The Thrill of a Fight

Knowing that so many formidable figures were coming for this ruin expedition, Li Hao took the matter seriously. At the Yuan Family Compound. Li Hao gave a brief overview of the situation. There was nothing he could do to help; all he could do was train diligently and strive to enter Thousand-Battler as soon as possible. Only then would he have the right to take part in battles between real powerhouses. In the courtyard, Li Hao resumed his martial training. His inner force was transforming toward the shape of a sword. It was a slow, drawn-out process. To Li Hao, it certainly felt long. Under normal circumstances, it would take several months. For many Hundred-Breakers, that was merely a transitional phase, not difficult to endure at all. In a few months, one would reach true Hundred-Breaker culmination—who would be in a rush? Li Hao was in a rush. To the side, Yuan Shuo leaned back in his wicker chair, lost in thought. The chair creaked under him. "Sun Yifei, the Eyebrow-Level Staff King," Yuan Shuo suddenly spoke up. "A master of the staff. Back then, a single eyebrow-level staff in his hands swept across Silver Moon, nearly invincible! "In those days, within Silver Moon's martial circles, swords had the Seven Swordsmen. Spears had the Three Spears of Silver Moon. Fists had the Twin Fists of North and South. And staffs... there was only the Eyebrow-Level Staff King! "A month for the staff, a year for the saber, a lifetime for the spear... The staff is easy to pick up, but hard to master! Yet Sun Yifei's staff technique reached the realm of perfection. Setting aside Thousand-Battler, at the Hundred-Breaker level, that fellow was truly terrifying!" Li Hao didn't interrupt. He continued practicing his fist forms, listening quietly. His teacher rarely spoke of the past. Hearing him take an interest now made Li Hao eager to listen. "Sun Yifei and I didn't actually have any grudge back then. To speak of deep enmity, there was none originally... But I was a bit younger than him, and he had a disciple around my age. "When we were young, what martial master wasn't hotheaded? Once, his disciple and I got into a dispute over some trivial matter. I was right in my explosive growth phase back then. When I struck, my punches were too heavy, and I killed the fellow in three hits." Yuan Shuo sighed with emotion. "For martial masters, striking often means killing... It was common enough. That was why the government's martial ban back then was actually right. Because of that incident, Sun Yifei and I formed a blood feud. Later, we agreed to a duel at Hengduan Canyon. There was a suspension sky bridge across the gorge back then. We fought on that bridge, agreeing that whoever was forced off would be the loser. "Sun Yifei was about ten years older than me. Fists fear youth and vigor, and I was right at my peak. As soon as the duel began, I took the upper hand. Using the Tiger Combat Art, I broke both his arms and snapped his eyebrow-level staff right in two... Unable to bear the humiliation, Sun Yifei jumped straight off the sky bridge. That bridge hung hundreds of meters above the canyon floor... I thought he was dead." Yuan Shuo sighed. "I never imagined he'd actually join Red Moon. From the looks of it, after Ying Hongyue was defeated by me back then, he founded Red Moon and probably roped in some of the martial masters I had beaten in the past." Li Hao couldn't help but ask curiously, "Teacher, Ying Hongyue was inferior to you back then. How was he able to build an organization as massive as Red Moon?" Twenty years ago, that man hadn't even been his teacher's match. "I'm not entirely sure. My fight with him was roughly twenty-five years ago. I was nearly fifty at the time, and he was a bit younger than me. He probably thought I was past my prime and wanted to use me as a stepping stone to make a name for himself... But by then, I had already grasped the Five Animals momentum, even if the forms weren't fully fused yet. Even so, I beat that fellow until he was down on his knees..." "Teacher, you've always believed in pulling weeds by their roots. Why didn't you kill him that time?" That was what puzzled Li Hao. How had his teacher left so many enemies alive? Yuan Shuo was speechless. "I don't just kill everyone! You make me sound like some devil incarnate. When I kill, it's usually because the heat of battle gets out of hand. Either the opponent was too weak, or too strong, or evenly matched..." And so people died. Li Hao thought about it, utterly dumbfounded. Whether they were strong, weak, or evenly matched, you killed them all... How were you *not* a devil? "Those like Ying Hongyue who didn't die had other reasons. Either they were tactful and surrendered the moment they saw they were losing, or they were gravely injured while I wasn't lightly hurt either, meaning fighting on would only bring mutual destruction. Or... they had backing, making it inconvenient to kill them." Yuan Shuo