Martial Dao: I Can Enhance My Talents

Chapter 278: Chapter 277: Fainted from Anger, Late Stage of Fifth Grade

"His overall ranking is lower than Senior Brother Fang’s, and he’s below him on the Celestial Pride List, too. How did he have the gall to challenge him?"

"Exactly! And look what happened. Senior Brother Fang beat him like a dog, and now he can’t even get up."

"Haha, he was just asking for humiliation!"

"I don’t see how he’ll ever be able to hold his head high in the Sect again!"

These sharp jeers came from the same disciples Chu Feng had injured in a fit of rage at the sect’s main gate.

They were still injured, the bruises on their faces yet to fade, but they struggled to push their way to the front of the crowd.

Pointing at the struggling Chu Feng on the stage, they mocked him loudly, their faces filled with the undisguised glee of vengeance.

Clearly, Chu Feng’s earlier brutality had made them hate him to the bone.

Now that they saw Chu Feng defeated, they were naturally eager to kick a man while he was down.

Their voices were quite loud, standing out even amidst the general uproar and immediately drawing the attention of those nearby.

Some frowned, feeling they were going too far. After all, Chu Feng was still a Celestial Pride True Inheritance, a disciple of noble status.

But most simply watched on coldly, taking a certain pleasure in his misfortune. Some even murmured in agreement.

After all, with Chu Feng’s arrogant personality, he had offended plenty of disciples over the years.

"You... you..."

On the stage, Chu Feng had just struggled to prop himself up. He was about to suppress his injuries and take an elixir to heal when he clearly heard those words, each one a dagger to the heart.

He snapped his head up, his bloodshot eyes locking onto those disciples, filled with utter venom and mortification.

Surpassed on the overall ranking, surpassed on the Celestial Pride List, publicly defeated by Fang Han’s sword... This string of blows had already left his mind in turmoil and his qi and blood churning. He was on the verge of collapse.

To now be publicly humiliated by these ordinary disciples—people he wouldn’t normally even deign to look at—caused the accumulated shame, rage, indignation, and resentment to erupt like a volcano.

"PTHOO—!"

Chu Feng pointed a trembling finger at the disciples, trying to speak, but instead violently spat out a mouthful of fresh blood that hung in the air like a red mist.

His body swayed violently. His vision went black, and he could no longer hold himself up, toppling straight backward.

With a heavy THUD, he crashed onto the stage and passed out completely.

He had literally fainted from sheer rage!

The sight stunned the once-raucous plaza into silence again.

Everyone was stunned. They looked at the unconscious Chu Feng on the stage, then at the disciples below who, though momentarily startled, soon wore expressions of smug satisfaction. The crowd’s faces were a mixture of emotions.

"This..."

"Senior Brother Chu Feng... he passed out?"

"From anger? A few ordinary disciples made him faint from anger?"

"Sigh, this is just too much..."

After a brief silence, a murmur of more complex discussions rose.

There was shock, disdain, and sympathy, but most of all, there was a sense of marvel at how quickly fortunes can change.

Not long ago, hadn’t Chu Feng been the picture of vigor, looking down on all his peers?

Now he had fallen to this state: publicly and miserably defeated, fainting from rage on the spot, his reputation in tatters, and all his authority gone.

’This isn’t the end, just the beginning!’

Fang Han sheathed his sword. His gaze swept over the unconscious Chu Feng, a cold sneer touching his lips.

He had indeed vented a great deal of long-suppressed frustration today, but it was impossible for him to let Chu Feng off so easily.

Repay injury with kindness? That wasn’t in his vocabulary.

Besides, if he had been the one defeated today, Chu Feng would never have shown such restraint.

He turned and walked off the stage with a steady gait.

Wherever he went, the crowd automatically parted to form a wide path. Every disciple watched him with awe and admiration, none daring to meet his gaze.

"Senior Brother Fang!"

"Senior Brother Fang!"

Yun Qianyue, Li Feng, Xiao Chen, and the others came forward to greet him.

Fang Han gave them a slight nod in return.

Elder Chen Xuan also walked over slowly, his gentle gaze resting on Fang Han as he spoke with a smile.

"Excellent. Victorious yet not arrogant, and your state of mind is stable. Keep it up."

"Thank you for the praise, Elder. I will take it to heart."

Fang Han bowed.

"Mm. Go back and meditate. Consolidate what you’ve gained from this battle."

After this final piece of advice, Elder Chen Xuan turned and left.

Fang Han exchanged a few words with Yun Qianyue and the others, then, under their gazes and countless others, he left the plaza and headed toward the True Inheritance Courtyard.

After this battle, his status and prestige within the Qingxuan Sect were thoroughly solidified, unshakable by anyone.

Meanwhile, Chu Feng was carried off by his followers and a Steward to receive medical treatment.

However, the news of Chu Feng’s miserable defeat and his fainting from rage would undoubtedly spread through the Sect like wildfire, becoming an indelible stain on his Martial Dao career.

Chu Feng’s future days in the Sect were not likely to be pleasant.

...

Upon returning to Villa No. 35 in the True Inheritance Courtyard and dismissing his attendants, Fang Han did not immediately enter the Quiet Chamber to meditate.

He stood alone in the courtyard, hands clasped behind his back, gazing up at the blue sky and white clouds.

Although he had won the battle against Chu Feng, it had taken a significant toll on him. That final sword strike, in particular, had condensed nearly all his current comprehension of the Nine Swords of Sky Splitting and all of his Inner Qi.

Now that he could relax, a faint sense of exhaustion crept over him.

But more than that, he felt a profound sense of release, as if a long-suppressed frustration had finally been vented.

Ever since he had joined the Sect, Chu Feng had been like an invisible mountain pressing down on him.

