Just as Chen Mochuan felt he had touched the threshold of Initiation in "Tiger Roaring" and let out another roar, he suddenly saw his struggling opponent turn into a streak of white light and vanish from the arena.
"Huh? Has 'Tiger Roaring' gotten that powerful already? Did I just roar him to death?"
"No... Looks like he surrendered..."
Chen Mochuan sighed inwardly. I finally found a sparring partner who could take a beating, and just as I got to the crucial part of my training, he ran off...
He didn't have much time to dwell on it before a string of ranking results appeared from Heaven Martial Battle Net.
"You have won this ranking match!"
"Points +13 (base victory points +10, Blood-Qi Value difference bonus +2, 3-win streak bonus +1)"
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"Your Black Iron rank score has reached 1,000 points. Your rank has advanced to Bronze, and you have received 50 rank-protection points."
"Your current rank is: Bronze (53 points)"
"Congratulations on reaching Bronze rank for the first time! You have taken a solid step forward. Keep up the good work and strive for even greater heights!"
Chen Mochuan looked at the word "first time" in the final message and couldn't help smiling. The system had gone out of its way to emphasize "first time," which meant that if he dropped a rank and climbed back up, he probably wouldn't get another congratulatory message.
After the results were tallied, he left the arena and returned to his personal space on Heaven Martial Battle Net. Casting aside all distractions, he immediately queued for another ranking match. He wanted to strike while the iron was hot and work his "Tiger Roaring" training into actual combat.
In the next two ranking matches, he scored one win and one loss, and gained some new insights into "Tiger Roaring."
Although "Tiger Roaring" wasn't part of the traditional Tiger Fiend Fist technique system, but rather a special offensive method created by a young Martial Artist based on the style, the Golden Light Screen had not separated it from Tiger Fiend Fist to display its proficiency on its own.
On top of that, Chen Mochuan had never seen anyone else practice a similar sonic technique, so he had no reference point and couldn't tell what level his "Tiger Roaring" was at.
He had intended to fight a few more matches and hone "Tiger Roaring" against Bronze-ranked opponents, but he glanced at the time in the corner of the virtual interface and realized it was nearly nine.
He had been so absorbed in studying the Wind-Howling Ferocious Tiger and practicing "Tiger Roaring" that he hadn't noticed the time. Since the whole city was still under lockdown, he had to head home at once.
On the way home, his thoughts remained wrapped around what he had learned from practicing "Tiger Roaring."
Just as he'd thought, combat really was the best way to hone martial arts techniques.
Under the pressure of battle, his "Tiger Roaring" practice had already begun to pay off, progressing far faster than solitary training behind closed doors.
Looking back on the three matches, he felt that "Tiger Roaring" could sometimes produce unexpected results against an opponent. But since he hadn't mastered it yet, the power of his roars was inconsistent—sometimes strong, sometimes weak—and most of the time, they didn't work very well.
Take the third ranking match, for example. His opponent had been extremely strong, and Chen Mochuan had spent most of the fight on the back foot. Still, he'd had plenty of room to maneuver and could have used the match to hone his martial arts against the stronger opponent.
But after Chen Mochuan used "Tiger Roaring" several times, his short-tempered opponent took it as repeated provocation and a grave insult. He flew into a rage and unleashed a move that would take them both down, bringing the fight to a swift end and handing Chen Mochuan a loss.
Fortunately, even though the fight had ended quickly, the immense pressure his opponent brought to bear in his rage and the intensity of the battle had taught him a great deal. His Tiger Fiend Fist had improved again, reaching Mastery (7%), and he had gained new insights into "Tiger Roaring."
Though replaying the fight in his mind inevitably distracted him a little, Chen Mochuan never forgot the safety rules during the lockdown. He stuck to the well-lit main roads.
The route home from Mingxin Martial Arts Hall was usually still busy at nine. But with the whole city under lockdown, most of the businesses along the street that relied on foot traffic, such as restaurants, had already closed. The streets were no longer brightly lit and bustling as usual.
In the nighttime darkness, Chen Mochuan could barely see any pedestrians. Only the bright streetlights showed him the way home.
Having learned his lesson from his previous encounter with a Ferocious Rat, he did his best to keep away from the deep, shadowy alleyways and side streets.
But as he passed a dim alley entrance, Chen Mochuan suddenly stopped. He thought he heard something strange coming from deep inside.
After listening to tiger roars for so long that night, his ears were extremely sensitive.
He immediately focused and listened closely. Before long, he was sure: someone inside the alley was calling for help!
Without the slightest hesitation, he moved away from the alley entrance and retreated across the street, stopping in front of a steamed-bun shop dozens of meters away. It was the only nearby business still lit and open.
It wasn't that he didn't want to help. His abilities were limited, and rushing headlong into an unfamiliar, dimly lit alley could easily get him hurt without saving anyone.
After all, the direct reason the entire city had recently been placed under lockdown was the suspected presence of dangerous cultists.
But he wasn't about to ignore what was happening. Once he was sure he was safe, he immediately called the police.
Drawing on his previous experience, he kept his voice low and calmly gave the operator a concise account of what was happening and where. He also made a point of mentioning that he had helped deal with the Ferocious Rat case half a month earlier, hoping to make his report more credible and get the police dispatched as quickly as possible.
After ending the call, he felt a little more at ease and quickly looked over the inside of the steamed-bun shop.
There were only three people inside: the shopkeeper, a plump middle-aged woman, and two elderly customers with white hair. None of them looked like people he could turn to for help.
Chen Mochuan didn't tell them he'd heard someone calling for help, in case they panicked and caused a commotion that might alert whatever danger was lurking in the alley.
Besides, the place should have been very safe. A municipal surveillance camera not far away was pointed straight at the shop's entrance.
He held his nerves in check and waited quietly for the officers to arrive, keeping his eyes fixed on the distant alley entrance and staying alert for anything that might happen around him.
"Hey, young man, I've seen you standing outside for a while. Is something wrong?"
Chen Mochuan turned around and saw the middle-aged shopkeeper standing inside, eyeing him with suspicion and a hint of fear. The two elderly customers were sneaking glances at him too.
He quickly understood why. On a night when the whole city was under lockdown, standing alone outside someone's shop was bound to look suspicious.
The biggest problem was that he couldn't explain what was going on.
In his haste, he couldn't think of a better excuse, so he said, "I'm trying to decide what to eat tonight. I was wondering whether to buy a few buns."
The tension on the shopkeeper's face eased at once. "Oh, that's all? Don't think twice about it. Auntie will treat you to a few buns."
As she spoke, she warmly invited him inside. Chen Mochuan knew it was better not to refuse and risk further complications, so he went along with it and took a seat inside, reassuring the three of them.
He chose a seat near the door and casually ordered two buns, though most of his attention remained outside.
But just as the shopkeeper turned to get the buns, he keenly picked up a sound drawing closer from a distance.
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