C12 Who Gave You the Courage?

"Miss, you saw that, right? Lu Chong may be talented, but he's green. Xiaoyu is a better fit to train with you; it'll put your father's mind at ease," Elder Chen remarked with a knowing smile, having seemingly predicted the battle's outcome.

Lou Qingqing bristled, "Sister Yu is a ninth-stage martial artist. It's no surprise Lu Chong lost. You just don't want me choosing my own coach."

"And when Sister Yu trains with me, she holds back, slowing my progress," Lou Qingqing confessed.

Elder Chen spoke earnestly, "Miss, we can't risk your safety. Your father wants you to live a peaceful life, not one filled with the dangers he faced. Why push yourself so hard?"

"I knew you'd say that," Lou Qingqing retorted, turning away from the elder in a huff.

Just then, Elder Chen gasped in surprise, "Has the boy made a breakthrough right in the middle of combat?"

At his words, Lou Qingqing perked up and focused intently on the fight.

Sister Yu was poised to strike, one hit away from victory with her experience. But she suddenly noticed a shift in the once defensively postured boy. His previously flawed movements now flowed seamlessly, leaving her with no opening.

With only the Nine Shadow Step and Monument Breaking Hand at her disposal, Sister Yu's confidence waned.

"Has he mastered the Nine Shadow Step?" she wondered, watching Lu Chong's elusive maneuvers. He had mastered it, but how? His technique was just at the Arcane level, barely touching the threshold. How did it soar to Perfection?

An epiphany in battle had propelled Lu Chong's abilities forward—an almost impossible feat. Yet, Sister Yu had to accept the reality before her. Victory seemed out of reach now, especially since her own Nine Shadow Step was a mere step from Perfection, a gap that was vast in combat.

With Lu Chong's technique flawless, Sister Yu's only hope was brute strength. But their cultivation levels were matched, and she couldn't go all out. Worse yet, she couldn't even land a hit on him now, much less win.

"Let's call it here," Elder Chen interjected from a distance. "Continuing this fight would only end in a stalemate."

He was taken aback, having misjudged the situation. He had been sure of Sister Yu's victory, only to watch Lu Chong turn the tables.

Sister Yu, though reluctant, ceased her attack. She knew Elder Chen was right; if Lu Chong kept dodging, she'd never win. She flushed, remembering her claim to beat Lu Chong in ten moves.

Still, she believed she'd triumph if he dared to engage her directly.

Lu Chong halted, yet signaled no desire to end the duel. "I want to test if I can turn defeat into victory," he declared, eyeing the doubled reward. The gap between two thousand and four thousand yuan per hour was significant.

Elder Chen raised an eyebrow, smiling faintly. "Are you certain? Losing again means missing a golden opportunity."

Lou Qingqing stood by, fretting silently, unsure how to sway Lu Chong.

Sister Yu, visibly irked by Lu Chong's audacity, felt underestimated. His perfected Nine Shadow Step was impressive, but not enough to best her.

"You've got nerve," she said icily.

Lu Chong replied with a humble grin, "I'm just giving it my all." He kept to himself that his Monument Breaking Hand had also reached Perfection. Against such an experienced opponent, surprise was his ally.

"Show me what you've got," Sister Yu challenged, readying her Monument Breaking Hand. She wouldn't initiate, but if Lu Chong engaged, she'd prove his naivety.

"I'll begin," Lu Chong said, bowing respectfully. His smile vanished, replaced by a serene focus.

He executed the Nine Shadow Step, leaving a residual image behind as his body surged three meters forward, arriving directly in front of Sister Yu.

He unleashed the Monument Breaking Hand!

Lu Chong thrust his palm forward, aiming for Sister Yu's towering chest.

"You're asking for it!" Sister Yu bellowed.

Her palms moved with the swiftness of the wind—one slapped at Lu Chong's palm, while the other sliced toward his neck.

She intended to take Lu Chong down with a single blow, stripping him of any chance to continue the fight.

Lu Chong chuckled to himself. His technique shifted abruptly, a feint leaving another afterimage where he stood.

This feint caused Sister Yu's attack to miss its mark.

Meanwhile, Lu Chong utilized the Perfection Stage Nine Shadow Step to reposition himself beside Sister Yu.

Almost simultaneously, his palm was poised to strike at the back of Sister Yu's neck.

The move was formidable, tearing through the air with an audible whoosh.

Enraged, Sister Yu couldn't adjust her technique in time to defend.

Lu Chong's palm, like a cleaving blade, struck at the back of Sister Yu's neck.

Yet, he didn't manage to defeat her with a single palm strike. It felt as though he had struck reinforced steel. Annoyed, he accused, "You're playing dirty."

Sister Yu remained unscathed, ready to spin around and launch a counterattack.

Just then, from a distance, Elder Chen's voice thundered with a cold fury, "Enough! You've broken the rules by using another martial skill. This sparring match is over."

His admonition was aimed at Sister Yu, who had indeed employed a superior martial skill to fend off Lu Chong's strike.

Confronted by the stern Elder Chen, Sister Yu immediately withdrew her hand, her complexion ashen, yet she replied with deference, "Understood, Elder Chen."

Witnessing the exchange, Lu Chong promptly ceased his actions and offered a fist-and-palm salute to Sister Yu, saying, "My apologies. Had I not provoked you, I suspect I would have forfeited my sole opportunity for victory."

Sister Yu merely huffed in response, offering no further comment.

In that moment, Elder Chen approached with Lou Qingqing, her face alight with joy. She marveled, "The youth of today are truly formidable. Young man, there's no need for false modesty. Your Monument Breaking Hand must have attained the Perfect Stage, hasn't it?"

Sister Yu's head shot up, her gaze fixed on Lu Chong with a mix of shock and disbelief.