"Oh, a secret with Senior Sister~"
Chen He immediately wore a lecherous grin and slung an arm around Liu Chu's shoulder. "Junior Brother, you've got some tricks! When did you get involved with Senior Sister Luo? I had no idea!"
Liu Chu glanced at him. "You can ask Senior Sister Luo about that."
"Maybe I'll pass!"
Chen He shuddered.
Everyone knew Senior Sister had a nasty temper. He didn't want to get beaten up!
"By the way, how come we haven't seen Senior Brother Lin Bei lately?"
Liu Chu suddenly asked Chen He.
He had just beaten Luo Qingyue and felt she was a little weak; she hadn't forced him to show his full strength.
She was at the Tendon Refining Realm, yet had been defeated by a Skin Refining Realm fighter of a lower level. That was probably a disgrace to the Tendon Refining Realm. Her strength was likely among the weakest.
If he could spar with Senior Brother Lin Bei, perhaps he could get a better measure of his own strength.
"Oh, him? Someone's been leaking techniques lately, so Master sent him to purge the school!"
Chen He replied casually.
"Purge the school?"
Surprise showed in Liu Chu's eyes.
"Whether it's a martial arts hall, a sect, or a lineage, their techniques are never to be passed on outside. They're the foundation of their standing. If a disciple leaks them, the traitor has to be dealt with!"
Chen He explained. "At our Dragon Tiger Martial Arts Hall, whether it's an apprentice who hasn't reached the Grade-Entry Realm and is about to enter the Inner Court, or an Inner Court disciple, Master warns them repeatedly before they leave: they must never pass on the techniques."
"Otherwise, at best, the tendons and meridians in all four limbs are broken; at worst, they're killed on the spot!"
Liu Chu already knew all this. He just hadn't expected that Lin Bei, a distinguished Tendon Refining Realm warrior, would have to personally go purge the school.
Back then, Han Qi had joined the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts Hall three years before him. Though he was only an apprentice, he had still learned the Hall's martial arts.
But because of that rule, he hadn't dared to secretly teach Liu Chu how to train.
Of course, there was another reason. Back then, Liu Chu couldn't even afford meat, let alone medicinal tonics. Training would have been a waste of effort and might even have depleted his body!
"This time, it's a little strange. Techniques have been leaked from more than one place. Master had no choice but to send Senior Brother Lin Bei, with two junior brothers, to purge the school."
Chen He explained again, then added, "With Senior Brother Lin Bei's strength, he'll surely return after completing the task without a hitch!"
"Speaking of which, there's something I think you ought to know."
Chen He suddenly turned to Liu Chu, his expression complicated.
"What is it?"
Liu Chu looked curious.
He'd been training at the martial arts hall the whole time, and couldn't imagine what could have happened that involved him.
"It's Xu Haoran."
Chen He sighed, his face full of sympathy. "It seems your breaking through to the Grade-Entry Realm got under his skin. He kept gritting his teeth and training, but overdid it and injured himself."
"Now he's left the martial arts hall and gone home to recuperate. With an injury like that, he probably won't recover for a year or two."
Chen He clicked his tongue and sighed. "People, you know, are in trouble when they can't see their own limits. Take me: I know I'm not cut out for striving, so I train within my limits."
Liu Chu glanced at him with a strange look, as if to say, You call that training within your limits?
Chen He understood the look but didn't take it to heart. "Junior Brother, your senior brother here has limited talent. I can't compare to gifted people like you. If I pushed myself against someone the way Xu Haoran did, I might never break through to the Grade-Entry Realm!"
Liu Chu heard him out and nodded in agreement.
Xu Haoran had decent talent and a good chance of reaching the Grade-Entry Realm. But because he'd tried to compete with Liu Chu and trained too hard, he'd injured himself.
Now he'd have to spend a year or two recuperating. Add up the cost of medicinal tonics and lost work, and it would be no small sum.
Even if his family was well-off, after such a delay and such expenses, it was hard to say whether they'd still give him money to continue training in martial arts.
Liu Chu sighed too and shook his head. "I had no idea Xu Haoran had been secretly competing with me."
He was telling the truth. At the Outer Court, all he could think about was reaching the Grade-Entry Realm. He had no time to pay attention to anyone else.
