Chapter 16: Rapidly Increase Strength

Bright Moon Community, inside Xiao Yu's training room.

Two figures constantly shifted, like two phantoms; one figure's speed was nearly double the other's, yet they were evenly matched.

The slower figure, like a clairvoyant, could always anticipate the opponent's attacks in advance and prepare countermeasures; thus, even though much slower, it could always use the opponent's few moves to achieve a preemptive strategy.

"Good kid, although your speed is far slower than mine, your combat awareness is too strong; you can actually keep up with my rhythm." Xiao Dingguo laughed: "Alright, practice on your own; sparring with you makes me feel like these twenty-plus years have been wasted!"

Just now, when the two sparred, Xiao Dingguo used only the speed of an Advanced War Commander but not the corresponding force, using only the force of an Elementary War Commander; otherwise, with Xiao Yu's physique, a single punch would have finished him.

"Haha!" Xiao Yu laughed: "Dad, do you believe your son now?"

"Little pervert!" Xiao Dingguo cursed as he walked out.

"From now on, I'll act alone." Xiao Yu said.

"Well, except for special missions!" Xiao Dingguo finally agreed to Xiao Yu's request, since his ability allowed it, granting him freedom.

After seeing that only he remained in the room, Xiao Yu was overjoyed.

"System, fulfill the First Wish."

【First Wish being fulfilled…】

A surge of unprecedented energy filled Xiao Yu's body.

His cells throughout his body were modified, becoming stronger and more resilient, containing more energy.

Even his nervous system was modified and optimized.

Reaction speed became faster.

Muscles became more forceful, bones harder, skin more resilient.

Shortly after.

【First Wish already fulfilled.】

"I am already an Intermediate War Commander, with a force of 16,000 kg and speed of 130 m/s." Xiao Yu thought to himself.

Strength increased rapidly; need a few days to adapt before proceeding.

All that can be done now is to improve the realm of the Ninefold Thunder Blade.

"System, set the wish to perfect comprehension of the Second Rank of the Ninefold Thunder Blade."

【Setting successful!】

【Host: Xiao Yu】

【First Wish: Perfect comprehension of the Second Rank of the Ninefold Thunder Blade】

【Wish fulfillment status: 48,700/8,000 Wish Points】

Since Wish Points were still abundant, the wish was fulfilled.

"System, fulfill the First Wish."

【First Wish being fulfilled…】

Streams of comprehension about the Second Rank of the Ninefold Thunder Blade entered Xiao Yu's mind, like opening an aperture, and he suddenly understood.

At the same time, energy optimized his body, making his physique even stronger.

The Second Rank of the Ninefold Thunder Blade can exert 210% of its force; if his physique is insufficient, perhaps he cannot use it several times, or his body may encounter problems.

It's impossible that every battle would inflict a thousand on the enemy while self-damaging eight hundred!

【First Wish already fulfilled.】

Xiao Yu excitedly stood up, holding the Silver Moon Battle Knife, and directly slashed forward; at the moment the blade moved, its speed could only be considered relatively fast.

But in an instant, the blade speed surged! Surged again! Increased consecutively twice.

The blade cut through the air!

"Boom—" a sonic boom sounded as the blade cut through the air!

Xiao Yu felt that the two hidden forces of the Second Rank of the Ninefold Thunder Blade could not only accomplish two accelerations, but also freely control the timing of acceleration, even change the angle, so that a single slash would leave a zigzag trace without losing power.

It could be called ever-changing and eerily uncanny.

Making it harder to anticipate in advance.

Although the system would enhance his understanding of swordsmanship, even artistic conception could be directly transmitted, but what if one day the system disappeared or failed in some places?

He cannot rely on the system forever; many things still depend on himself to climb higher peaks.

"System, set the First Wish to perfect comprehension of the Third Layer of the Ninefold Thunder Blade."

What should be trained should be trained; what should be relied on should still be relied on for now.

【Setting successful!】

【Host: Xiao Yu】

【First Wish: Perfect comprehension of the Third Rank of the Ninefold Thunder Blade】

【Wish fulfillment status: 40,700/12,000 Wish Points】

Although Wish Points were already sufficient, he still wanted to wait until he adapted to the current strength change before speaking.

