Chapter 6: Dragon Tiger Fist

Dustin Li immediately sensed the hostility in the gaze of the young man dressed in white.

"Do I know you?" Dustin asked, his brow furrowing slightly.

The young man sneered, his expression laced with arrogance. "Of course, you don't. You don't have the qualifications to know me."

Dustin chuckled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "If I don't know you, then why are you coming at me like this? Who exactly do you think you are?"

A sharp gleam of coldness flickered through the young man's eyes before he let out a derisive laugh. "No wonder you had the guts to go against the Zhang brothers. Turns out, you really don't know your place." He folded his arms, his voice filled with contempt. "Listen closely. Emery Liu will never be associated with someone of your… stature."

Dustin glanced at Emery. She was indeed beautiful—one of the finest in Novaridge City. But if he were to be honest with himself, his admiration for her was mostly aesthetic. His true ambitions lay far beyond fleeting affections.

With the Pearl of Life and Death in his possession, Dustin knew his future wouldn't be limited to this small city. Strength was everything in this world, and without it, dreams were nothing more than illusions.

And yet, as the young man in white continued to belittle him, Emery remained silent. Did that mean she agreed?

"Jeth, that's enough," Emery finally interjected, her delicate brows knitting together. "Dustin Li helped me. I won't allow you to speak to him like that."

She then turned to Dustin, her voice softening. "If you fail the assessment in three months, I'll write you a letter of recommendation. Take it to my family. They'll arrange something for you."

As she spoke, she retrieved a finely crafted letter from her sleeve and extended it toward him.

Dustin let out a quiet laugh. So, this was her way of turning him down? A subtle reminder of their difference in status?

From the look in her eyes, he could read the unspoken message.

"That won't be necessary," he said, declining the letter without hesitation. He gestured to the three martial arts manuals he had chosen. "I have training to do."

With that, he turned and walked away without a second glance.

Emery watched him leave, a flicker of thoughtfulness in her gaze.

Jeth, however, scoffed. "Emery, why are you even bothering with him?"

She sighed. "I think I might have hurt his pride."

"Pride?" Jeth snorted. "A street rat like him dares to talk about pride?"

Dustin left the library, registering his books with the elder at the entrance before heading back to his room. He had no time for petty squabbles.

The Martial Hall Academy's annual assessment was in three months. Students aged fourteen to seventeen had to participate, and failure meant expulsion.

For Dustin, this wasn't just about staying in the academy—it was about survival.

Sitting cross-legged on the floor, he closed his eyes and visualized the Life Vein Diagram, refining the Easy Jin Bone Forging Technique in his mind.

Two days passed in deep meditation before he finally perfected it.

When he began practicing the revised method, the Qi of Heaven and Earth gathered around him, forming a hazy mist. Each breath sent vitality coursing through his veins, and under the influence of the Pearl of Life and Death, his inner energy transformed—refined into an extreme force of life and death.

From the fourth to the sixth level of body refinement, the body was tempered like steel. Energy stored within the muscles and bones allowed a warrior to unleash devastating attacks in battle.

Days blurred into nights.

A month passed.

Dustin finally broke through to the fifth level of body refinement.

He clenched his fists, feeling the newfound strength coursing through him. "If I had access to the same resources as the aristocratic disciples—medicinal pills, formation arrays—I'd be at the sixth level by now."

But reality was harsh. Pills, formations, and vitality stones were luxuries he couldn't afford.

Still, he refused to be discouraged.

"My cultivation is improving. Now, it's time for martial arts and movement techniques."

Pushing off the bed, he began practicing Dragon Tiger Fist in his room.

But something felt… lacking.

Closing his eyes, he visualized the Life Vein Diagram, seeking ways to enhance the technique.

A strange sensation washed over him. His life and death energy surged through his body, embedding an ancient truth into his bones.

"Roar!"

His body moved instinctively—a blur of speed and raw power. His fist slammed forward, a spectral black aura swirling around him like a shadowy beast.

"Boom!"

The sturdy wooden table shattered into splinters. Sawdust filled the air.

Dustin blinked, glancing at the deep fist-shaped dent on the stone wall. Tiny cracks spider-webbed out from the impact.

"The buildings here are made of reinforced rock," he murmured, exhilarated. "Without at least Seventh-Level Strength, I shouldn't have been able to do that."

Dragon Tiger Fist had officially evolved beyond its original form.

But he needed space.

He stepped outside and made his way to the Martial Arena.

In the Blackstone Training Grounds, a group of students gathered around a young man in black, Gavin Zhoa.

With each punch he threw, the Blackstone Monolith in front of him trembled, leaving shallow dents.

"Brother Gavin is amazing!"

"I wish I had that kind of strength!"

Dustin recognized him. Gavin was from a wealthy family, a student of the Intermediate Class, and already at the Eighth Level of Body Refinement—one step away from the Advanced Class.

Ignoring the onlookers, Dustin approached an unused Blackstone Monolith and positioned himself.

The whispers started immediately.

"Who's that?"

"Wait… isn't he the guy who fought two intermediate students outside the library?"

"Yeah, but without at least the Sixth Level, he won't even leave a mark on the stone."

Hearing the murmurs, Gavin turned, a smirk on his lips. "The Blackstone Grounds aren't for Junior-Class trash."

Dustin didn't respond. Instead, he raised his fist—and struck.

"Bang!"

The impact echoed through the air. A shallow dent appeared on the Blackstone Monolith.

Silence.

The crowd gawked. Even Gavin's smirk faltered.

"That… wasn't a fluke, was it?" someone muttered.

"Must've used all his inner energy to pull it off!" another sneered.

Gavin recovered quickly, chuckling. "Exactly. No real skill—just a desperate burst of power."

Dustin simply exhaled and punched again.

This time, he infused it with the Qi of Life and Death.

"BOOM!"

The impact sent a tremor through the ground. The Blackstone Monolith quivered.

A deep, unmistakable fist imprint embedded itself into the surface.

Everyone stared.

Even Gavin Zhoa.

Dustin lowered his fist and smiled.

"Still think I don't belong here?"