Breakthrough into Blood Nourishment!

Jiang Yuanfan reacted quickly enough. He immediately turned his head and shut his eyes, avoiding the sand that came rushing at his face.

Chu Fan, however, took advantage of the opening and pressed forward, sending out another left punch that went straight for his liver!

"How detestable!"

Though Jiang Yuanfan was thrown into disarray, he had learned from his mistake. While dodging the dirt, he had already retreated three quick steps, narrowly avoiding the punch!

But Chu Fan had no intention of stopping. He pressed his attack relentlessly, following him like a shadow!

"First, strike the brow and eyes!"

Chu Fan shouted softly and closed in, raising the index and middle fingers of his left hand together as he thrust them straight toward Jiang Yuanfan's eyes.

Jiang Yuanfan had originally intended to counterattack, but seeing this, he could only switch from offense to defense.

As he turned his head to dodge, he threw both fists out and used the Tiger Form to block Chu Fan's arm.

The instant he blocked Chu Fan's arm, a cruel smile curled across Jiang Yuanfan's lips. The Snake Form's Entangling Silk Force suddenly erupted as he tried to seize Chu Fan's wrist and dislocate his joint with another move!

"Second, Monkey Steals Peach!"

Chu Fan shouted softly, completely unconcerned that Jiang Yuanfan had grabbed his left hand. His right hand sank and swiftly reached downward.

Jiang Yuanfan was shocked, his attention instantly focusing on his groin!

His right hand, which had originally been reaching for Chu Fan's wrist, hurriedly dropped to protect his vitals!

But then—

Although Chu Fan shouted, "Second, Monkey Steals Peach," the clawing hand he had extended suddenly changed its move. His palm curved slightly and stabbed sharply upward!

Crack!

His four fingers came together and struck Jiang Yuanfan squarely in the throat!

"Urgh!"

Jiang Yuanfan's eyes widened. Both hands clutched desperately at his own throat, and his breathing immediately became labored.

Facing an opponent who had lost the ability to act in an instant and whose center was wide open, Chu Fan spun around and landed a back kick squarely in Jiang Yuanfan's abdomen!

Bang!

Jiang Yuanfan flew backward and crashed outside the "arena." He fell to his knees, his head striking the ground heavily as a strange, indistinct howl of agony escaped his mouth.

The entire arena fell silent.

Jiang Yuanfan's group of companions glared furiously at Chu Fan.

One of them rushed out and roared, "Didn't you say you were going to use Monkey Steals Peach? Why did you stab his throat?!"

Everyone looked over speechlessly, finding the person utterly laughable.

Chu Fan rolled his eyes. "Idiot! You believed the enemy's words?"

The man's face flushed the color of pig's liver, and he could not utter a word.

The girl leading the group was even more furious. She hurried over to Li Qingxue and said, "Senior Sister, he cheated and even used underhanded tricks..."

Li Qingxue spoke indifferently. "There was no rule in the sparring match forbidding trickery, nor was there any rule forbidding underhanded moves."

"Eye-gouging, throat-stabbing, Monkey... ahem! Any move that can make an enemy lose the ability to resist for a short time is a good move."

The girl was rendered speechless and stood rooted to the spot.

At that moment, Cao Feng walked over slowly and said in a deep voice, "In a fight to the death, what rules are there?"

"Would an enemy wait for you to assume a proper stance before attacking?"

"If you are barehanded, does that mean the enemy cannot use weapons?"

"Saber, spear, sword, halberd, even poison—as long as it can kill the enemy, all of them can be used."

"Kicks to the groin, eye-gouging, all sorts of underhanded moves, schemes, and stratagems—when they should be used, they must be used. Victory means life, defeat means death. Do you think this is child's play?"

Second Uncle was clearly taking Chu Fan's side. This was merely a sparring match between fellow disciples, not a fight to the death... Li Qingxue looked toward Cao Feng and pressed her lips together.

The girl hurriedly interjected, "That may be true, but this is a sparring match between fellow disciples, not a fight to the death!"

Cao Feng's expression darkened. "Someone who has practiced boxing for more than three months picks a fight with someone who has practiced for twenty days. You merely wanted to beat him up, yet you have the nerve to call it 'sparring'?"

"When you wanted to 'spar' with him, you didn't care about fairness. Now that you have lost, you blame him for cheating and using unfair underhanded moves?"

"If that's truly what you want, I'll have Zhao Tianxing spar with you. You may cheat and use underhanded moves as you please. How about that?"

The girl completely shut her mouth, not daring to say another word.

"Hmph!" Cao Feng snorted again. He glanced at Jiang Yuanfan, who was still howling in pain, and said, "After practicing for more than three months, you were beaten into this state by someone who has practiced for twenty days. What a complete mess!"

Jiang Yuanfan had just regained consciousness, but upon hearing those words, he became so enraged that he fainted again.

"All right!"

Cao Feng announced loudly, "This farce ends here! Find your own opponents and conduct actual combat sparring!"

Li Qingxue glanced at Cao Feng and remained silent.

Those punches and kicks Chu Fan had just thrown had been quite methodical and commendable, yet Second Uncle had not commented on them even once.

Could it be that he had deliberately covered for Chu Fan?

Chu Fan walked past Jiang Yuanfan and the others, pinching the few bits of broken silver in his hand.

He smiled faintly at them and nodded. "If there's another opportunity like this next time, remember to come find me."

That was a blow aimed at breaking their spirit.

Jiang Yuanfan and the others were so furious their lungs nearly burst. Each of them glared viciously at Chu Fan, as if they wanted to swallow him alive and tear him apart.

