Chapter 0016: Punishing the Beautiful Class President

"Class leader, why are you crying?"

Luo Feng was taken aback to see Bing Ruolan's tear-stained face.

For the first time in his life, he witnessed a girl crying in front of him.

Bing Ruolan lowered her head, letting the tears fall, a bitter smile on her face. Biting her lip, she spoke: "Luo Feng, do you despise me? I fancy myself as high and mighty, always striving to be the best. Despite my mediocre martial arts talent, I harbour wild dreams of entering the Inner Yard through my hard work, attempting the Golden Palace exam, all to change my destiny…"

"Yet after practicing the Tiger Roar Fist for so long, I still can't achieve perfection in the third level, let alone ask for your help to train… in your eyes, am I a fool? Dreaming such wild dreams, when I'm completely unqualified…"

Bing Ruolan became more and more passionate as she spoke, eventually bursting into tears. Her shoulders shuddered, and she looked the very picture of a weeping willow battered by the rain.

Luo Feng watched Bing Ruolan in dumbfounded silence.

In his memory, Bing Ruolan was always a strong girl. He hadn't expected her to hide such a fragile side.

"Could she have been waiting for me here every day?" Luo Feng was struck by the realization, as the messy footprints at the entrance suddenly made sense.

"Hey, isn't that the class leader? I wonder what she wants with Luo Feng?"

"Am I seeing things, or is the class leader crying?"

"How could that be? She didn't even flinch when she got injured in our last practice session, there's no way she'd be crying. You must've seen wrong!"

…

This was the living area of the Silver Moon class. Silver Moon students readying to go practice nearby spotted the two and gradually started to gather around.

Luo Feng's brow furrowed.

"Follow me."

Grabbing Bing Ruolan's right hand, Luo Feng swiftly led her into the courtyard.

Eh?

Bing Ruolan instinctively wanted to pull away. However, Luo Feng's grip was surprisingly strong, and his command 'follow me' carried a mesmerizing charm, compelling her to follow him.

The two entered the courtyard. Luo Feng closed the door behind him, leaving behind a group of bewildered Silver Moon classmates.

"This girl really knows how to get me into trouble." Luo Feng let go of Bing Ruolan. Listening to the retreating sounds of the crowd outside the door, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Bing Ruolan was the goddess of the male students in the Silver Moon class. If anyone saw her tear-stained face, Luo Feng knew all too well the repercussions he'd face.

After her emotional outburst, Bing Ruolan felt calmer. Wiping her tears, she forced a smile: "Luo Feng, forget what I said earlier. Just consider it as me making a scene. I'm going to head back."

"Wait."

Luo Feng stopped Bing Ruolan, his gaze meeting her beautiful blue eyes: "I don't like leaving things unfinished. You have to answer a question for me first: why are you so intent on entering the Golden Palace?"

A moment of hesitation flashed across Bing Ruolan's eyes before she answered: "My family has an unwritten rule. Those without martial arts talent have to accept arranged marriages. I am mediocre in talent... I've been engaged since childhood. But I don't like having someone else arrange my future for me. Only by entering the Golden Palace can I have the standing to call off the engagement and control my own destiny!"

Something about Ruolan's intensity was infectious as she continued. But then, as if she had remembered something, a beautiful melancholy smile graced her face: "However, it seems no matter how hard I strive, I can't change this. I don't even have the qualifications to enter the Inner Yard…"

"Engagement…"

The image of Lin XiaoXiao flashed across Luo Feng's mind. Bing Ruolan's situation bore a striking resemblance to his own.

"I'll help you train." Luo Feng averring as he lowered his gaze.

"What?" Bing Ruolan looked up in disbelief, her still tear-stained face radiant, downright pitiful.

"I am agreeing to help you with your training. What level do you aim to achieve with your Tiger Roar Fist?"

Bing Ruolan finally grasped the reality. Her eyes trembled with the poorly concealed excitement that took over her; she cautiously replied: "I intend to participate in the Challenge King competition in half a month. To earn the title of Challenge King, the instructor said I must perfect the fourth level of Tiger Roar Fist."

