Chapter 74: I Have the Greatest Sense of the Big Picture

A whistling alloy hammer came crashing down from above, but Gu Changqing moved with remarkable agility, twisting on his heel to swiftly retreat.

Boom!

The ground exploded where the hammer landed, leaving a gaping pit.

Gu Changqing shot forward like an arrow, his fist aimed directly at his opponent’s head.

The young man reacted instantly, his hand gripping the hammer’s shaft, swinging the heavy head up from the ground and bringing it down toward Gu Changqing’s abdomen.

This alloy hammer was immensely heavy—no ordinary person could wield it with such ease. But for an Awakened, it posed no challenge.

"Watch out!" someone nearby cried. The hammer that had just knocked out another youth spun in the air, as if guided by an invisible hand, and came crashing down toward the head of the youth wielding the hammer.

He quickly retreated, turning his body so that the hammer swept sideways in a deadly arc.

Had Gu Changqing pursued, he would have been struck across the waist—a blow even a physically enhanced Awakened would be hard-pressed to endure.

But pain shot through his ankle. A blood sea bee’s stinger had pierced it, making it impossible to hold his stance.

A ferocious grin spread across Gu Changqing’s face as he barreled forward, his fist lashing out.

Crack!

The youth with the hammer barely had time to raise his arm before it was broken by Gu Changqing’s punch, the bones shattered, sending him tumbling through several tents.

"Let me handle him!" another young man said coldly, raising his hand. A dozen blazing spheres, each a meter wide, rained down from above like meteors.

Gu Changqing raised his hand and a blood python burst forth from his palm. He turned to look at the youth, unable to suppress his exhilarated smile.

The thrill and rush of adrenaline in battle rivaled the pleasure of growing stronger.

And victory was even sweeter.

He lunged at the youth conjuring flames.

Meanwhile, the other Awakened around them were eager to join the fray, rolling their shoulders and cracking their knuckles.

In a camp separated in the distance, a number of Awakened soldiers stood up, gazing toward the commotion.

"They’ve started fighting?"

"Internal strife among the Chongming? Now this is interesting!" several young men laughed.

"Rabble," one sneered. "They’re about to head into the Qinghe battlefield, and they’re already at each other’s throats. The Chongming are even worse than I thought."

...

"You want a turn? You want a turn getting beaten?" Gu Changqing sneered as he seized the flame-wielder by the head, his five fingers spreading wide like giant fans to grip the youth’s skull, and slammed him down hard.

Bang!

He lifted the youth and slammed him again.

"Stop!" A man suddenly appeared in the air, his voice deep but not loud, yet it echoed in everyone's ears.

Gu Changqing had just pressed the youth’s head into the ground when he suddenly felt an overwhelming heaviness settle upon him.

It was as if invisible cords had bound him to the earth. Startled, Gu Changqing looked up to see a man in his thirties with thick brows and commanding eyes.

This sensation... Gravity?

Yan Hao, the director at Yong’an headquarters?

Gu Changqing had seen his file. Few could manipulate gravity, and even fewer could do so with such power—certainly a sixth-level Awakened of the gravity type.

"What’s going on here?" Yan Hao looked down at Gu Changqing, his face cold, his voice stern.

Gu Changqing considered for a moment. He was probably the most qualified to speak, so he relaxed, let go of the youth, tore a strip from his own clothing, and replied lazily, "We’re all Awakened here, just a bit of sparring, that’s all."

"The atmosphere... isn’t it lively?"

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Some looked on expressionlessly, some sneered, others gazed up at the sky.

Yan Hao took in the scene and immediately understood who had caused the trouble. He scrutinized the tall young man. "Gu Changqing?"

"You’re something else—just arrived and already mixing it up with everyone."

Yan Hao had kept an eye on Gu Changqing, after all, he was a prodigy who’d suddenly emerged in Angang, rapidly increasing his strength.

He’d even watched the video of Gu Changqing’s battle with the Guards.

But he’d thought Gu Changqing was a bit of a troublemaker—just not to this degree.

He’d received word the moment Gu Changqing reached the gate and had sent Jian Lan to greet him, but before they’d even met, fighting had already broken out.

"Everyone here is a comrade, a teammate. You waste your strength on your own side—impressive, aren’t you?" Yan Hao couldn’t help but be sarcastic.

"Understood. Next time, I’ll take it to the Guards," Gu Changqing replied after some thought.

Yan Hao nearly lost his temper, glaring coldly before ordering, "The injured—get them to medical. As for you, come with me!"

...

After Gu Changqing left, someone muttered angrily, "The more I think about it, the angrier I get. That guy’s just too arrogant!"

"He’s cocky, but he’s seriously strong. I heard he’s only been Awakened a little over a month!"

"Seriously?" Those nearby were shocked.

Everyone had seen Gu Changqing’s ferocity firsthand. That kind of power—only Awakened for a month?

