Chapter 53: Mighty Iron Body, Full-Scale Outbreak!

Close-quarters sparring inevitably led to injuries.Especially when one side defended and the other attacked, the defender faced a higher risk of getting hurt.

But since Miao Yang had said as much, Cheng Ye didn’t hold back, immediately adopting his starting stance.

As the saying goes, amateurs watch the spectacle, while experts see the technique.

Compared to his force exertion, Cheng Ye’s crude, amateurish stance made Miao Yang shake his head.

“Come on, use all your strength. Don’t hold back.”

Cheng Ye didn’t respond.

Before Miao Yang’s words fully landed, his thigh muscles tensed abruptly. Sinking his hips, his left leg slammed into the ground, the sole of his sneaker screeching sharply against the floor.

Like a tiger charging down a mountain, he surged forward, his right fist riding the momentum straight toward Miao Yang’s face.

But the moment the air-breaking sound erupted, Miao Yang moved.

Cheng Ye only saw a blur of afterimages; his locked-on target had already shifted to the left.

Holy crap, that fast?

When sparring with Liu Bi, Cheng Ye could at least track his movements. But just now, his vision blurred, and Miao Yang had sidestepped.

No, was that preemptive prediction?

Cheng Ye’s eyelids twitched. He hastily retracted his fist, switching to a whip kick.

But as his knee rose halfway, Miao Yang slipped to his side, giving a gentle palm push to his lower back, making Cheng Ye’s kick hit empty air.

With the distance widened, Cheng Ye had no choice but to press forward, unleashing a heavy, forceful straight punch.

To his surprise, Miao Yang didn’t dodge this time. Blocking with both hands, he retreated three steps like a martial arts master, body arching backward like a drawn bow, dissipating all the force cleanly.

“Keep going, don’t stop!”

Miao Yang called out.

Cheng Ye adjusted his breathing and continued his aggressive advance.

This was, after all, his first fight since his body’s enhancement, and it was indeed far superior to merely knowing how to exert force.

Take his earlier switch from fist to kick and rapid pursuit: in the past, he would’ve lost balance from such a maneuver, but now his transitions flowed like water, muscles responding the instant his mind commanded.

He closed in again.

Catching the slight dip of Miao Yang’s left shoulder, Cheng Ye slid sideways, repeating his tactic.

A left jab feinted as Miao Yang dodged, followed by a right fist aimed at his ribs for a liver shot.

Crack!

The collision roared like muffled thunder.

As Miao Yang crossed his arms to block, Cheng Ye’s knee shot up toward his abdomen. His left fist feinted, and his raised right leg suddenly shifted, kicking at Miao Yang’s supporting knee.

This lightning-fast combo hid its killing blow in that final stomp.

If it landed, recovery would take at least ten days to two weeks.

“Nice!”

Miao Yang lost his earlier composure, rolling on the ground to dodge the stomp.

But before he could stand, Cheng Ye pounced, fists raining down like a storm, his assault relentless like a lion unleashed.

Crack, crack, crack.

Miao Yang kept blocking, appearing increasingly disheveled.

Yet their raw strength gap was too wide. Despite Cheng Ye seizing the initiative, he couldn’t secure a win.

Every punch was either dodged through Miao Yang’s foresight or blocked by his guarded stance.

He couldn’t hit vital points or break through the defense.

Throwing one last jab, Cheng Ye halted his attack, standing in place, panting heavily.

At the same time, he mentally opened the panel, his gaze settling on the unequipped Iron Body.

“Tired?”

Miao Yang rubbed his slightly numb arms, chuckling. “Your fighting style’s too rough. Looks like Inspector Liu hasn’t taught you yet. If you want to improve fast, I’ve got the Blood Dragon Legion’s standard combat technique. It’s not fancy, but it’s great for building a foundation…”

“Take this!”

A roar tore through the air!

Again?

Seeing Cheng Ye charge once more, Miao Yang shook his head but couldn’t help marveling inwardly.

No wonder he mastered Dragon Force first. That unyielding, kingly mindset already surpassed many seasoned martial artists. With proper training, he could become another Unity of Man and…

Thud.

