Spring had come to the land, though the chill had yet to fade. A thin frost still coated the bluestone slabs in the martial arts school's front courtyard.
A month passed quietly, and the courtyard looked much as it always had.
New disciples grimaced as they honed their qi and blood in a corner, diligently practicing the basics.
Those with a little more experience gathered in twos and threes, trading moves. The sounds of fists and feet colliding rang without pause.
The most eye-catching figures in the crowd were still Senior Sister Xu Liqing, Second Senior Brother Halan Sheng, Third Senior Brother Gao Feng, Fourth Senior Brother Sun Cheng, Sixth Senior Sister Tu Yan, and the other Clear Force disciples.
Among the Mortal Martial Realm disciples, Xiao Li and Li He were undoubtedly the most outstanding.
Ever since they had taken part in the "Qingyuan Martial Exhibition," jointly organized by the three great lineages and the authorities on the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month, the two of them seemed to have had a sudden breakthrough. Perhaps they had gained access to some unknown resources or guidance. Their progress was astonishing, their auras growing more robust by the day. They were now widely regarded as the most promising young talents for breaking through to Clear Force.
"Junior Brother Cui." Sun Cheng's voice interrupted Cui Hao's thoughts.
Cui Hao cupped his fists. "Fourth Senior Brother."
"Get on the stakes." Sun Cheng pointed to the plum-blossom stakes beside them. "Show me the full version of the Broken Fist stake-training technique you've mastered, from beginning to end."
The word "full" made several nearby senior and junior brothers who had been eavesdropping grimace instinctively, as if they'd just tasted something sour.
The complete routine was complicated, with ever-changing footwork. It had to be performed on the stakes while coordinating force and breath, making it incredibly difficult—practically a "nightmare" for newly advanced Mortal Martial disciples.
In private, some even grumbled that Master had made the technique so complicated and difficult to master just to collect their tuition for a few more years.
Cui Hao said nothing. With a light leap, he landed steadily on the highest wooden stake.
His feet seemed rooted in place. He lowered his waist and settled his hips, assuming the standard opening stance of Broken Fist. His breathing instantly grew deep and steady.
The next moment, he moved.
His right arm was like a taut bowstring suddenly released. He unleashed a Mountain Collapse with ferocious force, his fist wind fierce as it struck toward the empty space ahead.
His feet did not stay still. Coordinating with the force of his punch, he swiftly stepped into a textbook "front bow stance." The stake trembled faintly as he leaned forward, driving the impact of his punch to its utmost limit.
Before the momentum of the punch had faded, he was already changing moves. His fist became a palm, its edge like a blade. Using the momentum of his lunge, he unleashed a fierce diagonal Flag Split.
A faint hiss cut through the air.
Between the downward slash and the retraction, his force shifted smoothly, without the slightest hitch.
He followed at once by drawing back his palm and bending his elbow, driving a vicious, swift elbow strike toward his side, as if an enemy had attacked from there.
As the elbow strike ran out of force, his arm came crashing down, like a heavy hammer striking the ground.
Using the rebound from that downward strike, he spun sharply like a top. His left arm swung out with the motion, like a flexible whip filled with iron sand, lashing back with a whistling rush of wind.
Collapse, slash, elbow, smash, whip—the five movements were completed in just two or three breaths, so quickly they dazzled the eye. Yet every strike carried heavy force and fierce momentum, and the stake beneath his feet creaked in a steady rhythm.
This was only the beginning. The moves and footwork that followed flowed together even more smoothly. Cui Hao darted across the stakes, forward and back, glancing left and right. He wielded the eight basic steps with practiced ease, weaving them tightly into the complex fist techniques.
He grew faster and faster, yet never lost control; fierce, yet never ungrounded. Every step landed solidly, and every move carried a distinct sense of force.
More astonishing still, he seemed to be trying to link certain moves together in the most basic combinations, forming more threatening "combos." They were still raw, but already taking shape.
