We're practicing all martial arts, so why did you switch to easy mode?

Chapter 162 The Second Layer of the Vajra Iron Shirt, Martial Arts Competition

On the eve of the Lunar New Year, heavy snow fell.

Zhang Mansion.

Snowflakes were falling outside, but the house was bustling with activity.

Hong Ming, Fang Rou, Tie Rang, Su Chen and others gathered here to celebrate Li Yue's 100-day celebration.

Li Mo also had some rare free time. During this period, Li Mo cultivated diligently, neglecting sleep and meals, and the results were remarkable.

A few days later, his physique underwent a dramatic change; he had previously gained weight due to happiness, but now he had become lean and muscular.

Most importantly, under Su Chen's daily "enlightening" training, he progressed from the beginner level of Qi cultivation to the minor mastery level. Moreover, because he assimilated the Vajra Force, he was more powerful than ordinary martial artists who had reached the minor mastery level of Qi cultivation.

Hong Ming and Fang Rou also changed, but not as obviously as Li Mo.

Despite Su Chen providing various resources for the two, neither Hong Ming nor Fang Rou were able to get into the swing of things.

Hong Ming's condition was due to his advanced age and declining blood and energy, making it impossible for him to gain strength in a short period of time with the nourishment of Qi and Blood Pills alone; Fang Rou's condition was due to her poor talent, which meant that even with diligent cultivation, she could only make progress at a very slow pace.

At the 100-day celebration, everyone was in high spirits, enjoying a rare gathering together in an exceptionally harmonious atmosphere.

They chatted about everything under the sun, sharing all sorts of interesting stories.

As they talked, the topic turned to Su Chen. Hong Ming, as his master, was one of his elders and couldn't help but urge Su Chen to get married as soon as possible.

The others also teased Su Chen, which made Su Chen extremely embarrassed.

He shouldn't have asked about the 100-day celebration, which led everyone to steer the conversation towards him.

After the 100-day celebration, everyone's lives continued as usual, though they seemed somewhat busy.

Whether in the past life or the present, there seems to be a special feeling about the Chinese New Year, with everyone wanting to finish everything for the year before the New Year.

The forces in those prefectural cities were no exception; they all rushed to move into Dafeng City and even the surrounding cities during this period before the end of the year.

Now, both Dafeng City and the four surrounding cities have become exceptionally lively. Even the nearby towns are bustling with activity, unlike any other year, due to the influx of various forces.

However, beneath this lively atmosphere lies hidden chaos.

Several days passed, and New Year's Eve arrived.

Early in the morning, Su Chen was invited by Hong Ming to his home for New Year's Eve dinner.

In the morning, Su Chen prepared offerings, and in the afternoon, he worshipped his ancestors. He had a rare moment of leisure and did some everyday chores.

As evening approached, Tie Rang brought some good wine to Hong Ming and then stayed to help him.

The three men prepared a table full of dishes and ate, drank, and chatted.

A sleepless night.

New Year's Day.

Then everyone started exchanging New Year's greetings.

Li Mo's whole family came, and Fang Rou's parents also came to offer New Year's greetings. Everyone ate, drank, and had a lively day.

On the third day, Su Chen returned to the Qiao residence.

I had planned to visit Qiao Qiliang after wishing Qiao Renzhou a Happy New Year, but both of them were too busy to be seen.

Upon arriving in the courtyard, Su Chen was taken aback by the mountain of gift boxes piled up.

Only after asking the maid did I learn that these were all gifts sent by various powerful forces in the city.

Although the position of deputy leader of the Four Seas Gang is a sinecure, with Qiao Qiliang's connection, no one dares to ignore it easily.

The powerful Luo family and other large forces have the resources to not send gifts, but smaller forces that want to develop in Fengbei City dare not refuse to send them.

The gifts weren't particularly valuable; Su Chen only accepted some of the more practical gifts (silver notes), and let the servants distribute the rest among themselves.

Back in his room, Su Chen picked up the message left by Qiao Qiliang and read it. It contained information about the recent changes in various forces.

The text also mentions the conflict between the Hong family and the Shadow Killer.

Although the Shadow Assassins headquarters personnel have not yet arrived, their relationship with the Hong family has grown increasingly cold, with the two sides even secretly vying for power during the Lunar New Year.

None of them were able to have a good New Year.

In addition, another piece of news caught Su Chen's attention: the planning for Dafeng City and the four surrounding cities.

Qian Santong, in the name of the prefectural lord, summoned the four city lords of Fengdong City, Fengxi City, Fengnan City, and Fengbei City to discuss the construction of a new prefectural city after the New Year.

The plan is to use Dafeng City as the inner city and extend it to four other cities in all directions. These four cities will be connected to form the outer city of the new prefecture.

This is a massive project that requires enormous human, material, and financial resources.

