Sparring

Ten days later, at the third quarter of the Yin Hour, a fish-belly white had only just appeared on the Eastern Horizon.

Inside the Wanping Martial Academy dormitories, in the third room on the east side, the over-ten-foot-long communal bed stood empty. There were no other Martial Disciples, only Jiang Qinghe sitting cross-legged alone.

The dampness of morning dew seeped through the window lattice, condensing into tiny droplets on his brows and lashes.

These past days, he had taken a medicinal bath every two or three days. The Blood Activating Powder had all been used up.

At this moment, Jiang Qinghe stared at the panel that had appeared before his eyes.

[Realm: Body Tempering (Minor Accomplishment)]

[Technique: Iron Shirt Skill (Minor Accomplishment—5/10), Wood Splitting Skill (Perfected)]

[Martial Skill: Rock Crushing Palm (Beginner—2/4)]

[Potential Points: 14 (0–1 point obtainable daily)]

"With the aid of external objects like medicinal pills, martial cultivation has sped up immensely."

After pondering for a moment, Jiang Qinghe devoted the efforts of these past days to the Iron Shirt Skill.

[Realm: Body Tempering (Major Accomplishment)]

[Iron Shirt Skill (Major Accomplishment—9/30)]

Boom—

It was as though an invisible giant hammer had smashed into every inch of Jiang Qinghe's muscles. His vision went black, and he nearly passed out.

The hammering did not come just once. It continued without end, hundreds, even thousands of times.

From the surface of his skin to the deepest layers of muscle, every fiber was torn apart, then swiftly reassembled as the technique circulated.

After several reshaping cycles, his muscles became more solid, their density increasing at an astonishing rate.

Jiang Qinghe clenched his fist. He could clearly feel his muscle fibers twisting and tensing like steel wires tempered a thousand times, while unprecedented power surged beneath his skin.

"My resistance to blows has increased considerably, and my strength has risen far more than it did at Minor Accomplishment. It has jumped by four hundred pounds, reaching sixteen hundred pounds."

Jiang Qinghe nodded to himself.

When he rose, the sudden transformation left him unable to fully control his strength for a moment, and he nearly crushed the bed beneath him.

After leaving the dormitory, Jiang Qinghe headed all the way to the training ground.

The grounds were somewhat quiet at this hour, with only a scattered few people warming up.

Most Martial Disciples lived throughout the city at night. They generally arrived one after another around the Hour of the Dragon, then hurried off after training, as they still had other work to do in the afternoon.

Some had to haul sacks at the docks, some worked in shops, and others had to hurry home to tend the fields.

After all, quite a few of them had to support their families and make a living in addition to practicing martial arts.

"Qinghe!"

Gong Jie had already finished warming up in the field. Upon seeing Jiang Qinghe, he greeted him enthusiastically.

A few days ago, when he learned that Jiang Qinghe had broken through to Minor Accomplishment in Body Tempering, he had been thoroughly stunned.

After all, though he was now at Major Accomplishment, he had practiced martial arts for nearly a year.

Back then, it had taken him several months, with his family constantly supplying medicinal powders, before he reached Minor Accomplishment.

Yet Jiang Qinghe had entered the academy only ten days ago and had gone from having no foundation at all straight to Minor Accomplishment.

Such inconceivable talent filled him with envy.

"Ah Jie!"

Jiang Qinghe answered. Over these past days, the two had become fairly familiar. He had learned that Gong Jie was the young master of the Yongxing Escort Agency in the county.

Gong Jie was forthright by nature. Though he came from an escort agency family, he put on no airs and often exchanged pointers with the academy's disciples.

It was only that the Yongxing Escort Agency had declined somewhat since his grandfather's generation.

Now, it could barely keep itself afloat on the reputation accumulated by its ancestors.

"Want to trade a few moves?" Gong Jie asked.

"Nothing I'd like more! I had a sudden insight while pondering palm techniques last night, and I was just hoping you could give me some pointers."

A sharp glint flashed in Jiang Qinghe's eyes as he immediately assumed a stance.

These past days, he had come to deeply understand that technique cultivation depended on one's own hard practice, while martial skills needed the tempering of real combat to improve.

Trading moves with others was far superior to shutting oneself away and building a cart behind closed doors. It was much more efficient than feeling his way forward alone.

Moreover, Gong Jie had practiced the Rock Crushing Palm for nearly a year and had already entered Minor Accomplishment.

The unique insights he had accumulated in actual combat had benefited Jiang Qinghe greatly.