Lost in thought, Miao Yang instinctively raised his arms to block Cheng Ye’s jab.

But this time, the fist aimed at his ribs twisted mid-air at an incomprehensible angle, slipping through the gap in his guard and slamming solidly into his abdomen.

“No way!”

A piercing pain hit, and Miao Yang’s eyes widened. He ducked to dodge.

But Cheng Ye’s whip kick swept in, its rhythm entirely different from before, the timing of his waist twist nearly perfect.

“I can’t block it!”

Miao Yang’s heart sank.

Before, he could predict Cheng Ye’s attacks by reading his footwork and force direction.

But these last two moves felt like sparring against a peer at the Dao Embryo realm—unpredictable, impossible to preempt, leaving him scrambling to react.

With no other choice, Miao Yang turned his palm into a fist, striking at Cheng Ye’s thigh nerve.

Yet, despite landing a blow strong enough to knock Cheng Ye down, Cheng Ye stood unfazed, his force and momentum undiminished!

Boom!

The whip kick crashed like a cannon into Miao Yang’s hastily raised right arm, unleashing its full power.

Like kicking a flimsy cardboard box, under Cheng Ye’s stunned gaze, the previously composed Miao Yang flew backward like a broken kite, slamming into the ring’s edge ropes, causing the metal frame below to emit a dull thud.

“What the…?”

Though he knew the Iron Body granted exceptional body control temporarily, was it this strong?

Fearing the abnormality of that strike would be noticed, Cheng Ye quickly unequipped the skill and moved to help Miao Yang up.

But as soon as Iron Body was removed, a tingling, itchy pain surged from his thigh, making him stumble and collapse.

Damn.

That painful?

Cheng Ye grimaced, his leg visibly swelling.

Force meets force.

Miao Yang’s strike, combined with the whip kick’s impact, would be unbearable for an ordinary person.

Yet, with Iron Body equipped, he hadn’t felt any pain—just a slight itch, and that was it.

“You just…?”

Miao Yang, clutching the ropes, climbed up, wincing and holding his ribs. Though disheveled, he fortunately didn’t seem injured.

“Dao Embryo?”

Looking at Cheng Ye sprawled on the ground, Miao Yang’s eyes flashed with deep shock.

Legends from the Old Martial Arts era said those with a clear Dao heart could enter the Dao Embryo realm with a novice body, drastically improving bodily control.

But experiencing this realm firsthand, no one would believe it.

Because such a state of self-forgetfulness required first storing force in the twelve tendon gates to free the nerves and significantly enhance control precision.

“Damn it, what the hell!”

“The legend isn’t just a legend—it happened right in front of me!”

That night, Cheng Ye was carried home on Miao Yang’s back.

No choice, unless he wanted to reveal Iron Body’s massive pain reduction, there was no way he could’ve stood and walked back like nothing happened.

“Your door…”

Miao Yang glanced at the neighboring houses in surprise. Though their doors were reinforced, Cheng Ye’s was noticeably thicker, almost seamlessly integrated with the wall, not at all like a post-construction patch.

“Bad door, can’t sleep soundly.”

Cheng Ye fished out his key to open the door. The simple setup inside, a bed and a table, stunned Miao Yang again.

“Inspector Cheng, this… this is too spartan.”

“Material things, good enough is enough. Why would I need more furniture living alone?”

Cheng Ye sat on the bed, patting the brown mattress salvaged from the flea market, a smile tugging at his lips.

The buffer zone’s official stores sold soft, flimsy gel mattresses. Finding a firm one like those from his pre-transmigration days was no easy feat.

But to Miao Yang, that smile, paired with the slightly worn mattress, made him swallow hard. He finally understood how Cheng Ye could reach the Dao Embryo realm without mastering the four forces.

Such a mindset, unburdened by material desires, far surpassed ordinary people!

“I brought some liniment. Let me apply it for you. A massage will help it absorb faster.”

“Thanks.”

Lying on the bed, Cheng Ye pulled off his pants, revealing the swollen, black-and-blue skin on his leg.