"Woo—woo—" the battle knife floated eerily.

One slash, then another!

Slash after slash! Let him feel the Ninefold Thunder Blade's swordsmanship more and more deeply.

Immersed in this training, physical fatigue could not affect Xiao Yu's mental excitement; he slashed repeatedly, his swordsmanship becoming ever more proficient, and in just two days he adapted to the current surging strength.

Once again, he could perfectly control every bit of strength in his body.

After finishing training, he planned to go out to relax; coincidentally, Luo Feng was also in Bright Moon Community, so he invited him to go together to HR Alliance for drinks.

Jiangnan Base City's main district HR Alliance mall.

Inside the bar, Xiao Yu and Luo Feng lounged on the sofa, the table cluttered with dozens of empty cups and a few plates with little food left.

"Luo Feng, I heard you found that injured hunter?" Xiao Yu asked with a smile.

"Yes, the price for this hunter isn't low, but when we were hunting that monster a member of our Fire Hammer Squad lost an arm," Luo Feng said with a hint of anger.

"What's going on?" Xiao Yu asked.

"When we were hunting the Silver Moon ferocious wolf we were ambushed by the Tiger Fang Squad from the Thunder‑and‑Lightning Martial Arts Hall. Zhang Ke lost his right arm while saving the squad leader." Luo Feng's eyes were cold as he looked ahead and said, "Although the legendary 'Life Water' can restore a severed arm, its price is astronomically high—a full three hundred hundred million Huaxia Currency, essentially priced but with no market?"

Xiao Yu didn't expect that even though he had already broken the feud between Zhang Haobai and Luo Feng, Luo Feng would still clash with the Tiger Fang Squad. Still, it's normal to think that, given the Tiger Fang Squad's greed, they wouldn't let a heavily wounded hunter's wealth go unclaimed!

"Tiger Fang Squad, I know a bit about them. Squad leader Pan Ya and Du Yan are both mid‑rank war generals; they also have two junior war generals and two senior soldiers, one of whom is Zhang Zehu, the uncle of Zhang Haobai who previously clashed with you, and his strength is fairly decent," Xiao Yu said with disgust in his eyes. "Unfortunately, this bunch is especially lawless in Huang Ye Qu, always doing sneaky, thieving deeds, specializing in ambushing and robbing warrior squads."

"Zhang Haobai, what kind of thing is he?" Luo Feng said. "Although warriors are restrained within the Base City, once in Huang Ye Qu it's basically strength that rules, just see whose fist is bigger!"

Nowadays Luo Feng doesn't even bother with Zhang Haobai, who isn't even a warrior.

"Luo Feng, a person like that, though lacking strength and perhaps unable to achieve anything, could cause trouble; moreover, he likes to specialize in petty, fly‑level schemes. You may be growing stronger, but what about your family?" Xiao Yu decided to give Luo Feng a reminder.

"Yes, my family are all ordinary people," Luo Feng said, his words full of worry.

"However, they all live in the Warrior District, so under normal circumstances they shouldn't encounter problems," Xiao Yu added reassuringly.

Luo Feng's complexion flashed white and red.

"Enough of that, come, another round," Xiao Yu lifted the wine glass on the table and said, "May we ascend to the summit."

"Cheers! Down with all evil forces, protect the family and friends around us," Luo Feng also raised a cup and said.

Luo Feng's words are precisely the motivation for him to become strong in this world; because he wants to protect his loved ones, he keeps getting stronger.

He saw Luo Feng staring intently at a beautiful girl at the lobby front desk.

Xiao Yu laughed and asked, "What? Have you fallen for her? Let me see who she is—she looks familiar!"

Luo Feng smiled faintly and said nothing, effectively giving his tacit consent.

"Huh! Isn't that Xu Xin of the Xu family from the HR Alliance? Her brother seems to be a playboy, swaggering like a 2.58‑million, named Xu Gang," Xiao Yu reminded. "The Xu family is one of the twelve families of the HR Alliance in the country; you should be careful—her brother is a greed‑driven guy who doesn't care about his sister's happiness at all! You never know when he might arrange for Xu Xin to be married off to someone else."

