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Dawn had yet to break and Sha Lifei had long since returned to his room. He collapsed onto the bed, fully clothed and still clutching a wine jar as he snored thunderously.
In the room across the hall, Wang Daoxuan sat cross-legged, eyes closed as he focused his spirit.
Silence reigned in the dim and still courtyard as Li Yan remained in a horse stance beside the war drum.
After a sleepless day and night of relentless practice, he had finally grasped the rhythm. He had perfectly merged the drum’s vibration with the resonance of his incantation. However, this was only the beginning, the foundation of the technique.
Only when the body itself became the drum and produced Thundercloud Resonance, could one be considered to have entered the path of practice.
The final step still eluded him. A full day of absolute focus had drained his mind to its limit. His head felt heavy, and his body was on the verge of collapse.
His eyes were half-closed and he looked to be on the edge of unconsciousness. His body had reached its limit. The cold of the late night seeped into his bones. His legs were stiff and numb, trembling as if he might fall at any moment.
Yet Li Yan refused to use the Great Luo Dharma Body. He had faced such moments many times. Whether he had been training stances or combat techniques, the hardest moment occurred right before he crossed that threshold.
Like marathon training, only by repeatedly pushing past the limit could he improve and push himself further.
Using the Great Luo Dharma Body would erase his fatigue, but it would also mean starting over.
So he waited for his opportunity.
At last, the horizon brightened. A sliver of dawn split the sky into pale and dark. That light stirred his fading consciousness.
Now!
Without hesitation, Li Yan seized the moment to enter a state where he completely forgot any fatigue. His hands slammed down, his abdomen contracted, and his diaphragm drove his breath.
“Hong!”
The drumbeat and incantation fused into one. The drum below split apart with a booming crack.
Li Yan felt his chest tremble, as his entire body became a drum. From muscles to organs, everything vibrated, sending a numbing sensation coursing through him.
Divine Drum: Thundercloud Resonance, mastered at last!
However, that was his limit. The force had struck deep into his organs. His chest tightened, and his throat filled with something sweet. A second later, he collapsed.
The crack of the drum had rung out like thunder, waking everyone within a hundred meters.
“Ah!” Sha Lifei jolted awake, flailing. He fell off the bed with a crash, still clutching his wine jar.
Wang Daoxuan nearly lost control of his meditation. “What happened?! Is that an earthquake?!”
Sha Lifei rushed out. Wang Daoxuan steadied himself and followed. Seeing Li Yan collapsed on the ground in the middle of the courtyard, Sha Lifei hurried to help him up while Wang Daoxuan checked his pulse.
Li Yan slowly woke. “I’m fine.”
He waved them off, smiling faintly. “Got anything to eat? I’m starving.”
As he spoke, he activated his Great Luo Dharma Body. His minor internal injuries vanished, and his fatigue was swept away.
***
“Well, you’ve still got an appetite?”
When Zhang Shitong arrived, Li Yan was squatting in the doorway, devouring a large bowl of oil-splashed noodles with cold beef.
Zhang Shitong clicked his tongue. “Makes sense. Tomorrow’s the duel, who knows if you’ll get another meal? Right, I’ll treat you at Qingfeng Pavilion later.”
Before Li Yan could respond, Sha Lifei sneered. “Save it for yourself. If you don’t know how to talk, shut up. Have you not rinsed your mouth in years? Why is it so smelly?”
Zhang Shitong smirked, rolling up his sleeves. “Heh, same to you.”
Li Yan rubbed his temples. “Enough. Where’s the arena? What time is the fight?”
Zhang Shitong grew serious. “Hour of the monkey in the afternoon. At the crossroads of Paifang Street. It’s near the docks with brothels, gambling houses, and inns. There are plenty of eyes from the jianghu. The Zhou Family wants to kill you in public.”
Li Yan was unfazed. “What about the rules?”
Zhang Shitong replied, “The battle will take place on a wooden platform three zhang tall. No weapons or mystic techniques can be used, only your fists. Death or falling off counts as defeat.”
“What’s the size of the platform?”
Zhang Shitong answered, “Three zhang across.”
