Looking down at the two sharp, silver daggers shimmering on the ground before him, Zhao Xuanqi narrowed his eyes as a hundred thoughts raced through his mind.
'Two short daggers?'
'What does this mean?'
'Has what I did at Hengsheng Warehouse been discovered?'
'The Sanshui Gang shouldn't have the resources to trace it back to me this quickly. Did the Martial Arts Hall use its channels and power to investigate? Or perhaps, was it this True Inheritance Senior Brother Liu in front of me who personally looked into it?'
'I had only considered the Sanshui Gang before. I never expected the Martial Arts Hall to dig this deep, let alone connect it to the incident with Deng Zhuo.'
'The Martial Arts Hall's influence in Celestial Sea Prefecture is truly formidable...'
'Of course, I covered my tracks well enough. The Martial Arts Hall most likely only has suspicions, not concrete evidence.'
'However, for the Martial Arts Hall, evidence isn't that important. Suspicion alone is reason enough. But judging by the current situation, it doesn't look like they intend to condemn me. Otherwise, this Senior Brother Liu wouldn't be questioning me like this.'
'A test, perhaps?'
'Perhaps this is also my chance to test the Martial Arts Hall's attitude.'
"Senior Brother, what is the meaning of this? I don't understand."
Zhao Xuanqi raised his head and looked at Liu Changfeng, his expression calm as he asked the question.
'Even if I've been exposed, I can never admit it.'
"Still hiding? You underestimate the Martial Arts Hall's power, and you underestimate its magnanimity. They were just ten lowly dockworkers. What's the difference between killing them and slaughtering chickens?"
"The annals of Martial History record more than a few famous generals who drew first blood at eight and had taken over a hundred heads by twelve. What does a little feat like yours even amount to?"
"Show me your true strength. Otherwise, you won't be walking out of this Martial Arts Hall today."
Liu Changfeng said in a level tone, his gaze fixed on Zhao Xuanqi.
He then saw Zhao Xuanqi fall silent for a moment before slowly bending down to pick up the two daggers. Liu Changfeng's eyes narrowed, and he felt a jolt in his heart.
'So it really was this kid?'
Over the past month of investigation, though he'd found clues pointing to Zhao Xuanqi, he'd never uncovered conclusive proof. His actions today, at the end of the special training, were indeed meant to test Zhao Xuanqi. And even though Zhao Xuanqi had flatly denied it, Liu Changfeng was now almost certain.
It was true, as he'd said, that the annals of Martial History were filled with young men who had already slain countless foes. But every one of them was a legendary expert whose name was passed down through the ages. They were anything but ordinary.
For someone of Zhao Qi's age, without access to any Secret Transmission, to be capable of such a feat was already astonishing.
"I don't know what you meant by that, Senior Brother, but since you wish to offer me guidance in the martial arts, I, Zhao Qi, would not dare refuse."
Zhao Xuanqi had already made up his mind. 'Since the Martial Arts Hall has investigated this far, I have to show some real skill, or I'll never be able to bluff my way out of this.'
He held the two daggers, one in a forward grip and the other in a reverse grip, crouched slightly, and tightened his core, settling into the Tiger Form Boxing Stance. Though his frame wasn't large or powerful, his entire aura transformed in that instant.
He was like a gaunt tiger coiled in the shadows, stalking its prey. Famished after three days and nights, it was nothing but skin and bone, but that only made its hunger for its prey more intense, its attack more insidious, vicious, and reckless.
That chilling gaze, along with the two sharp daggers that looked like a tiger's fangs, stimulated Liu Changfeng's senses.
The muscles all over his body involuntarily tensed, his pores constricted, and the hairs on his skin stood on end. A wild smile slowly spread across his face, causing the cross-shaped scar on his left cheek to contort with his facial muscles, making it look even more ferocious and terrifying.
His large frame slowly unfurled, his chest and back broadening as his bones let out a series of CRACKLES. He slowly squatted, his hands forming into claws as he, too, assumed a Tiger Form Stance.
The aura he exuded was completely different from Zhao Xuanqi's.
It was one of ferocious, Overbearing Fury, like a true king of the mountains looking down upon all life in the forest, armed with a terrifying physique and formidable hunting techniques.
