Chapter 246: Tiger Crane Dual-Action Fist

Tianjing Fang...

"Roar, roar, roar, screech, screech, screech."

A wild wind shook the grass, carrying sounds of tiger roars intermingled with proud crane cries.

Wing shadows fluttered in the air, while tiger shadows lunged back and forth on the ground, sealing off the clearing completely.

Anyone who dared to approach a single step would be swept into the fray in the blink of an eye, shredded into a pile of minced meat by Hu Zhua and crane wings.

Zhuang Tie stood far away, his expression full of shock, his fingers unable to stop trembling—every time he saw Zhou You, there was a surprise!

"Tiger Form, Crane Form, to think they could move in such tacit harmony, coordinating without a single flaw."

Zhou You had sought him out to practice fist techniques this time, and his strength already surpassed his own.

At his peak, Zhuang Tie was only at the Qi and Blood 5th or 6th Stage, and after losing an arm, he had dropped to the initial Qi and Blood stage.

In the past, when practicing with Zhou You, they could still trade blows, but later Zhou You progressed rapidly, reaching the Qi and Blood 6th Stage in the blink of an eye, and he was no longer a match, only able to use his rich experience to block a move or two.

But this time...

Zhou You had actually mastered the Heming Fist and incorporated the fist technique into his own repertoire.

This was no longer just the Double Body Tiger Form Fist, but a combination of tiger and crane, which could be called... Tiger Crane Dual-Action Fist.

Zhuang Tie had heard of the Heming Fist technique as well; it was known for being sharp and murderous. Now that it was integrated into the Double Body Tiger Form Fist, it actually served to complement and enhance it.

One light and nimble, one rigid and fierce; one in the sky, one on the ground—a dual action of heaven and earth, the tiger roaring and the crane crying.

"Level ground and clear sky, the tiger and crane move in tandem."

The more Zhou You fought, the smoother it became, and a dense layer of sweat beads broke out on his back.

He used the Wuxiang Tongkui to calculate and integrate the Heming Fist into his fist techniques, obtaining an entirely new fist style.

This fist technique could be broken down into Tiger Form and Crane Form, with each path having power no less than the Tiger-Subduing Fist, but the true power lay in the two combined.

The more he fought, the more excited he became; the Qi and Blood flowing through his body slowed down, and the compression speed, which had already been slowing, suddenly increased sharply.

With the foundation of a blank-slate Martial Saint, he could see at a glance that this was a sign of breaking through to the late Qi and Blood stage.

Sure enough...

In the boundless Sea of Blood of Qi and Blood, a red dot jumped out, its light spreading rapidly, driving the remaining Qi and Blood to compress and gather.

Qi and Blood jumped from the middle stage to the late stage level; he had broken through!

"Name: Zhou You.

Qi and Blood: 754 (1000).

Experience Points: 2509.

Profession: Martial Arts Disciple (Blank-Slate Martial Master).

Level: Qi and Blood 6th Stage (Seven Step Poison Sand Palm), Qi and Blood 7th Stage (Tiger Crane Dual-Action Fist), Qi and Blood 10th Stage (Five Blessings Palm and Fist Record).

Skills: Seven Step Poison Sand Palm lv6 (Attribute: Corrosion, Stealth), Tiger Crane Dual-Action Fist lv40, Zhou Family Fist lv3, Basic Lightness Skill lv6/lv10, Pipa lv3, Seal Script lv10, Alchemy lv19.

Cultivation Methods: Tiger Crane Jiaodie Technique lv7 (Copper Tiger), Boneless Heart Method lv6, Secret Art of the Transcendent Profound Heart lv1, Heaven-Nurturing Origin Method lv1, Five Blessings Palm and Fist Record lv10.

Ultimate Moves: Triple-Layer Technique lv2, Tiger Fiend lv6, Poison Fiend lv3, Feather Qi lv2, Primordial Iron Garment lv2.

Talent: Hunger lv2. Armory: Void Mask (Flesh Magic Treasure) — False Identities: First, Lu Zhigang; Second, Yan Ping; Wuxiang Tongkui (Tiger and Crane dual techniques currently being calculated).

Trial Project I (Three-Star Level): Break through to the Martial Master realm, discover the secret of the Heaven-Nurturing Origin Method.

Trial Project II (Two-Star Level): Accumulate 10 kills of Transformed Charms, 9/10 completed.

