Chapter 473: Chapter 173: Four Powers Complete, Terrifying Stats! (Part 3)

"Arrogant enough!"

Miao Yang had his temper stirred. His toes stomped hard on the ground, and this time he completely abandoned probing, truly treating Cheng Ye as an opponent of the same level.

His left arm lashed out like an iron whip, knocking aside Cheng Ye’s right fist, while his right fist shot forward even faster, aiming straight at Cheng Ye’s face, the fistwind tearing the air with a sharp whistle.

But halfway through the punch, Cheng Ye’s left hand had already risen like an iron clamp, firmly bracing against his wrist.

The instant their arms crossed, Miao Yang only felt a tremendous force transmit from the other man’s arm, jolting his blood and qi to a halt and sending his body drifting half a step backward out of his control.

He stamped his feet in quick succession and, using the backward momentum, spun his body, his elbow thrusting toward Cheng Ye’s ribs like an awl.

This was what you called close-range short strikes.

Cheng Ye turned his body to slip past the sharp edge and raised his right arm across to block.

Elbow and arm collided with a muffled "boom," like two huge boulders smashing together.

Miao Yang’s attacks couldn’t break through his defense at all. As Cheng Ye followed up with a forward shove, he immediately lost his balance and had to retreat three steps in a row to steady himself.

He then sprang forward again, both fists hammering alternately toward Cheng Ye’s chest at extreme speed, fist shadows fluttering as he tried to use a flurry of fast attacks to find an opening.

"Sun-Character Punching?"

Cheng Ye neither dodged nor evaded. His arms too whirled like windmills, blocking in turn, his footwork merely shifting slightly backward. It looked passive, yet he kept every attack sealed firmly in front of him.

Only when Miao Yang finished that entire set of rapid punches, his moves spent and his strength slightly drained, did Cheng Ye suddenly lift his left leg, his knee driving straight toward the lower abdomen.

The move was still as simple and direct as ever, but the timing was devilish.

With the Perception of the Embryo Realm, such a move naturally couldn’t escape Miao Yang’s notice.

He instinctively tightened his abdomen, drew in his breath, and brought his left arm up hastily to block the knee strike.

But this time he repeated the same mistake as before: he blocked the motion, but couldn’t block that brutish force behind it.

Bang.

The tremendous force exploded through his arm. Miao Yang staggered back five steps, his back slamming hard into the ring ropes at the edge, almost falling to the ground. His chest felt tight, and he even found it a bit hard to breathe.

Wang Kang, standing by the ring, stared dumbfounded. Though it had been Miao Yang taking the initiative the whole time, every punch landing solidly, his offense surging like a tide.

Cheng Ye, on the other hand, looked like a sandbag passively taking a beating, only able to block and counter somewhat chaotically.

But the strange thing was, with every clash, it was Miao Yang who got driven back, each time farther than before, as if Cheng Ye had springs built into his body, bouncing Miao Yang away with every touch.

"If I don’t use killing moves, I already can’t beat you."

Miao Yang braced a hand on the railing and took a breath. When he raised his head to look at Cheng Ye, the shock in his eyes was impossible to hide.

"Your strength, defense, speed, reactions..."

"A special talent, awakened." Cheng Ye spoke lightly, attributing everything to talent.

Miao Yang froze for a moment, then a hint of understanding flashed in his eyes, quickly turning into unconcealed envy.

Clearly, he’d had contact with Superpower Users, so he naturally understood that chasm between ordinary people and Superpower Users.

He just never would have guessed that what Cheng Ye called talent wasn’t a superpower, but... the Extraordinary!

"No wonder..." he muttered, his tone carrying a bit of relief, but even more of a sigh toward this kind of "heaven-blessed aptitude."

"Then your true strength now?"

"Want to try it?" Cheng Ye glanced at the upper-right corner of his panel. Miao Yang’s cooperation had already shot up to 81%.

Director Miao was straightforward enough—once he knew he couldn’t win, he simply admitted it without the slightest hesitation.

"Forget it, forget it." Miao Yang quickly waved his hands, though his voice was full of regret. "We’re smack in a troubled time, conscription is about to start. I really don’t want to get injured and delay things right now."

He smacked his lips, savoring the feeling just now. "That force behind your punches... You’ve completed Tiger Power?"

"Yeah."

Cheng Ye nodded.

Ever since he fully mastered Tiger Power, his punches carried a newfound, unstoppable ferocity.

When he cultivated killing moves now, he no longer had that sluggish feeling of "power not quite reaching."

"I’m jealous..." Miao Yang sighed, but before he could finish, Cheng Ye cut in.