chuckled. "Ying Hongyue was the latter. He had someone behind him. I didn't know who it was, but during our match, I could sense someone had locked onto me, watching me closely. Looking back now... that person was either Hundred-Breaker culmination or a Thousand-Battler!" He smiled. "Your teacher isn't an idiot. The watcher probably intended the duel as a trial for Ying Hongyue. If I had really beaten him to death, I would've been in deep trouble." Well, that made sense now. Sun Yifei had jumped off a bridge, and his teacher thought he had plunged to his death. Ying Hongyue had powerful backing watching over him back then, so his teacher hadn't dared to deliver the fatal blow. Li Hao switched to sword practice, trading punches for a sword. His inner force surged and rippled, stacking four layers in an instant, a single thrust piercing the air! Yuan Shuo frowned. "Don't make that whistling crack. You think that's cool? To a real powerhouse, the moment your sword cuts the air with sound, they've already pinpointed your angle of attack. Unless it's an overwhelming mismatch, the moment your blade makes noise, you've lost!" Making a whistling sound with a sword thrust was easy. Executing a silent thrust, however, was exceptionally difficult for a martial master. A martial master's inner force was potent. When inner force erupted to overcome air resistance in a thrust, the instantaneous speed would surpass the speed of sound, naturally creating a sonic crack. Unless one maintained that supersonic speed continuously, so that by the time the sound reached the ears, the strike was already finished. Therefore, to make it silent, a strike had to be either blindingly fast or impossibly slow. Li Hao thrust again, but sound still broke out. When he held back his inner force and performed a simple, bare thrust, the sound indeed vanished, but the lethal power dropped to a laughably weak level. Li Hao frowned slightly. A silent strike... was truly hard! Yuan Shuo spoke again. "I'm not particularly adept with swords. But whether throwing a punch or thrusting a sword, the principle remains the same. Either it's a fast punch—so fast that by the time you hear the sound, I've already struck—or it's a slow punch, so slow that before you even notice, I've already landed the blow." Li Hao nodded; he had considered that as well. "Teacher, breaking the speed of sound... I'm still a bit short..." "Then make it slower!" Li Hao delivered a sluggish, deliberate thrust. It felt awkward. Yuan Shuo sighed in resignation. "Not slow like that. Have you seen how I normally practice the Five Animals Art?" "Yes. Health-nourishing fist forms, very slow... But when you fight, Teacher, you're blazing fast, not slow at all." Li Hao still couldn't wrap his head around it. "You still don't understand. Fast and slow aren't set in stone." Yuan Shuo explained, "I launch the punch slowly, but the detonation is fast! For example, say I'm five meters away from you. For the first four meters, my fist moves very slowly, so slowly you wouldn't even pay it any heed. But once I close in within one meter..." Mid-sentence, he rose and threw an unhurried punch toward Li Hao, completely soundless. Yet the moment it came within a meter of Li Hao, the fist's speed instantly surpassed the eye's ability to track. In the blink of an eye, Li Hao's hair whipped upward as Yuan Shuo's punch sheared off a cluster of strands. "Did you see that?" *Bang!* Only then did the air violently rupture, letting out a sharp sonic boom. Yuan Shuo said solemnly, "A martial match, a real battle, is the process of manufacturing lethal intent! We don't strive to make the fight look pretty. We have one objective: kill the opponent! "In other words, everything leading up to that moment is merely preparation for the final sword, the final punch! Everything before it is just groundwork to create an opening, until that ultimate moment when you achieve your goal and strike for an instant kill! That is real combat!" This was a true martial master, true killing art! In Yuan Shuo's words, every phase of battle was merely prelude, all serving that single finishing blow. Throughout that process, you maneuvered your fist or blade into the position it needed to reach, erupting in an instant at the very end to deliver the fatal strike. Whether secret arts or supernatural techniques, the ultimate purpose was always to kill. "Li Hao, you must remember: the end goal of every battle is to kill! There is no such thing as a friendly spar, understand? There is no holding back! From the moment martial arts were created, from the moment supernatural powers emerged, your extraordinary strength existed for one purpose—killing!" Li Hao nodded. "All that talk of practicing martial arts to build health and fitness... complete rubbish. That talk of supernatural powers benefiting society? Rubbish too. Without extraordinary power, can you not benefit society? Can you not build health? So, extraordinary