Three days later.
"Lowering your body to dodge is a common technique for countering swinging punches. When the enemy attacks, crouch down swiftly and use the momentum to counterattack, striking his groin and abdomen. Don't be afraid of swinging punches. Those who open with them are usually brainless, impulsive people."
In the Training Arena, the academy's Punch and Kick Instructor spoke while demonstrating the movements.
A wooden puppet swept its right fist sideways. The Punch and Kick Instructor abruptly crouched, dodging the attack, then punched the puppet's abdomen. With several bang bang bang strikes, he knocked the wooden puppet down.
The students stood in a circle watching, but most could not muster any enthusiasm and looked utterly uninterested.
The academy taught many subjects, and this lesson covered basic punches and kicks. Using one's fists and feet to do hard labor was far inferior to the handsome, cool Moonblade attacks. Nearly all the youths were somewhat absent-minded.
"The next class will be the assessment on using the Moonlight Gu. How has your recent practice been?"
"Not bad. I can release all three Moonblades, but they rarely all hit. Usually, two strike the Strawman Puppet."
"Mm, about the same as me. I even bought a Strawman Puppet specifically to practice this over the past few days."
The youths whispered among themselves. Their minds had long since drifted elsewhere, all of them preoccupied with the next lesson's assessment.
For this assessment, they had practiced bitterly outside class for a long time. Now they were all wound tight, eagerly anticipating it.
The students' chatter reached the instructor's ears. The Punch and Kick Instructor abruptly turned around and shouted, "Talking is forbidden during class! Shut up, all of you, and watch properly!"
He was a Rank 2 Gu Master, his entire body packed with developed muscles. His powerful upper body was bare, and his bronze-colored skin was covered in scars. With that thunderous shout, he cut an imposing figure and immediately cowed every youth present.
The Training Arena fell silent.
"Basic punches and kicks are of paramount importance. Especially in the early stages of Gu Master cultivation, they are more important than anything else. Focus your attention!"
After rebuking them, the Punch and Kick Instructor called over another wooden puppet.
This pale-yellow wooden puppet stood two meters tall. Its large wooden feet stepped onto the bluestone tiles with crisp clacks. It spread its arms and charged clumsily at the instructor.
The instructor dodged its attack, then suddenly wrapped his arms around its waist and shoved forward with force, pushing the tall wooden puppet to the ground. Immediately afterward, he rode the momentum and straddled the wooden puppet's waist, swinging his fists down rapidly at its head.
The wooden puppet resisted for a moment before the instructor's rain-like fists smashed its head apart. It collapsed onto the ground, paralyzed and motionless.
The Punch and Kick Instructor rose to his feet, his breathing still calm and deep, and explained to the students, "When facing a tall enemy in close combat, do not be afraid. Destroying the opponent's center of gravity is a wise tactic for subduing them. Just as I did earlier, grab the enemy's waist, control his hips, then push forward with force. After that, ride the momentum onto him and deliver fierce punches. Anyone without the will to defend will collapse in an instant."
The students nodded repeatedly, but most of their eyes revealed unconcealed disapproval.
The instructor saw everything and laughed bitterly inwardly.
It was like this every year. Young people were naturally drawn to dazzling, magnificent things. Without firsthand experience, it was difficult for youths to understand the importance of basic punches and kicks.
In fact, especially for early-stage Gu Masters, basic punches and kicks might look inconspicuous, but they were more important than Moonblade attacks.
"...Remember, in close combat, do not fix your gaze solely on the enemy's eyes. Watch his shoulders instead. Whether an enemy throws a punch or a kick, his shoulders will move first..."
"...Speed is important in close combat. The speed referred to here is not the speed of making a move, but the speed of movement beneath your feet..."
"...Distance is the best defense..."
"...Keep your legs springy, so you can erupt with strength more easily..."
"...When moving and punching, maintain triangular support. Otherwise, if your lower body loses control, the enemy may not fall, but you will..."
The Punch and Kick Instructor demonstrated while patiently explaining. These were precious experiences accumulated through blood and tears over his long years of battle.
Unfortunately, the students outside the ring did not realize this.
They gradually began whispering to one another again, with the Moonblade assessment in the next lesson still at the center of their discussions.
"This Punch and Kick Instructor is quite practical, but there is a problem with his teaching." Fang Yuan watched quietly among the crowd, nodding and then shaking his head.
The instructor taught without any method at all, purely following his own interest, teaching whatever came to mind. Thus, what he imparted was disordered, excessive, and complicated. Many students listened attentively at first, but gradually lost interest and shifted their attention elsewhere.
Only Fang Yuan continued listening with meticulous attention. Others were learning; he was reviewing. His combat experience was far richer than the Punch and Kick Instructor's, but hearing another person explain was also a form of verification in cultivation.
Gu Masters' methods of battle were generally divided into close combat and ranged combat.
Moonblade attacks were ranged attacks, though strictly speaking, they could only be considered mid-range. Their effective range was merely ten meters.
