Chapter 51: Who Is the Battle Addict?

Not long after Qin Jue stepped out of his military tent...

"Greetings, Military Sima Qin!" A loud and respectful voice suddenly rang out.

Following the sound, Qin Jue looked over and saw a young soldier standing at rigid attention, his posture as straight as a javelin. The soldier's face was filled with deep reverence as he offered a standard military salute.

Qin Jue nodded slightly, the corners of his mouth curving upward into a gentle smile in acknowledgment.

As he continued along the main thoroughfare of the camp, whenever the soldiers of the Vanguard Battalion caught sight of Qin Jue, without exception, they immediately halted whatever they were doing. They snapped to attention, their gazes following him with looks of awe and admiration, and called out respectfully in unison, "Greetings, Military Sima Qin!"

The voices rose and fell in a chorus.

Qin Jue felt a brief flicker of surprise. When had his prestige in the camp grown to such heights?

What he did not know was that his near-invincible performance during the recent camp-wide competition had deeply etched itself into the hearts of every single soldier.

Especially during the final third round, his defeat of Cui Dongxing had instantly dissolved any lingering jealousy in the minds of many, replacing it with boundless awe.

Everyone understood that Qin Jue's achievements would not stop here, and they knew how fortunate they were to have such a powerhouse as a comrade.

Thus, they were expressing their heartfelt respect to Qin Jue.

Leaving the military camp, Qin Jue soon arrived at the Qin Residence in the western suburbs and stepped inside.

Upon entering the main hall, he saw a young maid wearing a cross-collared short jacket paired with a pleated skirt, busy wiping a piece of porcelain.

The girl had bright eyes and white teeth, her dark, glossy hair pulled up high into a neat bun with delicate braided pigtails on either side cascading over her shoulders. They swayed gently with her movements, exuding a youthful and endearing charm.

Perhaps too engrossed in her task, the girl did not notice anyone entering and was softly humming an unfamiliar little tune to herself...

It was not until Qin Jue drew near that the girl suddenly realized someone was there. Letting out a soft gasp of surprise, she froze mid-motion, a flash of panic crossing her face. She quickly put down the porcelain and curtsied slightly, saying, "Master."

"That tune wasn't bad," Qin Jue said offhandedly, walking straight toward the main seat and casually taking a seat.

The young maid before him was none other than Jiang Wan, the girl who had wished to wait upon him that fateful night.

At this moment, Jiang Wan wore a look of terror and panic in her eyes, her voice trembling slightly. "Master, this maid did not mean to be careless. I beg the Master to spare me."

Looking at her, Qin Jue smiled inwardly. "There is no need to be so nervous. Go fetch Steward Cui."

"Understood, Master." Feeling as though she had been granted a pardon, Jiang Wan quickly bowed and retreated.

Once outside the main hall, Jiang Wan finally stopped, raised a hand to gently pat her chest, and let out a long breath, her tense nerves relaxing just a fraction.

A short while later, Steward Cui arrived before Qin Jue and bowed respectfully.

Qin Jue inquired about recent matters concerning the household, and upon learning that everything was as usual, he dismissed him.

...

That evening, Qin Jue once again attempted to practice the *Nine Bulls and Two Tigers Skill*.

This time, with a calm and centered state of mind, he successfully grasped the rhythm of breathing and entered the stage of focusing his intent on the dantian.

Yet, this proved to be another formidable chasm to cross.

When Qin Jue attempted to guide the inhaled pure qi into his dantian, that breath of qi darted wildly through his body, completely out of his control.

He felt as though countless tiny insects were crawling everywhere beneath his skin, bringing an unbearable itch, while simultaneously a stubborn force resisted fiercely, blocking the qi from converging.

Qin Jue gritted his teeth, sweat soaking his entire body. Though his frame trembled slightly, he refused to give up.

Through a long and agonizing ordeal, he finally sensed a tiny thread of that pure qi successfully reaching his dantian.

However, this was merely the beginning; a long road lay ahead before it could condense into a stable ball of qi in the dantian.

During the subsequent condensation process, the mass of qi flickered like a candle in the wind, threatening to dissipate at any moment...

The entire process lasted for a full hour or more.

Qin Jue opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of stale air. "This cultivation technique is indeed quite difficult."

Immediately afterward, he summoned a servant.

Jiang Wan, who had been waiting outside for quite some time, hurried in. "Master, what are your orders?"

