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Because Ji Chang had been injured, a fierce, eager battle spirit surged within Chen Mo. "I'll take the lead. Just back me up."

Yin Shanshan refused to back down in the slightest. Her gaze sharpened. "Enough talk. If we're attacking, we attack together."

Chen Mo didn't object.

Across from them, Luo Heng and Zhou Pi exchanged a glance. Without a word, they launched their fists and palms at the same time, their attacks surging toward Chen Mo.

Yin Shanshan was the master's daughter, so they would never attack her. That left Chen Mo to bear the brunt of every attack.

Chen Mo wrapped himself in Flowing Cloud Attack and stepped forward quickly. His figure moved with the agility of a swallow, and in a flash, he dodged both of their attacks and closed in on Zhou Pi.

He split his focus, using Flowing Cloud Attack while simultaneously building up Stone-Crushing Strike.

He suddenly thrust out a fist straight at Zhou Pi's face. His opponent hastily met it with his palm.

The force of Stone-Crushing Strike erupted in Zhou Pi's palm, and a tremendous surge of power instantly numbed his arm.

He hurriedly retreated several steps, but Chen Mo spun and closed in right after him. Both fists shot out: one blocked Zhou Pi's arm, while the other crashed into his chest, its power no weaker than Stone-Crushing Strike had been.

"Thud!"

Blood welled at the corner of Zhou Pi's mouth and trickled down. His face was stricken with fear.

"Hiss..."

The fellow disciples around them drew in sharp breaths at Chen Mo's assault.

Yue Lun furrowed his brow as well. "Who would've guessed? This junior apprentice brother's been hiding his strength so well."

While Chen Mo was attacking, Luo Heng leapt forward, raising his Hanshan Fist as he tried to strike Chen Mo from behind.

Seeing this, Yin Shanshan gave him no chance. Her slender hands rose and fell, and her Soft Cloud Hand wound around his Hanshan Fist like a ribbon, enveloping it completely.

"Thud! Thud!"

Just then, another burst of force rang out, and Zhou Pi was sent flying beyond the boundary line. He landed face-first and struggled to his feet, his expression blank.

After defeating Zhou Pi, Chen Mo didn't waste a moment. He immediately turned and sprang toward Luo Heng, unleashing every bit of Flowing Cloud Attack's nimble fistwork.

Luo Heng hurriedly defended himself. Hanshan Fist and Fuhu Fist clashed head-on, their winds of force scattering in every direction.

Yin Shanshan joined the fight as well. Her Soft Cloud Hand weaved through the clouds and wound through the mist, using delicate force to disperse the power of Hanshan Fist—a perfect example of softness overcoming strength.

Under their attacks, which fell like a sudden downpour, Luo Heng retreated step by step, soon driven to the edge of the boundary.

"You take high, I'll take low."

At Chen Mo's calm words, Yin Shanshan immediately understood. Using Chen Mo's deliberately lowered shoulder as a springboard, she leapt into the air and swept her Soft Cloud Hand upward, striking at Luo Heng's upper body.

Chen Mo relied on Flowing Cloud Attack's nimble agility, then followed up with Stone-Crushing Strike to attack Luo Heng's lower body.

One attacked high, the other low, and they struck together.

Luo Heng unleashed a blow with Hanshan Fist, but the gathered force of his punch was instantly shattered. His body flew more than fifty feet before crashing heavily to the ground.

Boom!

He struggled to his feet, his face filled with resentment, then stormed straight out of the martial arts school.

"Whew..."

Seeing Chen Mo and Yin Shanshan win, Ji Chang let out the breath he'd been holding.

But when he saw so many senior brothers go up to cheer them on, a trace of loneliness crept into his heart.

Chen Mo faced several Ming Jin senior brothers who kept showering him with praise, but he only gave them a few brief replies.

Yin Shanshan, meanwhile, was unlike her usual self. She said nothing, her expression cool as she walked to a corner and practiced alone.

Normally, she would have gone to find Zhang Chong first thing.

But none of the senior sisters who had once been close to her, nor any of the senior brothers who used to flock around her, approached her now.

