Yu Hezheng was also stunned, his face filled with confusion. Up until now, he still didn't understand what had happened. He could sense no elemental energy from this kid, and from his movements earlier, though mysterious, there was indeed not enough energy behind them. Otherwise, he wouldn't have just been shaken to his core, merely left with his blood boiling.
If it were a normal situation, he might have been more cautious. But with his goddess standing beside him, he could not afford to lose face. With a furious roar, he was about to charge forward when a woman in a blue robe next to him finally spoke, "Senior Yu, let it go."
Yu Hezheng's face was full of shame and fury. "Rolando, wait five more minutes. I'll beat this kid up and make sure I get this training room for you!"
Rolando shook her head, "Forget it, this training room was his to begin with."
Li Yunxiao's eyelids twitched slightly, and he blurted out, "It's you?"
A graceful and stunning face appeared before him, and his thoughts stirred.
Rolando looked at him with surprise and said softly, "I never expected you, who can't cultivate strength, to start focusing on techniques. The Li family really is rich in resources. That move you just did was quite impressive. But, without strength, no matter how good your technique is, it's just a decoration, nothing more."
Li Yunxiao's expression grew somewhat strange, but he still agreed, "You're right."
Yu Hezheng's face grew darker as he stared at Rolando, "Rolando, do you know him?"
Rolando didn't answer directly, instead smiling slightly and saying to Li Yunxiao, "So, you think you can defeat me? That's impossible. The gap between us will only get bigger. Actually, you're from the Li family, even if you can't cultivate, you'll still have a bright future. Why are you so obsessed with this?"
"Li family's young master?" Yu Hezheng's face changed, stunned. "Is he the famous useless young master of the Li family?" His expression became awkward as he realized, Li Yunxiao had quite a reputation, as a completely unfit person for cultivation. Even the masters from the Alchemist Guild couldn't help him.
"So that kid is the famous useless one. No wonder I can't sense any elemental energy from him."
"Now it makes sense. He must be focusing on techniques. In battles with opponents of the same level, his techniques will give him an edge, but ultimately, strength conquers all. Against a real expert, no matter how good his tricks are, it's all for nothing."
"Heh, I heard the useless young master of the Li family used to chase Rolando like crazy. After getting crushed, he finally gave up."
"Hmph, what good is a distinguished family background if you have no strength? Rolando is famous for her beauty. She would never be interested in someone like him."
Li Yunxiao knew they had misunderstood, and an odd emotion rose within him. Before the soul of Gu Feiyang had awakened, he had indeed relentlessly pursued her for a period.
He still remembered that she had resolutely said, "My husband must be a hero who can stand tall in the world, someone who can eventually become the guardian of the nation! No matter how distinguished your background is, you're still a martial arts waste. Unless one day you can defeat me, then I might consider you."
Li Yunxiao remembered those words that had dealt a huge blow to him, leading him to sink deeper into despair. But now, he was no longer just Li Yunxiao—he was Gu Feiyang! In his past life, countless top-tier beauties had begged him to be with them, and he could hold hands with anyone and circle the entire Martial World twice.
Rolando, though beautiful and pure, now seemed far beneath those peerless beauties he had long grown bored of. This left him feeling very strange and a little odd.
"Hmph, a useless young master thinking he can pursue Rolando? How laughable!" Although Yu Hezheng had taken a loss earlier, upon learning that Li Yunxiao was a useless cultivator, his mood instantly improved.
Li Yunxiao slightly raised his gaze and glanced at him. His sharp gaze was like a blade, stabbing directly into Yu Hezheng's heart. Yu Hezheng trembled all over, instantly closing his mouth, sweat pouring from his forehead.
"I think you've misunderstood," Li Yunxiao said calmly, "whether I'm a waste or not, I won't fight you. If there's nothing else, I need to train." He waved his hand, without looking back, and walked directly into Training Room 013, shutting the door behind him.
Rolando froze for a moment, her eyes slightly darkened, seeming to be in thought.
Yu Hezheng stared in disbelief at the closed door, his heart surging with intense waves. "What just happened? He's just a waste who can't even open his meridians. Why, just with a single glance, did I feel like I was falling into an abyss? My God, what kind of gaze was that?"
He swallowed hard, sweat pouring down his forehead. He suddenly realized that he seemed to have developed a sense of fear toward Li Yunxiao. The next time he faced Li Yunxiao, he found that he couldn't summon any fighting spirit.
"Rolando, for your sake, let him go this time. Let's go." Yu Hezheng, still shaken, forced a smile.
