Chapter 19: The Charm of That Strike

In the academy, subjects are taught based on levels, with each level corresponding to a specific curriculum. The same goes for martial arts techniques.

Take the "Demon Subduing Fist" for example. It is divided into three parts. Junior students learn the first part, while intermediate students can study the second part. Only advanced students can learn the third part. If you can't reach the advanced level, you will never fully master this set of martial arts.

The same principle applies to other courses.

Therefore, although Flower Shirong has also learned the "Demon Subduing Fist," he can only learn up to the second part. Despite not mastering the entire technique, it doesn't hinder his understanding of the advanced sections.

With Ling Yuhai's eighth stage Martial Apprentice cultivation, even if he doesn't use the "Demon Subduing Fist" and simply throws an ordinary punch, as long as he infuses it with the internal force of the eighth stage, it is something Flower Shirong, at his level, cannot withstand.

Flower Shirong knows he can't dodge this punch. His body is lacking in various aspects, like a container full of cracks and holes, unable to hold anything and easily broken.

Flower Shirong doesn't evade. He calmly stares at the rapidly approaching Ling Yuhai, his right hand gripping the small knife so tightly that the knuckles turn white due to the excessive force.

His left hand hangs naturally, silently reciting a spell in his mind, while his fingers swiftly move. The spell of "Lightning Strike" is already formed.

Just as Ling Yuhai gets closer to Flower Shirong, Flower Shirong takes action.

Instead of stepping forward to meet him, Flower Shirong slightly moves his left hand's fingers and flicks them lightly, as if casually flicking away some dust from his body.

The gesture is concealed, casual yet nimble, leaving no trace behind.

No one notices this subtle movement by Flower Shirong.

While everyone is still pondering how Flower Shirong will resist Ling Yuhai's move, Flower Shirong has already made a move. He swiftly advances, his small knife swaying with a bright and chilling radiance. Though not dazzling, its sharpness is concentrated, like a rainbow streaking towards Ling Yuhai.

Facing the challenge head-on, engaging in a fight to the death, is Flower Shirong at the same level as Ling Yuhai?

Doubts arise in everyone's minds as they look towards Ling Yuhai, and in that instant, they are astonished.

Ling Yuhai, who was once fierce and decisive, is now suspended in mid-air, like a kite with a severed string, falling straight down.

Everyone can clearly see several faint blue arcs of light flickering around Ling Yuhai's body, accompanied by subtle crackling sounds.

Flower Shirong's movement was incredibly swift, rushing forward until he was close. The dazzling rainbow displayed by the small knife in his hand followed his shadow, and just as Ling Yuhai was about to fall, the radiance circled around his right hand, drawing a graceful and solitary line.

A burst of blood mist, as vibrant as a blooming firework, filled the air, dazzling everyone.

The splattering blood mist rapidly spread, carrying a strong scent of blood.

Then came the tremendous sound of Ling Yuhai's body crashing to the ground.

The dust settled!

As everything dispersed, Ling Yuhai lay limp on the ground, his body convulsing uncontrollably. Flower Shirong stood with one foot on his chest, the fleeting small knife still tightly gripped in his hand. Only a small red mark remained on the blade, slowly dripping and glaringly vivid.

The crowd gasped in shock.

It wasn't the outcome that surprised them, but rather the consecutive and remarkable actions of Flower Shirong, executed flawlessly and seamlessly.

Was this still the Flower Shirong they had in mind?

Ling Yuhai lay motionless on the ground, his powerless right hand resting lifelessly, trembling incessantly. Blood continued to spurt from his wrist, dyeing the surroundings a deep crimson.

He had long lost consciousness.

"Old man, if you don't show up now, someone will really die!" Flower Shirong shouted loudly.

He knew that his previous strike had not only severed Ling Yuhai's tendons but also cut the artery in his right wrist.

Seeing the blood gushing out like a fountain, emanating a heavy stench of blood, Flower Shirong maintained a cold expression, composed as a mountain.

However, turmoil raged within his stomach, and he had to suppress the urge to vomit several times.

At this moment, even a hint of weakness displayed by Flower Shirong would lead to him being torn apart by the other two Ling family disciples.

With a soft sigh in the air, the old man appeared. Nonchalantly, his figure swayed, and he was already by Ling Yuhai's side.

The old man lifted Ling Yuhai's injured hand, swiftly and deftly applying successive pressure, instantly halting the gushing blood.

The old man let go of the weak and powerless arm, waving his hand.

"Quickly carry him to the medical room."

The old man's words were casual, but they caused a tremendous shock in everyone's hearts. Ling Yuhai's injuries were more severe than they had imagined.

The glimmer in Lan Shihai's eyes slightly condensed as his radiance shimmered, faintly exuding a chilling intent.

Including Ling Yukuan, the three Ling family disciples' faces turned pale. In a panic, they hastily carried the unconscious Ling Yuhai and quickly left.

"You really know how to cause trouble!" Old Guantou stared at Flower Shirong.

Flower Shirong looked at Old Guantou and shook his head slowly. "I still can't go all out! Next time... I'll go straight for the throat!"

Upon hearing these words, Lan Shihai's eyelid twitched, and his breath became unsteady.

