Victory or Defeat

No hesitation.

Xu Qing flipped over and sprang to his feet.

"Eight Extremities Fist."

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Xu Qing let out a soft shout, assumed his stance, and launched into Eight Extremities Fist. His punches were fierce and powerful, strength rising from his heels, traveling through his waist, and surging to his fingertips...

About ten minutes later.

Xu Qing had finished a full set of Eight Extremities Fist.

"Whew..."

Xu Qing exhaled a long stream of white vapor.

Experience +1

After completing one set of Eight Extremities Fist, its experience increased by one point. In other words, completing a set granted one point of experience.

For things like cultivation techniques, once the Omni-Codex successfully records them, it is equivalent to mastering them directly. But this short-range fighting style, Eight Extremities Fist, needs to be performed ten complete times before it can level up.

Xu Qing pondered inwardly.

It could be said that—

If Xu Qing encountered Zhu He again, he could easily knock him down with a single punch. Having mastered such a fighting style, Xu Qing's strength had clearly risen.

"This is only the beginning."

Xu Qing said.

Without hesitation.

Xu Qing continued practicing Eight Extremities Fist in the room. Given his physical condition, he could finish one complete set in roughly ten minutes.

Therefore.

Within one hour.

Xu Qing could complete at most five sets of Eight Extremities Fist.

Experience +1

Experience +1

In the blink of an eye.

An hour passed.

"Whew..."

Xu Qing stopped. After punching nonstop for an entire hour, he was exhausted, and his stomach had begun growling with hunger.

However.

Eight Extremities Fist had changed as well.

Eight Extremities Fist LV1: 6/10

It was clear to see.

His experience had reached six points.

He would level up soon.

"I can't keep going."

Xu Qing shook his head, feeling weakness and powerlessness creeping into his body. "If I keep this up, I'll exhaust myself first. I need to find something to eat."

Since he had already won one match, Xu Qing could move freely within the underground black boxing grounds and was no longer restricted. Carrying the enormous fortune of five taels of silver, he left his room and found the underground black boxing cafeteria. It was not large, and since it was already late, there naturally were not many people around.

"Get me something to eat."

Xu Qing walked straight in, found a seat, and shouted loudly.

"It's him."

"That beggar from the daytime."

"Damn it!"

"It was because of him that I lost so much money."

"And he still dares come here to eat."

Inside the cafeteria.

The cooks and the others noticed Xu Qing. Since he was still dressed like a beggar, they recognized him at once, their expressions turning unfriendly.

"It's too late. There's no food."

One of the cafeteria cooks shouted, "Get lost. If you want to eat, come early tomorrow morning."

"Whew..."

Xu Qing drew in a deep breath. Expressionless, he rose from his seat and walked step by step toward the kitchen.

"Y-You... what are you doing?"

"Stop!"

Several nearby helpers and servants shouted fiercely, though their hearts were weak.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Ahhh!!!"

A string of screams rang out.

Xu Qing moved with thunderous efficiency, knocking all of them down in three swift moves. If he had not considered that no one would be left to cook if he injured the cooks, blood would surely have been spilled in the cafeteria tonight.

"Don't waste my time."

Xu Qing said coldly.

"Yes, yes, yes."

After being beaten, the underground black boxing cafeteria cooks immediately became much more obedient. They bent and scraped as they began frying dishes and preparing food for Xu Qing.

Originally.

This cook still bore a grudge, intending to add something extra to Xu Qing's meal. Even if he did not use poison, he wanted to put in something disgusting.

"Forget it, forget it."

The cook shook his head and ultimately added nothing. That beggar is fighting Pang De tomorrow. He'll die tomorrow anyway. I'll just treat tonight's meal as his last supper.

Half an hour later.

The dishes arrived one after another.

Naturally.

Xu Qing did not eat immediately. Instead, he had the cook take a bite first. Only after confirming there was no problem did he begin wolfing the food down.

"Good thing, good thing."

The cafeteria cook wiped cold sweat from his forehead. "Good thing I didn't add anything, or I'd have been in trouble."

In the blink of an eye.

Another hour passed.

Xu Qing had eaten and drunk his fill. Since he had truly eaten a great deal, including chicken, duck, fish, and meat, this meal alone cost him a full tael of silver.

"Eight Extremities Fist."

Ha! Ha!

In the blink of an eye.

He returned to the underground black boxing lodgings.

