"Guessed?"
Chen An's response left Liu Sheng in astonishment.
This was quite unusual.
After calculating and preparing for so long to leave Shengjing, they were still blocked by someone.
Even more extraordinary was that the person who blocked them had guessed.
One word, incredible.
"If there is the sound of reading in the embassy, I know there must be a problem without going to see."
Chen An glanced at him, looking somewhat speechless, "Among this group of people, besides Mr. Liu, does anyone else look like they would read?"
Staying up at midnight, still reading, it certainly seemed suspicious.
Especially considering this group of Song envoys were mostly warriors, it didn't seem like any of them were scholars.
And they were even emitting obvious reading sounds.
Chen An didn't even need to go over, just by listening to the description, he knew it was all for show.
"Since there is no news from the South Gate, I might as well assume that they have encountered problems."
Chen An continued.
"Even so, there are three gates in the south of Shengjing."
Liu Sheng still doubted, "Are you so sure that I took this route?"
"So I did say that."
Chen An glanced at him, "I purely guessed, it's just that my luck seems to be good, and I hit the mark."
Things happened so quickly, and by slowly strolling around for clues, it was already too late to determine their true position.
By the time you really figured it out, they would have long gone far away.
There was no other way.
Chen An was not a famous detective who could accurately determine the position of Liu Sheng and others from some clues, so he could only guess.
As for what to do if he guessed wrong?
Come on, recognize your position.
You are just an ordinary worker, not the omnipotent Zhuge Liang.
Being an ordinary worker, if Chen An could avoid being tricky, it would be good enough. Do you still expect him to be able to handle everything?
Even Zhuge Liang did not succeed in the Northern Expedition and reclaiming the Central Plains, what skills and abilities does Chen An have?
So just try your best, it's good if the guess is correct, if not, it's just wrong.
After all, Cheng Zheng won't do anything to him because of this little thing.
That's just how Chen An is.
If it were someone else, in order to ensure their favor in front of the emperor and establish their first contribution, they would play some tricks.
But the result of these tricks is often counterproductive.
Understanding Chen An's general idea, Liu Sheng did not underestimate him because of his rough approach, but rather admired him more, sighing, "You defeated Chen Hua and inherited the title of the new Duke of Chen, indeed has an astonishing courage."
Most people would think that Chen An was just lucky, but Liu Sheng obviously didn't see it that way.
To be able to make a decisive judgment in such a situation, chase them decisively, may seem simple, but actually requires a lot of decisiveness.
If there was a little hesitation in the heart, a delay of a moment, the situation would have been different immediately.
By then, not only would he not catch up with them, but he would not even have the qualification to follow them.
Although Chen An's on-the-spot decision-making may not be the best, it was still a good choice.
After all, there were only three roads, a one-third probability, and with good luck, you could always bump into them.
"Speaking of it, since coming to Dahuah, I have been quite admiring of the Duke of Chen. If there is a chance, I really want to invite the Duke of Chen to visit our Dahuah and tour the scenery of our Dahuah together."
Liu Sheng sincerely said, "I thought that this time leaving, it would probably take many years to see the Duke of Chen again, but I didn't expect to see you so soon."
"To be honest, I didn't expect it at all."
Chen An said candidly.
This was the truth.
If he had known the current situation, he might as well have gotten drunk with Liu Chu and others at the previous banquet.
That way, he could have avoided taking on this difficult task.
Unfortunately, it was too late to regret now.
"As for the scenery, the Xuanbing Cave in Song State is quite good, if there is a chance, I really want to visit it."
Thinking of something, Chen An continued, the Xuanbing Cave, this is a treasure controlled by the Song State, most suitable for practicing Yin attribute techniques, which is very suitable for Chen An.
He still had a treasure bead on him, which needed to absorb the spiritual energy from the blessed land to transform and source power, so naturally he was interested in this treasure.
"Now is the perfect opportunity."
Liu Sheng smiled and said, "Since the Duke of Chen is interested, why not accompany me to the Song State, where I'm sure the Emperor of the Song State will treat you with great respect, and even granting you the title of king is not out of the question."
"Merely a Xuanbing Cave, even if the Duke of Chen wants to stay there, what's wrong with that?"
You actually want to recruit me? Chen An looked at Liu Sheng in astonishment, seemingly completely unexpected that the other party would have such thoughts.
Do I look very easy to win over?