Li Yan sneered. “The Red Fist thrives on mobility, Monkey Fist even more so. Making such a small platform… Does he want to fight me with nowhere to run?”
Zhang Shitong nodded. “That’s what my father thinks. Zhou Bai reached the Dark Jin Realm last year. He’s stronger than you. A drawn-out fight won’t suit Zhou Pan’s goals. He’ll likely overwhelm you immediately. My father says to avoid the edge, wait for him to tire, then strike.”
Li Yan replied calmly, “Thank him for me.”
After delivering the message, Zhang Shitong left. The duel had long since gone beyond the personal. It was now a representation of the Li–Zhou feud. Internal tensions within the Divine Fist Association had added even more tension, to the point where even power struggles in Chang’an were being decided by this battle.
Many wanted to see Zhou Pan fall, and Li Yan understood this. His challenge had never been impulsive.
His father had always said that reputation in the jianghu wasn’t just used to show off. There was no spiritual qi nor hidden masters emerging from seclusion. Without real combat experience, even great combat skill meant nothing. Even those of the mystic path needed to face the world to understand themselves.
A duel had another benefit. Reputation could attract trouble, but also serve as protection.
Of course, this was only in the event that he won.
***
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The drum was sounding again. The only difference between the drumbeat now and before was that Li Yan had mastered the Thundercloud Resonance. Each drumbeat resonated through his body, causing his muscles and organs to vibrate like they were being bathed in lightning.
He controlled the force carefully. First, he had to avoid breaking the remaining drums. Second, the technique was dangerous. Poor control would injure him repeatedly.
Even treasures had limits. Hidden force could not be mastered overnight, it required gradual refinement. His goal was simple, all he wanted to do was control the moment it was unleashed.
“Suppress me? Can you guys even do it?”
After another round, Li Yan smirked, striking the drum sideways.
Thirty-Six Hands: Tyrant at Ease.
Boom!
A ripple travelled across a trough in the courtyard, only stopping after traveling slightly under two chi. Only after it stopped did the water surge.
Wang Daoxuan cried out in shock, “Hey, my fish!”
But upon closer inspection, the fish inside swam unharmed. Outside, in a distant alley, a shorty crouched, listening to the drumbeats. Growing impatient, he then slipped away.
***
Inside a teahouse, Yuan Qu raised an eyebrow. “Beating drums?”
The shorty bowed and continued his report, “Yes. He has been doing it for the entire day. According to the neighbours, he has been beating the drums since yesterday. No one knows what made the brat go crazy.”
Zheng Heibei, leader of the Iron Blade Gang, dismissed him. “Enough. Go, scram!”
Clad in a set of red robes that highlighted his bronze skin, he frowned. Turning to Yuan Qu, he asked, “What’s he up to? I heard he’s acquainted with a daoist. Do you think he’s playing some ritual tricks?”
Yuan Qu sipped his tea and chuckled casually. “Hehe, are you afraid?”
Though both of them had the same master, they were still the heads of different gangs. They had their fair share of run ins and were both equally bad tempered. Neither could see eye to eye.
Zheng Heibei bristled at Yuan Qu’s mockery. “Afraid? If I had known earlier, I would have killed him already! Forget the duel! Curse him to die tonight!”
Though his words were crude, his eyes were sharp. He was watching Yuan Qu closely.
Yuan Qu smirked. “Are you testing me? You think your hidden ritualist is a secret? Your tricks aren’t fooling anyone. And those beggars… You stirred up trouble for nothing.”
Zheng Heibei snapped, “You’re not qualified to lecture me!”
Yuan Qu’s temper flared. “Don’t cause trouble now, asshole. I’m not helping you because I want to.”
He walked to the window and stared into the streets before he spoke again. “Remember, if that old man falls, neither of us will survive. The waters of Xianyang run too deep.”
Below, woodworkers were scurrying around the crossroads of Paifang Street as they built the arena. By dusk, it was nearly complete. A crowd started to gather as conversations started to grow louder.
“Third Brother, who do you think will win?”
“Who cares? As long as it’s a good fight, it will be worth it.”
“Yeah, I hope some brains will spill…”
