Sparring

After completing fifty repetitions of the Mystic Eagle Stance, another hour had passed.

Lu Cheng slowly opened his eyes.

The crimson in his gaze receded, and clarity returned.

At last, Lu Cheng had fully absorbed the medicine's potency and stabilized the strength and blood energy throughout his body.

As he stopped, sweat suddenly poured from him with a hiss.

His clothes were soaked through in an instant, and he looked as though he'd been fished out of water.

Fatty was the first to rush over. He looked Lu Cheng up and down, and only after seeing nothing amiss did he say, utterly shocked, "Good heavens, you scared the daylights out of me just now."

"You looked like you'd been steamed alive, and you kept giving off heat. I thought you were going to burn yourself dry."

Hu Ming shook his head repeatedly. "You're far too reckless. That was two doses of Blood-Activating Powder. One wrong move, and you could've exploded!"

Liu Wan'er said nothing. She simply handed Lu Cheng a water flask and urged him to drink.

Lu Cheng thanked her and took it, drinking more than half in one go. Only then did the metallic taste of blood in his throat begin to fade.

He took several deep breaths, then gave a bitter smile, still shaken. "I just thought one dose of Blood-Activating Powder still had plenty of potency left, so I wanted to speed things up."

"I just didn't expect the medicine's potency to multiply like that."

With two doses of Blood-Activating Powder, Lu Cheng's Mystic Eagle Stance proficiency had surged.

It had reached sixty in one go.

That progress looked frightening.

But after thinking it through, Lu Cheng realized it wasn't worth it.

A single dose took an hour to refine and added ten points of proficiency.

Using two doses at once also took an hour to refine, but required an extra hour of stance training.

That meant two hours for forty points of proficiency.

By that calculation, his efficiency had only doubled.

Yet the risks had been like dancing on a tightrope.

Even though Lu Cheng had been through it once before, he was still genuinely shaken.

From now on, unless he needed to break through a realm, he wasn't going to take that kind of risk again.

"Don't worry. Even if you hadn't said anything, I wouldn't be taking such reckless chances again."

The others relaxed a little at his words.

The surrounding disciples didn't share their concern. They were simply intensely curious.

Those who didn't know what Blood-Activating Powder did quickly asked the people around them. Once they understood, their shock only grew.

"He swallowed Blood-Activating Powder, and two doses at once? Lu Cheng has definitely developed strength!"

"It's only been half a month. That speed is just..."

"He is a Human Hero, after all. His blood and energy may be deficient, but his bones and meridians aren't damaged."

Dozens of disciples chattered among themselves. Then, suddenly, a voice drifted over from somewhere.

"I reckon it won't be long before he surpasses Chen Qing and becomes the top disciple of our escort agency."

"I feel like Lu Cheng's already surpassed Chen Qing."

"..."

"..."

The moment those two comments were made, the chatter around them abruptly died away.

A few glances, seemingly casual, slid toward Chen Qing.

Chen Qing stood at the edge of the crowd with his arms crossed. His face showed little emotion, but his hands, hidden in his sleeves, were clenched so tightly that his knuckles had gone white.

Just moments ago, he had been sure Lu Cheng was merely putting on a brave front.

But before his words had even settled, Lu Cheng had refined the potency of two doses of Blood-Activating Powder.

It had been a brutal slap in the face.

The words "surpass Chen Qing" first exploded in his mind, then echoed over and over.

His eyes tightened, and his temples bulged.

Though the surrounding chatter had stopped, those gazes made Chen Qing feel even more awkward.

More importantly, he knew better than the other disciples.

Lu Cheng hadn't merely "developed strength."

He had already reached the mid-stage.

He was even more solidly established than Chen Qing himself.

The quiet remark from the crowd might have been speculation, but it was an undeniable fact.

Lu Cheng really had surpassed him.

Chen Qing felt both jealous and afraid.

He had joined the sect before Lu Cheng, and he had worked just as hard. What gave Lu Cheng the right to surpass him in a mere half-month?

Just because he was a "Human Hero"?

Chen Qing could no longer keep his composure. He forced a smile, pushed through the crowd, and called out, "Junior Brother Lu, what a fine display. You took two doses of Blood-Activating Powder at once. I truly admire your courage."

Lu Cheng turned to look at Chen Qing but didn't reply.

With his hands behind his back, Chen Qing stopped in front of Lu Cheng. He no longer bothered to hide the chill in his eyes.

"Junior Brother, your progress has been astonishing. I can't match your pace."

"But that's all the better. Now that you've developed strength, I won't be bullying you!"

"Didn't you say there was something wrong with my punch?"