power has only one purpose: killing!" Li Hao turned solemn and nodded once more. "You're coming with me to the ruins this time... Blood will be spilled!" Yuan Shuo said in a heavy voice, "And it won't be like before. Before, you could hide behind my back, you could ambush people from the shadows, all of that was fine... But this time, you may have to fight on your own, face danger all by yourself. I have countless enemies, countless foes who want my life. Even before you enter the ruins, the moment you arrive, your life may already be in jeopardy." Li Hao showed a hint of doubt. "They'll make a move before we even go inside?" "Hard to say," Yuan Shuo said uncertainly. "It depends on the situation. You're my closed-door disciple; everyone knows that. If traditional martial masters insist on holding me to traditional martial rules, you might have to step up and fight a few matches for me... It might not be them in person, but perhaps their students, disciples, or successors. "Even though supernaturals have risen and the martial path has declined, if martial masters truly want to talk rules with me, some rules... still have to be observed. When no one is looking, you can ignore them, but not when there's an audience." At this, he paused and said, "I'd rather you didn't go. But leaving you in Silver City makes me worry for your safety as well. How about I just send you off to White Moon City?" He felt that this time, danger loomed not just over himself, but over Li Hao too. When no one was around, Yuan Shuo never played by the rules. Yet when many people were present—including those stronger than him—one had to follow the rules, because at that point, the rules were actually there to protect you. Li Hao shook his head. Yuan Shuo sighed helplessly. He already knew the answer, but he had still wanted to try. Since Li Hao refused, he didn't bring it up again. "Fine, then. Keep training. Try to achieve inner force integration before we depart. Only then will you truly reach Hundred-Breaker culmination..." There might not be enough time, though. With that in mind, Yuan Shuo spoke again. "I know you too well, and my strength far exceeds yours, so I can't provide the right stimulation. Go find Liu Long and spar for real! Tell him that as long as he doesn't kill you, he can do whatever he wants." Li Hao drew in a breath. The captain might genuinely play rough. "Teacher..." "Enough nonsense, get going!" Yuan Shuo added, "Also, when you come back in the evenings over the next few days, I'll brief you on the basic situation of the ruins. You also need to gather some basic intelligence from the Night Watchers' side. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles." "Understood!" Li Hao pressed no further. He thought to himself: *If I go to the captain, I'll definitely have to reveal my full strength. It seems I won't be able to hide it any longer.* Indeed, the heavens always seemed to conspire against those who wished to stay low-key. …… At the Law Enforcement Building. Liu Long was busy with work. Hearing Li Hao's request, he was momentarily taken aback. "Spar with me?" "Not spar." Li Hao shook his head with an earnest expression. "I'm asking for Boss's guidance!" A spar? How could an early Hundred-Breaker spar with a Thousand-Battler? It was merely asking for some pointers. "I'm busy!" Liu Long said testily, "Where are your eyes? I've got a lot on my plate! If you want to spar, take your pick—anyone in the entire squad will do!" *You're only an early Hundred-Breaker. Who in the squad isn't stronger than you?* Of course, maybe this kid had consumed that Blood God Seed and reached mid Hundred-Breaker? So he'd grown overconfident? Even if he were mid Hundred-Breaker, so what? Was Liu Yan not good enough? She hadn't reached the mid-stage yet, but her combat experience was abundant—more than enough to handle him. If not her, then Wang Ming! With that thought, Liu Long added, "Go find Wang Ming. It'll give you some experience fighting a supernatural. You can't just expect to face martial masters forever; you know too little about supernaturals." "He won't do!" "Why not?" Liu Long asked, curious. Li Hao pondered for a second. "He... he isn't suited to pressure me into making a breakthrough. He has too little combat experience." *Good heavens!* Liu Long was stunned. *You're looking down on Wang Ming's combat experience?* The guy had carried out plenty of missions and had taken lives before. He had even killed a Solar Radiance recently... While people said Wang Ming lacked experience, that was only compared to veteran martial masters. In the supernatural realm, aside from those who constantly lived on the edge of a blade, he was hardly lacking. Yet Li Hao actually looked down on him! "I don't have time..." Seeing his captain refuse again, Li Hao had no choice but to say, "Boss, my teacher sent me." "..." Well, Liu Long had only advanced to Thousand-Battler thanks to Yuan Shuo. Now that Li Hao brought up his teacher, Liu Long was left without an excuse. Still, he was genuinely busy. Liu Long's thoughts took a fierce turn. *You little brat, I told you to find someone else, but you insisted on bothering me. Fine, today I'll show you why flowers are so red.