Chu Fan, however, paid them no mind. He calmly tucked the silver into his robe and left with his head held high.

Attending lessons at the Training Ground during Weishi each day was entirely voluntary, and everyone was free to come and go.

Thus, no one paid any attention to him coming and going like this.

Tonight, however, he was going to condense the third strand of Qi and Blood Force and break into the Blood Nourishment realm in one fell swoop!

He needed to rest and build up his spirit, adjusting his Qi and Blood to its peak in order to increase his chances of successfully breaking through into Blood Nourishment.

After returning to his residence, Chu Fan entered the room and took out his long saber.

Clang!

The Saber Sheath flew from his hand and pierced diagonally into the accumulated snow on his left.

Chu Fan gripped the saber hilt tightly and executed the moves of the Ninefold Thunderclap Saber.

"First Level, Lei Zhe!"

The saber tip moved with nimble grace, like the first rumble of spring thunder awakening.

"Second Level, Dragon Roar!"

The saber wind howled like an ancient dragon's long roar.

He chopped, swept, raised, slashed, and stabbed... the saber followed his body, and the force followed the saber.

[Ninefold Thunderclap Saber experience +1]

[Ninefold Thunderclap Saber experience +1]

The saber light darted about like a Swimming Dragon, constantly winding through the courtyard as the cold air intertwined with the saber wind.

After reaching Entry, his Ninefold Thunderclap Saber was far smoother than before. When he executed it, it already had the proper form.

More than an hour later...

The long saber in Chu Fan's hand trembled lightly. It cut through the air as if slicing through water before he brought it down on the Stone Lock at the Corner of the wall!

Boom!

After the thunderous crash, the Stone Lock split apart with a sharp crack, sending fragments of stone flying in every direction!

The first level of force had been achieved!

[Technique: Ninefold Thunderclap Saber (Entry) Progress: (15/100) (Trait: None)]

Chu Fan pulled the Saber Sheath from the accumulated snow, returned the saber to its sheath, and moved with Flowing Clouds and Running Water.

Although the Ninefold Thunderclap Saber required him to comprehend and condense Saber Force, it was unlike the Twelve Forms Boxing, which required him to Circulate Qi and Blood constantly.

Thus, the fatigue from practicing the saber for more than an hour was far lighter than the exhaustion brought on by practicing the Twelve Forms Boxing.

With Chu Fan's current Qi and Blood, even if he practiced the saber for three to five hours, he would not become as unsteady as when he had first begun practicing the Twelve Forms Boxing, when he could barely remain standing.

Tonight, however, he had to condense the third strand of Qi and Blood Force. After comprehending the first level of force, he stopped and did not continue practicing.

After entering the room, Chu Fan took out the Ninefold Thunderclap Saber Manual and read through it carefully.

He had long since memorized the contents of the Saber Manual.

However, he still did not fully understand the Essentials of the Ninefold Force recorded within it and needed to study them further.

When night fell...

Chu Fan, who had been "idle" for an entire day, showed a gleam of excitement in his eyes.

He walked out of the room and into the courtyard, settling into the stance of the Twelve Forms Boxing. His body was as steady as an old tree with roots coiled deep into the earth.

Having already condensed the first two strands of Qi and Blood, he was now thoroughly familiar with condensing the third.

After another day of rest, his Qi and Blood had flourished to their peak. Condensing this third strand of Qi and Blood Force was actually even easier than condensing the second!

Other than taking somewhat longer than last time, the entire process proceeded with astonishing smoothness!

When the third strand of Qi and Blood intertwined and fused with the other two—

The sound of Qi and Blood surging through Chu Fan's mind suddenly grew ten times louder, rumbling like thunder rolling across the earth!

Even the howling Cold wind seemed several times stronger. His ears were filled with clamor, causing his eardrums to tremble faintly.

Immediately afterward, the sinews and bones throughout Chu Fan's body rang in unison. It was as if countless streams of power surged through his Meridians, flowing endlessly like a mighty river!

The Three strands of Qi and Blood Force coursed through his entire body in an instant!

Chu Fan stamped his right foot onto the ground.

The force was like a Stone Lock weighing several hundred jin crashing down. Even the earth trembled three times, sending the accumulated snow rustling down!

"So this is the Blood Nourishment realm..."

Feeling the vast, tide-like power within his body and the rapid improvement of his Five Senses, Chu Fan felt utterly exhilarated. A thousand words could not describe the emotions surging through him at that moment!

A quantitative change had become a qualitative one.

How could it possibly be as simple as gaining just one more strand of Qi and Blood Force?

Chu Fan walked out of the courtyard and stood before a Black Iron Wood post.

He stood there quietly, sinking into silence for a moment.

"Ha!"

After holding his breath for a moment, Chu Fan suddenly exhaled and shouted, sending out a simple, direct Bear Form Crushing Fist.

Boom!

The incomparably hard wooden post let out a thunderous crash. It flew straight backward for seven or eight zhang, as if a great tree had been uprooted by a raging wind!

The cowhide wrapped around the wooden post also split apart into fragments, scattering in every direction!

Chu Fan walked slowly to the post he had smashed away and lowered his head to examine it. He saw that a fistprint had sunk deeply into the post, with cracks spreading out like a spiderweb!

"So this is the true power of Blood Nourishment..."

Chu Fan clenched his fist, his Knuckles crackling. His eyes gleamed like lightning.

At the Courtyard Gate, Zhao Tianxing came out upon hearing the noise. The instant he saw this scene, his eyes widened in shock, and he stood there rooted to the spot!