"But it doesn't matter if you can't perfect the fourth level..."

Worried that Luo Feng might decline her request, Bing Ruolan was about to explain when Luo Feng interrupted her, determined: "I will help you perfect your Tiger Roar Fist! Show me your Tiger Roar Fist first."

Perfecting the Tiger Roar Fist!

Bing Ruolan stared at Luo Feng, feeling stunned.

The Tiger Roar Fist was a martial arts skill of the yellow class. Some practitioners take years to perfect it, yet Luo Feng dismissed it as easily as chopping vegetables.

Although she found Luo Feng's declaration implausible, Bing Ruolan wasted no time in getting into position. Standing in the middle of the courtyard, she gathered her breath and began demonstrating the first three forms of the Tiger Roar Fist.

Whoosh, Whoosh...

The fist wind was howling, shaking the few trees in the courtyard.

"That's not right!"

After watching for a while, Luo Feng frowned.

Compared to what he saw at Purple Spirit Peak, Bing Ruolan's Tiger Roar Fist had indeed improved a lot.

However, the actions were still very stiff, lacking in sharpness! The aura of the Tiger Roar Fist was virtually non-existent. It was like a blunt knife.

"What's wrong?" Bing Ruolan stopped, nervously wringing her fingers. Luo Feng seemed like a sword drawn from its sheath, radiating an aura that made one hesitate to approach.

"What you are practising is hardly the Tiger Roar Fist, more like a Cat Scream Fist." Luo Feng reprimanded her without mincing his words.

"Is it really that bad?"

"You will know when you try."

Luo Feng walked a few steps to the centre of the yard, facing Bing Ruolan, "Attack me with your Tiger Roar Fist, use your full strength!"

Bing Ruolan's eyes flickered, and she immediately shook her head, "No, what if you get hurt?" Her cultivation was at the peak of the Rigid-Soft Realm, while Luo Feng had just entered the early stage of Rigid-Soft Realm. There was a substantial cultivation gap between them.

Luo Feng smiled confidently, pointing at Bing Ruolan, "You are worried about me getting hurt? I think you should be worried about yourself."

Bing Ruolan was naturally competitive and determined, otherwise she wouldn't have made the decision to enter the Golden Palace. Seeing Luo Feng belittling her, she lifted her eyebrows and bit her lips, saying, "You better watch out!"

Whoosh!

Before her words could completely leave her lips, she launched the 'Angry Tiger Coming Out of the Cave' at Luo Feng.

The corners of Luo Feng's mouth slightly raised, his right fist clenched, and just like her, he also launched 'Angry Tiger Coming Out of the Cave'.

Boom!

Their fists collided, sending a blast of wind, Luo Feng retreated one step, while Bing Ruolan retreated two steps to maintain her footing.

"How was that?" Luo Feng stood with his hands behind his back, looking at Bing Ruolan with a triumphant gaze.

Bing Ruolan was shocked.

To prevent Luo Feng from getting hurt, she had only used about 70% of her strength in that punch. But even so, she never thought that she, with her peak state of Rigid-Soft Realm, would be suppressed by Luo Feng!

Reflecting on the differences between her and Luo Feng's punch, Bing Ruolan understood why Luo Feng wanted to spar with her.

Feeling joyful inside, Bing Ruolan's eyes filled with battle spirit, she shouted: "Don't be so smug! I didn't use my full power just now, watch this move! The Evil Tiger Turns Back!"

Shifting her foot, spinning her waist and throwing her punch, Bing Ruolan's short blue hair flew in the air. Her bare fist came at Luo Feng like the claw of a ferocious tiger.

This time, Bing Ruolan made no reservations, elevating her intensity by several notches!

Seeing Bing Ruolan had finally grasped the essence, a trace of delight flashed in Luo Feng's eyes, he smiled: "I too was not using my full strength!"

Boom!

With a stomp of his foot, Luo Feng also performed Evil Tiger Turns Back to meet Bing Ruolan.

Boom! The ground beneath their feet cracked open, Luo Feng took one more step back than Bing Ruolan that time, but he didn't pause, launching himself again: "Another round!"