* A thorough beating would ensure the kid never dared to ask him again. "Fine, right now! Once we're done, I get back to work and you do whatever you need to do." A smile spread across Li Hao's face. That was more like it. "Then Boss, let's head down to the basement. We'll wreck the floor up here..." "Fine!" Liu Long agreed promptly. *Just you wait.* *We'll make this quick, take care of you in an instant, and let you see that fighting me won't give you any useful experience at all. Utterly pointless.* The two made their way toward the basement. …… In the basement. The others weren't around, but Yun Yao was there. That woman usually stayed in the basement; heaven knew what she was always busy tinkering with. Li Hao wanted to ask her to step outside for a bit, but unfortunately, Yun Yao didn't even spare them a glance. Seeing them arrive, she went straight into her room, off to busy herself with who-knew-what. Liu Long had no intention of shooing anyone away either. He wanted to wrap this up quickly. Without even taking off his trench coat, he said bluntly, "Let's begin!" "..." Li Hao felt slightly insulted. *Boss, at least take off your coat.* *Forget it, that's what I get for being weak.* Before he could finish consoling himself, Liu Long added, "A few superficial injuries won't be a problem, right? Your teacher won't complain, will he?" *He really thinks of himself as a young master who needs pampering.* Li Hao was utterly at a loss for words. Without a word, he walked to the side and drew an ordinary sword. His own was far too sharp to swing around carelessly in practice. Grip firm on the hilt, he said, "Boss, I'll be using a sword!" "Whatever suits you!" Liu Long truly didn't care. Sword or fist, was there any difference? It would all end with him sending the kid flying in a single move. Li Hao inhaled deeply. The man before him was a Thousand-Battler powerhouse; it was only natural for him to look down on him. Li Hao wasn't angry in the slightest. He only felt that with Liu Long underestimating him like this, he might take advantage of that carelessness to score a few hits. As for getting beaten even worse afterward once Liu Long grew serious—perhaps that was precisely what his teacher wanted to see. Without genuine pressure, how could he force a breakthrough? "Boss, watch yourself!" Li Hao struck, his inner force erupting. The sword shot forward with an audible whistle. Liu Long glanced at it. *Decent form... but that's about it.* He didn't even use the Nine Refinements Force, just a simple burst of inner force, not even deploying his momentum. Using momentum against Li Hao would be overkill; he was genuinely afraid of battering the boy to death. A straightforward punch! No frills, no special tricks—just a single punch to knock Li Hao down and finish it. Li Hao's sword thrust came in. Halfway through, he suddenly withdrew the blade. Liu Long's punch had already shot forward, just about to connect with Li Hao's sword. Li Hao's sudden retraction caught Liu Long slightly off balance. He had been far too casual. And at that very moment, Li Hao thrust again. The motion was slow, his footwork shifting with ape-like agility to slip past the incoming fist, the sword gliding forward gently. A silent thrust. Not until the blade drew close to Liu Long did the hairs on the captain's neck suddenly stand on end! In that split second, Li Hao's sluggish sword accelerated to an absolute extreme, flashing like lightning straight toward Liu Long's throat. Li Hao had no intention of killing him, nor did he believe he could easily kill a Thousand-Battler. But he wanted his captain to know that underestimating him was a mistake. Underestimating anyone was a mistake! In that instant, Liu Long actually felt a prickle of lethal danger. His indifferent demeanor vanished completely. With a furious roar, he yanked his fist back, his right arm shuddering as a surging wave erupted. With a thunderous boom, he threw a heavy punch and rapidly retreated. Meanwhile, inner force burst from Li Hao, stacking layer upon layer along the blade. In the blink of an eye, the fourth layer of inner force cascaded forth. *Clang!