Combat Technique at Great Accomplishment, Gang War!

After reaching Minor Accomplishment in the Combat Technique, Liu Chu was not satisfied and continued to bury himself in grueling training.

However, his training focus had not shifted. He still prioritized the Nourishing Stake Practice.

With Stake Training, he could drink medicinal soup every day. Though his progress remained slow, at least he could see himself advancing.

Once his Stake Training reached Minor Accomplishment, his cultivation speed would double, and his chances of breaking through to the Skin Refining Realm would improve by several points.

Liu Chu's natural endowment was ordinary, so he could only make up for it through his mastery of cultivation techniques.

However, a onefold boost in comprehension seemed only enough to put him a notch above those with ordinary aptitude, not enough to make him a genius.

Therefore, like all the other martial hall apprentices, Liu Chu still had to painstakingly nurture his Blood Vitality, relying on time to slowly temper it and assault the skin membrane.

"First form, Dragon Soaring!"

Liu Chu assumed a stake stance like a soaring dragon. His spine stretched open to its limit, and as his body twisted, shook, and swayed violently, a surging force of Blood Vitality burst from within his spine and rushed throughout his body.

Guided by Liu Chu's consciousness, that force of Blood Vitality struck toward his skin membrane.

Buzzz! Buzzz! Buzzz!

The Blood Vitality was like a stream, washing back and forth over the skin membrane and making it quiver faintly like a drawn bowstring.

Assaulting the skin membrane barrier was a long process. Every washing of Blood Vitality could make the membrane a little tougher.

It seemed insignificant, but when drops gathered into a river, it could bring about a qualitative change.

Once that qualitative change occurred, it would be the opportunity to break through and enter the Grade-Entry Realm!

Damn it, why does it feel like this guy's Combat Technique has improved again?

Nearby, Xu Haoran stared fixedly at Liu Chu, secretly gritting his teeth as he competed with him.

After losing to Liu Chu in the speed at which he had begun the Combat Technique, Xu Haoran had wanted to win back a round and strive to gain entry into the Combat Technique before the third day ended.

Yet even after doubling his efforts and even cutting down on the time he spent training his stake stance, he had only succeeded on the fifth day.

Today, he watched Liu Chu finish practicing the Combat Technique, then turn around and begin practicing the Nourishing Stake Practice. A trace of doubt could not help arising in his heart.

Just now, he had clearly felt that Liu Chu's Combat Technique seemed several points more powerful than his own. His techniques were skilled, every move flowing like drifting clouds and running water, brimming with the ferocious force of a tiger.

It left him feeling thoroughly depressed.

Could it be that he is naturally suited to the Combat Technique?

Xu Haoran's expression shifted for a while. Then he suddenly let out a long breath. "Forget it, forget it. The Combat Technique is ultimately just technique. Only one's realm is fundamental. I train the stake stance faster than he does, so I'll definitely break through to Skin Refining before him!"

"So what if he trains the Combat Technique quickly? If he cannot break through and enter the Grade-Entry Realm, he will still have no choice but to leave the martial hall in the end."

Xu Haoran firmed up his resolve and decided to compete with Liu Chu in the speed of breaking through to the Skin Refining Realm.

Liu Chu knew nothing of Xu Haoran's inner rivalry. He was immersed in training the Nourishing Stake Practice.

After practicing the Yanglian Technique once, he began to feel somewhat fatigued. If he continued, he might leave his body depleted.

I practiced the Yanglian Technique one extra time today. I've already reached my limit. I still need to proceed step by step. Time to go home first!

Liu Chu finished his practice, took several deep breaths, and rested for a while before leaving the martial hall.

As he passed through a stretch of streets and alleys before Heilu Bay, repeated sounds of pursuit and fighting reached his ears, making him frown slightly.

He raised his guard and glanced from the corner of his eye, discovering gang thugs fighting and hacking at each other in the streets from time to time.

"Hack him to death!"

"Hahaha, run! Let's see where you can run to!"

"Damn it, don't think I'm afraid of you! Come on, hack me!"

"I've never heard such a cheap request before. Brothers, shoulder to shoulder—hack him!"

"Aah! Damn bastards from the Green Tiger Gang, I'll kill you all!"

A string of fighting sounds, accompanied by screams and the clash of blades, rose and fell throughout the alleyways.

Has a gang war broken out?

Liu Chu was alarmed and did not dare linger. He detoured around the alleys filled with fighting and curses, returning without mishap to the house by Heilu Bay.

This area should be under the Golden Fish Gang's control. Why are thugs still killing each other? Could some gang be trying to seize territory from the Golden Fish Gang?

After returning home, doubt surfaced in Liu Chu's heart.

The Golden Fish Gang controlled the territory near Heilu Bay, including several streets and alleys.

In the past, there had also been cases of fighting other gangs over territory. Those streets and alleys had changed hands again and again—lost, gained, then lost once more.

Only Heilu Bay was the Golden Fish Gang's headquarters. Ever since the Golden Fish Gang had been founded, it had never been lost.

