After a short moment of silence, Xie Tianque asked subconsciously, "Brother, how much strength did you use?"
He knew that when his brother fought to learn from another person, he would display different levels of strength accordingly to his opponent's power. The examples where he experienced a shipwreck in a ditch were countless—after all, controlling one's strength and level might be even more troublesome than fighting the enemy!
"I used my full strength…" Xie Tianshu gave a wry smile. "He's a Professional Ninth Pin fighter. How would I dare underestimate him?"
My brother still lost to Ke's boyfriend even though he went all out against him? He looked so young too!" A sudden feeling of despair descended upon Xie Tianque. It was as if he could only watch helplessly Yan Zheke leaving farther and farther away with her boyfriend.
"How did you lose the fight?" Xie Chengzhen asked while staring at his eldest son. This question concerned him more.
Xie Tianshu sighed. "He launched five Tremor Punches in succession on me. I did not even have the chance to strike back."
"Five Tremor Punches?" Xie Tianque was shocked.
As an experienced and knowledgeable fighter who could often experience the power of Meteor force, Xie Tianque knew it clearly that even an expert at the peak of body refining state could at most blow four Tremor Punches, which couldn't enable them to defeat his brother!"
Only inhuman can blow five Tremor Punches at a stretch!
"Yeah, and I'm sure he was still able to punch two or three more times with spare stamina." Though Xie Tianshu was always confident and cold-minded, he couldn't help feeling upset and almost lose the courage to fight against Lou Cheng next time.
Xie Chengzhen, who had been listening to him silently, asked as if he had recalled something.
"Was that a kind of Meteor force?"
"No, movements with Meteor force usually combined impact force and Tremor force, which is faster than his Tremor Punch. But his movements were more skillful and still had room for development." Xie Tianshu analyzed seriously.
Xie Chengzhen agreed with him. "What will be the result if he fights against Lin Que?"
Xie Tianshu thought it carefully and answered, "He hasn't reached the peak of body refining, yet Lin Que could combo three times with Meteor force and thus greatly shock him, which couldn't be resisted by his Tremor Punch. So Liu Que's likely to win him regarding hard power. Besides, Lin Que has already approached the door of Dan stage…"
Xie Chengzhen said nothing more. He turned to look at Xie Tianque, and said with a smile,
"Tianque, still want to surpass him? You have to make a great effort and go through a lot of hard work."
"But it's more likely that I won't catch up with him however hard I learn and practice…" Xie Tianque opened and shut his mouth, failing to say something to show his determination.
There was nothing more depressing than knowing his rival in love was much more excellent than him!
Xie Chengzhen said with hands behind his back,
"Tianshu, go to light incense in Sanqing Hall with me."
Xie Tianshu nodded and strolled towards the hall with his father. When they were far enough from Xie Tianque, the brother took a glance back with a concerned expression. "Pa, don't push Tianque too hard."
"Hard?" Xie Chengzhen laughed and said, "If he's just attracted by Ke's beauty yet doesn't fall in love with her, he won't be inspired and encouraged by today's experience, so there's no need for me to worry about his being unable to get up after this strike. However, if he takes this seriously and begins to drive himself harder and harder from now on, it would greatly benefit him no matter he will finally succeed in pursuing Ke or not. There're so many good girls waiting for him in the future, and he'll naturally let go the failed romance one day."
Xie Tianshu took a glance at his father and caught his sigh.
It occurred to him that his father had once gotten into the same situation with a girl he wanted but finally lost.
Xie Tianshu soon forgot it since he was not interested in romance. He was more concerned with today's failure and decided to drive himself harder.
While being defeated didn't hold any fear for him, he was afraid of losing the confidence to catch up with his opponent!
Fortunately, my faith never leaves me. Sooner or later I'll compete with him again!
…
While Yan Zheke was looking to the side with flushing face, Lou Cheng was still chewing her words just now.
So she'll bring me home to see her parents after graduation?
Uh, see her parents…
Lou Cheng felt so excited but soon began to worry. What if Yan Zheke's family members were not satisfied with him?
Through their daily communication, Lou Cheng knew the girl was born in a martial arts aristocratic family, where those Dan-stage experts could even be ignored if they had few potentialities, not to mention an ordinary Professional-Ninth-Pin fighter like him.
Alas… A sense of crisis and urgency suddenly came over Lou Cheng. It was an urgent need for him to refine his body to the peak of his present level and then knock open the door of Dan stage, so that he would be at least of Professional Seventh Pin by the time he graduated from school.
Only in this way could he get her parents' permission to marry her!
Ever since Lou Cheng got Jindan and advanced by leaps and bounds with its help, he had dreamed of getting one level up every year, becoming a mighty one with physical invulnerability and winning the five titles. However, he knew it clearly that there was still a big gap between his present level and what all those goals required.
At this very moment, he set an achievable goal for the first time since he became clear about what he truly wanted.
I'm going to reach the peak of body refining state within half a year!
I'll join in the preliminaries and martial arts competitions among universities to get experience through fighting against strong opponents. And thus step into Dan stage within one or two years!
I'll make a name for myself in the university martial arts circle, and thus lay the best foundation for my entering the Professional Martial Arts Competition in the future!
I'll at least be of Professional Seventh Pin by the time I graduate from school!
Lou Cheng felt the road ahead became clearer after setting the series of goals and was thus greatly motivated. He must make the most of his four-year college life!
"Cheng, what're you thinking about?" Yan Zheke stretched out her hand and waved in front of his eyes.
