CHAPTER 53: CHAPTER 47: PIERCING THE SKY AND BREAKING THE CLOUDS

"You only have two paths to choose from."

"The first path is the prudent one, steady and unwavering, ensuring entry into the quarterfinals."

"The second path is bold and swift, charging forward, resolving the battle quickly, exchanging injury for injury. End the fight as soon as possible before your True Qi and strength are exhausted, and then try to enter the semifinals or even the finals."

"I only provide you with advice, I won’t make the decision. How you proceed is up to you."

Zhou Leng nodded and said, "Thank you, Coach."

"Go and warm up."

Zhou Leng started jogging.

The students of Class 01 whispered among themselves.

"What do you think Zhou Leng will choose?"

"Isn’t it obvious? Judging by his zeal during the military training these past days, he’s definitely going to choose the bold path."

"He seems like a quiet little rabbit on the surface, but deep down, he’s a ruthless beast."

"Six days of military training, five days as the top; he’s absolutely a daredevil. Even those in the Blood Transporting Period wouldn’t push themselves that hard."

As everyone was chatting, Chief Instructor Huang Jingqiu shouted, "Warm-up is over, let’s start drawing lots."

The four students from Class 01 drew lots first, and the numbers they picked all corresponded to other classes.

Zhou Leng, ranked first in Class 01, himself was number 0101, drew the number 0403, Yan Jianhua.

When Zhou Leng raised the number, the students of Class 01 cheered excitedly.

This was a superb number.

Because Class 04 indeed had no particularly outstanding students, and he drew the one ranked third.

On the side of Class 04, Yan Jianhua smiled.

A student beside him laughed and said, "You might not be as agile as him, but you only need to fight a prolonged battle; he will certainly lose."

"Exactly, just don’t go head-to-head with him. With his True Qi during the Qi Nourishing Period, he won’t last long."

"Yan Jianhua, how long did you run during Qi Manipulation?"

"8 minutes and 5 seconds."

"You’ve got this!"

After the drawing was completed, under the supervision of the instructors, sixteen people entered eight simple arenas.

Each class had four instructors, spread outside their respective arenas.

Deng Zhijue and the instructor from Class 04 stood by the arena of Zhou Leng and Yan Jianhua.

Both of them had the authority to call a halt.

"Prepare... Start."

Zhou Leng and Yan Jianhua saluted one another with fists clasped.

Yan Jianhua said, "I know your dodging and stepping techniques are impressive, but in actual combat, there is only victory or defeat, no good or evil. Next, I will use delaying tactics, I hope you won’t say that I’m being unfair."

Zhou Leng replied, "Once in Demon City, Demon won’t care about my True Qi amount, please."

"Please."

Yan Jianhua immediately retreated, while Zhou Leng gathered True Qi in his legs, charging straight forward.

Yan Jianhua had expected this, smiling as he started circling.

Zhou Leng pressed forward, while Yan Jianhua either dodged, blocked, or defended, completely refraining from attacking.

After merely ten exchanges, cheers erupted from the fifth arena.

"Xu Kang’an is awesome, won in ten moves!"

"He deserves to be the first in the Martial Arts Hall!"

Yan Jianhua’s smile grew wider.

Zhou Leng took a deep breath, clearing his mind.

Zhou Leng said, "I practice Mystic Tide Technique and Overlapping Waves Palm; initially ordinary, but once unleashed, it layers rapidly and fiercely. If any unexpected happens, forgive me."

Zhou Leng stepped using Eight Trigrams Step, suddenly appearing in front of Yan Jianhua, directly pushing a palm towards Yan Jianhua’s chest.

This move, "Rushing Tide," like a wave, the palm like tide, as if a massive wave rushes forward, with a push and a roll, hiding lethal intent.

Yan Jianhua’s heart skipped a beat; this move came fiercely, unable to dodge, unable to block, only capable of taking it head-on.

Yan Jianhua hastily directed True Qi, throwing a punch at Zhou Leng.

True Qi entered the blood, the surface of the fist glowing faintly purple.

The punch and palm met.

Zhou Leng stepped back one step, Yan Jianhua stepped back half a step.

The students watching outside were slightly surprised, Qi Nourishing Period against Blood Transporting Period, only half a step difference.

