Chapter 83: Chapter 83: Jiang Qiu’s Shadow Stepping Surpasses Even Yang Zheng and Lin Wei

In the office of the Seventh Martial Arts Team Captain, Liu Qi stood with his hands clasped behind his back by the window, gazing out at the sprawling base buildings and the non-commissioned officers below, who looked no bigger than soybeans.

He’d been gravely wounded by a Spiritual Great Demon during the Dongqi Lake operation, and thirteen days had passed since he’d last taken an external mission.

Meanwhile, the batch of non-Optimizer students under his charge were all training frantically with their spears. After all, a document from the Resource Committee stated that an estimated eighty doses of Demon Blood Fragrance would be produced before the final exams.

After the Optimizers took their pick, fifty doses would remain, and everyone was giving their all to seize the opportunity.

As for Yang Yu, who had missed out on first place, he had overcome his disappointment after joining Jiang Qiu in the virtual training building twice. He was now immersed in his training as usual, repeatedly practicing the Tier One Spear Technique his older brother had once mastered...

"Come to think of it, I’ve never personally seen Jiang Qiu use the Spear Skills he’s mastered, so I don’t even know which Demon Blood Fragrance would suit him," Liu Qi said, turning back to his desk. His fingertip rested on a document, his gaze profound. "If he could break into the top five in the overall rankings, there are several excellent Spirit Communication Level Demon Blood Fragrances to choose from. A pity there are only a dozen or so days left. His rank probably won’t climb that high in time..."

BZZZ BZZZ BZZZ—

Suddenly, the communicator on his wrist vibrated. A flicker of confusion crossed his eyes. ’Why is the Virtual Training Building calling me?’

BEEP. The call connected, and a panicked shout came from the other end. "Sir! The system detected that the Optimizer in Pod 8, Jiang Qiu, just defeated his sparring partner using the Shadow Stepping Body Technique!"

"He’s about to accept a challenge from Wu Hao—whose Body Technique is second only to Lin Wei’s—and they’re going to spar... spar... The spar is over?"

...

What did the ultimate mastery of Body Technique in the Steel Bone Realm look like?

Of the thirty Optimizers in the prodigy program, Wu Hao had challenged twenty-nine. Barring a few draws and some minor defeats in the Spear Dao and Archery Dao, his most humbling loss had been a sparring exchange with Lin Wei, a competition of Body Technique.

That time, even before the match began, his Qi Blood was already surging, and he had his Martial Gang Step primed for optimal use.

With a DING, the match began, yet he still couldn’t see how Lin Wei moved. All of a sudden, an iron fist slammed into the arms he’d raised to block.

That was the fastest display of a Steel Bone Realm Body Technique Wu Hao had ever faced, and he finally understood why Shadow Stepping was so difficult to learn.

After all, the brief, frozen afterimage, followed by a sudden strike from the True Form... it was impossible to defend against and demanded incredible explosive power!

And now, another DING signaled the start of the match. Jiang Qiu’s figure, still in a fist-and-palm salute, remained frozen in place. He seemed so sluggish, as if he wasn’t ready at all.

But a powerful, oppressive aura washed over him, like a fierce tiger eyeing a helpless kitten. A momentary panic surged in Wu Hao’s heart. He channeled his Qi Blood and activated his Martial Gang Step.

The bare-handed youth ten steps away possessed an aura sharper than a spearhead an inch from his neck.

But Jiang Qiu’s presence felt even heavier than Lin Wei’s had, as still and unshakable as a stone pillar.

The thought had barely formed.

BOOM—

In the dead silence, a sound like thunder tearing through the sky pierced his ears. A gale erupted before his eyes, its thousands of currents whipping Wu Hao’s hair back.

His pupils contracted a moment too late. A chill shot down his spine, and the echo of his own frantic heartbeat thundered in his ears. THUMP-THUMP.

In that instant, the only sound was the self-generated gale scraping past their ears. The twenty-odd Optimizers, the most talented prodigies in Gao Yuan City, were all struck dumb, utterly mesmerized.

[Sparring Exchange Concluded]

The robotic electronic announcement was like an iron ladle clanging against their skulls, snapping them out of their stupor. They came to as if waking from a dream, their pupils trembling in shock.

Only then did a large fist withdraw from before Wu Hao’s brow. The light it had blocked once again shone upon his eyes, revealing pupils that had contracted to pinpricks.

His legs were still frozen in place, neither raised nor lowered, stuck in the first step of the Martial Gang Step.

The image of the figure ten paces away had dispersed the moment the wind from the punch had struck his face. The real Jiang Qiu now stood two paces before him, offering a fist-and-palm salute. "It was a good match."

’The Horizontal Training prodigy, rumored to have disabled King Niu’s right arm with a single spear strike, had truly mastered Shadow Stepping in just thirteen days. And his personal comprehension of it was even greater than Lin Wei’s.’

’He’d thought that Yang Zheng, who had been unrivaled in his year with Shadow Stepping, represented the absolute limit of the Body Technique. He’d thought Yang Zheng was the prodigy most suited for it. Now, it seemed they should be grateful Jiang Qiu hadn’t been in his cohort...’

