Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Startling Thunder’s Zigzag Flash! Heavy Water Gold Coins

On the Martial Arts Arena, a piercingly cold wind blew.

Su Yu flicked his wrist, and a handful of Flying Locust Stones scattered like a sudden downpour, covering a thirty-foot radius in front of him.

"Sudden Thunder-flash!"

In the next instant, his figure blurred into motion.

The green bricks beneath his feet shattered as Su Yu transformed into a distorted afterimage, charging into the shower of stones at a terrifying speed that seemed to strike before he even moved.

CLANG!

Mo Yuan was unsheathed!

The Qi and Blood in Su Yu’s body surged and reversed as he changed direction in mid-air without warning, his movements like leaping bolts of lightning. Mo Yuan in his hand followed suit, unleashing a flurry of lightning-fast slashes.

TING, TING, TING-TING...

After a rapid series of crisp impacts, Su Yu sheathed his saber and stood still.

Behind him, dozens of shattered Flying Locust Stones fell to the ground almost simultaneously. Each one had been neatly sliced in two, the cuts as smooth as a mirror.

’Fast as startling thunder, and utterly unpredictable.’

Su Yu let out a long breath, his eyes filled with delight.

The Skilled Level Thunder Collapse Step had increased his normal speed by more than fifty percent. When he used techniques like Sudden Thunder-flash, his speed could even double, which was terrifying.

’If I stack the Spiritual Ape Demon-Slaying Saber on top of this, my current combat power has already reached its peak before the First Acupoint. No, it might even be on par with a First Acupoint master.’

’A First Acupoint master has stronger Qi and Blood and could suppress me with pure strength, but their speed is only about the same as mine. And if they don’t have a movement technique, they’d actually be slower.’

’Besides, I have the Spiritual Ape Demon-Slaying Saber at the Skillful Realm. With the power of the Demon-subduing Saber, I’m strong enough to dominate anyone below the Second Acupoint.’

’Take Chen Fan, for example. His combat power is probably about the same as mine right now.’

’After all, his Demon-subduing Saber definitely hasn’t reached the Skillful Realm.’

’But this isn’t my limit!’

’In the time I have left, I’ll also get the White Ape Fist to the Skillful Realm and break through to the First Acupoint!’

White Ape Fist (First Layer) (Entry-level 4610/5000)

...

A few days later, Su Yu figured the heavy water tungsten gold coins he had commissioned from Blacksmith Wang should be ready. He headed to Wang’s Blacksmith Shop in Ironhoof Alley.

"Su Yu, I have not failed you," Wang Tieyan said with a solemn expression, slapping a heavy deerskin pouch onto the table. "Five in total. Give them a try."

Su Yu untied the pouch. Five dark, mysterious coins lay quietly on the velvet lining.

’So this is the heavy water tungsten gold coin!’

At first glance, they looked no different from ordinary copper coins, just a bit larger, with a round shape and a square hole in the middle. But a closer look revealed their clever and dangerous design.

They were thicker in the middle and tapered to thin edges. The rims were sharpened to an extreme, as thin as a cicada’s wing and glinting with a deadly cold light. The square hole in the center was also specially beveled to eliminate the whistling sound of air resistance during flight, except for the very instant they were thrown.

Su Yu picked one up between his fingers.

’Heavy!’

The small coin was surprisingly heavy, making his fingers dip slightly.

"Each one weighs six taels and three mace," Wang Tieyan explained from the side. "Tungsten gold mixed with heavy blackwater sand. Its density is three times that of ordinary iron."

"But I’m afraid ordinary hidden weapon techniques won’t be enough to use these skillfully."

A hint of concern colored Wang Tieyan’s tone. He had poured all his effort into forging them, but if Su Yu couldn’t use them properly, it would all have been for naught.

Su Yu gently spun a tungsten gold coin on his fingertip. Its matte, dark gray surface barely reflected any light, save for a single line of dark gold glinting along the edge, exuding an aura of sharpness.

"Do you have an Ironwood Stake?"

"There’s one in the courtyard."

The two walked into the courtyard, and Su Yu’s gaze locked onto an Ironwood Stake a hundred and fifty yards away.

He took a deep breath, channeling his Qi and Blood to his fingertips. The tungsten gold coin in his hand began to spin rapidly, and with a flick of his wrist, he unleashed a Great Tendon-Bursting Bomb!

WHOOM!

There was no sharp whistle, only an extremely low, almost imperceptible hum.

The tungsten gold coin turned into a blurry black line and vanished in an instant.

THWACK!

Before Wang Tieyan could even react, a dull thud echoed from the distant Ironwood Stake.

The two walked over to take a look.

The heavy water tungsten gold coin was embedded deep within it, a flash of dark gold light flickering across its surface before disappearing.

"Incredible!"

A cry of praise escaped Wang Tieyan’s lips.

