Chapter 6

The next morning, on the Shura Sect's training ground, Zhuge Xiang and Li Bin stood facing each other. Today was the day of their official duel. Neither of them had much prestige in the Shura Sect, so there were not many spectators.

A few scattered observers below the training ground were merely those who had come to train in the morning, curious to watch others duel. Without having grasped the essence of qi, they could be said to be all practicing the Qi Nourishing Fist. What kind of skills could they possibly have in a duel?

"Hehe, Zhuge Xiang, today I will make you lose completely..." Li Bin sneered coldly, looking at Zhuge Xiang standing before him, feeling confident.

However, seeing Zhuge Xiang's calm face, Li Bin felt secretly puzzled. Didn't he drink the fruit juice laced with Duan Chang San right in front of me yesterday? At this moment, he should be feeling weak and dizzy. Why can't I see any signs of it?

"Use all your skills, I want to see what you've learned from Zhao Feiyun. A defeated general like you dares to make such a fuss," Zhuge Xiang didn't even raise his eyes at Li Bin's threatening words. If a battle could be won just by talking, why would anyone need to practice?

Zhuge Xiang's calm attitude made Li Bin's brows twitch violently. For Li Bin, the most unbearable thing was Zhuge Xiang's attitude of ignoring him. In a fit of rage, Li Bin's voice became much sharper: "Zhuge Xiang, do you know that I hate your attitude the most? Your contemptuous look makes me want to crush you under my feet."

"Contempt?" Zhuge Xiang looked at Li Bin's almost hysterical appearance and smiled with genuine contempt: "If you want me to respect you, the decision lies not with me but with you. You haven't grasped the essence of qi, yet you act so smug all day, even using Niu Geng's loyalty as a weakness, thinking you're smart. What do you have that makes me respect you?"

"Damn! I'll kill you!" Li Bin couldn't refute Zhuge Xiang's words and became even more enraged. In a fit of anger, he stepped in a strange and profound manner, lunging at Zhuge Xiang.

Staring intently at Li Bin as he lunged, Zhuge Xiang also assumed the starting stance of the Clear Wave Palm, his hand moving like a venomous snake, striking at Li Bin's chest from a tricky angle.

However, Li Bin's practice of the Netherworld Steps over the past few days was not in vain. At the critical moment, he shifted his feet, his body swaying, and managed to dodge Zhuge Xiang's palm.

"Oh..." As soon as the two started, many people below the training ground let out low exclamations of surprise.

Without having grasped the essence of qi, their battle should have been similar to that of ordinary people, with no qi or martial arts techniques. However, Li Bin's Netherworld Steps were clearly extraordinary. The evasive steps he took were clearly not coincidental.

"Hehe, although I haven't grasped the essence of qi, I've practiced the thirty-six steps of the Netherworld Steps over a thousand times in the past few days. You won't even be able to touch the hem of my clothes," Li Bin's vanity swelled as the disciples below the training ground exclaimed in surprise. The Netherworld Steps were unpredictable, and he said this with a smug look.

Seeing Li Bin's movements like a butterfly darting through flowers, Zhuge Xiang's brows furrowed slightly. Although Li Bin hadn't grasped the true essence of the Netherworld Steps, just these steps alone made him hard to catch. Relying on the agility of the Netherworld Steps, it was difficult for Zhuge Xiang to grab him. After several attempts, Li Bin managed to dodge each one.

Li Bin's Netherworld Steps were agile and swift, and Zhuge Xiang couldn't even touch the hem of his clothes. This made the spectators below the training ground discuss heatedly. On one hand, they were amazed by Li Bin's Netherworld Steps, and on the other, they thought Zhuge Xiang was bound to lose.

Zhuge Xiang's frown deepened as he faced Li Bin's Netherworld Steps, but he was also puzzled about his own condition. Didn't he drink the Duan Chang San? Why hasn't it taken effect yet? Moreover, with increased blood flow from movement, the effects of Duan Chang San should be more pronounced, yet Zhuge Xiang showed no signs of it.

"Is this all you learned from Zhao Feiyun, just this jumping around to escape?" After several ineffective attacks, Zhuge Xiang stopped, staring at Li Bin and speaking sarcastically.

Zhuge Xiang's sarcasm was the hardest thing for Li Bin to accept. Although he wanted to wait for the Duan Chang San to take effect before starting, with the Netherworld Steps, he believed he would win even without it.

Putting aside the doubts about the Duan Chang San, Li Bin directly stepped in the Netherworld Steps, appearing behind Zhuge Xiang and punching him in the back: "I was going to play with you a bit more, but since you can't wait, I'll send you to meet the King of Hell."

