One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

Chapter 308 Stress Testing

Zhang Chulan and Zhang Lingyu both fell into deep thought. Zhang Chulan thought of his experience on Longhu Mountain, where Nie Lingfeng easily saw through his moves and he was easily crushed by the Old Master; Zhang Lingyu thought of the immense pressure that Zhang Chulan's "Spiral Bone-Piercing Drill" had brought him during their sparring session just now.

"In real battles, especially when dealing with the company's tricky tasks, you can't always fight alone, and you may not always encounter opponents who are good at playing to your strengths," Nie Lingfeng continued. "Therefore, in addition to improving your individual strength, you also need to master another ability—teamwork."

"Cooperation?" Zhang Lingyu frowned slightly. He had cultivated in Longhu Mountain since childhood, emphasizing personal cultivation and fair duels. He was indeed unfamiliar with the concept of "cooperation," at most referring to simple support between fellow disciples.

"Yes, cooperation," Nie Lingfeng affirmed. "Especially the two of you. One yin, one yang; one hard, one soft; one fast, one steady. Your lightning techniques, fundamentally, come from the same lineage, yet are opposite in nature. This is both a contradiction and, perhaps... a perfect complement."

Zhang Chulan's eyes gradually brightened: "Brother Nie, you mean... you want me and Junior Uncle to team up? Like in a game dungeon, the tank holds the line and the DPS deals damage?"

"That's roughly the idea, but not as rigid as it sounds." Nie Lingfeng smiled. "The balance of Yin and Yang, the combination of strength and gentleness. If you can find the right understanding and combine the power of the two types of lightning techniques, you might be able to achieve a result greater than the sum of its parts. At least, you'll have another way to deal with certain difficult opponents."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lingyu's heart stirred slightly. The unity of Yin and Yang, the balance of strength and gentleness… this was an extremely high concept within Taoism. His master had also said that when the Five Thunder Orthodox Method reached its highest level, one should possess both Yin and Yang, with strength and gentleness at one's command. However, due to his inner turmoil, he had never been able to truly cultivate the Yang Five Thunder, let alone achieve the unity of Yin and Yang. But… if he cooperated with Senior Brother Chu Lan, using his Yang Thunder to complement his own Yin, could he… also glimpse a trace of the mysteries of the unity of Yin and Yang? This thought stirred a surge of emotion within him.

"Sounds interesting!" Zhang Chulan perked up, rubbing his hands together eagerly. "Brother Nie, how do we practice? Just the two of us exchanging blows here doesn't seem like we'll develop any teamwork, right?"

"Of course, I'm not asking you to engage in a direct confrontation." Nie Lingfeng's smile deepened, revealing a smile that Zhang Chulan found somewhat familiar, tinged with "malice." "Cooperation needs to be developed under pressure, especially when facing a common and powerful enemy, to be honed more quickly."

Zhang Chulan's heart skipped a beat, a bad feeling creeping over him: "A formidable enemy? Pressure? Brother Nie, you wouldn't be talking about...?"

Nie Lingfeng slowly stood up, stretched his wrists and neck, his joints cracking slightly, and his smile became even more "amiable": "There's no time like the present. I see you two have recovered quite well. Perfect timing, I haven't stretched my muscles in a long time either. How about... I put some pressure on you and help you find your 'coordination'?"

Zhang Chulan: "..." He knew it! (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

Zhang Lingyu: "..." Brother Nie is going to take action personally? His expression instantly turned serious. Although he hadn't fully witnessed Nie Lingfeng's strength, the fact that his master valued him so much and that he could fight against a member of the Ten Elders like Senior Lu Jin meant that his strength was absolutely unfathomable!

Xu Si immediately perked up, scooping up Chen Duo (Chen Duo: ?) who was still struggling to scoop up a slippery meatball with a spoon, and pulling Xiao Yun along with his other hand: "Come on, Duo Duo, Xiao Yun, let's go to the stands! There's going to be a good show! San'er, get the melon seeds and peanuts ready!"

Xu San reluctantly pushed up his glasses, but still got up to prepare. He was also eager to see just how strong Nie Lingfeng had become, and what potential Zhang Chulan and Zhang Lingyu could unleash under pressure.

A moment later, the training ground, which had just been cleaned up and still bore traces of scorch and some cracks, welcomed guests once again.

