The Lin Family Arrives, First Clash

The matter regarding Chen Qing did not ferment for long.

Only two days passed before no one discussed it anymore.

Everyone's gaze had converged upon Lu Cheng.

During the Tendon Measurement and Bone Weighing, Lu Cheng was found to have a deficiency in his origin qi and blood.

This led to a misunderstanding in everyone's hearts.

It was only when Lu Cheng defeated the person with the highest strength in a single move that everyone realized once again what a "Human Hero" truly was.

The qi and blood deficiency would only affect one upon reaching the Body Refining Realm; before that, Lu Cheng remained a "Human Hero"!

Since he was a "Human Hero," the likes of Chen Qing naturally amounted to nothing.

Consequently, everyone's perception of Lu Cheng underwent a massive shift.

Especially that senior disciple who had collided with Lu Cheng in the canteen previously.

Whenever he saw Lu Cheng, he would deliberately lower his head, not daring to make any eye contact at all.

However, Lu Cheng did not care about this in the slightest.

He was never a person who held grudges, and he had always been too lazy to pay attention to hostility that wasn't too excessive.

The injury on Liu Wan'er's arm was quite severe; it was estimated that she would be unable to move it for a month.

This had a significant impact on her cultivation.

However, after Lu Cheng requested it of Feng Zhan, Feng Zhan agreed to extend Liu Wan'er's three-month deadline by one month.

This made everyone feel much more at ease.

On the training grounds, Lu Cheng opened his eyes and sighed helplessly.

All his silver had been used to buy five portions of Blood-Activating Powder, and adding the one given by Zhuang Xing, he had a total of six.

After using the last three portions yesterday, the proficiency of his Mystic Eagle Stance Technique had increased by another thirty points.

Yet, after standing in the stance all morning today, it had only increased by two points.

However, because the progress of the stance training was slow, he had more time to practice the Seven Strikes of the Black Hawk.

In two days, the proficiency had truly increased by quite a bit.

His consciousness swept quickly through his sea of consciousness, and the progress of the two martial arts was clearly displayed.

[Twelve Forms of the Black Hawk Stance]

[Grade: Low-Grade Human Tier]

[Realm: Minor Accomplishment (92/300)]

[Seven Strikes of the Black Hawk]

[Grade: Mid-Grade Human Tier]

[Realm: Entry (46/200)]

Now, Lu Cheng no longer needed to go to Feng Zhan's courtyard to practice the Seven Strikes of the Black Hawk.

He practiced right next to the Plum Blossom Stance, facing the Wooden Dummy.

Whenever those disciples saw the scene where Lu Cheng tore off a chunk of wood with a single claw, sending wood chips flying, they would involuntarily recall Chen Qing's broken wrist.

Too brutal!

Several disciples who had previously condemned the damaged Wooden Dummy were even more terrified.

Lu Cheng hadn't gone far at the time, so he must have heard their words.

However, some also showed great interest in this.

"Lu Cheng, I truly didn't misjudge you. I didn't expect you to have even learned the Seven Strikes of the Black Hawk."

"Looking at it this way, you are fully qualified to fight side-by-side with me in the competition two months from now!"

Zhuang Xing had been lying in bed for two days and was finally able to get up today.

He felt it was a great pity that he hadn't seen the clash between Lu Cheng and Chen Qing.

Therefore, as soon as he saw Lu Cheng practicing the Seven Strikes of the Black Hawk, he immediately ran over.

Lu Cheng felt no resentment toward this.

Although Zhuang Xing was a bit mentally unstable, he was truly not a bad person.

Refining force in half a month far exceeded the limits of his aptitude; such speed was rare even in the entire Dongyang Prefecture.

Anyway, since he couldn't learn it even if he watched, he might as well let him watch.

After a while, seeing Lu Cheng focused on his practice, Zhuang Xing lost interest and went off to stand in his own stance.

A day passed just like that.

The next morning, Lu Cheng did not rise early.

He slept until well past the mid-morning hour before finally getting up.

Yang Xiong was not a man to be trifled with; practicing for a little longer was far less effective than adjusting one's spirit and energy to perfection.

At the mid-morning hour, as the sun hung high, a voice drifted in from outside the gates of the Long Wind Escort Agency:

"The three-day deadline has arrived. Where is Lu Cheng?"

