Less than ten rounds into the fight, Liu Zili was already inwardly alarmed. She gripped her spear shaft tightly, her eyes fixed on the two fighters as their bodies and spearheads crisscrossed in a deadly blur.
Wang Guanjia was very strong; in their class, he was a tiger in a den of mice. Even when he had dueled Jiang Qiu, he hadn't used Hidden Force, relying on brute strength to suppress his opponent. He had only lost because the Wooden Spear was too brittle and because he hadn't fully grasped Mingjin.
But now, he was like a fierce tiger trapped in a cage. Every time their spear shafts or tips collided, a twist of his opponent's wrist felt like a thousand-pound boulder crushing a bamboo stalk, forcing his arms down and leaving him completely suppressed!
Furthermore, as the two spear shafts vibrated and their Hidden Forces clashed, his opponent's chest was as steady as a bronze bell, unmoving as a mountain. In contrast, the muscles on Wang Guanjia's own chest rippled and twitched uncontrollably!
Even though Wang Guanjia's training resources were the best in the regular classes, and his high Talent allowed him to rival most of the elite students in strength, the gap between him and Xie Kuang was a yawning abyss.
BOOM—
A thunderous crash echoed out. Wang Guanjia, whose Qi Blood was already in turmoil, was thrown back like a fish caught in a great wave. He stumbled back five consecutive steps, his arms still spasming.
In that instant, a cold light glinted as the sound of a piercing whistle pursued him. The entire room held its breath. Liu Zili's eyes widened. Across the way, several other elite students frowned and took a half-step forward, words catching in their throats.
At that moment, Wang Guanjia's pupils constricted and his heart plummeted. His arms, still trembling from the clash of Hidden Force, couldn't keep a firm grip on his spear. Unable to retreat or turn, he was frozen to the spot, watching helplessly as the conical spearhead bore down on him. In a flash, it was just five inches from his left shoulder, poised to cripple his arm!
'Dammit! I can't beat him now!'
Just as all seemed lost, SWISH—a black shadow descended into his vision. It struck down like a blade through autumn grass, swatting aside the prismatic spearhead that was lunging like a vicious wolf!
RIIIP—
The prismatic spear tip tore through the black shirt on Wang Guanjia's chest, drawing a thin line of blood. Then, with a resounding BANG, it was pinned to the floor by another spear—one with a curved, double-edged head. The CRACK of the shattering tile sent a chill through his very bones!
Wang Guanjia scrambled back two steps, his eyes wide as he stared at Jiang Qiu, who had just strode in front of him. His heart hammered in his chest, like a battering ram striking a great bronze bell.
Liu Zili's mouth fell open, her expression like that of a stunned sparrow.
Across the room, Hu Ye'ye's index finger twitched twice in surprise. Dumbfounded, the other elite students' eyes widened one by one. They all held their breath, not daring to make a sound.
Xie Kuang's most vicious thrust of the entire fight had been slammed to the ground by a spear that came out of nowhere. He was so stunned he couldn't even recover!
'Even if he was caught off guard, no one else here should have the ability to land such a perfect ambush!'
'If it had been any of us, the Hidden Force erupting from Xie Kuang would have sent our spear flying before we even got close!'
Even Xie Kuang, whose Qi Blood was surging at its peak, felt an involuntary twitch in his brow before his gaze locked with Jiang Qiu's clear, cold eyes.
"Weren't you supposed to be fighting me?"
The seven words struck him like stones pulled from ice water. Xie Kuang's lips twisted. His arms suddenly flexed, muscles hardening like iron, and with a CLACK, he threw off the spear pinning his own. Taking a half-step back, he faced Jiang Qiu, their gazes clashing like needle points. "So you do have a few tricks up your sleeve."
The hall was dead silent. All eyes were fixed on Jiang Qiu. His curved, double-edged longspear, resting at an angle on the tile, flashed with a menacing light.
He stood tall and solid, an unshakeable mountain peak.
The two squared off, icy spear tips weaving and flipping with their probing steps. The thunderous clash of deadly weapons was imminent!
"BEEP—"
"Verification successful."
