Chapter 14: Chapter 14: I Didn't Eat Enough Today
Leaving Huo Lan's residence, Lin Xiu didn't return to the dormitory but instead went to the Jia Nan Academy square.
The senior who took them to the dormitory had mentioned that one could practice Dou Technique here on regular days or spar with others.
"Mountain Breaker is a fusion Dou Technique. When practiced to its fullest level, it can almost rival a Black Rank Low Level Dou Technique, but I mustn't be careless."
Finding a corner, Lin Xiu practiced Dou Techniques.
At first, he didn't pay much attention to the assessment for new students; what mattered to him was Qi Method.
But now it was different. Achieving a good ranking could earn him a high-level Qi Method from Huo Lan.
The grade of the Qi Method would affect the speed of Dou Qi accumulation, as well as the recovery and accumulation level of Dou Qi in his body.
To become stronger, Qi Method is an essential factor.
[You practice Mountain Breaker, experience +5]
[You practice...]
On the square, there are Jia Nan Academy students everywhere, many of them are practicing.
Among these people are not only freshmen but also seniors.
Although Jia Nan Academy is not a sect, the level of competition is no weaker than that of sects.
As the evening sun tinted the clouds red, Lin Xiu stopped practicing.
"Mountain Breaker and Shadow Step can be improved through practice, but what about Qi Strength? Where can I find someone to spar with?" Lin Xiu frowned slightly, feeling troubled.
Qi Strength is a Yellow Rank Low Level defensive Dou Technique, which involves controlling Dou Qi to gather in the arms for blocking and parrying.
In essence, it adds Dou Qi to basic blocking, reducing the force of the opponent's attacks.
Lin Xiu tried several times to simply control Dou Qi for blocking, but not only did he fail to gain experience, but also because his posture seemed awkward, it attracted strange looks from others.
"If it really doesn't work out, I'll just use Attribute Points. After all, allocating points is instantaneous, and the corresponding experience after leveling up will naturally be imprinted in my mind. If I encounter tough opponents, I'll still have time to allocate points."
Attribute Points can enhance attributes and Ability levels, and they can also be used for the fusion of Dou Techniques and Qi Methods.
Considering that he was about to break through to Dou Practitioner, Lin Xiu refrained from using Attribute Points hastily.
He felt that after advancing to Dou Practitioner, Basic Qi Cultivation might undergo changes, or it might even be replaced by the Qi Method.
If things turned out as he imagined, Attribute Points would come in handy.
There was no one in the dormitory. Lin Xiu grabbed his clothes and went to wash up. By the time he finished, Xiao Ning and the others had just returned.
"Lin Xiu, where were you all afternoon? We wanted to hang out together, but couldn't find you anywhere," the person sleeping in the bed next to Lin Xiu's said, sitting up.
"I'm not too fond of hanging out. Besides, the entrance assessment is about to begin. Aren't you all going to prepare?" Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Lin Xiu glanced at them.
As newcomers, everything in the Academy was full of novelty, and these people had smiles on their faces.
"What's the use of preparing now? Just a bunch of us here, just going through the motions," shrugged the person preparing to wash up with clothes in hand.
"Lin Xiu, you don't seriously think those rankings ahead of us have anything to do with us?" Several people in the dormitory didn't take the entrance assessment seriously.
Despite everyone being eighteen-year-old Dou Disciples of the eighth rank accepted by Jia Nan Academy, there were differences among them.
Take Xiao Ning from the same dormitory, for example. Although his Dou Disciple level wasn't high, he was at least from the Xiao family, exposed to Dou Technique since childhood. In terms of Dou Technique alone, he already outperformed many others.
Throughout the enrollment at Jia Nan Academy, which often attracted students from several empires, even among students of the same eighth rank Dou Power, there were disparities.
"If you can beat me, you might have a chance to compete for the top ten below Dou Practitioner," Xiao Ning lay on the bed, his right leg resting on the edge while his left leg dangled above it. "But, I think your chances of winning against me are pretty slim."
"Listening to you, it seems like getting first place isn't that difficult," Lin Xiu didn't indulge him in the slightest.
