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Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Footsteps echoed from the staircases, and the b.u.t.tons of the elevator lit up. After all, the commotion on the ninth floor had startled many people.

Cheng Dongfeng quickly give Duan Tianhe a look, who merely quietly raised one finger in return. It meant: I'll help you settle this matter, but you'll only get one out of the three promised bottles of qi pellets!

Nonetheless, he went to help Cheng Dongfeng up after he saw him promptly shut his eyes with a face filled with agony. As he did so, Duan Tianhe discreetly released several breaths of True Qi with his palm to help Cheng Dongfeng steady his boiling body and blood.

When Cheng Dongfeng's complexion recovered, he laughed out loud. “Not bad, not bad! Jiang He, you could hold your own against me while I was holding back, and that ability of yours makes you the best youth in Xibei.”

Even as he spoke…

Whoos.h.!.+

Several figures rushed up from the stairs and out of the elevator. When they heard what Cheng Dongfeng said, they all stared at Jiang He in astonishment.

Where did this kid come from?

He can actually fight Master Cheng as an equal? And the building almost crumbled because of that?

What is this?

Jiang He scratched the back of his head, muttering inwardly, ‘Just because I could make you vomit blood, you say that I can fight you as an equal? You may have misunderstood the meaning of ‘equal'…'

‘That said, my own shortcomings are obvious, since I only know those two moves, and both require abundant True Qi to charge. Even though I cultivated the Nine Yang technique, and possess ten times the amount of True Qi compared to a person of my own level, I would at best, be able to switch between those two moves five times…'

‘Well… I just might be able to manage a few more cycles if I pushed myself further, but doesn't that mean that I'm finished if my opponent can block all my blows?'

Jiang He began to sum things up. ‘Still, I can pop some pills while I release my Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, and as long as I have enough pills, I'll be able to fight for a whole day…'

He then casted a doubtful look at Cheng Dongfeng. Because he had been too preoccupied with releasing his blows, he had only faintly sensed that the middle-aged man's aura had risen above rank-six pinnacle… was he imagining things?

‘That must be it. Duan Tianhe did say that Cheng Dongfeng is peerless at rank-six, and no more than ten rank-six individuals across the globe can best him. There's no way a rank-five like me could be that powerful now, right?'

‘And he also said himself that he had repressed his cultivation… A senior of martial arts wouldn't be that shameless now, would he?'

Nonetheless, Jiang He was not actually that slow on the uptake.

The truth was that the strength he unleashed when he released Mighty Dragon Shows Remorse and Dragon Soars in the Sky was exceedingly violent, and the surge of True Qi obscured a part of his senses. But most importantly, Jiang He had little experience in fighting, and he could only pay attention to his strength release whilst not noticing anything else.

Meanwhile, Duan Tianhe barked, “Alright, back to work, everyone.”

The Martial Arts Department employees who come to enjoy the liveliness soon left. Bai Feifei was about to follow suit when a voice spoke, “Bai Feifei, please wait. By the way, don't mention anything about my ascension or what happened just now.

Bai Feifei nodded stiffly. She was feeling light-headed.

What the h.e.l.l am I looking at?

Jiang He, a rank-five novice, beating Master Cheng until he vomits blood?

Her gossiping heart was ablaze and she couldn't wait to spread the news. And yet, when she remembered Duan Tianhe's reminder…

‘You've ascended, Chief?', she wondered. Bai Feifei only recovered then, seemingly more shocked that Duan Tianhe had risen beyond grandmaster, than the fact that Jiang He had defeated Cheng Dongfeng.

When the crowd left, Cheng Dongfeng glanced towards Jiang He and couldn't help showing a pained smile.

Jiang He, meanwhile, appeared distracted and slightly upset, murmuring, “A pity.”

“What's a pity?” Cheng Dongfeng couldn't help asking.

“Master Cheng,” replied Jiang He, “This place is too small and you can't really release your skills here, but I saw an open field behind the Martial Arts Department on the way here. Should we head over there for another bout?”

He then mused to himself, saying, “I feel that I didn't do my skills justice. All I did was stand there and throw my palms at you without playing to my strengths. If I could use the advantages of my postures, I would first release a Mighty Dragon Shows Penance directly at you, and when you parry, I would slip behind your back and release a Dragon Soars in the Sky from above. You would definitely have a hard time stopping it…”

Cheng Dongfeng's eyes widened, but quickly spurred his posture to hold down his True Qi when he felt it going amok again. At the same time, he acted unconcerned, clasping his hands behind his back.

“Aren't you underestimating elites, Jiang He?” he said impa.s.sively. “Your posture is your advantage? Who gave you such confidence that you would dare speak like this to a disciple of the Eight Trigrams School? The Grandmaster himself personally developed the Eight Trigrams Vanis.h.i.+ng Steps… Eh?”

Even before Cheng Dongfeng finished, he suddenly felt his shoulder sink and promptly turned, finding Jiang He, who had appeared behind him to clap him on his shoulder, before returning to his previous spot.

Cheng Dongfeng was taken aback and at a loss for words. “What posture was that?”

It's here! The question did come!

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Jiang He was laughing in pain inside, well aware that this would happen if he used the Blind Princess' Eight Practices. Still, he was already prepared and smiled faintly.

“Breezing Smoke Flight,” said Jiang He.

“Breezing Smoke Flight, Breezing Smoke Flight…” Cheng Dongfeng quietly repeated the name of posture and chuckled in disbelief. His spirit seemed to be completely drained dry, and he seemed to have aged over a dozen years old in an instant…

And he had just been consoling himself that Jiang He was only strong because his palms were exceedingly powerful. If they were fighting in the open and not in a cramped s.p.a.ce like this one, he could evade Jiang He with his Eight Trigrams Vanis.h.i.+ng Steps.

He would wait until Jiang He unleashed a full barrage and had no more True Qi left, and then he would win without lifting a finger. Now, however, it was proven that he was daydreaming.

Looking up, he leveled a vicious glare at Duan Tianhe. The b.a.s.t.a.r.d had toyed with him to death today!

It's fortunate that the kid named Jiang He was understanding enough to hold back from embarra.s.sing Cheng Dongfeng, and did not directly expose him for bursting out with rank-six pinnacle ability.

“Well, whatever. I won't nitpick with him for the sake of one bottle of qi pellets. Still…”

Cheng Dongfeng glanced at Jiang He again.

Why did he get the feeling that the kid wasn't purposefully choosing not to expose him, but it was because the kid wasn't able to tell that Cheng Dongfeng had burst out with his full strength? If that was the case, he just needed Duan Tianhe keep his mouth shut…

And if it comes down to it, couldn't he just pretend like he had been repressing his cultivation from the very start?