The Martial Arts World judges solely by life and death, but it also pays attention to the details.
Intercepting a Martial Lord–class Demon is indeed worthy of celebration.
Yet the performance of Peerless Andrew Han during this ordeal truly stunned every martial practitioner—from those in the Martial Artist Realm to those in the Martial Lord Realm, even those above Martial Lord were amazed and full of admiration.
There are two reasons for this.
First, advancing to the Martial General Realm on the spot? Martial arts cultivation is a process of gradual accumulation—how could one break through so abruptly? It defies common sense; such explosive breakthroughs are exceedingly rare.
Second, holding back a Martial Lord–class Demon? Peerless Andrew had just become a Martial General—how could he possibly withstand a Martial Lord–class Demon? This is beyond the scope of a Peerless Martial General. Only those at the very peak of the Peerless Martial General tier might be able to face a Martial Lord–class Demon head-on.
The first point is remarkable, but still within reason.
Breaking through to the Martial General Realm on the spot is rare, but not inexplicable. Emotional and spiritual impact can facilitate martial advancement—this is a widely accepted truth in the Martial Arts World.
Take, for example, the Solar Pillar Stance, which thrives on surging fighting spirit.
However—
For a lower-tier Peerless Martial General to hold back a Martial Lord–class Demon is almost unimaginable. Martial practitioners can’t help but discuss and speculate endlessly among themselves.
Fortunately, Iron Sun Sect’s Jin Qiyu stepped forward to explain.
Some martial practitioners, still deeply shaken, heard his explanation about the convergence of timing, location, and people, and after some thought, set aside their confusion and turned to pure astonishment.
Even so, the incident caused an enormous sensation!
First it shook Greenfield City, then all of Southvale Province, and finally spread to the surrounding Martial Arts World. Every martial practitioner who heard of it was left in shock, each with their own thoughts and reactions.
But no matter what—
The name Peerless Andrew Han resounded for a thousand miles, sending ripples and waves across the land.
......
In the villa district near Clearview Lake in Greenfield City—
Click!
A delicate cup sat on the table.
"Peerless Andrew Han advanced to the Martial General Realm and held back a Martial Lord–class Demon?"
"Even though Jin Qiyu publicly announced that the giant bovine Demon was already injured, and that Defense Formation Group Nineteen contributed greatly, it’s still hard to believe."
A middle-aged man in the mid-tier Martial General Realm stood in the living room with his hands behind his back, his confusion slowly turning into shock and frustration.
Group!
That’s a Defense Formation Group!
After the Dragon Head Mountain Cen Shaoyu incident, he once admired Andrew Han’s spirit. Now, however, all of that had turned into a silent sense of loss.
Peerless Andrew Han had completely surpassed him!
If he had joined a Defense Formation Group, that would be understandable. But to actually hold back a Martial Lord–class Demon in person—it made him feel an unattainable sense of longing.
"Throughout history—"
"Such a dazzling Peerless Prodigy is truly rare."
The middle-aged man fell silent for a while, picked up the delicate teacup, lifted the lid, and gently blew on it twice.
A light, cloud-like fragrance of tea spread out.
His eyes flickered constantly, betraying his shock.
Within the villa district, many had learned of the incident. Nearly every martial practitioner living here was at the Martial General Realm and qualified to know the details.
Advancing to the Martial General Realm, that alone would be noteworthy.
But Andrew Han actually held back a Martial Lord–class Demon—the gap between Martial Lord and Martial General is far more than just a small difference!
They stared in disbelief, or sat in stunned silence.
Some sighed with envy, while others trained even harder, unwilling to be left behind.
......
"Have you heard about the giant bovine Demon incident?"
"Of course. Martial Lord Jin Qiyu killed the Martial Lord–class Demon with three palm strikes—truly admirable. But the contributions of the Martial General Groups shouldn’t be underestimated. Take Peerless Andrew Han, for example: he single-handedly blocked the Demon. He’s a model for us all."
......
"What I admire most isn’t Jin Qiyu, nor Andrew Han’s martial prowess."
"Oh?"
"What moved me most was how Defense Formation Groups Twenty-Three and Nineteen marched into death, boldly assembling at the brink, ready to die. That’s what truly inspires me... Enough. I’ll train harder and strive to join the Defense Formation Group one day."
......
Among the mountains, at Iron Sun Sect.
Three or five sect elders stood in the mountains with their hands behind their backs.
They gazed at the withered, desolate winter peaks, emotions surging in their hearts. For a long while, none could speak. Finally, one elder broke the silence.
"I can’t imagine it."
"Andrew Han is just a Martial Arts Program student. In today’s society, a freshman is only eighteen or nineteen—barely an adult. He’s still a child!"
"When did the Martial Arts World start needing children to risk their lives?"
His voice carried a trace of shame.
The two elders beside him tried to console him: "This was just an unexpected accident. Besides, Andrew Han is a Peerless Martial General—how can age be the deciding factor?"
The other two didn’t care much about the matter.
After all, all three were Martial Lords, and the elder who spoke first was a mid-tier Martial Lord—someone who could withstand even a missile head-on.
The terror of Solidified Core Internal Power defies description.
The inconceivable might of a Martial Lord has already broken the boundaries of technology.
Suddenly—
The elder who spoke first stroked his white beard, gritted his teeth, and declared, "No! Andrew Han is still young, yet he faced a Martial Lord–class Demon without flinching. I feel deeply ashamed—I must immediately bring this up to Sect Master Cen."
Of the seven Martial Lords in our sect, at least four should be permanently stationed in the desolate regions!
As soon as he finished speaking.
The other two Martial Lords immediately frowned and said, "Training at the Martial Lord Realm requires calm and focus. That’s why sect members remain within the sect."
Stationed in the desolate regions?
Then how are we supposed to train?
Thud!
The elder who spoke first strode away, leaving only one sentence: "If training means hiding inside the sect, I’d rather not train at all!"
Silence.
The air suddenly became quiet.
This was the subtle fluctuation of Presented Liquid Internal Power—no wind stirred, no sound echoed. The two Martial Lords exchanged glances and shook their heads with wry smiles.
"Do you still remember why we first began training in martial arts?"
"We’ve forgotten. We’ve grown old."
The two Martial Lord elders sighed, their eyes swirling with emotion; a hint of gravity flashed across their faces, clearly moved in ways they hadn’t expected.
At last.
They looked together into the distance—toward the core disciples of Iron Sun Sect.
In the courtyard, swept by icy winds, seven or eight core disciples in sect robes sparred with one another. All were at least high-rank Martial Artists, with some lower and even mid-tier Martial Generals among them.
Disciples—these were the sect’s core students.
The future of any martial sect depended on its disciples... strong disciples meant a flourishing sect; weak ones foretold decline.
Iron Sun Sect’s disciples were not weak.