"Eternal Flow Technique?"Galen's gaze flickered. Leander raised his left hand slightly, while his right palm stood upright before his chest-a standard Tailcatch stance from the Eternal Flow Technique.But Leander's stance wasn't some halfhearted mimicry. With just a lift of his hand, his energy coursed through him, forming a world of its own, as if he were a seasoned master who had spent decades refining the Eternal Flow Technique.The Eternal Flow Technique of Mount Martial was deceptively simple to learn but nearly impossible to master. True understanding required repetition, over and over, until the practitioner could feel its essence.Eight years ago, Galen had trained beneath the mountain in the Eternal Flow Technique, seeking that final breakthrough that would perfect his Eternal Flow Art. It was during that time that he had first crossed paths with Leander.But Galen could never have imagined that Leander could casually assume a stance that rivaled decades of his own painstaking training."How do you know the Eternal Flow Technique?"As the head of Mount Martial, he knew well that there was no one like Leander within their ranks-and that Leander had no ties to Mount Martial whatsoever. Yet now, the skill Leander displayed left him shocked."You taught me, sir... eight years ago," Leander replied calmly, his gaze steady."What?" Galen's eyes narrowed. Eight years ago... that was the year he had first met Leander beneath the mountain.Back then, he had only performed a set of the Eternal Flow Technique in front of Leander and somehow, Leander had awakened an unparalleled power through sheer insight. Not only that, but he had seen the sequence once and memorized every variation, instantly grasping its essence."Impossible..."Galen murmured, his eyes glinting coldly. With a single step, he covered dozens of feet, appearing before Leander.He bent his knees slightly, settling into a bow stance, and pushed a palm toward Leander's shoulder.noveldramaLeander responded in kind, his stance solid, and their palms met.The two pushed and resisted, endlessly exchanging force. Above, the sky seemed to freeze in a tense stillness.Below, countless onlookers gaped, stunned by what they saw. Both fighters floated in midair, advancing and retreating, yet no explosive battle erupted. What they had expected to be a sky-shattering clash instead remained eerily calm."Flowing Hands!"Gareth stared at the empty space above, his expression sharp but heavy with gravity."Dad... what did you say?" Ethan turned, puzzled."Ander and Galen are engaging in Flowing Hands! As is well known, Eternal Flow practitioners rely on Flowing Hands as the primary means of confrontation. Whoever can push the other back first is the victor, but right now, their duel far surpasses that of ordinary Eternal Flow practitioners."Ethan's eyes narrowed as he gazed upward. Even the moon and stars seemed blurred, as if reality itself was bending."What..." His gaze sharpened. Suddenly, he felt the surrounding air roiling violently. Every hair on his body bristled as the invisible currents whipped through the night.Daphne, Eira, and the other young people suddenly snapped back to attention, their eyes widening in shock.The two men floating in the sky seemed to move slowly and smoothly, yet every push they exchanged sent shockwaves like massive trees shaking the heavens, whipping out gusts of wind dozens of feet wide. The power was utterly terrifying.This was Flowing Hands taken to a level that spanned Yin and Yang-a realm of Tai Chi the world had never seen before."Jeff... how did you master the Eternal Flow Technique?"As Galen and Leander moved in their circular push, Galen felt the endless, oceanic force flowing through him with every exchange. It tugged at his strength, dissolved it, and then returned it in layers-wave upon wave, unbroken and unrelenting.This wasn't raw strength-it required complete comprehension of theinteraction between Yin and Yangmastery of Tai Chi's subtleprinciples. Galen could not understand how Leander had achieved such skill. He hadn't been guided by a renowned master he had only watched calen practice once. And yet, in less than eight years, he had reached this level of mastery. "Hmph!"Though he was shocked by Leander's skill, Galen felt no fear.He was the proud head of Mount Martial. He had spent decades refining his EternalFlow Art and had inherited the secret teachings from the previous Mount Martialleader. How could he be afraid of an outer disciple?A cold snort escaped him. The airbeneath his feet exploded, and force radiated from his body. With a violent tremor of his right arm, his Primordial Energy surged,combining with the strength of every joint in his body to erupt in a single instant. "Hm?"Leander's eyes flickered. A torrent of overwhelming power poured from Galen's palm, as though capable of shaking mountains and shattering boulders.The full force met him head-on-but Leander did not take a step back. He tilted his upper body slightly, his right hand rounding smoothly, flowing like a seasoned master wielding a blade."What?" Galen's pupils shrank. In a single instant, Leander absorbed all the explosive energy he had just unleashed.Before he could react, Leander pushed back, using the very force Galen had sent, sending it crashing against his own palm.The proud head of Mount Martial grunted, his body stumbling backward. Each step left a footprint of condensed air suspended in midair.He stepped back ten paces before finally stabilizing, his face pale and hard as iron. "Galen..... actually lost in Flowing Hands?"Inside the banquet hall, Gareth and the others were shocked beyond belief.Galen had been ranked third in the International Combat Units a decade ago. Rumors had said he had already entered the Infernal Crown Transcendent. And now, the proud head of Mount Martial had been forced backward in an Eternal FlowTechnique duel by Leander?Leander raised both palms slightly, then pressed them down slowly, his expressioncalm and indifferent.Galen's gaze darkened as turmoil churned in his heart.Leander's embrace of the force had been like wrapping the heavens themselves, combining with his own strength in a way so perfect it seemed instantaneous. Even Galen could not withstand it."Jeff... Flowing Hands..... I admit defeat."His voice rang strong and clear, without a hint of pretension.The moment his words fell, the whisk in his hand erupted, scattering into fragments across the sky. A golden light burst forth, shooting across the horizon with the sound of a sword ringing through the heavens."Hm?"Leander's gaze sharpened. From the moment he first met Galen, he had sensed something unusual about the whisk. Now he realized it was no mere ornament. Hidden within was an ancient, sturdy Mount Martial golden sword.Galen carried his sword on his back, and instantly his aura surged with sword intent."Mount Martial lineage... is far beyond just the Eternal Flow Technique. I may have lost to you in that, but now..." He fixed his gaze on Leander. "Now, try to withstand my Flowing Sword!"The sword's ringing echoed across the sky. With a single, precise swipe, the golden blade traced a brilliant arc in the air, slicing downward.Half of the sky seemed to split apart, the sword energy extending over a hundred yards a single strike that cut through the void itself.