* Liu Long was a Thousand-Battler after all; his punch was blindingly fast. His fist struck the sword blade, producing the ringing clash of metal on metal. Yet before he could celebrate, Li Hao kept the sword swinging while his foot stomped the floor. The ground shuddered. Though Liu Long stood firm as a mountain, the tremors still made him sway ever so slightly. Astonished, Liu Long shifted his fist into a claw, seizing the blade to yank Li Hao forward. An ordinary sword could hardly harm him. Just as he went to pull, Li Hao abruptly let go of the hilt. His fingers hooked into claws as he seized Liu Long's arm, inner force surging into his fingertips. He locked onto Liu Long's arm with a vice grip, digging five bloody holes straight into the flesh. A sharp pang shot through Liu Long's arm. His inner force surged outward, releasing in an external burst. With a muffled pop, Li Hao's fingers were repelled. Li Hao instantly withdrew his hands and sprang forward like a pouncing tiger, aiming a Black Tiger Steals the Heart straight at Liu Long's chest. Liu Long was still hesitating over whether to unleash his momentum and the Nine Refinements Force... In that split second of hesitation, Li Hao's eyes suddenly flashed like lightning. Glaring at Liu Long, his mouth parted slightly, and in the next breath, a roar like that of a savage tiger shattered the air! *"Roar!"* The soundwave blasted forward with a boom. Pinned by Li Hao's glare, Liu Long was thoroughly shaken—not because Li Hao was too strong, but because... Li Hao had infused inner force into his eyes! That was a sign found only in the late Hundred-Breaker stage. And that tiger roar had been timed to absolute perfection. At this moment, Liu Long could hold back no longer. Li Hao... had reached culmination! No, half-step culmination. He had grasped the embryo of momentum, falling short by just a sliver. His inner force had yet to achieve complete integration, but someone like this could no longer be treated with casual disregard. Liu Long's Nine Refinements Force erupted. This time, it wasn't just his arms; surging waves rose across his chest as his inner force released externally, waves stacking upon waves. With a resounding boom, his inner force collided with Li Hao's palm. The immense recoil sent sprays of blood bursting from Li Hao's hand. Yet as if feeling no pain, Li Hao stomped the floor once more, shaking the earth. Fists and feet moving in unison! In that instant, Liu Long was actually forced back half a step. He still hadn't used his full power, but even so, given his experience and strength, being forced back a step by Li Hao—even caught off guard—was an astonishing feat. "Boss, you're not cutting it!" Li Hao taunted, deliberately provoking him. Liu Long opened his mouth to reply, but another massive roar instantly cut him off. *"Roar!"* Liu Long growled in irritation. He struck out with another punch, fierce and swift, slamming directly into Li Hao's reaching hand. A sickening crunch echoed as Li Hao's hand nearly fractured under the impact. It had been an instinctive punch, and Liu Long regretted it immediately—he had hit too hard! Yet before he could pull back, Li Hao's palm swiped forward with a wet rip. The claw shredded Liu Long's trench coat and gouged into his arm again, tearing open five more bloody punctures and leaving five long, weeping gashes. Liu Long's face changed completely. He rapidly fell back several paces, dodging Li Hao's follow-up assault, staring in utter disbelief. "Culmination..." Hundred-Breaker culmination! *Damn it!* *Have I gone mad, or has Li Hao?* "Boss, again!" Ignoring his shock, Li Hao stomped the ground, kicking the fallen sword up into his hand. The next instant, the memory of that transcendent strike resurfaced in his mind. The strike that severed the heavens and the earth! Thrust! Fast! This time, he pursued absolute speed, delivering a strike that left an enemy nowhere to flee. Yet before the strike could fully launch, the ordinary sword abruptly shattered. Li Hao halted in his tracks, frowning slightly. Across from him, the hairs on Liu Long's neck stood on end once more. He couldn't help shouting, "Hold it!" He stared hard at Li Hao. "That strike of yours... what kind of sword technique was that?" Before the blade had even launched, it had shattered under the strain. Though it was an ordinary sword, anything kept in this basement was of decent quality. Yet under that terrifying murderous intent, it had cracked to pieces. Li Hao sighed helplessly. "My teacher taught it to me. He wanted me to spar with you, Boss, so I could integrate my inner force and condense it into the form of a sword." "No... that's not right!" Liu Long shook his head. "Aren't you... fusing the earth momentum?" He was thoroughly bewildered. Why was he trying to fuse his inner force into a sword? "Offense and defense in one!" With those words, Liu Long understood. His eyes widened in shock—this kid wanted to fuse two kinds of momentum. He looked down at his arm. Ten bloody holes were gouged into the flesh from Li Hao's two claw strikes. His trench coat was ruined, and Li Hao's very first abrupt thrust had even left a faint cut across his chest. Liu Long was completely speechless! He looked at Li Hao. Li Hao's palm was split open, but overall, he looked better off than Liu Long did. A Thousand-Battler, pushed to such straits... even if he had been far too careless at the start. "I underestimated you!" Liu Long sighed with feeling, his expression turning solemn. "No wonder you kept insisting on training with me. So that's it—you want me to push you into completing your inner force integration, right?" "Right!" "If you had said so earlier, I wouldn't have taken you so lightly..." Li Hao gave an innocent smile. "I was afraid you wouldn't believe me, Boss!" *Damned brat!