Nie Lingfeng stood casually in the center of the arena, his hands behind his back. He didn't even adopt any starting stance; he simply stood there. But an invisible yet undeniably real pressure began to emanate from him, instantly putting Zhang Chulan and Zhang Lingyu, who had just stepped into the arena, on edge.

"The rules are simple," Nie Lingfeng said calmly. "You two, use every means possible to attack me or defend against my attacks. If you can last for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, or... touch the hem of my clothes, you win."

"An incense stick's time? Just enough to touch the hem of his clothes?" Zhang Chulan's lips twitched. "Brother Nie, isn't your request a bit... disrespectful?" Although he knew Nie Lingfeng was strong, he and Zhang Lingyu working together couldn't even touch the hem of his clothes? That was too outrageous!

Zhang Lingyu remained silent, but faint black lightning energy began to flow around him. His eyes, sharp as an eagle's, were fixed on Nie Lingfeng. He believed Nie Lingfeng wouldn't speak without reason; if the other party said that, he must have sufficient confidence. This pressure was probably greater than he had imagined.

"Looking down on you?" Nie Lingfeng chuckled. "You'll find out soon enough. Just a heads-up, you'd better go all out from the start, otherwise... you might end up in a sorry state."

Before he could finish speaking, Nie Lingfeng's figure suddenly blurred!

It wasn't just an afterimage left by extreme speed, but a real reflection like a ripple in water, swaying slightly, as if it might disappear at any moment!

"Watch out!" Zhang Lingyu shouted in a low voice. Almost instinctively, black lightning energy spread out beneath his feet like a tide. "Northern Azure Pool!"

A thick, viscous black lightning field instantly expanded from his center, enveloping both him and Zhang Chulan. This lightning field not only slowed down enemies but also allowed him to clearly perceive every subtle change within it!

However, the moment the minefield unfolded, a figure as swift as the wind appeared without warning on Zhang Chulan's left side! Without making a sound or causing any violent fluctuations in Qi, he appeared out of thin air, as if he had always been there!

Nie Lingfeng pointed his fingers like a sword and gently touched Zhang Chulan's Jianjing acupoint. His fingertips carried no trace of fire, yet they sent chills down Zhang Chulan's spine, making him feel a deadly danger!

"Holy crap!" Zhang Chulan yelled, not having time to think, his internal energy instinctively erupted! White lightning exploded instantly!

"Thunder!"

His body shifted half a foot to the right at the last second! However, Nie Lingfeng's fingers seemed to have anticipated his movement, following him like a shadow, still pointing at his shoulder. The speed was not fast, but it carried a mysterious and unavoidable meaning!

Just as his fingertips were about to touch Zhang Chulan's Daoist robe, several viscous black lightning bolts shot up like venomous snakes from the side, coiling towards Nie Lingfeng's arm! It was Zhang Lingyu! Relying on his perception of the Yin Lightning Field, he had predicted Nie Lingfeng's attack trajectory in advance and made a precise intervention!

Nie Lingfeng raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by Zhang Lingyu's swift reaction. He kept the direction of his finger unchanged, only making a small circle.

"Cloud-Dispelling Palm - Cloud Paradise".

The insidious streams of black lightning that had been coiling around him seemed to have crashed into an invisible cloud, their force easily deflected and neutralized, sliding past his arm. But his fingers paused for a moment as a result.

In that instant! Zhang Chulan's Qi surged wildly, pushing his Swift Thunder state to its limit. Lightning flashed beneath his feet, and he sprang backward like a startled rabbit, narrowly avoiding the finger strike!

"Huff...huff..." Zhang Chulan retreated to Zhang Lingyu's side, sweat beading on his forehead. He looked at Nie Lingfeng, who remained standing motionless, still shaken. For a moment, he felt like a frog being targeted by a venomous snake; a moment's hesitation and he would have been dead! Nie Lingfeng's speed wasn't particularly fast, certainly not fast enough for Zhang Chulan in his "Thunderbolt" state to react, but his unpredictable movements and terrifyingly accurate predictions and attacks were utterly despair-inducing!

"Not bad." Nie Lingfeng nodded, seemingly satisfied with their first response. "Lingyu's perception and interference were timely, and Chu Lan's burst of evasion was passable. However..." He changed the subject, "If my finger strike had been a killing move, or if it had been a fraction faster, at least one of you would be down by now."

