Dragon Snake Dance

Yunhu Villa, District Three, Building Nine.

This was a three-story detached villa. The first floor had no furniture at all. Various weapons were displayed beside the entrance, while a corner had been partitioned off with translucent glass into two rooms.

One room held all manner of weightlifting equipment. The other contained several instruments, including a punching-force testing machine.

The entire first floor was effectively a training hall spanning more than two hundred square meters.

Gao Wu knew that Song Mingyue was a formidable Martial Artist, but building such a large training hall in her home still seemed a little strange.

On second thought, though, he felt that it suited Song Mingyue's independent, unconventional personality perfectly.

"This house was left to me by my mother. I made a few modifications."

Song Mingyue handed Gao Wu a card. "This is my home access card. You can save the access information on your phone. Come here after school from now on. We'll eat and train together."

"Uh, isn't this too much trouble for you?" Gao Wu was easygoing and thick-skinned, but going to Song Mingyue's house for meals like this still felt like things were moving too quickly. He was not quite used to it.

"You don't need to feel embarrassed. Setting aside the fact that you saved my life, helping you become stronger is helping myself where the Strange Spirit is concerned."

Song Mingyue said very seriously, "Before we resolve the Strange Spirit, I'll do everything I can to help you. This is what you deserve."

Gao Wu gave an awkward laugh. This girl really spoke bluntly!

Still, it was good to lay everything out in the open. He had been thinking this way and that, afraid things might become too ambiguous, while also feeling as though he would be repaying kindness with demands.

Now, he had far fewer concerns.

Before the Strange Spirit was dealt with, he had a stable meal ticket. And he had earned it with his own abilities—it was not living off a woman!

He nodded. "Understood. I'll come every evening. If I can't make it, I'll let you know beforehand."

Song Mingyue nodded. That was how it should be.

This concerned both of their futures and was of utmost importance. They had to make everything clear.

"I've already prepared a room for you. There are training clothes inside, along with a bathroom."

Song Mingyue had made all the arrangements before finding Gao Wu. She led him to the second floor and pointed to a guest room beside the stairway. "Change first. I'll wait for you downstairs."

"Thank you."

Gao Wu did not stand on ceremony anymore. Song Mingyue was cool and aloof by nature, yet meticulous in thought. She had considered everything thoroughly.

Ordinary clothes were not suitable for high-intensity training, and having a changing room was much more convenient. Gao Wu understood the situation. Training here was fine, but staying overnight was not appropriate.

Perhaps Song Mingyue did not care, but Aunt Lan might not agree. If outsiders saw it, there would be no way to explain it clearly. It would be terribly damaging to Song Mingyue's reputation.

After swiping the access card, Gao Wu took a look around the room.

The guest room had a bedroom, living room, and bathroom, totaling more than thirty square meters. The bedroom wardrobe held over ten sets of black training clothes, as well as disposable underwear, shoes, mouthguards, headbands, and other supplies. Everything was complete.

It had to be said: being rich was nice. There was no need to worry about ordinary living expenses, and it could greatly improve one's quality of life.

The Cataclysm four years ago had awakened the memories of his past life and activated the Boundless Merit Book. But his home had also been destroyed, and he had ultimately been adopted by the Shang Family.

Elder Shang and Shang Qingjun had both treated him very well. However, after awakening the memories of his past life, Gao Wu was mentally more mature and had become extremely frugal.

Even so, Elder Shang faced considerable pressure raising two students alone, and their lives were still somewhat straitened.

Seeing Song Mingyue's comfortable living conditions, Gao Wu could not help feeling a little wistful—and a little envious.

Then again, Song Mingyue had serious problems in every respect, problems that comfortable living conditions could not make up for...

Gao Wu changed into the black training clothes and shoes. Finding that they fit perfectly, he praised her inwardly again. Girls really were attentive.

When he returned to the first floor, Song Mingyue was already waiting for him.

She wore a headband that neatly gathered her short hair without obstructing her vision. Her loose, soft gray-white training clothes made her tall, graceful figure stand out.

Her cool, waterlike eyes lent her an aloof, sharp-edged air, as though she possessed the ethereal aura of an immortal riding the wind.

"Well, well, well. This was kind of exciting..."

Gao Wu's heart stirred. Song Mingyue looked truly beautiful in this state, no longer soaked through and bedraggled like a drowned dog. He felt as though he might be starting to like her...

"We don't know each other well enough yet. Let's exchange a few moves first. You don't mind, do you?" Song Mingyue asked.

"Oh." Gao Wu came back to his senses and clasped his fist in his palm. "I don't mind. Please."

"I became an Advanced Martial Artist two years ago. Please go all out," Song Mingyue said softly.

"Impressive!"

Gao Wu praised her sincerely. He had long seen that Song Mingyue's bones and sinews were tough, her muscles dense, and her weight mismatched with her build. She was clearly an Advanced Martial Artist.

But Song Mingyue had only been sixteen two years ago, her body still in a period of rapid development, yet she had already become an Advanced Martial Artist. That was extraordinarily impressive.

