stjorthotic Chapter 74 The Sword Guard Squad Leader is Nothing Special
Chapter 74 The Sword Guard Squad Leader is Nothing Special
In the backyard of the Sword Guard Hall, the moon shines on the stone platform.
The stone platform is three zhang square and is entirely paved with bluestone.
Some withered grass stems grew between the cracks in the rocks, and a few smooth, worn-out training stone locks were scattered in the corners.
The night wind blew by, and the chill of late autumn clung to the stones, causing a thin layer of white frost to appear on their surface.
However, in the very center of the stone platform, there was a patch of ground where not a single blade of grass grew.
The soil, a deep brown from years of trampling, is the result of the disciples' daily and nightly practice.
Liu Chenyu stood on this land.
He had been standing there for two hours, motionless since the moon rose high in the sky, diligently practicing the "Eighteen Strikes of Iron Bones" kung fu.
The Eighteen Strikes of Iron Bones, originating from the Iron Bone Sect, is a bone-refining technique coveted by countless martial artists who cultivate their tendons.
This skill doesn't rely on tricks or leverage; it only emphasizes hard-hitting and direct attacks, using strength to overcome strength.
When you practice to a high level, your joints become as strong as iron, and your fists become as sharp as iron hammers.
With a single swing of his arm, he could break a wooden stake as thick as a bowl.
However, to reach the initial stage of bone refining, one must first overcome the most difficult hurdle: the Iron Skeleton Mountain Stance.
At this moment, Liu Chenyu stood with his feet shoulder-width apart, his knees slightly bent as if sitting in mid-air, and his back taut like a bow.
He stretched out his arms, level with the ground, his ten fingers loosely clenched, as if holding two invisible lumps of burning coals.
Moonlight fell on his shoulders, revealing the prominent veins on his arms, which looked like earthworms crawling under his skin.
Sweat dripped down his hair, landing on the dark brown, hard soil and leaving small dots.
"Iron-framed mountain style!"
Liu Chenyu suddenly let out a loud shout.
His bones crackled and popped, like dry firewood being thrown into a fire.
He gritted his teeth, his cheeks bulging out two hard ridges.
"Come on, senior brother! Whip me hard!"
Cai Zhongtie stood three steps away, the moonlight stretching his shadow long and thin.
He didn't answer, but just looked down at the whip in his hand.
It was a bamboo whip, two feet seven inches long and about the thickness of a thumb.
The whip was soaked in tung oil three times and then sun-dried for forty-nine days, turning it dark and heavy, and felt like holding a piece of iron in your hand.
When an ordinary whip strikes a person, it wounds the skin and flesh, leaving a red, swollen bruise.
But Cai Zhongtie's methods were different.
This is the "penetrating strength" that he passed down from his master.
The whip doesn't strike the skin and flesh, but goes straight to the bone.
The force penetrates through the skin and muscles, reaching deep into the bone marrow, stimulating the spirit and urging the bone marrow to generate new power.
This method is incredibly painful, but also incredibly effective.
One hundred lashes are equivalent to three months of hard training.
Cai Zhongtie circled behind Liu Chenyu, the tip of his whip flashing a dark light in the moonlight.
"Snapped!"
The first lash struck Liu Chenyu squarely in the right shoulder blade.
The whip retracts as soon as it touches the skin, but the remaining force is like a stone hitting the water, the power penetrating in layers.
Liu Chenyu shuddered, a tingling, numb, and throbbing pain shooting through his shoulder blades.
"Ah! That feels so good!"
He couldn't help but cry out, but his arms remained motionless, outstretched as before.
"Snapped!"
The second lash followed immediately, landing right in the middle of his spine.
This time the force was even greater, and Liu Chenyu felt a series of sore sounds throughout his spine, from his cervical vertebrae to his coccyx.
"Slap! Slap!"
"Ah! That feels so good! That feels so good!"
Cai Zhongtie didn't stop, and the whip fell one after another.
The force varied, sometimes light, sometimes heavy; the rhythm varied, sometimes fast, sometimes slow.
"This feels so good!"
Liu Chenyu's back was already soaked with sweat.
Sweat mingled with the night breeze, chillily trickling down my spine.
