Yu Xinghan glanced at Zhang Yu beside him and beckoned. “Let’s get started too.”

“But before we begin the live combat training, I’ve got two conditions.”

“First, during training, neither of us will use Mana. We’ll rely solely on our physical strength to execute martial techniques.”

It was precisely because Yu Xinghan had seen Zhang Yu’s mastery over his physical body during the sports tournament that he had invited him to spar.

The real goal wasn’t just to exchange blows—it was to absorb Zhang Yu’s fine-tuned bodily control.

That was why he insisted on pure hand-to-hand combat without relying on Mana.

Yu Xinghan continued, “Second condition: whoever injures the other during the session pays their medical bill.”

Zhang Yu looked at him suspiciously. “You trying to scam me or something?”

Not that he could be blamed for thinking that—Yu Xinghan gave off strong vibes of being a miserly rich guy.

Yu Xinghan added, “Don’t assume I’m after your money. This is about defeating someone without injuring them.”

“In Kunxu, a true expert controls every ounce of their power—able to win a fight without racking up a single coin of medical debt. That’s what live combat training should aim for.”

“I’ve seen your martial arts tournaments. Blood splashing everywhere, chunks of meat flying—way too crude and inefficient.”

He shook his head. “That just shows a lack of training in control.”

Zhang Yu couldn’t help but nod in agreement. “This also something you learned from Xinghuo Zhenren?”

Seeing Yu Xinghan nod, Zhang Yu thought to himself, “Did that old geezer lose a fortune in hospital bills back in his brawling days? No wonder he raised such a penny-pinching disciple.”

…

At that moment, Chu Qiuhe had somehow arrived outside the Training Hall. He stood at the open door, quietly observing the scene inside.

Seeing Song Hailong and Bai Zhenzhen locked in a fierce clash, he sighed inwardly. “That woman… Bai Zhenzhen’s not just stronger in raw power. Her combat instincts have skyrocketed too.”

“If I stepped in, I’d be lucky to last ten moves.”

“Two months. She’s made terrifying progress.”

“But rumor has it both Bai Zhenzhen and Zhang Yu got sponsored by Zhang Pianpian, that senior from Year 3. Supposedly, they became her lapdogs and even got their muscles upgraded with Synthetic Demon Tendon Muscle…”

At that thought, a flicker of desire flashed in Chu Qiuhe’s heart.

“Damn it, I want to be Zhang Pianpian’s dog too! I want her to whip me into a top scorer!”

Of course, it was just a fantasy. If he ever said that out loud, it’d spread to the seniors, and they’d drag him off for a ‘lesson’ he wouldn’t forget.

After all, when it came to Zhang Pianpian—straight-A queen and billionaire heiress—over 80% of White Dragon High School’s students wanted to be her dogs.

If even the seniors were fighting for the chance, how could a measly Year 1 like Chu Qiuhe dream of it?

“They snatched away an opportunity I can’t even line up for?”

Chu Qiuhe’s gaze flicked between Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, a trace of jealousy surfacing in his eyes.

Just then, the fight between Zhang Yu and Yu Xinghan finally kicked off, drawing Chu Qiuhe’s attention back to the arena.

…

Yu Xinghan and Zhang Yu advanced step by step toward each other.

Then, with a thunderous crack, their arms collided with explosive force.

That collision was the signal.

Fists, palms, arms, elbows—every limb began to clash, and boom after boom echoed through the hall like lightning strikes.

In mere seconds, their arms blurred into a storm of afterimages, locked in an intense melee.

…

Outside the Training Hall.

Chu Qiuhe stared intently at the fight.

Suddenly, he noticed two more figures appear beside him: Bear-Man No. 35 and Werewolf No. 36.

Seeing Chu Qiuhe’s glance, the two bravely spoke. “We just want to watch Brother Xinghan and Brother Zhang Yu spar.”

Chu Qiuhe snorted. He had already disciplined them earlier, but he didn’t stop their eagerness to learn now.

Back inside, Yu Xinghan’s attacks grew fiercer. His body began to circle around Zhang Yu at high speed, launching a flurry of strikes from every angle like a raging storm.

Zhang Yu, by contrast, remained rooted in place—like a tiny skiff in a sea tempest, swaying yet unyielding.

Bear-Man gasped, “Brother Xinghan is incredible! Just with physical strength alone, that speed and power are insane. Brother Zhang Yu can’t hold out much longer, right?”

