Friends Are Made Through a Fight

Li Mingzhen swept out with a heavy kick.

The top of his foot already felt the distinct texture of the fabric on Wugou’s body.

His heart settled instantly.

He no longer held back any residual force in his leg, gathering all his power.

He held his breath, and then, a surge of raw strength erupted!

“Whoosh~”

The sweeping wind from his leg passed, yet suddenly, he lost all contact.

“How is this possible!”

Li Mingzhen’s heart was seized by immense alarm.

“I clearly kicked him!”

“Buzz~”

A piercing, grating sound rang out sharply behind Li Mingzhen’s head.

“It’s over…”

Li Mingzhen’s eyes widened in horror.

He knew with chilling certainty that if Wugou were to kick any part of his body above the neck, he would suffer a crushing, immediate defeat.

“Thump!”

The target, however, was his left arm.

It was the very arm that had been grievously injured before!

“Damn it, is this brat deliberately trying to humiliate me?”

Li Mingzhen’s arm was struck by an immense force.

His body, suspended mid-air, instantly lost its precarious balance. Under the sheer force of inertia, he tumbled and rolled seven or eight times on the ground.

“Wow, what a kid! What kind of move was that? So incredibly fast, even with my eyesight, I didn’t see a thing. I thought that little fellow was done for!”

“I’m not sure, but it feels strangely familiar. I think I must have seen it before…”

Silence fell over the hall.

How did this kid manage that?

Almost everyone was pondering this bewildering question.

“Cloud-Stepping… Art!”

Lu Jinhan’s gaze was vacant, his lips moving ever so slightly.

In the Qi Refining Hall, he had witnessed this very move more than a dozen times.

“It’s Elder Zhu’s Cloud-Stepping Art! Sure enough, Elder Zhu has been secretly giving this brat special lessons. Damn it! I should have noticed sooner. This kid is always late and leaves early every day; he must have been learning it during the time he wasn’t in the Qi Refining Hall.”

Lu Jinhan’s face was filled with vexation. He resolved then and there to follow Wugou from now on. ‘If Elder Zhu won’t teach openly, I’ll just learn in secret!’

“Hmph!”

“Master, that was the Cloud-Stepping Art…” Zhu Youji retracted his spiritual sense, looking at his master with a hint of suspicion.

Zhu Manzhi, who had been lying on his recliner in astonishment, heard Zhu Youji suspecting him of giving Wugou special lessons. Indignantly, he retorted, “Nonsense! Would this master go the extra mile for that lazy good-for-nothing? I’d rather go drink with that old man Li Jiuzhao… Hmph!”

Zhu Manzhi flicked his sleeve and turned away, his expression a mixture of surprise and uncertainty.

‘When did this brat learn my “Cloud-Stepping Art,” and who taught him?’

‘That girl Ning Jing?’

‘Impossible. Ning Jing has been so busy lately that I haven’t even seen her shadow. How could she have the time?’

‘No, I must follow him these next few days and see what this kid is truly up to every day!’

“You… kid! Your movement technique is formidable.”

Li Mingzhen staggered to his feet, his furious gaze fixed intently on the boy before him.

‘How dare he kick my arm! This is outrageous…’

“Hmm, this movement technique is barely passable.”

Li Mingzhen was so choked with anger that he couldn’t utter a single word.

Fury blazed fiercely in his heart.

‘Fortunately, this brat got carried away. That last strike had full force; if it had hit my head, I probably wouldn’t be able to stand up now, just like Yang Feng.’

‘Focus, focus…’

‘This movement technique is just fast; I can definitely see through it.’

“Whoosh~”

Li Mingzhen exhaled a shallow breath.

“Bang!”

A loud crash echoed.

Li Mingzhen was sent flying backward, his eyes wide with utter shock.

‘How, how is this possible? I can’t see it, I can’t see it… I can’t even react!’

Before Li Mingzhen could even finish exhaling, Wugou’s fist slammed fiercely onto Li Mingzhen’s left arm again.

“Buzz~”

That strange, piercing sound rang out once more.

“Crack!”

A hand-chop struck Li Mingzhen’s left shoulder.

Mid-air, Li Mingzhen didn’t even have time to register the pain from the first strike or cry out.

The subsequent attacks were completed in an instant, a flurry of blows.

All of them targeted Li Mingzhen’s left arm!

