I will eventually become a divine being through accumulating constantly

"Whose dojo disciple is that? He's quite the looker, just a bit too young."

"That brute Li Zhaoquan, what's he up to? Picking on a kid?"

Disciples from various schools were also coming forward to join in on the excitement.

Zhang Daqing chimed in from the side, "I heard that one is a new direct disciple of the Hidden Dragon Dojo; today should be his first public appearance."

"Hidden Dragon Dojo? Then, is he that 'Dragon King's' closed-door disciple?"

"Why not throw a big apprentice reception to liven things up? The circle has been too quiet lately, not much fun at all."

"That's where you're wrong. That person has always kept a low profile when it comes to taking disciples; aside from the first disciple, Meng Boshang, whose circumstances are unclear, the other disciples were all taken on very quietly..."

A few people practiced in the martial arts discussed excitedly.

In the name of people, in the shadow of trees, renowned throughout Inner Ring City's circles, even someone as distinguished as the old dojo master Li Qi enjoyed a high reputation; and even more so in Qingcheng, this 'countryside' location.

Though it's said that an adversary broke his legs over twenty years ago, killing his spirit and leaving him a half-invalid, the old 'Dragon King's' prestige still commands great respect on the streets.

The commotion among the onlookers didn't affect the two people at the center.

Xue Jing looked up at the burly man in front of him, a question mark forming in his mind.

Seeing Xue Jing silent, as though frightened, Li Zhaoquan grinned and loudly said,

"Don't worry, you don't have to be afraid; it's working hours now, and I won't trouble you at this time."

Then, his tone shifted,

"However...we're colleagues now, and if there's danger later, we'll need to cooperate. That means we must understand each other's level beforehand, don't you think?"

Xue Jing showed no emotion and calmly asked, "What exactly are you trying to say?"

Li Zhaoquan stretched out his right hand, rolled up his sleeve to the elbow, revealing muscles hard as chunks of iron, and grinned,

"Let's have a go."

In the Old Era, for a martial artist wanting to earn a living through martial arts, reputation was everything.

Therefore, renowned martial artists absolutely would not fight each other lightly. If one lost, their brand would be tarnished, and even if there were to be a fight, it would be a closed-door, private affair, with the results never spoken of publicly.

If there were to be a formal fight betting on the honor of both parties' schools, it would essentially mean that both sides had irreconcilable, major conflicts, and the duel would not only settle who was superior but also determine life and death.

Given this situation, a certain martial etiquette known as 'having a go' emerged among martial artists.

Impressive martial artists had their kung fu ingrained in their very bones. Just by casually exchanging a few moves, the exertion and retraction of their power allowed them to roughly understand the other's level. With this understanding, there was no need for a public ruckus. Everybody favored peace over conflict, making it a kind of 'soft contest.'

Hearing the other side suggest having a go, Xue Jing didn't mind.

He had only started practicing martial arts not long ago and didn't quite understand the rules of the circle, just thinking it was probably a form of greeting among martial artists when they first meet.

Thus, he too extended his right hand and placed his forearm against the other's.

Visually, the difference in the size of their arms was quite significant, like that between a child and an adult.

"They're having a go! Now we'll have a good show; Li Zhaoquan loves that brute play, pressing people down to their knees with a simple hand-shake; it's his trademark move, and many have suffered from it!"

"The Tiger Soul Dojo places the utmost importance on refining qi force through flesh training, and they have deep expertise in it. This young man has just started his career; I'm afraid he's about to learn a hard lesson the tough way."

Hearing a couple of other dojo disciples' discussions, Pei Youguang wanted to remind Jing brother to be careful but glanced at his elder brother, Pei Tiancheng, hesitated, and then stopped himself.

At that moment, however, a change occurred in the arena.

As soon as Xue Jing made contact with the other's hand, he instantly felt an overwhelming force, like a tidal wave, surging from the other's forearm, and it came without warning.

He blinked, his expression unchanged, as he too channeled his power and pressed it towards the other man.

"Hmm?" Li Zhaoquan's expression changed slightly.

He felt like he was not having a go with a minor but was pressing down on an increasingly agitated bull.

'Not good, I can't subdue him!' Li Zhaoquan clenched his teeth, continued to apply more force, his face turned a shade of flush, and his arm began to tremble slightly.

'This man, he's quite strong,' Xue Jing thought, surprised as he took another look at the other man.

With all his skills and having practiced the Armor Shaking Skill and the Five Major Body Cultivation for many days, his strength had increased rapidly. Although he had not tested it, even without any technique, his punch force must be at least 800 kilograms. He could be considered explosively strong in terms of pure physical quality.

But the person in front of him seemed to have the intention of surpassing him, likely a bit stronger than him in terms of Qi Force.

"How interesting," Xue Jing slightly narrowed his eyes, piqued with curiosity.

He activated the Power of Twins with a mere thought, instantly doubling his strength.

"Crack..."

In less than half a second, a barely perceptible sound of bone cracking could be heard.

Li Zhaoquan's face changed slightly, and a few drops of sweat appeared on his forehead as he slowly withdrew his right hand.

Without changing his expression, he clasped his fist towards Xue Jing and said in a loud voice, "Worthy of being a top disciple from Hidden Dragon Dojo, I am Li Zhaoquan!"

Xue Jing also withdrew his hand, smiled, and returned the gesture, "Xue Jing."

"Good, Brother Xue Jing, I'll treat you to tea when I'm free. I'm working now, so let's leave it at that... Um... I need to use the restroom urgently!" Li Zhaoquan said quickly.

Seeing Xue Jing nodding with a smile, Li Zhaoquan then turned around and walked towards the door at a comfortable pace.

"Is that it?" The crowd was somewhat confused.

Zhang Daqing, who was not far away, felt something was amiss.

What's happening, since when was this brute so polite?

He pondered for a moment and then stealthily followed Li Zhaoquan, exiting the door after him.

Then, he watched as Li Zhaoquan suddenly crouched down at a corridor turn, letting out a sharp intake of breath.

"Hss!"

Li Zhaoquan was seen holding his right forearm with his left hand, continuously rubbing it.

His right hand trembled uncontrollably, resembling someone with Parkinson's disease.

Li Zhaoquan grimaced in pain, his face twisted.

"What the hell kind of monster is this?!"

Looking at his trembling arm, he deeply regretted his impulsive action.

This was no mere new learner of martial arts; if someone told him this kid had been lifting weights in the womb and was born holding dumbbells, he would believe it.

Was he actually overpowered by an adolescent in sheer strength?

"Uh... what are you doing?"

Suddenly, a voice Li Zhaoquan did not want to hear at that moment came from behind him.

He immediately stood up, turned around nonchalantly, and faced Zhang Daqing's somewhat mocking face.

"Just wanted to take a leak, do you know where the restroom is?"

He tucked his still-shaking right hand behind his back and spoke indifferently.

Zhang Daqing clicked his tongue. "You keep pretending; I'm watching."

The corner of Li Zhaoquan's mouth twitched.

"If you saw it then why the fuck are you asking."

He gave up on pretending and continued to rub his right forearm, occasionally letting out a sharp hiss of pain.

Watching him suffer, Zhang Daqing found it slightly amusing but also couldn't help but feel inwardly alarmed.

That new disciple from Hidden Dragon Dojo... what exactly was his background?

Could he have subdued Li Zhaoquan in Qi Force by taking drugs?