Trial Project III (Three-Star Level): Refine one Ten Thousand Poison Heart-Attacking Pill."

Witnessed by Zhuang Tie, Zhou You broke through to the late Qi and Blood stage on the spot with his new fist technique. Zhou You's internal Qi and Blood surged, and even though he had finished the fist technique, it still rose and fell like a receding tide.

"Zhou You, you are now at the late Qi and Blood stage; I can no longer help you."

Zhuang Tie's feelings toward Zhou You were very complex; he had watched Zhou You grow to his current level step by step.

Especially Zhou You's break with Wang Laohu some time ago, which left him shocked and disbelieving.

What kind of person was Wang Laohu? For a Disciple to dare defy his wishes and still be able to leave the martial arts hall unscathed.

Until today, Zhou You, at less than 30 years of age, had broken through to the late Qi and Blood stage, proving his own value.

Zhuang Tie searched his memory for genius figures and finally concluded that only the most outstanding direct descendants of the great families in Su Cheng had the ability, and even then, only one or two in a million.

If Zhou You could break through to Martial Master before the age of 30, it would be enough for him to leap into the position of an honored guest of a great family.

What was the concept of a 30-year-old Martial Master? A Martial Master's physical body is strengthened, and their lifespan is extended, being 2-3 times that of an ordinary person.

A Martial Master who could live for 200 or 300 years—starting from age 30, how many years could they serve? Not to mention the breakthroughs and improvements over the long years; if the opportunity arrived, even the Martial Saint realm was not impossible to hope for.

"Master Zhuang, how about you work for me from now on?"

Having broken through to the late Qi and Blood stage, Zhou You could finally openly recruit Zhuang Tie.

Humans are not made of wood or stone; who could be without feelings? The two had practiced fist techniques in secret, their relationship being both teacher and friend, and many secrets were known only to Zhuang Tie.

Ever since Zhuang Daqiang died, Zhuang Tie had no attachments and did not know where to go.

Hearing Zhou You's words, he felt a sense of relief, "Alright then, I will follow you for my meals from now on."

Zhou You patted Zhuang Tie on the shoulder, "From now on, I'll call you Brother Tie."

"Brother Tie, I have a Property Deed for Fucheng here, along with the keys."

Zhuang Tie took the Property Deed and recognized at a glance that it was real; it felt like holding a red-hot branding iron, both heavy and scalding to the touch.

After the destruction of Su Cheng, the top tier of martial artists had all gone to Fucheng, and only the remainder had come to Gongliang City.

Because land in Fucheng was worth its weight in gold, the competition in the martial arts circle was even more intense than in Gongliang City.

His master, Zhuang Daqiang, had also considered Fucheng, but the difficulty was too great, so he settled for the next best thing and chose Gongliang City, and in the end...

Zhou You actually had property in Fucheng? "Brother Tie, help me act as an advance scout and go to Fucheng ahead of time to manage this property."

Zhou You said sincerely, "You have experienced the catastrophe of Su Cheng; if the same situation were to befall Gongliang City, our family must also leave a way out."

The second of the "cunning rabbit's three burrows"—Fucheng! This was the Property Deed Zhou You had searched from Hua Zhuomo, the private place where he imprisoned women for lewd pleasure.

Zhou You sent Zhuang Tie ahead to tidy up the place, so that if Gongliang City faced any trouble, they could move over quickly.

He now had money and grain, so even if the whole family moved to Fucheng, he would not fear exhausting his resources.

"You are planning ahead; you have done very well."

Zhuang Tie sighed endlessly; if his master had made arrangements in advance back then, he would not have ended up in such a sorry state, kicking down doors to challenge others, only to see his disciples scattered and himself dying from severe injuries.

He held the Property Deed and keys, saying, "Zhuang Tie will certainly not fail this commission."

This property was worth a million, and Zhou You handed it over directly, a testament to his trust in Zhuang Tie's character.

Zhuang Tie was a man who valued righteousness over wealth, and he decided on the spot that he would risk his life to get this done.

Two days later, Zhuang Tie quietly left Gongliang City, without attracting much attention.

Half a month later, a one-armed, honest Servant Lineage moved into a residence in Fucheng; he pulled weeds, swept the courtyard, painted the doors and windows, and made the nearly derelict residence look brand new.

When neighbors asked, he would say his master was returning from a long journey and would move in soon, so he had come ahead to tidy up the inside and out.

(End of this chapter)