As for close-combat Gu Masters, this Punch and Kick Instructor was the best example. They generally chose Gu worms that enhanced themselves for cultivation. These Gu worms brought him strength, agility, reaction speed, endurance, and more beyond what ordinary people possessed.
Like this Punch and Kick Instructor, his entire body's skin was bronze-colored. This was naturally not his original skin color, but the effect of a Copper Skin Gu.
The Copper Skin Gu greatly increased a Gu Master's skin defense, allowing him to withstand more damage.
"One Moonblade consumes ten percent of one's primeval essence. How many times can a Gu Master use it in battle? The number is pitifully small. Especially for novices, it is simply impossible to form effective strikes. It can only serve as a trump card; its deterrence outweighs its killing power. For a Rank 1 Gu Master, what is truly useful is still fist and foot technique. Fist and foot attacks are more lasting and more reliable. Unfortunately, without firsthand experience, they do not understand these principles now."
Fang Yuan swept his gaze indifferently over his peers, and a cold smile could not help rising at the corner of his lips.
The basic punches and kicks lesson finally ended. After a brief break, the Academy Elder arrived late under the expectant gazes of the youths.
With a broad wave of his hand, he pointed at a row of Strawman Puppets beneath the bamboo wall and went straight to the point. "All right, today is the day to inspect your results. Form groups of five and come up in turn. Use Moonblades to attack three times."
Swish swish swish.
The first group of students stepped forward, Moonblades dancing in the air.
After three rounds, only nine Moonblades had struck the Strawman Puppets.
The Academy Elder shook his head slightly, somewhat dissatisfied. The hit rate was far too low; more importantly, two of the five had only managed to release two Moonblades.
"You must practice properly from now on, especially you, and you." The elder rebuked them briefly, then waved his hand. "Next group."
The two who had been reprimanded walked off with their heads hanging. One girl's eyes had even reddened, and she felt somewhat wronged.
She only had C-grade Aptitude and was unwilling to use Primeval Stones to rapidly restore her primeval essence. Thus, she had practiced very little over the past three days, leaving her unskilled at activating Moonblades.
Refining Gu cost money, Gu Raising cost money, and practicing the use of Gu worms also cost money. But where could she get so much money?
Although her parents supported her from behind, every family had scriptures too difficult to recite. Tight finances were a predicament Gu Masters often faced.
"Since I have no hope of fighting for first place anyway, wouldn't it be better just to give up and save my Primeval Stones?" Thinking this, the girl felt at ease again.
There were quite a few people who thought the same way as the girl.
Because they lacked sufficient practice, many students performed only barely satisfactorily.
The Academy Elder's brow furrowed deeper and deeper.
Fang Yuan saw it all and shook his head inwardly. "These people are truly pitiful and sad. For the sake of a few Primeval Stones, they give up their own chance to advance. Primeval Stones are meant to be used. If you hoard them like a miser, why become a Gu Master?"
Put another way, it was often those who could see no farther than a mouse's eye who haggled over every penny and constantly sacrificed the root for the branches. Those with lofty ambitions, on the other hand, usually displayed a generous and tolerant bearing, capable of giving up and letting go.
"Finally, it's my turn." At this moment, Gu Yue Mo Bei walked onto the field, his horse-like face carrying a confident smile.
He was thickly built and gave off a fierce, valiant aura. After standing firm, he raised his hand and fired three Moonblades, all three hitting their targets. Two struck the puppet's chest, while one landed on its left arm, cutting away several green blades of straw.
Such results naturally drew a burst of praise from the youths.
"Well done." The elder's furrowed brows also relaxed slightly.
Another group came up, and Gu Yue Chi Cheng was among them.
Gu Yue Chi Cheng was short, his full face covered in pockmarks, and his expression carried a trace of nervousness.
He activated three Moonblades in succession, all striking the puppet's chest and carving three intersecting wounds. The wounds went from deep to shallow, but after several breaths, the Strawman Puppet's self-healing restored it to its original state.
Yet this performance had already matched Gu Yue Mo Bei's, and it likewise earned praise from the elder.
Chi Cheng walked off with his head raised high, casting a provocative glance at Mo Bei along the way.
"Hmph!" Gu Yue Mo Bei gave a cold snort from below the field. He did not glare back at Chi Cheng, instead looking towards Gu Yue Fang Zheng, who had not yet taken the field.
He knew clearly that only Gu Yue Chi Cheng and Gu Yue Fang Zheng posed a real threat.
The former had B-grade Aptitude like him and also had a continuous supply of Primeval Stones. The latter had A-grade Aptitude. Although his Primeval Stones might not be as plentiful as theirs, he could rely on the primeval essence recovery speed granted by his aptitude to carry out a great deal of practice in a short time.
Now that Gu Yue Chi Cheng's results were out and had tied his own, only Gu Yue Fang Zheng remained.
By the final few groups, Gu Yue Fang Zheng finally took the field.
Before you continue