This is why Qiao Renzhou has been so busy these past few days, practically living in Dafeng City and rarely going home.

Qiao Qiliang was more busy with the affairs of the Sihai Gang. Although Qiu Sihai was the nominal leader of the Sihai Gang, Qiao Qiliang was the one who actually made the decisions.

Therefore, he needs to be stationed at the Four Seas Gang to handle all matters.

Fortunately, his status as the son of the city lord made handling many things much easier for him.

After reading these messages, Su Chen left again.

Over the next few days, Su Chen spent a day eating and drinking at Li Mo's, Fang Rou's, and Tie Rang's houses, and the rest of the time he stayed at Hong Ming's house.

Su Chen didn't return to the courtyard until the seventh day of the Lunar New Year.

Just like last time, Su Chen unpacked the gifts and read the messages.

"Have the Hong family and the Shadow Assassins ceased hostilities?"

When Su Chen saw the latest news about the Hong family and Shadow Killer, he was stunned. The two sides had compromised so quickly.

This disappointed him slightly, as he had been hoping for a fierce battle between the two sides.

Ideally, it would be a fierce battle at the level of the three elders of the Hong family, with both sides fighting to the death, so that he could benefit from it.

Unfortunately, powerful forces like the Hong Clan and Shadow Assassins are driven by self-interest and won't fight to the death over such petty squabbles.

However, Su Chen didn't care. In any case, the fuse had already been lit, and it would be ignited sooner or later.

In the time that followed, Su Chen lived as if he were in seclusion, rarely paying attention to outside news. Apart from seeking Li Mo's help in his cultivation, he almost never went out.

He spends his days in the courtyard reading medical books, refining Qi and Blood Pills, improving the fourth-generation Bewitching Powder, and searching for a new critical point for Vajra Strength.

This frenzy has yielded remarkable results.

Firstly, he became increasingly skilled in refining Qi and Blood Pills.

Nowadays, the number of pills produced by Qi Xue Dan is basically stable at five per batch, and the efficacy of Qi Xue Dan is also stable at around 80%.

Secondly, the Soul-Guiding Incense has been further improved, not only increasing the time but also breaking through the 20-meter distance limit. Furthermore, a type of insect that targets the Soul-Guiding Incense has been found, capable of tracking it based on its scent.

Su Chen named it the Soul-Guiding Insect. As long as the distance is no more than one kilometer and the time is no more than half an hour, Su Chen can use the Soul-Guiding Insect to find the target. Moreover, unlike the Incense-Guiding Insect, which dies after use, he can use the Soul-Guiding Insect until it dies naturally.

Finally, there was the breakthrough in Vajra Iron Shirt. After half a month of cultivation, Su Chen finally met the panel's requirements and upgraded Vajra Iron Shirt to the second level.

His own cultivation level had reached the second stage of Blood Transformation, and his blood and qi had increased dramatically, rising up as thick as smoke.

However, to Su Chen's surprise, what should have been a happy thing turned out to be that after the upgrade was completed, the critical point he had previously found was no longer applicable.

Moreover, with the Vajra Iron Shirt technique upgraded to the second level, the power doubled again, and even increased several times over, causing Su Chen to suddenly reverse the way he used the power.

To give an example, he can only unleash six out of ten of his full strength, but the power is still ten out of ten.

The strength became increasingly abundant, and the power it unleashed also increased, but only about half of the strength was actually effective.

If he continues to improve, Su Chen doesn't even dare to believe how his strength will change.

You can't mobilize all your strength and only use one part, yet the power is still all ten, right?
This sounds impressive, but its usage rate is shockingly low.

This was clearly not the effect Su Chen wanted.

However, even now, the Shadow Killer headquarters has not completed its relocation, and he has no way to purchase the Myriad Wonders of the Profound Heart.

In order to quickly find the optimal critical point for the current force to take effect, Su Chen came up with another method and kept experimenting on Li Mo, torturing Li Mo in a way that was both painful and pleasurable.

What was painful was that Su Chen was giving him more and more strength each time. In order to help him assimilate the strength as soon as possible, Su Chen practiced with him.

What makes me happy is seeing my progress every day. As my internal strength increases, my abilities also grow stronger.

Although Li Mo is still at the minor level of mastery in internal energy cultivation, his strength and the concentration of his internal energy have already reached the level that should be expected for mastery of internal energy cultivation, which can be described as rapid progress.

Time quickly came to the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

The entire city of Dafeng became exceptionally lively, with crowds thronging the streets and alleys, forming a boundless sea of ​​people.

The governor of Qinzhou, Qian Xinghai, the lord of Dafeng City, Qian Santong, the lord of Fengbei City, Qiao Renzhou, and other important figures from Qinzhou gathered at the city gate. Behind them were the heads of the five major clans and other representatives of top forces.