“Thud!”

Li Mingzhen finally hit the ground with a painful impact.

“You scoundrel!…”

Men do not easily shed tears, unless they reach a point of true, unbearable sorrow.

Li Mingzhen actually shed tears.

“You brat, just kill… kill me!”

Li Mingzhen, a dignified and taciturn man, was actually beaten to tears!

Those in the hall who knew the inside story naturally understood why Li Mingzhen was crying.

Li Mingzhen possessed a high-grade, low-rank Earth Spirit Root.

His Spirit Root and comprehension were originally quite good, and if he proceeded steadily, he had hopes of forming a Golden Core. It was even highly possible for him to advance further if he had enough opportunities.

However, Li Mingzhen had been far too careless.

Before he first arrived at the Qi Refining Hall’s second division, he hadn’t taken the Skill Transmission Elder’s warning to heart.

On that fateful day, both he and Yang Feng had been badly beaten. Li Mingzhen, being stubborn, had then insulted one of the disciples.

That disciple, equally brutal, had used a finger technique imbued with true qi to forcibly strike several acupoints on Li Mingzhen’s left arm.

The Alchemy Pavilion had no pills capable of curing such an injury. Elder Zhu, intending to let him suffer for his carelessness, had forbidden anyone else from treating him for a year.

From then on, the more Li Mingzhen cultivated, the more his left arm would shrink. With blocked meridians, how could he possibly break through?

Now, this very weakness was being repeatedly struck by a mere child. And Li Mingzhen himself was utterly powerless to retaliate. What an utter humiliation!

Li Mingzhen glared furiously at Wugou, about to unleash a torrent of curses.

“Jianzhen, Shou Wuli, Shou Sanli, Quchi, Tianjing, Xiaohai…” Wugou declared with his hands clasped behind his back, his tone clear and steady.

“You, what did you say?” Li Mingzhen asked in astonished disbelief.

“For Qi Refining Second Layer, these nine acupoints are essential meridian pathways to unblock. All nine of your acupoints are blocked, forcibly sealed by true qi, preventing your meridians from flowing freely and hindering your ability to calmly cultivate Qi Refining techniques. Am I wrong?” Wugou said with a faint smile.

Li Mingzhen was somewhat astonished; he had never told anyone about this, not even Yang Feng.

“Would you like to try circulating a cycle of your Qi Refining technique?” Wugou’s lips curved upwards slightly.

“You, you just now…”

Li Mingzhen carefully recalled the number of times Wugou had struck him, and it was precisely nine times. ‘Could it be!’

With this thought, Li Mingzhen strode in a few quick steps to a meditation cushion. He sat down and immediately began to circulate his qi.

Everyone around watched, utterly bewildered. ‘What? Has the battle just ended like this?’

A quarter of an hour later, Li Mingzhen suddenly opened his eyes, his face etched with utter disbelief. Excited, he lowered his head and glanced at his left hand.

‘Half a year, half a year it’s been!’

The sensation of qi was so incredibly real. Li Mingzhen exerted force with his left hand, immediately clenching his palm into a powerful fist. It felt so strong.

“Haha, this…”

Just moments ago, Li Mingzhen had been brimming with rage, but now he was beaming with unrestrained joy. It took him a good while to regain his composure.

Li Mingzhen subtly composed himself, quickly brushing the dust from his clothes. Then he swiftly walked to Wugou’s front.

“This great kindness, I shall never forget.”

Saying this, Li Mingzhen bowed deeply to Wugou. As Wugou was relatively short, Li Mingzhen deliberately kept his bow low, bending below Wugou’s shoulders.

Wugou chuckled and returned an equally profound bow.

“Senior Brother, you showed mercy earlier. This junior is simply returning the favor.”

Li Mingzhen was first startled by Wugou’s words, paused for a moment in surprise, and then burst into hearty laughter.

“What, what’s going on here? Are these two bowing to each other, like a wedding ritual?”

“Don’t talk nonsense. Just now, Li Mingzhen circulated his Qi Refining technique, and then his face lit up with joy. It’s likely that the hidden injury in his left arm was cured by that kid.”

“No way, how old is this child? To actually be skilled in medical arts?”

