The next day, Li Ming walked into the training field. The sun was bright, the ground was packed, and a huge crowd had gathered.
"Li Ming is going to spar with real disciples!"
"I heard he can summon thunder with one slap!"
Li Ming rubbed his ears. "Why are they shouting like I’m some kind of circus show?"
At the front, Elder Qin stood with his arms behind his back. His long beard swayed in the breeze.
"Li Ming," the elder said, "yesterday you demonstrated Thunder Palm. Today, you will spar with another inner disciple to test your progress."
Li Ming blinked. "Uh... spar? With who?"
A tall young man stepped forward. He wore a green robe, and his sword gleamed in the light. His name was Chen Feng, one of the most skilled inner disciples.
Chen Feng cupped his fists politely. "Junior Brother Li Ming, I hope to learn from you."
The crowd gasped. "It’s Chen Feng! He’s at the 6th level of Qi Gathering!"
"Can Li Ming really fight him?"
"Of course! He has Thunder Palm! He’ll blast Chen Feng away in one strike!"
Li Ming nearly fainted. "Blast him away? What am I, a walking lightning storm?!"
But Elder Qin waved his hand. "Begin!"
Chen Feng unsheathed his sword. A sharp qi surrounded him, making the air feel heavy.
Li Ming swallowed hard. "Why does he look like he wants to chop me into dumplings?"
Chen Feng charged forward. His sword flashed, fast and sharp.
Li Ming panicked. His first instinct was to step back, but then he remembered the Heavenly Steps. His feet moved lightly, and he slid out of the way.
"He dodged with Heavenly Steps!"
Li Ming almost tripped but caught his balance. "Hah... lucky—no, focus, Li Ming! You actually trained this time!"
Chen Feng didn’t stop. His sword whistled through the air, striking again and again. Sparks flew as the blade cut into the ground near Li Ming’s feet.
Li Ming grit his teeth. "Alright... Thunder Palm, don’t fail me now!"
He focused, channeling qi into his hand. Sparks began to dance across his palm.
The crowd held its breath.
"Look! The thunder is forming!"
"It’s real! Thunder Palm!"
Li Ming stepped forward, raised his hand, and shouted:
A flash of light burst out. Lightning shot from his palm and struck Chen Feng’s sword.
The shockwave threw Chen Feng backwards. His sword clattered to the ground as his robe smoked from the sparks.
The entire field fell silent.
Chen Feng lay on the ground, dazed, his hair sticking up in every direction. Slowly, he raised a trembling thumb.
"Strong... too strong..."
"One strike! Just one strike!"
Elder Qin’s eyes shone with satisfaction. "Excellent. Very excellent."
Li Ming, meanwhile, stared at his hand in disbelief. I... I actually did that on purpose?!
He turned to Chen Feng, panicked. "Ah! Are you okay? I didn’t mean to roast you like a fish!"
Chen Feng coughed smoke. "No worries... Junior Brother Li Ming... I... admit defeat."
The crowd went even crazier.
After the match, disciples followed Li Ming around like fans chasing a celebrity.
"Senior Brother Li Ming! Please teach me Thunder Palm!"
"Senior Brother Li Ming, can you show me Heavenly Steps again?"
"Senior Brother Li Ming, do you eat thunder for breakfast?"
Li Ming’s face turned red. "Eat thunder? What am I, a lightning chicken?!"
No matter how much he tried to explain, no one believed him. To them, Li Ming wasn’t just a disciple anymore. He was a living legend.
That night, Li Ming collapsed on his bed. His muscles were sore, his palm was numb, and his hair still smelled faintly of smoke.
He smiled to himself. This time, it wasn’t luck. I really beat him with my own strength.
Then his stomach growled loudly.
"Ugh... all this lightning, and I still didn’t get dinner."
In the outer sect, Wu Jian was practicing angrily.
"Hmph! Li Ming used Thunder Palm? So what? I’ll invent my own move!"
He shouted and slapped his hands together. Nothing happened.
"Again!" He slapped harder. His palms turned red.
A passing disciple frowned. "Senior Brother Wu Jian, what are you doing?"
Wu Jian puffed up his chest. "I am creating... Fire Palm!"
The disciple tilted his head. "But... your hands are just swollen." ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ N0v3l.Fiɾe.net
He nearly fainted from rage.