The human body contains 206 bones, broadly categorized into the cranium, the appendicular skeleton, and the trunk skeleton.
Right now, Xiao Ke can only channel the Water of Primal Force to illuminate the bones of his trunk. This section is further broken down into the spine and the thoracic cage. He'd already tempered and lit up all 26 bones of the spine long ago.
This week, he's been dedicating all his cultivated Primal Force to the chest cavity.
The thoracic cage consists of a sternum and 24 ribs. So far, Xiao Ke has successfully illuminated the sternum and six ribs. This effort has boosted his raw punching power by another 700 jin, hitting an impressive total of 6,000 jin. Combined with his status as a Level 5 Warlord, Xiao Ke's overall combat rating has reached a terrifying 9,000—putting him within striking distance of a Level 7 Commander.
Eager to relax after his intense session, Xiao Ke found Ye Yun and Xiaohuixiang in the living room. Seven cups of freshly brewed tea awaited him. For weeks, after every nightly cultivation session, Xiao Ke would play a tune on his horizontal flute for Ye Yun. Not wanting to be indebted, Ye Yun reciprocated by teaching him the finer points of aristocratic etiquette and art, recently focusing on the ritual of tea brewing and tasting.
The seven cups Ye Yun had just finished brewing were waiting for Xiao Ke to evaluate.
He had initially resisted learning. Ye Yun, however, insisted that if Xiao Ke ever hoped to achieve real influence, he would have to interact with the Imperial Family, powerful Aristocratic Houses, and the scholarly Gentry. In those circles, cultural knowledge was essential; ignorance would lead to him being dismissed as an uncouth savage and kept out of the real power networks.
Xiao Ke scoffed internally: I'm just trying to make Centurion. Forget the nobility; just escaping the pauper class is a stretch. This is overkill. But he couldn't refuse his Third Brother's genuine effort.
"Elder Brother, you're done training," Ye Yun greeted him with a smile. "Perfect timing. The seven teas are ready. Sample them one by one. Can you identify each brew?"
"Alright."
Xiao Ke picked up the first cup and took a sip. He realized his aptitude for tea tasting had rapidly improved, and he effortlessly answered, "West Lake Longjing."
"Correct!" Ye Yun beamed.
Xiao Ke stared, momentarily stunned. Damn, he thought, Third Brother is unbelievably feminine. When he smiles, it's almost seductive. If he were a girl, she'd be a legendary beauty.
Ye Yun noticed the intense gaze, a light blush rising on his cheeks. He averted his eyes, picking up the second cup. "Try the second one?"
Xiao Ke took a sip. "Dongting Biluochun!"
"Excellent. The third cup."
Xiao Ke took a sip, then frowned. "Wait, this is West Lake Longjing again? Is it the same?"
Ye Yun's smile widened, his eyes crinkling into half-moons. "Not quite. Taste carefully, Elder Brother. The first cup was brewed with well water. This one uses pure spring water. As The Classic of Tea says: 'Mountain water is best, river water is secondary, and well water is the least suitable.' Using just any water is a travesty for fine tea. Remember that."
Xiao Ke chuckled. "You nobles are too complicated. To me, if it quenches thirst, who cares about the water or the tea?"
Xiaohuixiang couldn't help but mumble, "If it's just thirst, drink plain water. Giving good tea to someone who doesn't understand it is casting pearls before swine." Ye Yun shot her a glare, and she quickly covered her mouth and fell silent.
Xiao Ke correctly guessed all the remaining teas.
Afterward, Ye Yun asked about his training progress and if he was confident about the challenge against Gao Wenyan. "If you aren't sure you can win, don't risk it," he warned. "An injury now would cost you the chance to join Instructor Di Shitian at the Autumn Hunt—that would be a total waste."
Xiao Ke smiled. "I can't promise victory, but I have a fifty-percent chance. I have to fight tomorrow."
"Then I, your younger brother, wish you triumphant success in advance," Ye Yun said, and they sealed the pledge with a tea toast.
Checking the time, Xiao Ke prepared to leave. But first, as was his custom, he had Xiaohuixiang bring his flute. He played one last tune, then departed gracefully, the melody echoing behind him.
