Breaking Limits in Martial Arts: Grinding Your Way to Becoming a Martial Saint in a Chaotic Era

Cheng Hong never went on stage.

It's not that we can't, it's just not the right time yet.

He had long possessed the strength to break through to the Dark Force realm, but he had suppressed it for several months without making a breakthrough, waiting for this day.

He wanted to extinguish the prestige of all the other martial arts schools affiliated with the county magistrate for the sake of Benlei Martial Arts School, and to bring honor to his master Yu Tai in front of the county magistrate and Lord Lu.

He wanted everyone to know that the disciples of Benlei Martial Arts School were not comparable to the useless students from other martial arts schools.

He walked to the edge of the platform, neither jumping nor running, but stepping up the steps one by one.

He stood on the stage, facing Xu Qing.

......

The second floor of Tingfeng Tower.

Lu Chuan watched Cheng Hong go on stage, his gaze shifting slightly. He glanced at Lin Hanshan on his left, then at Su Zhengyuan on his right, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"I overheard you gentlemen making a bet just now, and I'm itching to join in myself," Lu Chuan suddenly spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but everyone on the second floor could hear him clearly. "Would you two gentlemen be interested in placing a bet with me?"

Lin Hanshan, who was lost in thought while holding his teacup, snapped out of his reverie upon hearing this and raised his eyelids slightly: "What does Lord Lu want to bet on?"

Su Zhengyuan also put down his teacup, his gaze falling on Lu Chuan's face with a hint of doubt.

"I'll bet on the Lin and Su families' share of 'Tiger Bone Pills' next month." Lu Chuan took a sip of tea and chuckled softly.

Tiger Bone Pill.

Upon hearing these three words, Lin Hanshan and Su Zhengyuan's expressions changed simultaneously.

It wasn't a look of shock, but rather a subtle, almost imperceptible change, as if someone had hit a nerve. Lin Hanshan's hand holding the teacup paused, and Su Zhengyuan's pupils contracted slightly.

The group at the secondary table also perked up their ears.

Tiger bone pills are something that money can't buy.

Tiger Bone Pill, originating from Medicine King Valley, is a miraculous pill controlled by the imperial court, each costing one hundred taels of silver.

This price is nothing to the powerful and wealthy people present, but if you are not qualified, you will hardly be able to buy one even if you have five hundred taels of silver.

In Qinghe County, apart from Lu Chuan and Jun Zhongci, only the Lin and Su families were qualified to purchase them, and each family could only purchase two per month.

Every Tiger Bone Pill has a traceable origin; those whose origin is untraceable are considered illicit medicines. Once it is discovered that someone has purchased or sold illicit medicines, both the buyer and seller are sentenced to death. This is an ironclad rule of the imperial court, and no one dares to violate it.

"Tiger Bone Pill?" Lin Hanshan raised his eyelids slightly, his gaze sweeping over Lu Chuan's face before he tentatively asked, "Could it be that with Lord Lu's cultivation level, there's no need for a Tiger Bone Pill?"

Tiger Bone Pill is usually a spiritual pill taken by martial artists with Ming Jin or An Jin strength, but Lu Chuan is at the peak of Hua Jin, so Tiger Bone Pill is indeed not very useful to him.

"I have no need for that," Lu Chuan said, putting down his teacup and smiling faintly. "I just think this year's Golden Carp Gathering is quite spectacular. Such a wonderful competition, with only a small amount of silver as a prize, is too meager. I just wanted to add another prize."

Lu Chuan then said, "If I win, the Tiger Bone Pill will be the prize for first place. If you two win, what you do with the Tiger Bone Pill is entirely up to you. Whether you use it as a prize or bestow it upon your descendants, I will not interfere."

"I wonder how Lord Lu intends to gamble?" Lin Hanshan asked, somewhat intrigued.

"Let's bet on who wins between the two on the platform." Lu Chuan's gaze turned to the dueling platform, landing on the two boys, whose clothes fluttered in the wind.

"You two may guess first," Lu Chuan said with a smile, seemingly unconcerned about winning or losing, truly just wanting to add some excitement to the competition.

Lin Hanshan didn't reply immediately. He picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and looked past the rim of the cup at Yu Tai.

Yu Taizheng turned slightly to look in his direction and nodded almost imperceptibly.

Yu Tai had told him about Cheng Hong, whose talent was no less than Ning Yun's back then.

Yu Tai personally trained Cheng Hong, knowing Cheng Hong's strength better than anyone else. In his mind, Cheng Hong was currently the number one Ming Jin practitioner in Qinghe County. Three months ago, Cheng Hong had already mastered An Jin; he had been suppressing his cultivation, waiting for today's Golden Scale Gathering.

Yu Tai nodded, as if to tell himself that Cheng Hong could win.

Lin Hanshan quickly calculated in his mind: he had two sons and three daughters, and his younger brother also had children. The two tiger bone pills he received each month were only enough for his two sons, and his second and third brothers had asked him for help more than once.

He was afraid of hindering his son's martial arts progress, so he had not agreed. His second and third brothers didn't say anything, but they were resentful.

If we can win two Tiger Bone Pills from Lu Chuan today, we can give one to each of our two younger brothers next month. In this way, we can both advance our son's studies and maintain brotherly affection. It's a win-win situation.

