Since the Spirit Authentic Rod hadn't been consecrated through ritual refinement, that meant this was only a temporary cultivation tool.
The Mad Old Freak had initially scoffed at
The might of the Dominant Dragon Blazing Sun Spear was truly formidable. The Mad Old Freak's golden treasure staff was already renowned for its overwhelming dominance and razor-sharp lethality.
Once launched, its momentum alone could seize the initiative and pin the enemy down completely. Under those circumstances, the fact that Jiang Chen's Dominant Dragon Blazing Sun Spear could go head-to-head against the Mad Old Freak's staff in sheer momentum—not only refusing to yield but actually managing to press back ever so slightly—was nothing short of astonishing.
The Mad Old Freak was shocked. In the primordial era, he had been famous for his prowess in close-quarters combat.
This kind of direct, frontal exchange was precisely the battle style he favored most. Back in the primordial era, the Mad Old Freak had also been known as the Mad Melee Fighter.
Yet this time, facing Jiang Chen, he found himself utterly unable to recapture the imposing dominance he'd once wielded.
Wielding the golden treasure staff like a wrathful Vajra warrior, he rolled and swept it high and low, trailing countless streaks of golden radiance and auspicious light.
Every downward strike came crashing down as though an entire mountain were bearing down on him.
But Jiang Chen was no pushover. The Spirit Authentic Rod swung in wide, sweeping arcs—like a flood dragon plunging into the sea, like a ferocious tiger descending the mountain, like a phoenix spreading its wings, like an eagle striking from the heavens.
Every move was magnificent in its momentum, ensuring that the Mad Old Freak's treasure staff could never seize the upper hand.
The Mad Old Freak's heart lurched with alarm. At the outset, he had been absolutely convinced that Jiang Chen couldn't possibly match him. During the stalemate, he'd even believed this young man had learned only a trick or two at best—barely holding on for three or five exchanges before inevitably showing his weakness.
But to his dismay, none of what he'd predicted came to pass.
Jiang Chen's techniques seemed to pour forth endlessly, and when executed, they carried an air of mastery that was almost eerie. There was no trace whatsoever of someone who had only just begun learning.
"Could this kid really be heaven-chosen talent? In just a few dozen hours, learning a single martial technique to reach this level?"
Clearly, the Mad Old Freak was thoroughly shaken.
However, the stronger the enemy, the more he actually relished it.
Shrieking wildly, the Mad Old Freak's attacks grew ever more ferocious. Jiang Chen was no less formidable—the Dominant Dragon Blazing Sun Spear surged forward with unstoppable force.
No matter how the Mad Old Freak raised his level or intensified his assault, Jiang Chen navigated each exchange with ease, never falling behind.
He refused to be outdone even in sheer momentum, unwilling to concede a single inch.
Had there been spectators on the scene, they would have been captivated by this spectacular battle. Ordinarily, clashes between martial arts masters emphasized technical skill and finesse.
The stronger the combatants, the more visually stunning the fight.
In that sense, this kind of melee combat was relatively lower in hierarchy. But paradoxically, it was also the form that most clearly revealed one's true level.
It laid bare a person's command of the martial dao, their comprehension of technique, their ability to seize openings, and their grasp of the path to victory.
The reason Jiang Chen was a genius was precisely this: in this life, whatever he learned, he mastered with extraordinary speed. The bottlenecks and difficulties that tripped up everyone else simply didn't exist for him.
One day, two days, three days…