With his strength surging and a new goal in sight, Lu Chen returned to the Black Water Gang.
He had been missing for three days. The excuse he gave was that the last night patrol had frightened him so badly that he'd gone home to recover for a few days.
Brother Liu and the others had thought nothing of it. After all, witnessing a companion being devoured by a demon was a terror few could easily endure.
They had merely clapped Lu Chen on the shoulder and laughed that even "Lu Iron Skin" had his cowardly moments, then let the matter drop.
After returning to the gang, Lu Chen became even more discreet than before.
He wrapped his ink-black palms in strips of cloth and told people he'd injured them while practicing.
Whether he was carrying out a mission or sparring with someone, he deliberately concealed most of his strength, showing only the level of an ordinary gang member with greater-than-average strength and resilience.
He was like a lurking beast, keeping every claw and fang sheathed as he quietly waited for an opportunity.
After his Stone Crushing Palm reached the Third Realm, "Mastery," his strength had far surpassed that of ordinary gang members. He was even stronger than some Junior Leaders.
That strength was his greatest trump card. He couldn't reveal it lightly.
Until he was strong enough to protect himself, standing out too soon would only invite needless trouble and prying eyes.
That day, Lu Chen was at the training ground, going through his daily saber drills.
Suddenly, the urgent clang of the assembly bell rang out.
Every member of the War Hall, whether training or resting, immediately put aside what they were doing and hurried toward the raised platform in the center of the training ground.
Zhao Tieshan stood atop the platform in a blue martial outfit, his hands clasped behind his back. His expression was stern as his gaze swept over the nearly hundred elite War Hall members below.
When everyone had assembled, he spoke in a deep voice that carried across the entire training ground.
"Brothers, I have some news to announce."
"In another month, it'll be time for the Black Water Gang's annual Hall Tournament!"
The Hall Tournament?
A ripple of commotion ran through the crowd. Many faces lit up with excitement and anticipation.
Lu Chen's heart stirred. He hadn't been in the gang long and knew little about the Hall Tournament, but judging by everyone's reaction, it was clearly no small matter.
"The old hands know the rules of the tournament. I'll go over them again for the newcomers."
Zhao Tieshan raised his voice.
"The Black Water Gang has no place for idlers. The capable rise, and the mediocre fall! The tournament is meant to pick out the gang's toughest, most courageous men and entrust them with important responsibilities!"
"For this War Hall tournament, anyone who's been in the gang for more than three months can participate. The top three will be promoted directly to Junior Leader, and each will receive a hundred taels of silver!"
"Junior Leader!"
"A hundred taels of silver!"
The crowd's breathing grew heavier, and one blazing gaze after another fixed on the platform.
A Junior Leader held a respectable position in the gang. He received a generous, fixed monthly stipend and commanded more than a dozen men under him. It was a position that meant he'd truly found his footing in the gang.
But Zhao Tieshan's next words sent the atmosphere soaring even higher.
"That's not all!"
Zhao Tieshan paused, the corner of his mouth curling as he dangled an even more enticing prize before them.
"The champion of this tournament will be promoted to leader and receive a hundred taels of silver. On top of that, the gang will teach him a true Mortal Grade Low-Rank Martial Art—Iron Cloth Shirt!"
The crowd erupted.
Iron Cloth Shirt!
This was a true graded martial art!
Unlike Stone Crushing Palm, a lesser martial art with moves but no training method, Iron Cloth Shirt was a genuine external hardening art. It came with a corresponding breathing method and Herbal Bath Formula. Trained to a high level, it could make the body as hard as iron and stone, impervious to blades and spears!
A martial art of this caliber was one of the Black Water Gang's core inheritances. Only the higher-ups and leaders who had rendered great service were qualified to practice it.
Now, all they had to do was win first place in the tournament to obtain it!
The temptation was enough to drive any low-ranking gang member wild.
"I'm going all out this time! I'll get Iron Cloth Shirt no matter what!"
"You? Give it up. Haven't you seen Zhang Meng and Li Kui over there? What chance do we have?"
"That's not certain. Fists and feet have no eyes. Once we're in the ring, you never know who'll win!"
The gang members talked excitedly, rolling up their sleeves. Desire burned in every eye.
Lu Chen stood among them with his head lowered, but his heart pounded violently in his chest.
It was here.
The opportunity he'd been waiting for had finally arrived.
Iron Cloth Shirt.
This Mortal-Tier martial art was exactly what he needed most right now.
Though he'd trained his Stone Crushing Palm all the way to the Third Realm and developed the [Bronze Skin] trait, its foundation was still shallow. If he could obtain a systematic body-tempering art like Iron Cloth Shirt and use the two to reinforce each other, his strength would make another leap forward.
More importantly, becoming a Junior Leader meant access to more of the gang's inner secrets and greater resources.
This was a perfect chance for him to climb higher.
His gaze swept unobtrusively over the crowd, fixing in his mind the names everyone had mentioned.
Zhang Meng was a hulking man eight feet tall, built like an iron pagoda. They said he was born with Divine Strength and had mastered the Savage Bull Fist. He'd placed fifth in the previous tournament.
Li Kui had a lean, powerful build and specialized in leg techniques. His Twelve-Way Tan Leg was as fast as lightning, and he was a vicious man who never held back.
They were all longtime members with formidable strength and solid foundations, and were among the favorites in this tournament.
Lu Chen was burning with eagerness inside, but his expression remained unchanged.
Amid the crowd, he wore the same mixture of envy and apprehension as the other newcomers, as though winning first place in the tournament were an unreachable dream.
After making his announcement, Zhao Tieshan dismissed the crowd.
The entire War Hall fell into a feverish, tense atmosphere.
Some began forming groups, discussing how they could look out for one another during the tournament.
Others began training like mad, hoping to cram at the last minute.
Still others quietly went to the black market to buy medicine for their injuries, preparing for the bloody battles in the ring.
Lu Chen left the training ground in silence and returned to his dormitory.
He didn't rush to train. Instead, he sat on his bed and began to think things through calmly.
A month was neither long nor short.
With his Stone Crushing Palm at the "Mastery" stage, along with his [Iron Hand] and [Bronze Skin] traits, he was absolutely confident he could defeat any opponent, including Zhang Meng and Li Kui.
But the question was, how should he win?
He couldn't win too easily, and he couldn't expose the secret of his Stone Crushing Palm being at the Third Realm.
For a sixteen-year-old to train a lesser martial art to the point where Force Penetrates Body was utterly astonishing. It was bound to invite suspicion and scrutiny from Zhao Tieshan, or even higher-ups.
If that happened, the secrets he carried—including the fact that he'd consumed Demon Blood and Flesh—might be dug up.
He had to devise a script.
A script that would let him win first place in the tournament and make a stunning impression, without seeming too monstrous—a script that could explain everything as the result of "exceptional talent" and "working hard enough."
"One month..."
Lu Chen murmured to himself, his eyes gleaming with calculation.
For the next month, he would consolidate and temper his newly gained strength, while planning every detail of his "performance" in the tournament.
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