"Your Royal Highness Tai, he is in the carriage right now."
Apparently feeling that his previous words were too weak, Liu Sheng quickly added, "I heard that the Duke of Chen and Your Royal Highness Tai also had a connection in the past. If it weren't for the Fourth Princess at that time, you almost became a counselor to Your Royal Highness Tai."
"And now, meeting again, isn't it fate?"
"Yes."
In the carriage, Cheng Ming's voice also came out.
He walked out of the carriage, his face a bit tired, but still looked confident, as if he was still the Second Prince who held great power in the past.
"Chang'an, my younger brother is ruthless in his actions, and everyone can see what he has done. Sooner or later, he will incite a rebellion and will not last long."
The Crown Prince opened, trying to persuade, "Chang'an, following him is just a waste of your talents, why not follow the King, and when the King ascends the throne in the future, he will surely treat you as a brother, even granting you the title of king."
Chen An fell silent gradually.
He looked at the present Tai Wang, who, despite just escaping from prison, still felt good about himself, couldn't help but sigh.
What gives you all this confidence?
It was not easy for me to help Cheng Zheng ascend to the throne, get a high position, why would I give up all of that to join you all!
Do I look like a fool?
He sighed and couldn't help but speak, interrupting Tai's speech, "Your Royal Highness Tai, there is no need to mention the recruitment talk again."
"If you could have said this when we first met, I might have considered joining you."
"But saying this today, isn't it a bit too late?"
He smiled, "Do you know, after I walked out of your mansion that day, I had an idea."
"What?"
Cheng Ming subconsciously asked.
"When the time comes, if there is an opportunity, I will hang you on the door of my house and leave you hanging for an hour."
Chen An spoke lightly, "Although I am humble, I still have some dignity."
"Your Royal Highness Tai, if you were so indifferent back then, I might have been willing to join you."
"But saying this today, you are not worthy."
"You!"
As the words fell, Cheng Ming suddenly became furious, his face showing anger.
On the side, Liu Sheng couldn't help but frown, seeming to understand what was going on.
He was somewhat disappointed.
Cheng Ming was known as a wise prince in Dahuah, and had been friends with many people.
He originally thought that in recruiting Chen An, he could play a role in the matter.
But it seemed that it was having the opposite effect.
He was a bit helpless about this and could only wave his hand.
With his action, Zhao Jun and Qin Wan and the others seemed to receive instructions and directly rushed towards Chen An.
The sound of weapons being drawn rang out, clear enough to be heard everywhere.
Looking at the tall figures of Zhao Jun and the others, Cheng Ming's anger gradually subsided.
"With the talented people of the Song State taking action, this bold bandit who dared to come here will be taken down in a moment."
Cheng Ming looked at Liu Sheng beside him and smiled, then spoke, "I wonder if later I can hand over this bandit to you for disposal."
He didn't know the specific situation of Chen An.
Before he was imprisoned, he had only received information from the past.
Therefore, in his impression, Chen An was still the internal energy practitioner from the past, just at the peak of internal energy.
It had only been over half a year since then, even if he had made progress, at most he was now at the peak of internal energy, it couldn't compare to Zhao Jun and others from the Song state teaming up.
"Your Highness."
Liu Sheng sighed and felt a bit disappointed, and his opinion of the present Tai Wang was even lower.
But considering the two sides were still partners, and the other side still had some usefulness, he patiently explained, "It's probably not that simple."
Boom!
A deafening sound erupted, rushing out from there.
Being in front, the abundant astral energy turned into frost, spreading out directly, turning everything into ice and snow.
There was no hesitation, in just a moment, Zhao Jun and the others were directly thrown out, completely incapable of resistance.
That so-called peak of internal energy was nothing compared to real astral energy.
"Kang Kang Qi," Cheng Ming was left dumbfounded.
At this point, Liu Sheng didn't need to explain further.
Being a prince of Dahuah, Cheng Ming was well aware of the situation at hand.
The overwhelming astral energy swirling in the sky had already confirmed Chen An's identity.
He was a true Kang Qi practitioner.
In this moment, Cheng Ming's emotions were exceptionally complex, a mix of anger, disbelief, regret, and shame surged within him.
Especially when he recalled Chen An's earlier words, he felt a sense of impending doom as he looked at Liu Sheng and the others next to him.