He didn't say this just to boast. Initially, even after Xiao Ning took the Pill, he still couldn't defeat Xiao Yan.
At that time, Xiao Yan used the Black Rank High level Dou Technique, Eight Extremities Break. However, Xiao Yan hadn't fully mastered its essence.
Although Lin Xiu didn't have a Black Rank High level Dou Technique, the power of Mountain Breaker was not to be underestimated, especially considering his strength compared to Xiao Ning.
Xiao Ning was at the ninth rank of Dou Disciple, while he had already broken through to the tenth rank during this time.
"Your confidence is quite something. Those who don't know might think you're from one of the three major families in the Imperial Capital," Xiao Ning stood up, a hint of anger in his eyes as he looked at Lin Xiu.
"I'll be honest, if you don't believe me, you can give it a try," Lin Xiu also stood up, as he also wanted to test his own strength.
Fighting against a beast and fighting against a person were completely different feelings.
Seeing this scene, the others in the dormitory felt worried and gathered around the two to try to stop them.
"Alright, but the dormitory is too small to unleash our full potential. Let's go to the square," surprised that Lin Xiu would initiate the challenge, Xiao Ning paused for a moment before reacting.
Lin Xiu put on his shoes and walked with Xiao Ning towards the square, while the others from the dormitory hurried to follow.
Upon arriving at the square, Xiao Ning placed a few tiles, marking the area as the arena, where stepping out would signify defeat.
Lin Xiu nodded and stood five meters away from him.
"You go first," Xiao Ning beckoned to Lin Xiu with a curl of his finger.
Seeing this, Lin Xiu didn't hesitate either. He slightly withdrew his left foot and charged at Xiao Ning with full force.
His speed was very fast, like an arrow leaving the bow, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of Xiao Ning.
"So fast?" A hint of panic flashed across Xiao Ning's face. His body slightly lowered, hands forming a defensive posture.
Almost as soon as he had prepared for defense, Lin Xiu came crashing in with his shoulder.
"Mountain Breaker!"
Dou Qi gathered at his shoulder, his skin and muscles suddenly tightened, becoming indestructible.
The momentum of the charge transmitted from his shoulder to Xiao Ning's body, feeling like being hit by a Magic Beast. His arms ached, and his body struggled to stay stable, tilting backward.
Sliding on the ground for two or three meters, Xiao Ning slammed his palms on the ground and stood up heavily. "I was careless just now, come again!"
[You engage in a battle, Mountain Breaker experience +15]
Glancing at the prompt, he realized he gained 10 more experience points than he usually did in practice.
Lin Xiu nodded. "No problem."
The two returned to the designated area, and their roommates around thought Xiao Ning had been knocked out the first time due to carelessness.
However, the scenes that followed made them realize that what Lin Xiu had said earlier might not have been mere boasting; he indeed had the strength.
Xiao Ning used various Dou Techniques but still couldn't overpower Lin Xiu.
On the contrary, every time Lin Xiu used his shoulder, palm, or leg, Xiao Ning's face showed signs of pain when blocking, as if he had encountered a tremendous impact.
Those around them were puzzled. Splitting Wind Palm and Rhino Collision were just Yellow Rank Low Level Dou Techniques; Xiao Ning shouldn't have struggled so much to deal with them.
"Let's call it a day. I feel like you're not in the right state. We'll continue tomorrow," Lin Xiu proposed to end the sparring session.
In just a short moment, Mountain Breaker gained 100 experience points. Shadow Step, originally at level 2, showed signs of breaking through to level 3, while Qi Strength also advanced to level 2.
It wasn't that Lin Xiu's attitude towards Xiao Ning had softened; he simply couldn't bear to part with such valuable experience gains.
Lin Xiu knew very well the damage that Mountain Breaker could inflict, especially when paired with his Constitution. Continuing further, Xiao Ning might not even be able to lift his arms tomorrow.
"Don't get too cocky. I didn't eat enough today. I'll definitely teach you a lesson easily after I'm well-fed tomorrow."
Shouting towards Lin Xiu's back, Xiao Ning let the others go ahead.
After everyone had left, he rolled up his sleeves and saw that his arms were all bruised and swollen, his lips couldn't help but tremble.
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