Xu Qing continued practicing Eight Extremities Fist. His speed was neither fast nor slow, yet every movement carried the might of a tiger, and faintly, the wind of his fists could be heard.

An hour later.

"Whew..."

Xu Qing exhaled a breath of turbid air. He had slowly completed the routine and withdrawn his stance.

Eight Extremities Fist LV1: 10/10 (Can level up!)

"Level up."

Xu Qing said.

Buzz!

Faintly.

The Omni-Codex shimmered with silver light.

The next moment.

Xu Qing's mind drifted into a dazed state. His consciousness entered that mysterious space once more, where he continuously practiced Eight Extremities Fist.

Gradually.

Eight Extremities Fist became superb in Xu Qing's hands, reaching a level beyond the miraculous. He even cast off the old and brought forth the new, making it increasingly powerful.

Most importantly.

Xu Qing gradually condensed the strength of his entire body into a single force.

Eight Extremities Fist LV2: 0/20 (Originally merely an ordinary short-range fighting style, its movements were fierce and unadorned, its force explosive, and it could strengthen the body. Yet after casting off the old and bringing forth the new, it gradually transformed and gained a trace of the essence of cultivation, allowing one to condense the power of the body's tendons and bones into a force of 'bright strength.')

"Good! Good! Good!"

Xu Qing was overjoyed.

At the same time.

A vast amount of knowledge and information about Eight Extremities Fist, along with all kinds of mysteries regarding "bright strength," surged into Xu Qing's mind. He immediately began practicing within the stone room.

Bang!

At the very end of the fist technique.

Xu Qing threw a punch. Combined with his physical prowess, it actually produced an explosive burst of air.

If Fan Yanbin and the others saw this scene, they would surely be struck dumb with shock. To train such strength through a fighting style alone—he was simply a martial arts prodigy found once in ten thousand.

"Continue."

Xu Qing wiped the smile from his face. He did not know how strong Pang De was, so he could only improve himself as much as possible. Only by becoming strong enough could he fear no powerful enemy and face every danger that was about to come.

In the blink of an eye.

Three hours passed.

"Whew..."

Xu Qing withdrew his stance once more and exhaled a breath of turbid air.

Eight Extremities Fist LV2: 20/20 (Can level up!)

"Level up."

Xu Qing said.

Ding!

Level-up successful.

Eight Extremities Fist LV3: 0/40 (Originally merely an ordinary short-range fighting style, its movements were fierce and unadorned, its force explosive, and it could strengthen the body. Yet after casting off the old and bringing forth the new, it underwent a transformation and gained the essence of cultivation, allowing one to condense the power of the body's tendons and bones into a force of 'bright strength.')

It had risen another level.

There was not much change in Eight Extremities Fist's description.

However.

Xu Qing could clearly feel the bright strength inside his body growing increasingly robust.

"I can't practice any longer."

Xu Qing shook his head. "It's already very late, and I'm hungry again. If I keep practicing, my body won't be able to endure it."

"Also."

"I'm fighting Pang De tomorrow. I must conserve my energy and reach my best condition. Even if I raise Eight Extremities Fist's level by continuing to practice, my body won't be able to take it, and my mental state will suffer as well. That would do no good for tomorrow's battle."

Therefore.

Xu Qing lay down on the bed to rest.

In the blink of an eye.

The next day arrived.

Morning.

After getting enough rest, Xu Qing immediately went to the cafeteria to eat. Once he had stuffed himself and filled his stomach, he returned to his room in satisfaction.

Originally.

Xu Qing had wanted to practice a set of punches and see whether he could raise Eight Extremities Fist another level. But before he could begin, Yu Chen came to find him. The match was about to start.

"So soon?"

Xu Qing froze for a moment.

"Yes."

Yu Chen shrugged, glanced at Xu Qing, and said, "Pang De is a well-known fighter in the underground black boxing arena. You definitely can't compare to him. Naturally, he can start whenever he wants. You have to accommodate him, not the other way around."

"That makes sense."

Xu Qing curled his lips.

"By the way, how's your Eight Extremities Fist training going?"

Yu Chen asked.

"Not bad."

Xu Qing said.

"What do you mean, 'not bad'?"

Yu Chen was somewhat speechless. "Forget it, forget it. You'd better pray for yourself, kid. I'm not asking you to win—just don't die in the ring."

"Can you do me a favor?"

Xu Qing asked.

"What favor?"

Yu Chen asked.