As the story of him and Chen An spread in the future, he was afraid that as the Tai Wang, he would immediately be ridiculed and shamed by many for not recognizing the true potential of a Kang Qi practitioner standing before him, especially since he had arrogantly pushed him away, leading the Kang Qi practitioner to seek refuge with his own younger brother, costing him the position of the emperor.
In this moment, Cheng Ming thought of many similar stories he had read before.
Considering himself a wise king, he had once ridiculed the protagonists of many stories, thinking that if he were in their shoes, things would not have come to this.
But now, the clown was himself?
The thought evoked a mix of shame and anger in him.
But it was too late to think about these things now.
Because in front of him, a long knife was already surging with powerful astral energy, coming down forcefully.
Thump!
The silver long knife fell, cutting through the air with a sharp sound.
With astral energy brewing within, about to erupt.
If the knife were to come down, not to mention Cheng Ming himself, the entire carriage would likely be shattered and reduced to rubble, with no other possibility.
"No!"
Cheng Ming's eyes widened, filled with fear.
But Chen An was not complacent at all.
Because compared to Cheng Ming, Liu Sheng remained calm on the side.
Not just him, even Zhao Jun and Qin Wan, who had been thrown out earlier, though bloodied and with grim faces, maintained basic composure and showed no signs of panic.
Were they not afraid of death?
Obviously not.
Chen An sternly focused, speeding up the descent of the long knife.
In his line of sight, the long knife fell.
Boom!
A thunderous roar erupted in mid-air, the powerful collision spreading outward, bursting this section of the road.
A figure emerged from behind the carriage.
The middle-aged man was dressed in a purple robe, had long beard, around forty years old, in the prime of his life.
He wielded two short knives as he walked towards Chen An, his gaze solemn.
"Yang Lao!"
Seeing the elderly man finally make a move, Zhao Jun and the others immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Evidently, he was also a Kang Qi practitioner.
"Although I would like to have a chat with the Duke of Chen, it seems one time is not possible," Liu Sheng said with a smile. "Duke of Chen, you are a young genius, already dominating the world at a young age, advancing in Kang Qi. But the loyalty and bravery of our Song State's warriors are equally formidable."
"Old Yang has fought many battles in his lifetime and has never been defeated."
"With him as your opponent, you must be careful."
In reality, it didn't need to be said.
At the moment the opponent appeared, Chen An had already realized the opponent's strength.
Kang Qi practitioners could easily sense the strength of each other's astral energy.
In Chen An's perception, the middle-aged man's astral energy was nearly the strongest.
Even the former Duke of Chen, Chen Hua, whom he had fought before, was not a match for the middle-aged man before him.
A formidable opponent!
Meanwhile, the sound of the carriage gradually faded away.
Amid Liu Sheng's faint smile, the carriage slowly departed and moved forward.
Including Zhao Jun and the others, they also left together.
However, Chen An made no moves.
Or rather, there was no use in making any moves.
The man's astral energy was far superior to his own.
With the opponent prepared, it would be almost impossible for him to outmaneuver him and leave Liu Sheng and the others behind.
Since it was destined to be futile, there was no need to waste effort.
"I never expected that your country would value the Tai Wang so much, not only putting in so much effort, but even having Loyalty and Valor Ho himself come," Chen An said, looking at Old Yang.
"I never thought that within Dahuah, there would be such a young talent like you," Old Yang sighed. "Your prowess is unmatched, a sight I've never seen before."
"And now you have," Chen An stated plainly.
"Yes," Old Yang nodded. "I had fought against your grandfather before. The power of the Chen family's martial arts is extraordinary."
"I wonder what your grandson will be like."
"You won't be disappointed," Chen An suddenly smiled. "He was the one I defeated."
"Huh?" Old Yang was taken aback instantly.
In the next moment, Chen An made his move.
The long knife fell, reinforced with terrifying astral energy, exuding a sense of destructive power that could cut through everything in its path.
Various mysteries of swordsmanship were integrated into this strike, erupting into a terrifying blow.
Moon Howl!
Boom!
As the long knife fell, the area within a few square meters around them was affected.
Ice crystals formed out of thin air, spreading in all directions.
But soon, a new astral energy emerged out of thin air, breaking the ice crystals that were spreading out.
Silently, the two completely different astral energies clashed for a long time.
And this invisible clash affected the surroundings.
Any tree taller than half a person's height, immediately snapped when hit by the impact.