"It’s all thanks to Master Miao’s teaching." Cheng Ye cupped his hands with a smile, his tone sincere.

Master Miao?

Miao Yang suddenly froze, the expression on his face turned to stone.

But right after, all that envy, that regret, those complicated emotions in his eyes, all melted into a gentle softness, into a deep, heartfelt gratification.

"Good, good. With Inspector Cheng being so humble, you’re bound to become another big figure one day—someone who can found a sect in our Happiness City, maybe even across the whole Wasteland!"

He turned his head, looking toward the several mottled statues of old-era Martial Artists set at the front of the training field. His gaze grew incomparably wistful. "In the old era, resources were abundant, everyone was like a dragon, and Martial Arts Grandmasters sprang up like bamboo shoots. Now in the New Era, the environment is harsh, resources scarce, and the New Martial left to us has been fading away with each generation."

"I... thought I’d never see that kind of flourishing again."

"Now that resources have become abundant again, everything really is moving back in a better direction."

As he spoke, Cheng Ye’s eyes flickered, suddenly noticing the upper-right corner of his panel.

Miao Yang’s cooperation had, during those few sentences, rocketed from 81% all the way up to 100%.

He could search for Level 3 skills now?

But at this moment, Cheng Ye didn’t feel his usual delight. Instead, he smiled and cupped his hands.

"Master Miao, if that day really comes, everyone will know that Inspector Cheng once learned martial arts from Director Miao Yang for a time."

"Haha, Inspector Cheng, what are you saying? Whether it’s you or Inspector Wang, if you want to learn, this old soldier of yours will naturally share everything I have."

Miao Yang laughed heartily and couldn’t help stepping forward to pat Cheng Ye’s shoulder. "Back in the day, my master said the same thing to me..."

He imitated the tone, speaking like an old man, "The future ultimately belongs to you young people."

In just one month, Cheng Ye had already caught up to nearly his level.

From here on, it was just grinding time, finishing the remaining Four Forces and opening the Twelve Tendon Gates.

But with Cheng Ye’s current momentum, when that day truly came, probably only masters in the Unity of Heaven and Man Realm would be able to spar with him for real.

"Kang, start your training with Master Miao."

Cheng Ye jumped down from the ring, no longer bringing up sparring.

He knew very well that with conscription imminent, Miao Yang would very likely be heading to the Wilderness front again.

At a time like this, even a minor injury could lead to an accident when facing an Infected Body.

If he really wanted to test his limits, going to Jiang Chuan, a master of Unity of Heaven and Man, would be far more appropriate.

"Got it." Wang Kang, still in a daze, climbed onto the ring with practiced ease.

But the defiance in his eyes from before was gone, leaving only naked admiration.

Taking advantage of the moment, Cheng Ye sat down by the ring. With a slight movement of his mind, he repeatedly searched for Level 2 skills.

With the 100% cooperation bonus, the success rate for Level 2 skills had reached 75%. Eagle Power and Snake Power fell into his hands smoothly, without any surprises.

"Dragon, Tiger, Eagle, Snake—finally, the Four Forces are complete."

Cheng Ye exhaled lightly, unequipping Moving Shooting and freeing up two slots in his Skill Bar, then equipping the newly obtained Eagle Power and Snake Power together.

As expected.

There was none of the impact he’d anticipated.

His body only swayed slightly before he completely "swallowed" the boost brought by the two powers.

No muscle-tearing agony, no chaotic surging of blood and qi—everything flowed naturally.

What surprised him even more was that the Life Force bonus from the Green Grass Physique seemed to be actively supplying energy to the new skills.

The green totem over his heart grew faintly hot, gentle currents of warmth spreading along his blood vessels, precisely pressing down the wave of hunger that was about to surge up.

"That’s convenient!"

Delighted, Cheng Ye reached into his bag, pulled out a Yellow Bag Nutrient Paste, tore it open, and poured it into his mouth.

He downed 17 bags in a row. The warm currents within his body and the energy from the Nutrient Paste fused perfectly, and all strange sensations vanished completely.

He shook his head and stood up, trying a few left-right punches and spinning kicks.

He only felt that every muscle and tendon in his body was like noodles soaked through in warm water—unbelievably smooth when he exerted force, as if he were dancing, without the slightest stiffness or sluggishness.

And just as he was about to further feel out how long it would take to master Eagle Power and Snake Power, his Defense Communication suddenly vibrated.

It was Long.

Cheng Ye pressed the answer key, and Long’s voice, brimming with obvious excitement, immediately came through the receiver.

"Sir, Prey No. 5 came back again this morning. Do we close the net?"

...