The voice swept across the training grounds, rippling toward the back courtyard of the agency like a wave.

Immediately after, the voice of Feng Qi acted like a reef in the water, blocking the sound head-on.

"Is that Senior Lin Wanxiong of the Lin Martial Arts Hall? Please forgive me for not coming out to welcome you from afar."

Before the words had even faded, several figures walked in.

Leading them was a lean, elderly man in a green robe with graying hair, yet his spirit was remarkably vigorous.

Behind him followed five or six young disciples, both male and female.

One of them held a sheathed longsword, following closely behind.

The disciples within the agency were already dumbfounded.

As a martial arts power in Yang City second only to the Emerald Cloud Abbey and the Heavenly Spring Temple, the reputation of the Lin Martial Arts Hall was known to all.

Hearing that they were looking for Lu Cheng again, the disciples couldn't help but recall the words "troublemaker" used when Chen Qing was dragged away.

It had only been a few days; how had Lu Cheng managed to provoke the Lin Martial Arts Hall again?

The crowd parted, watching as the old man led his group through.

Fatty and the others did not know the people from the Lin Martial Arts Hall, but they had all heard Feng Qi's words.

Seeing the old man walk past him, Fatty felt a sudden surge of anger.

It was all because of the mole disciple trained by the Lin Martial Arts Hall that he couldn't even eat his pork knuckles anymore.

Thinking of how his own clansmen had gone to demand an explanation only to be thrown out, he couldn't help but spit and mutter, "Shameless."

Lin Wanxiong, who was walking forward, stopped abruptly and whipped his head around to glare at Fatty.

The five senses of a Body Tempering martial artist were terrifyingly sharp.

Back when Lu Cheng was queuing outside, Feng Zhan had been able to hear him from inside the courtyard.

Fatty was less than ten steps away from Lin Wanxiong; how could his voice not reach the old man's ears?

"Are the disciples of the Long Wind Escort Agency all so insolent?"

With that glare, Lin Wanxiong unleashed the pressure of a mid-stage Body Tempering martial artist, covering Fatty without reservation.

Fatty felt a bone-chilling cold rise from the depths of his heart.

Every hair on his body trembled instantly.

His heart began to beat at an uncontrollable, rapid pace.

"Senior Lin, please show mercy."

"This disciple is named Liu Guicai, a member of the Liu Clan from Guzhai Town."

Feng Qi and the others had appeared before the steps at some point.

As Feng Qi spoke, Fatty felt his heart being forcibly released from a great pressure, and his breathing slowly returned to normal.

The bone-chilling cold also vanished.

Lin Wanxiong turned his head to look at Feng Qi, speaking only after a long silence:

"Head Escort Feng, you aren't even forty yet, are you?"

The crowd was surprised to hear this.

Was the old man alright? Why was he suddenly asking about someone's age?

Only Lu Cheng sensed something.

Feng Zhan was already approaching the mid-stage of Body Tempering; as the senior brother, could Feng Qi be any slower?

According to the implication of Lin Wanxiong's words, a mid-stage Body Tempering martial artist under forty seemed quite remarkable.

Yet, Shen Yi of the Martial Suppression Battalion was about the same age as Feng Qi, and hadn't he already reached perfection?

Feng Qi nodded:

"I appreciate your concern, Senior Lin. I am thirty-seven this year."

Lin Wanxiong sighed:

"The younger generation is truly formidable. When I was thirty-seven, I had only just stepped into the early stage of Body Tempering."

Without waiting for Feng Qi to respond, Lin Wanxiong let out a cold snort:

"But when it comes to teaching disciples, one really must take it slow, year by year!"

"Yang Xiong, slap his mouth!"

A youth of seventeen or eighteen behind Lin Wanxiong responded, "Yes."

Turning his head toward Fatty, he tapped his foot lightly and flashed toward him with a whoosh.

In the blink of an eye, he had crossed seven or eight paces and raised his hand to strike at Fatty.

"Smack!"

A crisp sound of impact rang out.

Yang Xiong let out an "Eh," his eyes filled with surprise as he looked at the figure who had suddenly blocked his path and met his palm strike.