Clumps of flowers and grass froze, then shattered.
The destruction was clean and thorough, making it difficult for people to look directly at it.
"It seems that you are not practicing the Chen family's martial arts, but rather a technique called Xuanbing Force from the royal family of my Song State," Yang Lao frowned and spoke during the brief clash with Chen An.
Through the clash of astral energies, they could clearly feel the specific details of each other's astral energy.
Chen An's astral energy was icy cold, capable of freezing on contact, exuding an aura of freezing everything, which was terrifying.
In contrast, Yang Lao's astral energy was formless and invisible, with an extremely strong attacking characteristic, making even Chen An feel a sense of trepidation due to its piercing power.
"Xuanbing Force is a martial art of the Song State's royal family?" Chen An paused, frowning at the words.
It was the first time he had heard of this.
"Among the various nations, almost all martial arts with a cold Yin attribute originate from my Song State," explained Yang Lao. "And the Xuanbing Force was actually created by the founder of my Song State, in the Xuanbing Cave, and can directly connect to the innate."
"However, later on, the Dahuah founder suddenly emerged, reigning with an iron fist."
"At that time, the founder of my Song State had already passed away, and the entire country had no one who could match the founder of Dahuah. We had no choice but to submit and present the original Xuanbing Force."
It suddenly dawned on Chen An.
The Xuanbing Force he was currently practicing was actually taken from the royal family of the Dahuah founder.
Probably many of the innate martial arts that the Dahuah royal family possessed were obtained in the same way.
The genuine innate martial art created by the Dahuah founder was only in the possession of the Dahuah royal family.
"Although the Dahuah royal family has the original Xuanbing Force, it is not complete."
Seeing Chen An's realization, Yang Lao continued to explain, "Initially, although my Song State had no choice but to submit, we deliberately destroyed the last part of the content of the original Xuanbing Force, to prevent its spread and loss."
"You have exceptional talents, and in your life so far, you have not been seen before. If you truly want to walk the path of martial arts to the end, I have to recommend my Song State."
"I can vouch for you, not only to obtain the complete Xuanbing Force, but also to enter the Xuanbing Cave and witness the original creation of the founder of my Song State. How does that sound?"
"Guessed?"
Chen An's response left Liu Sheng in astonishment.
This was quite unusual.
After calculating and preparing for so long to leave Shengjing, they were still blocked by someone.
Even more extraordinary was that the person who blocked them had guessed.
One word, incredible.
"If there is the sound of reading in the embassy, I know there must be a problem without going to see."
Chen An glanced at him, looking somewhat speechless, "Among this group of people, besides Mr. Liu, does anyone else look like they would read?"
Staying up at midnight, still reading, it certainly seemed suspicious.
Especially considering this group of Song envoys were mostly warriors, it didn't seem like any of them were scholars.
And they were even emitting obvious reading sounds.
Chen An didn't even need to go over, just by listening to the description, he knew it was all for show.
"Since there is no news from the South Gate, I might as well assume that they have encountered problems."
Chen An continued.
"Even so, there are three gates in the south of Shengjing."
Liu Sheng still doubted, "Are you so sure that I took this route?"
"So I did say that."
Chen An glanced at him, "I purely guessed, it's just that my luck seems to be good, and I hit the mark."
Things happened so quickly, and by slowly strolling around for clues, it was already too late to determine their true position.
By the time you really figured it out, they would have long gone far away.
There was no other way.
Chen An was not a famous detective who could accurately determine the position of Liu Sheng and others from some clues, so he could only guess.
As for what to do if he guessed wrong?
Come on, recognize your position.
You are just an ordinary worker, not the omnipotent Zhuge Liang.
Being an ordinary worker, if Chen An could avoid being tricky, it would be good enough. Do you still expect him to be able to handle everything?
Even Zhuge Liang did not succeed in the Northern Expedition and reclaiming the Central Plains, what skills and abilities does Chen An have?
So just try your best, it's good if the guess is correct, if not, it's just wrong.
After all, Cheng Zheng won't do anything to him because of this little thing.
That's just how Chen An is.
If it were someone else, in order to ensure their favor in front of the emperor and establish their first contribution, they would play some tricks.
But the result of these tricks is often counterproductive.
Understanding Chen An's general idea, Liu Sheng did not underestimate him because of his rough approach, but rather admired him more, sighing, "You defeated Chen Hua and inherited the title of the new Duke of Chen, indeed has an astonishing courage."