The overt and covert suppression, the constant targeting... while they had never truly halted his progress, they had always been a thorn in his side.

Now, he had finally pushed that mountain aside with his own two hands—and even trampled it underfoot.

A sense of exhilaration, unlike anything he had ever felt before, washed over him.

His thoughts were clear, his Divine Sense sharp. It even felt as if the circulation of his Inner Qi had become a fraction smoother.

’This isn’t the end, just the beginning...’

Fang Han let out a slow breath, a sharp glint hidden deep in his eyes.

Defeating Chu Feng was not the finish line for him, but a new starting line.

His sights were now set on the names ranked even higher on the Celestial Pride List, and on the wider world beyond the Sect.

Back in the Quiet Chamber, Fang Han sat cross-legged on a cushion and consumed two True Spirit Pills.

The Elixirs melted the moment they entered his mouth, and their pure Medicinal Power spread through his limbs and into his very bones.

He focused his mind and began to slowly circulate the Profound Wind Technique, guiding his Inner Qi through his meridians in a full Circulation to refine the Medicinal Power and replenish the energy he had expended in his fight with Chu Feng.

His Inner Qi surged, like a clear spring nourishing a dry riverbed, and his reserves quickly refilled.

In just half an hour, his expended Inner Qi was completely restored.

’My condition has never been better. Time to keep cultivating.’

However, Fang Han didn’t stop his Cultivation once his Inner Qi was restored.

The fierce battle with Chu Feng, though dangerous enough to cause serious injury with the slightest misstep, had also temporarily unlocked his body’s latent potential.

As he cultivated now, the rate of his Inner Qi growth was a notch faster than usual.

His Shaohai Acupoint, already near its limit, was quickly filled to capacity by this fresh infusion of Inner Qi, creating a distinct feeling of pressure.

The overflowing Inner Qi surged on its own, crashing like a tidal wave toward the next major acupoint: the Yamen Acupoint.

BOOM!

The torrent of Inner Qi slammed into an invisible yet incredibly tough barrier, letting out a muffled roar.

’I’ve hit the bottleneck for the Late Stage of the Fifth Grade!’

Fang Han’s mind remained as tranquil as an ancient well. He felt no impatience, simply maintaining a steady rhythm as he continued to circulate the Profound Wind Technique and guide the vast Inner Qi within him.

Amplified by his terrifying 128-fold Root Bone Talent, his Inner Qi acted like a tireless tide, crashing against the barrier in steady, continuous waves, shaking it to its core.

The bottleneck trembled violently, sending out ripples as fine cracks began to spread across its surface.

In less than half an hour.

CRACK!

A shattering sound, originating from deep within his body and even clearer than when he had broken through to the Middle Stage of Fifth Grade, rang out.

The bottleneck to the Late Stage of the Fifth Grade—shattered!

The vast, long-accumulated Inner Qi instantly crushed all resistance and flooded into the newly opened Yamen Acupoint with an unprecedented, jubilant force.

In that instant, the aura around Fang Han’s body surged dramatically!

With the addition of the Yamen Acupoint, the fifteen cleared acupoints now formed a larger, more complex, and more efficient circulation system for his Inner Qi.

The speed and volume of his Inner Qi surged once more, and its color deepened.

It was almost pitch-black now, as viscous as liquid mercury, and the sense of power it generated as it circulated far surpassed what he had felt in the Middle Stage of the Fifth Grade.

And with the clearing of the Yamen Acupoint, a new Divine Treasure—"Solid Defense"—was unlocked.

Fang Han felt his skin, sinews, and bones tighten slightly, as if some invisible barrier had been pierced, forging a tighter link with his Inner Qi circulation system.

With but a thought, his Inner Qi could now gather on the surface of his body much faster, forming a more condensed and powerful Inner Qi Armor.

His Inner Qi’s defensive capabilities were no longer just for show; they now possessed truly formidable stopping power.

’Late Stage of the Fifth Grade, achieved!’

Fang Han slowly opened his eyes. A ray of deep cyan light flashed in their depths before vanishing.

His Cultivation had broken through, and his strength had taken another leap forward!

His already excellent mood from defeating Chu Feng grew even brighter.

...

「The next day, at the crack of dawn.」

Inside a bedroom in Chu Feng’s Villa, located in the True Inheritance Courtyard.

Chu Feng slowly stirred, his eyelids fluttering a few times before he managed to pry them open.

His gaze fell on the familiar canopy of his bed, but the faint scent of medicine in the air and the dull ache in his chest and ribs instantly dragged him back to his cruel reality.

The memories of the previous day—the humiliating defeat, the public shame, and the final indignity of fainting from pure rage—flooded his mind.

His face instantly turned livid. His chest heaved violently as a suffocating pressure, a mixture of sharp pain and utter humiliation, welled up in his chest, threatening to choke him.

"Urk... PTHOO!"

He whipped his head to the side and coughed up another small mouthful of congealed blood. It splattered into the spittoon by the bed, a dark, crimson stain.

"Cousin! You’re awake!"

Hearing the noise, Chu Chong, who had been keeping vigil by the bed, rushed forward, his face etched with worry and lingering fear.

"Get out!"

Chu Feng shoved away Chu Chong’s outstretched hand, his glare terrifyingly sinister.

He forced himself to sit up. He could feel that while he was still weak, his injuries were already much better than the day before. He knew he must have been given one of the Sect’s precious Healing Elixirs.

But this brought him no comfort, only a deeper sense of humiliation.

The Sect had given him the elixir because of his status as a Celestial Pride True Inheritance. But after this defeat, how much face did he, as a Celestial Pride True Inheritance, have left?

The very thought of the countless gazes—the open jeers, the hidden mockery, the looks of pity—that he would have to face within the Sect from now on made his chest tighten. His qi and blood roiled, and spots of blackness danced before his eyes.