Xiao Yu recalled from the original work that Xu Gang treats his sister purely as a bargaining chip, indifferent to her wishes, repeatedly arranging blind dates for her; after Luo Feng entered the War God training camp, Xu Gang even planned to marry Xu Xin off to Candice to safeguard his family's interests.

"What!" Luo Feng was startled, "A brother like that too."

"Then why don't you go over, chat more, make her wholeheartedly accept you, and it'll be easier later," Xiao Yu suggested.

"Alright, I'm going over," Luo Feng said hurriedly and walked over.

At the bar, Xu Xin, dressed in a white shirt like a professional woman, was smiling and chatting with some warriors when she inadvertently noticed a figure approaching the bar; upon a closer look, a flash of delight crossed Xu Xin's eyes.

"Luo Feng," Xu Xin called out with a smile.

"Xu Xin," Luo Feng said with a smile beside the bar, "Bring me a cup of pu‑er tea, and by the way, do you have time? Let's catch up as old classmates?"

Xu Xin hesitated briefly, smiled, and asked another server nearby, then left the bar laughing: "It's not busy today, not many customers, let's go, Luo Feng, let's chat over there."

In a quiet corner of the bar, Luo Feng and Xu Xin sat opposite each other, continuously chatting.

"Luo Feng, that kid is really favored by the goddess of luck!" Xiao Yu suddenly appeared beside them and said.

"Ah! Who are you? You look so familiar!" Xu Xin asked in surprise.

"Xiao Yu. Doesn't my cousin Xu Xin remember me?" Xiao Yu said with a smile.

"Xiao Yu, the cousin from Aunt Jingyi's family?" Xu Xin said uncertainly.

"That's right," Xiao Yu replied.

"You two are actually relatives," Luo Feng, standing nearby, was even more surprised.

He suddenly thought to himself: I'm brothers with Xiao Yu; if he marries Xu Xin, wouldn't I have to call him Brother Xiao Yu?

Xiao Yu laughed, "The two of us have met a few times when we were kids!"

Since regaining his memories from a past life, his recall is astonishing; he even remembers the times he wet the bed at three years old and the exact feeling of doing so.

"I think it was when we were six, over ten years ago, and cousin, you've changed a lot, not at all like you were back then. You were chubby and so fun," Xu Xin said jokingly.

"When I was a kid, I wasn't chubby at all; at most I was sturdy."

"Six years old, still sturdy," Xu Xin laughed heartily, showing no ladylike demeanor, perhaps because she was with family.

Xiao Yu and Luo Feng also kept laughing along.

At that moment, a young man in a black shirt and black slacks emerged from the elevator lobby, his gaze sweeping the bar corner where Xu Xin and Luo Feng sat.

"Who is Xiao Xin chatting with?" the young man furrowed his brows and examined closely, "One of them seems to be… Luo Feng, one of the three senior students from Xiao Xin's high school?"

The young man gave a faint cold smile: "A few days ago, while having a meal at home, Xiao Xin mentioned Luo Feng. Turns out they had already been in contact."

The young man walked to the other side of the bar and sat down silently.

Luo Feng, Xiao Yu, and Xu Xin were chatting happily; someone at the bar seemed to call Xu Xin, so she stood up apologetically, "Cousin, Luo Feng, sorry, I have to go take care of something first."

"Go ahead, you don't need to worry about us," Luo Feng and Xiao Yu said.

"Xiao Xin, are these two your friends?" a male voice rang out then; Luo Feng turned his head and saw a handsome young man resembling Xu Xin standing nearby, he smiled at Xu Xin and then at Luo Feng.

Xu Xin exclaimed with delight, "Brother, you're at the mall today too. By the way, this is my old classmate Luo Feng, and this other one is Cousin Xiao Yu from Aunt Jingyi's family. Brother, I have to go take care of something, you two chat together."

When Xu Xin left, she gave Xiao Yu a look; he understood it was a signal for him to mediate.

"Alright, you go ahead," the young man smiled and nodded, turning to the two, "Hello, let me introduce myself: I am Xu Gang, Xu Xin's older brother."

"Cousin, hello!" Xiao Yu said, even though this cousin was unfilial, he still had to acknowledge him.

