My martial arts have no bottlenecks.

Chapter 27 Lie Valley

The journey from Linhai Town to Lieshan Valley requires traversing nearly 300 li (approximately 150 kilometers), with a stop at Laoyayi for a night's rest.

Inside the carriage, Zhou Hu reminded them, "We should be able to reach Laoya Post Station before noon tomorrow. The post station is located between two mountains, in a dangerous area, so we need to be extra vigilant at night."

Upon hearing this, Liang Cheng and Zhao Yuan stopped and nodded slightly at the red-marked post station symbol on the map.

Zhou Hu continued, "Wu Tianxiong's men might be waiting for us there."

"What does Senior Brother mean?"

"The Spring Hunt is ostensibly a competition, but in reality, it's a pretext for the redistribution of resources among the towns. The Zhennan Martial Arts School suffered a loss before the Lunar New Year, and this time they will definitely try every means to get revenge."

Laoyayi is a place we have to pass through. Striking a warning to us there will both dampen our spirits and not violate the rules of the spring hunt.

"Better safe than sorry."

……

Laoyayi was more crowded than expected.

The carriages and horses from the three towns and six halls almost filled the front yard of Laoya Post Station. Dozens of martial artists gathered in this mountain post station, shouting and neighing, and the air was filled with a tense atmosphere.

As Yangwei Martial Arts School's convoy entered the courtyard, a group of people were gathered around the hitching post on the east side. Under the banner of Zhennan Martial Arts School, Zheng Biao stood with his arms crossed, talking to the leader of Tiezhang Martial Arts School. When he saw Yangwei get out of the car, his gaze swept over, lingered on Liang Cheng, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

Wu Xiao stood half a step behind Zheng Biao.

More than three months had passed, and Wu Xiao had changed a lot. His flamboyant and outgoing sharpness had subsided considerably, and he was now calm, but even more dangerous.

Liang Cheng could clearly feel that his blood and qi were condensed and unified, and his internal strength was flowing smoothly and without hindrance. He had already firmly stood at the peak of internal strength and was only a step away from transforming into internal strength.

He's much stronger than before. It seems Wu Tianxiong used a lot of rare and precious herbs on him. Otherwise, his injuries wouldn't have healed, so how could he have made progress?

"Master Yang, you must be tired from your journey." Zheng Biao spoke first, his voice loud and clear, with a deliberate enthusiasm.

Yang Wei nodded slightly: "Nephew Zheng has recovered quickly."

"Thanks to your esteemed junior brother Liang, after lying in bed for several months, my bones have finally healed," Zheng Biao said with a smile. "I just wonder how junior brother Zhou's injuries are? I heard he was about to break through to the next level of internal energy cultivation. Alas, what a pity."

Zhou Hu remained calm, as if he hadn't heard anything.

At this moment, Yang Wei was invited to the upper room by the post station staff. The other martial arts masters were also there, leaving only the martial arts disciples in the courtyard.

Zhao Yuan stood to the side and behind Zhou Hu, his eyes lowered, his right hand unconsciously clenched into a fist, his knuckles turning white. He could feel Wu Xiao's gaze fixed on him.

Sure enough, Wu Xiao spoke, his voice not loud, but loud enough for everyone in the surrounding circles to hear clearly:

"Senior Brother Zhao, I've missed you dearly since we parted ways at the competition. Judging from your complexion, your injury hasn't fully healed yet. The spring hunt is no child's play. Going into battle injured will only cause your old wounds to flare up, which would be a real shame."

That's a very malicious remark.

A moment of silence fell over the surroundings. People from other martial arts schools turned their heads, their gazes sweeping back and forth between Zhao Yuan and Wu Xiao, some with amusement, others with a touch of sympathy.

If it were more than three months ago, Zhao Yuan would have rushed forward by now, but at this moment, he simply raised his head slowly to meet Wu Xiao's gaze, his face expressionless, and even tugged at the corners of his mouth to reveal a very faint smile: "Thank you for your concern, Junior Brother Wu. It's just a minor injury, nothing serious."

He paused, then added in a tone as calm as if he were discussing the weather: "As for Junior Brother Wu, his progress is rapid. It seems that the defeat that day actually served as a whetstone for him. Congratulations!"

Wu Xiao's smile froze for a moment.

Zhao Yuan's words sounded polite, but they were like a soft knife, precisely stabbing him in the spot he cared about most. Wu Xiao had been defeated by Liang Cheng, and the defeat was quite humiliating.

A flash of malice crossed Wu Xiao's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. He stopped looking at Zhao Yuan, turned to Liang Cheng, and smiled at him: "Brother Liang, how have you been?"

Liang Cheng nodded: "Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother Wu. I am well."

Their eyes met, and everyone around them instinctively held their breath. Many people had witnessed the competition before the New Year, and now that the two main figures had met again, it naturally attracted attention.

But the anticipated tension did not materialize. Wu Xiao gave Liang Cheng a deep look, then suddenly smiled and said, "We'll see who comes out on top in Lieshan Valley."

