Gou Zai Wudao Shi Lian Shen

Another half month has passed in the blink of an eye.

In late autumn, leaves fall in abundance.

The old locust tree in the backyard of the yam shop has turned mostly yellow. When the wind blows, the withered leaves swirl down and cover the ground.

The weather had already turned cold, and when the guards were on duty in the early morning, their breath was visible in the mist as they spoke.

During these two weeks, Lu Chen hardly relaxed at all.

Every day, he would get up early to practice standing meditation, practice boxing in the evening, and after taking a medicinal bath at night, he would also ponder the variations of Canglong Tongbei Quan and Tiexian Qinna Shou.

A medicinal bath washes away fatigue, meat nourishes muscles and bones, and blood circulation strengthens the body's vital energy.

Every penny spent was well spent.

The amount of qi and blood in his body increased from five strands to eight strands.

Eight strands of qi and blood circulated in the chest and abdomen. Although they had not yet truly converged into a stream, they were already much thicker than when the blood circulation had just begun.

As a result, Lu Chen's strength increased to over 800 jin. With one punch, an ordinary wooden stake would crack on the spot, and even cast iron could be imprinted with a fist three inches deep.

That afternoon, a large crowd gathered at the training ground in front of the guards' dormitory.

Everyone rushed over right after lunch.

Because Lu Chen wanted to spar with Li Qing.

Li Qing is a top student of Qianhe Martial Arts School, and what he practices is the famous Qianhe Cloud Piercing Hand.

Among the guards at the yam shop, Li Qing was always considered the best after Zhao Yiting.

"Is Lee Chung really going to play?"

"Lu Chen has been gaining more and more momentum lately, and he's unbeatable in the yam industry. It's time to curb his arrogance."

"I don't think so. It's possible that Lu Chen will win, and then the rankings in the backyard will have to change."

There was a lot of discussion on the sidelines.

Qian Ming leaned against the wall, watching the two in the center of the arena, and said lazily, "There's going to be a good show today. Azure Dragon Tongbei Fist versus Thousand Crane Cloud-Piercing Hand, a dragon versus a crane, that's something to look forward to."

At this moment, Zhou Li hurriedly squeezed into the crowd, carrying a small jar of Qujiang Red wine that he had just bought from Xiaoshenglou.

"Make way, make way!"

He squeezed the wine jar while protecting it in his arms, as if afraid it would be broken.

"How's it going? Have they started fighting?"

"Thank goodness I made it in time!"

Someone laughed and cursed, "Old Zhou, you sure know how to enjoy yourself! You even brought a whole jar of wine!"

Zhou Li glared at him and said, "What do you know? When masters clash, how can they not have good wine to accompany it?"

As he spoke, he squeezed to the front, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Lu Chen and Li Qing, and lowered his voice to ask, "Who has a better chance of winning?"

"I think it's Li Qing. He broke through to the Blood Transformation Realm a year ago, and his blood and qi are now very strong. Plus, his Thousand Cranes Piercing Clouds Hand is very versatile. Lu Chen definitely won't get the upper hand."

Someone analyzed it seriously.

"What nonsense are you talking about? Didn't you see Lu Chen practicing his boxing in the yard yesterday? He almost punched through the yard wall."

"Li Qing thinks he can overpower Lu Chen with sheer strength? Hmph, I don't believe it!"

Some people are standing up for Lu Chen.

Li Qing stood in the center of the training ground. He was tall and slender with a handsome face. His fingers were slightly longer than average, with distinct knuckles.

He clasped his hands in a fist salute to Lu Chen and said, "Lu Chen, I won't hold back this time in our sparring match."

Lu Chen returned the greeting, saying, "Brother Li, please feel free to make your move. Fists and feet have no eyes. Even if I get injured, it's because my strength is insufficient. I can't blame Brother Li at all."

Li Qing smiled, but his expression turned serious: "Then I won't stand on ceremony!"

"Take this!"

Before he finished speaking, he lightly touched the ground with his feet, and like a white crane skimming through the autumn wind, he floated lightly towards Lu Chen.

Thousand Cranes Piercing Clouds Hand!

He made a feint with his right hand towards Lu Chen's face, his five fingers slightly spread, like a crane's beak pecking at the clouds; his left hand, however, was hidden under his sleeve, quietly cutting towards Lu Chen's wrist pulse.

