''You... how is this possible?'' Ma Ming's incredulous voice sounded as he stared at Shun Long with a gaze filled with disbelief.
The fireballs created by a powerful peak rank 8 Nascent Soul cultivator like him were now suspended in the air, unable to move even an inch closer to Shun Long.
Ma Ming could faintly feel that an invisible power had completely surrounded Shun Long's body, but he didn't know exactly what it was.
However, what had shocked him the most was Shun Long's cultivation that had reached the early rank 7 in the Nascent Soul!
Naturally, since he was interested in Xingyi, Ma Ming had done his fair share of research on Shun Long, and he clearly knew that when he first entered the Holy sect 10 months ago, Shun Long was nothing more than a peak rank 1 Nascent Soul stage cultivator!
In Ma Ming's eyes, it was one thing for Liu Mei, Xie Xingyi, Bai Longtian, and Jiang Chen, to all reach the late-stages of the Nascent Soul considering that they were personal disciples of the inner court Elders and were allowed to cultivate in the courtyards of their respective masters where the qi was extremely pure and abundant, but Shun Long reaching the late-stages of the Nascent Soul so quickly was an entirely different matter.
''This guy doesn't even have an inner court Elder as a master and the qi in his courtyard is only ordinary. How can he be at the early rank 7 of the Nascent Soul already? This rate of growth is already no less than that of those terrifying monsters at the very top of the Martial Roll of Honor! But all of them come from powerful clans and families in the Holy sect territory... how can this guy possibly match them?''
The look on Ma Ming's face had turned extremely serious as he stared at Shun Long in front of him.
Of course, how could Ma Ming know, that to reach the late stages of the Nascent Soul, in the past 5 months, Shun Long had not only consumed a top-grade rank 5 'Barrier-piercing pill' but he had also spent more than 1 million middle-grade spirit stones?
The further he advanced in his cultivation, the more Shun Long noticed, that the amount of qi his qi balls needed continued to increase without stop.
Even with the Heaven Swallowing vine, the number of middle-grade spirit stones that he was using was already considered astronomical.
At the same time, even with his Heaven Swallowing vine and the foggy space inside the 'Stone of Time', as well as the top-grade rank 5 'Barrier-piercing pill' that he had refined, Shun Long had only managed to reach the early rank 7 in the Nascent Soul in these past 5 months.
Although to others his rate of growth may seem extremely quick, Shun Long knew that condensing the next 24 qi balls to reach the peak of the Nascent Soul was probably going to need more than 2 million middle-grade spirit stones and an even longer amount of time.
If any other Nascent Soul stage cultivator said that they needed 2 million middle-grade spirit stones to reach the peak of the Nascent Soul, others would simply laugh in disdain.
After all, a normal Nascent Soul stage cultivator would usually not need more than 300.000 middle-grade spirit stones to reach the peak of rank 9 in the Nascent Soul.
Staring at the scene outside the Refinement Hall, even the 2 white-robed Dao Kings who were standing guard outside the building turned to look at each other with looks of disbelief in their eyes.
They had never seen anything like this before.
Hundreds of fireballs, each of whom could probably rival the full-powered blow of a peak rank 7 Nascent Soul stage cultivator, were now suspended in the air around Shun Long, while even the heat coming from them seemed to have been frozen.
''How is this possible? What kind of Dao has this kid comprehended? Young master Ma Ming's fireballs are frozen?''
One of the 2 white-robed Elders mumbled in a low voice, while the other one next to him simply stayed silent as he watched this scene.
At the same time, Shun Long stared at the peak rank 8 Nascent Soul cultivator in front of him, before he shook his head and said
''It's my turn now!''
Without waiting for Ma Ming to attack him a second time, Shun Long then took a step forward and his body immediately vanished. From the midst of the hundreds of fireballs, he appeared right in front of the still stunned Ma Ming in the blink of an eye.
Raising his right hand, Shun Long clenched his fist tightly, before he sent a powerful punch towards Ma Ming's chest.
''Senior brother Ma!''
''Be careful!''
The 2 young men behind Ma Ming were instantly alarmed when they saw this as they both shouted loudly in fear.
Shun Long's movement had simply been too fast!
Even a peak rank 8 Nascent Soul stage cultivator like Ma Ming had been caught off-guard.
In the next moment however, the look on Ma Ming's face suddenly changed, as another wave of flames swiftly sprouted from his body, covering him entirely like an armor of flames.
''Haha! You actually dare fight me head-on? Die!'' Ma Ming's face behind the flame armor resembled that of a devil's, as an angry look soon covered it, and without holding back, his cultivation at the peak of rank 8 in the Nascent Soul erupted outwards, as he sent a punch of his own towards Shun Long.
Although this took a while to describe, it had actually happened in the blink of an eye.
Seeing Ma Ming's punch that seemed to burn through the air itself as it moved towards his chest, Shun Long's eyes narrowed as he mumbled to himself
''Too weak! Time Prison!''
A bright blue light appeared from Shun Long's golden eyes, before it completely enveloped Ma Ming's body, forcibly stopping the flow of time around him!
The 2 Dao Kings in front of the Refinement Hall as well as the 2 young men behind Ma Ming, all watched this scene with disbelieving looks in their eyes, as Ma Ming's movements had suddenly halted before Shun Long's powerful punch connected with his chest a moment later!
BOOOOM!
Everyone then watched, as the peak rank 8 Nascent Soul stage expert was sent flying backwards like a meteor, before his body flew past the 2 white-robed Elders guarding the entrance of the Refinement Hall and entered inside, leaving the 2 white-robed Dao Kings unable to act.