Yan Jianhua’s Qi Blood surged, and before he had time to stabilize it, Zhou Leng, heedless of consequences, advanced again.

Zhou Leng lunged to Yan Jianhua’s left side, his right palm like a knife, using the fifth variation of Overlapping Waves Palm, "Wave Break," diagonally cutting towards Yan Jianhua’s ribs.

Outside the arena, Deng Zhijue lightly nodded.

This move itself was ordinary, but Zhou Leng could connect it with the Palm Intent and True Qi of the previous move, "Rushing Tide."

Yan Jianhua hurried to block, but Zhou Leng’s right arm, like a snake, slipped past Yan Jianhua’s arm, changing palm to fist.

Mystic Tide True Qi layered, together with the fist, smashed into Yan Jianhua’s left ribs.

Crack...

The rib broke, piercing through flesh.

Yan Jianhua let out a scream, his True Qi suddenly halted.

Zhou Leng’s body suddenly slid forward, diving low, both hands pressing on the ground.

His entire person parallel to the ground, his left foot planted for leverage a second time, his right leg like a spear, his right foot like a spearhead, stabbing directly towards Yan Jianhua’s left lower leg.

Leg piercing the sky, foot breaking the clouds.

The most fierce seventh move of Flying Cloud Leg, Piercing the Sky and Breaking the Clouds.

Yan Jianhua’s left ribs injured, True Qi in chaos, unable to evade, eyes full of terror.

"Stop!" Class 04 instructor shouted, "We concede."

Zhou Leng halted his form just before touching Yan Jianhua, flipping his body sideways, then rose up.

"Thank you!" Zhou Leng clasped fists towards Yan Jianhua.

Yan Jianhua returned the gesture and said, "Thank you for your mercy."

The instructor from Class 04 came over, patted Zhou Leng’s shoulder with a smile to express praise, then supported Yan Jianhua towards the infirmary.

Wei Hong said, "Using ’Rushing Tide’ to force the opponent to take it head-on, disrupting their form and breath, using ’Wave Break’ as a feint, but actually employing Mountain Charging Fist. Lastly, sliding and stabbing the foot, this set of moves, I could think of it too, but couldn’t do it so smoothly and quickly."

"Palm Technique, Fist Technique, Stepping Technique, Leg Technique, Foot Stabbing... not at all one unified system, not just us, even those in the Blood Transporting Period might not transition so smoothly."

"This is the terror of True Qi Manipulation at 100 points, no wonder the coach values him."

"If that foot had hit, the opponent’s lower leg bone would directly break, truly ruthless."

Zhou Leng walked out of the arena, glancing at the other arenas.

For now, only the arena where Xu Kang’an was had ended the fight, Xu Kang’an was also looking over curiously.

The two lightly nodded to each other.

Zhou Leng sat down and cross-legged, restoring True Qi.

From the chase at the start to the final strike, it had only taken a bit more than a minute, but a quarter of True Qi was expended, more than running during Qi Manipulation.

"The second arena has determined the winner, please 0101 Zhou Leng and 0302 Du Qianfang commence the battle immediately, begin the quarterfinals."

Zhou Leng opened his eyes, rose, and headed towards arena two.

True Qi still remained at five-fourths.

Deng Zhijue slightly furrowed his brow, Du Qianfang’s Stepping Technique and Leg Technique are both exceptional, once she engages in guerrilla warfare, Zhou Leng would inevitably fall behind.

Du Qianfang smiled, "Student Zhou Leng, I’m delicate and weak, I hope you show mercy."

Zhou Leng said, "And then your opponent gets knocked flat?"

"That was just his carelessness."

"Please."

"Please."

Zhou Leng charged towards Du Qianfang like a gust of wind.

Du Qianfang retreated and maneuvered while smiling, "I don’t dare fight you, you defeated your previous opponent so quickly, I can only maneuver."

Zhou Leng said nothing, relentlessly pursued, still employing aggressive tactics.

But Du Qianfang’s Stepping Technique and Body Technique were far superior to Yan Jianhua’s, Zhou Leng chased for a while but was repeatedly evaded.

The two maneuvered and darted around the simple arena, dodging and pursuing like two butterflies weaving through flowers.