Miao Yang shook his head and began applying the liniment, massaging it in.

Cheng Ye’s mouth twitched in pain. This matched his earlier guess.

While Iron Body granted formidable injury resistance, it also dulled his pain sensitivity.

Without it equipped, Miao Yang’s punch would’ve disrupted his attack.

He might’ve been injured or numbed briefly, but it wouldn’t have been this severe, requiring someone to carry him home.

“But… that sudden boost in bodily control, is that what entering the Dao Embryo realm feels like?”

Cheng Ye mulled it over, recalling Miao Yang’s explanation.

The Burning Tendon Gate, in ancient martial terms aside, from a New Martial Arts perspective, was essentially about tempering the sensitivity and resilience of the body’s main neural pathways.

If trained successfully, it allowed muscle groups requiring fine neural control to connect with major neural pathways, relieving some of the control burden from smaller nerves.

When all twelve major tendons were refined, the Dao Embryo realm was achieved, meaning enough nerves were freed to support a qualitative leap in bodily control.

“So, I’m cheating?”

Without burning the Tendon Gate, he achieved the same effect by releasing pain nerves.

Cheng Ye was slightly stunned.

As the saying goes, a small cheat isn’t really cheating!

“This Iron Body is too risky for regular use, but at critical moments, it’s a game-changer.”

The thought of even a master like Miao Yang being knocked flying with minor injuries was thrilling.

If he’d used a weapon, like twisting with the Cyclone Spike, it would’ve been devastating.

Moreover…

Mentally opening the panel to his personal interface, Cheng Ye’s gaze grew focused.

[Collector: Cheng Ye]

[Current Rank: Lv.1 Trainee (4.7/100)]

[Life Level: 0]

[Skills: Dragon Force Embryonic Form, Beast Instinct, Iron Body (Talent)]

[Not yet unlocked…]

[Evaluation: Your strength]

Though the evaluation hadn’t changed, Basic Power was gone from the skill list, replaced by Miao Yang’s Dragon Force Embryonic Form.

“Before, it was called Basic Power because, in my knowledge system, I couldn’t precisely classify this force exertion, only vaguely categorizing it as a type of power.”

“Now, with ancient martial information collected, my understanding has shifted. Does that mean skill names can change too?”

It wasn’t just the name. Dragon Force Embryonic Form came from Chu Yunfeng.

Yet Cheng Ye hadn’t seen any other basic force skills, suggesting two possibilities:

Either Chu Yunfeng only mastered Dragon Force, or the other three forces weren’t Lv.1 skills.

“Could he have only mastered Dragon Force?”

Cheng Ye shook his head, dismissing the idea.

Chu Yunfeng was a powerhouse with Lv.4 skills. It was absurd to think he hadn’t mastered all four forces.

But why was his Dragon Force only Lv.1?

Recalling Miao Yang’s mention of realm regression, Cheng Ye had a faint guess. Chu Yunfeng’s story might be more complex than he thought.

“Also, with my current mindset, mastering Tiger Force would be tough. But if I can search for that skill, it’d solve the problem instantly.”

If there was a shortcut, Cheng Ye wasn’t foolish enough to force himself into life-or-death battles for a mental breakthrough.

“Done, the liniment’s applied.”

Miao Yang withdrew his hand, setting the one-third-used bottle aside and pulling out a new one to place nearby.

“Call me if you need anything. I’m on standby.”

“Thanks, Head Trainer Miao!”

Cheng Ye nodded, about to ask about the liniment cost, but Miao Yang bolted for the door, giving him no chance to speak.

“Head Trainer Miao, just like Big B—a good guy…”

Cheng Ye paused, chuckling.

But just then, the defense communicator on the bedside buzzed, an unfamiliar number flashing on the screen.

“Who’s this?”

Cheng Ye picked up the communicator and answered with a soft hum. The next second, his face changed dramatically.

Liu Bi’s urgent, low voice came through the receiver.

“Cheng Ye, big trouble… it’s coming.”

“He Fei’s body wasn’t handled properly. The infection source has fully spread!”