A thousand thoughts sprouted like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. The corners of Wu Hao’s mouth twitched and gaped like a carp pulled from the water.

His eyes reflected the unflappable face of the youth, whose own eyes were like black jade. He unconsciously returned the salute. "It was a good match."

The moment the words left his mouth, a great weight lifted from his heart, leaving only a vast calm in his chest.

The onlookers were equally stunned, yet no one dared to whisper or comment. Even the few who furrowed their brows, upon recalling the flickering image of that punch, couldn’t help but feel a chill invade their lungs, simultaneously clearing away any sense of oppression.

People often described Shadow Stepping as "treading on shadows without leaving a trace," but even Lin Wei with his innate Martial Arts Talent couldn’t do it. The famously unrivaled Yang Zheng couldn’t completely hide his shadow either.

Within the Steel Bone Realm, only Jiang Qiu had been seen to tread on shadows without a trace.

"In just thirteen days, Jiang Qiu learned and surpassed the Shadow Stepping that made Yang Zheng unrivaled in his year. His comprehension is deeper, his mastery on a higher level."

"What kind of monstrous talent is this?"

All eyes converged on Jiang Qiu, like a cluster of stars orbiting a magnificent rising moon, and they sighed in awe and admiration.

"With talent this outrageous, I’m suddenly thinking that the Demon Blood Fragrance refined from the Essence Blood of the Lord of Dongqi Lake might actually end up in his hands."

"Not necessarily. Lin Wei has innate Martial Arts Talent. The strongest among us have mastered either a Five-Star difficulty Tier One Spear Skill or a Tier One Bow Skill. But he comprehended techniques for both the spear and the bow all on his own, and they both surpassed the Tier One category—they’re the equivalent of Shadow Stepping in the Body Technique Realm. How could Jiang Qiu possibly have time to catch up?"

"Even so, Jiang Qiu has the potential of a hidden dragon. I think one day, he might even surpass Lin Wei."

After the waves of astonished gasps, the image of the black-shirted youth was etched into everyone’s minds. They clasped their hands and bowed to Jiang Qiu, their faces flushing with embarrassment. "Brother Jiang Qiu, we’re sorry for doubting you. We’ve just never seen anyone master Shadow Stepping so quickly."

"No harm done," Jiang Qiu said with a wave of his hand. "It’s the first time I’ve seen it, too."

"Huh?"

The crowd was taken aback for a moment before their expressions relaxed into smiles. After giving their names and bidding farewell, they chuckled as they filed out of Pod 8, leaving behind a parting comment: "So Brother Jiang Qiu isn’t the bloodthirsty, arrogant demon-slayer the rumors made him out to be."

"Brother Jiang Qiu... just a dozen days ago, I wouldn’t have believed it. *Sigh*," Wu Hao lamented, a flicker of regret in his eyes. "I was too shortsighted. If anything I said or did caused offense, please forgive me."

"I’m going to get back to my Spear Skill training. I won’t disturb you any further."

With his final word, Wu Hao’s avatar vanished from Pod 8. At a thought from Jiang Qiu, the wasteland scenery dissolved, and everything fell silent.

’I’ve mastered Shadow Stepping and taken the top spot for Body Technique. Next up is either a Spear Skill or a Bow Skill. I’m most familiar with the spear, so I’ll start with that...’

Lost in thought, Jiang Qiu exited the Virtual Training Pod and walked back to the steel door.

He casually browsed the numerous Spear Skills loaded onto the silver screen. His brow furrowed and the light in his eyes dimmed. ’Tier Two Spear Skills are meant to be learned by Martial Artists. Even if I manage to learn one, I won’t be able to replicate its true effect. It might not even be as good as a Tier One Spear Skill designed for a Non-Martial Artist.’

’But why do all these recorded Tier One Spear Skills feel so subpar?’

’It seems that many of these Full-Star difficulty Tier One Spear Skills can’t even compare to the first skill I comprehended on my own, the Soaring Dragon Thrust...’

DING DING!

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Jiang Qiu collected his thoughts, casually wiped a few beads of sweat from his cheek, and strode toward the door.

CLICK.

The door opened to reveal Liu Qi’s tall frame. Jiang Qiu’s eyes lit up. "Sir, what brings you here?"

’He was just about to pivot to a new area of study, and now Captain Liu Qi, the very person in charge of it, had come to him personally.’

’But why would he suddenly come in person? It couldn’t be for something trivial, could it?’

With that thought, Jiang Qiu met Liu Qi’s gaze, which burned as intensely as a miner who had just struck gold. THWACK. A large palm slapped him on the shoulder. "Jiang Qiu! I just saw the recording of your sparring exchange with Wu Hao in my office! You mastered Shadow Stepping in thirteen days, defeated your opponent, and surpassed the Yang Zheng of old!"

"You have the potential to be the number one prodigy!"

"There are only seventeen days left, but I have a way for you to surpass Lin Wei—who’s currently number one on all three leaderboards—in the overall rankings before the Demon Blood Fragrance shipment arrives. And if you do, you’ll be able to claim the Demon Blood Fragrance refined from the Essence Blood of the Lord of Dongqi Lake." 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"It will allow you to undergo a massive transformation while still in the Steel Bone Realm!"