* Liu Long was speechless, though to be fair, Li Hao was right. If Li Hao had claimed earlier that he needed him to complete his inner force integration, would he have believed it? Not a chance in hell. Just as Liu Long was about to speak, Yun Yao watched the two of them from deep in the basement and said coldly, "If you're going to fight, just fight. Stop roaring! You're making it impossible to get any peace!" With that, she turned and went back into her room. Yet stormy waves churned in her heart. Li Hao... had actually forced the Thousand-Battler captain to retreat and bleed. Even knowing the captain had underestimated him, who was Li Hao? A month ago, he had been an ordinary mortal, someone Chen Jian could swat away with a single slap. And now, in the blink of an eye, he was trading blows with a Thousand-Battler. *A genius? A monster? Or... is the bloodline of the Eight Great Families truly that miraculous?* Back in her room, Yun Yao could not calm down for a long time. Memories of dust-laden past events rose unbidden to her mind. Could this squad truly rise? Could it really grow powerful enough by then? Originally, that had seemed impossible. Formed over three years ago, more than twenty members had died. The strongest was a Hundred-Breaker, and the rest were mere Ten-Slayers. They had been far too weak! Perhaps passable in Silver City, but in White Moon City, they were nothing more than a bottom-tier operational unit. In the central regions... they would be no better than a village defense militia. Indeed, some central villages could muster greater strength than this; in war-torn areas, surviving villages had defense squads stronger than theirs. Yet ever since Li Hao joined, in less than a month, the team's strength had undergone a world-shaking transformation. At this moment, Yun Yao was filled with bewilderment. …… Outside. Li Hao looked somewhat embarrassed. *Was the roar too loud?* *Forget it, I won't roar next time.* Against a prepared captain, roaring wouldn't do much good anyway. Putting it out of his mind, he looked at Liu Long. "Boss, show some real skill! Like this, how are you going to force me to go all out?" "Fine!" This time, Liu Long smiled. "I truly underestimated you earlier. Li Hao, you're even more... terrifying than I imagined!" Not his raw strength, but the speed of his progress. *In that case, I won't hold back anymore.* *I'll show you that a Thousand-Battler is truly on a different level from a Hundred-Breaker.* The next instant, Liu Long threw a punch, unleashing a surging, tempestuous wave. He had even brought out his momentum. Li Hao felt himself locked down instantly, weighed down by an oppressive aura. However, he had already endured Yuan Shuo's momentum; this much was not enough to suppress him. Planting his feet, his earth momentum erupted. Inner force and vitality surged forth like a soaring dragon. Li Hao stomped down, standing as unshakable as a mountain. The moment his footing stabilized, he bounded forward, lunging straight at Liu Long. Four limbs, two pairs of fists, collided in rapid succession. Li Hao went for a direct, frontal assault! Liu Long was shocked once again. *A direct assault?* *I'm a Thousand-Battler, and you're charging straight into me?* Yet at this moment, what Li Hao threw was not the power of the Five Animals. Sword qi seemed to coat his fists. Indeed, with the sword shattered, Li Hao thought to use his body as a blade. His physique was plenty robust. A punch shot out like a sharp blade. With a squelch, the skin on Li Hao's fist split open, exposing white bone. Yet Liu Long, too, was cut by that razor-sharp fist—his fist was literally as sharp as a blade! Under that collision, both of Liu Long's fists bled, bone faintly visible beneath the skin. "A sword?" Liu Long grew more astonished by the second. What kind of secret art was this? The destructive power was terrifying! Not only that, the suffocating pressure it exuded was breathtaking. Yuan Shuo knew sword techniques like this? He had never heard of such a thing! "Break!" Liu Long barked, throwing another punch while lashing out with a kick, raising another towering wave. At the same time, Li Hao wielded his fist like a blade. His punch barreled straight toward the surging wave. In the next breath, his fist turned into a claw—he wanted to imitate Yuan Shuo and seize Liu Long's momentum directly. "Such gall!" Liu Long laughed out of sheer exasperation. *I'm a Thousand-Battler!* *Your boldness knows no bounds.* *Boom!