Prohibited Drugs

Lu Feng clenched the bottle, sweat already seeping into his palm.

Though his Academic Subjects grades were mediocre, he vaguely remembered the teacher mentioning certain banned drugs in Martial Arts General Knowledge. The "Energy Burning Potion" in his hand was prominently among them.

He only vaguely knew that the Energy Burning Potion could stimulate a user's Blood-Qi for a short time, granting greater strength. Though he didn't know why it had been classified as a banned drug, he knew it was definitely no good thing.

Lu Feng had no desire to drink the potion, but he'd feared his brother since childhood and didn't dare openly defy him. He could only try to persuade him, his voice dry and hoarse with nerves. "Brother, we shouldn't need this to deal with Chen Mochuan... right?"

Seeing his younger brother hesitate and resist, Lu Ren snapped, "What do you know? Chen Mochuan's Stance Training and fist technique both broke through to mastery today. He obviously took drugs first!"

Lu Feng didn't understand why his usually clever brother would say something like that. Even he knew there was no medicine in the world that could rapidly raise a martial art technique's realm. Even if there was, it certainly wasn't something they could get their hands on.

But when he thought of Chen Mochuan's mastery-level Foundation Building Fist, as well as the harsh words he'd thrown out that morning, Lu Feng couldn't help feeling uneasy.

If he suffered a crushing defeat in front of everyone after making such a spectacle, he'd probably lose his chance to enter the advanced class.

Even so, he still didn't want to touch the potion. "Brother, this thing is listed as a banned drug. The side effects must be serious, right?"

Seeing his younger brother looking before and after, Lu Ren's anger flared. He'd gone to great lengths to get this potion, and Lu Feng actually didn't dare use it.

He impatiently explained, "While the drug's active, you'll be incredibly excited. That's not a bad thing—it'll make you more aggressive... After it wears off, you'll just be weak for a day or two. Nothing else!"

Lu Ren hadn't told him everything.

When the Energy Burning Potion first hit the market, it had been sold under the banner of "stimulating potential."

It was later listed as prohibited in competitions after athletes abused it in all kinds of martial arts matches, but ordinary sales hadn't been banned at the time.

Only after subsequent large-sample clinical reports proved that long-term or heavy use could cause irreversible bodily damage was the potion completely banned from sale.

But Lu Ren had specifically looked into it. Taking only a small amount generally wouldn't cause any damage, and there was naturally no need for his younger brother to know that.

Hearing that the side effect was "only" two days of weakness, Lu Feng relaxed slightly, but he still instinctively asked, "Then... will this drug work in the Virtual Battle Net?"

Lu Ren glared at his younger brother as if he were an idiot, barely suppressing his anger and nearly losing control of his volume.

"The Holographic Virtual Pod synchronizes and projects every physical condition of the connected user! That includes Blood-Qi fluctuations and drug reactions! How exactly did you take Martial Arts General Knowledge?"

Knowing he'd said something stupid, Lu Feng thought his brother wouldn't go so far as to harm him. Finally gritting his teeth, he tipped the potion into his mouth.

"Remember, the effects will last ten minutes at most. You need to end this quickly!" Lu Ren immediately warned him. He still had some concern for his younger brother, so he'd chosen the lowest dosage available.

"Got it, Brother. I'll try to finish him as soon as possible," Lu Feng replied.

Lu Ren stared at him and corrected him word by word. "Not try. You must!"

Lu Feng could only nod hard.

The Energy Burning Potion took effect incredibly quickly. By the time he returned to the battle room, Lu Feng felt as though a ball of fire were burning inside him. His whole body was fired up, his fighting spirit surging.

"Chen Mochuan, let's begin!" he shouted.

Chen Mochuan withdrew his stance and sharply noticed that Lu Feng's state was somewhat different from before. There seemed to be an abnormal frenzy in his eyes.

But he showed no fear and walked straight into the Holographic Virtual Pod.

After verifying his identity, Chen Mochuan connected to the school's Virtual Battle Net and received Lu Feng's challenge request.

He accepted the invitation. The scene before him shifted, and he found himself standing on a massive arena with Lu Feng's virtual avatar across from him.

There was no unnecessary talk. The instant the countdown ended, both men charged at each other!

Once the fight began, Lu Feng remembered his brother's words to end it quickly. Relying on his Blood-Qi Value of 4.2 and the additional boost in strength from the potion, he immediately launched a ferocious assault.

His fists carried howling winds, every strike aimed at a vital point.

But with his superior mastery of the fist technique, Chen Mochuan wasn't afraid to trade blows with Lu Feng. Using skill, he fought him back and forth.

Yet as they fought, Chen Mochuan noticed something was wrong. The raw strength Lu Feng displayed had already far exceeded what a normal 4.2 Blood-Qi Value should possess.

Although he'd trained the Foundation Building Fist to mastery, the difference in strength between them was enormous. He knew that in a head-on clash, he was no match for Lu Feng.

So he decisively shifted to defense, fully employing the force-deflecting, move-breaking techniques and footwork of the mastery-level Foundation Building Fist as he began circling around Lu Feng.

With his solid foundation, he narrowly evaded several heavy strikes. For punches he truly couldn't dodge, he did his best to dissolve them with clever force.

Bang!

One heavy punch ultimately couldn't be completely redirected. It smashed fiercely into Chen Mochuan's blocking left arm, sending his Blood-Qi roiling and forcing him two steps back.

The Virtual Battle Net faithfully simulated the pain. A sharp ache and faint numbness shot through his arm, but he remained calm.

Through those direct exchanges, he became even more certain that something was abnormal about his opponent.

Lu Feng's strength is far beyond his normal level, and his emotions are abnormally excited. His urge to attack is also far too intense... This state looks exactly like the Energy Burning Potion reaction mentioned in Martial Arts General Knowledge!

Thinking of Lu Ren disappearing for half the day and the brothers' secret discussion just now, Chen Mochuan understood. Looks like they were willing to take the risk and use banned drugs just to win.

He knew the Energy Burning Potion's properties well. While stimulating Blood-Qi, it greatly increased aggression, but it also made people more likely to fall into rage and fury, losing all structure in their attacks.

In the blink of an eye, he'd already formed a strategy: lure the enemy in deep, then wait at ease for the exhausted foe.

In the following fight, Chen Mochuan no longer tried to take Lu Feng's attacks head-on. Instead, he pushed his footwork to the limit.

Like a swimming fish, he darted across the vast arena, constantly circling and weaving, causing Lu Feng's savage attacks to miss again and again.

At the same time, the insights into fist techniques he'd gained from senior Han Hao continuously surfaced in his mind, allowing him to see the flaws in Lu Feng's moves more and more clearly.

"Bastard! If you've got the guts, stop running!"

After attack after attack missed, the potion rapidly magnified Lu Feng's irritation, and he began blurting out whatever came to mind.

Then, he almost completely abandoned defense and raised his offensive even further.

Facing such a fierce onslaught, Chen Mochuan seemed to have only the strength to dodge. As Lu Feng gradually forced him toward the edge of the arena, it seemed even his room to maneuver was about to disappear.

Outside the Holographic Virtual Pod, the giant screen in the center of the battle room displayed their fight in real time. Lu Feng had completely suppressed Chen Mochuan.

Li Biao clenched his fists, muttering under his breath words no one else could make out.

A confident sneer hung on Lu Ren's lips, certain that his younger brother already had victory in the bag.

Inside the Virtual Battle Net, Chen Mochuan looked extremely bedraggled, but his mind was clear as a mirror.

He was waiting for an opportunity...

An opening enough to defeat his enemy in a single blow!