Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

Chapter 81 Claw Technique Displays its Power, Piercing Silver Armor and Gauze Robe

Xilun raised his head.

The eighth group had already retreated from in front of the wooden stake.

He looked down at his palm.

I had only circulated the complete technique within my body a moment ago, and yet so much time had passed without me realizing it.

He quickly got up and walked towards the wooden stake with Fallon.

Hughes stood to the side, made a mark on the roster, and looked at the two of them.

"The last group."

He nodded slightly.

"start."

Fallon made the first move.

He stood in front of the wooden stake for a moment to regulate his breathing, then channeled his energy into his palms, spreading his fingers into claws.

It slapped down with one claw.

The muffled sound was deeper than the previous groups.

The wooden stake shook violently, and five claw marks penetrated deep into the wood grain on its surface, with a ring of fine wood chips bursting out from the edge.

In terms of strength, Fallon was the weakest among all the trainees.

However, his claw shape and power path were clean and crisp, with almost no superfluous movements, and the striking effect was no less than the first three groups.

A murmur of discussion broke out in the training room.

Hughes looked at the claw marks on the stake and nodded.

Fallon stepped back and gestured to Xilun, "You come here."

Xilun walked up to the wooden stake.

He raised his right hand.

The energy surged towards the metacarpal bones along the path of the Dark Claw Technique.

Then-

The itch exploded again, ten times more intense than before.

Deep within the joints, something was throbbing wildly, as if it had been completely activated by the movement of energy.

He felt his finger bones swelling.

The bone claw is about to emerge.

Xilun frowned, gritted his teeth, and with a heavy heart, forcefully suppressed the urge that was about to burst forth from his skin.

The bone claws retracted between the finger bones.

The wriggling sensation in my palm subsided somewhat, but it didn't completely disappear.

He took a deep breath and began to circulate his energy again.

His strength surged into his palm again. This time, he deliberately avoided the path that would trigger the bone claw and only followed the power line of the Dark Claw Technique itself.

A layer of luster appeared on the palm.

Dark gold!

It wasn't the pure dark gold that Hughes demonstrated, but rather a kind of indescribable, gloomy color, like a thin layer of gray covering a golden base.

Without hesitation, Xilun grabbed at the wooden stake.

Five fingers like hooks, tearing through the air.

The moment the palm touched the wooden stake, an aura of desolation and decay emanated from it.

This is not the effect of the Dark Claw Technique.

Xilun realized that Corrupted Claws' ranged claw attack was an active skill that required him to deliberately activate it.

But corruption itself is passive.

As long as he uses the strength between his palms, the corrosive talent he plundered from the Dark Gold Subel Bear will automatically attach to him.

He couldn't stop in time!

Five fingers grip the wooden stake.

Press your palms firmly against the rough bark.

boom!

It wasn't the sound of hitting.

It is the dull thud of something being disintegrated, corroded, and utterly destroyed from within.

A dark golden aura, tinged with a decaying, corrosive energy, seeped into the wooden stake, causing the bark to crack, the wood grain to turn black, and the fibers to become brittle in an extremely short time.

Xilun's fingers closed.

The entire wooden stake shattered in his palm.

It's not broken, it's not snapped.

It's broken!

Like a piece of rotten wood hollowed out by borers, it turns into crumbs and powder with the slightest touch.

The crumbs slipped through my fingers and spilled onto the floor.

A faint smell of decay filled the air.

Xilun released his grip, looked down at the pile of shattered wooden stakes on the ground, and the dark golden light still lingered in his palm.

He slowly raised his head.

The training room was deathly silent.

Everyone was looking at him.

Mogel's mouth was agape, and the kettle in his hand was suspended in mid-air.

Irving looked like he'd swallowed a fly.

Fallon stood two steps away, his eyes wide open.

No one spoke, no one moved.

Hughes stood three steps away, the roster hanging at his side, his gaze falling on the pile of rubble before slowly moving to Xilun's palm.

The dark golden luster is fading.

Xilun met his gaze for a moment, clenched his fist, and suppressed the last glimmer of light back into his palm.

The whole room was so quiet that you could hear the wind outside the window.

Hughes was stunned for three seconds.

He stared at the pile of withered, brittle wooden stake fragments on the ground, his brows furrowed.

Iron wire stakes!

A specialty of the North, its wood is as dense as refined iron, and is specially used for extraordinary individuals to practice their claw techniques.

Broken!

It wasn't cracked or broken; it crumbled from the inside out, like a piece of rotten wood that had been gnawed by termites for thirty years.

He looked at Xilun's palm.

The dark golden luster had completely faded, and those hands were no different from those of an ordinary person.

Hughes coughed twice.

"It's probably because the wooden stake has been hit too many times, and its internal structure is severely damaged."

He spoke calmly.

After he finished speaking, no one in the training room responded.