Old Guantou's sharp gaze froze, and a burst of sharpness and coldness erupted from him, enveloping Flower Shirong like a cloud.

If Flower Shirong were still the Flower Shirong from a month ago, under such a strong aura, he might have felt fear, even submission.

Unfortunately, the current Flower Shirong was a reincarnation of two merged souls, and the strength of his soul surpassed everyone's imagination.

Old Guantou's attempt to overpower Flower Shirong through his momentum was destined to be futile.

Seeing Flower Shirong's unchanged face and calm demeanor, Old Guantou revealed a hint of surprise and snorted, "Do you really think the confinement room is your home? Acting recklessly?"

Flower Shirong chuckled coldly, "Old Guantou, put away your filthy thoughts. Next time, someone will really die!"

Old Guantou let out a cold snort and loudly announced to everyone, "Flower Shirong has repeatedly violated the rules of the confinement room, engaging in fights and causing injuries. The nature of his actions is extremely serious. To expedite his reflection and serve as a warning to others, the punishment will be doubled: starting today, he will have one meal every three days, no exposure to sunlight, and the period of confinement will be extended from the original sixty days to one hundred and twenty days."

The punishment was doubled directly!

You're ruthless, Flower Shirong cursed in his heart.

Flower Shirong didn't argue; there was no point in arguing.

"Old Guantou, can you be any more shameless?" Flower Shirong stared at Old Guantou.

Old Guantou snorted coldly without answering and loudly proclaimed, "The exposure period is over! Return to your respective confinement rooms for self-reflection!"

Old Guantou paid no attention to Flower Shirong and rudely locked each person in their respective confinement rooms.

Before leaving Flower Shirong's cell, Old Guantou leaned against the small iron window and said to Flower Shirong, "Old man, I did take money from the Ling family disciples. What can you do about it?"

Flower Shirong stared at the murky yet sharp-eyed old man and calmly replied, "I said someone will die next time. If you don't believe it, feel free to send someone in!"

The small iron window was abruptly shut with a "bang" by Old Guantou. As his footsteps faded away, the confinement room fell silent.

Before long, Flower Shirong heard a series of muffled footsteps. It was the Ling family disciples returning after taking Ling Yuhai to the medical room for treatment. Their previous arrogance was replaced by a heavy, silent atmosphere.

Flower Shirong didn't know what plans Ling Yufeng had in store for him, but the most important thing now was to improve his cultivation and enhance his combat strength.

Only by becoming stronger himself would he have a chance at survival.

Although Thunder Strike Technique was impressive, it was only the first level and couldn't inflict any harm. At most, it could temporarily paralyze and hinder the opponent's attack. It worked a couple of times, but beyond that, it lost its effectiveness.

In the following days, Flower Shirong made some modifications to his training regimen.

"The Mortal Technique" was the key to survival and had to be strengthened through practice.

At the same time, Flower Shirong intensified his physical training. The confinement room was too narrow for running, so he resorted to exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, leg presses, and handstands—anything he could think of. Unfortunately, after three days, Flower Shirong had to stop the training.

The increased intensity of training required more food, but with Old Guantou's one meal every three days policy, it was impossible to sustain. Several times, Flower Shirong felt dizzy and cursed Old Guantou's female ancestors in his mind before discontinuing the physical training.

Currently, Flower Shirong could only practice the "Mortal Technique" while unable to do anything else. Only during meditation could he maintain the internal energy for three days without experiencing any other issues.

Fortunately, Old Guantou didn't skimp on food and continued to provide two buns and a bowl of meat soup.

In desperation, Flower Shirong redistributed the food: one bun and half a bowl of meat soup per day. This ensured that he would have at least two days' worth of energy intake and avoid extreme hunger.

And so, half a month passed.

During this period, Flower Shirong could only meditate on the Mortal Technique. The result of this intense cultivation was a tremendous increase in his internal energy. The sensation of power would occasionally emerge in his mind. Flower Shirong conservatively estimated that with his current level of internal energy, he could probably unleash three or four Fireball spells.

In other words, over the past half month, his internal energy had increased by more than three or four times compared to when he first entered the confinement room. This bolstered Flower Shirong's confidence.

Achievement breeds motivation!

Flower Shirong imagined what would happen if Old Guantou were to release another Ling family disciple. It wouldn't be the Thunder Strike Technique anymore. He would directly use Fireball spells and see if they could withstand the flames!

After half a month, almost every day, Old Guantou would come to the front of Flower Shirong's cell and silently observe him through the small iron window for a while. It seemed like he was scrutinizing and mocking Flower Shirong, yet he remained silent before silently leaving.

After Flower Shirong defeated a Ling family disciple at the Martial Warrior Realm Eighth Stage with a single strike, the atmosphere in the confinement room became unusually calm—so calm that it felt eerie.

There was no more noise, crying, or fighting among roommates.

It was as if overnight, all the confined individuals had suddenly become sensible.

Even when the Ling family disciples' confinement period ended and they left, they did so silently, without even glancing at the cell.

In the end, the entire confinement room was left with only Flower Shirong and Blue Shihai, who had been confined for half a year. The confinement room became completely tranquil.