Most people would think that Chen An was just lucky, but Liu Sheng obviously didn't see it that way.
To be able to make a decisive judgment in such a situation, chase them decisively, may seem simple, but actually requires a lot of decisiveness.
If there was a little hesitation in the heart, a delay of a moment, the situation would have been different immediately.
By then, not only would he not catch up with them, but he would not even have the qualification to follow them.
Although Chen An's on-the-spot decision-making may not be the best, it was still a good choice.
After all, there were only three roads, a one-third probability, and with good luck, you could always bump into them.
"Speaking of it, since coming to Dahuah, I have been quite admiring of the Duke of Chen. If there is a chance, I really want to invite the Duke of Chen to visit our Dahuah and tour the scenery of our Dahuah together."
Liu Sheng sincerely said, "I thought that this time leaving, it would probably take many years to see the Duke of Chen again, but I didn't expect to see you so soon."
"To be honest, I didn't expect it at all."
Chen An said candidly.
This was the truth.
If he had known the current situation, he might as well have gotten drunk with Liu Chu and others at the previous banquet.
That way, he could have avoided taking on this difficult task.
Unfortunately, it was too late to regret now.
"As for the scenery, the Xuanbing Cave in Song State is quite good, if there is a chance, I really want to visit it."
Thinking of something, Chen An continued, the Xuanbing Cave, this is a treasure controlled by the Song State, most suitable for practicing Yin attribute techniques, which is very suitable for Chen An.
He still had a treasure bead on him, which needed to absorb the spiritual energy from the blessed land to transform and source power, so naturally he was interested in this treasure.
"Now is the perfect opportunity."
Liu Sheng smiled and said, "Since the Duke of Chen is interested, why not accompany me to the Song State, where I'm sure the Emperor of the Song State will treat you with great respect, and even granting you the title of king is not out of the question."
"Merely a Xuanbing Cave, even if the Duke of Chen wants to stay there, what's wrong with that?"
You actually want to recruit me? Chen An looked at Liu Sheng in astonishment, seemingly completely unexpected that the other party would have such thoughts.
Do I look very easy to win over?
"Your Royal Highness Tai, he is in the carriage right now."
Apparently feeling that his previous words were too weak, Liu Sheng quickly added, "I heard that the Duke of Chen and Your Royal Highness Tai also had a connection in the past. If it weren't for the Fourth Princess at that time, you almost became a counselor to Your Royal Highness Tai."
"And now, meeting again, isn't it fate?"
"Yes."
In the carriage, Cheng Ming's voice also came out.
He walked out of the carriage, his face a bit tired, but still looked confident, as if he was still the Second Prince who held great power in the past.
"Chang'an, my younger brother is ruthless in his actions, and everyone can see what he has done. Sooner or later, he will incite a rebellion and will not last long."
The Crown Prince opened, trying to persuade, "Chang'an, following him is just a waste of your talents, why not follow the King, and when the King ascends the throne in the future, he will surely treat you as a brother, even granting you the title of king."
Chen An fell silent gradually.
He looked at the present Tai Wang, who, despite just escaping from prison, still felt good about himself, couldn't help but sigh.
What gives you all this confidence?
It was not easy for me to help Cheng Zheng ascend to the throne, get a high position, why would I give up all of that to join you all!
Do I look like a fool?
He sighed and couldn't help but speak, interrupting Tai's speech, "Your Royal Highness Tai, there is no need to mention the recruitment talk again."
"If you could have said this when we first met, I might have considered joining you."
"But saying this today, isn't it a bit too late?"
He smiled, "Do you know, after I walked out of your mansion that day, I had an idea."
"What?"
Cheng Ming subconsciously asked.
"When the time comes, if there is an opportunity, I will hang you on the door of my house and leave you hanging for an hour."
Chen An spoke lightly, "Although I am humble, I still have some dignity."
"Your Royal Highness Tai, if you were so indifferent back then, I might have been willing to join you."
"But saying this today, you are not worthy."
"You!"
As the words fell, Cheng Ming suddenly became furious, his face showing anger.
On the side, Liu Sheng couldn't help but frown, seeming to understand what was going on.
He was somewhat disappointed.
Cheng Ming was known as a wise prince in Dahuah, and had been friends with many people.
He originally thought that in recruiting Chen An, he could play a role in the matter.