It was precisely thanks to those pointers that, after reaching Beginner level, his Rock Crushing Palm had risen by two progress points in just a few days.

"Take this!"

Gong Jie suddenly sprang into action. His right palm shot out like a venomous dragon leaving its den, his wrist bones taut as refined steel. The force in his palm condensed into a single point as it struck straight at Jiang Qinghe!

This palm strike appeared direct and straightforward, but it actually contained three layers of force.

If his opponent blocked it, the follow-up force would advance layer by layer like a drill, until it broke through their defense.

Neither Dodging Nor Evading, Jiang Qinghe raised his left arm to block. His muscles instantly tightened like an iron shirt.

Bang—!

Amid the dull impact, Jiang Qinghe borrowed the momentum to retreat several steps, dispersing the force.

Then, at a strange angle, his right palm suddenly shot out from beneath his ribs and struck straight at Gong Jie's waist!

"Good!"

Gong Jie laughed loudly. His body abruptly sank by half, and his palms crossed like a giant axe splitting a mountain—it was the Mountain Shattering stance.

"Watch how I shift my waist and stance!"

He gave a low shout. His waist and hips twisted sharply, and his originally parallel palms suddenly crossed as spiraling force burst forth!

Jiang Qinghe's pupils contracted. He hurriedly changed moves, but the remaining force still swept across his shoulder.

Half his body immediately went numb, as if he had been struck by lightning.

He was secretly startled, but his movements did not falter in the slightest.

His footwork shifted, and he slid to Gong Jie's flank like a swimming fish. His right palm slashed down at an angle!

This strike was like a giant axe cleaving rock, mighty and heavy!

Surprise flashed through Gong Jie's eyes. Caught off guard, he could only perform a donkey's roll to dodge miserably, then sprang back up with a carp leap.

"Good!" The fighting spirit in his eyes grew even fiercer. "That Mountain Crushing stance has some bite to it!"

They kept their strength at the same level, using only the Rock Crushing Palm to counter one move with another.

The two figures crossed rapidly through the field, their palm winds howling.

The longer Jiang Qinghe fought, the braver he became. His moves grew increasingly proficient, and he could even predict Gong Jie's attack routes.

Bang!

After a hundred exchanges, Gong Jie suddenly changed moves. His right palm slipped through Jiang Qinghe's defense like a ghost and lightly pressed against his chest.

Thud, thud, thud! Jiang Qinghe staggered back several steps. His blood and qi churned in his chest, and he was ultimately defeated.

He took a deep breath and suppressed his roiling internal energy.

Gong Jie laughed heartily and patted him on the shoulder.

"Qinghe, your progress is astonishing! Give it a few more months, and I'm afraid even I won't be able to keep you down!"

[Rock Crushing Palm (Beginner—3/4)]

Jiang Qinghe looked at the panel as another point of progress was added and nodded to himself.

In a few more days, without consuming Potential Points, the Rock Crushing Palm would be able to break through to Minor Accomplishment on its own.

Before he knew it, the sun was once again about to sink in the west.

After reaching Major Accomplishment in Body Tempering, Jiang Qinghe's appetite had increased again. Even after finishing his last dry cake, his stomach still felt somewhat empty.

"It really doesn't keep you full..."

After bidding Gong Jie farewell, Jiang Qinghe left the academy and bought some dry cakes and dried meat.

On his way back, he fingered the few hundred copper coins he had left and could not help falling into thought.

"In a few days, I'll have to find a way to make some money..."

Still thinking, he took a shortcut into a small alley.

Just as he was about to pass through it, heavy footsteps suddenly sounded.

At the far end, three sturdy men slowly approached, cold glints flashing from the sabers at their waists.

The leader was none other than Liao Hu, the Iron Saber Gang's incense master, whom he had not seen for many days.

Jiang Qinghe instinctively looked back. At some unknown time, three more men had appeared at the entrance behind him.

The six men formed an encirclement from front and back, completely sealing off his retreat.

"Liao Hu!"

Jiang Qinghe's gaze turned icy, and his fists slowly clenched.

"I didn't expect you all to still be thinking about me after so long."

"Kid, we've had quite the time looking for you these days!"

Liao Hu's eyes were mocking as he swept his gaze over Jiang Qinghe like he was inspecting prey already in hand, taking in the training uniform embroidered with the character Ping on Jiang Qinghe's chest.

"You even became a Martial Disciple at the academy. Where did you get the money to pay the admission fee?"

As though he had thought of something, his face abruptly darkened. He asked in a deep voice,

"Speak! Does Qiu San's disappearance have anything to do with you?"