"I won't use my seniority to bully you. I'll stick to the Nine Tiger Forms and won't use any more advanced Secret Transmission abilities. If you can so much as scratch me, you win. I'll grant you five portions of Secret Medicine."
Liu Changfeng said to Zhao Xuanqi.
"Then be careful, Senior Brother."
Zhao Xuanqi's face was calm. Before the words had even left his mouth, his feet moved, and his entire body shot forward.
His body shot forward like an arrow, power surging up from the soles of his feet and traveling link by link all the way to his palms!
CRACK!!
A faint crack split the air as the dagger in Zhao Xuanqi's right hand shot toward Liu Changfeng's chest. Propelled by Sound Force, the tip of the dagger pierced the air, letting out a soft SWISH.
It was as fast as a lightning strike!
After a month of training, the Physical Ability of Zhao Qi's body had been massively enhanced!
As a Martial Arts Hall True Inheritance disciple, Liu Changfeng's Martial Arts Cultivation had to be beyond the peak of Cross-Training; Zhao Xuanqi was certain of it from his observations of Liu's physique.
The muscles, skin, and fascia of an expert like him would have been tempered by Pile Skill, Secret Medicine, and Secret Techniques, making them incredibly tough. With Zhao Qi's current Physical Ability, even with a sharp blade, a normal attack would struggle to break the skin of such a master and could be easily blocked. Only by using Sound Force to maximize the attack's power could he pose a credible threat.
This was no time to conserve stamina. If his attack wasn't threatening enough, Liu Changfeng would likely counter him in a single move!
Black Tiger Heart Stealing!!
Amateurs see the spectacle, but experts see the technique.
Zhao Xuanqi's move seemed simple, but from the initial lunge to the Power Generation to the targeting of the dagger's tip, everything followed a single, straight line.
Concise, fast, and vicious!
Moreover, his assessment of his opponent was spot on; he unleashed his full power from the start, with no probing attacks.
Liu Changfeng couldn't help but admire him. 'If Zhao Xuanqi had dared to make a probing attack, I would've just taken it on my hide and subdued him instantly.'
'But now, propelled by Sound Force, the dagger's lethality is greatly increased. Even I wouldn't dare take that head-on.'
'It wouldn't be a fatal wound, but according to our agreement, if I get injured, I lose the match.'
'Still, does he really think such a straightforward attack can work on me?'
'I'm more proficient in the Nine Tiger Forms than you are!'
A smile touched Liu Changfeng's lips. He instantly judged the trajectory of the attack and, at the precise moment the dagger would have connected, twisted his body to the side, allowing the blade to skim perilously past his chest.
Then, using the momentum of the turn, he generated power and whipped a clawed hand straight for the nape of Zhao Xuanqi's neck.
The dodge and counterattack happened in the span of a hair's breadth—a clean and simple motion that showcased his rich combat experience and immense self-confidence.
However, Zhao Xuanqi was no slouch. His own Martial Dao experience surpassed even Liu Changfeng's, and he had already anticipated his opponent's move.
Although his initial strike missed, he didn't pull back or halt his momentum. Instead, he suddenly dropped low, using the force from his lunge to smoothly curl his body into a ball.
Liu Changfeng thought his prey was trapped, unable to escape his claw. But at the exact instant it should have landed, Zhao Xuanqi's neck vanished. He could even feel the faint brush of skin on skin.
A miss is as good as a mile!
'He didn't even stop his momentum? Was that first move a deliberate feint? What audacity!'
Liu Changfeng's eyes narrowed. That last exchange had seemed ordinary, but it was exceptionally dangerous. If Zhao Xuanqi had been a fraction of a second slower, his Tiger Claw would have closed around his neck, ending the match instantly. It was like dancing on a razor's edge.
Even he hadn't expected Zhao Xuanqi to employ such a daring tactic, but if it succeeded, it would be a stroke of absolute genius!
Curl, and roll!!
After rolling to dodge, Zhao Xuanqi explosively pushed off the ground with both legs, reversing his direction and closing in on Liu Changfeng's flank and back!
The daggers in both hands swung out viciously as he unleashed Sound Force from both at once.
One dagger swung high and the other low, their arcs covering most of Liu Changfeng's torso.
Evil Tiger Tail Cutting!
A momentary underestimation and misjudgment had cost Liu Changfeng the initiative!