CHAPTER 142: CHAPTER 143: BATTLE CHALLENGE (3000 WORDS!!!)

And now, Lu Ren, with such a murderous aura, the combat suit he wears is adorned with armor pieces that still bear clear scars, evidently from an intense battle.

The young driver looked eager and said, "Brother, recently I also signed up for a martial arts class publicly held by the Shu Capital Martial Arts Association branch. I wonder if I can train to be like you."

Facing ordinary people, Lu Ren did not display any coldness; he is always quite approachable.

"It’s never too late to train in martial arts."

Upon hearing Lu Ren’s response, the young driver was excited and said, "Yes, I heard from the martial arts association’s teacher that the real age for practicing martial arts is roughly between 18 and 50, this phase is a golden age."

Though it is truly a golden age, the foundation laid before eighteen and practicing martial arts at fifty are worlds apart.

This is an undeniable fact.

In large sects, disciples with sufficient resources are typically much more formidable than ordinary martial artists.

Indeed, as the driver said, nowadays, with social productivity continually advancing, healthcare has seen a tremendous improvement, and people’s lifespans are gradually extending. According to today’s latest professional standards, 65 and up is considered old age.

But starting martial arts at eighteen and at fifty, the latter is really mostly for health.

Lu Ren nodded slightly, "You’re right."

"But I’ve heard that training in martial arts can also temper one’s innate talent and bone structure?"

Lu Ren did not directly answer but simply said, "Every sector has its elites, martial arts is no exception; there are always people with exceptional talent in martial arts."

Along the way, the driver found Lu Ren not as hard to approach as his outward appearance suggests. Though his demeanor is cold, his attitude is extremely approachable.

Despite seeing Lu Ren covered in bloodstains, after chatting, the driver’s initial fear gradually disappeared.

As for what Lu Ren did, the driver wisely did not ask.

He began to chatter incessantly, and Lu Ren occasionally responded, spending most of the time nurturing his spirit quietly.

With the system’s assistance, even the creator of the Lamp of Freedom Observation dared not say he understood it better than Lu Ren. This comprehensive grasp enabled Lu Ren to use this meditation method to illuminate and examine himself, discovering potential hidden injuries.

Ksitigarbha, this esteemed figure, was practical indeed; though his meditation method appeared minor in purpose, it could reveal the whole by observing the little.

And for an advanced martial artist moving forward, the most difficult challenge is controlling the fine details.

Upon reaching the destination, as Lu Ren got off, the young driver reluctantly said, "Master, where do you think is better to train in martial arts?"

Lu Ren spoke, "The Shu Capital Martial Arts Association. There, you can learn the most basic knowledge, and some real martial artists give lectures."

"Then my previous choice was correct!"

The driver cheerfully expressed gratitude and drove off excitedly.

Lu Ren shook his head, wondering how long such enthusiasm could last. Initially, martial arts training and boxing practice bring both physical and spiritual exhaustion and pain, which many people accustomed to a comfortable life find hard to endure.

He was grateful for the system’s aid; otherwise, he might have been like them, choosing to lie down in the face of hardship, only because afterward, the engrossed practice of boxing got him addicted.

Early the next day, the explosive deeds of Lu Ren from the previous night spread through the entire Shu Capital martial arts circle, shocking everyone beyond belief.

In one night, the top-level martial artists of the Assassination Swordsmanship Stream, two Great Perfectionists of Fist Technique, and two first-rate martial artists who were just a step away from perfection were killed, the contemporary first elder of the Assassination Swordsmanship Stream, Pengdi, was beheaded by a sword, dying in the midst of many disciples supporting him at their stronghold.

Even the chairman of the Qianyin Group, Zeng Li, was severely injured and hospitalized; it’s said he’ll never think of standing from a wheelchair again in this lifetime.

This incident caused a huge uproar, in the Shu Capital and the Southwest martial arts realm, there wasn’t anyone who wasn’t bombarded by news of the event.

But since this was a matter of Jianghu vendetta, ordinary people didn’t hear much; at most, they saw on local news or online that the chairman of the Qianyin Group fell sadly from his own third floor while enjoying the evening breeze last night, resulting in a shattered leg and hospitalization

The Assassination Swordsmanship Stream is a first-rate martial arts school in Shu Capital, despite engaging in disdainful acts, it is undeniably a powerful force that many in the martial arts circle fear.

Even under strict regulation and suppression in Huaxia now, the Assassination Swordsmanship Stream has been continuously retreating, its reputation far from its former glory, but a dead camel is larger than a horse, let alone a martial arts school with a legacy spanning hundreds of years.

The ins and outs of the incident quickly leaked by the informants, and Lu Ren, who has always been considered a freeloader in the Security Department, emerged suddenly. Due to previously falling into a spatial gap with friends, only he survived, causing a wealthy family to insanely retaliate, spending over two hundred million to hire assassins from the Assassination Swordsmanship Stream to attack Lu Ren.

