8 It's Time to Show Off!

A week passed by, with nothing eventful happening.

Lan Xiang's daily routine consisted of going to school, visiting Fanzhu Street, and going home to cultivate.

Most of the time he spent in school, he spent twiddling his thumbs, balancing a pencil on his upper lip, or just plain sleeping. The teachers ignored him, never reprimanding his lackadaisical behavior. Perhaps it was due to sleeping being his usual activity in the past that the teachers didn't bother to scold him about it anymore.

Of course, Ren Weiwei pestered him time and time again to stay awake, as his grades might drop even more, but Lan Xiang took her warnings in stride and shrugged his head. Only he knew about the fact that he was extremely smart now.

While not at school, he spent time talking to Xie Jian on the phone or cultivating at night. Why would he sleep at home when he could do so in school?

Right now, he was walking along Fanzhu Street again. He decided that this time would be the last time. If he still didn't find any new books, then he would change to another shopping district. Although, since Hongliu City was quite small, the shopping districts were only at a number of 3.

Lan Xiang looked at his status page.

[Host Status]

Name: Lan Xiang

Age: 18

Gender: Male

Cultivation: Level 6 (Attribution Form realm)

Combat techniques: Dragon Fist (Familiarity mastery)

Status effects: none

"Familiarity mastery, huh?"

Mastery of combat techniques were just levels as well, but with fancy names. Lan Xiang didn't really know much about this, since his father never signed him up for cultivation classes since the incident.

He then opened the techniques panel.

[Technique Improvement System]

Techniques currently learned: 22

Tech points: 850

Great job progressing!

Lan Xiang's expression turned silly. "Why is there these messages at the bottom, like it's a game show?"

He turned his attention on the number of techniques in his possession.

22.

Since last week, it had not risen even once.

"Hm, where is that old man?"

Ever since that day, Lan Xiang had never met the old man in the alleyway again. Was he actually a mysterious figure that disappeared since he fulfilled his fate to sell books to him?

After a while, Lan Xiang shook his head in jest. "No, no. I'm probably overthinking it. He was just satisfied with the money he earned from me and went out to spend it. When he runs out, he'll run back."

As he found himself nearer the end of Fanzhu Street, Lan Xiang sighed. It was time for him to end his little stroll.

Suddenly, a bunch of punks appeared before him, numbering a little more than 10. They all wore the same attire the hooligans in the restaurant did the last week.

Lan Xiang's expression turned cold.

A familiar face showed himself. It was the fatty who led his subordinates to try to trap Xie Jian there. Obviously, showing up now, they didn't have any good intentions either.

"Heehee, get him, tie him up! He doesn't have any cultivation, don't worry!"

Without even a proper introduction, the thugs ran up to Lan Xiang!

Lan Xiang exhaled his breath. They were underestimating him.

He positioned himself into a stance, his left arm extended and his right arm bent. As the first thug approached him--

Smack!

Lan Xiang pushed the thug upwards, throwing him into the sky, streaks of fire visible from his trace! As he rose up further and further, the figure of a fire dragon pushing him upwards appeared...

All the thugs stopped. Seeing the prowess of the young man before them, they looked at the fatty.

He was sweating as well, clearly startled by this turn of events.

Not long after, a screaming person came crashing down, ending up on a pile of cardboard boxes a distance away from them. He wouldn't be walking any time soon.

Lan Xiang put his hands on his back as he strolled towards the fatty.

"Grr, what are you all doing?! He must've, must've used some sort of technique that powers him up for a short time! Attack, attack him!" The fatty trembled, waves traveling on his stomach.

The thugs' confidence came back as they attacked, this time, the whole group rushed towards Lan Xiang at the same time. Even if he had cultivation, in front of numbers, what could he do?!

Lan Xiang simply grinned. His entire hand was covered in flames. Before the thugs could react, he scrunched up his face as he launched his fist towards the ground!

Boom!

The ground shook, as if a massive explosion had just occurred under the concrete. A moment of silence followed.

Suddenly, a shockwave rippled from his punch, launching rubble everywhere, hitting the thugs who barely maintained their balance. Plus, the flames burst out of the seams of the ground, burning them as well.

The thugs screamed at the top of their lungs! They didn't sign up for this kind of fight against a monster!

As the smoke and dust settled, the fatty saw a horrible scene.

All of his men... were down and charred black! And with a single punch at that?! The most horrifying thing was... they were all bald! Their hair burned up!

In the middle of all the carnage, Lan Xiang stood, perfectly unharmed.

That wasn't a capability of a man who had no cultivation! The fatty reevaluated Lan Xiang - he was at least Level 8, or higher!

The scene surprised Lan Xiang too. As a Level 6 Attribution Form cultivator, he didn't expect that kind of output.

"Maybe it's the result of my cultivation technique's strength increase being "very high"? Coupled with Dragon Fist's strength as "extremely high", I probably should have expected this."

Lan Xiang never threw Dragon Fist at full power before, largely because he was afraid of the damage he would cause. Now that there was someone seeking trouble with him, he had a proper reason to cause destruction!

"I have to thank the fatty then..."

When Lan Xiang turned to "thank" the fatty, the latter was already gone.

"Heh, coward."