Qin Jue glanced at her and instructed her to prepare medicinal herbs.

He was going to take a medicinal bath!

A medicinal bath could help temper the tendons and bones while stabilizing vital energy and blood, which might prove helpful to him...

The next day, Qin Jue rose from the wooden tub, looked at the daylight filtering through the window, and let out a long breath.

The first step was finally completed!

Leaving the Qin Residence, Qin Jue headed straight for the military camp.

Upon arriving at the Vanguard Battalion, everyone had already gone to the training grounds to begin their drills.

Qin Jue did not bother checking on his own platoon; with Xiao Wushuan and Chen Xi there, he had no need to worry unduly.

He walked directly toward Wu Xiao's subunit.

He still needed to fulfill his promise of a duel from earlier, especially since his current victory points were far too few and utterly insufficient for his needs.

Moments later, Qin Jue found Wu Xiao.

"You've recovered already?" Wu Xiao looked Qin Jue up and down, his eyebrows arched and his face etched with astonishment and doubt.

"Mn," Qin Jue nodded.

"Don't lie to me. Although I, Wu Xiao, love to fight, I would never take advantage of someone when they're down." Wu Xiao remained somewhat skeptical.

"You'll know once we fight," Qin Jue said.

"Fine, that suits me just right!"

Hearing this, Wu Xiao's expression instantly lit up with excitement, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and he perked up entirely.

The two quickly found an open space.

With everyone else busy training, naturally no one paid them any attention.

Wu Xiao stared at Qin Jue, assuming a fighting stance. A battle intent bordering on fanaticism burned in his eyes—the flame of an ultimate craving for combat.

He could not wait to launch his attack. Moving as swiftly as lightning, he closed in on Qin Jue in the blink of an eye.

His right fist, accompanied by a whistling gale, punched straight toward Qin Jue's face.

Just as Qin Jue prepared to dodge and counterattack, his opponent suddenly changed moves mid-trajectory, transforming his fist into a palm that sliced toward Qin Jue's throat like a sharp blade, while his left hand threw a feint concealing a lethal strike.

Seasoned by countless battles, Wu Xiao possessed exceptional combat techniques.

Seeing this, Qin Jue felt a mild shock, yet remained completely unhurried as the vital energy and blood within him surged like rolling waves.

He took a fierce step forward and unleashed a straight, immensely powerful punch.

"Bang!"

Fist and palm collided. A trace of surprise flashed in Wu Xiao's eyes as he sensed a formidable force, causing him to stagger back several steps.

"Ha, this is getting interesting!" Wu Xiao shouted excitedly, his footwork shifting as he circled behind Qin Jue like a phantom. His legs lashed out in a continuous series of blurring kicks, every single one aimed precisely at Qin Jue's vital points.

Since it was a duel, naturally they had to give it their all.

Qin Jue reacted a fraction too slowly; though he managed to protect his critical areas with his arms, he was still grazed by the fierce wind of the kick, causing his body to sway slightly.

He took a deep breath, driving his vital energy and blood into a frenzied circulation throughout his body, and threw his arms out once more. Every strike he delivered carried the overwhelming momentum of toppling mountains and overturning seas as he pressed the attack.

Relying on his exquisite combat skills, Wu Xiao nimbly dodged and maneuvered, skillfully neutralizing Qin Jue's successive offensives.

"Qin Jue, your strength is formidable, but your technique is far too crude. You are bound to lose today!" Wu Xiao taunted while evading.

Qin Jue did not share that sentiment; he believed the real issue was simply that his strength was still lacking.

Once he mastered the *Nine Bulls and Two Tigers Skill*, a single punch would likely strip his opponent of any ability to resist.

Unflustered and steady, Qin Jue continued his counterattacks.

Bolstered by attribute enhancements, although he was constrained at every turn, he stood firm and unshakable.

And though Wu Xiao grew increasingly fierce with every exchange, despite exerting all his strength, he still could not defeat Qin Jue.

The disparity in their physical foundations was simply too vast.

The two fought for over a hundred rounds...

In the end, Qin Jue caught a flaw in Wu Xiao's defense and defeated him with a single punch.

[Congratulations to the host for successfully defeating an opponent. You have gained 1 Victory Point!]

"Again!" The defeated Wu Xiao muttered with a wild look in his eyes, his battle intent soaring.

"Alright." Qin Jue did not refuse.