Realm Breakthrough

In his third month at Hidden Dragon Martial Hall, Lu Chen could still drink a bowl of Tiger-Bone Body-Strengthening Soup every day with the two taels of silver sponsored by the Chen Family.

Without that medicinal soup, Lu Chen would have had to practice three to five fewer sets of punches each day.

It would inevitably slow his cultivation progress.

This also made Lu Chen deeply grateful to Senior Brother Chen Chong.

"Senior Brother Chen, take this!"

In the Martial Practice Yard, Lu Chen gave a low shout and took the initiative to charge at Chen Chong.

Since he could not afford to treat Senior Brother Chen to a meal, he could only treat him to a bout of fists and feet!

Lu Chen stamped his foot, his body shooting forth like an arrow as his right arm thrust out fiercely.

As his arm stretched out, it was as though an azure dragon had emerged from his sleeve, striking straight at Chen Chong's centerline.

Seeing Lu Chen challenge him of his own accord, Chen Chong was not angered. Instead, he laughed.

"Good!"

He raised both arms and steadily blocked Lu Chen's attack.

Bang!

Fist and arm collided with a dull thud.

Lu Chen's arm was left numb from the impact, yet he did not retreat. Instead, borrowing the rebounding force, he sank his shoulder and swung his arm around, winding it along Chen Chong's forearm.

Azure Dragon Coiling Body!

Chen Chong's gaze shifted slightly.

"Good move."

Before his words had even faded, Lu Chen had already closed in another half-step. His left fist shot out from beneath his ribs, driving straight toward Chen Chong's chest and abdomen.

Piercing Clouds, Entering the Sea!

This punch was swift and fierce, coming from a tricky angle. Had it been an ordinary outer courtyard disciple, they likely would not even have had time to react.

Yet Chen Chong remained unhurried. He shifted his footing and pressed his palm downward, catching Lu Chen's fist perfectly.

But in that instant, Lu Chen's waist and back suddenly tightened, and his entire right arm snapped forward.

As he threw that punch, Lu Chen felt as though a line running from the soles of his feet, through his waist and hips, spine, shoulders, and arms had been completely linked.

It was no longer just his arm exerting force.

The strength of his entire body had been delivered with that punch.

Its speed and power thus far surpassed anything before.

Chen Chong's expression changed. He drew upon a thread of blood qi, his palm trembling as he forcibly blocked Lu Chen's punch.

Yet as though he had known in advance, Lu Chen slid his foot, sank his shoulder, and wound his right arm around Chen Chong's wrist like a dragon-serpent. His fist traced an arc through the air and actually slipped through a gap in Chen Chong's defense.

His fist stopped three inches before Chen Chong's throat.

Chen Chong did not speak immediately.

Lu Chen was stunned as well.

He had not deliberately thought up that move.

It had simply flowed out naturally.

It was like, after practicing countless times, he no longer needed to think through the fist technique move by move. His body itself knew how to strike.

A complete, instantaneous muscle reaction.

Chen Chong slowly lowered his head and looked at the fist hovering before his throat, then smiled.

"Good lad."

Lu Chen hurriedly withdrew his fist and cupped his hands. "Senior Brother, forgive my offense."

Chen Chong shook his head, a trace of satisfaction in his eyes.

"No offense taken."

"Your Azure Dragon Through-the-Arms Fist has reached minor accomplishment."

Almost the moment Chen Chong finished speaking, a transparent light screen appeared before Lu Chen's eyes.

[Azure Dragon Through-the-Arms Fist: Minor Accomplishment]

[Progress: 1/500]

Lu Chen's heart shook.

It had finally reached minor accomplishment.

More than two months of bitter training and uncountable drops of sweat had finally carried him across this threshold.

But before he could fully sink into his joy, his chest suddenly gave a violent thump.

Thump!

This heartbeat was extraordinarily heavy.

It was as though someone had struck a drum within his body.

Lu Chen's expression changed slightly.

He felt the warmth in every limb and bone, as though drawn by some invisible force, beginning to gather little by little toward his heart.

The sensation of blood flowing through his veins became clearer than ever before.

