Hai Changkong was not fazed by what seemed like a dismissive comment. He had already learned, over twenty years ago, not to be provoked by his opponent’s provocations.0

He understood perfectly well that Zhao Changhe was trying to provoke him—after all, Zhao Changhe was known for his deep knowledge of the human body and vicious qi. It was quite likely that anger and the energy that stemmed from it were things that Zhao Changhe could easily exploit.0

In a world of cultivation, raw youth was not always an advantage. With powerful cultivation techniques, one’s physical capabilities could be maintained for a long time, extending a martial artist’s prime far beyond normal limits. In fact, cultivating internal energy required years of accumulation, along with vast combat experience and the refinement of techniques—things younger fighters often lacked. Hence, the existence of the Ranking of Hidden Dragons.0

Excluding anomalies like Xia Longyuan, who had entered the Profound Control Realm, most people believed the true peak of a martial artist’s strength was in their thirties or forties. By then, their internal energy was fully developed, their combat experience extensive, and their skills honed to perfection, while the body had not yet begun to decline. For those with profound...0