Sunday marked the end of the fourth week of specialized training at Glory Academy. The program was essentially over; only the Autumn Hunt and the subsequent Palace Examination remained. Thus, today—the final Day of Battle—was the last chance for the Elite Class rankings to change, guaranteeing fierce competition.
Di Shitian, Jiang Youwei, and the other instructors arrived early. Initial challenges were only happening between students ranked tenth and below, which Di Shitian barely watched. His focus drifted to Ling Feng, Ye Yun, and Gao Wenyan. Three Commanders graduating—this cohort is excellent, he thought, a smug smile on his face. If these three could beat the disciples of the Hanlin Academy—the ones backed by the Imperial Cabinet—it would be a major victory. It would erase years of humiliation and earn the gratitude and rich rewards of the new Emperor.
Just as Di Shitian was fantasizing about his three best students' triumph, the match in the main ring finished. A moment later, a long, slender figure strode into the fighting arena. Di Shitian's smile vanished. He frowned immediately. It was Xiao Ke, ranked fifth in combat strength.
Xiao Ke's entry meant he was issuing a challenge, and since he wouldn't challenge the fourth-ranked student, the target was obvious: he was aiming for the top three to secure his spot at the Autumn Hunt.
Di Shitian's face shifted. "Xiao Ke, what are you doing?" he demanded.
"Reporting, Chief Instructor," Xiao Ke replied coolly. "I'm here to challenge an opponent."
"The fourth rank?"
"No. I challenge the third-ranked, Gao Wenyan."
Gao Wenyan, standing nearby, instantly scowled and scoffed.
Di Shitian tried to reason with him. "Xiao Ke, I see your Primal Force has progressed; you're likely a Level 5 Warlord now. But Gao Wenyan is a Level 7 Commander. The gap between a Warlord and a Commander is enormous. You have no chance. Why do this?"
"Ranks are rigid, but people are flexible," Xiao Ke countered evenly. "I beat a Warlord when I was only a Trooper. Now that I am a Warlord, I might just beat a Commander."
Di Shitian's frustration boiled into anger. He was counting on Gao Wenyan and the others to perform tomorrow. Though Xiao Ke couldn't win, a scratch could ruin Gao Wenyan's performance.
Gao Wenyan, however, held a deep animosity toward Xiao Ke and welcomed the fight, eager to teach him a brutal lesson.
Gao Wenyan stepped forward. "Ranks are rigid, but people are flexible? What arrogance," he sneered. "I accept. Though after fighting me, you might not be among the 'flexible' for long."
Di Shitian realized the fight was inevitable and, bound by the rules, he relented with a tight face. "Fine. Since you both want to fight, go ahead. I'll be watching closely."
Gao Wenyan marched confidently into the ring, eyes narrowed at Xiao Ke. "You wanted to beat me, Xiao Ke? Today, I will prove how pathetic a mere Warlord is against the might of a Commander."
Because Xiao Ke was only a Level 5 Warlord, this contest—unlike those between two Commanders—would be fought with conventional fists and feet, without lightsabers.
Di Shitian announced grimly, "Begin!"
Xiao Ke had learned many things at Glory Academy, but deference in a fight was not one of them. Given his slight disadvantage against Gao Wenyan, seizing the initiative was paramount.
The instant the word left Di Shitian's mouth, Xiao Ke's foot struck the floor with a roar. The ground cracked beneath him as he rocketed toward his opponent like a shell, launching a basic, flat-out punch at Gao Wenyan's chest.
"A fine opening!" Gao Wenyan didn't take the punch seriously. The Primal Force layer on Xiao Ke's fist seemed thin and unimpressive, leading Gao Wenyan to instinctively believe the strike lacked serious power.
Gao Wenyan roared, meeting the blow with a punch of his own, intending to gauge Xiao Ke's power. Boom! When their Primal Force fields collided, a dull, explosive thunderclap filled the air.
Xiao Ke's Primal Force—far weaker than Gao Wenyan's—was instantly shattered. Gao Wenyan felt a flicker of triumph, thinking, That's all he's got?