"Iron Skeleton Mountain, what is a mountain? A mountain that stands tall and firm, unyielding even under immense pressure!"
Cai Zhongtie said in a deep voice while he was fighting.
"You're standing in a mountain-supporting stance, with your spine as the mountain ridge and your bones as the rocks. If the rocks aren't strong, how can they support the sky?"
Liu Chenyu did not reply, nor did he have the strength to reply.
They simply dug their legs deeper, straightened their backs more, and stretched their arms out more horizontally.
The cracking sounds from the joints grew more frequent, as the entire skeleton was being hammered and forged inch by inch.
"Clap clap clap!"
Another round of fierce and torrential beatings ensued.
Liu Chenyu's head was buzzing, and his consciousness was becoming blurred. He was only holding on by a burning desire for revenge.
He could feel the heat in his bones gathering into a warm current, climbing up his spine, passing through the spine and the occipital bone, and rushing straight to the top of his head.
"Almost there, almost there, it's going to be done!"
Liu Chenyu roared inwardly.
Cai Zhongtie suddenly stopped.
Under the moonlight, he stared at Liu Chenyu's back, his brows furrowing slightly.
There wasn't a single whip mark on Liu Chenyu's skin, but the muscles beneath it were twitching incessantly.
Especially the spine, which was slightly red even through the skin and flesh, like a red-hot iron rod, radiating an unusual heat.
"Hold on! Three more lashes!"
Cai Zhongtie's voice was deep and solemn.
He took a deep breath and flicked his wrist holding the whip.
The whip tip traced a half-arc in the air before falling down with a whooshing sound.
"Snapped!"
"Snapped!"
"Snapped!"
With the last three lashes, Cai Zhongtie used all his strength.
The three lashes landed on Liu Chenyu's Baihui acupoint on the top of his head, and the force penetrated from top to bottom into the Yongquan acupoint on the sole of his foot.
Liu Chenyu's lower limb joints made a crisp cracking sound at the same time.
"Snap!"
All sixty-two lower limb bones vibrated simultaneously.
"It's done."
Cai Zhongtie put down the bamboo whip, and a smile finally appeared on his face.
"You've already reached the threshold of the first level, 'The First Sound of Bone Resonance,' in the 'Eighteen Strikes of Iron Bones.'"
"From today onwards, your bones are considered to have been opened. If you practice diligently every day, you will be able to achieve minor success in bone refining in three years."
Liu Chenyu didn't speak, but just looked down at his hands, his chest heaving as he breathed heavily.
Two hours of standing and more than a hundred bone-piercing whip blows almost drained his strength.
But the deep-seated desire for revenge sustained him and kept him from collapsing.
"Chen Yu, just you wait! Tomorrow I'll tear you to pieces!"
He raised his head and looked at the hillside at the end of the stone platform.
On the hillside, the moonlight spread out, and the pine forest was as dark as ink.
Cai Zhongtie put away his bamboo whip, took a gourd from his waist, uncorked it, and handed it to Liu Chenyu: "Drink this."
Liu Chenyu took it and gulped down a mouthful; the spicy medicinal wine burned down his throat.
A surge of heat coursed through my limbs and bones, and my previously sore and weak muscles felt as if they had been reignited.
He recognized the flavor; it contained dragon's blood grass, tiger bone paste, fifty-year-old ginseng rootlets, and seven or eight other medicinal herbs he couldn't name.
A gourd of medicinal wine like this would cost at least five hundred taels of silver in a pharmacy outside, but Cai Zhongtie gave it to him without batting an eye.
"Senior brother..." Liu Chenyu opened his mouth.
Cai Zhongtie waved his hand, interrupting him.
"Stop talking nonsense! You've passed this test at just the right time. Tomorrow is the life-or-death duel. With your current Bone Sound Emergence, killing that kid named Chen Yu will be no problem at all!"
"Once you win the duel and become the Sword Guard Commander, I will give you another Bone Tempering Pill. Then you will be more confident in breaking through to the second level, 'Iron Bones Shine Brightly'."
At this point, Cai Zhongtie paused, his gaze darkening.
"But I must remind you, I spent a lot of money training you so that you could become the commander of the sword guards and help me!"