"Hello," Luo Feng said with a smile.

Even though Xiao Yu had just spoken about this future brother‑in‑law's character, he still maintained outward politeness, at least not giving him any leverage.

"Hello, Xiao Yu's younger cousin," Xu Gang said with a smile as he sat down, "I've heard of you, heard you're a genius!"

"Not bad! I've also heard of Cousin Xu Gang's great reputation," Xiao Yu said, pointing at Luo Feng, "Luo Feng is my good buddy!"

As Xiao Yu spoke, his eyes never left Xu Gang, a hint of murderous intent in them, as if ready to tattle on the other's family at the slightest slip.

"Haha, Luo Feng, hello," Xu Gang said with a smile as he sat down, "I've long heard of your great name. My sister's high school, I heard, only had three senior martial‑arts academy students at the time, and you were one of them! Moreover, my sister told me you are now a full‑fledged warrior?"

Luo Feng smiled and nodded.

Xiao Yu laughed, "Luo Feng's current strength is at least at the senior warrior level!"

Xiao Yu intentionally boosted Luo Feng's standing in Xu Gang's eyes, trying to lessen the obstacle to his being with Xu Xin. At the same time, he didn't want his cheap cousin to later act like a two‑faced buffoon, which would greatly tarnish the Xu family's image.

"Ah, truly impressive, an 18‑year‑old senior warrior." Xu Gang exclaimed admiringly, then smiled, "My sister is at school; is she especially low‑key?"

"She is very low‑key; no one can tell how wealthy her family is." Luo Feng also laughed, recalling that Xu Xin had indeed been a plain, quiet girl back then.

Xu Gang's smile blossomed: "Haha, actually it was my grandfather who worried that the family's young lady would develop a spoiled temperament, so he insisted that my sister attend a regular school rather than a noble academy. He wanted her to experience life among ordinary people up close! From what I see now, my sister is doing quite well."

Luo Feng nodded.

"It seems you already know," Xu Gang sighed, "Actually even a great family has its own troubles, such as marriage matters that sometimes can't go as one wishes. Take my sister, for example; many outstanding young men are courting her now. There's Wang Xingping from Kyoto City, and a 21‑year‑old intermediate senior‑warrior‑level fighter from Jiangnan City named 'Guo Hai'."

"That Guo Hai is also thick‑skinned," Xu Gang shook his head and scolded, "Isn't he just a senior‑warrior‑level fighter? He actually thinks he's something special. The Xu family has some standing in the world; how can we easily marry our young lady to a fighter whose fate is precarious? He might die in Huang Ye Qu one day."

Luo Feng might be able to endure, but Xiao Yu cannot.

"Cousin Xu Gang, what are you saying! What's wrong with fighters? It's precisely the protection of fighters that lets ordinary people in Base City enjoy peace. If you keep saying that, I'll go tell your grandfather and see if he'll enforce family law on you," Xiao Yu said earnestly.

"As an older brother, how could I not wish my sister a stable life," Xu Gang sighed, "Compared to a fighter, a wealthy young master of a great family and my sister are truly a proper match."

"With a brother like you, Cousin Xu Xin must have been unlucky for several lifetimes!" Xiao Yu said angrily, "Luo Feng, let's go; I can't stay a moment longer. If we linger, I might lose control and hit him."

Xiao Yu grabbed Luo Feng to leave, but Luo Feng broke free of his arm.

"Young Master Xu, Xu Gang, your Xu family is truly impressive, being able to command a group of senior‑warrior‑level fighters," Luo Feng smiled, "However, I wonder if your Xu family can summon a war‑god‑level powerhouse at will."

"I don't know. Can your Xu family even meet an entity beyond the war‑god level?" Luo Feng added.

Xu Gang's expression turned sour.

Xiao Yu gave Luo Feng a thumbs‑up.

"Young Master Xu, Xu Gang, we're also friends; let me remind you… don't look down on fighters," Luo Feng said, looking at Xu Gang.

Having said that, Xiao Yu and Luo Feng turned and walked out of the HR Alliance.

"Luo Feng, only strength is the ultimate power in the world!" Xiao Yu said, looking at Luo Feng.

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(End of chapter)