Gou Zai Wudao Shi Lian Shen

"Stop, stop, stop!"

"I give up!"

"I lost!"

Shen Shijun hastily admitted defeat.

Because Lu Chen's punch had already arrived.

Soaring through the clouds and into the sea!

The fist force broke through the palm shadow, like a blue dragon emerging from the clouds, heading straight for Shen Shijun's chest.

Shen Shijun's arms were in excruciating pain, and his palm strikes were in disarray; it was too late to seal the midline.

He knew all too well what would happen if that punch landed.

In mild cases, it can cause a cracked sternum and disrupted blood and qi circulation.

In severe cases, the patient may vomit blood and collapse on the spot, remaining bedridden for half a month.

Therefore, the Iron Crane Palm, a renowned master of the Thousand Crane Martial Arts School, immediately admitted defeat without any hesitation.

As for saving face?

Having been in the underworld for so many years, Shen Shijun understands better than anyone that no matter how important face is, it is not as important as life.

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen braked in time, his fist stopping an inch in front of Shen Shijun's chest.

The strong wind had already struck his clothes first, causing his gray-white outfit to billow backwards and making his chest feel numb.

Shen Shijun's Adam's apple bobbed, and a fine layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.

A river breeze blows, and the willow branches sway gently.

The crowd erupted in chaos.

"What?"

"Shen Shijun has admitted defeat?"

"My God, this... this... Iron Crane Palm Shen Shijun actually lost to a seventeen-year-old boy?"

The Xu family members were all frozen on the spot, their faces extremely grim.

The Chen family members were stunned at first, then burst into uncontrollable cheers.

Chen Chong's eyes were slightly red, and his shoulders, which had been tense for several days, finally relaxed.

"We won..."

"Junior Brother Lu won!"

Qingliu Lane has been preserved.

Lu Chen slowly withdrew his fist, and the oppressive aura emanating from him, like a dragon emerging from the abyss, dissipated.

He looked at Shen Shijun, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "You flatter me."

Shen Shijun looked down at his still trembling iron hand and gave a bitter smile.

"I accept defeat wholeheartedly."

He looked up at Lu Chen, his expression complex:

"At seventeen, he mastered the art of blood circulation, his fist techniques penetrated to the bone, and his strength transformed into a dragon."

"Your master, Qin Wuhe, is truly blind!"

Qin Wuhe, who was drinking tea in the inner hall of the Canglong Martial Arts School, seemed to sense something and suddenly sneezed.

The teacup in my hand wobbled slightly, and a few drops of tea spilled onto the table.

He frowned, paused, put the teacup back on the table, and walked out of the inner room.

In the inner courtyard's martial arts arena, the wind from punches blew in waves.

Shi Hao is practicing the Canglong Tongbei Fist meticulously.

He was dressed in a white outfit, with a tall and straight figure. His fists moved gracefully, and his arms had the air of a coiling dragon.

Several inner court disciples stood by watching, their faces full of envy.

"Brother Shi's boxing skills are becoming more and more exquisite."

"I heard that if you take it one step further, you can develop the Azure Dragon Force."

"At sixteen, he has mastered the Blood Transfusion Technique and is about to develop the Azure Dragon Strength. This year's martial arts champion is none other than Senior Brother Shi."

Qin Wuhe stood under the corridor, watching Shi Hao practice his boxing, and felt a little more at ease.

Not bad.

At sixteen, he mastered the art of blood transfusion.

The boxing technique has been perfected; it's just one step away from perfection.

With the added support of the Huang family's resources, the Canglong Martial Arts School will surely bring fame to the martial arts competition in the future.

Before long, Song Tieshan and Liu Qingping returned from outside and immediately reported the situation of the boxing match in Qingliu Lane to Qin Wuhe.

"Oh, Lu Chen won?"

"He even mastered the Azure Dragon Force?"

Qin Wuhe was somewhat surprised.

Iron Crane Palm Shen Shijun was a renowned master, yet he was defeated by Lu Chen, who was just starting out!

What surprised Qin Wuhe the most was that Lu Chen had actually mastered the Azure Dragon Force!

No.

It wasn't just an accident.

There was still a feeling I couldn't quite describe in my heart.

Lu Chen did indeed display considerable talent when he first entered the inner academy.

At that time, Qin Wuhe valued Shi Hao more.

Shi Hao was younger and broke through to the next realm faster.

Lu Chen is not bad either, but he is far less impressive than Shi Hao was back then.

However, times have changed, and the person he abandoned and kicked out of the martial arts school has now subtly overshadowed the genius Shi Hao, whom he valued most.

Qin Wuhe slowly exhaled.

"At seventeen, he mastered the art of blood transfusion."

"He even developed the Azure Dragon Strength."

"I underestimated him."

Liu Qingping sighed with some regret, "Master, if Lu Chen were still in the martial arts school, he could have entered the true lineage of disciples at this age, having mastered the Azure Dragon Force."