"That’s what they say." Many looked toward the Awakened from Yongzhou. The group was from all over, but the Yongzhou Awakened clearly knew more about him.

And while the others had all wanted a piece of the action, the Yongzhou group had simply stood by, arms crossed, watching.

"Ning Ze, what do you think?" Pei Yuntai asked with interest. "He seems even stronger than in the video."

"He’s been training his fists," Ning Ze replied. "Every time he struck, he got stronger, his momentum fiercer. He’s already built up his aura! And... he might be working on Fist Intent!"

"Fist Intent? Impossible!" Pei Yuntai exclaimed.

They all knew the importance of momentum and confidence. The more a fighter wins, the greater his confidence, and the more power he brings out.

Two people of equal strength—one confident, one not. In a fight, the confident one always wins.

There were once battle-hardened masters who would unnerve challengers just by their presence, making it impossible for the challenger to fight at full strength.

This showed how crucial aura and confidence were.

But Fist Intent—this was something even more mysterious, recorded only in ancient texts: when a person fused their essence, spirit, and will into their technique, Fist Intent could be born.

Such people existed only in old books—no one knew if it was real.

He wouldn’t have believed in it once.

But since the resurgence of spiritual energy, the impossible had become possible.

Even mystical things like Sword Intent and Fist Intent had begun to appear.

The most famous was the Swordmaster of Qichao, the first seventh-level Awakened.

But those who could attain Sword Intent or Fist Intent were extremely rare. In all of Southern Chu, Ning Ze only knew of two; in Yongzhou, only one.

He hadn’t expected Gu Changqing to possess Fist Intent. Yet as he watched him fight, he felt as if he’d seen a ferocious beast that could shake the heavens—a momentum that could shatter mountains.

It reminded him of someone he’d once seen fight.

Gao Wenxin, now the director of Angang!

That strike had left an indelible mark on him, which was why he’d joined Chongming.

The feeling Gu Changqing gave off was much like Gao Wenxin.

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"It’s Fist Intent..." A shadow crossed Ning Ze’s eyes. He turned and left without another word.

He had trained for three years, only to grasp a hint of that legendary sword strike’s essence, still never knowing what Sword Intent truly was.

Pei Yuntai watched Ning Ze’s departing figure, then looked in the direction where Gu Changqing had disappeared.

...

Though the fight hadn’t lasted long, most of Gu Changqing’s clothes were in tatters.

At least his glasses were unharmed—he’d tossed them aside before the scuffle.

Now, putting the glasses back on, he followed Yan Hao to a row of prefab houses, the kind built with insulated panels. There was a whole line of them.

Many support-type Awakened were stationed here, and they all stole glances at Gu Changqing, whispering among themselves.

Gu Changqing had been here less than twenty minutes and was already known by all.

He smiled at them, causing several support-type Awakened women to flush with excitement.

He might be fierce, but he was tall, strong, and striking.

Inside, Gu Changqing dragged a chair over, sat down facing Yan Hao.

Yan Hao stared at him for a long moment.

This guy was a troublemaker, but his strength was undeniable, and his potential enormous.

But his rebellious streak was written all over his face—hard to manage.

Yan Hao, though an Awakened himself, had to look at things from the perspective of Chongming’s director.

After some thought, Yan Hao said, "The Qinghe battlefield is the current objective of all Southern Chu. I need you to understand what’s at stake. You were transferred here to gain something in the Qinghe battlefield, not to fill the medical ward with your comrades."

"Don’t worry. Just a bit of friendly sparring. You can always trust my sense of the bigger picture!" Gu Changqing replied with a disarmingly friendly grin.

"It had better stay that way. I don’t want to see a repeat of today!" Yan Hao nodded at last.

"Here’s what we’ve learned from reconnaissance inside the Qinghe battlefield. These documents cover confirmed routes, what you’ll encounter, how to handle it. Remember—not a word of this is to leak outside." Yan Hao tossed a stack of papers to Gu Changqing.

"When do we leave?" Gu Changqing asked.

"Three or four days. You’ll be working in small teams, exploring assigned sectors. Use these days to get to know your teammates."

"And remember—today must not happen again," Yan Hao warned.

"No problem!" Gu Changqing replied cheerfully, scooping up the documents. "Where am I sleeping?"

"Find Jian Lan when you leave—she’ll arrange it."

"That’s all, then?" Gu Changqing stood, grabbed the documents, and headed out.

Jian Lan was waiting for him outside.

She sighed as soon as she saw him. There were plenty of unruly, troublemaking Awakened, but none had ever caused as much trouble as Gu Changqing.

They returned to the area where the fight had just occurred. Many watched Gu Changqing with cold eyes, though some had a glimmer of admiration.

He might be a pain, but his strength was brutally real.

Gu Changqing looked around at them all, beaming as if nothing at all had happened.

After all, he wasn’t the petty type.

They were all comrades here—surely no one would hold a grudge?

Chapter 2. Another chapter will be posted later tonight.

End of chapter.