Chapter 3

Only Luo Xiu himself knew what was going on.

Theoretically, his cultivation was lower than Zhang Hao's, his internal energy was not as strong, and his martial skills were not as good as Zhang Hao's. However, after improving his first-class cultivation method, it was equivalent to upgrading the level of his cultivation method to second-class, or even stronger than second-class.

Therefore, even in a direct confrontation, his internal energy was not much weaker than Zhang Hao's.

Moreover, after merging with the Life and Death Pearl, Luo Xiu possessed a special ability: his attacks could directly damage the opponent's life meridians!

The Life and Death Dual Qi, where the Life Qi can nourish and repair life meridians, and the Death Qi can damage and destroy them.

Luo Xiu's internal energy could switch between the Life and Death Dual Qi.

This phenomenon was simply inconceivable, which is why Zhang Hao's seemingly powerful Iron Eagle Claw, when it collided with Luo Xiu's fist, resulted in all five of his fingers breaking.

Injury would lead to damage to the life meridians, and conversely, if the life meridians were directly damaged, it would manifest as some form of injury in the body.

"Bang!"

Luo Xiu stomped his foot, sending dust flying. He unleashed the Wild Ox Fist, charging forward like an enraged bull, with a fierce momentum.

The broken finger bones in Zhang Hao's right hand threw him off balance, and he retreated in shock and anger.

"Get lost!"

Luo Xiu kicked Zhang Hao in the chest, and his body flew backward like a broken kite.

"Crack!"

Another sound of bone breaking echoed, and two of Zhang Hao's ribs were broken. He fell to the ground, unable to believe how things had turned out.

Just yesterday, he had led a group of people to brutally beat Luo Xiu, but today, everything was reversed.

"Ah!" "Ah!" "Ah!"

One after another, cries of pain echoed throughout the training ground. The surrounding students of the Martial Hall were all stunned, silent as a grave.

"Mom, am I not blind?"

"Is this really Luo Xiu? He took down Li Hai, Wang Ping, and Zhang Hao?"

Suddenly, the students of the Martial Hall were in an uproar, all of them wide-eyed and speechless.

Li Hai's arm was twisted into a pretzel, with bones dislocated and meridians damaged.

Wang Ping's three ribs were broken, and he fainted on the spot.

Zhang Hao's injuries were even more severe, with all five fingers of his right hand broken and two ribs fractured.

From a young age, they had always beaten others, but today, in front of the many students of the Martial Hall, they were beaten to the ground.

What they found most unacceptable was that the person who had humiliated them in front of so many students, causing them to lose face and feel ashamed, was a commoner they had beaten just yesterday!

"You little brat, you dare to hit me? You're dead!"

The pain made Zhang Hao's face contort, his eyes filled with venom.

"Still talking tough? I said I would beat you so badly that even your mother wouldn't recognize you, and I'll make sure your father won't recognize you either!" Luo Xiu snorted coldly and kicked him again.

"You, a commoner, dare to compare yourself to me? I will make you pay!" Zhang Hao said with venom.

"Still threatening me?" Luo Xiu's eyes flashed with a cold light, and he stepped on Zhang Hao's left wrist, breaking it with another "crack."

This time, combined with his previous injuries, Zhang Hao's vision went black, and he fainted on the spot.

"Zhang Hao has always been arrogant due to his family's wealth. He will definitely seek revenge after this beating."

While it felt good to vent his anger, Luo Xiu naturally considered the consequences of his actions.

However, Luo Xiu was not afraid. As long as his cultivation improved rapidly, he would surely gain the attention and cultivation support of the Martial Hall. At that point, even the Zhang family would not dare to oppose the Martial Hall.

Because everyone in Yunlong County knew that behind the Martial Halls in each city was the Xianyao Sect.

Among the three palaces, six sects, and thirteen sects, the Xianyao Sect was one of the thirteen sects and was undoubtedly the dominant force in Yunlong County!

After giving Zhang Hao a thorough beating, the students of the Martial Hall looked at Luo Xiu as if he were a monster.

"How is this possible? Zhang Hao is at the fourth level of Body Tempering, with his tendons and bones hardened, while Luo Xiu is only at the second level."

"It seems Luo Xiu took down Zhang Hao in just two moves..."

Everyone was stunned, their faces filled with disbelief, watching Luo Xiu's figure gradually disappear.

...

The Martial Hall was vast, and each student had their own residence. Luo Xiu returned to his room, and his excitement gradually cooled down.

"Defeating Zhang Hao is just a small victory. I can't become arrogant because of this. I heard Zhang Hao has a brother who is a student in the intermediate class, with cultivation at least at the fifth level of Body Tempering."

The students of the Martial Hall were divided into three classes: the junior class for ages ten to thirteen, the intermediate class for ages fourteen to sixteen, and the senior class for ages seventeen to eighteen.

Students in the junior class were mostly at the first to fourth levels of Body Tempering, while those in the intermediate class were at least at the fifth level. If they did not reach the fifth level by the age limit, they would be expelled from the Martial Hall.

