Zhao Cheng Breaks Through

Afternoon, in Zhao Cheng's courtyard.

Ever since Lu Cheng had left that morning, Zhao Cheng had been tirelessly practicing the six halberd techniques.

The more he practiced, the more impatient he grew.

He was missing the follow-up moves to the River-Blocking Halberd Technique.

He had been stuck at the Early Stage of Strength Refining for nearly two years.

Over those two years, he had traveled across half of Dongyang Prefecture.

At first, he had bought all kinds of manuals on halberd techniques. Later, he had sparred with experts who wielded spears and halberds.

Along the way, he had even met a martial artist who practiced a Low-Grade Human Tier halberd technique.

Yet he had still failed to deduce any follow-up moves.

As a result, he had all but given up hope.

He had followed Lu Cheng to Yang City partly because he was considering joining the Long Wind Escort Agency and switching to a different cultivation method.

To his surprise, before he could even act, Lu Cheng had given him an enormous gift.

Though there were only six moves, Zhao Cheng immediately understood as he practiced them that they were undoubtedly correct.

As he swung through the moves, his breathing began to change as well.

At last, his internal organs felt a surging force.

It was a sensation he had never experienced before.

But no matter how much Zhao Cheng practiced, that force remained trapped inside him, unable to circulate outward.

He felt like he was dangling in midair, unable to rise any higher or slip back down—a deeply frustrating feeling.

Then the courtyard gate swung open.

When Lu Cheng appeared, it was as if sunlight had broken through the gray clouds.

"Brother Lu! You're finally back!"

"I've been waiting so anxiously!"

Lu Cheng laughed heartily.

"Don't worry, Brother Zhao. I'm here now, aren't I?"

Zhao Cheng wasn't the only one getting impatient. Lu Cheng himself had been growing restless.

If he hadn't been waiting to collect the Blood-Activating Powder from Lin Martial Arts Hall, he would have come back long ago.

His understanding of the River-Blocking Halberd Technique was far inferior to Zhao Cheng's.

So his original plan had only been to familiarize himself with the technique, use it to fend off Yang Xiong's sword, and seize an opportunity to defeat him with the Seven Strikes of the Black Hawk.

But after fighting Yang Xiong, he had been deeply shaken by the technique's power.

At the Refining Strength stage, especially when both sides were armed, this halberd technique gave its wielder an enormous advantage.

After calming Zhao Cheng down, Lu Cheng said nothing more. He took the River Blocking Halberd and demonstrated the remaining eighteen moves, one by one.

Zhao Cheng watched, utterly transfixed.

As soon as Lu Cheng finished the first demonstration, Zhao Cheng eagerly began practicing along with him, using his bare hands.

After five rounds, he had caught up with Lu Cheng by the sixth.

Two rounds later, he no longer watched Lu Cheng. Instead, he practiced moves thirteen through twenty-four on his own.

"Brother Zhao, take the halberd." Seeing this, Lu Cheng tossed it to him.

Zhao Cheng didn't even open his eyes. He reached out and caught the River Blocking Halberd by the sound of the wind, then practiced with abandon.

At first, the halberd's whistle as it cut through the air rang across the courtyard. After a while, strange sounds joined it.

They were like the rumbling of a hungry man's stomach, or the low growls in the throats of tigers and leopards prowling the mountain forest.

A little later, Zhao Cheng's movements suddenly slowed. Each move became as halting as if he were a beginner.

The halberd's whistle died away, but the strange sounds grew louder.

Looking at Zhao Cheng's chest and abdomen, Lu Cheng seemed to see a mass of air swelling inside him, now shifting to his left chest, now darting down to his lower abdomen.

At last, Zhao Cheng abruptly planted his halberd upright.

The swollen mass of air in his chest and abdomen burst out through his mouth and nose, and a long cry, like a tiger roaring through the mountain forest, rang from his throat.

"Roar!"

The sound lasted a full five breaths before finally fading.

It was so loud that every bird inside and outside the courtyard frantically flapped into the air and fled into the distance as if for its life.

Yet what happened was completely different from when Lu Cheng had broken through.

Zhao Cheng opened his eyes, uncontrollable delight shining in them.

Before he could speak, Lu Cheng joined two fingers and jabbed at him as if wielding a halberd.

"Bring it on!"

Zhao Cheng immediately raised his halberd fingers and jabbed back.

