How Did Shi Wen Temper Qi and Blood? Junior Brother, Can People Like Us Really Accomplish Anything?

"Is it you, kid?"

Zhou Heling saw clearly who was blocking her path, and her expression turned incredibly ugly!

Back when this kid tried to bribe Yan Kai to secure a spot in the Boat Gang, she had looked down on this handsome fellow, often making things difficult for him both openly and covertly, and even encouraging other outer-sect disciples to pick fights with him.

It was just a pity that this kid did nothing but practice his martial arts.

He basically never interacted with anyone, making it impossible for her to target him even if she wanted to.

Coupled with the recent problems at the Xingshui Gang, she hadn't paid him any mind, yet she never expected he would dare to stand up for Li Tiezhu?

"Damn it, I was already fuming, and you dare to come out and look for trouble too?"

Zhou Heling slapped toward Shi Wen's face. Even though she only used a fraction of her strength, this slap would likely have beaten Shi Wen into a fool!

Shi Wen did not dodge or retreat, meeting the strike with a palm of his own.

The moment their palms collided, a dull thud echoed out, like two iron arms crashing together, shaking their clothes until they billowed as if caught in a gale.

However, what happened next was completely unexpected.

The scrawny outer-sect disciple was perfectly fine, while Zhou Heling stumbled back four or five steps. Her arm bent and cracked, a sickening sound ringing out as broken bone pierced through her flesh, and bright red blood dripped onto the ground!

Zhou Heling's eyes were vacant, filled with disbelief.

Shi Wen was also somewhat stunned. He had been afraid of killing Zhou Heling, so he hadn't even dared to use his full strength, let alone his blood energy. He hadn't expected to break her arm.

Was she really that fragile?

Whoosh!

In an instant, a chorus of gasps erupted throughout the outer sect.

The outer-sect disciples stared at Shi Wen, their faces full of shock, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets!

What was going on?

An outer-sect disciple had broken the arm of an inner-sect disciple?

How was this even possible?

Unless...

Shi Wen had tempered his blood energy!

Zhou Heling quickly regained her senses, and she said in shock, "You've tempered your blood energy?"

She was filled with astonishment.

But she quickly reined in her previous malice and brutality.

She silently pushed her broken arm back into place, tore a strip of cloth from her clothes to wrap it simply, and headed to the infirmary to treat her wound without saying a word.

Zhou Heling wasn't even seeking revenge, nor was she spouting any threats!

Compared to her previous aggressive posture, it was as if she were a completely different person!

The stark difference in how she treated inner-sect disciples versus outer-sect disciples left the onlookers dumbfounded.

"Even if Senior Brother Shi has tempered his blood energy, how could he break Senior Sister Zhou's arm? What is going on here?"

Someone asked, confused.

Within the crowd, a disciple whose elder was a martial artist whispered, "You don't know? Aside from having a stronger physique than ordinary people, a Blood-Tempering Realm martial artist can unleash dozens of times the lethality when circulating their blood energy. My uncle is a martial artist; when he isn't using blood energy, his strength is only slightly better than a normal person's, but once he uses it, he can snap iron with his bare hands!"

"Senior Sister Zhou probably didn't expect Senior Brother Shi to have tempered his blood energy and was caught off guard, which is why she was injured."

"But that kind of injury is nothing to a martial artist; it will heal in a few days..."

Once someone explained, the outer-sect disciples present suddenly understood.

But soon, an indescribable feeling of discomfort welled up in their hearts, and the looks they cast at Shi Wen were inevitably tinged with jealousy.

Who wouldn't be jealous?

When Qin Heng broke through to the Blood-Tempering Realm in a short time, many people might have joked about being envious, but in reality, they felt he was a genius and that his breakthrough was only natural!

But who was Shi Wen?

His family was poor, his aptitude was mediocre, and he wasn't a genius. By what right could he temper his blood energy?

Why couldn't the one who tempered their blood energy be them instead?

After Zhou Heling left, the outer sect fell into an eerie silence, with everyone watching Shi Wen with complex expressions.