In all of Dongjiang City, there were probably fewer than ten people who could become Advanced Martial Artists at sixteen.

Two years had passed, and Song Mingyue clearly could not have remained stagnant. She was very likely already a Top-level Martial Artist.

Knowing Song Mingyue's true strength made Gao Wu more cautious. Even if this was merely a spar, even if Song Mingyue was far stronger than he was, he still had to do his utmost to win.

What young man was not competitive? Even a soft, flabby old man would gulp down medicine and try to show off when he met a beautiful woman!

Gao Wu assumed a defensive boxing stance. Facing a Martial Artist a full level above him, his only chance of winning was to rely on his powerful physique to wear her down.

Song Mingyue advanced steadily with light footsteps. When she was three steps away from Gao Wu, she suddenly accelerated straight forward, her right palm stabbing toward his throat like a blade.

Her attack was simple and direct, yet exceptionally light and swift.

The shift in her rhythm and speed made Gao Wu feel extremely awkward. This was the first time he had encountered such a skilled Martial Artist. He had no time to consider tactics. Crossing his arms, he tried to block Song Mingyue's palm blade.

In his view, Song Mingyue might be stronger than him, but one hand could not possibly suppress both of his.

Moreover, he had formed a diagonal cross defense. This stance was the most stable and best suited for exerting force. It should have been enough to block Song Mingyue's palm blade.

The result greatly surprised Gao Wu. The instant Song Mingyue's palm blade touched his crossed arms, it sprang sharply away. The vibrating force numbed both his arms, leaving him unable to exert any strength.

Yet Song Mingyue's palm blade drove straight ahead with the momentum. Sensing danger, Gao Wu hurriedly inhaled and leaned back. Her palm blade missed his throat by less than an inch.

The sharp force stirred up by her palm blade was like an invisible blade, making Gao Wu's throat tighten with pain.

Gao Wu was inwardly alarmed. That palm blade had been so fierce and sharp, like a real knife. Had Song Mingyue struck him solidly, his throat would have shattered; even his neck might have been severed by her palm blade.

At that moment, Song Mingyue's raised left leg landed on Gao Wu's protruding lower abdomen.

With a bang, Gao Wu was kicked flying three or four meters. In that instant of agony, he felt as though his intestines had been kicked apart.

Fortunately, his physique was powerful. He did not lose his cool from the pain, and while still in midair, he adjusted his posture and landed steadily on both feet.

Song Mingyue did not pursue him. She waved a hand. "That's enough."

That left Gao Wu somewhat unconvinced. Though the kick had put him in an awkward state, he was not truly injured. Ending it like this made it seem as though he had lost...

A little unwilling to accept it, he said, "I can still fight."

Song Mingyue shook her head slightly. "The point of sparring was mainly to see your current training condition. Your physique truly is unusual. You took a thrust kick with fifty percent of my strength and were still completely unfazed.

"Your strength isn't bad either, and your bodily coordination is passable. It's just that your reaction speed is too slow. The Flying Squirrel Serum really is suitable for you..."

Song Mingyue did not like chatting, but when it came to serious matters, she could explain every last detail without omission.

She knew that Gao Wu's physique was unusual and had watched footage of his battles. But if she wanted a detailed assessment of him, she had to exchange blows with him personally.

With her keen spiritual power, Song Mingyue had already understood seventy or eighty percent of Gao Wu after that single exchange.

Just as Gao Wu himself had said, his greatest problem right now was his reaction speed being too slow. Against a true Advanced Martial Artist, he would not even be able to make use of his physical advantages.

"Although the Nine Dragon Forms you practice are simple, they originate from the true teachings of the Twelve Divine Aspects. Strength, speed, physique, even spiritual power—all of them can be enhanced and adjusted through serums.

"Only martial cultivation requires personal practice and comprehension. You have grasped a trace of the true essence of the Nine Dragon Forms, but you have practiced for too short a time. That trace of true essence has yet to seep into your body and mind..."

Song Mingyue said, "As it happens, my Nine Transformations of the White Snake corresponds to the Nine Dragon Forms. We can practice push-hands, sensing the changes in each other's force and making progress together."

Push-hands was a very ancient method of martial cultivation, where fellow disciples slowly and gently exerted force against one another to feed each other moves and learn.

When Gao Wu had studied the Nine Dragon Forms under Elder Shang, the old man had taught him move by move, hand in hand. Now Song Mingyue wanted to practice push-hands with him too, which made him somewhat doubtful.

After all, Elder Shang had once been a Warrior. His vision and knowledge were not something Song Mingyue could compare to. What could Gao Wu possibly learn by following Song Mingyue?

Song Mingyue saw Gao Wu's doubts. She did not explain further, merely reaching out and placing her hand against his.

As they continuously exerted force, Gao Wu felt as though they were two snakes entwining around each other.

The shifts in force as they wound around one another gradually followed Song Mingyue's guidance and entered the other person's rhythm...

He felt no alluring ambiguity at all. Instead, his heart turned solemn. This girl really had something!