It was an exceedingly mysterious premonition.

As though, if he calmed his mind at this very moment, he would be able to grasp something.

Lu Chen's breathing suddenly grew rapid.

Chen Chong had been about to say something else, but when he saw the surging heat enveloping Lu Chen's body, his eyes immediately sharpened.

"Lu Chen, you're about to break through!"

Having been through it himself, Chen Chong understood that this was the sign of an impending Blood Shift breakthrough, the birth of blood qi.

His expression changed, and he immediately said in a deep voice, "Calm your mind and steady your qi. Quickly practice the Coiling Dragon Stance and prepare to break through!"

The other disciples gathered around, wanting to watch the excitement, but Chen Chong sternly shouted, "All of you, step back! Don't disturb him!"

Upon hearing this, the outer courtyard disciples immediately retreated.

Standing in the middle of the yard, Lu Chen forcibly suppressed the surging excitement in his heart.

He knew that such an opportunity was hard to come by.

If he missed it, who knew when the next chance would come?

He slowly exhaled, spread his feet apart, planted his soles firmly on the ground, and slowly rotated his waist and hips, driving his entire spine to rise and fall with the motion.

It was as though an azure dragon coiled upon his spine, gathering the scattered heat coursing through his limbs and bones.

With each breath, Lu Chen's entire body resembled a bowstring wound taut.

Beads of sweat slid down along his brow ridge and dripped onto the bluestone ground.

The warmth in Lu Chen's chest grew ever more intense.

His heartbeat grew heavier and heavier.

His face flushed red, and a faint bloody hue seemed to ripple beneath his skin.

The watching disciples held their breath.

Chen Chong stared fixedly at Lu Chen, his expression grave, seeming even more nervous than when he himself had broken through.

Steady yourself.

He silently thought, You're only one last breath away.

Lu Chen could no longer clearly hear the sounds outside.

He could only hear his own heartbeat, each thump heavier than the last.

Finally, at a certain moment, all the gathered heat seemed to smash through a thin membrane.

Boom!

Lu Chen's mind trembled slightly.

Deep within his chest, a thread of heat as fine as gossamer was suddenly born.

Like a spark kindled from the depths of his flesh and blood.

Warm, dense, real.

It emerged from his heart, flowed along his meridians toward both arms, then circled back from his arms to his chest and abdomen.

Wherever it passed, the soreness gradually faded away, while his exhausted muscles and tendons were like parched land receiving sweet rain, awakened anew.

Lu Chen abruptly opened his eyes, his whole being transformed.

A flash of brilliance flickered through his eyes and vanished.

Chen Chong strode forward, suppressing his excitement as he met Lu Chen's gaze. "You did it?"

Lu Chen's chest rose and fell. Feeling the thread of blood qi slowly coursing through his body, he smiled. "I did!"

Chen Chong clapped his hands and laughed. "Initial Blood Shift realm, blood qi like a thread. From this day onward, you've truly crossed the threshold of martial arts."

The moment those words came out, the entire yard erupted.

"He really did it!"

"He broke through to Blood Shift in just over two months!"

"Lu Chen has become a martial artist!"

Some were shocked, some envious, and some wore complicated expressions.

Lu Yuan even leaped up in excitement. "Lu Family Village has produced a martial artist too! Let's see who still dares bully us!"

Lu Chen took a deep breath and cupped his hands toward Chen Chong in salute. "Thank you for your care during this time, Senior Brother."

Chen Chong smiled. "We are brothers of the same sect. It is only right."

After a pause, his expression turned serious again. "But remember this: now that you've just cultivated blood qi, impatience is your greatest taboo. Don't practice punches anymore today. Continue standing in the Coiling Dragon Stance and stabilize this thread of blood qi."

Lu Chen's heart tightened, and he nodded solemnly.

"Yes."

With that, he took a deep breath and assumed the Coiling Dragon Stance once more.

This time, his arms formed a circle before him, his waist and hips sank slightly, and the newly born thread of blood qi within him slowly circulated along with the stance.

Fine as a wandering thread, yet ceaselessly alive.