Star Gate

Chapter 176: The Sweet Thrills of Fighting (II)

Li Hao shook his head in the face of Yuan Shuo’s obvious resignation. The professor knew that his student wouldn’t stay behind, but he had to try. He would not bring it up again after Li Hao refused.

“Alright then, keep training. Try to consolidate your internal force before we set off. You’ll be a true peak Sunderer if you achieve that...”

But there might not be enough time. Yuan Shuo spoke again when his thoughts traveled here.

“I know you too well. Those who are too much stronger than you might not be able to give you the stimulus you need. You should go find Liu Long and commence practical battle! Tell him to do whatever he likes as long as he doesn’t kill you.”

Li Hao sucked in a sharp breath. Chief? The chief would really make things hurt.

“Teacher...”

“Cut the crap and go! Additionally, I’ll give you a basic overview of the ruins when you come back the next couple of nights. You need to collect some rudimentary intelligence for the Night Watchers as well. To know the enemy is to know thineself. When that is attained, one can fight a hundred battles with no danger of defeat.”

“Understood!” Li Hao said no more. If I go to chief, I’ll have to expose my full strength. It looks like I can’t keep it a secret anymore.

Indeed, even the heavens went against someone who wished to keep a low profile.

......

The law enforcement building.

Busy with his matters, Liu Long’s hands stilled when he heard Li Hao. “You want to spar with me?”

“No.” Li Hao shook his head solemnly. “I’d like to ask chief for pointers!”

Spar? How can I possibly spar with a Dominator? I can only ask for a pointer or two.

“I’m busy!” Liu Long answered curtly. “Don’t you have eyes? I’m very busy! Pick anyone you want from the team if you want to spar with someone. Any of them will do!”

You’re just an initial Sunderer, everyone’s stronger than you! Granted, the kid had taken the blood pearl, so maybe he was a mid Sunderer now? Was he getting too big for his britches? But so what if he was a mid Sunderer? Would Liu Yan not do? Even if she wasn’t a mid Sunderer yet, she was so highly experienced that she would be quite a handful for him to handle!

And if she wouldn’t do, he could go to Wang Ming!

“Go find Wang Ming,” Liu Long said when his thoughts traveled here. “You can also increase your experience fighting supernaturals. You won’t always come across martial masters and you know too little of supernaturals.”

“He’s not a good choice!”

“Why not?” Liu Long asked curiously.

“He’s...” Li Hao searched for the right words. “He won’t give me enough pressure to improve. He has too little battle experience.”

Damn! Liu Long was taken aback. The lad looked down on Wang Ming for insufficient battle experience? That supernatural had conducted numerous missions, at the very least, and killed people. He’d even killed a Sunflare earlier...

Although they kept saying that Wang Ming lacked experience, that was compared to veteran martial masters. If viewed in the context of the supernatural domain, he was in a solid position. Wang Ming was second only to those who lived on a knife’s edge, yet Li Hao spurned him!

“I don’t have time...”

Li Hao had to pull out his trump card when the chief declined once again. “Chief, my teacher sent me.”

“......”

Very well then, Liu Long had risen to Dominator thanks to Yuan Shuo. There was nothing he could do once Li Hao brought out his teacher, but he really was very busy.

Kid, you insist on coming to me when I tell you to go for someone else. Today, I’ll help you know why the flowers are red! [1] He’d give Li Hao such a thorough beating that he wouldn’t dare come to Liu Long again!

“Very well, then let’s do it now. I need to get back to my business when we’re done and you can go do whatever you should be doing.”

Li Hao smiled, this was great!

“Let’s go to the basement, chief. I don’t want to damage our surroundings...”

“Sure!” Liu Long agreed readily. Just you wait. This will be over in a jiffy—I’ll defeat you in a split second and have you know that you won’t be able to gain any experience with me. It’s completely useless to spar with me.

Both Night Watchers headed to the basement together.

......

The basement.

Only Yun Yao was present, no one else was here. She usually spent her days in the basement, no one knew what she busied herself with. Li Hao wanted to ask her to go on a walk, but she didn’t even look at them. Yun Yao ducked into her room as soon as she saw the two, attending to unknown affairs.

Liu Long didn’t intend to send her away, he wanted to finish this as quickly as possible.

“Let’s begin!” He didn’t even take his trench coat off.

“......” Li Hao was beginning to feel humiliated. Chief, you should take your trench coat off, at least. Forget it, it’s on me since I’m a weakling.

“Is it alright if you suffer some scrapes and bruises?” Liu Long asked before the young man could finish comforting himself. “Your teacher won’t say anything, will he?”

What the... he really sees me as a prodigal young master!

Li Hao didn’t know what to say. He walked to the side and selected a sword. His own might be too sharp, so he shouldn’t use it carelessly.

“Chief, I’ll use a sword!” He hefted the longsword.

“Whatever you want!” Liu Long really didn’t care. Was there a difference between a sword or a fist? It would all be over in one move.

Li Hao took a deep breath. Seeing as his opponent was a Dominator, it was to be expected that Liu Long would look down on him. He wasn’t mad at all, just debating how to take advantage of his opponent underestimating him.

Of course, he might receive a worse beating after taking advantage of the stronger Liu Long—but that may be what his teacher wished to see. How would the young man improve if he wasn’t serious about things?