After Lu Ren counter-killed, once he healed, he charged into others’ mountain gates with an extremely firm stance, directly rushing into the Assassination Swordsmanship Stream, beheading the former sect leader, then relentlessly advancing through the night across the Shu Capital, killing with a sword, unstoppable, and in the eyes of those in the know, Lu Ren walked away unscathed after finally fighting with the sect leader, Pengdi of Assassination Swordsmanship Stream.

When everyone learned the news, they almost thought they were reading a fantasy novel, with the protagonist slaughtering everything.

The long-established prestige of the Assassination Swordsmanship Stream, not to mention Pengdi, this top martial artist who was half a step away from entering Bright Awakening, a Great Perfectionist of Fist Technique, had made a massive reputation, a lofty figure.

But now he’s dead, vanished in smoke overnight.

This time, Lu Ren’s name finally entered everyone’s sight, refreshing everyone’s perception of him.

An obscure individual seemingly eating a meal at the Security Department suddenly accomplished such a stunning feat.

Everyone’s perception of Lu Ren immediately paused at powerful, cold, and without scruples!

From then on, no one would dare underestimate him. Lu Ren’s actions served as a wake-up call for those entrepreneurs who were not involved in the Martial Path, yet had intricate ties with the martial arts circles.

Without absolute certainty, never anger a martial artist, or you’ll end up with a broken jar.

Within arm’s reach, a person can be an enemy against an entire country!

Everyone was waiting for the response from the Hidden Kill Swordsmanship Stream. After all, the school had developed to its current state, not just because of the few people Lu Ren killed; the current sect leader, Huang Jixuan, was considered a top-tier existence.

Being slapped in the face so vividly — if there was no response, it would become a laughingstock.

The morning of the second day after the incident, Lu Ren, standing on the balcony facing the rising sun, was pondering the system prompt in his mind.

"Ding, due to your uninterrupted breathing, you have subtly sensed something about breathing, as if you understand something."

Understand what? Lu Ren was slightly puzzled. This felt like a skill prerequisite setup, but it seemed some conditions still had to be met for activation.

Lu Ren vaguely felt that he might need to reach the Extraordinary Martial Arts Realm of Bright Awakening for this skill to be activated.

The phone vibrated, and Lu Ren picked it up to see a call from Zhang Li.

"Sister Li."

Zhang Li didn’t bother with courtesy and said directly, "The Hidden Kill Swordsmanship Stream has sent a message; it’s from the current sect leader Huang Jixuan, who personally sent someone to deliver a challenge to the Security Department."

Pausing for a moment, Zhang Li said with a somewhat heavy tone, "Since this matter has been defined as a Jianghu feud, your identity at the Security Department won’t be of use."

Lu Ren’s expression remained calm, "What kind of challenge?"

"Weapon combat, deciding both superiority and life or death."

Lu Ren raised an eyebrow and asked, "Weapons? Can I bring things like guns?"

"... I’m afraid not. This event will be witnessed by the Southwest Fourteen Martial Arts Schools."

"What about things like pepper spray or lime powder then?"

Zhang Li: "I think that’s quite unscrupulous; you’ll bring shame to our Security Bureau! Moreover, doing so would make your Martial Taoism’s Will impure!"

I’m not an actual martial artist.

Lu Ren couldn’t help but critique internally. To reach the pinnacle, martial artists must have an incredibly firm Martial Heart, free of distractions, devoted to only one path.

Thus, many martial artists at the Security Department who have excelled in martial arts aren’t fond of modern firearms. Many top-tier martial artists even look down on them, refusing to touch guns, believing they would disturb their Martial Taoism’s Will.

His teacher, Li Ziqing, is a prime example, truly scornful of firearms, viewing them as a deadly threat.

Lu Ren sighed, "Then I’ll have to fight that guy named Huang Jixuan with real weapons."

Zhang Li: "You sound like you really want to use a gun."

"To be honest, I kind of do."

Zhang Li, helpless: "Do you want to go? If you don’t want to, I can decline on your behalf. We’ve already locked down and isolated all members of the Hidden Kill Swordsmanship Stream. If you don’t want to go, we’ll clean them up immediately; if you accept, we’ll talk after the battle."

"I’ll accept it."

Lu Ren responded calmly, needing the stimulation of combat to enhance his skill level.

Moreover, if he felt he wasn’t a match for the opponent, Lu Ren didn’t care about the face of being a martial artist. Regarding a pure heart, he truly didn’t feel any obstacles.

He’s not a traditional martial artist, or rather, reaching his current level of strength was due to his diligent practice.

But the system’s auxiliary contribution cannot be ignored. Otherwise, with his talent, it’s hard to say if he could have persisted.

Human nature is to seek progress. Lu Ren felt like it was a game; seeing his skill level increase always gave him a clear sense of achievement, like playing a game.

If there were no such data-driven indicators, asking him to practice like that would indeed feel utterly uninspiring.

It’s like chasing a woman — without a progress bar...

...

...

After a silent week, on the designated day, Lu Ren, after perfectly adjusting his state, left with the Yan Form and Han Sword in hand.

(Thank you Red Tea and Purple Coffee for the reward, thank you to all readers insisting on legitimate subscriptions, you give me the motivation to continue writing, thank you for your support!)