Do What One Can

Chapter 10: Do What One Can

Quan Yue's two-month deadline was not arbitrary; he had arrived at it after careful calculations.

By his estimate, two months was not impossible, but it should have been extremely tight.

Back then, it had taken Quan Yue half a year to master Steel and Sharpness. Taking Quan Yi's Innate Full Soul Power recovery rate into account, he had set the deadline at two months.

But to his surprise, Quan Yi mastered it in less than a month.

This was inseparable from Quan Yi's talent in mental strength, but even more astonishing was his willpower.

The intensity of the training itself was beyond what ordinary people could endure. Although Meditation could replace sleep, mental exhaustion was difficult to dispel.

Yet every time he condensed soul power, Quan Yi remained completely focused, without the slightest relaxation.

Though Quan Yue felt immensely gratified, he was also under considerable pressure.

As the parents of a gifted child, they sometimes had to make decisions that went against common sense.

Take Quan Yi's Five-Hundred-Year Soul Ring Plan, for instance. Agreeing to such an outrageous decision from a child was not something ordinary parents could do.

Quan Yue had been under tremendous pressure as well.

Of course, Quan Yi understood this, which was why he could not afford to slacken in the slightest.

"Good. Since you have passed my test, you may prepare to hunt for a soul ring."

Now that Quan Yi had passed the test, Quan Yue could no longer stop him.

But Quan Yi did not seem to be in a hurry.

"No, Father. There's still one month to spare. I want to continue learning the latter half of the fist technique."

Quan Yi had not expected this situation at first, but since a month had opened up, he could continue studying the fist technique. That would also increase his chances of obtaining a higher-Year soul ring.

Seeing that Quan Yi had not rushed ahead and had instead maintained a calm mindset, Quan Yue finally put his worries to rest.

Such a cautious child must have considered things over and over before voicing his opinion. Quan Yue even felt a trace of fear at the terrifying rationality within his own son.

"Since you have decided to spend the time on this, I have no objections. But I must remind you that practicing the fist technique will take up a great deal of time. Pay attention to managing it yourself."

"Alright. I plan to keep learning for another month, then set out," Quan Yi answered.

"The Quan Family Fist Technique was originally derived from Shield and Spear Techniques. The Gauntlets Martial Soul was rather weak in both attack and defense, so to make up for that weakness, your Grandpa—the previous family head—fought with a shield and spear in hand."

Quan Yi's grandpa, Quan Li, was the founder of the Quan family. With his mutated Black Iron Gauntlets Martial Soul, he had built the family's current fortune.

Though Quan Yi had never met him, he had heard that Grandpa was currently stationed at the Quan family's most important shop in Heaven Dou City. More importantly, Quan Yi's grandpa was a powerful Soul Douluo-level expert.

Quan Yi had often heard stories about Grandpa since he was little, so he did not feel unfamiliar with him.

He had not expected Steel and Sharpness to have been invented by his grandpa. Quan Yi grew even more curious about the grandfather he had never met.

Quan Yue continued, "This also allowed the Gauntlets Martial Soul's Dual-Mindedness to be brought to its fullest potential. The choice and use of Dual Weapons could be called a stroke of genius. But before long, your grandpa discovered a flaw."

"That was, the quality of weapons could not keep up with a Spirit Master's growth. Without weapons, the Gauntlets Martial Soul had no advantage at all in battle."

"After a period of decline, he noticed the advantages of soul power. Soul power itself grew stronger along with a Spirit Master, so after more than a decade of painstaking refinement, he created the method of condensing soul power."

"And Steel and Sharpness, in essence, are a shield and a spear."

"The Quan Family Fist Technique evolved from Shield and Spear Techniques."

Quan Yi was deeply shocked upon hearing this. He was profoundly moved by his grandpa's wisdom and perseverance. Creating one's own path required courage.

Quan Yue went on, "The advantage of the Quan Family Fist Technique lies in its freedom. Steel and Sharpness can switch freely between both hands. You can even use Sharpness with both hands or Steel with both hands. Attack and defense are all determined by a single thought."

"What I will teach you next are the most basic attacking and defensive stances."

"As for the rest, you will need to think through and refine it yourself in future battles. Remember, our Quan Family Fist Technique is about freedom."

After explaining the origins of the fist technique, Quan Yue assumed a stance before Quan Yi.

Quan Yi focused intently. However, what Quan Yue taught were only the most basic stances and postures. They were simple enough that, after watching once and following along once, he could imitate them almost perfectly.

The only point requiring attention was that both hands had to take turns doing them. He could not practice with only his right or left hand.

Quan Yi understood that this was to train both hands evenly.

Quan Yi followed Quan Yue through the basic movements again and again. After several hours, he could already perform the entire sequence on his own.

At that point, Quan Yue stopped and began scrutinizing Quan Yi's movements. His eyes were like those of an eagle; not the slightest deviation could escape his notice.

"Raise your right hand a little higher. Your form has slipped."

Quan Yi had already lost count of how many times this had happened. Although Quan Yue had said that freedom was the most important aspect of the fist technique, he was extremely strict regarding the basic movements.

The process lasted an entire afternoon, but for Quan Yi, it did not even count as a warm-up.

Quan Yi did not know much about martial arts, but he understood the importance of fundamentals. Thus, he repeated the movements earnestly.

Over the next month, Quan Yi repeated the basic movements every day. At first, he moved very slowly, pursuing the most accurate posture possible. But gradually, his speed began to increase.

Quan Yue also acknowledged that Quan Yi had already entered the beginner's level. From then on, it would simply be a matter of steady grinding—he only needed to keep improving.

On the fiftieth day of the test, the time Quan Yi needed to perform a perfect sequence of movements had dropped from the original thirty minutes to ten.

In the Basement, Quan Yi practiced the fist technique bare-chested. His movements had become exceptionally fluid. With every block and every punch, Quan Yi gave it his all.

Beads of sweat clung to his skin, falling to the ground with every movement. The sweat running down had already soaked the floor beneath Quan Yi's feet.

Though they were the simplest movements, every strike used the strength of his entire body, making them exhausting.

Quan Yi used this method to train both his fist techniques and his body at once—killing two birds with one stone.

After practicing for a while, Quan Yi stopped. Under normal circumstances, he would have continued until late at night. But not today.

Because tomorrow, he would set out for the hunt.

Nearly two months of grueling training had all been for this moment.

Quan Yi was looking forward to it.

As he walked out of the Basement, a gentle breeze greeted him. The evening wind blew over Quan Yi's sweat-drenched body, carrying away the heat and sweat. It felt incredibly refreshing.

Quan Yi looked up. A bright moon hung high in the sky, and his mood soared.

Quan Yi quietly enjoyed the stillness, the excitement in his heart gradually settling along with it.

Quan Yi had done all he could. From here on, he only needed to wait and see what fate had in store.

But Quan Yi was certain that this was merely the first step of his new life.

"I'm hungry. I should go eat some meat first."

Rubbing his stomach, Quan Yi headed toward the Dining Hall.