Seemingly unaware of the Netherworld Steps' unpredictability, Li Bin's punch landed heavily on Zhuge Xiang's back with a dull thud, making Zhuge Xiang's face turn pale, clearly indicating that his internal organs were shaken.

Having landed a hit, Li Bin's mouth curled into a smug smile, but just as he was about to retreat, Zhuge Xiang's hand suddenly appeared before him, striking at an unexpected angle with incredible speed.

Li Bin's pupils contracted as he saw the hand suddenly appear, unable to believe it. How could it be! How could his hand keep up with the Netherworld Steps?

"You lose!" Zhuge Xiang's face appeared before Li Bin, his eyes cold, and he calmly said three words. His palm struck Li Bin's chest, one move after another, in a continuous chain.

If the Netherworld Steps were unpredictable in movement, then the Clear Wave Palm's characteristic was its continuous chain of attacks. The Clear Wave Palm had few moves, but once executed, it was like a series of traps, one after another, relentless and unstoppable. Once hit by the first palm, it was like being entangled by a thread, making it hard to escape the subsequent attacks.

Although Zhuge Xiang hadn't grasped the essence of qi and had only learned some moves of the Clear Wave Palm, his opponent, Li Bin, also hadn't grasped the essence of qi. Despite the Netherworld Steps' subtlety, under the control of the Clear Wave Palm, Li Bin felt as if he were entangled in a spider's web, making it difficult to dodge the continuous attacks.

"This is a set of palm techniques! Impossible! How could he learn a set of palm techniques!" Even the most foolish person would now realize that Zhuge Xiang's continuous attacks were a set of palm techniques. This made him incredulous. In the Shura Sect, without grasping the essence of qi, one couldn't even come into contact with martial arts.

Indeed, as Zhuge Xiang said, Li Bin was bound to lose. The moment he was hit by the first palm, or even when his fist landed on Zhuge Xiang, his fate was sealed.

The Netherworld Steps were unpredictable, and although the Clear Wave Palm was strong, missing the target was frustrating. Therefore, Zhuge Xiang had the idea of trading injuries. He deliberately provoked Li Bin to attack, and at the moment his attack landed, he seized the opportunity to strike quickly.

This was a desperate move, or a gamble. If successful, hitting the first palm would secure victory. If not, being hit by Li Bin and escaping the range of the Clear Wave Palm would make it extremely difficult for the injured Zhuge Xiang to turn the tide.

So, using himself as bait to lure Li Bin into attacking, what seemed like a momentary event was enough to determine the outcome. Fortunately, Zhuge Xiang won, and the past few days of practicing the Clear Wave Palm were not in vain.

Bang, bang, bang...

One palm after another, the continuous attacks landed on Li Bin. After the full set of twenty-four moves of the Clear Wave Palm, Li Bin, having been hit over twenty times, unable to counter or even escape, fell to the ground, spitting blood.

"You... You drank the fruit juice laced with Duan Chang San, didn't you? Why...?" Lying on the ground, spitting blood, and looking weak, Li Bin's injuries were clearly severe. However, he struggled to stay conscious, clearly puzzled. He had personally sprinkled the Duan Chang San into the fruit juice, and Zhuge Xiang had drunk it right in front of him. Why was he completely fine?

But with severe injuries, Li Bin couldn't wait for Zhuge Xiang's answer and fainted. Zhuge Xiang, however, frowned, thinking about the Duan Chang San and the fruit juice.

"Win? Indeed, those who dare to accept challenges have some skills. One has a step technique, the other has a palm technique..." Zhuge Xiang's victory surprised many of the spectators, but then they understood. No wonder Zhuge Xiang dared to accept Li Bin's challenge; he had also learned a set of palm techniques.

Below the training ground, Niu Geng also smiled, genuinely happy to see Zhuge Xiang win.

"Defeating the ordinary Li Bin, gained 11 experience points, level breakthrough, current level: Qi Nourishing Realm Level 1, gained 1 skill point."

As Li Bin fainted, a mechanical voice appeared again. Immediately, Zhuge Xiang felt his exhausted body, as if a clear spring had suddenly appeared in a field dry for years. He could clearly feel a thread of qi growing in his meridians, quickly dispelling the fatigue. This system prompt also diverted his attention from the Duan Chang San...

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

Zhuge Xiang stood on the training ground, his coarse cloth shirt fluttering without wind, his black hair flying. A faint aura emanated from his body, weak but clearly perceptible.

"Qi! He grasped qi! He actually grasped qi in the middle of a battle!" The spectators below the training ground exclaimed, their eyes filled with envy.

"Qi! This is qi! I finally succeeded!" Clenching his fists, feeling the flow of qi within him, Zhuge Xiang was also excited. After a year of effort, he finally reaped the rewards. With qi, he would become a formal disciple of the Shura Sect.