Phantom

Early in the morning, Zhou You left home and headed to Jianxiong Martial Arts School.

He had already decided that today he would apply for the formal assessment with Senior Disciple Brother Lu Qiang.

The martial arts school operated on a system of survival of the fittest, where the capable advanced and the mediocre retreated. There was no room for being low-key.

Once he became a formal disciple, his Tiger Bone Paste, which he received once every 7 days, would be updated to once every 3 days. Only a fool would miss out on such a benefit.

Moreover, Zhou You needed the martial arts school as his backing to contend with the behemoth that was the Wild Fox Gang.

Nothing was more important than the status of a genuine disciple, which could protect his family and deter petty troublemakers.

"Hurry, hurry."

As soon as Zhou You stepped through the martial arts school's main gate, he saw many new disciples rushing in a certain direction.

"What's going on?"

"Fang Guiqi is applying for his formal assessment. I heard he cultivated Internal Force last night."

Zhou You's heart pounded violently a few times, and a sense of urgent crisis arose in his mind.

This mysterious roommate harbored a huge secret, and he chose to apply for his formal assessment on this very day.

Zhou You clearly saw him discard all the Tiger Bone Paste, yet he managed to cultivate Internal Force?

This was very strange!

There were only two possibilities: either he had extraordinary talent and could break through to Internal Force without secret medicine, or he had other channels to obtain secret medicine.

Whichever the case, the existence of this roommate was too dangerous.

A thought flashed through Zhou You's mind, and he quickly pushed through the crowd, rushing forward. He wanted to see what was happening.

On the open ground of the outer courtyard, Lu Qiang looked at Fang Guiqi in front of him and confirmed again, "You want to undergo the assessment?"

"Reporting to Senior Disciple Brother, I have cultivated Internal Force and am qualified to be listed as a formal disciple."

Fang Guiqi had always been low-key, not showing off his skills. With only 3 or 4 days left before the hundred-day deadline, he had broken through at the very last moment.

There were many disciples like him. After all, not every disciple was like Li Hao, who had both talent and financial resources to shorten the breakthrough period.

"Alright..."

Suddenly, an old voice came from the inner courtyard, "Cough, cough, wait a moment!"

Hearing this voice, Lu Qiang jolted, turned around, and bowed respectfully behind him.

"Master!"

All the new disciples were shocked. What was happening today? Even the Headmaster, Wang Jianxiong, was coming out!

Many of them had only seen Wang Jianxiong once since joining the martial arts school.

This famous Martial Master in the city usually trained disciples in the inner courtyard and rarely appeared in public.

Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, Headmaster Wang Jianxiong, carrying his pipe, walked through the inner courtyard gate and onto the open ground of the outer courtyard.

A few inner courtyard disciples followed behind him, and more formal disciples emerged from the sides, including Li Hao, who had just become a formal disciple.

"Master, why have you come? It's just a small matter."

Wang Jianxiong waved his hand, "Don't mind me, you continue."

Lu Qiang turned to look at Fang Guiqi, "Fang Guiqi, you said you cultivated Internal Force. Verification is easy."

"Break a hardwood stump, and you will be formally accepted."

Fang Guiqi cupped his fists towards him, walked to the hardwood stump, took a breath, his body temperature rose, and his fists instantly swelled to the size of large bowls.

The wind around them became fierce. This was the effect of Internal Force circulating.

Zhou You stared at Fang Guiqi's limbs and bones. That was correct, it was the sign of an Internal Force explosion.

With a roar like a fierce tiger, he punched like the wind, thundering like lightning. His fist, infused with Internal Force, shattered the hardwood stump!

"Cough, cough, cough, not bad!"

Wang Jianxiong spoke, and there was even a hint of praise in his tone.

The disciples all showed envious expressions. Fang Guiqi had gained the Headmaster's favor, and his future was boundless!

But in the next moment...

"Lu Qiang, you noticed it too?"

"Internal Force is stimulated by the flesh and blood, and it best reflects a person's inner essence."

"Look at his Internal Force, it's impure, all show and no substance. It cannot resonate with his body. Clearly, he's a... Phantom wearing human skin."

Wang Jianxiong's words were unfathomable to others, and by the end, the atmosphere was tense, with killing intent overflowing.

Not good!

Hearing the last two words, 'Phantom', Zhou You felt goosebumps erupt all over his body, and large patches of goosebumps appeared on his skin.

Danger descended without warning.

In his sight, Fang Guiqi transformed like a startled wildcat, his silhouette exploding into a spiky ball.

His skin, clothes, even fingernails and hair, instantly sprouted countless sharp, needle-like spikes.

In the span of a breath, he no longer resembled a human at all.

An ominous aura permeated the air, a suffocating presence blanketing the outer courtyard of the martial arts school.

"Master, please step aside. Let your disciple handle him."

Lu Qiang respectfully requested of Wang Jianxiong.

Wang Jianxiong shook his head. "These old bones haven't been stretched in a while. It's a good chance to loosen up."

He stood and took a few steps forward. "Did you really think a tiger would start eating grass? A mere Phantom, wearing a human skin, dares to sneak into the martial arts school."

"This is my territory. Did you come here to be my appetizer?"

His aged voice suddenly boomed, like thunderclap on flat ground, making everyone's eardrums ring.

Fang Guiqi's features were grotesquely distorted, his body hunched like a beast. He sprang from the ground, the sound of his movement like tearing silk.

This leap, in both speed and power, caused the surrounding apprentices to change their expressions drastically.

Even Li Hao, who had mastered Internal Force, couldn't help but take a few steps back. If he were pounced on by that thing, he would surely die.

"Excellent!"

Wang Jianxiong raised his withered right hand and pushed it into the air. His skin inflated, and silver patterns appeared on its surface.

In the blink of an eye, his right hand swelled into a silver tiger claw, striking Fang Guiqi in mid-air with lightning speed and pinpoint accuracy.

Fang Guiqi was sent flying backward, crashing through a wall and kicking up several meters of dust.

"Master is mighty!"

A few of his trusted disciples chimed in with praise.

But the danger was not over.

Suddenly, a phantom figure shot out from the dust.

It was Fang Guiqi.

This low-key new apprentice no longer looked human at all. Most of the flesh on his body had peeled away, exposing writhing, viscous fluid.

"Phantom, what kind of monster is this?"

Zhou You's worldview was profoundly shaken. He realized there were many more mysterious beings in this world.

He had initially thought Fang Guiqi was at most a spy, but it turned out he wasn't even human.

For the past few months, what kind of creature had he been living with for three months?

"Careful!"

Fang Guiqi darted left and right. A few apprentices were carelessly grazed, their bones and flesh as brittle as paper, easily torn apart.

With each lunge and dash, he exerted at least a thousand pounds of force, far beyond what new students who hadn't mastered Internal Force could contend with.

Then, Fang Guiqi suddenly changed direction, charging straight towards Zhou You's location.

Zhou You noticed that amidst the seemingly crazed look in the other's eyes, a hint of cunning flickered.

Fang Guiqi, having been severely injured by Wang Jianxiong's attack, had feigned a loss of control to find an opportunity to escape.

Wang Jianxiong and the inner courtyard disciples held their ground firmly. The remaining new apprentices, though numerous, were the weakest point.

Therefore, his ultimate goal was to blast a path through flesh and blood and escape the outer courtyard of the martial arts school.

"Fierce, cunning, cruel, deceptive. What kind of creature is this?"

Zhou You took a deep breath, his body temperature soaring, and his Internal Force surged into his hands, ready to strike.

At this moment, only by fighting for his own survival could he have a sliver of hope.