These times truly are dangerous. I have to keep training hard. Only by becoming a martial artist can I gain some ability to protect myself.

Liu Chu shook his head, the urgency in his heart growing stronger.

He did not want to be walking down some street one day, only to be hacked to death in a random frenzy by a gang of thugs that suddenly sprang out.

That would be far too stifling a death!

Just as he was about to cook, he saw a familiar figure outside the door hurrying toward him.

"A Chu, those bastards from the Green Tiger Gang have recently clashed with our Golden Fish Gang. Things probably won't be peaceful for a while, so remember to stay safe!"

Han Qi held two baked flatbreads in his hands. He strode over in a few steps and stuffed them into Liu Chu's arms. "All right, I might be quite busy during this time. Once I'm done, I'll come find you for a drink."

With that, he turned and hurried away without pausing in the slightest.

"You be careful too!"

Before Liu Chu could ask anything, Han Qi had already hurried off. He could only call out that reminder.

After Han Qi's back disappeared from view, Liu Chu picked up one flatbread and took a bite. As he chewed, the aroma of meat mixed with the fragrance of wheat burst across his lips and teeth.

Over the next period, the Golden Fish Gang and the Green Tiger Gang fought even more fiercely. Sounds of fighting often drifted from the gloomy streets and alleys.

Every night when Liu Chu returned from the martial hall, he was on edge. Fortunately, although he encountered gang thugs fighting several times, they merely rushed past in a hurry and did not involve him.

Once, he even saw with his own eyes a Golden Fish Gang member being hacked alive before him by members of the Green Tiger Gang. The scene was drenched in blood, terrifying beyond measure.

He knew that man, though they had not been close.

The violent shock left him having a nightmare that very night.

That day, inside the martial hall.

Liu Chu let out a low shout. His feet stamped the ground, his waist and hips swayed, and his spine moved like a dragon. His power erupted fiercely as he suddenly threw a punch.

In an instant, his fist tore through the air like a flood dragon emerging from the sea. Its momentum was vast and majestic, its speed extreme. There was even a faint crackling of sinews and bones, making the air seem to tremble slightly.

"Tiger Claw!"

He changed his fist into a claw and shifted across the ground. With one clawing strike, his five fingers seemed capable of piercing the air. Faint currents of air clung to them, stirring up a howling gale.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

He drove the Combat Technique to its limit. The Dragon Fist was fierce and forceful, the Tiger Claw sharp and cutting. At times he was swift as thunder, at others slow as wind. His movements flowed like drifting clouds and running water, every stance carrying the form of dragon and tiger.

"Combat Technique, Great Accomplishment!!"

Liu Chu's eyes gleamed brightly as he quietly called up the panel:

Host: Liu Chu

Comprehension Boost Multiplier: 1x (Sacrifices available: Three Treasure Fish / Thirty taels of silver, two years of lifespan)

Dragon-Tiger Nourishing Practice (Entry 73%)

Dragon-Tiger Combat Technique (Great Accomplishment 1%)

There is still one month until the three-month deadline. The Combat Technique has reached Great Accomplishment, but the Yanglian Technique is still quite far from Minor Accomplishment...

Though delighted, Liu Chu could not help sighing inwardly.

The Yanglian Technique places too much emphasis on natural endowment. The boost from a onefold increase in comprehension isn't much. If I could make another sacrifice, I could easily reach Minor Accomplishment within three months and have a great chance of breaking through into the Grade-Entry Realm.

Liu Chu sighed inwardly, and the joy on his face faded.

Beside him, Xu Haoran could not help frowning, his doubts growing even stronger.

After gaining entry into the Combat Technique, the two of them had begun training together with the other apprentices. Chen He, their acting instructor senior brother, no longer gave either of them special attention.

But because of his competitive streak, Xu Haoran had kept watching Liu Chu.

Just now, he had felt that Liu Chu's Combat Technique seemed to have improved again, perhaps already reaching Minor Accomplishment.

Yet the somewhat disappointed expression on Liu Chu's face made him suspect that he had judged wrongly.

He wanted badly to ask Liu Chu, but after opening his mouth, he swallowed the words again.

"Junior Brother Xu, Junior Brother Liu, both martial cultivation and sparring are important. You can't train blindly all the time. How about we have a spar?"

At that moment, an apprentice who had entered the martial hall earlier suddenly stepped forward and spoke to Xu Haoran and Liu Chu.

However, his gaze fell upon Xu Haoran, as though mentioning Liu Chu had merely been incidental.

Xu Haoran had gained entry into Stake Training in eight days. His talent was quite remarkable, and word had already spread through the martial hall.

Though he called it sparring, this apprentice actually wanted to use the opportunity to build a good relationship with Xu Haoran.

Xu Haoran instinctively wanted to refuse, but then an idea flashed through his mind. "You spar with Liu Chu first. I still need to practice the stake stance one more time."

After speaking, he looked at Liu Chu.

"All right."

Liu Chu did not refuse. He also wanted to test just how powerful his Combat Technique at Great Accomplishment was.