Chapter 113 - 87: Dragon Eagle Iron Claw

Mr. Zheng’s expression was placid as he said leisurely, "To be able to draw the Wild Bull Bow to a half-moon means your Martial Arts Talent isn’t bad."

After giving it his all, he had only earned a "not bad." Zhao Kui felt a sour taste in his mouth. He thought about the dozen or so Registered Disciples present who practiced Horizontal Cultivation Techniques. ’Aside from Luo Chenghu, who got in through connections, the rest are probably all young Martial Dao geniuses capable of drawing the Wild Bull Bow to a full draw.’ The feeling of defeat intensified within him.

’Mr. Zheng is one of Linji City’s supreme Martial Dao experts. Naturally, anyone hoping for his personal instruction would be a Martial Dao genius. I’m only a little weaker than them, so I should still be considered very strong.’ At this thought, Zhao Kui finally felt a bit more at ease.

"Master, why don’t I give the Wild Bull Bow a try?" Luo Chenghu suddenly asked.

Although he had already passed the assessment, he could see from Zhao Kui’s expression that the other man was likely unconvinced and resentful.

Luo Chenghu knew his Power Dao couldn’t compare to Chen Cheng’s, but he felt he should be stronger than Zhao Kui. He had to give it a try, if only to prevent his future senior brothers from mocking him over it and to stop this guy Zhao Kui from giving him dirty looks.

"A young man should face challenges head-on and strive to advance. It’s good that you have such an attitude." Mr. Zheng nodded slightly in approval. "If you wish to try, then go ahead."

"Alright!" Luo Chenghu replied.

He didn’t rush to grab the bow. Instead, he first walked to the side to stretch his limbs, then executed a few moves of a Fist Technique. As he moved, his Qi Blood Power surged, and a series of CRACKs and POPs echoed from all over his body. The display was astonishing.

"A single pop is worth a thousand jin," as the saying goes. Luo Chenghu’s execution of the Fist Technique was swift and powerful, earning continuous cheers from the disciples practicing Horizontal Cultivation Techniques. Even Mr. Zheng smiled and nodded.

Zhao Kui’s expression turned grave. He secretly clenched his fists. ’Luo Chenghu’s strength is formidable,’ he thought, ’no weaker than mine.’

After practicing his Fist Technique for a while to warm up, Luo Chenghu walked over and took the Wild Bull Bow from Zhao Kui’s hands.

With Zhao Kui’s failure as a precedent, he didn’t dare to be the least bit careless. He focused his mind, gathered his energy, and settled into a solid stance. He gripped the bow’s riser with his left hand and the string with his right. Before he even began to pull, the muscles on his arms bulged and knotted, becoming as hard as iron bars.

"HUP!"

Once prepared, Luo Chenghu let out a sudden, explosive shout. The Wild Bull Bow began to open slowly in his grasp. The string bent into an arc, then reached the half-moon mark. Its progress slowed, but it continued to move, inch by inch.

Just as the bowstring neared Perfection, Luo Chenghu’s face turned a deep, purplish-red, like a pig’s liver. His muscle-bound arms trembled uncontrollably, unable to draw the string back another fraction of an inch.

TWANG! He let go of the Wild Bull Bow’s string. It vibrated, slicing through the air with a deep, resonating thrum.

"Whew!"

"This Wild Bull Bow... it must have a draw weight of at least six or seven hundred jin. I can’t manage a full draw."

Luo Chenghu let out a long, heavy breath, and beads of sweat the size of peas rolled down his forehead. However, his broad, square face showed no sign of dejection. Instead, it held a trace of excitement.

It was no disgrace to be unable to fully draw a six- or seven-hundred-jin Wild Bull Bow. Besides, compared to Zhao Kui, who could only manage a half-moon draw, he was already much stronger.

"You’re very strong!" Zhao Kui said, his expression grave. Witnessing Luo Chenghu’s true strength, all the resentment he’d felt about the other man getting in through connections had vanished completely.

Whether he had used connections or not, Luo Chenghu’s ability to draw the Wild Bull Bow to nearly a full draw meant his Martial Arts Power was far greater than his own. That was an indisputable, iron-clad fact.

"Drawing the Wild Bull Bow to a half-moon is pretty good, too," Luo Chenghu replied with a smile. His next move, however, nearly made Zhao Kui choke on his own rage.

Luo Chenghu turned to Chen Cheng and presented the Wild Bull Bow with both hands, his expression solemn. "Brother Cheng, you have Innate Divine Power. You should be able to draw this bow to its fullest with ease. The bit of Power Dao that Zhao Kui and I have is insignificant; we’ve made a fool of ourselves in front of you."

Chen Cheng reached out and took the Wild Bull Bow. He tested its weight and felt a pang of uncertainty.

"Ah Hu, you’re too modest. My Power Dao isn’t much greater than yours. I’m not sure I can manage a full draw either."

This wasn’t false modesty. He was confident he could throw a punch with over a thousand jin of Power Dao, but as for fully drawing a Wild Bull Bow with a six- to seven-hundred-jin draw weight, he really couldn’t say for sure.

Luo Chenghu chuckled. "Brother Cheng, with the kind of Power Dao you used to drag me around like a little chick in the outer courtyard, how could you possibly fail to draw this Wild Bull Bow?

"Master is watching, you can’t hold back now!"

Their exchange sent a shockwave through the onlookers.

Black-faced Zhao Kui’s expression soured again. His eyes widened in indignation. ’Even if Luo Chenghu wants to praise Chen Cheng, does he have to put me down like that?’ he thought resentfully.

Meanwhile, the senior brothers who practiced Horizontal Cultivation Techniques all stared at Chen Cheng, their minds racing. Some eyes were filled with shock and doubt, but most, like Zhao Kui, clearly didn’t believe Chen Cheng could actually draw the Wild Bull Bow to its fullest with ease.

Others might not have known, but they understood perfectly: the Wild Bull Bow’s string was made from the Major Tendons of a Wild Bull, a Demon Beast. To draw it to its fullest required at least seven hundred jin of Power Dao.

Forget a Great Success Martial Artist of the Skin Grinding Realm; even an ordinary Perfect Martial Artist of the Skin Grinding Realm would find that extremely difficult.

Mr. Zheng’s expression shifted slightly. He suddenly turned to Shen Qingshuang beside him and said, "You mentioned once that there was a constable at the Ruyi Square Sub-Department with Innate Divine Power, also named Chen Cheng, I believe. Could this be the one?"

Shen Qingshuang nodded. "The very same."

"How interesting." Mr. Zheng smiled faintly, a keen light glinting in his eyes as he studied Chen Cheng closely.

As a supreme expert who had comprehended a Realm, he had been observing the performance of all three newcomers. Ever since they had entered the Double Courtyard, this refined-looking young man had remained calm and composed, his bearing steady. His temperament was far superior to that of Luo Chenghu and Zhao Kui.