Both channeled their strength into their fingers, using the same halberd technique.

For the first thirty exchanges, they traded offense and defense evenly.

After thirty moves, Lu Cheng spent most of his time defending.

By the sixtieth move, Zhao Cheng was constantly striking his wrist. Lu Cheng could only avoid defeat because his martial arts cultivation was a shade higher than Zhao Cheng's.

Lu Cheng sucked in a sharp breath. Zhao Cheng's halberd technique was simply too good.

"Brother Zhao, forgive me."

As he spoke, Lu Cheng changed the position of his left hand, turning his palm into a claw, and swept it toward Zhao Cheng's halberd fingers.

"Heh!" Zhao Cheng cried, bringing the middle and index fingers of his left hand together as a supporting hand to intercept from the side.

In terms of proficiency, Lu Cheng's Seven Strikes of the Black Hawk still lagged behind the River-Blocking Halberd Technique.

But using their hands as halberds had already shortened the distance between them.

Besides, many halberd moves couldn't be used at all.

That was like letting Lu Cheng get inside Zhao Cheng's guard, and Zhao Cheng was instantly thrown into disarray.

In fewer than fifteen moves, Lu Cheng had seized his wrist.

Even so, Zhao Cheng's joy was plain to see.

They stopped, and Lu Cheng smiled as he cupped his hands to congratulate Zhao Cheng.

"Congratulations, Brother Zhao, on advancing your martial arts."

Zhao Cheng shook his head.

"Compared with you, Brother Lu, I still have a long way to go."

Then he bowed deeply to Lu Cheng, his voice trembling with emotion.

"Thank you, Brother Lu. I will never forget your gift of the technique."

"If you ever need anything, Zhao Cheng will give his all, even at the cost of his life!"

Lu Cheng accepted his bow without reservation.

The River-Blocking Halberd Technique deduced by the Heavenly Mandate was more than just a Mid-Grade Human Tier martial technique.

Combined with Zhao Cheng's original River-Blocking Halberd Technique, it formed a martial arts cultivation method even more profound than the Mystic Eagle Technique.

In other words, if Zhao Cheng and Lu Cheng were at the same level, then without using the Seven Strikes of the Black Hawk, Lu Cheng wouldn't be able to beat him.

Anyone would be overwhelmed with gratitude for a gift like that.

Besides, deducing the remaining twenty-four halberd moves had practically become Zhao Cheng's obsession.

Zhao Cheng straightened up, only to see Lu Cheng staring at him with a fixed smile.

His heart immediately tightened. He took two steps back and discreetly picked up the halberd beside him, holding it in front of himself.

"Brother Lu... why are you looking at me like that?"

Noticing Zhao Cheng's gaze, Lu Cheng immediately curled his lip.

"What are you thinking, Brother Zhao? I like proper, graceful young women. A rough fellow like you is an eyesore to me."

"But there is something I'd like your help with."

Zhao Cheng wasn't offended in the least. He laughed heartily.

"If it's not about men and women, then just tell me what you need, Brother Lu."

Lu Cheng grew serious.

"Don't talk about 'telling you what I need.' We haven't known each other long, but it's rare to meet someone I feel such an immediate bond with. Even without passing on the technique, I would have asked for your help."

Hearing Lu Cheng say this, Zhao Cheng became serious too and tightened his grip on the halberd shaft.

"You're right, Brother Lu. I was out of line."

Lu Cheng waved his hand and got straight to the point.

"Brother Zhao, if you were to break through to the Late Stage of Strength Refining, how long do you think it would take?"

"If I were to break through..." Zhao Cheng closed his eyes and estimated for a while before answering slowly, "About four months."

That long?

Lu Cheng couldn't help being astonished.

"Is it because you don't have enough Blood-Activating Powder?"

Zhao Cheng shook his head.

"I worked as a guard for the Liu Family for more than half a year. I have enough Blood-Activating Powder."

"What I mean is that even with enough Blood-Activating Powder, it'll take four months to break through to the Late Stage of Strength Refining."

For a moment, Lu Cheng couldn't quite wrap his head around it.

Even with enough Blood-Activating Powder, it would still take four months?

Then how long would it take without enough?

Was Zhao Cheng's aptitude really that poor?

But if it was that bad, how had he managed to refine strength using the incomplete River-Blocking Halberd Technique in the first place?

"Hold on, Brother Zhao. I think we need to go over this carefully."