Song Qing's provocation had not bothered Jiang Man much.
As his talent revealed itself, such things were inevitable.
There would always be people who failed to see what was before their eyes.
All he could do was improve as quickly as possible, until no one could even think of challenging him.
Even if they did, it would not matter. Meet soldiers with generals, and stem the flood with earth.
But someone like Fang Yong, who scored over sixty, was beyond what he could withstand for now.
Naturally, he had to keep a respectful distance.
That would avoid any conflicts.
Now everyone thought Luo Xuan intended to cultivate him, which had its advantages and disadvantages.
The advantage was a legitimate excuse for growing stronger; the disadvantage was that many people resented it.
After Song Qing left, Little Fatty asked worriedly, "Brother Jiang, what layer have you reached in the Six Harmonies Palm?"
"What layer is Song Qing at?" Jiang Man asked in return.
"He's practiced the Six Harmonies Palm for quite a while. He should be at the fourth or fifth layer." Little Fatty was not too sure either.
"Only the fourth or fifth?" Jiang Man was somewhat surprised.
"What else did you expect? With a score in the twenties, and the Qi and Blood Method to practice alongside it, where would he find so much time to improve his spell arts?" Little Fatty said helplessly. "Without improving your body, you can't improve your cultivation either.
"Those with good talent naturally don't need to worry. Those with average talent have to spend more time strengthening their bodies before they can improve their cultivation.
"As long as their other spell arts are good enough, that's fine.
"The fourth or fifth layer is just about good enough."
Jiang Man nodded, understanding somewhat.
Spell arts did not add to their scores, so cultivation was the most important thing.
Apart from those at the very top, few would practice the Spirit Travel Step, Six Harmonies Palm, or Three Talents Force to the highest level.
It took too much time.
The first five layers were relatively quick, so reaching a usable level was enough.
"What layer are you at, Brother Jiang?" Little Fatty asked again.
"I'll reach the fifth with a bit of practice. Just wait for me," Jiang Man said.
Little Fatty looked utterly bewildered.
What was Brother Jiang talking about?
Forget it. He would find out when they sparred later.
Brother Jiang probably had not had much time to practice and was embarrassed to say so.
The teacher who taught the Six Harmonies Palm was a woman.
Her name was Fu Yidan, and everyone called her Teacher Fu.
She taught most of their spell arts.
She looked thirty-five or thirty-six and had long since married.
But she was exceptionally good-looking and still retained her charm, so quite a few people secretly discussed just whom she had married.
Jiang Man scoffed at this. How could they be in the mood to discuss that instead of cultivating at a time like this?
"The rankings have just been updated, and sparring practice has begun in the rear courtyard. I'll explain things in greater detail, then you can begin sparring to improve your practical combat experience.
"Whether you're competing for a place or taking a sect assessment, practical combat is especially important," Teacher Fu told everyone.
Then she began explaining the Six Harmonies Palm in detail.
The Six Harmonies Palm drew upon the spiritual qi within the body to add power to the palms.
As long as it circulated properly, one could successfully master it, gaining a continuous flow of power to the palms. That was the first layer.
The second layer required drawing upon the power in the palm and extending its connection to the spiritual qi within the body.
The effect was that one could send out a palm strike while still controlling the direction the palm faced.
As the palm technique improved, one could release more spiritual qi palm imprints.
Six at most.
That was already the Six Harmonies Palm seventh layer.
At the eighth layer, one could control three palms and combine them into one, unleashing greater might.
At the ninth layer, one could control all six palms and combine them into one, bringing the Six Harmonies Palm to the pinnacle of perfection.
"Practice for two hours, then begin sparring," Teacher Fu said.
Hearing this, Jiang Man hesitated no longer and began practicing.
With Song Qing at the fourth or fifth layer of the Six Harmonies Palm, he would indeed be difficult to deal with.
Three or four spiritual qi palm imprints could be directed to attack at any moment.
But only good control could bring out their greater usefulness.
