First Clash

The interior reading room of the Martial Arts Bureau was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, a stark contrast to the clamor of the training area outside. Lin Feng was immersed in a vast sea of information, voraciously absorbing key points about the Martial Artist realm's cultivation, methods for stabilizing one's realm, and techniques for utilizing different elemental Spiritual Energy.

While this knowledge couldn't directly increase his strength, it was like opening a door to a new world, giving him a clearer understanding of the path ahead and avoiding the risk of practicing in isolation.

"The Martial Artist realm emphasizes 'Qi Condensation' and 'Meridian Opening.' Condensing Blood Essence into purer True Qi; opening more meridians to build a more efficient energy circulation..." Lin Feng mused thoughtfully. "My Basic Body Tempering Technique: Body Tempering Chapter already focuses on clearing meridians, which aligns perfectly with this direction."

He realized that his previous cultivation, aided by the System, had already laid a far more solid foundation than that of an ordinary Martial Artist, even if he hadn't been aware of it.

It wasn't until evening that Lin Feng left the reading room, fully satisfied, and returned to the familiar double gravity training room.

Upon breaking through to the Martial Artist realm, his body felt as though it had shed a heavy shackle, and the pressure from the double gravity had significantly lessened. After a brief moment of adaptation, he unhesitatingly adjusted the gravity control knob to triple!

"Buzz--!"

An invisible, immense force pressed down! Lin Feng's body lurched downwards, his knees bending slightly. A series of bone-grinding cracks echoed from his skeleton, and his internal organs felt intense pressure!

Triple gravity was a completely different concept from double! It was an intensity that many seasoned Martial Artists only dared to attempt!

"This is intense!" Instead of fear, Lin Feng's eyes blazed with fighting spirit. Only under such extreme pressure could he maximize his potential, consolidate his realm, and temper the newly formed, still somewhat unstable True Qi!

He began circulating the Basic Body Tempering Technique: Body Tempering Chapter again, while simultaneously practicing the Nine Heavens Thunder Blade. Under the terrifying restraint of triple gravity, every movement became incredibly difficult. The once fluid "Lightning Flash" movement technique was now as slow as a snail's crawl, and unleashing "Thunderclap Break" required several times the usual strength and Spiritual Power.

Sweat instantly poured out, but it was quickly pressed flat against his skin by the gravity, forming a sticky film. His muscle fibers screamed, his meridians vibrated violently under the immense pressure, but he gritted his teeth, his gaze sharp as a blade, repeating the tedious and painful training over and over.

He knew that every second he endured, his foundation would solidify by one more degree, and his strength would condense by a sliver.

Just as Lin Feng was immersed in his extreme training, the training room's access indicator light turned from red to green, and the door slowly opened.

A group of Tianyao Martial High School students, led by Chen Feng, walked straight in. They seemed to have just finished a sparring session, still carrying the lingering fighting spirit and the scent of sweat.

Chen Feng's gaze immediately fell upon Lin Feng, who was in the center of the triple gravity zone, practicing the Nine Heavens Thunder Blade with slow but exceptionally stable movements. As his eyes swept over the "3.0G" reading on the wall, his pupils contracted slightly.

Triple gravity? Hadn't this kid just broken through to Martial Artist? How could he possibly withstand it?!

The companions behind him also showed expressions of surprise.

"Brother Feng, this kid..." a tall, thin young man said in a low voice, his tone filled with disbelief.

Chen Feng's expression was somewhat grim. He considered himself a genius and had tried triple gravity himself shortly after breaking through to Martial Artist, but he had to withdraw after less than ten minutes. Unlike Lin Feng, who could still practice such fierce and explosive martial skills within it?

A feeling of being surpassed, mixed with the lingering annoyance from Lin Feng's indifferent response earlier, festered in his heart.

He let out a cold snort. Instead of heading to the adjacent empty area, he deliberately led his group to a spot not far from Lin Feng and activated the gravity device, setting it to double gravity.

"Everyone, focus! Don't let some lucky peasant surpass you!" Chen Feng's voice wasn't loud, but it was clear enough for everyone in the training room to hear, the sarcasm in his words undisguised.

