On the afternoon of the 5th, at the student training camp.
When Lu Chong learned that Xue Cheng wanted to challenge him, he hurriedly said goodbye to the class leaders he had been fighting and rushed over.
This good classmate had clearly come to give him military merit. How could he possibly turn him down?
"Lu Chong, we agreed to tally our military merit at the end of training. I lost to you, and I'll honor the bet. All my military merit is yours."
When Lu Chong arrived, Xue Cheng spoke candidly.
"You're too kind. We're all classmates, after all." Lu Chong offered a polite reply as he calculated how much military merit Xue Cheng had accumulated over the past month.
Not bad. He had the second-highest total after Lu Chong, with more than eleven thousand points. Converted into Huaxia Coins, that was over a million.
Lu Chong had indeed accumulated the most military merit over the month, but he had already spent most of it.
He looked toward Chief Instructor Cheng Dongye, who was watching coldly from the sidelines.
Cheng Dongye knew what the kid was thinking and said, "You can use his military merit to exchange for resources, but you can't add it to your personal military merit honors."
"No problem. Thank you, Instructor." Lu Chong understood.
Military merit from the Military Department could be used not only to exchange for resources but also to qualify for certain honors later on. That was why it had to be earned through one's own achievements.
Lu Chong was already satisfied that he could use Xue Cheng's military merit to exchange for resources.
Xue Cheng's face flushed slightly. After all, he had once confidently challenged Lu Chong, only to lose so thoroughly that he was now handing over military merit worth more than a million.
But he was no longer what he had been. He wasn't a Ninth-Stage Martial Disciple anymore—he was a full-fledged Martial Artist.
So he wanted to use this opportunity to win back some face.
"Lu Chong, do you have the guts to fight me again, fair and square?"
Xue Cheng asked with blazing confidence in front of all the students and instructors.
Lu Chong replied with some embarrassment, "We're classmates. Why ruin the harmony between us?"
Xue Cheng scoffed, seeming to know Lu Chong well, and pressed him relentlessly. "If I lose, I'll give you five hundred thousand. If you lose, I still want what we agreed on before."
Lu Chong was secretly delighted. He knew this classmate was still a reasonable guy.
Still, he couldn't help glancing at Xiang Yueya, who was sitting off in the distance, acting as if this had nothing to do with her.
That girl had quite the charm. She quietly sat behind the scenes, and all these male classmates were doing things for her. Did they not know that chasing after someone to the bitter end got you nothing?
Never mind. Making money was more important. Lu Chong had no time to pity these lovesick fools, and he certainly wasn't interested in Xiang Yueya, who was putting on airs.
While marveling that Xue Cheng's family must be rich, Lu Chong gritted his teeth and said, "Very well. I'll risk my life to oblige you, then. Go easy on me, Xue."
Just then, Cheng Dongye, who had been watching the show, suddenly spoke up. "I forgot to inform you all that Lu Chong from First High School broke through to become a full-fledged Martial Artist more than ten days ago."
"So if any of you have questions from now on, you can ask Lu Chong for advice."
After saying that, Cheng Dongye couldn't resist shooting Lu Chong a smug glance, thinking, You little punk, after all the ways you've made fools of us, I finally got one over on you.
The students around them burst into an uproar. Those from First High School who knew Lu Chong were especially stunned, as if they were dreaming.
They clearly remembered that Lu Chong had only advanced from Martial Apprentice Stage 8 to Stage 9 after arriving at the training camp.
How had he become a full-fledged Martial Artist after just a few days?
Was this the cultivation speed of a normal human being?
But then again, Lu Chong didn't seem all that normal. He had even managed to turn the tables and act as an instructor in the military camp. Was that something a normal person could do?
Cheng Dongye had exposed him, but Lu Chong didn't even blush. He just shamelessly said to Xue Cheng, whose expression had changed, "I only broke through by luck. If you're scared, Xue, we can call off the fight."
Cheng Dongye nearly burst out laughing at how smoothly Lu Chong had delivered that line.
This kid was downright ruthless. He was even using reverse psychology just to make a little money.
How could a hot-blooded young man like Xue Cheng stand for that? He immediately shook his head. "No need. Since we're both Martial Artists, this will be a fair fight."
Fair, my ass. Lu Chong is already a Second-Stage Martial Artist, Cheng Dongye muttered to himself.
The students didn't know, but he did. He knew Lu Chong.
Forget Xue Cheng, who had only just become a Martial Artist. Even Cheng Dongye, a Seventh-Stage Martial Artist, might not be able to take Lu Chong down now.
Xue Cheng was practically delivering money straight into Lu Chong's hands.
Still, Cheng Dongye said no more. If that greedy kid held it against him, he would surely find ways to take advantage of him later.
Lu Chong was overjoyed. Since the other guy insisted on giving him money, it would be rude to refuse.
But on the surface, he remained calm. "Then I'll be in your hands."
Xue Cheng said no more. The aura of a full-fledged Martial Artist suddenly burst from him, sending dust swirling around his feet.
His body shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow. The Martial Skill he used wasn't one taught at the school.
Clearly, given Xue Cheng's family circumstances, he had long since trained in higher-grade Martial Skills at an outside martial arts studio.
Before his fist even reached Lu Chong, a biting wind was already in his face.
Facing Xue Cheng's Great Accomplishment-grade high-tier fist technique, Lu Chong used only the strength of a First-Stage Martial Artist, along with the Human-Grade Low-Tier Monument-Splitting Palm.
He had to hold back. Otherwise, he was afraid he might kill this Money-Delivering Boy with a single palm strike.
Fist and palm collided, and Lu Chong and Xue Cheng both staggered back two steps.
Xue Cheng had been knocked back by Lu Chong's strength. Lu Chong, of course, was only pretending.
There was no harm in bullying him, but Lu Chong still had to leave a little dignity for the Money-Delivering Boy. Who knew? He might come back with more money someday.
Xue Cheng gritted his teeth. The bluestone beneath his feet cracked as he charged forward even faster, throwing a punch heavier than the one before.
Lu Chong met it with the Monument-Splitting Palm again, only increasing his strength a little.
Bang...
The two went back and forth, colliding again and again as they fought to a standstill. It was quite a spectacle.
But to the trained eye—especially the instructors—Lu Chong was just playing around.
From what they could tell, Lu Chong should have won with the very first clash.
The two students weren't even on the same level.
But Xue Cheng didn't know that. He still thought he had a chance to win and that Lu Chong wasn't as invincible as he had imagined.
Xue Cheng attacked again, throwing the same heavy punch. But just before it collided with Lu Chong, a bone-chilling cold gathered inside his fist, ready to erupt.
"Interesting."
Before he even met the attack, Lu Chong had already sensed something.
This wasn't an ordinary Human-Rank Martial Skill. He could clearly feel the dense force of qi and blood contained in Xue Cheng's punch, ready to burst forth.
Boom!
The moment their fist and palm collided, a surge of icy Gang Qi poured from Xue Cheng's fist and struck Lu Chong's palm.
But this punch, which seemed a little like an Earth-Rank Martial Skill, ended with Xue Cheng being sent flying. His entire arm, the one he had put his strength into, hung limp at his side.
His expression changed drastically as he looked up at Lu Chong. "How could you possibly block a punch of mine infused with Gang Qi?"
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