At this moment, they all stood solemnly, craning their necks and gazing ahead with anticipation. Even after waiting for a long time, they showed no sign of impatience.

When they saw the massive procession not far outside the city, everyone's expression turned solemn.

"It's here!" Like a long dragon, it stretched out at the end of everyone's sight.

As the procession poured into the city, everyone's attention was focused on the carriage in the middle of the procession, which was engraved with a black python.

"Welcome, Lord of the Manor."

As the carriage came to a stop, the surrounding air seemed to quiet down. Countless eyes were fixed on the imposing figure who stepped out of the horse, and everyone bowed their heads respectfully.

The prefect, Qian Ruyuan, had a kind and gentle appearance, with a calm demeanor in his brows. His aura was understated yet commanding, making him impossible for anyone present to underestimate.

He slowly stepped down from the carriage, looked around, and his calm gaze swept across the entire scene, bringing an aura of unfathomable pressure.

"Get up."

He then turned his gaze to Qian Xinghai and the others, and said in a low voice.

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, everyone felt a sense of relief.

The arrival of the Prefect in Dafeng City marks a significant day, signifying the beginning of a new chapter for the city.

However, this day had little impact on Li Mo.

Inside the courtyard of the Zhang residence.

Two figures clashed, exchanging blows and kicks, the sounds of their collision rising and falling.

Bang bang bang!
Li Mo's expression was solemn as he threw a punch, which Su Chen caught with a palm strike. With a tremor in his arm, Su Chen forced Li Mo back several steps.

“Junior brother, the more I spar with you, the more unfathomable you seem.” Li Mo shook his tingling arm and chuckled.

Even though Su Chen hadn't used any force, he still managed to beat him so badly that he was completely powerless to resist.

This was only because Su Chen deliberately let him win; one can only imagine how formidable Su Chen's strength would be if he went all out.

Su Chen ignored Li Mo's words and said, "Tomorrow is your duel with Huang Li. With your current strength, you are not afraid of Huang Li."

After a month of arduous training, Li Mo's strength improved by leaps and bounds. Just a few days ago, he even made up for his last weakness.

Now he has successfully entered the Great Perfection of Strength Training, and with Su Chen as his sparring partner, both his strength and combat ability have become extremely formidable.

According to Su Chen's estimation, in a one-on-one situation, Li Mo could defeat even a master of the Qi Refining stage.

With such strength, he could easily handle not only one Huang Li, but even three Huang Lis.

"Thanks to you."

Li Mo said with a hint of gratitude, without deliberately saying anything like thank you, but he had already kept this kindness in his heart.

Su Chen waved his hand, indicating that he did not intend to continue sparring with Li Mo and told him to rest well. He would accompany Li Mo to the competition tomorrow.

After the two talked for a while, Su Chen returned to the Qiao residence, only to find that Qiao Qiliang had been waiting for him for a long time.

After not seeing him for several days, Qiao Qiliang had become somewhat thinner. Upon seeing Su Chen, he smiled and asked, "Tomorrow is the match between Li Mo and Huang Li. How is Li Mo doing?"

“Dealing with Huang Li shouldn’t be a problem,” Su Chen replied. Seeing Qiao Qiliang’s serious expression, he couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong?”

Qiao Qiliang rubbed the bridge of his nose, looking worried, and said, "The Luo family has been getting a bit too arrogant lately. Although it's supposed to be a bet, they haven't stopped expanding their influence. I'm worried they might try something tricky tomorrow."

Su Chen said that Li Mo would win the martial arts competition tomorrow, and Qiao Qiliang naturally believed it. However, based on the recent actions of the Luo family, he did not think that the Luo family would be so willing to admit defeat tomorrow.

"Let's see what tricks they'll pull tomorrow." After a pause, Su Chen asked, "By the way, are you going tomorrow?"

Qiao Qiliang nodded without hesitation.

Los House.

With a creak, the door opened, and Luo Sheng walked in.

"Uncle Yu, you were looking for me?"

Upon hearing the voice, Luo Yu gave a soft "hmm," then looked up at Luo Sheng and asked, "I heard you made a bet with Qiao Qiliang?"

"I thought you wanted to see me about something, Uncle Yu, but it turns out it's this!"

Luo Sheng was taken aback upon hearing this, then chuckled, "To be honest, Uncle Yu, it's true. That brat Qiao Qiliang has been targeting us at every turn, and he even established the Four Seas Gang to hinder the Luo family. In this martial arts competition, I'll show him what we're made of!"

"Are you confident?" Luo Yu asked after a long silence.