Bing Ruolan had just grasped a bit of the feeling of Tiger Roar Fist, worried that the feeling might slip away. Seeing Luo Feng again throwing himself at her, a faint smile appeared on her face as she welcomed Luo Feng's attack.

Thump thump thump...

In the small courtyard, two figures constantly crossed each other, creating a chaotic dance of flying sand and stones, leaving terrifying cracks everywhere.

Luo Feng's strength was robust, and Bing Ruolan's cultivation had reached the peak of the Rigid-Soft Realm, her skin was as tough as iron, their strengths were evenly matched, and they quickly sparred for several rounds,

The more Bing Ruolan exchanged blows, the more astonished she became.

Originally, Bing Ruolan thought with her higher cultivation, she could suppress Luo Feng.

However, Luo Feng was always able to see through the flaws in her movements, then exploit them. She was now completely controlled by Luo Feng, just like a puppet in his hands.

This feeling made Bing Ruolan somewhat depressed, but what thrilled her was the clear progress of her Tiger Roar Fist under Luo Feng's calculated guidance.

Especially 'Angry Tiger Coming Out of the Cave' and 'Evil Tiger Turns Back', both of which had reached perfection, and 'Fierce Tiger Scorching the Plains' had also improved significantly! Even as their sparring went on, Yuan Qi began seeping into the meridian wheel in her kidney, as if it would break out at any time!

"This is his real power..."

Bing Ruolan stealthily sized up Luo Feng, looking at his handsome face, with a complex gaze.

They had seldom interacted before. Bing Ruolan's only impression of Luo Feng was that of a poor student who had not made any progress for three years. Who could imagine that this dusty gem hid such a brilliant edge!

"Daydreaming during practice will earn punishment..." Luo Feng's voice startled Bing Ruolan out of her thoughts.

"I'm sorry..."

Bing Ruolan's cheeks turned a slight red, she hurriedly suppressed her chaotically racing thoughts and wholeheartedly devoted herself back into their sparring.

Luo Feng used his powerful soul power in combination with Bing Ruolan's practice, matching her strength accordingly, whether strong or weak.

As time passed, their breathing became more and more synchronized. By the end, their movements mirrored each other, as if they were practicing in front of a mirror.

If there were any highly cultivated individuals there, they would discern that Luo Feng and Bing Ruolan had both entered into a state of Self-Forgetfulness, fully immersed in martial arts practice.

Self-forgetfulness is a state of cultivation, profound and obscure, and something that many martial arts experts may never experience in their lifetimes.

However, once one enters the state of Self-Forgetfulness, the speed of cultivation increases by dozens, even hundreds of times!

The strengths of both individuals increased rapidly without them even realizing it.

Hum!

Luo Feng, who was entirely engrossed in their sparring, suddenly felt warmth in his chest, and a stream of heat started to flow towards his limbs. His body started warming up!

"Is this the effect of the Tiger Power Tyrant Body Pill?"

Luo Feng woke up abruptly, slightly stunned.

Luo Feng never imagined that his sparring with Bing Ruolan would activate all the residual power of the Tiger Power Tyrant Body Pill within his body!

As the effects of the pill seeped into his flesh and blood, Luo Feng felt the meridian wheel that he had opened heating up slightly, giving him a feeling of breaking free.

"I'm about to break through!"

The feeling of something about to happen inside made Luo Feng's eyes light up, he swiftly evaded Bing Ruolan's punch and stood behind her.

"Luo Feng, why did you stop?" Bing Ruolan also snapped out of her Self-Forgetfulness state, anxiously looking at Luo Feng.

Bing Ruolan had just been on the verge of reaching the fifth level of the meridian wheel, at the crucial moment of breakthrough, and she didn't want to lose this opportunity! She hoped Luo Feng could continue guiding her in breaking through the realm.

Standing behind Bing Ruolan, Luo Feng smiled faintly: "You let your mind wander, now it's time for your punishment."

"Punishment?"

While Bing Ruolan was startled, Luo Feng had already reached his hands from behind her and held her smooth, jade-like fingers.

The hot male breath from behind made Bing Ruolan's body tremble.