Practicing Saber by Day, Practicing Force by Night

There is still one month until the gang competition.

The entire atmosphere of the Black Water Gang's Combat Hall became tense.

The air was filled with the smell of gunpowder. The gang members who used to call each other brothers now looked at each other with a hint of vigilance and competitiveness in their eyes.

In the training grounds, shouts and the clash of weapons could be heard endlessly.

Everyone was preparing for the upcoming bloody battle in their own way.

And Lu Chen perfectly hid himself within this fervent wave.

His life once again became regular and intense.

During the day, he no longer deliberately hid his strength as he did before. Instead, he appeared even more "desperate" than others.

He meticulously completed all the tasks assigned by the gang, such as patrols and debt collection.

In the gaps between missions, he seized every moment to practice the Mountain Splitting Saber Technique.

He didn't pursue any fancy moves; he just practiced the most basic slashes, chops, lifts, and cuts thousands upon thousands of times.

Sweat soaked through his clothes, only to be dried by the qi and blood within him, leaving behind a layer of white salt frost.

The Mountain Splitting Saber in his hand also went from being clumsy at first to increasingly proficient.

Every saber strike carried an indomitable momentum, precise and heavy.

His efforts were seen by everyone.

In the eyes of the other gang members, this young man called "Lu Iron Skin" was making the most foolish yet most arduous preparations for the competition.

They merely mocked him in secret, thinking, "As a newcomer, no matter how hard he tries, can he really shake the old hands like Zhang Meng?"

Lu Chen paid no attention to any of this.

He was simply immersed in his own world, feeling the strength increase with every bit of effort.

The Heavenly Dao Rewards Diligence Panel ensured that not a single drop of his sweat was wasted.

[Martial Art: Mountain Splitting Saber Technique (Realm 1: Initial Glimpse 78%)]

The progress bar on the panel was the best reward for his efforts.

And at night, when everyone else was asleep, was Lu Chen's true time for arduous training.

He would quietly leave the dormitory and head to a secluded, forgotten corner in the back mountain of the gang.

Here, he no longer practiced saber techniques but instead practiced the Stone Crushing Palm.

However, he wasn't practicing moves, but "force."

He stood before a huge rock, his palms pushing out and retracting at times, his movements slow but carrying a peculiar rhythm.

His palms did not touch the rock.

But if one looked closely, they would notice that the air in front of his palms was undergoing a subtle distortion, almost imperceptible to the naked eye.

An invisible Vibrating Force emanated from his palms, silently penetrating the rock in front of him.

He was trying to control the Vibrating Force brought about by the Mastery realm.

At first, he found it difficult to control this power. The force would fluctuate, sometimes strong, sometimes weak, and would even backlash, causing his qi and blood to surge.

But Lu Chen did not give up.

He tried again and again, adjusting his breathing, feeling every subtle change in his muscles, and exploring the methods of force circulation.

He discovered that although the energy from the Water Ghost's flesh and blood he had consumed that night was long gone, his body seemed to have been completely remodeled by that violent energy.

His meridians had become tougher and wider, and his qi and blood were far more abundant and vigorous than those of ordinary people.

This gave him endurance and recovery ability far exceeding that of martial artists of the same level, and also gave him the capital to repeatedly try and expend his stamina.

Gradually, he began to gain initial control over this Vibrating Force.

He even started to try attaching this invisible force to the edge of his saber.

He picked up a dry branch and held it in his hand, imagining it was his Mountain Splitting Saber.

When he swung the dry branch, he concentrated his mind and guided that trace of Vibrating Force to the tip of the branch.

Hummm...

The dry branch emitted a faint tremor.

He lightly slashed at a small tree beside him.

Crack!

The tree, as thick as a bowl, snapped, leaving a smooth cut.

"I did it!"

A glint of joy flashed in Lu Chen's eyes.

Although it was only an initial success, and extremely unstable, with huge consumption.

This undoubtedly opened a new door for him.

If he could perfectly attach the Vibrating Force to the Mountain Splitting Saber, the power of every strike he made would increase exponentially.

Time flew by in this mad, rigorous training of practicing saber techniques by day and force by night.

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

Lu Chen's appearance also underwent significant changes.

He had grown a bit taller, his frame had fully matured, his shoulders became broader and thicker, and the muscles all over his body, unlike Zhang Meng's exaggerated bulges, presented a streamlined, powerful look.

Standing there, he was like a saber sheathed, its sharpness hidden, yet its imposing aura could no longer be concealed.

His panel was also completely refreshed.

[Name: Lu Chen]
[Identity: Black Water Gang Member]
[Realm: Body Tempering Realm (Flesh Refining Stage)]
[Martial Arts: Stone Crushing Palm (3rd Stage Mastery 5%), Mountain Splitting Saber Technique (2nd Stage Proficient 10%)]
[Traits: Iron Hand (Beginner), Copper Skin (Beginner)]

After a month of rigorous training, his Mountain Splitting Saber Technique had successfully broken through to the "Proficient" realm, bringing his control over the saber to an entirely new level.

His control over the Vibrating Force of the Stone Crushing Palm also became increasingly adept.

He had thoroughly consolidated his rapidly increased strength, transforming it into his true foundation.

The day of the grand competition finally arrived.

On this day, the giant training ground in front of the Black Water Gang's main hall was crowded, with gongs and drums resounding.

Not only were the members of the Battle Hall present, but also members from other halls of the gang, and even some wealthy merchants from the city who were on good terms with the Black Water Gang came to watch, making the scene exceptionally lively.

In the center of the training ground, three sturdy bluestone arenas had been erected.

Nearly a hundred participating Battle Hall members, already clad in uniform martial attire, were lined up beneath the arenas according to the draw.

Each person had a solemn expression, their eyes burning with the desire to win.

Lu Chen stood among them, silently adjusting his breathing.

He had drawn number forty-seven, not too early, nor too late.

His gaze calmly swept across the entire venue, finally settling on the high spectator stands.

Zhao Tieshan, the Hall Master of the Battle Hall, was seated in the central main seat, with several imposing high-ranking members of the gang seated to his left and right.

Their gazes scrutinized every participant below.

As a long horn blast echoed throughout the venue, the previously noisy training ground instantly fell silent.

Zhao Tieshan slowly rose, his resonant voice spreading in all directions.

"The Black Water Gang Battle Hall Grand Competition now begins!"