Not far away, Jiang Jie, who had entered the school at the same time as Cui Hao, stared in a daze. He rubbed his eyes and asked Sun Cheng in a low voice, "Senior Brother Sun, how... how come I feel like Senior Brother Cui's gotten so much stronger over the New Year? He's so fast and fierce now. It's like he's become a different person..."
Generally speaking, pursuing speed tended to disperse one's strength, while pursuing power often came at the cost of agility.
But what Cui Hao showed now was a subtle balance between speed and strength. He could even link complex changes of technique together at high speed, which required tremendous control over both body and force.
Sun Cheng's eyes shone as he watched the figure weaving across the stakes like a dragon. Unconcealed admiration—and a trace of surprise—showed on his face as he slowly uttered a few words. "Junior Brother Cui... has reached the minor mastery stage of the Mortal Martial Realm."
"What?!" Jiang Jie nearly bit his tongue. His eyes went wide. "H-How long has it been?!"
Many people needed half a year or even longer to progress from breaking through to the Mortal Martial Realm to reaching minor mastery. Cui Hao's speed, though not as monstrous as Xiao Li's or Li He's, still far surpassed that of ordinary disciples.
"I'm a little surprised too." Sun Cheng smiled and shook his head, then looked toward Jiang Jie and Wang Nian. "You two, get up there later and show me a set as well."
Jiang Jie immediately shook his head like a rattle-drum. "Forget it, forget it, Senior Brother Sun. I... I'm not ready yet. I'd just embarrass myself up there."
Wang Nian also gave a wry smile and waved his hands. "Senior Brother Sun, I'm not ready either. I've mixed up the moves, and my footwork's gotten rusty..."
Sun Cheng didn't press them. He knew how difficult the technique was; ordinary disciples needed a great deal of time to hone it.
When Cui Hao finished and leapt down from the stakes, breathing long and steady, Sun Cheng couldn't help clapping hard, excitement on his face. "Good! Junior Brother Cui, you've surprised me more than I can say! I'm going to report this to Master right away!"
In Sun Cheng's eyes, Cui Hao's solid progress deserved Master's attention. Perhaps he could even secure some extra resources for him.
"Fourth Senior Brother, there's no need." Cui Hao stopped him in time. "It's only minor mastery in the Mortal Martial Realm. It's nothing special. There's no need to trouble Master."
"How can you call this 'nothing special'?" Sun Cheng insisted. "If Master hears about it, you might get more guidance in your training, or even... resources. Don't worry about this. Just wait for my good news!"
Without another word, Sun Cheng turned and hurried toward the inner courtyard.
In a heated room in the inner courtyard, Sun Cheng found Xu Dian pruning a potted wintersweet.
The room was warm as spring, a stark contrast to the biting chill outside.
"Master!" Sun Cheng's voice brimmed with delight. "Junior Brother Cui Hao has reached minor mastery in the Mortal Martial Realm!"
"Oh?" Xu Dian's hand paused slightly as he pruned the branches. He raised his head to look at Sun Cheng, his expression calm. "When did this happen?"
"Just now. I saw it with my own eyes. He performed the entire Broken Fist stake-training technique on the stakes, his force flowing through every movement and his footwork practiced. There's no doubt he's reached minor mastery!"
Xu Dian set down his pruning shears and pondered for a moment.
Li He had reached minor mastery in the Mortal Martial Realm seven days ago, and Xiao Li had long since touched the threshold of great mastery. Their progress was astonishing.
By comparison, Cui Hao's natural talent... was ultimately a little lacking. Xu Dian spoke slowly. "The leap from minor to great mastery is a significant hurdle. It requires more accumulation and insight. Cui Hao's progress is acceptable, but we still need to watch him. Let's wait and see. There's no rush."
Sun Cheng opened his mouth, wanting to put in another word for Cui Hao. Even two packets of Qi and Blood Powder as encouragement would have been good.
But Master's expression was calm, clearly showing that he didn't think much of Cui Hao's progress. Sun Cheng swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue and could only reply, "Yes, Master."
After leaving the heated room, Sun Cheng found Cui Hao practicing his fist force alone. He forced a smile. "Junior Brother Cui, Master knows. He encourages you to keep working hard, stay grounded, and strive to reach great mastery in the Mortal Martial Realm soon."
