In the distance, Mu Chen could see two figures locked in intense combat. One was a heroic looking youth of around sixteen or seventeen years of age clad in a set of light armor while the other was a massive black furred ape. It stood around five meters tall, its arms were as thick as tree trunks and its fists were the size of dinner tables. This was a Black Devil Ape, a demonic beast with strength at the peak of the Mortal realm.

In the youth’s hands was a majestic spear which he was wielding with such familiarity to the point where it was like an extension of his body. Every swing and every thrust seemed so natural and fluid as they mixed in flawlessly with the youth’s movements. With each strike, a formless aura would surround the spear, increasing its attack strength by a large amount.

When the demonic ape’s fists that were akin to iron hammers collided against the youth’s spear, the formless aura surrounding the spear would wound it slightly, giving the youth the advantage every single time. As a result, the demonic ape was pushed back again and again as it accumulated an increasing number of wounds from the repeated clashes.

“Oh? Spear intent?” Mu Chen’s brows rose in surprise. He was not expecting to meet someone who possessed intent so quickly. Moreover, this spear intent was extremely pure and unblemished, like a piece of white paper.

“Impressive, truly impressive!” He praised silently. For him, who was once the strongest devil, to praise someone’s spear intent was very rare. His words of praise were no less than gold.

Any weapon user could awaken weapon intent, but it was not something that could be obtained by hard work alone. One needed to have luck, willpower and comprehension. A combination of these three was necessary in order to have a chance to comprehend intent.

A weapon is a tool that is used to protect and destroy. Intent is will. Weapon intent is the will of the weapon itself. Through weapon intent, the user will be able to manifest a formless aura by drawing out the will of the weapon, increasing their strength significantly.

The young man continued his attacks and pressed his opponent relentlessly. The spear technique of this young man was tyrannical and overbearing, giving his foe no room to breathe. He was like a rampaging dragon that was completely unleashing its might.

For a human to possess the ability to suppress a peak Mortal realm demonic beast, which were stronger than humans at the same level, while only being at the ninth level of the Mortal realm, meant that this person could jump ranks to fight! Of course, Mu Chen himself could also jump ranks to fight, but comparing this youth to Mu Chen was unfair. He had the ultimate advantage: experience! This youth had only been born less than twenty years ago, while Mu Chen had technically lived for several millennia!

Mu Chen reckoned that a normal cultivator of the same level as this youth would not be able to withstand even three blows from his spear. Not only was this youth’s physique very powerful, the density and purity of his qi was nothing to scoff at either. Even among those talents he had seen in his previous life, this young man was a cut above them.

In his previous life, he had met and fought against countless talented warriors who had comprehended weapon intent just like this youth in front of him. Although talents like these were as common as clouds in the sky, for a talent to survive until the very end and develop into a true supreme expert who could topple mountains and overturn seas, that was extremely rare.

Strong forces would ensure that they were carefully nurtured and developed so that they would not die early. However, the absolute strongest experts were those who had climbed up from the very bottom, going through countless hardships and adversities to reach the peak. Mu Chen knew this, because he was exactly one of these people!

Bang! With an almighty sweep of the spear akin to a dragon swinging its tail, the demonic ape was sent flying and smashed into a tree, splitting it into two halves. Wasting no time, the youth charged forward while brandishing his spear as his entire body surged powerfully with spiritual qi.

“Azure Dragon Spear: Dragon Drill!” He roared.

The youth thrusted his spear forward mightily. As he did so, he smacked the spear shaft and added a spin onto it, increasing its penetrative force several fold. The spear crackled with blazing azure energy as it completely impaled the Devil Ape, piercing it directly through the heart. The ape howled in pain as it struggled for several seconds before it slumped lifelessly to the ground, dead.

Pulling out his spear, the youth shook it to get rid of the beast’s blood. Suddenly, he seemed to sense something behind him and spun around.

Walking leisurely toward him with his hands placed behind his back was a handsome dark haired youth with a light smile on his face. The way he walked was like he was strolling around in his backyard, and not a forest infested with demonic beasts.

“My name is Zhao Feng! Who’s there? Identify yourself!” The youth shouted and pointed his spear at Mu Chen. His eyes were full of wariness.

His battle instincts told him that his person walking toward him was extremely dangerous, even more dangerous that any foe he had fought so far. He could sense a formless pressure pushing down on him, intensifying with every step the person took toward him. A drop of sweat dripped down from his forehead as he gripped his spear so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Mu Chen walked all the way up to the youth named Zhao Feng until he was only a meter away from the spear tip that was pointed at him. He then used his foot to propel a fallen branch into his hand. This branch was of similar length and width of a spear.

Without saying a single word, Mu Chen attacked.

Whoosh! The fallen branch seemed to have turned into a peerless divine weapon as he thrusted it straight toward Zhao Feng’s face.

For a split second, Zhao Feng saw the branch turn into a mighty spear as it headed straight towards him. With his battle instincts taking over, he kicked his spear shaft up and attempted to sweep the branch aside.

To his horror, the branch seemed to have eyes as it mysteriously avoided his sweep and passed right through his spear shaft, continuing on its current trajectory. Mobilizing all the qi within his body, Zhao Feng retreated with all his might while raising his spear to defend.

His efforts were futile. The branch moved at an inconceivable speed and it was akin to an unstoppable arrow that could not be blocked. Though Zhao Feng could not even detect a single shred of qi within the branch, his instincts were screaming at him, telling him that he could not let this branch strike him no matter what. If it did, he would absolutely lose his life.

The branch tip came closer and closer to his face. With every millimeter, Zhao Feng could feel the feeling of impending death intensify even further. Even when facing his own father, he had never felt this way before.

Despair and resignation momentarily flashed through his eyes. Was he going to die here today? Even if he died, he would not die in fear! Zhao Feng’s gaze burned with battle intent once more as he faced the oncoming branch without a shred of fear. This, of course, did not escape Mu Chen’s gaze.

Just when the tip was a fraction of a millimeter away, it stopped, and the formless pressure disappeared. Zhao Feng stumbled and fell down on his butt, an expression of disbelief all over his face.

Mu Chen wordlessly threw the branch toward the sitting Zhao Feng. It fell on the ground right in front of the spear wielding youth. With trembling hands, Zhao Feng picked up the branch. It was not some peerless weapon. It was merely a branch. At that moment he started to replay every single moment of the battle in his head. Although the entire fight had only lasted for a mere second, it felt like an eternity to him. Suddenly, realization flashed across his face as he sat down and closed his eyes, with his spear in one hand and the branch in the other.

“State of sudden comprehension…indeed, my eyes did not fail me. This kid is pretty good.” Mu Chen smiled as he gazed thoughtfully at Zhao Feng, who was deep in a meditative state.

The state of sudden comprehension was an extremely rare mystical state that cultivators could sometimes enter when they managed to comprehend something. Entering this state could happen at any place and any time. Perhaps the cultivator had witnessed an event that allowed them to achieve a mental breakthrough. This particular event did not need to be a world shaking battle. It could even be some mundane task.

The time spent in this state could vary, but the general consensus was that the longer it took, the greater the benefit. Legends said that there was once a supreme expert who had entered a state of sudden comprehension and stayed in that state for a whole hundred years. After he awoke, he instantly ascended and became an immortal!

Mu Chen took a seat opposite Zhao Feng and started to wait.