As for the senior class, the requirement was the eighth level of Body Tempering, and those who did not meet the requirement would also be expelled.

Luo Xiu was thirteen years old. If he continued to cultivate at his previous speed, he would definitely not reach the fifth level of Body Tempering by the age of fourteen. If he were expelled from the Martial Hall, he would not only be ridiculed but also disappoint his parents, who had exhausted their resources to support his martial arts training.

"In three months, the annual assessment will begin. I must reach the fifth level of Body Tempering to pass the assessment!" Luo Xiu set his first cultivation goal.

Time passed unnoticed during his cultivation. During this period, Luo Xiu did not leave his room, preparing dry food and water in advance, and he practiced diligently, neglecting sleep and meals.

Zhang Hao's brother, Zhang Hai, learned about the incident and wanted to find trouble with Luo Xiu. However, the Martial Hall had a rule that students' residences could not be entered without permission, or they would be severely punished.

For martial artists, the most taboo thing during seclusion was being disturbed. No one dared to violate the Martial Hall's rules, even students from prominent families. In the past, there had been similar incidents.

In Qingyun City, there was once a prominent family. The young master of the family, after being defeated in a fight at the Martial Hall, led a group of people to break into the opponent's residence while he was cultivating, causing the student to go mad and die.

This incident caused a significant stir in the Martial Hall, and within three days, the prominent family was completely eradicated from Qingyun City!

During his seclusion, Luo Xiu could clearly feel the changes in his body. By absorbing the essence of heaven and earth to condense the Life and Death Dual Qi, his constitution was continuously improved, and his cultivation speed was much faster than before.

His body was like a bottomless pit. On the second day of seclusion, he broke through to the third level of Body Tempering and began to temper his tendons and bones, advancing toward the fourth level.

Five days later, Luo Xiu's strength advanced again, reaching the fourth level of Body Tempering.

After reaching the fourth level, Luo Xiu found that even with the improved first-class cultivation method, the cultivation effect had weakened significantly, no longer advancing as rapidly as before.

After all, the foundation of a first-class cultivation method was too weak, with limited potential.

"According to the Martial Hall's rules, reaching the fourth level of Body Tempering grants the right to enter the library and select second-class martial arts!"

On this day, Luo Xiu left his room, determined to find a higher-quality cultivation method to improve his cultivation faster.

"Commoner, you finally dare to come out!"

As soon as he left his room, Luo Xiu saw a young man in fine clothes staring at him with hostility.

"Who is this animal biting people here?"

Luo Xiu did not recognize the man, but he called him a commoner, and even the most patient person would have some anger.

"You dare to insult me?" The young man's face turned cold, and a glint of killing intent flashed in his eyes.

"If you can call me a commoner, why can't I call you an animal? Do you think you are a chosen one, born superior to others?" Luo Xiu sneered.

The young man's killing intent intensified. "You have a lot of guts, but the more guts a commoner has, the faster they die!"

Luo Xiu was unperturbed and sneered. "Your brother was beaten and humiliated by the commoner you speak of. What does that make your brother? And what does that make you as his brother?"

"You are asking for death!" The young man's body emitted a faint light, and a wave of pressure surged toward Luo Xiu.

The internal energy glowing was a sign of a seventh-level Body Tempering martial artist, indicating that his internal energy was pure and strong.

As Luo Xiu had guessed, this young man in fine clothes was Zhang Hao's brother, Zhang Hai, an outstanding student in the second year who had now reached the seventh level of Body Tempering.

Luo Xiu's gaze turned serious. A seventh-level Body Tempering martial artist was a formidable opponent, but if it came to a fight, he was not afraid, given his ability to directly damage life meridians.

The commotion also attracted many people, who gathered nearby, pointing and discussing.

"That person seems to be Zhang Hao's brother, Zhang Hai. The internal energy glow from his body indicates he is a seventh-level Body Tempering martial artist!"

"I heard that seventh-level Body Tempering martial artists have the right to enter the library and select third-class martial arts. How enviable."

"Rumor has it that Luo Xiu injured Zhang Hao a few days ago. With Zhang Hai personally stepping in, Luo Xiu is in big trouble."

The discussions among the crowd were all about Zhang Hai's strength. As for Luo Xiu, although he had defeated Zhang Hao and others a few days ago, those opponents were not in the same league as Zhang Hai.

"He's about to make a move!"

The crowd saw the internal energy glow from Zhang Hai's body, clearly indicating that he was at the peak of his seventh-level Body Tempering cultivation.

"You crippled my brother's two hands and broke two of his ribs. I will cripple your four limbs and break all your ribs!"

Zhang Hai sneered, saying, "The Martial Hall has rules against killing, but as long as I cripple this boy, a useless cripple who cannot practice martial arts will be expelled. Once he leaves the Martial Hall, the Zhang family can crush a commoner as easily as drinking water."