Chapter 5

The Imperial Academy opens once a month for all the princes in the capital, with the opening lasting for one day. In the morning, they study poetry, etiquette, and other cultural subjects, while in the afternoon, the martial arts collection within the palace is freely open to everyone.

In the past, every time the Imperial Academy opened, it had nothing to do with Long Chen, as he would only become the target of ridicule if he went.

But now, things are different. After taking the Fengfu Pill, Long Chen has already formed the initial shape of the Fengfu Star.

Although it is just an initial shape and can store only a small amount of spiritual energy, it is still much more than what his body's meridians can store. Meridians are like rivers, while the dantian is like the sea that accommodates all rivers, often referred to as the Sea of Qi.

Rivers may seem numerous, but their capacity is limited. Without the support of the dantian, they would soon dry up. However, with the formation of the Fengfu Star, all these problems have been solved. Most importantly, with the initial shape of the Fengfu Star, as long as there is enough energy in the future, it will eventually form a complete Fengfu Star.

At that time, Long Chen will have his first "dantian," which is the most extraordinary aspect.

When all nine stars are fully activated, it is equivalent to having nine dantians operating, and even a layman can imagine how powerful such a source of spiritual energy would be.

Moreover, although Long Chen has the complete cultivation method, he still knows very little about this heaven-defying technique and needs to keep exploring.

Once he fully forms the Fengfu Star, he can store a large amount of spiritual energy and attempt to refine his bloodline to enter the Blood Condensation Realm, thereby becoming a true martial artist.

The Qi Gathering Realm is merely the first step in martial cultivation. Only by entering the Blood Condensation Realm, where one's qi and blood surge, can one truly become a martial artist with greatly enhanced combat power.

Long Chen doesn't know what level of the Qi Gathering Realm he is at now, but with the formation of the initial shape of the Fengfu Star, his body has been significantly strengthened, which delights him greatly.

Now, with a simple punch, the whistling wind can shatter a vase five feet away, and he feels full of strength.

This time, he came to the Imperial Academy specifically for the martial arts collection. With the Fengfu Star about to form and his internal spiritual energy gradually becoming abundant, he can now practice martial arts techniques.

Martial arts techniques are battle skills summarized by predecessors based on their spiritual energy and the flow of their meridians.

These techniques are extremely powerful, allowing martial artists to unleash several times their usual combat strength, making them invincible.

Therefore, martial arts techniques are very important for every martial artist. Now that Long Chen has the spiritual energy to practice these techniques, he is eager to start.

The Imperial Academy is located on the north side of the capital, covering several miles, and is the most magnificent building after the imperial palace.

After verifying his token, Long Chen entered the Imperial Academy and headed straight for the Literary Hall, where the morning "cultivation" takes place. Here, scholars discuss ancient and modern topics, poetry, etiquette, and other old theories.

Just as he entered the Literary Hall, because he arrived early, only a few dozen princes were there.

"Ha, Brother Long, you're here."

As soon as Long Chen arrived, several young men greeted him warmly.

These young men, like Long Chen, were unable to cultivate for various reasons. Although they weren't close friends, they shared a common plight.

In the martial culture of the Fengming Empire, although they weren't bullied as severely as Long Chen, they were often ridiculed and looked down upon.

So these few people got along well with Long Chen, especially since they hadn't seen him for a long time and were particularly happy to see him today.

"Ha, you guys came pretty early," Long Chen greeted them with a smile, his mood greatly improved after the successful formation of the Fengfu Star, a stark contrast to his usual dejected state.

"I heard that a few days ago, Brother Long displayed great prowess and defeated Li Hao. Truly admirable. Has Brother Long started cultivating?" a lean young man asked enviously.

They were originally at the same level as Long Chen, and now hearing that he had defeated Li Hao, who was at the third level of the Qi Gathering Realm, they were shocked and envious.

"Hehe, just luck. But recently, I've learned a new divine skill," Long Chen said mysteriously, not wanting to continue on this topic.

"Divine skill? What is it?" The others were immediately intrigued, and the topic shifted.

"Hehe, recently, I obtained a secret manual on physiognomy and have been studying it diligently, with some insights," Long Chen said, slightly proud.

"Physiognomy? Isn't that just street fortune-telling?"

"Not quite. Recently, I've studied physiognomy and have some insights. That day, I saw that Li Hao's forehead was dark and his brow was murky, a clear sign of bad luck. So I agreed to the duel. The result? Hehe," Long Chen smiled without saying more.

The others were skeptical for a moment, but then one of them suddenly realized, "It seems true. I heard that Li Hao was like a possessed man that day, unable to use his full strength and was defeated by Brother Long."

Everyone had heard about the duel between Long Chen and Li Hao, but most were puzzled by Li Hao's defeat. Now, with Long Chen's explanation, they began to believe him.

"Hehe, Brother Long, since you're skilled in physiognomy, can you help me? Why does my fiancée always avoid me and refuse to meet me? What's going on?" one of them asked, somewhat troubled.

"No problem, let's find a place to sit. Standing here isn't appropriate."

They found a table in a corner, with some snacks for the princes to enjoy.

Long Chen pointed to the snacks on the table and said to the man, "Have a piece."

"Sure," the man took a piece and ate it, while the others looked at Long Chen in confusion.

"How does it taste?"

"Very good."

"Want another piece?"

"Sure."

The man took another piece and started to eat, but after one bite, he suddenly realized and respectfully said to Long Chen, "Thank you, Brother Long. I understand. I've been too greedy. Brother Long is reminding me to be content, right?"