After saying that, he turned around and walked towards the east wing where the Zhennan Martial Arts School was located without looking back. Zheng Biao glanced at Zhou Hu and followed with his men.

A storm was swept away without a trace.

But everyone knows that this is just the calm before the storm.

……

In the shared room in the west wing, under the flickering oil lamp, Zhao Yuan sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), with Zhou Hu and Liang Cheng beside him. Housing at the post station was scarce, and many people shared rooms.

"You did the right thing," Zhou Hu said slowly. "Wu Xiao deliberately provoked you to make a move. If you had accepted the challenge, regardless of the outcome, you would have further depleted your energy before the Spring Hunt, and it might have even aggravated your old injuries. He is currently at the peak of his cultivation and is only one step away from becoming a master. Your injuries have not yet healed, so it would be unwise to fight him head-on."

"I know," Zhao Yuan said, his voice devoid of emotion. "It's just a matter of enduring it for a while."

Liang Cheng leaned against the window, watching people from other martial arts schools come and go in the courtyard. The disciples of Liuyun Martial Arts School were agile, the people of Qingfeng Martial Arts School carried heavy swords, and most of the people of Haichao Martial Arts School had dark skin and smelled of the sea...

Elites from all three towns have gathered here.

He could sense that at least five or six auras no weaker than Wu Xiao's were hidden in the crowd, much stronger than those from the competition before the new year.

"It seems this spring hunt won't be so simple," he muttered.

Their progress in such a short time must have come at a great cost from the six martial arts schools; otherwise, things wouldn't be in this state.

Zhou Hu nodded: "The Three Towns Grand Competition is ultimately a competition held in one's own backyard. The Spring Hunt is open to all twelve towns under the jurisdiction of Linwu City, and there is even a chance to be selected by the Martial Academy. Only those who can stand out in this kind of event are the real carp leaping over the dragon gate."

The three fell silent, and the night passed without a word, yet none of them truly slept soundly.

……

The convoy set off again the next morning.

The atmosphere became even more subtle for the rest of the journey. Although the convoys of the six martial arts schools traveled together, they were clearly separated, keeping a distance of more than ten feet between each other, and were wary of one another.

Occasionally, when they meet, the team leaders simply nod indifferently to each other, while the disciples mostly remain silent.

Liang Cheng could sense that at least three groups of people were secretly observing Yangwei Martial Arts School's team, and most of them would notice him.

The champion of the Three Towns Grand Competition naturally attracted attention, but he seemed oblivious, spending most of his time in the car with his eyes closed, adjusting his breathing to maintain peak condition.

Two days later, at noon.

As the convoy rounded the last mountain ridge, a vast valley suddenly appeared before them.

Fierce Valley.

The valley entrance was flat and had been cleared into a huge camp. Hundreds of tents were scattered like mushrooms, flags fluttering, and the air was filled with the sounds of people.

Looking from afar, there were no fewer than a thousand people, many of whom possessed a powerful and formidable aura, far surpassing that of Linhai Town.

What is most eye-catching are the several exceptionally tall flags in the center of the camp.

"Jinhu Town's 'Lieyang Martial Arts School'", "Beishan Town's 'Hanshuang Martial Arts School'", "Qingshi Town's 'Zhenyue Martial Arts School'..." Zhou Hu squinted as he identified the banners one by one, his voice heavy with seriousness. "These are all major towns under the jurisdiction of Linwu City, and their martial arts schools are far more powerful than our three towns."

The convoy slowly drove into the camp, and under the guidance of the disciples, arrived at a designated area to set up camp.

They had just settled down when they heard a commotion coming from the other side of the camp.

Liang Cheng looked up.

A group of about twenty people came from the direction of the valley entrance. They were all riding tall horses and dressed in uniform silver-gray outfits, exuding a fierce aura.

The leader was a boy who looked no more than eighteen or nineteen years old, with a handsome face and an imposing arrogance in his eyes.

He didn't deliberately exude an aura, but wherever he went, the surrounding martial artists subconsciously held their breath and gave way.

"Transformation of internal energy..."

Zhou Hu's pupils contracted slightly, and his voice became dry.

The boy seemed to notice his gaze, turned his head and glanced in the direction of Yangwei Martial Arts Hall. When his gaze swept over Liang Cheng, Liang Cheng felt a chill.

He's a formidable enemy!

The boy smiled slightly, then turned his head and led his group away, not taking Liang Cheng seriously.

The camp was quiet for a moment, then a buzz of discussion arose.

"It's Yun Jinghong, the young master of the Flying Cloud Martial Arts School! Twenty-one years old, and he broke through to the Transformation Realm a year ago!"

"As expected of a genius renowned throughout the county, I heard he already qualified for the Martial Academy, but he hasn't reported for duty yet because of this spring hunt."

"It seems the winner of this spring hunt was already a foregone conclusion."

Liang Cheng withdrew his gaze and focused his mind.