One is real, the other is illusory; the speed is dazzling.

Lu Chen's shoulders slumped, and his arms lashed out like dragon whiskers, cutting off all of Li Qing's attacks.

boom!

Fists and palms clashed.

When Li Qing's left hand was cut off, a look of surprise flashed in his eyes. He then turned around and unleashed a flurry of attacks with both hands.

In an instant, palms flew in all directions.

He moved with light steps, roaming around Lu Chen's body. His hands moved up and down, left and right, sometimes lightly touching the center of Lu Chen's eyebrows, sometimes slashing at the elbow tendons, sometimes protecting his body with his palms, and sometimes changing his fingers to peck at Lu Chen's shoulders and neck.

It combines offense and defense, and interweaves feints and real attacks.

This is precisely the most troublesome aspect of the Thousand Cranes Piercing Clouds Hand technique.

The onlookers were overwhelmed with excitement.

"Li Qing truly lives up to his reputation as a top disciple of Qianhe Martial Arts School; his moves are incredibly fast."

Throughout the match, Lu Chen remained composed and did not allow Li Qing to dictate his rhythm.

Instead, his punches were like dragons, each move aimed directly at Li Qing's joints, forcing Li Qing to change his punching style and even forcing him to defend.

Each time his fist and palm collided, Li Qing felt as if he had hit a heavy piece of ironwood, the force rebounding back along his arm and making his knuckles numb.

Li Qing was secretly alarmed, but then he saw Lu Chen's eyes narrow.

Eight streams of qi and blood circulate simultaneously within the body, and the power rises from the feet, flows through the waist and back, and reaches the shoulders and arms.

A blue dragon emerges from the abyss!

This punch suddenly rose higher, like a dragon that had been submerged in a deep pool raising its head.

The force of the punch whistled, directly breaking through the feints and realities between Li Qing's hands.

Li Qing's pupils contracted, and he hurriedly crossed his palms to defend himself.

boom!

A muffled thud.

Li Qing was so shocked that he staggered back five steps, crushing several dry leaves under his feet, until he bumped into the crowd on the sidelines and barely managed to regain his footing.

His arms trembled slightly, his chest heaved, and his face turned pale.

Before he could react, Lu Chen's fist came flying and stopped three inches from his chest.

There was a moment of silence in the room.

Immediately, the onlookers and guards erupted in uproar.

"We won!"

"Lu Chen really beat Li Qing!"

Li Qing looked down at his fist, which was only three inches from his chest, gave a bitter smile, and clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "Lu Chen, I lost."

Lu Chen returned the salute, saying, "Brother Li's Thousand Cranes Piercing Clouds Hand is so fast it's hard to tell. If my boxing skills hadn't improved recently, I might not have been able to win."

Li Qing shook his head, seemingly unfazed.

"A loss is a loss."

He looked at Lu Chen, his eyes filled with no resentment, but rather with admiration: "Your punch was powerful and heavy, like a dragon breaking through the abyss. I really couldn't withstand it."

Zhao Yiting was also standing at the back of the crowd.

He crossed his arms. He had only come to take a look after hearing that Lu Chen was going to spar with Li Qing.

But after actually watching the battle, the expression on his face changed.

He knew Li Qing's skill level better than anyone.

He came from the Thousand Crane Martial Arts School and had already mastered the Thousand Crane Piercing Cloud Hand technique. His attacks were fast, accurate, and ruthless, making him the most capable guard among the yam shop's guards.

But today, Li Qing lost.

They were almost completely crushed by Lu Chen.

Zhao Yiting looked at Lu Chen, who stood in the arena with his fists clenched, and a hint of undisguised surprise appeared in his eyes.

"This kid..."

He murmured softly.

How long has Lu Chencai been working at the yam shop?

More than a month.

In the first few days after arriving, he beat Liu Heng to a pulp. Now, he has even defeated Li Qing, the number one martial artist guarding the compound.

Judging from his robust qi and blood, solid footing, and superb fist skills, he already resembled a martial arts master in every punch and move.

Zhao Yiting's eyes flickered, his mind racing. He glanced in the direction of the alchemy room and muttered to himself, "In a few days, Master Ge Ye will be going to Gaolin County to attend the medicine fair, purchase autumn harvest herbs, and also to watch the auction of alchemy formulas."

"I can have this kid go for me, and he can broaden his horizons along the way."