Cui Hao's expression remained unchanged. He cupped his fists in salute. "Thank you for passing that on, Senior Brother. And thank you for Master's encouragement. I'll train diligently without pause."
Sun Cheng nodded and turned to leave, his back looking somewhat forlorn. This was the usual lot of disciples at the school who came from ordinary families and had unremarkable physiques: without dazzling talent or powerful connections, they could only rely on themselves and grind away, bit by bit.
Great mastery? Cui Hao's thoughts stirred as he looked at the panel only he could see:
[Realm: Mortal Martial Realm, minor mastery (215/600)] [Broken Fist stake-training technique: minor mastery (215/600)]
The two progress bars were perfectly synchronized. This meant that once he raised the progress of the Broken Fist stake-training technique to 600, his realm would naturally reach great mastery in the Mortal Martial Realm.
He currently had 165 unspent progress points saved up, not enough to push him directly to great mastery even if he used them all.
But he wasn't in a hurry. He even thought this was a good thing.
The Broken Fist stake-training technique had a great many moves and footwork patterns, making it ideal to hone carefully over a long period of time and understand the changes in force and practical applications of every movement. Greed for speed could instead leave his foundations unstable.
After finishing a day of martial arts training, the progress of both his Mortal Martial Realm at minor mastery and the technique had increased by five points, from 215 to 220.
The gains were small, but solid. Cui Hao was full of confidence in the martial path!
The sky darkened, and dusk settled in. Cui Hao set out alone on the road back to Willow Tree Village.
Lin Da had matters at home and had gone back early that afternoon.
The evening breeze carried a bone-piercing chill. The fields beside the official road still lay barren, but here and there, a few stubborn wild grasses had sprouted fresh green shoots.
He was less than a hundred paces from the entrance to Willow Tree Village. Lights were already in sight.
Suddenly—
Cui Hao's steps paused slightly, and his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
After reaching minor mastery in the Mortal Martial Realm, his five senses had grown far sharper than before. Within ten paces, he could hear the wind stirring the grass, insects chirping, or mice scurrying.
Just now, he had clearly heard an extremely faint sound from the patch of waist-high dead grass to his right!
Almost as soon as he sensed something was wrong, the fingers of his left hand, hanging at his side, twitched. A cold, hard object with somewhat sharp edges slid quietly into his palm, where he gripped it tightly.
It was half a piece of cut silver, which he usually carried in case of emergencies. Now it had become a potential weapon.
Ever since the autumn harvest began last year, public order around Qingyuan City had steadily deteriorated.
Refugees, routed soldiers, local bullies, and outsiders willing to risk their lives... Robberies and murders had become all too common.
He hadn't expected to run into trouble himself today.
"Whoosh!"
A short, stocky shadow burst from the dead grass to his right like a lurking venomous snake! It moved incredibly fast, pouncing at Cui Hao's side in an instant. A hand with five curled fingers and black nails shot toward his throat, the force of it cutting sharply through the air!
The vicious, razor-sharp gust of wind made the hairs on the back of Cui Hao's neck stand on end before the fingertips even reached him!
Claw techniques!
Cui Hao's heart tightened. His senior brothers at the martial arts school had once mentioned this vicious, sinister art. At its highest level, the five fingers became steel hooks, able to crack stone and split monuments. It also targeted soft, vital spots such as the eyes, throat, and groin. Anyone struck would be killed on the spot or gravely injured!
At this life-or-death moment, the footwork he had painstakingly practiced on the stakes proved crucial!
Cui Hao twisted his waist and hips, performing the Side Step from Body Shifting. His body swayed and spun sharply to the left like a willow in the wind!
"Riiip!"
The sharp claws, strong enough to pierce his throat cartilage, skimmed the skin of his neck and tore open the collar of his padded coat. The icy fingertips even grazed his skin, leaving a searing sting!