Without thinking any further, Jiang Man began drawing upon his spiritual qi to practice the Six Harmonies Palm.
His Spell-Art Innate Qi moved along with it.
Since this was his first time practicing it, his progress was a little slower.
Seven and a half minutes.
Jiang Man completed one full round of practice.
He had successfully grasped the basics.
What followed would be easier.
Perhaps it was because Spell-Art Innate Qi was not as good as Cultivation Method purple qi.
After two rounds, he still had not mastered it.
Only after four rounds did he manage to send the spiritual qi palm imprint out from his hand.
Another eight rounds later, Jiang Man reached the Six Harmonies Palm third layer.
Another sixteen rounds later, he reached the Six Harmonies Palm fourth layer.
He could release three palm imprints.
An hour had now passed.
Little Fatty watched Jiang Man practice in astonishment. At first, he had thought Jiang Man did not know the Six Harmonies Palm, but he soon discovered he was wrong. Not only had Jiang Man released a palm imprint, he had released three rather than just one.
That meant he was at least at the fourth layer of the Six Harmonies Palm.
Did that mean Jiang Man had qualified long ago?
Miss Luo must have arranged it in advance.
It seemed Brother Jiang really was going to become a personal bodyguard.
How enviable.
Jiang Man kept practicing for the final hour, finally completing his last round just as Fu Yidan called for them to stop.
He could easily release four palms.
He should not be at a disadvantage in the sparring now.
Of course, winning outright would be best.
It was time to make a name for himself.
There was no need to hide such a small thing.
"Brother Jiang, are you confident?" Little Fatty ran over and asked.
Jiang Man looked at him. "My talent and hard work speak for themselves."
At that, Little Fatty looked at Jiang Man's face.
He nodded slightly, as though praising his talent for indeed being quite good.
Jiang Man: "..."
He felt that Little Fatty had thought of something outrageous.
"We'll begin sparring now. Decide on the intensity yourselves, but don't go too far.
"If you're strong enough, you can spar without holding back. There's no need to worry about a few injuries," Teacher Fu said.
Hearing this, Song Qing felt somewhat relieved.
At first, he had worried that being seen to strike too hard would easily get him punished. Now he no longer had to worry.
Soon, he and Jiang Man stood together in one spot.
Everyone kept plenty of distance.
There were twenty-six people in total.
They split into thirteen pairs.
"I heard you've become a personal guard?" Song Qing asked, looking at Jiang Man.
His voice was low; he did not intend to let anyone else hear.
Jiang Man shook his head. "No."
"But that's what everyone says." Song Qing looked at Jiang Man and said quietly, "I know things succeed through secrecy. You certainly wouldn't go around talking about something this good.
"I don't mean to single you out in particular, either. I just want you to put in a word and introduce me.
"This time, I can let you win in spectacular fashion, falling to the ground badly injured to make a name for you.
"How about it?"
Jiang Man looked stunned.
The other man's words left him somewhat at a loss.
This man should have been deliberately humiliating him at the beginning.
Why had he suddenly changed his tune?
Did humiliating him and then letting him win spectacularly count as a good thing?
It did, actually. He would soon be able to hold his head high in the courtyard and establish his prestige.
After all, he had always ranked dead last. Although he no longer did, everyone still habitually saw him that way.
If he could beat Song Qing spectacularly, he could indeed shatter that entrenched impression.
Then he had to win today.
"You may have misunderstood me. I haven't gotten this far by relying on Miss Luo. It's entirely down to my talent and hard work," Jiang Man told him truthfully.
"I know you won't say it. We can start sparring now, too. Of course, people will certainly be watching during the match.
"You'll still have a chance to change your mind. As long as you agree, I'll still let you win in spectacular fashion and fall to the ground coughing blood," Song Qing said earnestly. "I provoked you, and then you defeated me. What an inspiring thing that would be. I hope you'll give it some serious thought.
"It's good for both of us."
Before you continue