Rolando nodded, ready to leave. But then she stopped and tilted her head slightly, saying, "Senior Yu, what Li Yunxiao said earlier was right. Your Tiger-Fist technique, though powerful, is just for show. If you had mastered its essence, you wouldn't have been so easily caught by him."
Yu Hezheng's face alternated between shades of red and green, his gaze filled with humiliation. His hatred for Li Yunxiao was now deep and visceral.
After Li Yunxiao entered the training room, he quickly surveyed the space. It was about 100 square meters, and it was empty except for two one-meter-high black iron stones placed in a corner. They were human-shaped, clearly used for martial arts training targets. The surface was covered in countless handprint and sword marks, one of them severely damaged, no longer resembling a human shape.
"These black iron stones must be over a hundred years old!" Li Yunxiao showed an appreciative look as he stroked them. Throughout history, no matter the place or time, there were always martial artists who endured hardship and trained tirelessly to pursue the path of strength.
"Ha!" Li Yunxiao gave a low shout. "This isn't the time to be sentimental. I must quickly restore my strength! As long as I open up my meridians and condense my energy, I expect to return to the peak of the Nine Heavens Realm within ten years!"
To go from condensing energy to the peak of the Nine Heavens Realm, even the most talented would need at least a hundred years. Even a Martial Emperor reborn, aside from Gu Feiyang, wouldn't dare to say such a thing. After all, he wasn't just a Martial Emperor—he was a Ninth-Stage Imperial Alchemist!
Crack crack crack!
A popping sound emanated from his body as he bent backward in an impossible posture. His limbs connected, forming a perfect circle, and his muscles and bones began to subtly change. Besides the intense pain, a strange power flowed through his body, different from the familiar elemental energy. This force moved through his muscles and blood, pure physical strength!
Snap!
For the given text, here's the translation:
After holding on for seven breaths, his body finally gave out. He was flung backward, slamming hard into the wall, coughing up a large mouthful of blood. His head swirled with dizziness and blurred vision. Yet, despite his wretched appearance, his face was brimming with joy. "Haha! Under tenfold gravity, the effects of the Moon Sun Technique are indeed amplified! Within three days, I'll reach the physical threshold of a Martial Disciple. By then, I'll have at least a sixty percent chance of breaking through my meridians!"
While Li Yunxiao was undergoing secluded training, news of his single-move victory over Yu Hezheng spread through the tenfold gravity training zone. Everyone delved into analyzing it in detail. Though his martial skill seemed to involve some clever maneuvering, defeating a peak seven-meridian Martial Disciple with a regular human body left everyone deeply shaken, overturning preconceived notions of martial arts. Those who witnessed the fight in person all walked away with their own realizations. From that moment, Li Yunxiao's name was etched into their memories.
One day later, Luo Landuo and Yu Hezheng also left the gravity zone. However, as Yu Hezheng departed, his venomous gaze fixated on the door of training room No. 013 as though he wanted to devour the person inside.
Three days later, the door of training room No. 013 finally opened. A man covered in blood emerged.
The students waiting in the public area to use the training rooms were all shocked. Who was this person? Not only was he covered in grime and filth like everyone else who left the training rooms, but his entire body was also encrusted with layers of dried blood, forming what looked like a suit of blood armor. The stench of sweat and blood churned everyone's stomachs, with several female students even vomiting on the spot.
Apart from his bright, star-like eyes, he no longer resembled a human at all!
Under the stunned gazes of the crowd, Li Yunxiao walked straight into the teleportation circle and vanished from the tenfold gravity zone. However, no one noticed that while he had been gasping for breath and staggering upon his arrival, his departure was effortless and composed, as if he were walking on level ground.
"Who was that? Did he have to go to such extremes?"
"Don't you know? That was Li Yunxiao, the one who defeated Yu Hezheng with a single move!"
"What? That was him? No wonder he could defeat a peak Martial Disciple despite having unblocked meridians. Turns out he's this desperate in his training!"
"Hehe, that's the power of love! Luo Landuo promised that if Li Yunxiao could defeat her, she'd give him a chance to court her."
"Hmph, as the young master of the Li family, he shouldn't have trouble finding beautiful women of his rank."
"Who knows? But no matter how hard he tries, he won't defeat Luo Landuo. Clever martial techniques mean nothing in the face of absolute power."
"True, Luo Landuo is ranked among the top five freshmen! I heard she achieved the One-Origin Realm last month and is now a true warrior!"
"Quit complaining and get to work, young man! Even a so-called failure and a girl are surpassing us!"
"Ugh!"