His first strike missed. The black-clad man seemed somewhat surprised, but his movements did not pause. His left claw immediately followed, raking toward Cui Hao's eyes, while his right foot silently kicked toward his groin.
Cui Hao could see the other man clearly: dressed in black night clothes and masked with a black cloth, he had only a pair of eyes, brimming with murderous intent, exposed. Cui Hao concentrated fully and pushed the eight basic steps to their limit.
He leaned backward with a retreating step, avoiding the claw aimed at his eyes.
He twisted with a coiling step, narrowly evading the kick to his groin.
His opponent's claw techniques were vicious, his speed astonishing, and his combat experience clearly extensive. Cui Hao was forced to keep dodging for a time, unable to counterattack effectively.
After several exchanges, Cui Hao finally spotted a tiny opening created by his opponent's successive attacks. The man had overextended his claw strike, leaving a fleeting gap beneath his right ribs!
A chance!
Cui Hao's foot slammed forward in an advancing step, closing the distance in a blink. His right fist, already coiled and ready, shot out like a venomous dragon emerging from its lair. It was a variation of Mountain Collapse called Heart-Piercing Collapse. He sacrificed some of its sheer power for extreme speed and penetration, driving it straight into the opening beneath his opponent's right ribs!
His fist brushed the man's clothes. Cui Hao could even feel the hardness of his ribs.
Yet just as his force was about to burst forth, the black-clad man reacted with astonishing speed. Sensing the danger, he forcibly stopped his forward momentum and twisted his body in an unnatural way. At the same time, his right arm folded back as if it had no joints, and he slashed a fierce hand-blade toward Cui Hao's punching arm!
"Smack!" Their forearms collided violently, producing a dull thud.
Cui Hao felt his arm shudder. A sinister, insidious force passed through the point of contact, making his qi and blood churn slightly. He retreated half a step with a withdrawing step, dispersing the impact, his gaze sharp as an eagle's as he fixed his eyes on his opponent.
The black-clad man's eyes grew even more murderous, though a trace of wariness had entered them as well. In their brief exchange, the wind of Cui Hao's fist had grazed his back, leaving a burning pain and sending his qi and blood into a churning turmoil.
The young man before him had footwork that was astonishingly subtle, quick reactions, and vicious punches. If they kept fighting one-on-one, he was afraid he wouldn't come out ahead.
"Hard target! All together!" the short, stocky masked man growled, his voice hoarse and unpleasant.
Before the words had even faded, the darkness seemed to come alive!
On the left, a thin, towering figure, like a bamboo pole, glided out of the roadside shadows like a phantom. His footwork was strange, his steps skimming close to the ground as he raced forward at astonishing speed. A flash of cold light flickered in his hand and vanished in the night—a narrow, razor-sharp dagger about a foot long. It stabbed silently toward Cui Hao's lower back, aimed at his kidney.
On the right, another figure, relatively tall and powerfully built, charged from behind a dirt slope like a wild bear. He used no fancy footwork, simply charging straight in. Riding the momentum of his rush, he hurled a fist as large as a basin at Cui Hao's left temple, the blow accompanied by a heavy rush of wind.
Three men! One in front, two flanking him: a claw, a dagger, and a fist. They had sealed off most of Cui Hao's avenues of escape!
This was no ragtag group thrown together on a whim. They were seasoned killers accustomed to working together in ambushes.
With death a hair's breadth away, Cui Hao instead grew completely calm. He had kept the half-piece of silver clenched in his left hand all along. Without the slightest hesitation or even looking, he flicked his wrist and sent the silver shard hurtling toward the short, stocky man's face.
He didn't expect to injure his opponent. He only meant to distract him!
The short, stocky man assumed it was something like lime powder or poisoned sand. He instinctively raised his left hand to block, and his vision was disrupted for an instant.
That instant of distraction was all Cui Hao needed!
His footwork shifted again. Instead of simply advancing or retreating, he combined three basic steps—"left glance," "right look," and "coil around." His body spun like a top that had lost its balance, turning away at an unbelievable angle and along an impossible path.
The tall, powerfully built man's sure-hit punch roared past Cui Hao's ear, its wind scraping painfully against his cheek.