Zhang Chulan and Zhang Lingyu exchanged a glance, both seeing the seriousness in each other's eyes. They knew that Nie Lingfeng was not exaggerating.

"Don't space out, keep going." Nie Lingfeng's voice rang out again, and his figure disappeared once more!

This time, it wasn't that blurry swaying anymore, but a real disappearance from the spot! It wasn't a rapid movement, but rather as if it had blended into the surrounding environment, its presence becoming almost imperceptible!

"Up there!" Zhang Lingyu looked up abruptly and saw Nie Lingfeng standing upside down on the high ceiling of the training ground as if weightless, pressing down with his palm!

"A gloomy and desolate atmosphere prevails!"

A bone-chilling cold air, accompanied by immense palm force, descended from the sky! It wasn't targeted at any one person, but rather covered a large area where the two were located! The air temperature plummeted, and even the ground began to condense white frost! Under this extremely cold palm force, the flow of Zhang Lingyu's Yin Lightning Field became sluggish!

"Area attack! You can't dodge it!" Zhang Chulan judged instantly and shouted, "Junior Uncle, hold on! I'll break through!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Zhang Lingyu raised his hands, causing the black lightning energy around him to surge wildly, condensing into a deep, swirling black thundercloud above him and Zhang Chulan! "Northern Azure Pool - Heavenly Curtain!"

Zhang Chulan crouched down and slammed his hands onto the ground! Blazing white lightning surged wildly into the ground along his arms!

"Yang Five Thunders - Earth Walk!"

Boom! A blinding white electric python burst forth from the ground around the two of them, not attacking Nie Lingfeng above, but intertwining to form a huge lightning barrier, which, together with Zhang Lingyu's black thundercloud curtain, protected the two of them in the middle! At the same time, the white electric python carried an aura of extreme yang and strength, which to some extent dispelled the bone-chilling cold!

Nie Lingfeng's palm strike crashed down, striking the black and white interwoven defense!

Snap! Boom!

The icy palm strike, the black Yin lightning, and the white Yang lightning—three completely different forces—clashed and annihilated each other! Ice shards and lightning flew together in the training field, and black energy blended with white light! The violent energy turbulence plowed the ground once again.

Zhang Chulan and Zhang Lingyu grunted as they felt an overwhelming force surge through them. The ground beneath their feet cracked inch by inch, and the two of them slid backward uncontrollably. The black and white defensive light barrier also trembled violently, flickering as if it would shatter at any moment!

"Blocked it?" Zhang Chulan was overjoyed. But his joy lasted less than half a second before a cyan figure, like a ghost, pierced through the icy palm strikes and turbulent energy currents. It wasn't fast, but it carried a strange rhythm, as if all the explosions and turbulence had automatically made way for it!

It was Nie Lingfeng! He actually passed right through the energy storm he had created and arrived in front of the two of them! On his right palm, a crystal-clear, icy blue aura swirled, carrying the will to freeze everything, and he lightly patted Zhang Lingyu, who had just regained her footing! His left hand, with fingers pointing like a knife, had a scorching gust of wind gathered on it, carrying a sharpness that could tear everything apart, and he slashed at Zhang Chulan beside him!

Multitasking! Attacking two people simultaneously! And using forces with completely opposite attributes!

"Frost reveals my clumsiness!"

"The wind swept away the building, leaving only ruins!"

Zhang Lingyu's pupils shrank drastically. He only had time to protect himself with the condensed black lightning energy before he was struck in the chest by that icy, bone-chilling palm! In an instant, he felt as if the blood in his entire body was about to freeze, the circulation of the Yin Lightning became extremely slow, and he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. His body was instantly covered with a layer of white frost, and he was sent flying backward!

Zhang Chulan was even more horrified. Before the scorching finger wind even touched his body, he felt a stinging pain on his skin! He let out a strange cry and pushed his Swift Thunder state to its limit, twisting his body into an unbelievable angle, trying to dodge. But the finger wind was like a leech, blocking all his escape routes!

"Golden Light Mantra!" In his haste, Zhang Chulan only had time to cover his body with a thin layer of golden light.

scoff!

The golden light was torn apart as if it were paper. Zhang Chulan's shoulder was grazed by the wind from the finger, and a deep, bone-revealing bloodstain appeared, with blood spurting out! He was also sent flying by the enormous force, crashing into the wall of the training ground with a dull thud.