"Once you've achieved minor success in bone refinement, you and I, brothers, will join forces to eliminate the other Sword Guard commanders. At that point, no one in the entire Sword Guard Hall will be able to compete with me for the position of Sword Guard Commander!"
"Once I become the Commander of the Sword Guards, I'll at least make you a Deputy Commander. You'll be living the high life then!"
Cai Zhongtie proudly recounted his plans.
"For our shared great cause, tomorrow we will fight to the death. You must seize the position of Sword Guard Commander!"
Liu Chenyu's heart skipped a beat, and he nodded solemnly: "I'll remember."
The following day, September 23, dawn broke.
On the sword-testing field, thirty-six cowhide war drums sounded in unison.
"Knock knock knock knock!"
The sound of the drums shook the mountain mists, startling a flock of birds that circled in the air in a dark mass, lingering there for a long time.
The entire venue is clearly divided into three levels, with a total of three layers of stone steps and stands.
The stands were now full of people.
Such a life-or-death duel is a rare sight, and many people from various courtyards came to watch the spectacle.
The outer court apprentices, dressed in light blue outfits, and the middle court disciples, all in black robes, sat clearly separated on the east and west sides.
The number of apprentices in the outer academy was large, a dense crowd of three or four hundred people.
There are also fifty or sixty disciples in the Central Court.
The inner court has the fewest disciples, only a dozen or so, but no one dares to underestimate them.
Those who can enter the inner courtyard are at least experts in the Tendon Refining Realm.
If you put them out there in the world, any one of them could stand on their own.
"A mere disciple of the Middle Court dares to challenge our Inner Court? They truly don't know the meaning of death!"
"The people in the Middle Court are all useless. If they were truly capable, would they be in that place? They would have been in the Inner Court long ago!"
"That's right. I hope Senior Brother Liu will strike hard and kill Chen Yu, so they'll know that the Inner Academy cannot be humiliated!"
"Our inner courtyard is the most prestigious; the outer and middle courtyards are just a bunch of nobodies and scoundrels!"
On the inner courtyard stands, a dozen or so people kept whispering to each other, their words revealing their disdain for the middle and outer courtyards.
To the due north, there is a stone platform that is three zhang high.
A canopy was set up on the stage, and a row of armchairs were placed under the canopy.
Ye Chengying sat in the chair in the center, with two people sitting on either side of him.
On the left sat Ye Chengduan, the leader of the Sword Guard Hall, known as "Iron Arm Silver Beard".
Ye Chengduan is the godson of the manor lord Ye Qingcang. He is ninety-six years old this year, but his eyes are still bright and piercing.
He was wearing a gray cloth robe with faded cuffs; a stranger would mistake him for an old sweeper.
Despite his unattractive appearance, none of the disciples present did not recognize him.
This guy is famous throughout the surrounding area.
At his advanced age, he's still eager to become someone else's godson.
Ye Qingcang, the master of Zhujian Manor, is only sixty-six years old this year.
He was thirty years younger than Ye Chengduan.
No one really understood why Ye Chengduan would become his godson.
With a thirty-year age difference, Ye Chengduan definitely wouldn't be able to outlive Ye Qingcang, let alone inherit the position of manor lord.
Besides, Ye Qingcang has a biological daughter. Even if he outlives her, the position of manor lord will not be his.
Therefore, people don't really understand Ye Chengduan's behavior of becoming a godson, and there has never been a lack of criticism against him.
To Ye Chengying's right was a thin woman in plain clothes, around forty years old, with fair skin and a perpetually ambiguous smile on her lips.
Further to either side were several deacons from the Criminal Law Hall and the Foreign Affairs Hall. There were twelve people in total, each with different robes and expressions.
Some people closed their eyes to rest, some talked in hushed tones, and some glanced at the crowd below the stage.
In the center of the sword-testing arena, a square platform had already been marked out.
On the arena stood an old man dressed in gray.
He is Zhou Juncheng, a deacon in the Criminal Law Hall, and also the referee for today's competition.
Zhou Juncheng carried a bronze gong in his hand and had a bronze whistle at his waist. He stared blankly at Chen Yu and Liu Chenyu.
"Today's duel to the death will proceed as before, according to the rules."
Zhou Juncheng's voice wasn't loud, but it was clearly heard by everyone in the noisy training ground.
