Earth Spirit Body

The golden true qi surged out of Chen Kong's body, easily crushing Li Sheng's attack. This was the phenomenon of true qi manifestation; Chen Kong had already broken through to the Martial Grandmaster realm! 

The onlookers were astonished by Chen Kong's talent, which was truly awe-inspiring. He had been the top martial arts graduate in the previous year, entering the Inner Court only three years ago. His cultivation level, which had once been on par with Li Sheng's, had now surpassed a major hurdle. 

Within three years, Chen Kong had advanced from a second-rank martial master to the Martial Grandmaster realm, earning him some respect from those who looked upon him. 

It's worth noting that for those lacking sufficient talent, reaching the peak of martial master might be the limit, and breaking through to the Martial Grandmaster realm could be an impossible dream. 

On the Tianhan Continent, more than ninety per cent of martial artists spent their entire lives at the peak of martial master, with little hope of advancing further. 

Chen Kong, however, reached the Martial Grandmaster realm before the age of twenty, a rarity in the history of the Tianxuan Empire. Those few who had achieved this feat without perishing prematurely ultimately became prominent figures in the empire's history. 

To name one, the ruler of the Tianxuan Empire, Her Majesty the Empress, reached the Martial Grandmaster realm before the age of twenty. 

Now, even Mo Qingkuang behind Chen Kong looked somewhat surprised. When Chen Kong erupted with true qi just now, it was as if a towering mountain stood before him. 

The heavy aura was overwhelming and gave off an unshakable feeling. He knew Chen Kong was strong, but he didn't expect him to be this strong! At least for the foreseeable future, he had no chance against Chen Kong. 

"Earth Spirit Body!" Mo Fan's voice echoed from deep within Mo Qingkuang's heart. 

"Earth Spirit Body? Ancestor, what are you talking about?" 

"A person's aptitude is usually divided into four major levels: Heaven, Earth, Unique, and Ordinary. When one is inclined toward a certain attribute, practising techniques related to that attribute becomes more compatible and efficient." 

"The grading of Heaven, Earth, Unique, and Ordinary is based on the degree of emphasis on a particular attribute, with Heaven being the highest and Ordinary the lowest." 

"However, when the emphasis on a certain attribute reaches a certain level, it is called a Spirit Body. A Spirit Body is an existence that surpasses Heaven-grade aptitude, occurring when a martial artist's physique is inclined towards a particular attribute by over ninety per cent." 

"This type of physique is naturally favoured by that attribute, making the efficiency of practising related techniques far surpass that of other martial artists." Mo Fan elaborated on his world's setting for innate talent to Mo Qingkuang in detail. 

As soon as Chen Kong made a move, he sensed it. He had an Earth Spirit Body; the air around him seemed to instantly become heavier with Earth elements, and even the ground provided him with strength. 

"Surpassing the Heavenly grade? Then Chen Kong's talent is even stronger than Lin Yang's?" Mo Qingkuang was amazed. 

He had never heard of the Earth Spirit Body before. In the remote town of Tiannan City, there had never been such a figure. Even after hundreds of years of lost records in the Mo family, there was no mention of such individuals. 

In that place, someone with an Earth-grade aptitude was already quite rare, let alone someone like Lin Yang with a Heavenly-grade aptitude, which was extremely rare throughout history. 

Upon hearing that Chen Kong had an Earth Spirit Body surpassing the Heavenly grade aptitude, how could Mo Qingkuang not be surprised? So, Lin Yang wasn't considered the top-tier talent after all? 

Mo Fan smiled at the comment. "Lin Yang? He will soon have a Fire Spirit Body, perhaps the next time we meet. Or maybe the time after that." In his novel, Lin Yang also experienced certain adventures that transformed his Heavenly-grade aptitude into a Fire Spirit Body, propelling him into the ranks of the continent's top geniuses. 

"Ancestor, can Spirit Bodies be achieved through certain means?" Mo Qingkuang seized the essence of Mo Fan's words at this moment. 

Lin Yang could have a Fire Spirit Body, and Chen Kong was also rumoured to have talent between the Heavenly and Earth grades, but then it seemed that his Earth Spirit Body was also recently achieved through certain means or experiences. 

Mo Fan didn't provide a detailed answer; he simply said, "It's not the time yet. I'll arrange it for you. For now, focus on your cultivation. I've prepared the Hell Training Technique for you." 

Mo Qingkuang was greatly shaken by these words. Since the ancestor said so, there must be a plan. He would follow the ancestor's instructions faithfully, knowing that the Wind Spirit Body was within reach. 

"Yes, I'll obey the ancestor's orders!" 

As for Li Sheng, who was easily defeated by Chen Kong, he stood up with lingering fear. 

"Martial Grandmaster realm? The gap between us is getting wider and wider," he said with a bitter smile, seeming somewhat desolate. As the one who directly endured Chen Kong's true qi, he keenly felt that Chen Kong hadn't even exerted his full strength before he was defeated. 

The two had been the top two in the previous martial arts competition, entering the Inner Court simultaneously, but soon, Chen Kong pulled ahead. A year ago, he could hold out for three moves against Chen Kong, but now, he couldn't even withstand a single move. 

He even felt that Chen Kong's true qi was somewhat different from before, denser and heavier, perhaps because he had experienced new adventures during his half-year mission abroad. 

In the future, it seems that Li Sheng will no longer be able to compete with Chen Kong. 

"If you didn't focus on those trivial matters, you wouldn't be in this situation," Chen Kong calmly stated, unaffected by the astonishment and admiration around him, as if he had done something insignificant. 

As Li Sheng looked into Chen Kong's deep black eyes again, his heart gradually calmed down. He understood the rules of the Inner Court. This time, he acted out of unbearable anger. Otherwise, with his mindset, how could he not understand the consequences of attacking fellow disciples within the Inner Court? 

With a dark expression, Li Sheng glanced at Mo Qingkuang and said coldly, "Someone will deliver the two thousand points to you later. The road is still long. I hope you'll grow stronger, junior brother." 

Mo Qingkuang nodded with a faint smile, "Thank you, senior brother, for your generosity. I am grateful." 

With a snort, Li Sheng left the scene dejectedly. 

At this moment, the reinforcements led by Han Yan and others had just arrived. 

"Who won? Where's Senior Brother Li?" someone asked in confusion. 

Those who were originally at the finish line remained silent, their expressions complex as they watched Li Sheng walk away. 

The new group of disciples from the Inner Court then turned their gaze to Mo Qingkuang, who was now behind Chen Kong, which ultimately rested on the sword in his hand. 

"Gulp," someone swallowed hard. 

At this point, they all knew the final result of the competition. 

Mo Qingkuang won! 

The guy who humiliated the other three times during the race was actually Mo Qingkuang! 

And the person who was left far behind midway through the race and then humiliated multiple times was none other than Li Sheng, who was known throughout the Inner Court as the 'fastest disciple'.

***

stones~~