But it seemed that it was having the opposite effect.
He was a bit helpless about this and could only wave his hand.
With his action, Zhao Jun and Qin Wan and the others seemed to receive instructions and directly rushed towards Chen An.
The sound of weapons being drawn rang out, clear enough to be heard everywhere.
Looking at the tall figures of Zhao Jun and the others, Cheng Ming's anger gradually subsided.
"With the talented people of the Song State taking action, this bold bandit who dared to come here will be taken down in a moment."
Cheng Ming looked at Liu Sheng beside him and smiled, then spoke, "I wonder if later I can hand over this bandit to you for disposal."
He didn't know the specific situation of Chen An.
Before he was imprisoned, he had only received information from the past.
Therefore, in his impression, Chen An was still the internal energy practitioner from the past, just at the peak of internal energy.
It had only been over half a year since then, even if he had made progress, at most he was now at the peak of internal energy, it couldn't compare to Zhao Jun and others from the Song state teaming up.
"Your Highness."
Liu Sheng sighed and felt a bit disappointed, and his opinion of the present Tai Wang was even lower.
But considering the two sides were still partners, and the other side still had some usefulness, he patiently explained, "It's probably not that simple."
Boom!
A deafening sound erupted, rushing out from there.
Being in front, the abundant astral energy turned into frost, spreading out directly, turning everything into ice and snow.
There was no hesitation, in just a moment, Zhao Jun and the others were directly thrown out, completely incapable of resistance.
That so-called peak of internal energy was nothing compared to real astral energy.
"Kang Kang Qi," Cheng Ming was left dumbfounded.
At this point, Liu Sheng didn't need to explain further.
Being a prince of Dahuah, Cheng Ming was well aware of the situation at hand.
The overwhelming astral energy swirling in the sky had already confirmed Chen An's identity.
He was a true Kang Qi practitioner.
In this moment, Cheng Ming's emotions were exceptionally complex, a mix of anger, disbelief, regret, and shame surged within him.
Especially when he recalled Chen An's earlier words, he felt a sense of impending doom as he looked at Liu Sheng and the others next to him.
As the story of him and Chen An spread in the future, he was afraid that as the Tai Wang, he would immediately be ridiculed and shamed by many for not recognizing the true potential of a Kang Qi practitioner standing before him, especially since he had arrogantly pushed him away, leading the Kang Qi practitioner to seek refuge with his own younger brother, costing him the position of the emperor.
In this moment, Cheng Ming thought of many similar stories he had read before.
Considering himself a wise king, he had once ridiculed the protagonists of many stories, thinking that if he were in their shoes, things would not have come to this.
But now, the clown was himself?
The thought evoked a mix of shame and anger in him.
But it was too late to think about these things now.
Because in front of him, a long knife was already surging with powerful astral energy, coming down forcefully.
Thump!
The silver long knife fell, cutting through the air with a sharp sound.
With astral energy brewing within, about to erupt.
If the knife were to come down, not to mention Cheng Ming himself, the entire carriage would likely be shattered and reduced to rubble, with no other possibility.
"No!"
Cheng Ming's eyes widened, filled with fear.
But Chen An was not complacent at all.
Because compared to Cheng Ming, Liu Sheng remained calm on the side.
Not just him, even Zhao Jun and Qin Wan, who had been thrown out earlier, though bloodied and with grim faces, maintained basic composure and showed no signs of panic.
Were they not afraid of death?
Obviously not.
Chen An sternly focused, speeding up the descent of the long knife.
In his line of sight, the long knife fell.
Boom!
A thunderous roar erupted in mid-air, the powerful collision spreading outward, bursting this section of the road.
A figure emerged from behind the carriage.
The middle-aged man was dressed in a purple robe, had long beard, around forty years old, in the prime of his life.
He wielded two short knives as he walked towards Chen An, his gaze solemn.
"Yang Lao!"
Seeing the elderly man finally make a move, Zhao Jun and the others immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Evidently, he was also a Kang Qi practitioner.
"Although I would like to have a chat with the Duke of Chen, it seems one time is not possible," Liu Sheng said with a smile. "Duke of Chen, you are a young genius, already dominating the world at a young age, advancing in Kang Qi. But the loyalty and bravery of our Song State's warriors are equally formidable."
"Old Yang has fought many battles in his lifetime and has never been defeated."