"Better to act now than wait for a better day. We can continue the sparring we left unfinished a few days ago."

The moment he said this, the area fell silent.

Everyone could see that Lu Cheng had only just finished refining the medicine. His strength had yet to recover.

The sweat all over him and his pale face were plain evidence.

For Chen Qing to challenge him to a sparring match at a time like this was clearly taking advantage of him.

Fatty frowned and was about to speak, but Lu Cheng raised a hand to stop him.

"Fine."

One word, crisp and decisive.

Chen Qing's heart skipped. Lu Cheng's calmness unnerved him a little, but he quickly pushed the feeling down.

Lu Cheng was at his weakest right now. There couldn't be a better opportunity.

This time, he would secure his place as the escort agency's senior brother once and for all!

"Junior Brother, be careful. I won't hold back."

The words "hold back" had barely left his mouth when Chen Qing burst with strength and launched an attack.

Several people inwardly cursed him for his shameless little trick.

Chen Qing didn't care in the slightest. If anything, he put more force behind his punch.

Lu Cheng still hadn't moved.

This was his chance!

Lu Cheng was so weak he couldn't even react!

Chen Qing's mouth curled into a smug grin, and a vicious glint flashed in his eyes.

The fist he had meant to smash into Lu Cheng's chin shifted slightly, aiming instead for the Renying Acupoint on his neck.

It was a deadly point on the human body. A strike there could obstruct the flow of qi and blood; in a severe case, it could kill someone on the spot!

A surge of excitement rushed through Chen Qing. His right index finger bulged as he clenched his fist, forming a Phoenix Eye Fist.

Lu Cheng, I'll make you pay for this!

"Bang!"

Chen Qing went flying and crashed heavily onto the ground. His back throbbed from the impact, and a sickly sweetness churned in his chest.

The entire training ground fell silent.

Then came a wave of astonishment like a crashing tide.

One punch.

Lu Cheng had needed only one punch to knock down Chen Qing, who had launched the first attack.

Chen Qing lay on the ground, his mind completely blank.

How was this possible?

They were both at the mid-stage of refining strength. Even if there was a gap between them, how could the result be this lopsided?

He hadn't even been able to withstand one punch?

Lu Cheng's punch had been too fast. His eyes couldn't keep up.

He hadn't even had time to react before he went flying.

The crowd fell silent for a moment, then broke into uncontrollable chatter.

"Chen Qing lost!"

"He couldn't even block one punch!"

"But isn't he at the mid-stage of refining strength? Was he lying about it?"

"..."

Lu Cheng shook his head. Chen Qing was far too weak.

Five or six days had passed, and he hadn't improved in the slightest.

He couldn't compare with Zhou Yunxiang, who was at the same stage.

Even Zhao Cheng was far beyond him.

"Senior Brother Chen, your punch wasn't just off in angle. It was slower than last time, too."

With that, Lu Cheng turned and started to leave.

Chen Qing stared blankly for a moment, then looked at Lu Cheng's retreating back.

In an instant, the last thread of restraint in his mind snapped.

Chen Qing scrambled to his feet, his face twisted with rage.

He swiftly pulled a long spear from the nearby weapon rack, gripped it with both hands, and thrust it at Lu Cheng's back.

"Look out!"

A sharp cry rang out.

Liu Wan'er hurriedly shoved Lu Cheng aside, but she couldn't get out of the way herself. Chen Qing's spear pierced her arm, leaving a deep wound that exposed bone.

Only then did the crowd cry out in alarm.

Seeing this, Lu Cheng flew into a rage.

"Die!"

The Seven Strikes of the Black Hawk unfolded at once. With a move called Slanting Wind Returning Wing, he flashed to Chen Qing's side.

Then came Locking Joints and Breaking Limbs.

"Crack!"

The sound of a wrist bone breaking rang out across the silent training ground.

Chen Qing screamed, unable to hold on to the spear.

But Lu Cheng didn't stop. He followed with the third form of the Seven Strikes of the Black Hawk, Falling Star Crown Strike.

He sprang up like a soaring hawk. His right hand changed from a claw into a fist, which he brought crashing down.

If that punch landed, the force driven straight through the crown would shatter Chen Qing's skull.

"Whoosh!"

At the critical moment, a whip shadow swept in silently and caught Lu Cheng's arm, making it impossible for him to bring the punch down.

Lu Cheng's heart hardened. He poured strength into his leg and, while still in midair, kicked Chen Qing square in the back.

Chen Qing spat out a mouthful of blood. He flew more than a zhang before crashing into the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.

Feng Ji's furious shout rang out from beyond the crowd.

"Impudent! I've already stepped in, and you still dare to keep going!"