Lin Hanshan put down his teacup, cupped his hands in greeting to Lu Chuan, and smiled, "If Lord Lu has such an elegant interest, I will certainly keep you company."

Lu Chuan nodded, then turned his gaze to Su Zhengyuan: "Where is Lord Su?"

Su Zhengyuan pondered for a moment, then shook his head, smiled slightly, and said with a hint of apology, "This humble official will not join in the fun. Please forgive me, Lord Lu."

Lu Chuan glanced at him, but didn't ask any further questions. He simply nodded, picked up his teacup, and took another sip.

Lin Hanshan glanced at Su Zhengyuan, his lips twitching slightly in a half-smile. He didn't say anything, but the meaning in his gaze was clear: Su Zhengyuan was inferior to him and dared not gamble.

"I wonder who Lord Lin wants to bet on between the two of them?" Lu Chuan asked with a smile.

"Cheng Hong!"

"good!"

......

On the dueling platform, Cheng Hong looked at Xu Qing with a calm gaze. There was no underestimation of his opponent, no arrogance, only the seriousness that only a genius would show when facing another genius.

"That punch of yours was very strong," Cheng Hong said, his voice low and unreadable. "Li Chong's loss was not unjust."

Xu Qing looked at him without saying a word.

"But that punch of yours couldn't beat me." Cheng Hong's tone was calm, as if stating a fact, as if he had already won. This sentence was neither boasting nor provocation, but simply stating something he was certain of.

"You're a genius," Cheng Hong said again, a slight smile playing on his lips. "But a genius who hasn't fully matured isn't a genius. You haven't practiced martial arts long enough; your talent hasn't had a chance to fully translate into skill. This is your strength, and also your fatal flaw."

Xu Qing looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and then spoke in a flat voice: "Are you finished?"

Cheng Hong's smile froze for a moment.

Xu Qing cupped his hands in greeting: "Zhao Family Martial Arts School, Xu Qing. Please."

Cheng Hong took a deep breath, abandoning the last trace of his previous disdain. He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, his voice deepening, "Benlei Martial Arts School, Cheng Hong. Please."

Before he finished speaking, Cheng Hong made a move.

Unlike Li Chong, who charged and attacked fiercely, he moved with quick, shuffling steps, like a gust of wind, unpredictable and elusive.

His Thunderclap Fist is completely different from others. It's not just about speed and power, but about variation within speed and skill within power.

The first punch is a feint, the second is a probe, and the third is the killing blow.

The moment Cheng Hong made his move, Xu Qing realized that he wasn't just all talk; his strength was also formidable. Cheng Hong's foundation was visibly solid, and his power was incredibly profound. He certainly had reason to be arrogant.

If Xu Qing were still at the level of Ming Jin Xiao Cheng, the outcome of today's battle would be uncertain.

Xu Qing did not retaliate rashly. He wanted to figure out Cheng Hong's fighting style, so he could strike back later and decide the outcome once he made a move.

He dodged the first punch to the side, parried the second, and when the third punch reached his chest, he had to take a step back.

Cheng Hong thought he had the upper hand and gave Xu Qing no chance to catch her breath.

The punches flowed relentlessly, each one faster and heavier than the last. In his hands, the Thunderclap Fist truly resembled thunder. Boom, boom, boom, one after another, pressing down on people until they could hardly breathe.

Xu Qing fought and retreated simultaneously.

To the audience, Cheng Hong's punches were too fast, so fast that Xu Qing had no chance to throw a punch, so fast that every punch blocked Xu Qing's path, and every punch forced Xu Qing to defend and retreat.

"Xu Qing is backing up!" someone in the audience exclaimed.

"Cheng Hong truly lives up to his reputation as the top Ming Jin master at Benlei Martial Arts School; he's incredibly strong!"

"What 'Number One Ming Jin at Benlei Martial Arts School'? He should be called the Number One Ming Jin in Qinghe County!"

"Where's the power from Xu Qing's punch? Why can't I deliver it?"

On the second floor, Yu Tai finally smiled again, the smile slowly spreading from the corners of his mouth to his entire face.

Zhao Yan's expression changed slightly. He gripped the handrail, his body leaning forward unconsciously. If he could, he really wanted to rush down and fight for Xu Qing.

On the stage, Cheng Hong threw a straight punch, which Xu Qing blocked with his arm. With a "thud," Xu Qing took another step back, his heel hitting the wooden board on the edge of the stage with a dull thud.

If we take another step back, we'll be forced to step down.

Cheng Hong suddenly stopped, ceasing his attack. He was convinced that if he continued, Xu Qing would be defeated and forced to step down. Simply defeating Xu Qing would be too lenient.

He withdrew his fist, stood opposite Xu Qing, slightly out of breath, but his eyes were full of smugness.

He looked down at Xu Qing.

"I told you, your fists can't beat mine." Cheng Hong's voice wasn't loud, but it was cold. "You're strong, but you haven't trained in martial arts long enough. Your talent hasn't had time to turn into strength. If you had another year, I might not be your match. But today—"

He didn't continue. He didn't want to talk about it anymore.

What he wants to do is not just win, but win completely.

He wanted to regain the face that Benlei Martial Arts School had lost, and in front of everyone, just as Xu Qing had crippled Li Chong, he would cripple Xu Qing.

Through the exchange of blows, he felt he had figured out Xu Qing's true nature.

He squinted and began to gather his strength.