* The wave detonated within Li Hao's grip, unleashing a ferocious burst of inner force that mangled Li Hao's palm like a sieve, blood dripping down drop by drop. Only then did Li Hao truly appreciate the terrifying might of a Thousand-Battler. Yet he was ecstatic. It wasn't recklessness; he simply wanted to test how strong a Thousand-Battler was, how mighty momentum truly was. Now, he knew. Immense! The scene he had witnessed that day resurfaced in his mind once more. Severing the heavens, severing the earth, severing longevity! Momentum or not, beneath that one strike, everything was annihilated. At this moment, sword intent surfaced in his eyes. Inner force erupted, coalescing outside his body into the shape of a blade, slashing downward! *Hum!* A whistling sonic crack rang out, but by the time the sound emerged, the sword qi had already sheared forward, cleanly cleaving the draconic wave. The surging wave that had just shredded Li Hao's palm was wiped out instantly by this externally manifested sword of inner force. The wave died out. Seizing the momentum, Li Hao charged forward, gripping his sword of inner force. Just as he went to slash again, a fist slammed forward with a thunderous bang, shattering the sword of inner force into pieces. Li Hao coughed up blood! Liu Long didn't press the attack. He simply stared down at his palm, where a fresh line of blood had appeared. Liu Long looked back at Li Hao. After a long silence, he finally said, "Starting today, spar with me for an hour every day! Forget everything else—forget your fists, forget your Five Animals Art. Use your sword of inner force to spar with me!" "An hour?" Li Hao blinked. Liu Long frowned. "Too much? It's not that long. If you can endure an hour every day, I believe that by the end of the month, you can officially step into culmination and achieve inner force integration!" For a martial master, an hour was remarkably long. Battles typically concluded within a few minutes. Yet Li Hao broke into a smile. "Boss... how about... we fight until we're completely exhausted? What do you say?" "Are you sure?" Liu Long calculated in his head. For a peak Hundred-Breaker, fighting to utter exhaustion was about the same as an hour anyway. He nodded. "Makes no difference to me!" Li Hao smiled widely. *You said it yourself.* As for exhaustion... how could that happen? Sword energy was supreme! He would absorb sword energy and keep fighting with his Thousand-Battler captain endlessly. A free Thousand-Battler sparring partner was simply too magnificent. "Boss, then let's start right now!" "Now? You can still fight?" "Of course!" "Alright, then!" Liu Long had no objections. At this point, he cast his other work aside—what was so urgent about paperwork anyway? Could anything be more important than helping Li Hao step into Hundred-Breaker culmination? The next instant, the two clashed again. A short while later, with a heavy thud, Li Hao took a punch and collapsed onto the ground, unable to move. Liu Long exhaled a slight breath of relief. He had consumed energy as well, about twenty to thirty percent, and fighting for extended periods was tiring. He had finally worn the kid down. Just as he was about to rest, Li Hao, who had looked like a corpse seconds ago, suddenly sprang straight back up. The next moment, brimming with vigor, Li Hao charged in like a madman! Liu Long froze... There was no time to gawk. Li Hao's assault was utterly frenzied, and every strike carried immense force. Liu Long had the distinct impression that if he hadn't broken through to Thousand-Battler, a momentary slip in his previous state might have seen him slain by Li Hao's blade! Though Liu Long was a Thousand-Battler, he couldn't go all out for fear of killing the boy. Holding back his strength proved exhausting in its own right. After who knew how long, he sent Li Hao flying once more. A few more cuts marked his own body, all dealt by Li Hao's blade, while Li Hao's injuries were far more severe. Yet less than a minute later... here he came again! "Boss, keep going!" …… Again and again, Li Hao felt as though he had discovered a new world. He was overjoyed. Having a Thousand-Battler as a sparring partner meant he didn't need to hold back at all—he could just hit as hard as he wanted. He couldn't kill Liu Long anyway! *Bang! Bang! Bang!* Throughout the entire basement, from one in the afternoon until past five, the clashes continued unabated. Six o'clock, seven o'clock... Until Yun Yao finally emerged again, looking thoroughly irritated. "Are you two done today or not? Aren't you eating? Aren't you resting? You've been fighting from one in the afternoon until now—seven whole hours!" *Phoo...* Liu Long was panting heavily. Even as a Thousand-Battler, fighting someone for seven hours straight left him on the verge of collapse. Li Hao was gasping violently too, looking dazed. "Se... seven hours already?" *That went by so fast!* *I thought only an hour or two had passed.