Chapter 6 Dragon And Tiger Boxing

Words : 2807 Updated : Oct 8th, 2023

Stanley noticed the hostility in the gaze of the young man in white. "Do I know you?" Stanley frowned, his tone calm but firm. The young man scoffed, his face full of arrogance. "Of course, you don't. You don't even have the qualifications to know me!" "If I don't know you, then why are you talking down to me like this? What are you, exactly?" Stanley retorted with a cold laugh. "Hmph?" A flicker of coldness passed through the young man's eyes, but he quickly replaced it with a smirk. "No wonder a lowborn like you dares to oppose the Zhang family. I see you're pretty bold." "But let me remind you to know your place. Someone like Yedda could never associate with a commoner like you," he added, his tone sharp, his gaze piercing with a clear threat. Stanley glanced at Yedda. She was indeed beautiful, and his past feelings for her had stemmed from admiration for something he viewed as unattainable. But now that he had the Life and Death Bead, Stanley knew his future would far surpass the small world of Qing Yun City. Through all the trials and experiences, one thing had become clear to him: in this world, without power, nothing else mattered. Stanley's ambitions had shifted. Now, his focus was on mastering the martial path, on achieving greatness. And once he had that power, what kind of woman could he not have? Moreover, seeing the young man in white, Fei Xu, mock him while Yedda stayed silent made him wonder if she, deep down, shared the same views. "Fei Xu, enough." Yedda frowned and said, "Stanley has helped me before. I won't allow you to talk about him like that." She turned to Stanley with a gentler tone. "If you can't pass the assessment in three months, I've written a letter for you. Bring it to the Liu family, and someone will arrange a position for you." As she spoke, Yedda pulled out an elegant letter from her sleeve and handed it to Stanley. Stanley let out a soft laugh. Yedda, the daughter of the prestigious Liu family, was offering him a position as a guard—a subtle way of rejecting him, letting him know the gap between their statuses. It was her way of reminding him that they were from two different worlds. From the way she looked at him, Stanley could sense her well-intentioned pity. "No need, but I appreciate the offer," Stanley said, politely declining. He pointed to the martial arts manuals he had selected. "I've got my training to focus on. Goodbye." Without waiting for a response, Stanley turned and walked toward the library doors, not bothering to look back. Yedda stood there, momentarily stunned, a glimmer of something in her eyes as she watched him leave. Fei Xu snorted disdainfully. "Yedda, why even bother with someone like him?" Yedda shook her head. "Maybe I hurt his pride by offering the letter." "Pride?" Fei Xu scoffed even harder. "Does a commoner like him even have the right to talk about pride?" Stanley made his way to the elder guarding the library, where he registered his selected techniques. With the three martial manuals in hand, he walked out of the library. After spending some time inside choosing his techniques, Stanley noticed Hui Wang and Harry were nowhere to be seen. Most likely, they had gone to the medical wing to treat their injuries. ... Stanley knew that the annual assessment was just three months away. Students aged fourteen and seventeen would face the exam, and those who failed would be expelled from the martial hall. This rule was strict because the martial path was arduous, and progress slowed as students advanced. For the martial hall, students who couldn't meet the standards were deemed not worth investing in and were naturally abandoned. However, even if a beginner class student hadn't reached the age requirement, they could still take the test if their cultivation level reached the fifth level of the Lian Ti Realm and directly advanced to the intermediate class. The same applied to intermediate students who reached the eighth level and wanted to move to the advanced class. Back in his room, Stanley calmed his mind and visualized the Life Map, beginning the process of improving the Invert Bone Material technique he had chosen. His goal was to enhance it beyond its original limits. After two days of intense mental refinement, Stanley successfully improved the technique to its highest possible level. Satisfied, he began to cultivate according to the modified version of Invert Bone Material. The energy from the world around him gathered at his body, forming a faint white mist before being absorbed into his skin. Stanley felt a stir within his soul as the energy transformed into the Life and Death dual-force, influenced by the Life and Death Bead within him. The Lian Ti Realm from levels four to six focused on refining muscles and bones. As the dual-force of life and death entered Stanley's bones, it strengthened them while storing energy in the muscle tissues. This allowed him to tap into a well of internal energy during combat, making higher-level Lian Ti Realm martial artists stronger and more powerful. Time flew by during cultivation, and Stanley remained in closed training for an entire month. Unlike his previous rapid advancements, where he soared from the second to the fourth level in a matter of days, this time, the progress was slower. Part of the reason was that the higher the cultivation level, the more difficult it became to improve. Another reason was that Stanley lacked the resources that the students from wealthy families had—no access to medicinal pills, formations, or vitality stones to speed up his training. As Stanley slowly opened his eyes, he felt the strength in his body and sensed his cultivation. "I've finally reached the fifth level of the Lian Ti Realm after a month of training. If I had the resources like those noble kids, with pills and formations, I could've probably reached the sixth level by now." Despite the challenges, Stanley felt satisfied with his progress, though he couldn't deny the frustration of not having the same advantages as wealthier students. Pills, formations, and vitality stones were expensive luxuries he couldn't afford. "Now that my cultivation has improved, it's time to focus on my martial techniques and movement skills." Stanley got up from his bed and began practicing Dragon and Tiger Boxing, a second-level martial skill he had selected from the library. As he moved through the strikes, the sound of his fists cutting through the air echoed in the room, resembling the roar of dragons and the growl of tigers. The power of this technique was leagues ahead of the Raging Fist he had practiced before. However, Stanley