"Help me place a bet."

Xu Qing grinned and took out his remaining three taels of silver, handing them to Yu Chen. "Three taels of silver. Bet it all on me winning."

"You..."

Yu Chen was taken aback.

"What are my odds?"

Xu Qing asked.

"One to ten."

Yu Chen replied.

"What about Pang De's?"

Xu Qing asked again.

"One to one point one."

Yu Chen answered.

"That big a difference?"

Xu Qing was surprised.

"No matter how big the difference, it's still a sure-win bet!"

Yu Chen could not help rolling his eyes. "This betting pool is probably going to lose everything it earned yesterday. If there were any other way, I really wouldn't want to open this pool."

As they spoke.

The match was about to begin.

The scene shifted.

On the underground black-fist arena.

"Pang De! Pang De! Pang De!"

"..."

All around.

The seats had long since filled with spectators. Every one of them clutched a betting slip, waving their arms and shouting at the top of their lungs.

The feeling of it.

Gave Xu Qing the sense of being at a star's concert.

"Whew..."

Xu Qing drew a deep breath and stepped onto the ring. Before him stood a burly middle-aged man, a full two meters tall, muscular and powerfully built. He was a bald man with a savage grin, with a scar on his left cheek like a centipede clinging to his face.

"So he really is a little beggar."

Pang De's voice was exceptionally booming.

Indeed.

Even now.

Xu Qing had not found the time to properly clean himself up.

At this moment.

Xu Qing and Pang De had become the center of attention. Some spectators' eyes had already turned bloodshot, their expressions carrying a slightly sickening madness.

They anticipated it, craved it, waited for Pang De to tear Xu Qing apart.

They wanted to see blood and madness.

This was underground black-fist fighting.

"How long do you think Xu Qing can last?"

Lu Wei asked.

"Three punches!"

Fan Yanbin said, "With Pang De's strength, that beggar can hold out for three punches at most. After three punches, even if he doesn't die, he'll be seriously injured and collapse."

"Hmph!"

Yu Chen snorted. "The match hasn't even started yet."

"Is there even any need to watch?"

Fan Yanbin shrugged.

Clang!!!

The next moment.

The bell signaling the start of the match rang out.

Bang!

Pang De attacked without hesitation. With a furious roar, he stomped hard enough to shake the arena floor, charging at Xu Qing like an incomparably ferocious wild bear.

"Kill him!!!"

"Rip that little beggar apart!!"

"Hahahaha..."

The crowd laughed madly.

Yet.

Xu Qing had completely changed yesterday's fighting style. Facing Pang De's bear-like charge, he took a deep breath, drew his right foot slightly back, bent his left leg slightly forward, and slowly raised both hands.

He had assumed the stance of Eight Extremities Fist.

Buzz!

Faintly.

It seemed as though an aura rose around Xu Qing.

"What is that?"

"This beggar knows martial arts too?"

"What the hell?!"

Everyone was stunned.

"Bear Pounce Hand!"

Pang De shouted. His hands resembled two bear paws, carrying a fierce gust of wind as they lashed toward Xu Qing's head at no slow speed.

If that strike landed, his skull would shatter on the spot.

"Eight Extremities Fist! Collapse!"

Bang!

Xu Qing gave a low shout as well. The force of Eight Extremities Fist surged through him, gathering the strength of his entire body into a single burst of overt force.

The two exchanged blows.

At the instant they were about to collide, Xu Qing suddenly crouched slightly, narrowly avoiding Pang De's Bear Pounce Hand strike.

"What?!"

Pang De was utterly astonished.

But.

It was not over yet.

Because.

Xu Qing's fists had already struck out, generating a powerful Collapse Force. The overt force within his body twisted into one, erupting completely with every ounce of his strength.

"Ah!!!"

A shrill scream rang out.

Xu Qing's fists struck Pang De's chest. The tremendous force broke several of Pang De's ribs and sent his burly two-meter-tall body flying two meters away.

Pfft!!!

Pang De spat blood on the spot and collapsed to the ground, eyes wide as his pupils dilated. Lying there, he continuously spewed blood from his mouth while his limbs twitched and trembled.

One punch!

Just one punch!

The renowned Pang De of the underground black-fist circuit had been defeated by Xu Qing—and beaten into serious injury with a single punch.

At that moment.

The entire underground black-fist venue fell silent.

Everyone shut their mouths.

They were utterly dumbfounded.