai couldn't be bothered to waste more breath on Sun Rongshi. If he hadn't arrived in time today, his primary disciple would have been snatched away before he could even prove himself. He waved his hand, and the entire mountain peak began to tremble.

Sun Rongshi waved his palms repeatedly, using shadows of lightning to block the immense true energy released by Zhang Tiantai.

"Meng Yuxi, let me ask you: did that girl in white just say she wanted to test your skills?"

Meng Yuxi thought to himself that she had wanted to test his musical talents, but he replied, "Yes, Senior."

Sun Rongshi chuckled, and his form vanished into thin air, leaving only a voice echoing across the peak: "Remember, if that old scoundrel doesn't teach you, come and apprentice under me. I am much more generous than he is."

Sun Rongshi had already returned to Su City. *This monster in the True Martial realm is truly terrifying,* he thought. *It seems I need to find a cave and cultivate diligently. I must reach the first rank of the Spirit-Changing realm to have any hope of standing up to a True Martial expert.*

But before that, he had to take that girl in white as his disciple. If he did, he would become the master of Meng Yuxi’s master—that old man Zhang Tiantai would be a whole generation beneath him. At the thought of this, Sun Rongshi felt an immense sense of joy and clarity.