“You blind fool,” Chu Qiuhe snorted. “Zhang Yu won first in the physical tournament because of his understanding of force and mastery over kinetic redirection. At the Year 1 level, no one comes close.”

To Chu Qiuhe, Zhang Yu wasn’t a fragile skiff—he was a steel-and-concrete fortress, immovable despite the bombardment.

Just then, Yu Xinghan let out a roar mid-charge. “Nice, nice! I haven’t had such a satisfying fight in ages. You’re way more durable than Little Song!”

“In that case, I’m going all out now.”

He looked at Zhang Yu like an archer beholding a perfect target.

He thought, “With most students, I don’t dare go full strength—it’d cost too much in medical bills. But with Zhang Yu’s skills, even if I go all out, he shouldn’t be easily hospitalized.”

Yu Xinghan smiled faintly. “But don’t worry. Like I said, if I injure you—I’ll cover your treatment costs.”

Both were now running the Celestial Martial Heart-Forging Technique, and as their eyes locked, it was as if their very auras clashed in the air.

Yu Xinghan’s presence suddenly changed.

The third eye on his forehead snapped open, granting him 360-degree sensory awareness.

Tendrils of energy spread from that eye, tightening like coiled nerves, enhancing his muscle recruitment to the max—like gaining an extra nervous system.

Boom!

His double palms surged forward, roaring with the cries of dragons and elephants, aimed squarely at Zhang Yu.

Before the strike even landed, the air was shattered and blown apart, leaving behind a suffocating void.

It was the Dragon Elephant Mountain-Crushing Palm, now pushed to Level 8.

This purely physical Technique was developed by a master cultivator with a background in civil engineering—after observing elephant-demons and flood dragons shift mountains on wilderness construction sites.

Its hallmark: mimicking the raw, unstoppable force of dragons and elephants. It was a blast-fist that smashed through defenses with brute might alone.

With all of Yu Xinghan’s muscle power pooled and sharpened, the palm strike now far surpassed the Year 1 standard.

Zhang Yu’s expression remained calm. He raised his hand to redirect the force.

Boom!

A deep, bone-rattling bang echoed as their palms collided.

With Yu Xinghan in Full Focus Mode and assisted by his third eye, every motion Zhang Yu made—every muscle fiber that twitched to redirect force—was crystal clear and deeply instructive.

Yu Xinghan watched his palm force travel down Zhang Yu’s steel-like muscle fibers…

Watched Zhang Yu retreat three steps, each stomp ringing against the floor, perfectly grounding and dissipating the attack…

Yu Xinghan’s eyes gleamed as if admiring a priceless sculpture.

“Such control over power… is beautiful.”

“I want to learn it all from you!”

He darted forward, palm roaring once again. “Show me again!”

Zhang Yu, also in Full Focus Mode, studied every slowed-down movement, every precise attack—focusing entirely on neutralizing them.

After a short but intense exchange, Yu Xinghan felt his stamina and concentration nearing their limits. The fight was no longer clean and precise.

He stepped back. “Let’s rest. If we’re not at our peak, the training loses its edge.”

Yu Xinghan sat down, mentally replaying the fight, trying to absorb Zhang Yu’s techniques and fuse them into his own growth.

He thought, “Zhang Yu… is the best whetstone I could ask for.”

“If I learn all his techniques and combine them with my growing strength, no one in high school will surpass me in raw physical power.”

Nearby, Zhang Yu also sat down, his Feathered Tome interface floating before him.

Dragon Elephant Mountain-Crushing Palm Lv.0 (0/1, 4.96/5.0 Physical Strength, 4/5 Dao Heart)

“So this is the Technique Yu Xinghan just used?”

Zhang Yu did a quick search online, then frowned. “Twenty thousand just to license it?”

“Damn… if I really learn this thing, I’ll basically lose money sparring with him.”

But he recalled the ferocity of Yu Xinghan’s strike—and hesitated.

Especially since this purely physical martial Technique had huge flexibility and foundational value…

“Maybe I just learn it in secret? Don’t register the license? Just keep it under wraps?”

He wavered for a moment, but since he hadn’t met the cultivation requirements yet, he decided to shelve the matter for now.

Just then, Yu Xinghan glanced up from his phone and asked, “That link I asked you to click last time—you still haven’t done it?”