Chapter 94: Spring and Autumn Martial Arts Hall

“Take this!”

Duan Shenfei let out a low cry. His blood and energy surged, and both his palms instantly turned scarlet, like irons drawn straight from the forge.

He stamped forward and sprang at Lu Yan like the wind, striking out with one palm after another. Before the blows even arrived, a wave of blistering heat had already rolled into his face.

Lu Yan used his Swift Wind Hand, meeting each strike with perfect timing and trading several palms with his opponent.

Although the nine second-rate martial arts he had learned had already been fused into a first-rate art, that did not mean he could no longer use those nine techniques. On the contrary, he knew them better than ever, able to summon them at will and with complete freedom.

After a few exchanges, Lu Yan suddenly accelerated and landed a palm squarely on Duan Shenfei’s chest, sending him flying off the arena in a spray of blood.

In truth, if he had wanted to end Duan Shenfei, he would not have needed so many moves. Half a move would have been enough.

The key was that Lu Yan did not want to stand out too much, and he did not want to reveal too much of his strength.

Showing three parts and hiding seven was the best way. Only then would an enemy never be able to see through him.

“Good!”

“The hall master is invincible!”

With Lu Yan’s victory, the most excited by far were the apprentices of the Threefold Excellences Martial Hall, each of them almost shaking with exhilaration.

This meant their money had not been wasted after all. Their hall master truly had skill, and plenty of it.

So long as they worked hard and studied properly, they too might one day become as formidable as the hall master.

And some who had previously hesitated quietly made up their minds. Once the matches were over, they would immediately join the Threefold Excellences Martial Hall.

“The Red Sand Flying Wolf amounts to nothing. Who else would like to try?”

Lu Yan looked over the various hall masters and spoke in an even voice.

The remaining eleven hall masters all wore grave expressions.

They knew exactly how strong Duan Shenfei was. He was a genuine five-times-broken-limit expert, and his Red Sand Palm had been honed for many years to the point of near perfection, only one step away from mastery.

Yet with such strength, he had managed only three moves against Lu Yan.

That meant Lu Yan’s second-rate martial arts had at least reached mastery, perhaps even something greater.

For hall masters whose strength was about on par with Duan Shenfei’s, who would dare step forward? They hurriedly avoided Lu Yan’s gaze.

“I’ll try him.”

A burly figure stepped onto the arena. It was Zhao Tie, known as the Iron Pagoda of River Pacification.

After going up, Zhao Tie announced himself, then circulated his energy and attacked Lu Yan.

He trained the Black Fiend Body, a hard-body art that had already reached mastery. As he powered up, the muscles all over his body bulged, and his skin turned dark and glossy, like a living iron man.

Bang!

With one step down, the platform beneath him nearly cracked as he punched furiously at Lu Yan.

Lu Yan twisted slightly, retreating two meters like a gust of wind, neatly avoiding Zhao Tie’s fist.

Missing once, Zhao Tie continued his relentless assault, but even after more than a dozen punches, every single one missed. Not even the hem of Lu Yan’s robe was touched.

“What kind of skill is this, always dodging? If you’ve got the ability, face me head-on!”

Zhao Tie roared in anger.

“I’m called a Threefold Excellences martial artist. Footwork is one of my three specialties. Did you not know that?”

Lu Yan shot back.

Today, he intended to fully display the three unique arts that defined a martial artist of the Threefold Excellences. Otherwise, how else could he make a name for himself?

“So slippery. What kind of man are you?”

Zhao Tie bellowed.

“It’s not being dark and broad that makes a man a man. Endurance counts too. But since you’re in such a rush, I’ll send you down.”

Lu Yan no longer dodged. He struck out with a palm, meeting Zhao Tie’s attack head-on.

Zhao Tie jolted. Bang, bang, bang—he staggered back five or six steps at once, his arm going numb, terror rising in his heart.

Whoosh!

Lu Yan’s second palm was already upon him.

Zhao Tie could only gather all his strength and resist.

With the second palm, he was forced back another five steps.

With the third, he retreated six more and fell straight off the arena.

“Wonderful!”

The apprentices of the Threefold Excellences Martial Hall erupted once more in thunderous cheers. Even the servants were stirred to excitement, secretly vowing to work hard so that one day they might remain in the hall and learn martial arts there.

If they performed well and caught the hall master’s eye, becoming a personal disciple would mean soaring to the heavens in one bound.

“Zhao Tie, how was it? Did you figure out his style?”

The hall masters helped Zhao Tie up, and someone asked him.

“This man is definitely practicing a first-rate martial art. His blood and energy are thick and condensed, as fierce as thunder. I lost because my blood and energy were weaker than his.”

Zhao Tie said.

“Hearing that, this man must be the offspring of a fallen noble clan.”

The others exchanged thoughtful looks, their expressions growing heavy.

There were plenty of such people in Hundred Herbs City.

Within the Six Counties of Eastern Ridge, marquis-grade martial clans were numerous, and every year many of them were wiped out. The surviving descendants of those clans would drift in all directions.

Especially in a major city like Hundred Herbs City, such people were not rare at all.

What Zhao Tie could discern was, naturally, exactly what Lu Yan wanted him to see.

To defeat a warrior of the same rank so easily without showing anything unusual would not make sense.

Exposing a first-rate martial art was far better than exposing a second-rate art refined to the point where man and martial art had become one.

There were many who practiced first-rate martial arts, but those who could cultivate a second-rate art to the state of perfect union with the self were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

The early stages of first-rate martial arts absolutely depended on the Divine Intent Diagram, but once one had achieved success, the cultivation could continue even without it.

