Chapter 22 - 21: Breakthrough, Qi Blood Second Transformation

Chapter 22: Chapter 21: Breakthrough, Qi Blood Second Transformation

Situ Yiyun heard Lu Jing’an’s words but didn’t pay them much mind.

For several days in a row, Lu Jing’an had given him the same warning.

Situ Yiyun was already used to it.

Lu Jing’an could see that Situ Yiyun hadn’t taken him seriously.

But Lu Jing’an wasn’t worried.

’I’ve done my part by warning him. When he really loses in a moment, the system won’t be able to find any fault with me.’

After Lu Jing’an took his stance,

his opening move was once again Yellow Oriole’s Beak.

Situ Yiyun countered it mechanically.

But this time,

the instant Lu Jing’an’s palm made contact with Situ Yiyun’s,

it seemed to lengthen, as if from nowhere.

Like a venomous snake striking, it shot straight and precisely for Situ Yiyun’s throat.

This sudden change gave Situ Yiyun a huge shock.

The attack came out of nowhere!

The hairs on Situ Yiyun’s neck stood on end. He put strength into his core and leaped back violently.

However, Lu Jing’an’s next move, Slap Palm, was already descending with vicious force.

This slap,

was worlds apart from before!

His arm swung down like a steel whip cracking through the air,

producing a sharp, explosive CRACK.

Its speed had more than doubled!

If that blow landed, even if his skull didn’t shatter, he’d be bleeding from every orifice.

Situ Yiyun was horrified.

He had thought he’d retreated far enough.

But the next moment,

he discovered he was wrong again.

It was as if Lu Jing’an’s arm had truly grown longer out of thin air.

The palm descended precisely toward his head.

Situ Yiyun hastily raised his arm to block.

The blow ultimately landed on Situ Yiyun’s forearm.

WHAP!

His forearm felt as if it had been viciously lashed by an iron whip.

A searing, fiery pain shot through it.

Before he could recover,

Lu Jing’an’s assault came down like a torrential downpour.

The essence of Long Arm Fist,

was now on full display.

Cold, snapping, crisp, and fast—every move exploited long reach to strike at close-range weaknesses.

A continuous series of whip-cracks echoed through the air, popping and snapping without end.

Situ Yiyun had lost the initiative from the first move.

Now, forced into a corner, he had nowhere left to retreat.

He gritted his teeth, his qi and blood on the verge of erupting!

But then he felt a chill on his throat.

Lu Jing’an’s fingertips had stopped, half an inch from his throat.

The cold intent pricked his skin like a needle.

Situ Yiyun’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He swallowed hard and said in a strained voice,

"Young Master Lu, I lose."

This time, he was utterly and completely convinced of his defeat.

[You have successfully defeated Situ Yiyun. You have obtained the entry: Practicality First (White)]

Seeing the new entry appear,

Lu Jing’an slowly withdrew his hand.

A gentle smile appeared on his face. "It’s all thanks to Director Situ’s excellent teaching."

Hearing Lu Jing’an’s polite words,

Situ Yiyun only felt a sense of irony and bitterness.

’Did I teach him well?’

’I taught him New Martial Arts.’

’But Lu Jing’an defeated me with pure, unadulterated Ancient Martial Arts.’

’What does that have to do with my teaching?’

Chen Heqing, who had been watching from the side, was stunned.

He only snapped out of it when he heard their conversation.

"Excellent! A magnificent fight, Young Master Lu!" Chen Heqing clapped his hands and laughed in admiration.

"This is the true power of our Ancient Martial Arts’ Long Arm Fist!"

"New Martial Arts is just a pathetic joke!"

This time, Situ Yiyun didn’t argue back.

Not because he had lost,

but because Lu Jing’an had indeed unleashed the long-buried sharpness of Ancient Martial Arts.

However, this wasn’t enough to shake Situ Yiyun’s convictions.

He knew exactly how Lu Jing’an cultivated.

Situ Yiyun had seen it all with his own eyes.

A dedicated Medical Cultivator was always on hand to prepare his medicinal baths.

The ingredients used were all of the highest quality.

The cost of the ingredients for a single bath could feed an ordinary family for a decade.

And Lu Jing’an soaked in such a bath three times a day.

He had himself and Chen Heqing, two seniors from the Martial Arts Realm, as his personal sparring partners.

He had the immeasurably profound Great Martial Cultivator Chen Xuan giving him guidance from the sidelines.

Excluding Chen Xuan’s fees,

Lu Jing’an’s training cost at least four hundred silver coins a day.

Of course, Situ Yiyun had to admit,

Lu Jing’an’s talent was astonishing.

But he wasn’t the only one with talent.

How many people in the world had access to such resources for their Cultivation?

Lu Jing’an couldn’t care less about the conflict between New Martial Arts and Ancient Martial Arts.

All that mattered was getting the entry.

Next, Lu Jing’an tried it out on Chen Heqing.

He experienced the power of the Practicality First entry.

Under the enhancement of the Practicality First entry,

Lu Jing’an’s speed and efficiency increased dramatically.