’What an amazing hidden weapon technique!’

Su Yu pinched the tungsten gold coin with his fingers, channeled his Qi and Blood, and pulled it out.

He examined it closely. The tungsten gold coin was truly extraordinary; it was completely undamaged.

"Uncle Wang, exquisite craftsmanship!"

"Haha, you’re the one who’s hiding his true skills! Being able to forge these heavy water tungsten gold coins for you brings me honor!"

He had previously forged Mo Yuan and now these heavy water tungsten gold coins for Su Yu, so he had some understanding of Su Yu’s strength and his admiration for the young man grew.

He had never seen a hidden weapon technique that could handle the heavy water tungsten gold coins so effectively!

This skill alone was enough for Su Yu to easily defeat enemies of the same rank!

After all, the hidden weapons were impossible to defend against and shockingly powerful. A single careless hit would result in broken tendons and fractured bones.

If used well in a sneak attack, a direct hit to a vital spot could even kill an enemy instantly.

"Su Yu, are you planning to participate in the upcoming Martial Examination?" Wang Tieyan suddenly asked. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"Yes, Uncle Wang."

Seeing Su Yu’s affirmative reply, Wang Tieyan offered a piece of advice. "About these heavy water tungsten gold coins... unless it’s a life-or-death battle, don’t use them lightly. Otherwise, you might accidentally kill someone. If it *is* a life-or-death battle, you could coat them in poison. It would be a great way to deal with higher-level enemies."

Su Yu nodded repeatedly. ’Uncle Wang is a true veteran of the martial world,’ he thought. ’I’ll have to find a way to get my hands on some potent poisons in the future.’

With the heavy water tungsten gold coins in hand, Uncle Wang also gave him the special deerskin pouch to store them in.

As for payment, Su Yu gave him another one hundred taels of silver to cover the cost of materials and forging.

Although he had spent one hundred taels of silver coins more than expected, Su Yu was extremely satisfied. As long as it increased his strength, any amount of money was worth it.

...

On the way back to the Lin Mansion, Su Yu clearly felt that the atmosphere in the city had changed.

Lanterns were hung and decorations were up; the streets were bustling with noise and excitement.

"Come take a look, come take a look!"

"The latest Celestial Pride Record from the Thousand Mechanism Tower! Contains detailed information on all the seeded contestants in the city for the Martial Examination!"

"Exclusive commentary from Elder Liu of the White Crane Martial Arts Hall! Predictions for the top three! No refunds!"

A crowd of people was squeezed in front of the bookstall.

Several men in servant attire were waving silver around, scrambling to buy one. "Give me a copy of the Thousand Mechanism Tower’s Celestial Pride Record!"

After getting one, a servant trotted over and passed the booklet into a luxurious carriage parked by the roadside. The curtain was lifted a fraction, revealing slender wrists adorned with Jade Bracelets.

"Ah, to be young," an old man at a nearby stall said, tapping his pipe with a look of envy. "I wonder which young genius will leap the dragon gate this time and get snatched up by one of these young mistresses after the results are posted."

Su Yu also spent one tael of silver and bought a copy of the Thousand Mechanism Tower’s Celestial Pride Record to flip through.

’Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.’

’The Thousand Mechanism Tower’s intelligence has always been reasonably accurate!’

He flipped through the booklet as he followed the flow of the crowd to the Martial Arts Plaza in the city center.

Here stood three massive arenas, normally used for sparring matches, but they had now been commandeered as the final stage for the Martial Examination.

At this moment, a man was standing on the centermost arena.

The man was not tall, with his black hair unbound. He carried a Nine-Ring Saber on his back, and his gaze was cold and stern. Just by standing there on the arena, he projected an oppressive aura.

"Look, it’s Cui Wanhe from the Hongshan Martial Arts Hall! He’s a top contender to win this year’s Martial Examination!"

"I heard he’s a genius with an Upper-Middle Root Bone. He’s not even twenty, but he’s already a Third Acupoint master."

"It’s not just his realm that’s impressive; his Hongshan Saber technique is terrifyingly strong. See that? An ordinary person couldn’t even wield that saber, let alone use it in a fight!"

Su Yu’s expression grew serious as he opened the booklet in his hands.

The very first page contained information on this man.

Cui Wanhe, from a poor background. When he sought a master, he was discovered to have an Upper-Middle Root Bone. Hong Jingtian, the Hall Master of the Hongshan Martial Arts Hall, personally intervened to recruit him as a disciple.

Not only was his root bone talent exceptional, but his comprehension was also astonishing. Within just one year of joining, he had broken through to the Third Acupoint. Furthermore, he had cultivated the Hongshan Martial Arts Hall’s signature Hongshan Saber technique to the Minor Success Realm. In the past three months, he had defeated more than twenty Skin Tempering Realm Martial Artists on the arena stage in a row, with none of them able to withstand a single exchange.