Luo Sheng was full of confidence: "Uncle Yu, don't worry. Huang Li's strength has recently made a breakthrough. He has broken through from the Great Completion of Qi Refining to the Perfection of Qi Refining. That Li Mo is only a beginner in Qi Refining. If he wants to contend with Huang Li, it is no different from throwing an egg against a rock."

Upon hearing this, Luo Yu nodded calmly: "This matter is of great importance. No matter what, we must win. I will make time to watch the match with you tomorrow. If we win, you will have made a great contribution to the Luo family."

"Yes," Luo Sheng said happily.

Although he was one of the direct descendants of the Luo family, there were many direct descendants in the Luo family, and to stand out, one had to rely on one's own abilities.

This is why he traveled thousands of miles to Fengbei City ahead of time, hoping to make contributions to the family, accumulate merits, and improve his treatment and status.

Only in this way can I become stronger, gain more influence among the younger generation of the Luo family, and enjoy more resources.

If I can win this competition, my status in the Luo family will definitely rise significantly, far surpassing the other direct descendants of the Luo family. Perhaps I can even become one of the 'seeds' through this.

Afterwards, Luo Yu gave Luo Sheng a few simple instructions, and then Luo Sheng got up and left.

The next morning.

Qiao Qiliang, Su Chen, and Li Mo went to the Luo residence, where the Luo family members had been waiting for a long time.

The group followed the servants to the front yard, where a fighting arena had been set up.

Huang Li was sitting on the arena with his eyes closed, seemingly resting. When he saw Li Mo, he looked at him with a slightly provocative expression.

"Uncle Yu, this is Qiao Qiliang."

Upon seeing Qiao Qiliang and his group, Luo Sheng lowered his voice and introduced them to Luo Yu, who was standing to the side.

Who is that person next to him?

Luo Yu frowned and stared at Su Chen, surprised to find a dangerous aura emanating from him.

Luo Sheng was taken aback when he heard this, thinking that Luo Yu was asking about Li Mo. But when he saw Luo Yu's gaze, he realized and said, "His name is Su Chen, and he is the vice leader of the Sihai Gang."

"To be able to sit in the position of vice leader at such a young age, one must have extraordinary abilities," Luo Yu said with a hint of surprise.

Luo Sheng did not reply, and Qiao Qiliang and the others had already walked towards them.

"Everyone's here, the competition can begin," Qiao Qiliang said bluntly.

"Alright!" Without the sarcasm and ridicule before the match, Luo Sheng simply responded with a smile.

Li Mo nodded to Su Chen, then walked onto the arena. Huang Li stood up from his chair upon seeing this, his not-so-tall figure exuding an imposing aura.

After both sides were seated, one of Luo's men shouted, "The duel begins!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Huang Li, who had been itching to make a move, suddenly attacked.

Although he was confident that he could defeat Li Mo, this competition was crucial for both him and Luo Sheng, so he spared no effort from the beginning to try to defeat Li Mo in the shortest possible time.

Li Mo also dared not be careless. The moment he saw Huang Li make his move, he mobilized the power within his body. The power, like a stream, surged into his arms instantly, making the ordinary Iron Wire Fist reveal extraordinary power.

boom!
The two men threw punches at each other, and the impact of their fists produced a sound like the ringing of a golden bell.

The powerful rebound caused both of them to stumble back several steps, reaching the edge of the ring where they barely managed to regain their balance.

"Mastering the Great Strength!" Huang Li exclaimed, almost losing his voice, ignoring the slight numbness in his hands.

He couldn't believe it at all; the guy who could be easily wiped out just a month ago was now only one level below him.

Li Mo remained silent, his expression solemn, and he also stated Huang Li's level of mastery: "Perfected in the cultivation of internal energy!"

offstage.

Luo Sheng, who was initially confident of victory, frowned slightly the moment he saw Li Mo display his strength.

"Hmph, even if you're hiding your strength, you're still doomed to lose today!"

Soon after, Huang Li calmed down and charged out like a cheetah, his increasingly fierce moves attacking Li Mo like a storm.

Li Mo snorted coldly, his momentum soaring like a rainbow. His arms moved like a dragon, roaming in all directions, his fists shaking the eight wastelands.

Bang bang bang!
Two figures flashed across the battlefield, their battle intense, exchanging over a hundred blows in just over ten breaths.

On the arena, there were traces of their battle everywhere.

The experience of many days of hard training came to mind like a tidal wave, and then all of it turned into instinct, becoming one with Li Mo at this moment.

With a loud shout, his eyes became calm, and he seized the opportunity in the subtle moment, suddenly unleashing a punch.

The punch was powerful and forceful, stirring the air and making a crackling sound.

In an instant, the sound stopped abruptly, followed by the resounding sound of fists colliding.

Bang!
Huang Li grunted and suddenly retreated, leaving a long trail on the wooden board. He was only a hair's breadth away from falling off the stage!
(End of this chapter)