"Junior Brother Shi, congratulations! I knew you could do it!"

Li Tiezhu's pale face was filled with excitement as he congratulated Shi Wen. "I always thought you had high comprehension. I never expected you to be the one to reach this step before me. Congratulations!"

"And thank you, Senior Brother, for sparring with me back then; it helped me quite a bit."

Shi Wen replied with a smile, showing no arrogance despite the shift in his status.

Truth be told, Li Tiezhu had indeed helped him.

If he hadn't been sparring with Li Tiezhu so often, he would have had no combat experience at all; even with martial arts knowledge, he would have been beaten to death by others!

Shi Wen helped Li Tiezhu over and sat him down in the grand armchair.

This was the seat Zhou Heling had been lying in just moments ago. Li Tiezhu didn't dare sit, but Shi Wen said bluntly, "It's fine. If she has the guts, let her come find me."

Li Tiezhu couldn't refuse and had no choice but to sit.

As he chatted with Shi Wen, his pale face would occasionally flush with a sudden, sickly red.

As they spoke, Li Tiezhu sighed with emotion: "Congratulations, Junior Brother Shi. Now that you've become a martial artist, you can finally stand firm in Black Cloud County. I had originally planned to wait until I became a martial artist myself to bring you into the Xingshui Gang to earn some money, but who would have thought the Xingshui Gang would be gone, and I'd be finished too."

"Two days ago, some people came to the docks to cause trouble and injured several disciples from the Fist Academy. Senior Sister Zhou asked me to go handle it, but I didn't expect that after the man lost, he would launch a sneak attack. He broke my ribs, and the shards punctured my lungs. It's going to cost a lot of money to treat."

"I was so close to refining my blood and qi, but who would have thought..."

When he reached this point, a look of desolation flashed across his face.

Unable to help himself, his eyes turned red, and he muttered to himself in a voice only he could hear: "Junior Brother Shi, tell me, can someone like me really achieve anything?"

"I believe you can do it, Senior Brother Li."

Shi Wen handed his money pouch to Li Tiezhu and said, "Senior Brother Li, I don't have much money here, but it should be enough to help you in an emergency. Take it for now."

Inside the pouch was a ten-tael silver note and some loose silver.

It was what he usually carried for emergencies; this should be enough for the other man to get medical treatment.

Li Tiezhu refused a few times.

Then he accepted the pouch, thinking to himself that it wasn't much money, and he would repay this favor to Junior Brother Shi in the future.

The two chatted for a while.

Li Tiezhu took the light money pouch and left, stumbling as he walked.

However, the focus of the outer courtyard was no longer on him.

Those outer courtyard disciples still hadn't recovered from the shock; one by one, they looked at Shi Wen with complex expressions, stealing glances at him from time to time.

The entire noon hour fell into an eerie silence.

First Qin Huan, and now Shi Wen—both had become martial artists only about half a month after joining the Fist Academy. How could such a thing not stir their hearts?

They couldn't understand how Shi Wen had managed it!

Was it just by practicing bitterly all the time?

During this time, Zhou Heling returned after bandaging her wounds. She saw Shi Wen sleeping in her chair.

Her expression turned ugly, but she swallowed her anger.

She grabbed a sleeping chair belonging to another outer courtyard disciple and lay down to rest, choosing not to clash with Shi Wen.

Although she was crude and bullied the weak while fearing the strong, she wasn't stupid.

She had walked that path herself and knew how agonizing and unbearable it was to refine blood and qi.

For a commoner to refine blood and qi, they must have paid a price in blood and sweat that ordinary people couldn't imagine—they had to be fearless and ruthless in their training!

She didn't want to provoke such a person.

For once, Shi Wen didn't practice martial arts at noon, choosing instead to rest on the grand armchair.

When the noon break ended, Shi Wen finally rose and, under the complex and jealous gazes of many outer courtyard disciples, walked toward the inner courtyard.

The inner courtyard was not large, covering only about a hundred square meters.