"With him as your opponent, you must be careful."
In reality, it didn't need to be said.
At the moment the opponent appeared, Chen An had already realized the opponent's strength.
Kang Qi practitioners could easily sense the strength of each other's astral energy.
In Chen An's perception, the middle-aged man's astral energy was nearly the strongest.
Even the former Duke of Chen, Chen Hua, whom he had fought before, was not a match for the middle-aged man before him.
A formidable opponent!
Meanwhile, the sound of the carriage gradually faded away.
Amid Liu Sheng's faint smile, the carriage slowly departed and moved forward.
Including Zhao Jun and the others, they also left together.
However, Chen An made no moves.
Or rather, there was no use in making any moves.
The man's astral energy was far superior to his own.
With the opponent prepared, it would be almost impossible for him to outmaneuver him and leave Liu Sheng and the others behind.
Since it was destined to be futile, there was no need to waste effort.
"I never expected that your country would value the Tai Wang so much, not only putting in so much effort, but even having Loyalty and Valor Ho himself come," Chen An said, looking at Old Yang.
"I never thought that within Dahuah, there would be such a young talent like you," Old Yang sighed. "Your prowess is unmatched, a sight I've never seen before."
"And now you have," Chen An stated plainly.
"Yes," Old Yang nodded. "I had fought against your grandfather before. The power of the Chen family's martial arts is extraordinary."
"I wonder what your grandson will be like."
"You won't be disappointed," Chen An suddenly smiled. "He was the one I defeated."
"Huh?" Old Yang was taken aback instantly.
In the next moment, Chen An made his move.
The long knife fell, reinforced with terrifying astral energy, exuding a sense of destructive power that could cut through everything in its path.
Various mysteries of swordsmanship were integrated into this strike, erupting into a terrifying blow.
Moon Howl!
Boom!
As the long knife fell, the area within a few square meters around them was affected.
Ice crystals formed out of thin air, spreading in all directions.
But soon, a new astral energy emerged out of thin air, breaking the ice crystals that were spreading out.
Silently, the two completely different astral energies clashed for a long time.
And this invisible clash affected the surroundings.
Any tree taller than half a person's height, immediately snapped when hit by the impact.
Clumps of flowers and grass froze, then shattered.
The destruction was clean and thorough, making it difficult for people to look directly at it.
"It seems that you are not practicing the Chen family's martial arts, but rather a technique called Xuanbing Force from the royal family of my Song State," Yang Lao frowned and spoke during the brief clash with Chen An.
Through the clash of astral energies, they could clearly feel the specific details of each other's astral energy.
Chen An's astral energy was icy cold, capable of freezing on contact, exuding an aura of freezing everything, which was terrifying.
In contrast, Yang Lao's astral energy was formless and invisible, with an extremely strong attacking characteristic, making even Chen An feel a sense of trepidation due to its piercing power.
"Xuanbing Force is a martial art of the Song State's royal family?" Chen An paused, frowning at the words.
It was the first time he had heard of this.
"Among the various nations, almost all martial arts with a cold Yin attribute originate from my Song State," explained Yang Lao. "And the Xuanbing Force was actually created by the founder of my Song State, in the Xuanbing Cave, and can directly connect to the innate."
"However, later on, the Dahuah founder suddenly emerged, reigning with an iron fist."
"At that time, the founder of my Song State had already passed away, and the entire country had no one who could match the founder of Dahuah. We had no choice but to submit and present the original Xuanbing Force."
It suddenly dawned on Chen An.
The Xuanbing Force he was currently practicing was actually taken from the royal family of the Dahuah founder.
Probably many of the innate martial arts that the Dahuah royal family possessed were obtained in the same way.
The genuine innate martial art created by the Dahuah founder was only in the possession of the Dahuah royal family.
"Although the Dahuah royal family has the original Xuanbing Force, it is not complete."
Seeing Chen An's realization, Yang Lao continued to explain, "Initially, although my Song State had no choice but to submit, we deliberately destroyed the last part of the content of the original Xuanbing Force, to prevent its spread and loss."
"You have exceptional talents, and in your life so far, you have not been seen before. If you truly want to walk the path of martial arts to the end, I have to recommend my Song State."
"I can vouch for you, not only to obtain the complete Xuanbing Force, but also to enter the Xuanbing Cave and witness the original creation of the founder of my Song State. How does that sound?"