Being immersed in the excitement of setting his goals, Lou Cheng blurted out. "I'm thinking about visiting my parents-in-law…"
"Who are your parents-in-law!" Feeling shy and annoyed, Yan Zheke shook off Lou Cheng's hand.
Lou Cheng laughing without defending himself. "I'll grow up to be a man they're satisfied with and willing to trust with their daughter. So I've made a goal just now as becoming a Professional Seventh Pin fighter by the time when we graduate from school."
Yan Zheke was stunned, her eyes were sparkling.
Stretching out her soft hand, Yan Zheke grasped Lou Cheng's palm while still looking at the ground in shyness. "Don't push yourself too hard for too much pressure would hinder your improvement. Slowly, steadily, step by step, and you'll make rapid progress."
The girl continued, her face was still flushing. "I'll also make great efforts and try to be financially independent earlier after graduating from school, through which could I keep the right of self-determination while only taking my parents' opinion as a reference."
Hearing Yan Zheke's words, Lou Cheng realized the girl was much more mature than him. Besides, he was pleasantly surprised by her willingness to make efforts for their future.
"Let's work hard together!" Lou Cheng took the girl's hand in a firm grasp.
When they arrived at Sanqing Hall, Yan Zheke smiled and said,
"I'll go to light incense…"
Seeing the girl's slim and graceful figure fly in the hall and pray in front of the statue of the Primeval Lord of Heaven, Lou Cheng felt a wave of happiness flooding him and put on a gentle smile unconsciously.
"Well, will that boy sell us to your parents?" Lou Cheng began to worry when Yan Zheke came back.
Small and weak, he hadn't grown up yet…
Yan Zheke thought for a while and then answered, "He doesn't like talking about other people's business… To be on the safe side I'll ask my brother to explain to him. I won't contact him directly in case he might sense my guilty. The more indifferent I show to him, the less likely he'll view me with suspicion and thus tell my parents."
"It seems he's a good guy." Lou Cheng commented deliberately.
He should learn about this rival in love who would often see his girlfriend.
"Yeah, but he could be lazy sometimes, while his brother is quite better than him in this respect, who is a typical martial mania having devoted himself to martial arts. No matter where he goes, he'd like to fight with someone to learn from each other. Of course he's quite capable and powerful, only a little bit weaker than my brother, while they were both my model in my childhood." Yan Zheke answered casually.
Lou Cheng was jealous. "And now?"
"Now…" Yan Zheke suddenly felt something was wrong. She curved eyes and brows to show Lou Cheng a big smile. "Cheng, I've just realized you're easy to be jealous!"
"Well…" Lou Cheng looked to the side with a flushing face. "Maybe I care too much about you…"
"I won't easily fall in love with anyone just because he was a martial arts expert." Yan Zheke complained.
Lou Cheng was excited and whispered, "So why do you like me?"
Yan Zheke's beautiful face straightened as she said,
"Because you're silly!"
She couldn't help laughing after saying like this.
Lou Cheng also laughed and soon forgot his little jealousy. Until this moment did he realize something.
"Is that guy fond of fighting against strangers to learn from each other? I think I've competed with him just now…"
"Ah?" Yan Zheke could not react in time.
"Remember that I've just learned Thunder Roar Zen? I'm eager to use it in actual combat and thus accepted his invitation as fighting against him." Lou Cheng explained.
He had already recovered from the arm injury and mastered Thunder Roar Zen, which he told his girlfriend the first time. He also told her that Coach Shi had been testing and assessing him to see whether he was qualified to be an acknowledged disciple.
"Your hand…" Yan Zheke looked Lou Cheng up and down worriedly.
Lou Cheng hurried to comfort her. "Don't worry. I didn't use right hand until he was weakened and unable to attack back."
Yan Zheke suddenly realized that her boyfriend had won the fight, which made her pleasantly surprised and proud. "How many blows of Thunder Roar Zen did you throw at him?"
"Five!" Lou Cheng made a gesture, smiling.
…
They had been whispering sweet nothings to one another during the tour. When Lou Cheng came back to his dorm, he could still sense the fragrance of the girl.
Humming a song to himself, Lou Cheng clicked open his email to check the documents sent from Old Shi.
It was the information on next week's preliminaries opponent.
Reading carefully, Lou Cheng spoke to himself,
"Interesting!"
This time his rival team was Mingwei Martial Art Club, also known as One Man Team. Its leading player was 24-year-old Peng Chengguang, who had become a Professional Ninth Pin fighter three years ago, and was now at the peak of his physical quality with abundant energy and stamina. He was such a perfect fighter that could rank in the top ten of Song Cheng's Professional-Ninth-Pins if there was such a ranking list.
Besides Peng Chengguang, Mingwei Martial Arts Club only had one Amateur First Pin and several Amateur Second Pin fighters, which could be undoubtedly called a small club. They had joined in three competitions up to now and won two of them, which were all owed to Peng Chengguang. When fighting against Azure Dragon Squad, Peng Chengguang even consecutively defeated two Professional Ninth Pin fighters and almost won the third round if his other team members could do better. It was why they were called the One Man Team.
Lin Que wouldn't recover and get back to practice until next week, so I'm the only one who could join in the competition…" It occurred to Lou Cheng that when fighting against Mingwei Martial Arts Club, he was the only Professional Ninth Pin fighter in Songcheng University Martial Arts Club, so they might also be called a One Man Team.
Which one in the two One Man Team would be the winner?
Since fighters would always seek to prevail over others, Lou Cheng was looking forward to the coming competition.