Astonishing Speed of Injury Recovery

The air suddenly fell silent.

Gu Yang was still in shock, while Li Zhiwu seemed to have been dazed by Gu Yang's punch. He sat down hard on the ground, staring blankly at Gu Yang.

One stood while the other sat, and neither made a sound.

"Pant, pant..."

After a long while, Gu Yang finally came back to his senses—and felt the sharp pain in his chest.

He had still failed to defend against Li Zhiwu's final punch.

Fortunately, he had taken a step back at the last moment. Though the blow had still landed squarely on his chest, its force had been reduced by thirty percent.

Of course, Li Zhiwu had not had it easy either. Gu Yang's full-force punch had struck him in the head; at the very least, he probably had a mild concussion.

"Heh, hngh~"

Gu Yang gave a soft laugh, only for it to turn into a pained groan the next instant.

He struggled to pull open the collar of his martial uniform, revealing a clearly visible purplish bruise.

Beyond that, waves of pain kept coming from elsewhere on his body.

He did not even need to look to know that he was surely bruised black and blue all over.

"Hiss~"

Gu Yang's mouth twitched, but this time it was not from pain—it was from pleasure!

At that moment, vast quantities of mysterious specks of light suddenly emerged within Gu Yang's body. They gathered at every injured spot on his body, constantly repairing his wounds.

It felt as if countless invisible little hands had appeared on his body, endlessly kneading the bruised places where he had been hurt.

"Whew..."

With another long exhale, Gu Yang immediately felt much better.

The second effect of the talent "Vitality Surge" had appeared, and its effect was astonishingly obvious!

Martial artists possessed strong physiques and remarkable recovery abilities. Even broken bones would probably heal after ten days to half a month of recuperation, while superficial wounds would recover in merely a day or two.

But no matter how fast that was, it could not compare to his current recovery speed.

Within just a few breaths, Gu Yang felt the pain throughout his body lessen considerably.

His entire body felt warm and comfortable, as though he were soaking in a hot spring.

"Ah!"

At that moment, Li Zhiwu also snapped awake as if from a dream and cried out.

Gu Yang turned his head and immediately saw Li Zhiwu looking at him as well.

The corners of Gu Yang's mouth curled up as he chuckled. "How is it? Can you still fight? Want to continue?"

"Continue what? Both of you, get up and go to the Pharmacy for an examination!"

A deep voice suddenly rang out beside them.

Gu Yang looked up and discovered that Qin Hu had somehow arrived at their side.

A large hairy hand suddenly grabbed the back of his neck. With a light lift from Qin Hu, Gu Yang was hoisted to his feet.

That large hand then began moving over his body—his chest, his arms...

After feeling around everywhere, Qin Hu's stern expression finally eased. "Nothing serious. Go to the Pharmacy and apply some medicinal wine to reduce the swelling and disperse the bruising. You'll be fine after resting for two days."

"Yes, Master Qin." Gu Yang steadied himself and replied softly.

Qin Hu then examined Li Zhiwu in the same manner. Once he confirmed that, aside from feeling somewhat muddled in the head, there was nothing else wrong with him, he told the two of them to go to the Pharmacy together and apply medicine.

The Martial Academy's Pharmacy stood beside the dining hall, both located behind the Martial Academy.

Gu Yang started toward the exit of the Training Ground, while Li Zhiwu remained silent as he followed behind him.

Watching the two sway and stagger all the way out of the Training Ground, Qin Hu could not help but reveal a satisfied smile.

"This kid broke through several days earlier than I expected."

Past the midpoint of the Hour of the Snake, Gu Yang lay on his back in the Training Ground, claiming it was to recuperate from his injuries.

Beside him, Li Zhiwu sat against a wall with his eyes half-closed.

He had no choice but to squint. Whenever he opened his eyes, his head spun.

Just now in the Pharmacy, the Martial Academy's old physician had examined the two of them. Both had some purplish bruising on their bodies.

Gu Yang in particular had a dark greenish bruise on his chest that was a shocking sight. Even the old physician had been startled.

Fortunately, the examination showed that they were merely superficial injuries. His bones and internal organs had not been harmed, and he would recover naturally in a few days.

Li Zhiwu, on the other hand, had few external injuries, but his head had suffered a heavy blow. He needed to rest properly for a day or two.

The two simply sat quietly, neither saying a word.

Gu Yang turned his head to glance at Li Zhiwu, then closed his eyes.

Specks of starlight flashed into existence, and two lines of text immediately appeared before his eyes.

Skill: Blood Nourishing Stance · Minor Mastery (11/200); Azure Dragon Dance · Beginner (70/500)

Talent: Vitality Surge.

Staring at the number behind Azure Dragon Dance, Gu Yang's lips immediately curved upward.

In less than two quarters of an hour, the proficiency of Azure Dragon Dance had risen by thirteen points.

That rate was comparable to two or three days of practicing empty strikes by himself.

If the two of them could spar for an entire day, Azure Dragon Dance's proficiency could break through the Beginner level in two days.

Unfortunately, that was unrealistic.

Leaving aside whether their stamina could hold out, the injuries caused by all manner of accidental collisions alone made it impossible for them to spar nonstop.

With even the slightest carelessness, they would have to recuperate for a while.

Take this time, for example. If Gu Yang had not possessed the talent "Vitality Surge," he would have needed to lie in bed and recover.

One had to know that when the old physician at the Pharmacy examined him, the Life Force within his body had already repaired much of his injury. Yet even then, it would still take several days to heal.

It was easy to imagine that his injuries had definitely not been light.

But then again, if he did not have this talent, he would not have rashly accepted Li Zhiwu's invitation to be his sparring partner.

After all, although he lacked money and needed money, he was not so desperate for it that he would risk his life for it.

The Martial Academy's bell rang, and the lingering glow of the setting sun spilled over the earth. Another day of cultivation had come to an end.

Gu Yang stretched lazily, and his bones immediately crackled like popping beans.

He lifted his martial uniform to check his chest. The mark had already changed from dark green to light green.

As for the other places, aside from his arms, which had constantly endured Li Zhiwu's heavy punches and still hurt somewhat, the rest had basically healed.

This was the powerful healing effect of "Vitality Surge"!

Gu Yang estimated that after another night's sleep, the bruises all over his body would completely fade away.

With such a talent, did he still have to fear being injured during sparring?

He got up and followed the crowd out.

This time, Gu Yang immediately noticed something different from before.

He was no longer invisible. Many disciples were secretly sizing him up, and traces of sympathy occasionally appeared in their eyes.

Gu Yang had no idea that he had already become somewhat famous in this Training Ground.

Of course, he was famous because Li Zhiwu had injured him, sending him to the Pharmacy for treatment.

But even if he knew, Gu Yang would not care.

You are not a fish—how can you know the joy of a fish?

Those disciples did not know about his talent, which was why they sympathized with what had happened to him.

Yet in truth, though this day's sparring session had been short, Gu Yang could be said to have reaped a full harvest.

Touching his nearly healed chest, Gu Yang could not help feeling excited.

Sparring with Li Zhiwu had truly been the right choice. He could earn money while raising his skill proficiency at the same time. He felt like he was practically winning so hard his hands were going numb...