Chapter 185: Chapter 100: Strength Improvement (Part 2)

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, falling upon him with a pleasant warmth.

He set down his towel, picked up a cloth bundle from the corner of the wall, untied the knot, and took out a water flask.

The flask was still cool to the touch. He unscrewed the cap and tilted his head back, taking a few gulps.

Inside was cool water his cousin, Yang An, had specially prepared for him. It had a faint minty taste, refreshing and thirst-quenching.

Jiang Haoyang sidled over and squatted in front of Yang Jing. He looked up and asked, "Senior Brother, that Mountain-Shattering Stone-Splitting move you just did—the wind from your fist alone was enough to stir the wooden post. Are you close to the Peak of Dark Energy?" 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Yang Jing set down the water flask. Seeing the envy in the boy’s eyes, he smiled. "Still a long way to go. And you shouldn’t just be watching. You need to practice your basic fist techniques for the required time every day. Otherwise, you’ll never even make your first breakthrough. How are you supposed to practice Inner Strength later?"

"Hehe, I get it, Senior Brother." Jiang Haoyang scratched his head and quickly replied, "I’ll go practice right now. When I’m done, I’d like to ask you for a few more pointers. I feel like something is still a little off..."

"Alright. Come find me when you’re finished," Yang Jing agreed with a nod.

Jiang Haoyang’s face lit up. After a few more words of flattery, he scampered off to the edge of the training grounds to practice his fist forms.

Yang Jing smiled at his retreating back, took another sip from the flask, and set it down. With a thought, a panel materialized before his eyes, clearly displaying the progress details of the two martial arts he was currently practicing.

[Great Success of Mountain Shattering Fist (831/1000)]

[Great Success of Storm Surge Leg (289/1000)]

He had progressed rapidly over the past two months.

His Mountain-Shattering Fist wasn’t far from the Peak of Dark Energy. He estimated he could reach it within a month, and then break through to the next realm!

As for his Storm Surge Leg, its progress had slowed after his breakthrough into the Dark Energy realm. Besides, Yang Jing was focusing his main efforts on Mountain-Shattering Fist, only setting aside some time each day to practice the leg technique.

After a short rest, Yang Jing stood up again, walked to the spacious clearing in the center of the front courtyard, and continued to refine the details of his Mountain-Shattering Fist.

「Evening.」

The last rays of the setting sun shone over the high walls of the Martial Arts Hall, casting long shadows on the ground. As time passed, the shadows stretched longer and longer, eventually melting into the twilight.

In early December, the sky darkened early. By late afternoon, it was already completely dark outside. A cold wind sent dead leaves swirling at the edge of the courtyard.

The disciples of the Martial Arts Hall gradually packed their things, said their goodbyes, and left. The front training ground, bustling all day, slowly grew quiet, leaving only the sound of Yang Jing’s fists cutting through the air, exceptionally clear in the twilight.

Only when night had completely fallen and the lanterns in the Martial Arts Hall were lit by the handymen, casting a dim yellow glow, did Yang Jing slowly conclude his practice.

He let out a long breath of white mist. As his Inner Strength circulated, it dispelled the chill from his body, though his forehead was still beaded with sweat.

"Senior Brother Yang!"

Jiang Haoyang immediately ran over from a corner, his face flushed with excitement. "That trick for exerting force you showed me this afternoon—I tried it a few times, and I can really feel a huge improvement!"

Yang Jing looked at his excited expression, a faint smile on his lips. He patted his shoulder. "Good. Being able to apply what you’ve learned is a great thing. But don’t get arrogant. You still need to build a solid foundation. Before you make your first breakthrough, don’t bite off more than you can chew."

"Yes, yes! I’ll remember that, Senior Brother!" Jiang Haoyang nodded vigorously, his eyes shining with complete trust.

Yang Jing smiled, turned to the corner to pick up his cloth bundle, and packed away his water flask and towel.

Jiang Haoyang quickly shouldered his own small bundle and followed closely behind, like a little tail that couldn’t be shaken off.

Over the past two months, Yang Jing had gradually gotten used to the boy’s clinginess.

Jiang Haoyang was only fifteen this year, with a youthful immaturity still in his features. His family was a wealthy household in Longwang Temple Town, Yuhe County. They owned six or seven hundred mu of fertile land alone, making them quite well-off.

His parents had high hopes for him, sending him to the city to study at the Martial Arts Hall. They even rented a house for him in Shuiyun Square, just west of Tongyi Square, not far from where Yang Jing lived.

The two often walked back together. Yang Jing would always reach his residence in Tongyi Square first, and Jiang Haoyang would continue west, crossing two more streets to get back to Shuiyun Square.

Stepping out of the Martial Arts Hall’s main gate, a biting night wind rushed to meet them, carrying the chill of winter.