Pretending to be a descendant of a fallen clan was a good cover. After all, there was no Divine Intent Diagram to be taken from him, so there was no need to fear being targeted.

Of course, his innate martial body, his sixfold blood and energy, and his first-rate martial arts in perfect union with himself were not things he could reveal lightly. Those were his trump cards.

“Who else?”

On the arena, Lu Yan continued to issue his challenge.

Below, the various hall masters were still discussing among themselves.

“This man’s main first-rate art should be a palm technique, and its level has likely already reached mastery.”

“A first-rate art at mastery is beyond what any of us can handle.”

At last, the hall masters turned their attention to an old man in his seventies.

He was the master of Evergreen Martial Hall, named Fu Changqing. Like Lu Yan had suspected, he too was a descendant of a fallen clan, and he too practiced a first-rate martial art that had reached mastery.

He was known as the second-strongest fighter in the alliance of thirteen martial halls.

“Allow this old man to meet him.”

Fu Changqing stepped forward, mounted the arena, exchanged names with Lu Yan, and then the two of them fought.

The moment they engaged, Lu Yan revealed a grave expression. His blood and energy billowed around him as though he were giving it everything he had. He exchanged more than fifty moves with Fu Changqing before finally striking him down from the arena with a single palm.

The disciples of the Threefold Excellences Martial Hall erupted in earthshaking cheers, each of them flushed red with excitement and pride.

Within the crowd, the three disciples who had previously asked for refunds lowered their heads, listless and dejected, regretting their decision so much they wanted to smash their heads against a wall.

“Let’s go.”

Fu Changqing let out a weary sigh and left first.

The other hall masters naturally had no face left to linger. One after another, they departed with ugly expressions.

“Hall Master Lu, I want to join the Threefold Excellences Martial Hall.”

“So do I. Don’t crowd me. I was here first.”

At once, a surge of people rushed toward the Threefold Excellences Martial Hall to sign up.

Lu Yan leapt lightly several times and returned to the hall.

The rest could be left to Wang Lin, Li Quan, and the others. There was no need for him to handle every little matter personally.

All he needed was to cultivate in peace and be strong enough to hold the line.

That was the advantage of having subordinates.

In the next few days, more than a hundred people came to enroll in martial training.

The Threefold Excellences Martial Hall accepted everyone who came.

There were also many who had no silver for martial instruction and came only to sign up as servants. Lu Yan asked Li Quan and Wang Lin to select a portion of those who looked promising. Li Quan then took them under his wing, first training them as scouts and sending them out to infiltrate various places and gather intelligence.

For these impoverished young men, so long as they were given food, they would sell their lives without complaint. Much less did they have reason to refuse the chance to learn martial arts in the future.

On the third day, night fell. Lu Yan took a walk in the courtyard, preparing to return to the training room to practice, when his figure suddenly stopped and he turned to look toward a certain spot.

“Since you are here, why not show yourself?”

As Lu Yan spoke, his blood and energy surged through his entire body, ready to strike at any moment.

With a soft laugh, a figure descended from the roof.

It was an old man, with all his hair and beard white. His skin was already beginning to wrinkle, but his eyes were bright and sharp, and he carried himself with considerable authority.

Lu Yan did not dare underestimate him. Although the man was merely standing there casually, he gave off a powerful sense of danger.

A martial marquis.

Lu Yan had already guessed who he was, because he had been waiting for him all these days.

He was the hall master of Spring and Autumn Martial Hall, and also the leader of the alliance of thirteen martial halls: Feng Yueming.

All the other martial halls had been defeated, so as the alliance leader, Feng Yueming could not possibly remain hidden forever.

“May I ask if senior is the master of Spring and Autumn Hall?”

Lu Yan cupped his fists.

“Indeed.”

Feng Yueming nodded and looked him over from head to toe before saying, “I was present for the match three days ago. You are very strong, and very cautious. You did not use your full strength that day, did you?”

“In that case, did senior come today to offer me some guidance?”

Lu Yan asked.

“No, no.”

Feng Yueming waved his hands repeatedly. “I am already over a hundred years old and do not have many years left to live. Matters of fighting and killing are no longer suitable for these old bones of mine.”

“In that case, what brings senior here today?”

Lu Yan asked. Of course he would not lower his guard just because of a few words.

“I have only a few words of advice for you.”

“I am all ears, senior.”

“When to stop after winning is best.”

Feng Yueming spoke earnestly. “You deliberately lowered your prices, allowed Red Sand Martial Hall and Black Saber Martial Hall to spread rumors, and then made a thunderous move in return. Your goal was nothing more than to build the reputation of the Threefold Excellences Martial Hall. Now that your goal has been achieved, why not step down gracefully while the moment is right?”

“Step down gracefully? Whose momentum am I supposed to ride, senior? Yours?”

Lu Yan asked.

“That would also be fine.”

Feng Yueming nodded and continued, “If you insist on pushing on, I will not make a move either. But you should understand this: the alliance of thirteen martial halls has been able to take root in Hundred Herbs City because of countless threads of connection to the Li family, a grandmaster-level clan. If you alarm the Li family, it will do you no good. You should know that too much hardness leads to breakage.”

“Thank you for the warning, senior. I understand.”

Lu Yan said.

“Good that you understand. This old man takes his leave.”

Feng Yueming leapt into the air, cleared the wall, and vanished into the night.

The fifteenth chapter is complete, at nearly forty thousand words. Tomorrow there will be a ten-thousand-word update. Please support it with your monthly votes.