Using the same Long Arm Fist,

Lu Jing’an seemed to be moving at double speed.

Many of the useless feints were eliminated,

and even when Chen Heqing used his full Qi Blood Second Transformation strength,

he was completely suppressed by Lu Jing’an from start to finish.

Ultimately, Chen Heqing had no choice but to concede defeat.

"Young Master Lu’s talent is truly a rare sight to behold."

Chen Heqing meant every word he said.

He had witnessed Lu Jing’an’s meteoric progress firsthand.

He was also a direct participant.

No one had a better perspective on it than him.

「After dinner.」

Lu Jing’an once again personally escorted the two men to the manor gate.

This time, however, Chen Heqing and Situ Yiyun exchanged a look and cupped their fists in unison.

"Young Master Lu, we have taught you all that we know. We will not trouble you further after today."

Lu Jing’an didn’t try to make them stay.

He simply smiled, nodded, and ordered his men to present them with double their usual fee.

Both Chen and Situ knew perfectly well,

that if they were to stay any longer,

the day would come when Lu Jing’an would beat them into a state of serious injury, causing them to lose all face.

Parting ways now allowed everyone to save face.

After seeing the two men off, Lu Jing’an didn’t go out looking for fights tonight,

nor did he visit the brothels.

Tonight, Lu Jing’an had something far more important to do.

Break through!

With his successive breakthroughs in Long Arm Fist,

Lu Jing’an was now just one step away from reaching Qi Blood Second Transformation.

Lu Jing’an had Cui Jieyi prepare a medicinal bath.

This time, he didn’t let her leave.

Instead, he had her wait nearby in case the herbs and their effects proved insufficient.

Cui Jieyi would need to add more as required.

Lu Jing’an stood in the enormous wooden tub, settling into the Earth Posture.

His qi and blood circulated through his body, over and over.

When he reached a critical juncture,

Lu Jing’an distinctly felt a resistance impeding the flow of his qi and blood.

The moment the resistance appeared,

the effect of Extraordinary Physique activated.

The barrier was like thin ice meeting boiling water.

It melted away without a sound.

Lu Jing’an’s Earth Posture advanced from Entry Level to Minor Success.

Immediately, fine bubbles began to rise in the medicinal bath.

This was the sign of Qi Blood Second Transformation: Qi and Blood Boiling.

The sign of Qi Blood First Transformation is a surging of qi and blood.

The second transformation is Qi and Blood Boiling.

Boiling qi and blood would grant Lu Jing’an more True Qi and greater power.

Once the breakthrough was complete,

Lu Jing’an called up his attribute panel to see the changes to his body.

[Name: Lu Jing’an]

[Attack: 11]

[Defense: 11]

[Agility: 5]

[Spirit: 8]

[Energy Points: 4]

[Cultivation Technique: Earth Posture (Minor Success) (Attack +3+3, Defense +3+3, Spirit +3+3), Long Arm Fist (Great Success) (Attack +8+10)]

[Entries: As Clear as Daylight (Green), Extraordinary Physique (Green) (Attack +2, Defense +2), Master of Boxing (Red) (Fist Skill +10), Cause and Effect Following Sound (Green), Ghostly Shadows and Traces (Orange) (Agility +3), Practicality First (White)]

’With the breakthrough of my Pile Skill and the bonuses from my entries, my Basic Attributes have each increased by four points.’

’If I use Long Arm Fist, my total Attack Power is as high as 29!’

An Attack Power of 29 might not sound like much,

but it corresponded to an arm strength of over a thousand pounds.

Lu Jing’an had tried to evaluate Situ Yiyun and Chen Heqing using Combat Points before.

Both Situ Yiyun and Chen Heqing were Martial Cultivators who had broken through the Blood Barrier.

According to Lu Jing’an’s assessment,

their combat power was around 30.

That was about the same as Lu Jing’an’s current level.

Of course, in a real fight,

unless Lu Jing’an could secure victory within five seconds,

he would undoubtedly lose if the fight went on any longer.

After all, true combat power wasn’t just about Attack.

It also included Defense, Spirit, stamina, fighting techniques, and more...

Even so,

just by reaching Qi Blood Second Transformation,

Lu Jing’an’s combat power was already on par with a Martial Cultivator who had broken through the Blood Barrier.

This was an incredible achievement in itself.

Overall, Lu Jing’an was very satisfied with his gains for the day.

Not only had he obtained a red entry, but he had also successfully acquired the entry from Situ Yiyun.

At the same time, his Cultivation had reached Qi Blood Second Transformation.

His power had undergone a world-altering transformation compared to before.

This gave Lu Jing’an even more confidence in delivering a "big gift" to the Li Family.

Furthermore, Lu Jing’an felt it was time to settle the matter of the assassination attempt against him once and for all.

The night deepened. In the courtyard, the moonlight washed over everything, stretching his shadow long and thin.

Lu Jing’an pushed open the window.

He gazed toward a certain part of the city.

The corner of his mouth curved into a cold, barely perceptible smile.