Demonic King of the Metropolis - Chapter 37 - First Meeting with an Ancient Martial Master! Part 2

“Clang…”

“Confining Cage!”

As Tang Jie skillfully dodged each attack, Pang Guang’s frustration deepened. Judging by the techniques, this man’s expertise might just match his own, forcing him to resort to his ultimate move!

With a loud shout from Pang Guang, threads of white radiance surged out of his body, spreading in all directions and intertwining to form a square cage. However, just as the white radiance connected completely, it vanished in the blink of an eye.

“Tang Jie, within my Confining Cage, I am a god. No matter how skilled you are, you cannot escape from the palm of my hand.” After completing the Confining Cage, Pang Guang stood with his hands behind his back, a smug smile on his face.

Tang Jie did not respond, merely glancing around calmly. By now, the threads of white radiance had completely disappeared. He reached out a hand, and suddenly a layer of white radiance emerged in the air, bouncing him back.

“I told you, you can’t escape!” Pang Guang laughed heartily, then twisted his neck and, sword in hand, strode forward, saying to Tang Jie, “It’s rare for me to stretch my muscles; I truly regret having to kill you.”

“Heh, old man, do you really think this pathetic cage can hold me?” Tang Jie looked up, a slight smile on his face, and with a flick of his long sword, he leapt into the air.

His arm swung, and a semicircular sword aura shot out with his movement, instantly filling the invisible cage with a tremendous energy.

“This…”

Pang Guang, sensing the aura emanating from Tang Jie at that moment, changed his expression drastically, standing stunned in place.

“Such strong true qi!”

Pang Guang murmured to himself, finally realizing that Tang Jie’s strength far surpassed his own. Judging by the aura that Tang Jie emitted, even if he exerted all his strength, he likely wouldn’t last more than a few moves against him.

Thinking this, Pang Guang gave a bitter smile. He now understood why Wang Guohao had instructed him to use all his strength from the start when sent to confront this man. It turns out Tang Jie was indeed a formidable ancient martial artist.

However, Pang Guang knew that even if he had used all his strength from the beginning, he probably couldn’t have affected Tang Jie in the slightest, considering the vast gap in their strengths. He stood no chance at all.

“Bang, bang, bang…”

A dull thumping sound erupted suddenly, as the invisible cage around the two men was dissolved by Tang Jie’s fierce assault, revealing strands of white radiance that slowly disappeared into the heavens and earth.

“You, you, you…”

After landing and steadying himself, Tang Jie looked at Pang Guang with a slight smile at the corner of his mouth. In Pang Guang’s eyes, Tang Jie’s smile at that moment was terrifying, causing him to involuntarily step back several times.

“Whoosh…”

Pang Guang felt a darkness before his eyes, followed by a sharp pain in his back, forcing him to plunge forward.

“Spurt!”

Blood spewed from Pang Guang’s mouth as he steadied himself and turned around, his eyes filled with reluctance as he faced Tang Jie.

“I didn’t expect you to be hiding your true capabilities so deeply!” Pang Guang, now hunched over and pale, had just endured a palm strike from Tang Jie.

“Acquired Great Perfection, impossible… impossible!” Thinking of the strength Tang Jie had just displayed, Pang Guang violently shook his head, his voice filled with urgency.

He knew his own strength had been attained through decades of hard training, yet how old was this young man before him? He appeared to be only about twenty, yet he was at the Acquired Great Perfection level.

Pang Guang found it hard to accept, but the fact was right in front of him. If Tang Jie were not an ancient martial arts master of the Acquired Great Perfection level, he wouldn’t have been so powerless to resist.

“There’s nothing impossible!” Tang Jie said with a slight smile, slowly walking towards Pang Guang. “Go back and tell Wang Shiwen not to send useless people like you to bother me time and again. If there is a next time, I won’t stop at just breaking his legs.”

“You mean, you’re letting me go?”

“If you don’t want to leave, you can stay here forever!” Tang Jie shrugged, smiling.

“Fine, I’ll go!” Pang Guang was no fool. Having been injured by Tang Jie, he was initially resigned to his fate, but now that Tang Jie was letting him go, he chose to believe him amidst his doubts.

After all, he wasn’t ready to die; he didn’t want to die. There was still a beautiful life waiting for him in the secular world.

Pang Guang had practiced cultivation for several decades, yet he had never been able to step into the Innate Realm, largely because his heart was still attached to the secular world, preventing him from quietly comprehending the heavenly Dao¹.

It is important to note that ancient martial artists are divided into five realms: the Acquired Realm, Innate Realm, Heaven-Man Realm, Heaven Transformation Realm, and Heavenly Apex Realm.

The Acquired Realm is merely the beginning threshold of ancient martial arts. In the secular world, one could be considered a top expert at this stage, but that is only within the confines of the secular world.

Only by entering the Innate Realm does one truly reach the threshold of ancient martial arts. However, those who have reached this level are not willing to be driven by the people of the secular world to do their bidding, as all of them are devoted to quiet cultivation in pursuit of higher realms.

Moreover, the practice of ancient martial arts often depends on individual talent. Some people spend their entire lives without ever reaching the level of an ancient martial artist. Others may diligently practice and reach the Acquired Realm, but can advance no further, permanently stuck in that realm, which is quite common.

Pang Guang belongs to the latter category. Thirty years ago, he accidentally came into contact with an ancient martial artist and was taught a cultivation method, thus stepping into the ranks of ancient martial artists. However, over these thirty years, his realm had remained stagnant.

When Tang Jie expressed his willingness to let him go, Pang Guang’s eyes darted around, and he turned to leave.

“Hey, aren’t you forgetting to leave something behind?” Just as Pang Guang was about to swiftly flee, a voice tinged with irreverence rang out beside his ear.

Stunned for a moment, Pang Guang ignored Tang Jie’s words. The true qi within him surged powerfully, a glint of determination flashed in his eyes, and he fiercely said, “Hmph, I’ve only ever left behind things of others, no one can make me leave anything behind.”

With that, he pushed off the ground, shooting away like a diving eagle, his speed unimaginable.

However, Pang Guang had forgotten that the person before him was far superior in realm, and thinking he could escape under Tang Jie’s watch was nothing short of delusional.

Footnote:

1. Heavenly Dao(天道):Heavenly Dao refers to the ultimate principles or laws of nature and the universe that martial artists strive to understand and align with. It represents a higher level of martial arts mastery and spiritual enlightenment.