“One cannot judge a book by its cover, nor measure the sea with a dipper. Individuals with innate full Spirit Roots are all exceptionally talented. Don’t forget our Saint Water Palace’s Palace Master Luo, who repelled thousands with a single sword eight years ago; she also has a full Spirit Root. Such favored children of heaven are people you and I should strive to befriend in the future.”

“Understood, understood.”

The duo in the corner nodded repeatedly.

Seeing his friend Li Mingzhen suddenly turn from enemy to friend with the ‘brat’ he despised, Yang Feng squinted, observing from the side. Yet, he kept muttering, “They’re all liars, all traitors…”

Lu Jinhan was also dumbfounded by this scene. The person who had been so cold and ruthless just moments ago was now chatting and laughing with that brat Wugou.

As he stared at Wugou, Wugou unexpectedly glanced over, their eyes meeting, yet Wugou showed no expression of sympathy or mockery.

After a prolonged moment, Lu Jinhan felt his cheeks flush, and he quickly lowered his head. A moment later, he looked up again. Wugou was already seated on a meditation cushion.

“Cloud-Stepping Art…” Lu Jinhan sighed silently, and then his gaze gradually hardened with determination.

“Hahahaha, what a kid, what a perfect ‘return the favor’!”

Zhu Manzhi suddenly sat up, startling Zhu Youji, who had been deep in meditation. Zhu Youji looked at Zhu Manzhi with some astonishment, thinking, ‘Could Master have been using his spiritual sense to investigate just now, even deliberately bypassing me…?’

As if realizing his behavior was undignified for a master, Zhu Manzhi coughed twice and immediately composed himself, saying, “Hmm, Youji, this master’s immortal tea is finished. Please brew another pot.”

Zhu Youji glanced at the untouched cup on the small table but didn’t expose him. He bowed, affirmed, and immediately left on his sword. Zhu Manzhi watched Zhu Youji leave, then suddenly burst into a wide, unrestrained grin.

“Cloud-Stepping Art, Cloud-Stepping Art… Hehe, who said my old man’s movement technique was useless? Hahahaha!”

Zhu Manzhi was like a madman, gesticulating wildly, constantly bouncing back and forth. He completely forgot that he himself was the one who had most disdained and discarded the “Cloud-Stepping Art.”

From a distant guild hall, Zhu Youji secretly peeked out, watching his master’s ‘performance’ with a face full of dark lines.

“Junior Brother Wugou, are you heading back so early?”

Li Mingzhen had just seen Yang Feng and Lu Jinhan off to the Alchemy Pavilion. Upon returning, he saw Wugou standing on a meditation cushion, patting his backside, clearly preparing to leave.

He glanced at the sky; the enormous sun was still high overhead…

“Ahem, oh, Senior Brother Li, I just remembered I have something unfinished to take care of. I’ll be leaving first, leaving first, hehe.”

Wugou looked embarrassed, feeling a little awkward for the first time about leaving early. ‘Perhaps it’s because I just showed off…’ Wugou mused, glancing sideways.

Li Mingzhen gave a slight smile. He had long heard that there was a disciple named Wugou in Qi Refining Hall One who slept like a pig every day, often drawing disciples from the second division to witness this ‘curiosity.’

Now, observing the faint tear marks at the corners of Wugou’s eyes and his reddened pupils, it was clear he had just woken up. Without exposing him, he bowed and said, “Take care, Junior Brother.”

Wugou was speechless; this Li Mingzhen was truly too formal. Helplessly, he returned the bow. In his heart, however, he inwardly groaned, ‘Another trouble!’

Wugou returned to his dormitory, passing Nian Yun’er’s room. Inside, the quilt was neatly folded, and all daily necessities were arranged with exceptional aesthetic appeal.

‘This little girl has good upbringing.’

Wugou thought of his own “dog’s nest”… ‘It was quite clean there initially, wasn’t it…’

Wugou usually didn’t create much trash in his dormitory, but he also never cleaned it. This resulted in the areas he frequently touched and moved through being incredibly clean, while the corners had long accumulated a thick layer of dust.

‘It’s still early. Why not clean up a bit?’

Wugou thought, then slowly opened his dormitory door. A flash of light passed through Wugou’s eyes. All the furniture inside the room was sparkling clean, as if brand new.

The bedsheets, which had previously borne numerous footprints, had also been changed. Wugou walked into the dormitory and touched the table; the water stains were not yet dry. A faint, pleasant fragrance wafted into his nose…