Chapter 22: Dragon Tiger Vajra

After falling to the ground, Zhao Tiejun let out a roar and tried to scramble up, but a pair of large hands already pinned his neck with astonishing force, locking his left arm in a reverse grip; no matter how he strained every ounce of his strength, he could not rise.

In the end, he had no choice but to slam his hand against the ground with a flushed face to signal his surrender.

Seeing Lu Yuan subdue a seasoned veteran like Zhao Tiejun without much effort, as if an adult were hitting a child, the expressions of those around him—newcomers and veterans alike—were no longer just astonishment, but deep awe.

Lu Yuan released the other man, stood up, and said politely:

"I concede the win."

A full month had passed, and under the nourishment and strengthening of the Ingestion Technique, his physique, Qi and blood, and physical strength had all risen once more, increasing by another thirty percent.

Furthermore, through persistent practice of the Guiding Technique every night, he had completed one-third of the Hundred Days Foundation Establishment process, opening up six Qi Pulses.

The effects of the Cleansing Marrow and Cutting Tendons brought about by Zen Meditation Sitting and the opening of the Qi Pulses allowed the impurities in his body to be gradually expelled, leaving him clean inside and out with obvious changes.

With all these factors combined, although he was still at the stage of practicing strength and had not yet begun Changing Tendons and Forging Bones, his tendons, bones, strength, and physique had all reached a level far exceeding that of mere strength training.

"Good!"

As the match concluded, Li Junxian was the first to exclaim in praise from his grand armchair, and only then did the others snap out of their daze and begin to applaud and cheer.

Xu Dahu and Xu Erhu muttered to each other while clapping:

"It's only been a month since he broke through to strength training, and Junior Brother's physique and strength can easily suppress all the veterans in the garden. Is he even human?"

"His strength is about the same as mine now, isn't it? What on earth is this guy made of? It's simply incomprehensible."

"All the martial arts we've practiced for these years have gone to the dogs; it really is infuriating to compare people."

At this moment, Lu Yuan had already competed against three veteran Wrestlers in succession, and without exception, he had won each match with ease.

Most people could see that the reason he was able to win was not due to any sophisticated technique, but simply because of his unimaginably great strength, which allowed him to flip and pin his opponents in an incredibly simple and brutal fashion.

It was precisely because of this that it felt so shocking.

"Alright, A Yuan, come over here. The rest of you, go and rest."

After waving for the others, including Xu Dahu and Xu Erhu, to disperse, Li Junxian summoned Lu Yuan to his front and smiled helplessly:

"Normally, you shouldn't be participating in the Mid-Level Ring just after starting strength training, but with your current tendons, bones, and strength, I doubt you could find another strength-training expert in all of Fengyang Prefecture who could wrestle with you, so I won't stop you."

Lu Yuan cupped his hands and said respectfully:

"Master, rest assured. This disciple will certainly do his best to take first place and will not tarnish your reputation."

"Being able to take you as my disciple is probably the most correct thing this old man has done in his life."

Li Junxian sighed with extreme gratification:

"I had originally intended to wait another two or three months before teaching you the Dragon Tiger Vajra Fist to temper and polish your tendons and bones, but now it seems that would only delay your progress in Martial Arts. So be it."

As he spoke, he took a thin booklet from his bosom:

"This is the Dragon Tiger Vajra Fist manual I hand-copied myself, which also includes my insights and experiences on all the moves. Take it back and study it carefully; once you are generally familiar with the training methods, I will come to teach you personally."

Lu Yuan took it with both hands, deeply moved, and said respectfully:

"This disciple thanks Master for passing on the technique!"

There is a saying that once a master teaches a disciple, the master goes hungry; whether they are Martial Masters or craftsmen, many will set a long observation period for their disciples, and they would never teach core skills without three or five years of testing.

The Dragon Tiger Vajra Fist belonged to the true teachings of the Shenquan Sect and was more advanced than the Divine Intent Stake; to receive such a teaching only three months after becoming a disciple, the trust involved went without saying.