The others looked at Long Chen with admiration, amazed by his profound wisdom, which could be seen even in a small piece of cake.

However, Long Chen shook his head and sighed, "You're wrong. I'm reminding you that you're so fat, you can barely fit through the door. Your fiancée is already being very tolerant by just avoiding you. Be content.

With your figure, any woman who sleeps next to you would be too scared to sleep, fearing that you might crush her with a single roll."

The man's face turned red. After Long Chen's reminder, he looked at his five-foot-tall, four-and-a-half-foot-wide body and realized he was indeed a bit overweight.

"Yu Fatso, don't waste Brother Long's precious time. Go back and lose some weight. Brother Long, hehe, how about my physiognomy?" another lean young man asked respectfully.

"You," Long Chen looked at him seriously and said after a moment, "Your physiognomy indicates that you will be poor and destitute before the age of thirty, but fortunately, after thirty..."

The man was delighted, "Does that mean I will rise to prominence after thirty?"

"No, after thirty, you'll just get used to it," Long Chen said.

The man was speechless.

Everyone burst into laughter. As they were laughing, a pair of venomous eyes suddenly looked over, stopping their laughter.

Long Chen had already sensed it and turned to see Li Hao staring at him with eyes like sharp blades.

"Prince Li, are you feeling better? That's great news. But how about the injuries below?" Long Chen asked with feigned concern.

Li Hao's face twitched. He had been carried back to his mansion, his face almost flattened by Long Chen's knee.

The Li family quickly sought help from the Alchemists' Guild, spending a large amount of gold to restore Li Hao.

Money talks, and within a short time, Li Hao looked almost normal.

But when Long Chen mentioned it, Li Hao immediately felt a sharp pain in his groin, recalling Long Chen's kick.

Long Chen's kick had been so fierce that it almost crippled him. What made him even more furious was that when he was carried back to the mansion, they discovered that he had lost one of his testicles.

By the time the family rushed to the arena, it had already been cleaned up, and it was said that the testicle had been taken by a stray dog.

When Li Hao woke up and heard this news, he almost fainted from anger. But it was too late, and even the best alchemists couldn't recreate a testicle for him.

Although he could walk without limping, the sudden asymmetry made him extremely uncomfortable.

Now, with Long Chen's reminder, his face turned grim, and he glared at Long Chen, gritting his teeth, "Long Chen, you bastard, I want a life-or-death duel. Do you dare to accept?"

Long Chen's smiling face suddenly tensed. This insult was extremely offensive, especially to his mother.

If you want to die, I'll help you, but you should die with some value. After all, we are from the same country, and I don't want to see Li Hao die meaninglessly.

"Same as before, I want a stake."

Long Chen looked at Li Hao. If you want to die, you should die with some value.

"Fine, no matter what stake you set, I, Li Hao, will accept it," Li Hao thought with a cold smile. No matter how high the stake, you won't live to enjoy it. Last time, Li Hao was caught off guard, but he wouldn't make the same mistake again.

This time, it's a life-or-death duel. Last time, although killing the opponent was not a crime, the duel would end if the opponent conceded. But in a life-or-death duel, once on the stage, both parties hand over their lives. Even if one concedes, the winner can still decide the loser's fate.

"Fine, at noon tomorrow, we'll meet on the life-or-death stage," Li Hao said with a cold laugh, looking at Long Chen as if he were already dead.

Long Chen smiled inwardly. It's time to set an example. As Li Hao was about to leave, Long Chen said, "Be careful not to lose your balance and fall."

Hearing this, Li Hao's body stiffened, his face contorting. He understood the meaning behind Long Chen's words.

He took a deep breath, pretending not to hear, and slowly walked in another direction.

But Long Chen's words were like needles, piercing his sensitive spot. Every step he took reminded him of the pain.

He tried to act as if nothing was wrong, but the more he tried, the more unnatural he looked, drawing strange looks from everyone.

Watching Li Hao walk away like a duck, one of Long Chen's companions cautiously asked, "Brother Long, why did you agree to the duel? It's a life-or-death duel, and someone could die."

"No problem. Today, I saw his physiognomy, with a dark and gloomy aura, a sign of death. He won't live past the day after tomorrow. By the way, I have a favor to ask."

Long Chen whispered something to the others. They looked at each other, and finally, the one called Yu Fatso clenched his teeth and said, "Brother Long, since you asked, you can have all my savings."

He handed Long Chen a crystal card, which contained over 80,000 gold coins. Long Chen was surprised by Yu Fatso's generosity.

Although they were all princes, most were from minor branches and not highly regarded. For Yu Fatso, this was a huge sum.

"Damn, I have 60,000, take it."

"I have less, only 30,000. That's all I can do, Brother Long."

"I have..."

Long Chen thought he might get a few thousand at most, but he was moved by their willingness to help.

"Guys, if I die, your money will be lost," Long Chen reminded them, holding the crystal card.

"Are you looking down on us? We can't cultivate and have suffered a lot from them. You're brave enough to fight them to the death, and we, though lacking the courage, can at least show our support."

Seeing Long Chen agree to the life-or-death duel, they were filled with a sense of shared enmity. When Long Chen asked for help, they were so moved that they didn't think twice.

Long Chen nodded, remembering their kindness. With over 200,000 gold coins, he could do a lot.

Just then, a group of people entered the Literary Hall, and the previously noisy hall fell silent.