But in the next instant, he realized his mistake. His fist had only destroyed the energy shell. Now, an immensely powerful physical force surged through Xiao Ke's fist and into his own. Raw human strength... stronger than my Primal Force?
As disbelief filled his mind, the actual physical impact happened. Gao Wenyan had deployed only 70% of his Primal Force, thinking he was merely testing the waters. Xiao Ke, in contrast, was giving 100% of both his energy and his newly fortified 6,000 jin strength.
In the initial exchange, Gao Wenyan was soundly punished. His fist and right arm went instantly numb as a massive force drove into his chest and rattled his internal organs. He grunted, stumbling back two steps.
The instructors, including Di Shitian, and all the students collectively gasped. Gao Wenyan was knocked back in the first exchange? It was unbelievable. Only Ling Feng and Ye Yun's eyes brightened. Xiao Ke had claimed he could go toe-to-toe with Gao Wenyan, and now they saw he genuinely had the power to fight.
Xiao Ke didn't hesitate. Seizing the opening, he followed Gao Wenyan like a shadow, unleashing a continuous, furious barrage of attacks. Gao Wenyan was now furious and bewildered, but he plunged back into the fight. Though their levels were now roughly equal, Gao Wenyan's initial carelessness and the suffocating pain in his chest put him at an immediate disadvantage.
Jiang Youwei watched Xiao Ke hold his own against a Commander and thought: His Majesty chose well. This Xiao Ke is extraordinary. A Level 5 Warlord fighting a Level 7 Commander to a standstill. When he matures, he will be a critical asset to the Imperial Family. Even Di Shitian was stunned. As a near-Level 10 General, he'd never seen anything like it: raw physical power matching Commander-level Primal Force.
Now, the two fighters traded blows—fists and elbows landing on each other almost simultaneously. Both grunted, stumbled back, and immediately charged back in. They used every part of their bodies as a weapon: kicks, punches, elbows, and shoulder slams. Every move was powerful, lethal, and aimed at a vital point.
Xiao Ke had prepared for a long, grueling fight from the start. Both were taking significant damage, but Xiao Ke, who had grown up as a scavenger and fought daily for survival, and later on the brutal front lines of the Black Shark Legion, possessed a pain tolerance far beyond that of Gao Wenyan, a pampered young master from a minor gentry family.
Even when Xiao Ke was injured more severely, he fought on like nothing happened, growing fiercer with every strike. Gao Wenyan, unused to this brutal, mutually-destructive war of attrition, began to crumble. Injuries mounted. Gao Wenyan landed a flash kick to Xiao Ke's face, tearing the skin and covering the left side of his face in blood. But Xiao Ke didn't flinch. He simultaneously planted a kick beneath Gao Wenyan's left armpit, snapping two ribs.
"Agh!"
While Gao Wenyan screamed from the broken ribs, Xiao Ke merely swayed his head twice, a grunt never leaving his lips. Looking like a bloodied, monstrous beast, he charged forward, slamming his body into Gao Wenyan and driving his elbow savagely into his solar plexus.
CRACK. Gao Wenyan doubled over like a cooked shrimp and was sent flying backward.
Xiao Ke sprinted after him, leaped into the air, and wrapped his legs around Gao Wenyan like a pair of deadly shears, driving him down to the ground. THUD! Gao Wenyan slammed into the floor and was instantly knocked unconscious.
Xiao Ke agilely sprang back to his feet, chest heaving, blood streaming from his left cheek onto the ground. He stood proud and defiant, looking like a warrior god, the only one left standing on the field.
Silence. Then, Ling Feng and Ye Yun were the first to rush forward, helping Xiao Ke up, cheering, "You won! You actually won!"
Di Shitian finally recovered, looking at Xiao Ke with complex emotions—astonishment at his power, and frustration that one of his three Commanders was now injured. Still, he announced, "The winner of this match is Xiao Ke!"
The students immediately erupted in chatter, marveling at how Xiao Ke, the level-jumping assassin, had once again defeated a higher-ranked opponent.