His only impression of Xu Haoran was "decent talent, diligent in training." Beyond that, he knew nothing about him.
Who could have guessed Xu Haoran had been secretly competing with him all along?
Why were you even competing with me? I have a twofold Comprehension boost...
Liu Chu could only shake his head.
It was just a brief interlude, and Liu Chu didn't dwell on it.
Everyone had different talents and different fortunes. Along the long road of life, one was bound to encounter all sorts of fascinating or heartrending events.
What happened to Xu Haoran was just one of them.
Liu Chu didn't feel guilty, either. He had known nothing about it, and hadn't deliberately stirred up Xu Haoran's competitive streak.
Everything Xu Haoran had done had been of his own accord.
After chatting with Chen He a while longer and arranging to treat him to a meal at Qunxian Residence the next day, Liu Chu continued practicing the blade technique.
His long blade flashed through the air, its brilliance dazzling as it sent gusts of icy force slashing outward. Its momentum was fierce, like a storm-tossed sea.
With his twofold Comprehension boost, and the many similarities between the perfected Combat Technique and the blade technique, Liu Chu's training speed was astonishing.
Day after day, his blade technique improved rapidly.
His moves grew more practiced, his blade more cutting. Every slash was executed to perfection, as if forged through a thousand refinements—thrilling and breathtaking!
Whoosh!
At a certain moment, as Liu Chu brought his long blade down, a flash of insight surfaced in his mind. The strike had been brutally forceful, yet it suddenly turned, slashing behind him at an utterly unbelievable angle.
That ferociously powerful strike showed no sign of having exhausted its force. Even at its limit, it seemed to generate fresh strength, altering the blade's path and leaving one awestruck.
"Dragon-Tiger Blade-Breaking Technique, Great Accomplishment!"
Liu Chu sheathed his blade. A glint flashed through his eyes, and a smile appeared on his face.
Attribute Panel: Host: Liu Chu Comprehension boost multiplier: 2x (can be sacrificed: ten Treasure Fish/one hundred taels of silver, three years of lifespan) Dragon-Tiger Nourishing Practice (Great Accomplishment 18%) Dragon-Tiger Combat Technique (Perfection) Dragon-Tiger Blade-Breaking Technique (Great Accomplishment 1%)
"The Nourishing Practice and blade technique have both reached Great Accomplishment. Next, I'll push for Perfection!"
Liu Chu looked at the techniques on the Attribute Panel, feeling very satisfied.
With the blade technique at Great Accomplishment, even if he were surrounded, he might still be able to carve his way out with his blade. His ability to fight multiple opponents had greatly improved!
And now that his Nourishing Practice had reached Great Accomplishment, four streams of Blood Vitality were constantly coursing through his tendons. Though his constitution had once been poor, his training speed now rivaled that of people with excellent constitutions.
"If the Nourishing Stake Practice reaches Perfection, eight streams of Blood Vitality will course through my tendons at once, and my training speed will soar again!"
Anticipation showed on Liu Chu's face.
That day, after finishing his training, he returned to the courtyard near the martial arts hall and laid out the sauced beef, roast duck, roast chicken, meat pies, and other food he'd picked up along the way.
After wolfing down the meal, he burped contentedly!
"Now that I have plenty of silver, I can get enough meat every day. I don't have to worry about depleting my body anymore."
Liu Chu casually tossed aside a chicken bone, then reclined in his chair and gazed up at the starry sky, looking quite at ease.
In the blink of an eye, he had been in this world for more than three years.
"Three years of struggle and hardship, and I've finally set foot on the path of martial arts. Things are looking up..."
Liu Chu gazed at the bright moon hanging high overhead, his heart filled with emotion.
Only he knew how hard those three years had been. More than once, he had almost failed to make it through, but fortunately, life had always held out a promise of better things.
That Comprehension Panel had given him enormous hope. In the end, it had helped him persevere until he came through!
He sat quietly for a while to let his food settle, then returned to his room to sleep.
Half an hour after he'd gone to bed, a shadow silently slipped over the courtyard wall.
"Liu Chu..."
Killing intent flickered in the shadow's eyes, then quickly vanished. Slowly, he crept toward the room where Liu Chu slept.
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