Clearly, this is a skill he uses to stimulate his blood and qi.
"On the fighting ring, fists and kicks have no eyes; it determines who is superior and who is inferior, and also who lives and dies!"
"The duel to the death is about to begin. Please be quiet!"
As soon as Zhou Juncheng finished speaking, the originally noisy sword-testing arena fell silent for a moment.
Then, an even bigger uproar erupted.
On the outer courtyard's viewing platform, Xiahou Fei snapped his folding fan shut and smiled at the person next to him, saying, "See that? That's my apprentice."
Several people nearby shook their heads and booed.
"That's Chen Yu? I think he's going to die!"
"Exactly! A mere disciple from the Middle Academy dares to challenge the Sword Guard Squad Leader? Isn't that just courting death?"
"Heh, insubordination will get him killed!"
"What skills could your apprentices possibly have? They're just asking for death! They're as dim-witted as you!"
Xiahou Fei, upon hearing this, remained unperturbed, his single eye brimming with confidence.
A few days earlier, he also believed that Chen Yu had no chance of winning.
After hearing that Chen Yu had initiated a life-or-death duel, Xiahou Fei went to persuade Chen Yu to give up the duel and run away as soon as possible.
This stemmed from a desire to protect his apprentice; he didn't want him to die in vain.
But Chen Yu told him that he had already broken through to the Bone Refining Realm, and that his willingness to accept the life-or-death duel was not a rash act.
Xiahou Fei finally felt more at ease and stopped worrying too much.
"Master, can Junior Brother Chen really win?"
Cheng Daqi asked timidly.
Although his master said that Chen Yu was no longer the same as before, he was still worried about what would happen if he were beaten to death.
"You'll definitely win! Daqi, just watch! The various styles and techniques displayed in a life-or-death duel between martial artists might offer you a lot of inspiration for your martial arts training!"
On the ring, Liu Chenyu cracked his knuckles as he moved them.
"Chen Yu, I thought you wouldn't dare to come."
His bone-refining voice was clear and resonant, indicating that he had at least reached the initial stage of bone refining.
Chen Yu heard it clearly, but didn't reply. He simply walked to the center of the arena.
He stood with his feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and arms outstretched, one in front of the other.
This is the posture he has practiced for many days, and it is also the most familiar starting posture of Linghu Gong.
"Oh, the Tiger's Claw Stance?"
Liu Chenyu scoffed.
"What's the point of this move other than standing there and getting hit? Why not call it the 'Cat Stretching its Claws' move?"
A burst of laughter erupted from the audience.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
"What kind of move is this? I've never seen it before, it looks so ridiculous!"
"This Chen Yu, I don't know where he learned his shoddy skills, dares to show off in front of my Senior Brother Liu?"
"I think he's about to die! Dare to bet me? This Chen Yu definitely won't live past ten breaths!"
Standing in the stands of the Intermediate People's Court, Ouyang Qing felt even more distressed upon hearing these words.
Ever since she returned from arranging Li Yangwei's funeral, she has been constantly urging Chen Yu to run away if possible and not to participate in this life-or-death duel.
After all, the opponent was the sergeant of the inner court's sword guards, not someone to be trifled with. A slight mistake could lead to certain death.
Despite Chen Yu's repeated assurances that he was confident of winning the life-or-death duel, she was still very worried.
Ouyang Qing didn't distrust Chen Yu; he just felt that there were always risks involved in the arena, no matter what.
Even if they are at the same level, they may still be no match for their opponent and be killed by them.
"Senior Sister Ouyang, Senior Sister Ouyang?"
Sha Bao shook Ouyang Qing's arm, pulling her back to reality from her thoughts.
"The duel is about to begin. I hope Senior Brother Chen Yu can win!"
As Sha Bao was speaking, Wu Chenyi, who was standing next to him, suddenly burst out laughing.
"Hahaha, are you dreaming? If Chen Yu wins, I'll kowtow to you three times right here and now!"
On the arena, Zhou Juncheng expressionlessly raised the gong, glanced at the two, and said, "Ready—"
"clang!"
As soon as the gong sounded, Liu Chenyu moved.
He was tall and incredibly fast, taking only two steps to reach Chen Yu.