“Be careful, chief!” Li Hao unsheathed the sword and broke through the air with his first move.

Liu Long glanced at it casually. Not bad, he’s got some proper form. But... that’s all there is to him. The director simply called upon his internal force; he didn’t use his aura or the Nine Forged Force. It would be too strong against Li Hao and he might end up beating the kid to death.

A simple fist on the level! No flourishes, embellishments, or anything special. He would call it a day after knocking Li Hao out with one punch.

The young man’s sword arrived, but he abruptly retracted before it reached its target.

Liu Long’s fist had almost connected with Li Hao’s sword. He teetered off balance when Li Hao abruptly pulled his blow. He’d taken his opponent far too lightly.

Li Hao struck again, stabbing forward extremely slowly while his feet moved nimbly like a monkey’s. He evaded his opponent’s fist and gently shifted the sword forward.

He didn’t make a sound, and the hairs stood up on the back of Liu Long’s neck when the longsword approached him! The young man’s glacial pace spontaneously sped up like lightning and the sword jabbed straight at his throat.

Li Hao wasn’t trying to kill—he knew that it was difficult to slay a Dominator. He just wanted the chief to know that it was wrong to underestimate him. It was wrong to think lightly of anyone!

Danger somehow pricked at Liu Long in this moment. His indifferent attitude immediately shifted and he roared, instantly returning the blow. His right arm trembled with a layer of a wave. It connected with a loud roar as he swiftly backed away.

Internal force erupted from Li Hao and he layered it over the sword. Layer after layer until it reached four layers in the blink of an eye.

Clang!

Liu Long was a Dominator, after all. His reaction time was so timely that he raised a metallic clang as he punched the longsword.

There was no time to celebrate,—Li Hao was still waving the longsword around. The young man sent a shudder through the earth with a stomp. Liu Long was as immovable as a mountain, but he swayed ever so slightly with the trembling of the earth.

Astonished, the man shifted his fist into a claw and grabbed the sword, wanting to drag Li Hao over. Such an ordinary sword wouldn’t hurt him. However, the young man gave up the sword just as Liu Long yanked on it. His hand was also curved like a claw and he followed momentum to grab Liu Long’s arm. Internal force burst out of Li Hao’s fingers on his right hand and he dug into Liu Long’s arm, scratching five bloody holes out of it.

Pain twinged in Liu Long’s arm and he erupted with internal force, projecting it out of his limb. He bounced off Li Hao’s fingers with a bang, whereupon the young man threw himself forward in a tiger prowl. Black Tiger Heart Gouge made straight for Liu Long’s heart.

The man was hesitated over whether he should let loose with his aura and Nine Forged Force when Li Hao’s gaze suddenly sharpened. He glared at Liu Long and slightly opened his mouth, emitting a tiger roar that shook the four corners!

“Roar!!” A sound wave exploded with a rumble; Liu Long was shocked beyond belief by the glare. It wasn’t that Li Hao was too strong, but that there was internal force inside his eyes. This was a sign of a late Sunderer! That tiger roar also came at the perfect timing. The director had to set everything out of his mind at this moment because Li Hao... had reached perfection!

No, half step perfection.

The young man had comprehended a rudimentary aura and was just a hair's breadth away from success because his internal force was yet to be consolidated as one. But a Li Hao in this state could not be taken as lightly like before.

Liu Long fully called upon the Nine Forged Force, and not just through his arms. Waves undulated through his chest as he projected his internal force. Enormous waves built upon each other until his internal force explosively collided with Li Hao’s palm!

The tremendous internal force shook the young man’s palm to the point of blood spraying out, but it was like he didn’t feel a thing. He stomped his foot again and sent the ground trembling.

Feet and fists in unison!

Liu Long was actually forced back a half step, but he still wasn’t using his full strength. Despite that, it was astounding that someone of his experience and strength was forced back a step, even if he’d belittled his opponent.

“You won’t do, chief!” Li Hao suddenly jeered. Liu Long wanted to say something, but another massive roar interrupted him when he opened his mouth. “Roar!!”

The man grunted with irritation and flung out a punch almost too swift to be seen, connecting with the hand that Li Hao had just flung over. A loud slap sounded as he split skin apart!

Liu Long regretted his reaction as soon as he made it. He’d punched subconsciously and employed too much strength! He wanted to stop immediately, but Li Hao threw out his other hand and ripped through the director’s trench coat, digging into his arm again. Five more bloody holes appeared that turned into five bloody trails!

Liu Long went slack jawed with shock and rapidly shot backward, evading Li Hao’s next attack.

“Perfection...” he muttered incredulously. Peak Sunderer! The fuck!? Am I crazy, or is Li Hao crazy?!

“Again, chief!” Li Hao ignored him and sent the longsword flying into the air with a stomp. He grabbed it with one hand and thought back to the stroke in his mind’s eye. The stroke that ended heaven and earth!

Slash!

Fast!

This time, he wanted to be so fast that the enemy had no place to run to when he attacked. And yet, the weapon shattered before he had a chance to deploy it. The young man paused, frowning at his empty hand.

1. A Chinese saying in which the flowers are dyed red from blood. This means to beat someone so badly that they bleed profusely. ?