Chapter 7: Are You Scared?
Traductor: TheFluentWhisper
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On the Life-and-Death Platform.
Cao Hu, frustrated by his inability to gain the upper hand, was consumed with fury. His whole body radiated a menacing aura, his expression turning savage as if he wanted to devour his opponent.
He roared, "This blade has killed thirty men already. Are you scared?"
A wave of fierce energy surged from him, sending fear rippling through the crowd below, making many students back away.
But Li Changye, unfazed, merely glanced at the health bar above Cao Hu's head.
Are you kidding me? You've got a health bar, and you still want to ask if I'm scared?
Li Changye smirked inwardly, his gaze growing even more resolute. With a shout, he wielded his Five Tigers Break the Gate Blade Technique, lunging at Cao Hu like a fierce tiger unleashed.
The two fell into an intense battle instantly, blades flashing, and their figures blurring as they fought.
The more Cao Hu fought, the more he was unnerved. Li Changye looked to him like a seasoned warrior, every move precise, every counterattack brutally sharp.
Frustrated, Cao Hu decided to go all out against Li Changye.
He unleashed his full strength, his blade strikes becoming more ruthless, each swing aimed to kill.
But Li Changye remained unshaken, his gaze locked onto the diminishing health bar above Cao Hu's head. Seeing it slowly deplete, he felt even calmer.
"No matter how strong my opponent is, once they've got a health bar, they're not so terrifying after all," Li Changye sneered.
"What health bar?" Cao Hu paused, confused by Li Changye's words.
But he had no time to dwell on it and swung his blade at Li Changye once more.
Li Changye, uninterested in talking further, focused on his blade technique. They fought fiercely, like two wild beasts locked in a life-or-death struggle.
In the clash of blades and flashes of blood, the scene was intense and terrifying.
To his dismay, Cao Hu found he couldn't suppress Li Changye. Li Changye's blade techniques grew increasingly sharp, each strike imposing tremendous pressure on him.
Finally, Li Changye spotted an opening, slashing out with a powerful strike. Cao Hu couldn't dodge in time, and a deep gash appeared on his body, blood gushing out.
Desperate, Cao Hu attempted a final, reckless move, trying to take Li Changye down with him.
Ignoring his wounds, he furiously swung his blade, lunging at Li Changye.
But Li Changye remained unfazed. He too was resolved, showing no sign of retreat in this life-or-death confrontation.
At that critical moment, Li Changye's blade pierced through Cao Hu's chest.
Cao Hu's eyes widened in disbelief. His own blade had left a wound on Li Changye, but he no longer had the strength to swing again.
"I surrender," Cao Hu shouted, stumbling backward.
Regret filled him. He hadn't expected Li Changye to be so ruthless, pushing him to this brink.
In this fight to the death, Li Changye's calmness and killing intent made him look like a fiend who had crawled out of a mountain of corpses and rivers of blood.
"Surrender? How about reincarnation instead!" Li Changye sneered, bringing his black blade down.
In the next instant, Cao Hu's head flew off.
"Congratulations, you have killed a fourth-level Body-Refining human, gaining +400 experience."
Li Changye, panting heavily and visibly pained, ignored the bloody wound Cao Hu's blade had left, which stretched from his shoulder down to his ribs.
Without a second thought, he took out some medicinal powder and applied it to his wound.
The powder emitted a pungent odor but quickly stopped the bleeding.
Standing up slowly, Li Changye's eyes held a cold indifference as he left the platform, leaving behind stunned students and a lifeless opponent.
Watching him go, Guan Jiali's eyes burned with hatred, her whole body trembling. Clenching her teeth, she thought, Don't get cocky, Li Changye. I won't let you have a good end!
On the other side, Chen Bufan, who had witnessed the entire scene, felt a mix of emotions.
He'd expected Li Changye to be killed by Cao Hu, but the outcome had caught him by surprise.
"He actually killed Cao Hu. Does this mean I have a living nightmare hanging over me?"
Feeling utterly hopeless, he fell to his knees, weeping bitterly.
Li Changye dragged his exhausted body back to his solitary room.
Lying on his bed, he looked at the shocking wounds on his body, filled with helplessness.
These brutal wounds reminded him of the fierce battle he'd just survived.
With injuries like his, he'd typically need high-quality medicine or take healing pills
But he didn't have a single penny to his name, leaving him in a tough spot.
As Li Changye frowned in worry, he suddenly recalled that he still had experience points he could use.
A spark of excitement lit his eyes as he remembered his cultivation technique, the Five Elements Arts, which had healing effects.
He called out, "Use 100 experience points on the Five Elements Arts."
"Understood," a voice only he could hear responded in his mind.
[During the first fifty days of practicing the Five Elements Arts , due to a recent severe injury, you were forced to focus on healing first. Utilizing the art's principles, you harmonized the elemental energies in your body to repair the damage. Each day, you adjusted your breathing, guiding your internal energy through specific meridians to promote healing. Though much of this time was devoted to recovery, you began to sense the subtle changes the Five Elements Arts was bringing to your body.]
[From day fifty to day one hundred, after your wounds were mostly healed, you fully committed to cultivating the Five Elements Arts . Although your progress was slower than expected due to the initial energy spent on healing, you still gained valuable insights. Your understanding of the art deepened, and your elemental energy flowed more smoothly, laying a strong foundation for deeper cultivation in the future.]
Li Changye lowered his gaze, focusing on the place where he had once been wounded. The skin there was now smooth, without a trace of scarring, as if he had never been injured.
Running a hand over the healed area, he felt a sense of indescribable gratitude.
Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the changes within his body. He was delighted to find his inner strength had significantly improved.
The energy flowing through his meridians was as powerful as a river, full of vigor and life. He could feel a surge of new vitality with each movement of energy.
"Looks like I was right. What better way to grow stronger than through battle?"
Pleased with his progress, Li Changye immediately instructed the system to use the remaining experience points on the Five Tigers Break the Gate Blade Technique.
[In the first hundred days of training, you reached a solid foundation in the initial stage. To deepen this mastery, you dedicated time each day to honing each move, striving for precision. During this period, you focused not just on form but also on the intent behind each strike. You even began mimicking a tiger's behavior to draw inspiration, strengthening your blade technique. By observing tiger movements, you learned to harness your body's power more naturally, making each strike smoother and more forceful.]
[In the following hundred days, you continued to refine your understanding. Along with regular practice, you applied your techniques in simulated combat, testing their effectiveness. Though you pushed hard to break past the initial stage, progress was slow. You found that each move required more precise control in real scenarios. By emulating the tiger's ferocity, you improved your flexibility and explosive power, making each strike more accurate.]
[In the final hundred days, you focused on reaching perfection in technique and syncing your spirit with the saber's intent. Although you didn't reach a higher level, you solidified your foundation in the initial stage. Imitating the tiger's stance and movements not only boosted your reaction time but also increased the power behind your strikes. After these three months, you sensed a new peak in your mastery of the Five Tigers Break the Gate Blade Technique]
Li Changye closed his eyes, feeling the boundless strength within and the muscle memory in his body, filling him with joy.
He had grown stronger once again.
At that thought, he took out a journal.
This journal recorded his journey through time, filled with resentment toward his mother, anger at the academy, and frustration at his own weakness.
Looking at these bitter words, Li Changye sneered, ripping out the earlier pages out.
Then, on the first page, he wrote a single line:
'Today, I took down two enemies. Feels great.'
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