Chapter 133: Chapter 104: Innate, Nothing More Than This

He was sizing up the short figure in the air with a mirthless smile.

"Squad Leader... Your subordinate... your subordinate has failed..."

Dangling from Yu Qiantong’s grasp, Li Qianlang felt the man’s unconcealed Innate pressure and trembled all over, struggling to apologize for his failure.

Yu Qiantong glanced at him, his eyes cold. He casually tossed him back onto the deck of the pirate ship like a piece of trash, then turned his gaze to the Yang Family’s merchant ship, finally locking onto Chen Sheng.

His lips peeled back into a cruel, twisted smile. His voice was hoarse as he spoke:

"Chen... Sheng..."

In all fairness, Yu Qiantong had not actually wanted to intervene personally.

If he could have subdued Chen Sheng without a fight, or if both sides had simply minded their own business, that would have been the best course of action.

But alas, the man didn’t know what was good for him and had brazenly struck down one of his men.

In that case, he would just have to completely eliminate this destabilizing factor.

"Innate..."

At the same time, Chen Sheng rose slowly, deliberately suppressing his own aura. He stepped onto the deck, his tread steady, the Cold-Intimidating Blade in his hand.

He looked up at Yu Qiantong in the air, a mixture of shock and gravity appearing on his face at just the right moment. The performance was flawless.

"Well now, boy. You see me here, and not only do you not flee, you dare to face me? Truly... the height of arrogance."

Yu Qiantong looked down on Chen Sheng from above, his Innate True Qi surging around him. A cyan brilliance grew ever more intense as his oppressive might continued to climb, attempting to crush his opponent with the sheer weight of his realm.

"Commander Chen, you must live to fight another day! The Yang Family is willing to fight to the death to cover your retreat."

Yang Yi’s eyes looked ready to split from their sockets as he roared through gritted teeth.

At that moment, he had resolved to sacrifice himself to save Chen Sheng. He knew deep down that if Chen Sheng survived, the Yang Family still had hope of revival; but if Chen Sheng fell here today, the Yang Family would be doomed beyond recovery.

"There’s no need."

Chen Sheng’s voice was calm, yet it carried an unquestionable resolve:

"I, too, would like to test for myself... just how capable this Innate Powerhouse truly is."

Beside them, Xu Shenzhi saw this and bit his tongue hard, using the sharp pain to suppress the laughter that almost burst from his lips.

He finally understood. Commander Chen clearly had a scheme within a scheme.

The enemy had tried to bait him out, but little did they know, Commander Chen was also waiting for them to take the bait.

Yan Ming, Li Huai Sheng, and the others also understood implicitly. They all lowered their gazes and clenched their fists, forcing back their laughter.

"Commander Chen, you mustn’t!"

Seeing this, Yang Yi broke out in a cold sweat. He knew better than anyone the sheer size of the gulf between the Innate and Foundation Establishment realms; it was not a gap that could be easily overcome.

"Arrogant whelp! Since you’re so determined to die, I’ll let you experience firsthand what the might of an Innate truly is!"

Chen Sheng’s posturing, as if he were an ignorant fool attempting to challenge a superior, had thoroughly infuriated Yu Qiantong.

’A mere Foundation Establishment Martial Master dares to be so audacious in my presence?’

Even in the Prefecture City, a place teeming with hidden masters, he had never heard of any Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator actually managing to defeat an Innate. With that, his killing intent surged, and he hesitated no longer.

In an instant, Yu Qiantong moved.

His figure flickered, instantly becoming a blurry, cyan afterimage. His speed was so extreme it was nearly impossible for the naked eye to follow. Surging Innate True Qi gathered in his palm, letting out a sharp screech as it tore through the air, aimed directly at Chen Sheng on the deck.

He was absolutely certain this strike would land, determined to kill this reckless fool with a single blow.

Yang Yi was terrified out of his wits and instinctively moved to draw his blade and intercept the attack.

However, what happened next made his eyes fly wide open, as if he had just witnessed something utterly unbelievable.

Faced with the Innate Powerhouse’s earth-shattering, fatal strike, Chen Sheng did not retreat or dodge. Instead, he took a step forward to meet it head-on.

Even more shockingly, in the instant before Yu Qiantong’s Palm Force struck him, a phantom Golden Bell—ancient, heavy, and shimmering with golden light—materialized from nothing, steadily enveloping Chen Sheng.

DONG—!!!

Yu Qiantong’s killing blow, powerful enough to shatter stone tablets, slammed solidly into the Golden Bell True Qi.

The scene he had envisioned—of Chen Sheng’s bones breaking and tendons snapping—did not occur. Instead, a massive sound, like the tolling of a great bell, erupted. The sound waves spread out as if they were tangible, rattling the qi and blood of everyone nearby and leaving their ears ringing.

Yu Qiantong, who bore the brunt of it, was stopped in his tracks by the sudden rebound force and the immense tolling of the bell. His qi and blood recoiled, his vision went black, and his ears were filled with nothing but incessant ringing.

’This is bad, he’s also an Innate!!’

A horrifying thought flashed through Yu Qiantong’s mind like a bolt of lightning.

This incredibly solid Protective Golden Bell was clearly formed from pure Innate True Qi.

’He was hiding his true strength all along!’

Acting almost on pure instinct, Yu Qiantong didn’t even think. He immediately suppressed his churning qi and blood and retreated explosively, trying to open up some distance.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

In that split second, while the Golden Bell boomed and Yu Qiantong’s mind was shaken, Chen Sheng moved.

The Innate True Qi within him—suppressed for so long, as vast as the sea—erupted like a dormant volcano, converging entirely upon his fist.

He threw a punch. It was simple and direct, yet it contained a terrifying power capable of shattering mountains and splitting stone.

Where his fist passed, the very air seemed to crackle and pop, as if unable to bear the strain.

BOOM—!!!

Before this long-premeditated, thunderous strike, the Protective True Qi that Yu Qiantong had hastily summoned was as fragile as paper. It was instantly shattered to pieces.

The ferocious Fist Force penetrated his body. He felt as if his internal organs had been smashed by a giant hammer. He couldn’t stop himself from spitting another mouthful of blood as his entire body was thrown backward, like a projectile launched from a catapult.