At the same time, the direction of Cui Hao's spin brought him straight into the path of the dagger thrust by the thin, tall man on the left!
He didn't meet it head-on. As he spun, his right hand shot out like a nimble snake and seized the dagger wielder's wrist with pinpoint accuracy. The wrist was cold to the touch, slender yet unusually strong, and the man was still thrusting forward with all his strength.
Cui Hao seized his wrist without trying to overpower him. Instead, he followed the force of the thrust and added the centrifugal force of his own spin, guiding the man's arm through a strange arc—
"Pfft!"
The dull sound of a blade plunging into flesh rang out, startlingly clear in the stillness of the night.
The thin man's eyes, widened in shock, were clearly visible above his face covering. He felt a chill at his throat, followed by the sensation of warm liquid gushing out.
He lowered his head in disbelief and saw the dagger in his hand buried deep in his own throat. He still clutched its hilt, but an outside force had controlled his arm and made it deliver the fatal blow.
"Kh... kh..." His throat produced a sound like a broken bellows. He staggered backward, but the dagger seemed to have grown from his neck, taking him with it as he crashed to the ground.
The blood that flowed out quickly stained the ground beneath him red.
A few drops of warm blood splashed onto Cui Hao's face, carrying a thick, coppery-sweet stench.
He felt no fear now. Instead, a cold emotion tinged with strange exhilaration welled up inside him.
—On the panel, the progress of both the Broken Fist stake-training technique and his realm surged by twenty points!
The progress of his archery skill also increased by two points, presumably because throwing the silver shard had been judged a "ranged attack."
On an ordinary day, even with hard training and Qi and Blood Powder, he only gained around five points.
By comparison, the "experience" he gained from killing far surpassed that from ordinary cultivation!
"Boss!!" The short, stocky man's palm had been cut by the edge of the silver shard, and now throbbed with pain. Seeing the thin, tall man die in such a bizarre and gruesome way, he cried out in fury and shock.
He hadn't expected that the three of them would lose their best ambusher in a single exchange.
"Together! Kill him!" The tall, powerfully built man was also chilled by the way his companion had died. But rage soon replaced his fear. He roared and charged again like a wild bull, swinging both fists with tremendous force, hoping to overwhelm Cui Hao with sheer strength.
Cui Hao refused to meet him head-on. He shifted his step, his figure light as drifting fluff, and performed the Duckweed Step from Body Shifting, which emphasized speed and changes in direction. He abandoned the tall, powerfully built man and charged straight at the short, stocky man, whose right hand was injured and whose composure had crumbled!
The short, stocky man was horrified. The claw techniques that had made his name were greatly weakened now that his left hand had also been injured by the silver shard.
When Cui Hao rushed at him like a phantom, his first thought was to retreat! He hurriedly withdrew his steps and turned to run, trying to open up some distance.
But Cui Hao was faster! In an instant, he had closed to within three feet!
Sensing danger, a vicious glint flashed in the short, stocky man's eyes. If he couldn't escape, he would fight! He abruptly stopped and spun around. Ignoring the pain in his left hand, he curled his five fingers into claws and launched a sinister move called "Backhand Grab."
He aimed straight for Cui Hao's heart! It was a desperate counterattack, fast and vicious.
Unfortunately, Cui Hao had used this "snatch victory from defeat" trick himself before, so he was ready for it.
As his opponent spun and drove his claws forward, Cui Hao shifted sideways, narrowly dodging the strike for his heart. At the same time, his free left hand formed a blade with two fingers. He poured the force of his entire body into a Flag Split hand-blade, bringing it down hard on the right elbow joint exposed by the claw strike!
"Crack!"
A crisp sound of breaking bone rang out.
"Ahhh—!!!"
The short, stocky man let out a bloodcurdling scream. His right forearm bent at an unnatural angle; the bone had clearly snapped.
His left hand was injured, and his right arm was broken. The claw technique he had practiced for years was now completely ruined!
In the blink of an eye, the three ambushers had become one dead and one gravely injured!
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