wasn't content with this improvement. In his mind, he visualized the Life Map and started enhancing Dragon and Tiger Boxing further. As the life and death energy flowed through his muscles and bones, Stanley felt a profound connection to both the essence of life and the terror of death. These concepts imprinted themselves on his body and soul, creating an almost mystical sensation. "Roar!" Stanley's movements became more fluid and powerful, like a tiger hunting its prey. A faint, dark aura surrounded his body, exuding the chilling presence of death. It felt as though he had truly transformed into a fierce tiger, ready to tear his enemies apart. "Boom!" The wooden table in his room couldn't withstand the force of his strike, shattering into pieces as splinters flew through the air. Stanley stopped, looking at the wall where his fist had left a deep indentation. Small cracks spider-webbed around the point of impact. It was important to note that the walls of the martial hall were built from sturdy stone. Without the strength of a seventh-level Lian Ti Realm fighter, it was nearly impossible to damage them. "Such power!" Stanley was thrilled as he examined the cracks in the wall. The force of his punch rivaled the might of a third-level martial skill. Dragon and Tiger Boxing had two main components: Fierce Tiger Strike and Soaring Dragon Style. While Fierce Tiger Strike was formidable, Soaring Dragon Style was even more powerful. Stanley couldn't help but feel eager to test it. However, he knew better than to continue practicing in his room. If he caused too much damage, he wouldn't be able to afford the repairs. With that thought in mind, Stanley opened the door and headed to the martial hall's training grounds. He needed a larger space, not just for his martial skills, but also to practice the movement technique One-inch Kick. The cramped quarters of his room were far too small for such exercises. ... "Boom! Boom! Boom!" In the black stone area of the training ground, a young man dressed in black was furiously punching a large black stone monument. Each punch landed with a heavy thud, leaving shallow indentations on the surface. The black stone monuments were made of a material called blackstone, known for its toughness. Only martial artists who had reached the sixth-level of the Lian Ti Realm or higher could leave marks on them. The unique property of blackstone was that it could repair itself. While the stone was now covered in dents and pits, it would be smooth again after a few hours. "Grover is amazing, no wonder he's one of the top students in the intermediate class!" "I wish I had that kind of power." Nearby, a few girls were squealing with admiration, watching the black-clad youth. Stanley had heard of this youth, Grover Zhao, a wealthy intermediate student who was the same age as Stanley. Grover had been promoted to the intermediate class the year before and was expected to reach the eighth level of the Lian Ti Realm before the age of seventeen, qualifying him for the advanced class. The advanced class at Qing Yun Martial Hall was reserved for the elite, and those who entered it were groomed for greatness. It was the dream of every student at the martial hall. There were many blackstone monuments in this area, and Stanley picked one that wasn't in use. He walked over to it, drawing the attention of some onlookers. "Who's that guy? He's in the blackstone area. Is he an intermediate class student too?" Someone pointed at Stanley, puzzled, because this area was typically used only by martial artists who had reached the sixth level of the Lian Ti Realm. "That's Stanley, a beginner class student. I heard he's been making waves recently, even taking down two intermediate fifth-level students in front of the library," another student recognized Stanley. "Really? A beginner took down intermediate students?" Some of the others, who hadn't heard of Stanley, were now intrigued. "Hmph, if he can't leave a mark on the blackstone, what's the point? Just because he beat a couple of fifth-level students doesn't make him a master," someone remarked with disdain. The chatter reached Grover's ears as he trained, and his gaze shifted to Stanley. "This is the blackstone area. Trash from the beginner class doesn't belong here," Grover said arrogantly, clearly not pleased with Stanley's presence. Stanley didn't pay attention to the insult. Instead, he clenched his fist and swung it at the blackstone monument in front of him. "That fool! He's going to embarrass himself." "Yeah, who does he think he is? Grover's level of skill is way beyond his." "Boom!" Stanley's punch landed on the blackstone with a powerful thud, leaving a shallow indentation similar to the ones Grover had made earlier—without using any martial skills or internal energy. Stanley nodded to himself in satisfaction. Since merging with the Life and Death Bead, his physical strength had undergone a remarkable transformation. Without needing to use any internal energy, his raw strength now rivaled that of a sixth-level Lian Ti Realm martial artist. Meanwhile, the students who had been mocking Stanley moments earlier suddenly fell silent, their expressions frozen in shock. Grover, too, frowned. In his eyes, Stanley was nothing more than a beginner class reject, yet here he was, able to leave the same mark on the blackstone as he had. It was a blow to his pride. "He must have used internal energy to the fullest and added a martial skill to manage that," one student speculated. "Yeah, no way a beginner could do that without some technique. Right, Grover?" another chimed in. Grover crossed his arms behind his back, adopting the posture of a seasoned martial artist offering guidance. "You're correct. Even I need to enhance my strikes with internal energy to leave a mark." "See? Even Grover says so. Stanley must have used a martial skill. What's the big deal?" "Using techniques doesn't count! It's nothing impressive." But before they could finish their sneers, Stanley threw another punch at the blackstone monument. This time, he didn't use a martial skill, but he infused the punch with his life-and-death internal energy. "Boom!" The monument, solid and immovable, shook slightly under the force of the blow. A clear fist imprint appeared on the surface of the blackstone, and everyone nearby, including Grover, stared at it in stunned silence, unable to believe what they were seeing. The group of students, who had been eager to see Stanley fail, were now speechless. Even Grover, one of the top students in the intermediate class, couldn't hide his shock.

Chapter 6 Dragon And Tiger Boxing

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