* Yun Yao looked at the two blood-drenched men. Li Hao was one thing, but Liu Long's trench coat was completely gone, leaving him standing there in just his boxers. She was utterly speechless. The captain was a Thousand-Battler... How had he ended up like this? Furthermore, Liu Long was covered in numerous bloody gashes, many still oozing red. Liu Long caught his breath for several moments before wheezing, "How about... we call it a day?" He needed rest! Something was wrong with Li Hao—severely wrong. A Hundred-Breaker fighting for seven hours? Any normal Hundred-Breaker wouldn't even have a wisp of inner force left, let alone the strength to stand. Yet Li Hao looked as if he could still go on! Li Hao's throat was parched. He nodded. "Alright... tomorrow we continue... Boss, do you... need treatment? Can you recover by tomorrow?" "Minor issue!" "That's good, then..." Panting, Li Hao gave a thumbs-up. "Boss, you're... incredible!" Liu Long offered a faint, bitter smile. *So all I get is a single 'incredible'?* *I must have lost my mind to agree to fight you every single day!* "Boss, I'll come early tomorrow morning... around six. Let's go for the whole day... today wasn't enough..." With that, Li Hao turned and walked toward the exit. Behind him, Yun Yao waited until he opened the door and saw Liu Yan and the others standing outside before saying coldly, "Your clothes are practically gone. Does letting that shameless woman ogle you make you happy?" At the doorway, Liu Yan folded her arms, looking him up and down with a foxy grin. "Not bad at all. A bit bloody, but otherwise pale and tender. Must feel quite nice to the touch!" Li Hao glanced at her helplessly. He felt no embarrassment; if she wanted to look, let her look. It wasn't as if he weren't wearing boxers. He went back to put on a fresh set of clothes. At the door, Liu Yan watched for a moment before her smile faded. She looked at Liu Long, then said after a pause, "Boss, once you're done sparring with him, spar with me!" "..." *Get lost!* With a dark face, Liu Long walked straight inside to change. *Spar my foot!* Clearly, Liu Yan had been provoked. Judging by Liu Long's state, Li Hao's strength had far exceeded everyone's expectations. Saying nothing further, Liu Yan walked in and surveyed the basement. Many sections of the floor were shattered and cracked. Sizing up the damage, her heart trembled. *Too strong!* Glancing at Yun Yao, she walked over and asked softly, "What level?" "Culmination!" Yun Yao shot her a glance, dropped those two words, and went straight back into her room. Liu Yan stood frozen in place. Culmination! Hundred-Breaker culmination! She had assumed that even if Li Hao reached Hundred-Breaker, his progress couldn't possibly be that fast. Yet... Li Hao was already at culmination! In that instant, she felt a mixture of dejection, envy, and jealousy. The next second, she barged straight into Yun Yao's room, gritting her teeth as she whispered, "Tonight, you and I fight! I'm at the peak of early Hundred-Breaker, and you're Lunar Nether Crescent Moon. Our strength is evenly matched. Do you want to make progress or not?" Yun Yao was about to speak, but Liu Yan cut in, keeping her voice low. "Absorbing mysterious energy normally is too slow. Only fighting to the brink of death accelerates absorption! I've been annoyed by you for ages anyway. When I hit you... I won't hold back!" "Likewise!" Yun Yao had intended to refuse, but thinking of everything that had happened today, she suddenly agreed. With a cold snort, she said frostily, "I'll smash you to pieces!" Liu Yan puffed out her chest with a sneer. "I'm just afraid that even if I hit you, you won't burst—you might actually grow a little bigger instead. I'll gladly grant your wish!" In that small room, the clash of sharp daggers and cold blades seemed to ignite the air. …… Meanwhile, Li Hao had changed into fresh clothes and made a run for it. He was starving! He felt as though he could devour an entire ox. No beef, though. He was going back to absorb the power of the five elements. He felt he could take in another hundred cubic meters tonight! He would gorge himself, then head to the Inspectorate first thing tomorrow morning to brawl with the captain again. *What a thrill!* Joy bubbled up in Li Hao's heart. The visceral, bone-rattling impact of fist against flesh left him exhilarated. Fighting was truly exhilarating—far more thrilling than ambushing people from the shadows. Not only that, Li Hao felt that at this rate, he might achieve inner force integration in just a few days. Under normal circumstances, that would take months. Yet no one else could fight for seven hours straight while remaining in peak condition the entire time. And his sparring partner had stayed with him for seven continuous hours—a partner ordinary people could never hope to find. …… At that moment. Back in the Law Enforcement Building, Liu Long sneezed. A sudden dread seized him... *Do we really have to fight every day until we leave for the ruins?* He was afraid he wouldn't hold up. When all was said and done, a Thousand-Battler was still made of flesh and blood.