First Taste of the Bull's Blade

The air in the training hall seemed to freeze.

The deafening silence lasted for a full three seconds before being broken by Zhang Kuang's heavy, pained breaths.

"You... you're asking for death!" Zhang Kuang clutched his agonizingly sore ribs, his entire face contorted with shame, anger, and pain. His eyes were filled with disbelief and fury. He, who could crush an ant with a flick of his wrist, had actually been repelled by a good-for-nothing in front of everyone?! This was an unbearable humiliation!

The surrounding students finally snapped out of their immense shock, and the hall erupted in a clamor!

"I... I'm not seeing things, am I? Lin Feng actually pushed Zhang Kuang back?"

"That move just now, his reaction was so fast! That footwork, that punch..."

"Didn't his meridians get blocked? How could he have this kind of strength and speed?"

"Is it possible he's been hiding his strength all along?"

The murmurs surged like a tide, and everyone's gaze towards Lin Feng completely changed. The pity and disdain they had before were replaced by surprise, scrutiny, and even a hint of awe.

Liu Feifei stood frozen, gazing at the tall, calm young man in the center of the hall, finding him utterly unfamiliar. Was this still the Lin Feng she had "comforted," the one she deemed to have a bleak future? His concise, sharp strike just now, the steady, mountain-like aura he exuded, completely overturned her perception. A trace of inexplicable regret quietly bloomed in her heart.

"Quiet!" Instructor Li Zhenhai's low shout suppressed all the noise. He strode into the center of the hall, first glaring sternly at Zhang Kuang. "Sparring practice, stop when you reach your limit! Zhang Kuang, your attack was too reckless just now!"

Zhang Kuang gritted his teeth, not daring to retort to the instructor, but his gaze towards Lin Feng became even more venomous.

Li Zhenhai then turned to Lin Feng, his eyes sharp, filled with undisguised admiration and curiosity. "Lin Feng, were you using perfect-level basic footwork and basic fist techniques just now?"

As a seasoned martial artist, he saw much more clearly than the students. Lin Feng's seemingly simple half-step retreat and straight punch, in terms of timing, angle, and power delivery, were executed flawlessly. It was as if he had perfected basic martial arts to the point of mastery! This was absolutely not something achievable by luck; it was an instinctive reaction honed through countless hours of training!

But how was this possible? How could a student deemed a "martial arts cripple" cultivate basic martial arts to such a level?

Facing the instructor's inquiry, Lin Feng nodded neither subserviently nor arrogantly. "Reporting to Teacher Li, yes. My aptitude is dull, so I can only focus more effort on these fundamental aspects."

His words were spoken plainly, yet they made many students present blush with shame. They aimed for the stars, pursuing powerful martial skills, but couldn't even solidify the most basic foundations. And Lin Feng, the "cripple," had silently cultivated his fundamentals to a height they could barely reach.

"Dull aptitude?" Li Zhenhai looked deeply at Lin Feng, not pressing further. Everyone had their own opportunities and secrets. As an instructor, he only needed to see the students' effort and progress. "Very good! In the path of martial arts, the foundation is paramount! That you can cultivate the basics to such a level, your future is promising!"

Li Zhenhai's affirmation, like official certification, completely solidified Lin Feng's strength. When everyone looked at Lin Feng again, the last trace of doubt in their eyes vanished, replaced by complexity and shock.

Hearing the words "your future is promising," Zhang Kuang's expression grew even more somber, as if he could wring water from it.

"Alright, sparring practice continues! Zhang Kuang, go rest over there. Wang Hao, you'll be with me." Li Zhenhai directly separated the two to prevent further escalation of conflict.

Zhang Kuang shot Lin Feng a fierce glare, clutched his ribs, and limped to the side of the hall to sit down. Several lackeys immediately gathered around to offer solicitous inquiries, but he impatiently pushed them away.

The practice continued, but the atmosphere had entirely changed.

No one dared to look at Lin Feng with contempt anymore. Some students who were usually more reclusive, or from similar less fortunate backgrounds, even proactively moved closer to Lin Feng during group assignments, their eyes holding a hint of fawning and a desire for protection.

Lin Feng paid no mind to this, calmly completing the various exercises assigned by Instructor Li Zhenhai. The perfect-level basic body-tempering technique brought not only strength and speed but also unparalleled control over his body. Every movement he made was textbook perfect, his power delivery precise, his breathing long and steady, causing Li Zhenhai to nod repeatedly.

During this time, Wang Hao, the sycophant who had shoved Lin Feng earlier, during a pause called by Instructor Li Zhenhai, seemed to want to stand up for Zhang Kuang and deliberately rammed Lin Feng hard with his shoulder.

However, Lin Feng's footwork shifted almost imperceptibly, and Wang Hao felt as if he had run into a springy wall. His momentum was easily deflected, and he lost his balance, stumbling forward and face-planting onto the ground, drawing a wave of suppressed chuckles.

Wang Hao scrambled up, covered in dust, and looked at Lin Feng, who was expressionlessly continuing his practice. His eyes finally held a trace of fear, and he dared not make any further small movements.