The crisp sound of the door opening cut through the tense atmosphere like a steel blade. The elite students blocking the entrance scattered like fish fleeing a whale, clearing a path. Xie Kuang and Jiang Qiu both turned toward the sound, their confrontational auras instantly extinguished like a brushfire in a downpour. Retracting their spears in unison, they bowed their heads. "Teacher."
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP...
The heavy footsteps seemed to weigh on everyone's chest as an imposing figure strode through the open glass door.
"There's plenty of time to practice your spears. Don't waste your energy clogging up the training hall after hours." Wu Shan strode through the crowd, hands clasped behind his back. His single right eye swept over the students' bowed heads before suddenly stopping. He looked down at the cracked tile by his feet. "You three. Two thousand each for damages. Bring the money tomorrow. Understand?"
The words flowed into Jiang Qiu's ears with unnerving clarity. He frowned, raising his head to stare at the expressionless Martial Arts Instructor. His palm tightened on his spear shaft with a faint SQUEAK.
'It's true I helped break the tile, but two thousand, just like that? No questions asked?'
'That's completely unfair!'
"Teacher," Wang Guanjia said, stepping forward stiffly. "I'll pay Jiang Qiu's share."
"As long as it gets paid." Wu Shan waved a dismissive hand. "All of you, stop loitering. Lock up your spears and go home."
As his words fell, the sporadic sounds of spears being returned to their lockers filled the air. Xie Kuang gave a cold snort and stalked out, surrounded by his followers. Hu Ye'ye and Wang Guanjia left on their own, while Liu Zili followed close behind Jiang Qiu through the glass door.
TINK.
In the center of the now-empty training hall, Wu Shan crouched down. Between his thumb and forefinger, a triangular shard of tile glinted with a cold light.
The reflection of the tile shard swam in the murky depths of his single right eye. The corner of his mouth twitched. 'He's comprehended at least fifty percent of Hidden Force... otherwise, these tiles, specially made for the training hall, would never have broken.
'Jiang Qiu... were you really born in the Shantytown?'
Silence returned to Training Hall Eight. Outside, the paulownia trees were submerged in the sea of the setting sun, as the black-shirted young men and women dispersed, their long shadows trailing behind them.
He exchanged a glance with Wang Guanjia from a distance. The other boy left without a word, and Jiang Qiu, saying nothing himself, silently started on the road home.
"Jiang Qiu, you were amazing back there! Blocking Xie Kuang's spear like that!" Liu Zili said, hurrying to keep pace at his right, her wide, round eyes sparkling. "You must have grasped at least thirty percent of Hidden Force, right? That's better than a lot of the elite students who've been here for ages. If Teacher Wu Shan agrees, you might even get an allocation of Wusu Fragrance this month..."
"Mm."
Jiang Qiu just nodded, his gaze turning inward as he replayed the fight in his mind.
'Wang Guanjia must have grasped thirty percent of Hidden Force a long time ago. Otherwise, he never would have lasted over ten rounds against Xie Kuang.'
'But then, why didn't Wang Guanjia use Hidden Force on me during the placement test?'
'He didn't even use the last twelve forms of the Ancient Martial Spear Technique...'
At this thought, Jiang Qiu's eyes narrowed. He shook his head, pushing the speculation aside.
'A moment ago, when Xie Kuang exerted his strength, I saw a faint bronze sheen on his arms. He must have already stepped into the Copper Skin Realm after the Mortal Body Realm. That's the only way his strength would be great enough to suppress Wang Guanjia and even throw off my spear.'
'His Physical Body Realm is a whole level above mine.'
'If I want to compete for the two portions of Wusu Fragrance in three days, I have to step up my training and cultivate my Copper Skin!'
At this, a brilliant light flashed in Jiang Qiu's eyes. He clenched his fists, his chest puffing out with newfound resolve.
"If you can really get a portion of Wusu Fragrance in your first month, your body will undergo a minor transformation, and you might even cultivate your Copper Skin really soon," Liu Zili said, pattering to keep up, the dimples on her cheeks growing deeper. "By next month, you might even surpass Xie Kuang and become the most talented elite student in Training Hall Eight, earning two portions of Wusu Fragrance every month!"
Jiang Qiu pondered for a moment, then a small smile touched his lips.
"Yeah. That day isn't far off."