The individuals behind him understood and immediately began sparring noisily, their punches and kicks colliding, their shouts deliberately amplified to disrupt Lin Feng's training.

"Hiyah!"

"Watch this move!"

"Brother Feng is right, we Tianyao students can't lose face!"

The noisy sounds echoed in the enclosed training room, particularly grating.

Lin Feng's brow twitched almost imperceptibly. He was at a critical juncture of adapting to triple gravity and condensing his nascent True Qi, and the external interference did cause some disruption, his Blood Essence fluctuating slightly.

But how could his resolute will be disturbed by such petty tricks? He directly shut out part of his hearing, his Spiritual Power highly concentrated, completely immersed in his own training rhythm. He ignored the surrounding noise, his movements remaining steady. In fact, with his mind unclouded, his understanding of the "Thunderclap Break" power application technique even deepened slightly.

Seeing that Lin Feng showed no reaction, as if they didn't exist, the feeling of being ignored infuriated Chen Feng even more. His eyes turned cold, and he gave a look to the tall, thin young man beside him.

The tall, thin young man understood and, during a seemingly accidental sparring retreat, his foot "happened" to slip. He lost control and stumbled towards Lin Feng, his elbow moving in a seemingly panicked but covert and swift motion towards Lin Feng's back! If this strike had landed, under the gravity, it would have caused Lin Feng's Blood Essence to flow backward, resulting in a not-so-light internal injury!

"Watch out!" the tall, thin young man shouted hypocritically.

Just as his elbow was about to touch Lin Feng's back--

Lin Feng, who had been as steady as a rock, moved!

As if foreseeing the attack, his body shifted sideways by half a step at an incredible, almost contorted angle under the triple gravity, like a slippery loach. This was a manifestation of the "Lightning Flash" movement technique integrated into his instincts!

Simultaneously, his left arm whipped backward as if boneless. His fingers were slightly spread, not clenched into a fist, but held together like a sword. A faint wisp of electric light flashed at his fingertips and vanished—it was the power application technique of the Electric Light Finger!

"Chii!"

His fingertip struck first, hitting the pressure point on the tall, thin young man's elbow with pinpoint accuracy!

"Ah!" The tall, thin young man felt his entire arm instantly go numb, as if struck by high-voltage current. The condensed power dissipated instantly, his arm hanging limply. He couldn't exert any strength with half his body and looked at Lin Feng in horror.

Lin Feng, throughout the entire exchange, never once looked back at them, as if he had merely flicked away an annoying fly. He slowly retracted his stance, feeling the True Qi within him gradually adapting to the gravity and becoming even more condensed. He spoke calmly, his voice somewhat muffled in the gravity room, yet clearly reaching everyone's ears:

"If the students of Tianyao are only capable of such sneak attacks and disrupting others, then the reputation of this prestigious school is nothing more than that."

Chen Feng and the others' faces instantly turned ashen!

Especially Chen Feng, he stared intently at Lin Feng's still steady back, his fists clenched so tightly they creaked. He hadn't expected Lin Feng's strength to exceed expectations, let alone his reactions and counter-measures to be so shrewd and sharp!

The opponent had effortlessly dismantled their scheme and, in return, delivered a resounding slap to the face of all of Tianyao!

"Let's go!" Chen Feng gritted out the words through clenched teeth, his expression so dark it could drip water. He knew that staying any longer would only lead to further humiliation.

He led the tall, thin young man, who was pale with fear and pain, and a few companions with grim expressions, to dejectedly shut off the gravity and quickly leave the training room.

The door closed, and silence returned to the room.

Lin Feng slowly opened his eyes, looking in the direction they had left, his gaze icy.

"Clowns."

He no longer paid attention to this minor incident, readjusted his breathing, and plunged back into his arduous training.

Under the pressure of triple gravity, his figure remained upright, and a faint sound of wind and thunder emanated from his fists.

There was still some time before the finals of the Martial Arts Examination. He had enough patience and willpower to forge himself into an indestructible thunderous blade.

At that time, all doubts and provocations would turn to dust in the face of absolute power.