"A master for a day is a father for life. I have no offspring, so you and Dahu and the others are like my own sons. Why the thanks?"

Li Junxian said slowly:

"To be honest, your constitution is so unique and your potential so astonishing that I have never heard of anything like it. If you continue to develop this way, you will surely become a great expert who shakes the region in the future, and reaching the realm of a Martial Arts Master or Grandmaster is not a pipe dream.

I worry that in a few years, I might not be able to teach you anymore and will only hinder your future. Even staying here in the Boxiyuan is a waste of your talent. Do you feel aggrieved or have any other thoughts?"

"Of course not. This disciple is very happy here in the Boxiyuan."

Lu Yuan said with genuine sincerity:

"They say a master leads you to the door, but the cultivation is up to the individual. This disciple was originally just a refugee fleeing a disaster, and I am already very satisfied to have been fortunate enough to be chosen by you and taken into the Shenquan Sect as a disciple. I have no other requests."

Seeing the sincerity in Lu Yuan's eyes, Li Junxian nodded slightly and said with gratification:

"Good, now that you've said that, Master is relieved. You are still in the stage of laying your foundation, so you can stay in the Boxiyuan for the time being. Once you have learned enough, I will recommend you within the sect, or find a way to help you re-register to participate in the Martial Examination to make a name for yourself. I will never hinder your future."

This was truly for his own sake. Although Lu Yuan, who had begun cultivating immortality, was already on the brightest path and did not care about these things, he was still moved:

"Thank you, Master, for planning my future."

After returning, Lu Yuan immediately studied the "Dragon Tiger Vajra Fist" given by Li Junxian.

This fist technique was divided into training methods and fighting methods; the former was used to temper the tendons and bones, eventually allowing one to forge Dragon Tendons and Tiger Bones, possessing the strength of a thousand jun.

The latter was purely a technique for combat, with moves that were grand, imposing, fierce, and powerful.

The entire set of fist techniques was more than ten times harder than the Divine Intent Stake and clearly could not be mastered in a day. Lu Yuan first studied the training methods, spending half a day just to memorize all the stances.

Then, it was another night of sitting in meditation to cultivate immortality.

After waking up the next day, he finished his morning lessons and continued to study and practice the manual, not ending his practice until the afternoon.

Today was the day the Mid-Level Ring competition began. After resting for a while, he changed into his Wrestling Uniform and headed to the Front Garden arena with the other seven participating sect members.

By the time he arrived, the arena was already bustling with noise. The influence and popularity of the Mid-Level Ring for the strength-training level were indeed much higher than the Low-Level Ring, and the stands, which were usually only seventy or eighty percent full, were packed to capacity.

Wishing for as many people as possible, Lu Yuan went straight to draw lots with his fellow contestants to determine their numbers and opponents.

In addition to the invited forces, the Mid-Level Ring also attracted many rogue martial artists who were after the two-hundred Silver Yuan prize money, so there were not many fewer contestants than in the Low-Level Ring.

For the match he was participating in today, the number of contestants had reached an astonishing forty-eight.

However, for the current Lu Yuan, as long as they were at the strength-training level, it made no difference how many came.

"Brother Lu!?"

While waiting in the holding area, the Protector He Xiong, who was specifically in charge of maintaining order in the Front Garden, saw Lu Yuan and walked over with his subordinates, asking in great surprise:

"Why have you come to participate in the Mid-Level Ring so soon?"

It wasn't just about fame and influence; the difficulty of the Mid-Level Ring was not on the same level as the Low-Level Ring.

Most of the contestants here were experienced and seasoned, and the situation in the ring was much more brutal.

He had also heard before that Lu Yuan seemed to have exceptional talent, having reached the Force Refining Realm just last month, but it was undoubtedly very surprising that he had come to participate in the Mid-Level Ring so soon.

"Protector He, my hands were itching today, so I came over to give it a try."

Lu Yuan responded with a sentence, then looked left and right, his gaze searching:

"Has Kundu from the Feng'en General Mansion not arrived?"

(End of this chapter)