Chapter 27: Something’s Wrong—A Non-Human Has Appeared at Home

At this moment, as Li Qi exerted his strength, the muscles on his back underwent a dramatic transformation. The tension of his muscles and bones made it appear as though a pair of wings had sprouted from his back—truly, he was like a tiger granted wings.

In the world of his past life, such a physique would represent the absolute pinnacle of human potential; historically, only someone like Bruce Lee had ever achieved such a form. Yet, in this world, mastering a martial art to the point of manifesting its "True Form" allowed for such a spectacle. The way the mind commanded the flesh to reshape itself was nothing short of profound and miraculous.

This was precisely why Li Qi had stripped off his shirt. He hadn't intended to practice his blade work outside today, so his clothing, while loose, was not loose enough; had he unleashed his full power, his garments would have become an obstruction. This is why the most formidable masters often prefer to wear loose, baggy attire.

The visual impact of Li Qi’s blood and energy erupting to "grow" wings on his back was staggering. The others present, all practitioners of the blade, could deeply feel the immense power of Li Qi’s mind and spirit in commanding his body through this manifestation of the True Form. Even having achieved the True Form, one could never attain such a feat—like a tiger with wings—if their willpower and mental strength were weak. It was the ultimate display of peak muscular efficiency.

How terrifying would a tiger be if it were given wings? The crowd was about to find out.

As the countdown hit zero and the red light flared, Li Qi struck.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

In an instant, there was a flurry of light and shadow. A tiger roared, thunder clapped, accompanied by the high-pitched hum of metal, the dull thud of special-grade rubber, and surging waves of air. These sounds and visuals converged into a stirring, impassioned symphony—like an avalanche crashing down or great waves smashing against jagged reefs. Some observers even felt as if they were caught in the heart of a violent storm, left breathless.

The speed and explosive power were terrifying. Those standing close could even feel a wave of heat emanating from Li Qi—the high temperature expelled by his body as he pushed his physical potential to the limit. Of course, this heat was negligible compared to the brilliance of his blade.

Thirty seconds later, the red light extinguished and the green light turned on. Li Qi abruptly halted his blade. The transition from high-speed movement to total stillness was seamless, fluid, and without a hint of hesitation. As he finished, the pores across his upper body opened, and because the air was still cold, a thick, billowing white mist began to steam off his skin due to the immense temperature difference.

He let out a long, heavy breath, which also emerged as a cloud of white vapor. As the heat dissipated, his skin returned to its fair, natural state, his blood flow calmed, and his demeanor shifted back to his usual languid ease.

He set down his blade and put on his clothes to avoid catching a chill before checking his results.

While Li Qi was dressing, a group of young men stood by, some with faces frozen in shock. Among them was Li Youan.

"I have to fight this monster in two days?" Li Youan felt that things were taking a turn for the worse. He had assumed that this year’s clan military trials would be a mere formality for him. After all, the competition was limited to those under eighteen, and there were no truly formidable figures among the younger generation. He had taken first place last year without even reaching the "Entry" stage; now that he had reached it, he thought it would be effortless.

But now, it seemed he would indeed be the one just going through the motions. How could he possibly compete with that level of bodily control and explosive power? He had only just reached the Entry stage, and his physical transformation was far from complete. If he faced Li Qi, he would surely lose. Perhaps only Li Tianxing could put up a fight—after all, Li Tianxing had also mastered a True Form. But even then, he had never seen anyone sprout wings like that. The Tiger Form was already fierce, but a "tiger with wings" was simply terrifying.

Any lingering defiance or disbelief he felt had vanished into thin air. He was thoroughly convinced.

While Li Youan was lost in his own thoughts, others crowded around the machine’s screen, sparking another commotion. The display read:

Total Strikes: 120
Average: 4/s
Max Strikes per Second: 4
Min Strikes per Second: 4
Average Strike Force: 1821.24 jin
Max Strike Force: 1821.24 jin
Min Strike Force: 1821.24 jin
Rating: Veteran Entry

There was a beauty in the intensity of these numbers. A strike force of over 1,800 jin—nearing a ton—concentrated into a narrow blade edge; the destructive potential was horrifying. But what was even more frightening was the perfect consistency: the strikes per second and the force were identical across the board, down to the decimal point. This was a level of control that defied belief.

It meant that Li Qi had operated at the absolute peak of his capability, maintaining it perfectly for thirty seconds. If he hadn't focused on control but instead unleashed his power without restraint, he could easily have exceeded a ton.

Many fell into a daze, and some even began frantically snapping photos of the screen with their phones. *Something has happened,* many thought. *A non-human has appeared in our family.*

Li Qi glanced at the screen, thinking the results were close to his own estimations. He had calculated that the highest force he could perfectly control was about 1,820 jin; the machine's data was off by only 1.24 jin.

An explosive force nearing a ton—if he were clad in heavy armor, not even Lu Bu could match his ferocity. Yet, in this world, he knew he still had much to practice. In his past life, some could throw a punch with nearly 450 jin of force; his result was only four times that, which wasn't actually that exaggerated. After all, he had been cultivating an extraordinary martial path and constantly "cheating" to improve. His base physical strength was only 1.5 times that of a normal person; it was his nervous system that had become so incredibly powerful, leading to this performance.

The six dimensions of physical attributes were merely the foundation; how one utilized them depended entirely on the individual.

Even Li Changqing was stunned. He had previously noticed that Li Qi had attained the Tiger Form and seemingly activated his "Root Vessel," but he had never imagined the purity and concentration could reach such a level. It was as if Li Qi had poured all his potential entirely into combat power.

He was a freak of nature. Even with his nearly century-long experience, Li Changqing had never seen the like.

"Life is truly miraculous," Li Changqing thought, feeling a sudden, uncharacteristic sense of greed. "If such a pure Root Vessel were combined with powerful cultivation talent, he would be invincible... but alas, the world rarely grants so many blessings at once." He knew that innate endowments were not easily changed; to change them was to change fate itself.