Though separated by only a single wall, it was a barrier that kept countless outer courtyard disciples out.

There were many who, aside from the one time they were lucky enough to enter upon first becoming apprentices, would never be able to step inside again for the rest of their lives!

There weren't many people in the inner courtyard, or perhaps they hadn't risen yet.

Although the Fist Academy wasn't large, the benefits for inner courtyard disciples were high, and the inner courtyard provided individual rooms for them to live in.

Wei Shan yawned as he went to the well to draw water and wash his face.

The moment he saw Shi Wen, his eyes widened in shock, followed by a fierce look as he barked, "You bastard! Who told you to come in without reporting? If you have business, go notify Zhou Heling and let her speak for you. Who do you think you are, coming into the inner courtyard?"

Wei Shan had joined the academy later than Zhou Heling, so theoretically, he should have called her Senior Sister.

But now that he was calling her by her name, it was clear that Zhou Heling had been kicked out of this small circle.

Shi Wen's pupils constricted. He remained expressionless, ignoring Wei Shan.

If Wei Shan had asked politely, he would have answered, but what was the meaning of this attitude?

He had already revealed that he had refined his blood and qi; if he still endured this, wouldn't his training have been in vain?

"Damn it, stop putting on an act!"

Wei Shan was incensed. He lunged forward, executing a Full Bow Stance followed by a Prop Punch. His entire body resembled a strong bow drawn to the full moon, emitting a dull, violent sound!

A roar like that of a wild beast erupted from Wei Shan's throat.

This Prop Punch smashed directly toward Shi Wen's chest; though he hadn't used his blood and qi, he hadn't held back his strength either!

"Well come."

Shi Wen dodged to the side while closing the distance, his iron shoulder striking like a mountain crashing into the Nine Provinces, instantly sending Wei Shan flying to land heavily on the ground, seeing stars.

"Damn it, you're courting death!!"

Having lost face, Wei Shan's eyes turned vicious. Qi and blood surged into his legs as he charged at Shi Wen, opening with a killing blow.

He did not believe he could lose to this brat.

He told himself he had just been groggy from sleep, and it was only due to his own carelessness that he had been sent flying by that Iron Mountain Lean.

"Lion Opens Mouth!"

"Cross Fist!"

"Overlord Lifts Tripod, Crotch Kick, Prop Punch, Sky-Piercing Cannon..."

Within the inner courtyard, a series of sharp, explosive sounds erupted!

Wei Shan was like a berserk beast, every move carrying vicious killing intent. Wherever his Charging Step landed, the blue bricks shattered. With his muscles bulging, he unleashed terrifying destructive power like a human machine.

Every punch and kick seemed forged from iron and steel, creating booming echoes in the air!

Wherever his killing blows landed, it was like rolling thunder!!

The outer courtyard disciples who had gathered to watch the spectacle were trembling with fear at the sight of these lethal techniques.

Senior Brother Wei Shan was truly worthy of being a Blood-Tempering Realm expert who had been in the inner courtyard for half a year; he had cultivated Baji Fist to such a terrifying level that any random move could beat them half to death!!

But while laymen watched the excitement, experts watched the technique.

Shi Wen's breathing remained steady; though he had yet to strike back, he appeared calm and unhurried.

Conversely, the seemingly ferocious Wei Shan was panting heavily due to his short, explosive bursts, unable to generate new force—he was in a very awkward position!

This outer courtyard disciple named Shi Wen was truly not simple.

His combat experience was surprisingly seasoned.

Knowing he could not win a head-on collision against an inner courtyard disciple, he chose to maneuver and dodge, exhausting the opponent's qi and blood.

"As expected, this kid is not simple. If we were to fight to the death, I fear I would have to pay a price to win!"

Zhou Heling, watching the commotion from the doorway, muttered to herself.

Having more or less figured out Wei Shan's moves, Shi Wen stopped dodging, preparing to strike and inflict a minor injury to end this farce.

Li Qianqian emerged at this moment, her gaze cold as she said, "Stop, enough of this nonsense!"