"hiss!"
His right fist, wrapped in a sharp gust of wind, came straight at Chen Yu's face.
This punch is completely unadorned; it is the most basic punch in the Iron Bone Eighteen Strikes.
But when Liu Chenyu used it, the fist pierced the air with a hissing sound, and the power was obviously beyond the level of an ordinary beginner in bone refining.
This punch was simple, brutal, and swift; it was pure bullying.
They took advantage of Chen Yu's stance, which was a tiger crouching on a mountain, with his arms outstretched, leaving him no time to defend.
But he underestimated Chen Yu's reaction speed.
With the "Ape-like Arm" physique, Chen Yu's arm reaction speed was much faster than before.
Just as Liu Chenyu's fist was less than three inches from his face.
Chen Yuping suddenly pulled his outstretched right arm back, raised his forearm, and lowered his elbow, actually using a "Spiritual Ape Offering Fruit" move to block the punch.
"Bang!"
Their fists clashed, producing a dull thud.
Liu Chenyu's expression changed slightly.
He knew the force of that punch; it could crack even a two-inch-thick wooden board.
But Chen Yu's arm was like an iron rod, completely still.
He originally intended to knock this mere disciple of the Middle Courtyard to the ground with a single punch, making him look foolish in front of everyone.
But after that punch, he realized that things weren't as simple as he thought.
"Could it be... that he's also reached the Bone Refinement Realm?"
Liu Chenyu felt slightly uneasy, and his expression was no longer as calm and composed as before.
"We can't underestimate him; we have to go all out!"
Liu Chenyu roared, preparing to unleash the strongest strike from the Eighteen Iron Bone Strikes.
"Iron-Boned Mountain-Splitting Fist!"
Liu Chenyu's punch was filled with all his strength, and he charged towards Chen Yu with incredible momentum.
On the stands of the Intermediate People's Court, Ouyang Qing tightly closed his eyes, not daring to look down any further.
Sha Bao was also filled with worry. The power of that punch was truly astonishing, and she believed that Chen Yu was likely in grave danger.
"Hahaha! Did you see that! I told you he'd die soon, but you wouldn't believe me!"
Wu Chenyi smiled smugly.
"If that punch lands, he definitely won't survive!"
On the ring, the moment the punch came.
Chen Yu's legs suddenly sank, his knees bent to an almost extreme angle, making him look as if he had suddenly shrunk by half.
"call!"
Liu Chenyu's punch whistled past his head, the force of the blow making his scalp tingle.
At the same time, Chen Yu's right leg swept out horizontally along the ground.
With a move called "Tiger Tail Whip," the sword struck Liu Chenyu's foreleg ankle squarely.
This was a move he had used before when he was fighting for his life in the underground arena.
It's very simple, but very effective; it's a tried and true method.
"Thump!"
Liu Chenyu felt a sharp pain shooting through his ankle, and he instantly lost his balance.
He tilted to the left, the force of his punch still lingering, and his body fell sideways.
"Bang!"
Dust flew everywhere.
Liu Chenyu slumped to the edge of the ring, and a fist-sized lump quickly swelled up on his right ankle.
"Ugh! How awful! That's so insidious!"
He struggled to stand up, but the moment his ankle touched the ground, he winced in pain, and cold sweat poured down his forehead.
Chen Yu quickly stepped forward and stomped him to the ground.
"Tiger's might suppresses!"
Liu Chenyu tried to struggle, but his bone strength was lower than Chen Yu's. Chen Yu had applied the "bone softening" effect, causing his entire skeleton to tremble instinctively, his movements to become stiff by 20%, and his power efficiency to decrease by 15%.
"Aaaaah! Why? Why are my movements slowing down?"
Liu Chenyu kept waving his hands, trying to shield his face.
Chen Yu grabbed him by the chest, then raised his right fist high.
One punch.
Two punches.
Three punches.
Four punches.
"Spirit Tiger Fist - Tiger's Bone Roar!"
With his fifth punch, Chen Yu poured all his strength into this one blow, slamming it down hard on Liu Chenyu's head.
"Bang!"
The spherical bone fragment shattered and scattered instantly.
A cloud of blood mist rose, and the outcome was already clear!