Qin Wuhe remained silent for a moment, then regained his composure and said, "He is no longer a disciple of the martial arts school."

What's done is done.

"Further discussion is pointless."

Then, he looked at the young men practicing martial arts in the training ground outside and said with a determined gaze, "With the martial arts exam just around the corner, our Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School is determined to make a name for ourselves this time!"

……

night.

Xiaoshenglou was brightly lit.

After the battle of Qingliu Lane, the Chen family regained their ancestral property, and the gloom that had weighed on the hearts of the Chen family members for so long was finally swept away.

Chen Yue simply booked the best private room on the second floor overlooking the river and invited Lu Chen to a celebratory dinner.

"Master Lu, please."

Chen Yue personally stood at the door to greet him, his attitude showing more solemnity and respect than before.

Lu Chen smiled and waved his hand.

"Uncle Chen, please just call me Lu Chen. The word 'offering' sounds too formal."

Chen Yue laughed heartily.

"Alright, then I'll take the liberty of addressing you as Nephew Lu."

The three of them took their seats.

The table was laden with Xiaoshenglou's signature dishes: steamed Qujiang carp, braised venison, braised beef shank, and a pot of peach blossom wine that had been treasured for many years.

Chen Yue personally stood up and filled Lu Chen's wine glass.

"This cup is for you, Chen Jia."

"Without my nephew, Qingliu Lane would no longer belong to the Chen family."

After saying that, he picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.

Chen Chong also raised his wine bowl and solemnly clasped his hands in greeting.

"Junior Brother Lu."

"This punch today not only won back the Chen family's ancestral property, but also avenged my senior brother."

"Your senior brother salutes you!"

Lu Chen did not refuse and raised his glass to lightly clink it with the two of them.

The aroma of the wine is pleasant on the palate, with a spicy yet sweet flavor.

He smiled and said, "The Chen family helped me in my time of need, so this is what I should do now."

Chen Yue shook his head.

"My dear nephew, it's easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to provide charcoal in the snow."

"That little bit of money back then was nothing more than a small favor."

"But today, you saved my Chen family; you truly provided timely help in my time of need!"

He put down his wine glass, his expression serious: "The Chen family will always remember this kindness."

Chen Chong, standing to the side, laughed heartily and teased, "Father, Junior Brother Lu has put in so much effort for our Chen family, we can't let him listen to you on an empty stomach!"

"Chong'er is right, let's start eating!"

Chen Yue smiled and personally served Lu Chen some food.

After a few rounds of drinks and several dishes, the conversation gradually became more lively.

Lu Chen and the Chen family father and son talked about future development.

"Uncle Chen."

"Now that I have become a retainer of the Wang family, I can say that I have gained a foothold in Chixia County."

"But I don't want to stay at Wang's for the rest of my life."

"I just don't know what to do next yet."

"Uncle Chen, do you have any suggestions?"

Chen Yue did not answer immediately, but slowly picked up his wine glass and took a small sip.

His gaze drifted through the window to the distant Qujiang tributary shrouded in night.

After a moment of hesitation, he slowly spoke.

"Lu Chen".

"With your talent, a mere Wang Ji (a minor business) can't possibly keep you here."

"The sea is wide enough for fish to leap, and the sky is high enough for birds to fly."

"Someone like you will eventually have to leave."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Looking at the entire Great Zhou Dynasty..."

"Sects have their own traditions, and aristocratic families have their own foundations."

"But if we're talking about the forces that truly stand at the pinnacle of power..."

There's only one.

"That's the Great Zhou Dynasty!"

At this point, Chen Yue's expression became serious.

"Thirteen provinces under heaven, hundreds of millions of people."

"Countless martial arts schools, gangs, sects, and aristocratic families..."

"They are all under the jurisdiction of the imperial court."

"The imperial court established a temple of martial arts, opened a martial arts examination, appointed military officials, and suppressed demons and rebellions throughout the land."

"Those who truly control the resources of the world have never been the martial arts sects, but the imperial court."

Lu Chen nodded thoughtfully.

Although the Great Zhou Dynasty is now in decline, plagued by chaos and rampant with bandits, it still holds the reins of power over the world.

As the saying goes, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse; within the Great Zhou Dynasty, no force has the strength to rival the imperial court.

Chen Yue continued, "There's one more point, which is also the most important one."

"You are just an ordinary person, without any clan to rely on or a prestigious family background."

"Such a status is actually not an advantage in the eyes of those martial arts sects and aristocratic families."

"They prefer to train their own clansmen, or their more direct disciples."

"Even if you are very talented, they may not be willing to devote all their resources to cultivating you. At most, they will treat you as a henchman."

"But the imperial court is different."

"The court prefers young people like you the most."

"He comes from an honest family, has no faction affiliation, and has no connections."

"As long as you can pass the martial arts exam and enter the Martial Temple, with the imperial court as your backing, your martial arts cultivation and future prospects will be guaranteed."

After listening to Chen Yue's analysis, Lu Chen became even more determined to take the martial arts exam.