Yang Jing tightened his outer shirt and walked down the street, but not in the usual direction of Tongyi Square.

Jiang Haoyang, trailing behind, noticed something was off after a few steps. He scratched his head and asked in confusion, "Senior Brother, aren’t we going back to Tongyi Square?"

Without breaking his stride, Yang Jing explained, "I haven’t seen our Fourth Senior Brother at the Martial Arts Hall these past few days. I’m going to Liu’s Medical Hall to check on him, see if something happened."

Something had happened at the medical hall a while ago, and Liu Maolin had been busy dealing with it. He hadn’t been to the Martial Arts Hall in three days, and Yang Jing was worried about him.

Hearing this, Jiang Haoyang immediately nodded. "I’ll go too! Senior Brother Liu has always been good to me. I’ll go with you to see him."

With that, he quickened his pace to catch up with Yang Jing, and the two walked side by side toward Liu’s Medical Hall.

The night deepened. Lanterns hanging on both sides of the street swayed gently in the wind.

The night wind cut through the streets like a knife, whipping up flurries of powdered snow left over from a heavy snowfall a few days prior, stinging their faces with a bone-chilling cold.

Yang Jing pulled his collar up to cover half his face. Jiang Haoyang, meanwhile, hunched his shoulders and tucked his hands into his sleeves, but his mouth didn’t stop moving.

"Senior Brother, even Master says you’ve improved quickly these past two months!" Jiang Haoyang said, stomping his feet to stay warm, his tone full of admiration. "If they held the training ground trials now, the top spot would definitely be yours. I bet even that Li Mengchao wouldn’t be your match!"

Yang Jing listened with a faint smile on his lips but didn’t reply.

’Jiang Haoyang wasn’t there to watch the trials three months ago, so of course he doesn’t know how terrifying Li Mengchao is. After all, Li Mengchao’s top rank was an overwhelming, undisputed victory. If Qin Yu, who was in second place, hadn’t conceded in time, he probably would have been beaten to death on the spot by Li Mengchao.’

’But as strong as Li Mengchao is,’ he mused, ’I can’t help but wonder what my chances would be if I fought him now.’

’Two months ago, my Storm Surge Leg had just broken through to the Dark Energy stage. Even though my strength had increased dramatically, I really had no confidence against an expert like Li Mengchao. Or rather, my odds of winning weren’t high. But in these past two months, nourished by an ample supply of high-grade Exotic Beast Meat, supplemented by various elixirs and medicinal herbs, and with Sun Yong’s meticulous daily guidance, my Inner Strength is on a completely different level. My Mountain-Shattering Fist has become more refined, and the fierce, heavy power within my punches is a great deal stronger than before.’

’If I were to fight Li Mengchao now...’

Yang Jing clenched his fists. He felt the solid sense of power in his fingertips, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

’The outcome might truly be uncertain,’ he thought, ’but at the very least, I have confidence in myself.’

Seeing Yang Jing remain silent, Jiang Haoyang changed the subject, his voice tinged with excitement. "Speaking of which, Senior Brother Liu is so incredible! He even managed to fight off the Flying Horse Thieves. Now, a lot of people in our Yuhe County are saying how highly skilled he is!"

His eyes sparkled as he spoke, clearly treating it as a new piece of gossip worth bragging about.

He’d first heard about it on a previous trip to Liu’s Medical Hall with Yang Jing. Bringing it up now was partly out of admiration for Liu Maolin, and partly to make more conversation with Yang Jing.

The moment the words "Flying Horse Thieves" were spoken, the smile on Yang Jing’s face faded, and his brow gradually furrowed.

Of course, he remembered. This was precisely the trouble that had befallen Liu’s Medical Hall recently.

Some time ago, Liu Maolin had been escorting a batch of precious medicinal herbs to the Prefecture City.

That batch of herbs, intended for a major pharmacy in the Prefecture City, was quite valuable. Unfortunately, they ran into the Flying Horse Thieves on the way.

The Flying Horse Thieves were arguably the most rampant group of bandits in the Yuhe County region lately. Their leader was said to be a master at the Peak of Dark Energy, with several other Dark Energy experts under his command. They were ruthless, daring to rob even official government squads. They had been causing a huge stir for the past six months and were considered the most formidable power around.

At the time, Liu Maolin and his team of guards had apparently managed to injure one of the Flying Horse Thieves’ Dark Energy-level leaders, forcefully repelling that small band of bandits. He himself had suffered minor injuries in the process.

Afterward, not daring to delay, he had turned back that very night, taken a long, roundabout mountain path to avoid areas where the Flying Horse Thieves might appear, and only then did he manage to deliver the medicinal herbs to the Prefecture City, narrowly avoiding further disaster.