Hughes himself felt that this explanation was somewhat far-fetched.

He was a first-tier extraordinary individual, and his Dorok Dark Claw Technique had reached the master level. To crush a perfectly intact iron wire log, he would need to exert at least 40% of his strength.

How could an unbaptized student accomplish this?

This seems rather illogical, unless the stake was indeed damaged from the inside.

Hughes chose to believe this answer.

Irving's face was so dark it looked like it could be wrung out.

He stared at the pile of rubble on the ground, his lips pressed into a thin line, and a vein throbbed twice on his temple.

Someone nearby muttered something under their breath.

"What's going on—the Dark Claw function has reached this level?"

"Impossible, it must be a problem with the wooden stake."

Owen suddenly spoke up: "Our mentor used this stake to demonstrate the Dark Claw Technique before."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was loud enough for everyone present to hear.

"The pile surface looks flat, but the inside has long been shattered by the force of the impact."

Hughes glanced at him but did not deny it.

As soon as Irving said that, several people's expressions relaxed.

Yes, that must be it.

When the instructor demonstrated, his claw strike was much more powerful than this. After bearing the weight of the wooden stake so many times, it would be strange if it didn't break inside.

The murmurs gradually rose, and the stagnant air in the training room finally began to move.

Xilun stood there, expressionless.

He offered no explanation or rebuttal, but walked back to the corner by the window and sat down without saying a word.

The itch in his palm had completely subsided, and the bone claw remained obediently retracted deep within the finger bones, without making the slightest movement.

He clenched his fist, secretly remembering the lesson he had just learned.

The path of Dark Claw Technique's power will activate the passive effect of Corrupted Claw.

I need to be more careful when practicing this skill in the future.

It's best to figure out how to control this talent.

Hughes stood in front of the blackboard again, his gaze sweeping over the students' faces one by one, and after a pause, he spoke.

"You all did a pretty good job."

The sound returned to its usual steady tone.

"Judging from your performance, your results may have exceeded my expectations. Of these eighteen people, perhaps ten will eventually complete the course."

Hughes picked up the chalk and turned to write on the blackboard.

"You've already mastered the basic moves. The next step is to acquire extraordinary materials to temper your skin and hone your claw skills."

The chalk scraped across the blackboard with a harsh sound.

"The Refinement Formula for the Dorok Dark Claw Technique"

A line of writing appeared clearly on the blackboard.

20 grams of hematite powder, one dried northern pufferfish, 100 grams of black tribulus seeds, and two slices of ginger root.

"Grind it into powder, steep it in boiling water, let it cool to a warm temperature, then immerse your hands in it and use the energy pathway of the Dark Claw Technique to absorb the medicinal properties."

Hughes put down the chalk.

"Once a day for a week is one cycle. The materials aren't expensive, but you have to stick to it."

Xilun wrote down the recipe.

After explaining some details about the power exertion and precautions for sparring, Hughes announced that the day was over.

The trainees dispersed in twos and threes.

Xilun stood up and patted the sawdust off his trousers.

"Want to stay and spar?"

The sound came from the right.

Xiren turned his head and saw that Fallon was leaning against the window frame watching him.

"Practicing the Dorokh Dark Claw Technique?"

Fallon nodded: "Your claw shape and power path are very stable. We can spar with each other and familiarize ourselves with practical combat experience."

Xilun glanced at him.

Fallon's strength was the lowest among all the trainees, but his hand position and power generation efficiency were truly clean.

This type of person is suitable as a sparring partner; they are not easily injured, nor are they easily injured themselves.

"Aren't you going to collect refining materials?"

Fallon shook his head.

"My family has already prepared everything."

He paused, then looked at Xilun.

"You weren't prepared?"

Xilun mentally cursed, "What a rich bastard!"

"no."

He stated frankly that he didn't even know the recipe before today.

Fallon thought for a moment: "I can help you bring it, a week's supply, two shillings."

This price is very reasonable.

Xilun knew that these materials were approximately two shillings.

Thanks.

Fallon twitched the corner of his mouth.

"Stay and train?"

Xilun originally planned to go upstairs to see what courses Fester had signed up for.

But Fallon is a man of few words; the fact that he took the initiative to invite him was already a sign of respect.

"it is good."

He nodded.

"I was just thinking of getting some exercise."

After saying that, he closed his five fingers and suppressed the remaining trace of dark golden aura in his palm to the deepest part.

The passive effect of Corrupted Claws can no longer be triggered.

He pondered, clenching his fist. He had no experience with this before, and it was the first time he had triggered it.

Now, under his deliberate control, the claw-like energy in his palm was absorbed into his bones and no longer leaked out.

After all, the sparring partner is a person, not a wooden stake.

Fallon noticed his clenched fist and a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

"start?"

"it is good."

in the afternoon.

Xilun left, panting heavily, wiped away his sweat, and went to the training room on the second floor, pushing open the door and entering.