"Did you hear about the eldest senior brother? He and the Zhao Family's young lady..."

"Shh, don't let her hear you..."

Chen Mo soon returned to Ji Chang's side. "Senior brother, how are your injuries?"

Ji Chang shook his head, then laughed heartily. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Just a few bruises. A few days' rest and I'll be right as rain."

Chen Mo thought for a moment. "After this, Luo Heng probably won't be so arrogant anymore, will he?"

Ji Chang clicked his tongue twice. "How can you have such little insight compared to me? You're underestimating how shameless people like him are. I'd wager he'll come back for more—and be even worse."

Chen Mo nodded, completely convinced.

Even in a peaceful world, there were still thugs who threw their weight around, let alone in a martial world where might made right!

He let out a breath, then threw himself into stake training and fist practice. Beads of sweat as large as beans poured down.

Ever since Yin Tianqing had spoken with everyone, training at the martial arts school had grown unusually intense.

Palm strikes whistled through the air, fists blurred in streaks, and now and then, angry shouts rang out as disciples sparred with each other.

In the afternoon, Chen Mo went to the Iron Furnace Room as usual to stoke the fire and forge iron.

During this time, his diligence at the Iron Furnace Room had improved all his skills. He still couldn't stand on his own the way Master Wu could, but he was already good enough to graduate as an apprentice.

"Xiao Chen." At some point, Master Wu had started calling him that. "Zhi Ai asked me to tell you everything's taken care of."

Chen Mo nodded lightly.

At dusk, the Iron Furnace Room's shadow stretched long beneath the setting sun, as though carved into the ground—the grievance the heavens had written on behalf of the laborers, too long to be fully recounted.

But even in the darkness, there was light.

"Whew..."

After finishing his last set of Dragon-Subduing Stake Technique, Chen Mo exhaled a breath of stale air. A glint flashed in his eyes, and powerful energy filled his entire body.

He had now reached the middle stage of Ming Jin. The minor stages within each major realm also brought improvements in strength, just not as obvious as the leaps between major realms.

If he fought Luo Heng now, Chen Mo was confident he could defeat him within five moves. Even if Luo Heng joined forces with Zhou Pi, Chen Mo could still win.

He narrowed his eyes slightly and checked the progress of Mountain and Water Cultivation:

Thousand Hammer Refinement, Mountain and Water Cultivation

Dragon-Subduing Stake Technique: basic stake training, strengthening the legs below and developing fist force above

Comprehension: 40/100 (Beginner)

With daily progress reinforced through real combat and supplemented by nourishing food and medicine, Chen Mo felt his cultivation was already advancing as fast as possible.

But the threats from the Hansha Gang and the Black Tiger Hall had not gone away.

"Once I enter Dark Jin, I'll have much more freedom. And I need Dark Jin strength to place in the Martial Examination."

Chen Mo walked home, stepping through the scattered moonlight on the ground.

When he got home, he did ten rounds of fist practice and ten rounds of stake training as usual before going to sleep.

Second floor of the Hua Pavilion.

The Hansha Gang's deputy leader stood by the window, watching the night spread over the streets outside.

Behind him stood two subordinates. One was the black-clad man who had escaped during the ambush on the merchant caravan; the other was a pockmarked man with a broadsword strapped across his back.

Both men waited for the deputy leader to give his orders.

"There are only a handful of Dark Jin experts in Black River Town, and every one of them keeps an eye on the others. If I make a move, I might invite trouble. So you two will carry out tonight's assassination. Two against one—don't tell me you can't handle it."

The black-clad man thumped his chest. "Rest assured, Deputy Leader. There won't be a hitch!"

The deputy leader added, "After you kill him, your first priority is to search him for any mysterious cultivation methods. Someone with abilities like his can't be carrying nothing."

The black-clad man and the pockmarked brute nodded in agreement, then left the Hua Pavilion and disappeared into the night.

Deep in the night, moonlight spilled across the stone slabs before a dilapidated house. Suddenly, the shadow of a blade appeared on them.