Chapter 3

A good half of the time passed, and Li Chen practiced the Tiger Roar Fist over a dozen times outside the courtyard, his body emitting a faint layer of warm steam.

"Hey, Junior Brother Li, your fist technique is quite good. How about I spar with you?"

Chen Songtai returned from an outing and saw Li Chen moving his body with a serious expression, his eyes lighting up.

"Senior Brother Chen is joking. My meager martial skills are no match for you."

Li Chen hurriedly stopped, scratching his head.

"Ha ha, since we have nothing to do, Senior Brother He is refining pills and won't blame you for being lazy. Come, come, come!"

Chen Songtai laughed heartily and, without waiting for a response, pulled Li Chen away, walking a bit further to avoid disturbing He Kongming, who was refining pills.

"Alright! Senior Brother Chen, you have to go easy on me!"

Li Chen had no choice but to let himself be pulled along. Although he knew Chen Songtai looked down on him, he hoped that if Chen Songtai could sincerely guide him, it would be beneficial.

Both stood firm, and Chen Songtai nodded casually. With his cultivation at the Fifth Layer of Inner Breath, he didn't take Li Chen, who hadn't even condensed Inner Breath, seriously.

"Hey!"

Li Chen narrowed his eyes, a glint of determination flashing in them. He took a deep breath and lunged forward, delivering a fierce punch. This punch didn't use any Inner Breath, but years of practicing the Tiger Roar Fist gave it a formidable presence, even stirring up dust on the ground.

"Good move!"

The disdain in Chen Songtai's eyes vanished instantly. He extended his right hand, bent his elbow, and tried to deflect Li Chen's punch to the side.

"Huh?"

To his surprise, the force in Li Chen's punch was astonishing, not inferior to a Fourth Layer of Inner Breath martial artist's full attack. Moreover, there was a subtle tremor in his arm.

Chen Songtai took three steps back, kicking up a cloud of dust!

His face turned red with anger, and he felt humiliated. If not for his Inner Breath, he might have fallen to the ground, making a fool of himself.

Narrowing his eyes, a cold light flashed in them. Without waiting for Li Chen to speak, he lightly tapped the ground and slid forward.

Snake Glide Step!

A mid-level human-grade movement technique. When perfected, it allows one to dominate among peers of the same level, provided the opponent doesn't have a higher-grade martial skill. Chen Songtai clearly hadn't mastered it, only achieving a preliminary level, far from perfection.

Li Chen saw a blur before his eyes as Chen Songtai rushed forward. Realizing the danger, he bent his body and twisted his waist to dodge to the side.

However, just as he turned, he felt a tight grip on his waist. Chen Songtai had grabbed his belt and flung him away.

Li Chen's body felt light, and he couldn't withstand the full force of a Fifth Layer of Inner Breath martial artist's throw, flying through the air.

He inwardly cursed himself for revealing his strength. Just as he was about to say something to save face, Chen Songtai, not letting up, fiercely stomped the ground, leaped into the air, and kicked Li Chen in the abdomen.

"What a vicious move!"

The abdomen and dantian are the foundation of a martial artist. Chen Songtai's attack here was a serious one.

Li Chen didn't dare to be careless. Unable to borrow force in mid-air, he curled his body, protecting himself with his arms, and Inner Breath surged within him, forming a layer of defense.

Peng!

A dull sound echoed, and Li Chen's body flew like a broken kite, landing several meters away and rolling a dozen times before stopping.

"Ah, Junior Brother Li, are you alright? I got carried away in the heat of the moment. Don't be angry!"

Chen Songtai landed and hurriedly approached, feigning concern as he helped Li Chen up.

"Cough, cough! No problem, it's my fault for not being skilled enough. How can I blame Senior Brother?"

Li Chen endured the intense pain in his arms, lightly biting his tongue, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He coughed a few times, his face strained, and weakly shook his head.

His combat experience was limited. Although he had gained some experience from years of being beaten by the third miss, it was far from the real combat experience of a seasoned martial artist.

"Hehe, good!"

Chen Songtai casually brushed off the dust on his clothes, released Li Chen, and walked into the courtyard, a hint of doubt in his eyes.

In his view, Li Chen, without Inner Breath, should have been knocked to the ground, spitting blood, even with his special body.

But he felt a bit regretful. If he really injured Li Chen to the point where he couldn't work, the tasks in the courtyard would fall on him, delaying his time and likely earning him a scolding from He Kongming.

Peng, peng!

Suddenly, two loud bangs echoed, startling Chen Songtai and Li Chen. They quickly ran to the courtyard.

They saw the window of He Kongming's pill-refining room shattered, thick smoke billowing out, mixed with a pungent smell.

"Damn it!"

An angry roar came from He Kongming, who kicked open the door, his face dark as he scanned Chen Songtai and Li Chen, his eyes narrowing.

"I wondered why there was such a commotion. You have some nerve! Do you know how much effort I put into this batch of pills?"

Thud!

As he spoke, his figure moved, and a dull sound mixed with the crack of bones echoed. A figure flew and rolled on the ground.

Li Chen felt his blood surge, stars dancing before his eyes, and intense pain in his chest. With his years of experience being beaten, he knew his ribs were broken, and his arm injuries were severe.

"Next time, I won't show mercy!"

He Kongming coldly glanced at the fallen Li Chen and left, his sleeves flapping.

To him, Li Chen was merely a slave for testing and providing the properties of failed pills, and he could beat and scold him at will.

"Pfft!"

Li Chen spat out a mouthful of blood, nearly fainting. He struggled to stand but fell again.

"Junior Brother Li, are you alright? I spoke too quickly..."

Chen Songtai approached and pulled Li Chen up.

"No... no problem, it's my fault... I shouldn't have asked Senior Brother Chen to teach me."

Li Chen forced a breath, holding his chest, and staggered to his room, closing the door. His eyes flashed with a cold light as he sat cross-legged to meditate and recover.

He Kongming was a Ninth Layer of Inner Breath martial artist. Even without using full force, his kick was too much for Li Chen to bear.

With broken arms and ribs, even with medicinal treatment and Inner Breath assistance, it would take Li Chen at least half a month to recover and work.

"Phew, lucky this waste of a person took the blame. Otherwise, I would have been in serious trouble!"

Chen Songtai clapped his hands, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, and patted his chest, feeling relieved as he returned to his room, his mind uneasy.