With Ryan's permission, he was allowed to continue using the second-floor space to practice martial arts.

The people here are familiar, and it's easy to find practice partners.

Several unfamiliar faces appeared in the room.

A dozen or so boys, around fifteen or sixteen years old, were awkwardly throwing punches in front of the wooden dummy. Their movements were clumsy, clearly indicating that they were beginners.

Renn took in another batch of students.

It's been almost three months since Xilun joined the club, and among this group of people, he's already considered a veteran.

Fester peeked out from behind the sandbag.

"You're here?"

He wiped his sweat, his eyes shining brightly.

"I heard you learned a new fighting style, how's it going?"

"good."

Xiren hung his coat on the wall hook.

Fester chuckled and put his hands on his hips.

"Now that I'm training under Lord Aldes, I don't need to spend money to learn combat techniques anymore."

His tone was visibly smug.

"However, one..."

Fester raised his arms.

"I have learned a new secret technique, and now I have completely mastered it."

He stood up straight, feet shoulder-width apart, arms outstretched.

The energy surged from the dantian and spread throughout the body along the meridians.

Xiren watched as a flowing sheen appeared on Fester's skin.

Silver-white!

It's translucent and thin, like a layer of gauze clinging to the skin.

The luster spread rapidly, from his arms to his chest, and from his chest to his abdomen, covering Fester's entire upper body in less than three seconds.

Silver armor and gauze robe.

Fester spun around in place, her silver gauze dress reflecting tiny specks of light under the lamplight.

"How is it?"

He patted his chest, making a dull thud.

"A rare defensive technique. Those cheap short guns like the Pepperbox can't be penetrated by lead bullets unless you fire at point-blank range or more than five meters away."

Xilun took two steps closer.

He stretched out his right hand and pressed his thumb against the gauze on Fester's forearm.

The touch from my fingertips was cold and firm, like pressing on a taut piece of cowhide.

He applied more force, but the gauze dress remained completely still.

Add again.

The nails are whitish, and the finger joints are slightly bent.

The silver gauze dress dented less than an inch before bouncing his strength back.

Xilun stopped, seemingly lost in thought.

Fester grinned: "Perfect timing to test your Bone-Crushing Fist, see if it can rip my clothes."

Xilun glanced at him.

Are you sure?

Feist snorted and patted the silver armor and gauze robe on his chest.

That expression screamed, "Bring it on!"

Xilun let out a sigh of relief.

Clench your right fist, slightly rotate your wrist, and the spiral force will naturally form in your muscles and bones.

A punch was thrown!

The fist slammed into Fester's left arm.

Fester took two steps back, his feet leaving a rut on the floor.

He looked down at his arm.

A crack appeared on the surface of the gauze garment.

The cracks spread outwards from the point of impact, like a piece of porcelain with a broken corner.

But it didn't break.

As Fester breathed, his energy surged back into the gauze, and the cracks healed at a visible speed, returning to normal in five seconds.

Fester looked up, his smile almost splitting his face to his ears.

"I won!"

He clenched his fists, his neck veins bulging with excitement.

"Even the Bone-Crushing Fist can't break through the silver armor! Looks like I can now return to fourth place!"

Since being dominated by Silen in the last training session, Fester has dropped from fourth to fifth in the club's training rankings.

He held a grudge about this ranking for a long time.

Xilun nodded: "The defense is indeed formidable."

Fester stood with his hands on his hips and chin raised, as if he wanted to have "I'm better than you" engraved on his forehead.

Xilun remained silent for two seconds as he looked at his smug expression.

"You recharge your energy and restore the gauze robe to its highest defense level."

Fester paused for a moment.

"what?"

"I'll try again."

Fester opened his mouth, but did not refuse.

He regained his footing, took a deep breath, and his silver armor and gauze robes shone brightly once more, their luster even more intense than before, perfectly covering his entire body.

Xiren did not throw a punch.

He raised his right hand, his five fingers spread.

The finger joints are slightly swollen, and a layer of dark golden luster appears on the palm.

It's not the spiral force of the Bone-Shattering Fist.

It's a claw.

The five fingers are bent like hooks, the fingertips are taut, and the power in the palm flows along the path of the Dark Claw Technique to the finger bones.

An extremely dangerous and oppressive feeling emanated from that hand.

Fester's smile froze on his face.

He stared at Xilen's palm, his Adam's apple bobbing once.

next moment.

The claws pressed onto the gauze.

Gently close your five fingers together.

boom.

The silver armor and gauze robe, like a thin layer of ice, shattered at the point of contact, scattering silver fragments everywhere.

Fester stumbled back three steps and bumped into the sandbag rack.

He looked down at his chest—his gauze dress had vanished completely.

The shattered silver specks of light still drifted in the air, like fireflies scattered by the wind.

Several new trainees in the training room were stunned.