Sitting at the side of the hall, Zhang Kuang witnessed all of this, his fists clenched so tight they creaked, a ball of resentment stuck in his chest with nowhere to vent.

The bell signaling the end of the practical combat class rang.

Students left the training hall in twos and threes, many still excitedly discussing the astonishing scene of Lin Feng repelling Zhang Kuang with a single punch. It was foreseeable that this news would soon spread throughout the entire third year.

Lin Feng packed his belongings and was about to leave when Li Zhenhai's voice called from behind him.

"Lin Feng, wait a moment."

Lin Feng stopped and turned around respectfully. "Teacher Li."

Li Zhenhai walked up to him, his gaze much gentler. "Your performance today was excellent, beyond my expectations."

"Thank you, Teacher."

"I don't know what happened to you, but seeing you emerge from your gloom and regain your confidence makes me very happy as your teacher," Li Zhenhai said, patting his shoulder with sincere warmth. "Martial artists must contend! Contend for resources, contend for opportunities, and even more so, contend for that spirit! You've had a good start, but remember, don't become arrogant or impatient. Zhang Kuang's family... has some influence, so be careful yourself."

Feeling the instructor's genuine concern, Lin Feng's heart warmed slightly, and he nodded. "I understand, thank you for the reminder, Teacher."

"Mm," Li Zhenhai mused for a moment, then took a finely crafted metal card from his pocket and handed it to Lin Feng. "This is a junior trial card for the 'Extreme Martial Arts Hall.' It grants you three free uses of the junior training rooms and the gravity zone. Your foundation is very solid, perhaps you can go there to experience it; it will be beneficial for you."

The Extreme Martial Arts Hall was one of the largest chain martial arts halls in Jiangnan City. Its equipment was advanced, but its fees were exorbitant, far beyond what ordinary families could afford. This trial card was undoubtedly a godsend for Lin Feng, who urgently needed spiritual energy and an environment to accelerate his cultivation.

Lin Feng did not act coy. He took the card with both hands and said solemnly, "Thank you, Teacher Li!"

"Go, prepare well for the martial arts examination. I look forward to the moment you soar to the heavens!" Li Zhenhai said with a smile.

Watching Lin Feng's retreating figure, Li Zhenhai's eyes were filled with anticipation. He could feel a vigorous vitality and immense potential hidden within this young man. Perhaps, Third High School might truly produce a dark horse that would shock the entire city this year!

Leaving the training hall, Lin Feng did not go straight home but detoured to the school library.

He needed martial skills!

With the system in hand, his perfect comprehension ability meant he didn't have to worry about understanding techniques. But the prerequisite was that he needed techniques to comprehend. The school's martial arts resources were limited, and he couldn't access the most profound techniques. However, some widely circulated, notoriously difficult-to-cultivate low-level or incomplete martial arts might be recorded in the library.

Using his student ID, Lin Feng entered the martial arts section of the library. There weren't many students here; most were quietly flipping through materials.

He walked directly towards the bookshelf labeled "Fist Techniques - Fundamentals and Fragments." Here, most of the books were common fare like Mighty Ox Fist, Stone Crushing Fist, and Surging Waves Fist, along with some unverified, incomplete fist manuals that were almost never consulted.

Lin Feng's gaze swept quickly across the shelves, finally stopping at the furthest corner. There sat a dusty, yellowed, old-fashioned thread-bound book.

The spine bore three ancient characters: Nine Heavens Thunder Blade!

A blade technique?

Lin Feng blinked. He had originally intended to find a fist technique. But the word "Thunder" made his heart stir. Lightning was always known for its speed and explosive power, aligning perfectly with his pursuit of extreme efficiency and lethality.

He pulled out the manual and brushed off the dust. Opening the first page, the introduction read: "A remnant blade technique, allegedly created by an ancient Thunder Dao cultivator. Only the first three levels of energy channeling methods and some move diagrams remain. Cultivation requires channeling Blood Essence to simulate the explosive intent of thunder, placing immense strain on the physical body and easily damaging meridians. There have been virtually no successful cultivators in modern times. Proceed with caution!"

"Immense strain on the physical body, easily damaging meridians..." Lin Feng read the warning. Instead of retreating, his eyes lit up.

Physical strain? He had the Perfect-level Basic Body Forging Technique as a foundation, and his body was undergoing rapid strengthening!

Easily damaging meridians? He had the system's Perfect Comprehension, which could avoid all incorrect energy channeling methods!

Virtually no successful cultivators? Perfect, then becoming one of the few would make him truly unique!

This was it!

Without any hesitation, Lin Feng took the incomplete Nine Heavens Thunder Blade manual to a nearby reading area and began to "browse."

He appeared to be carefully examining each page, but in reality, his focus was already concentrated on the light screen in his mind.

[Detected unknown martial skill Nine Heavens Thunder Blade (Incomplete) information stream. Record and comprehend in-depth?]

"Yes!"

The familiar cool airflow enveloped his brain once more. The complex and obscure energy channeling routes, the incomplete move diagrams on the book, were deconstructed, analyzed, and reconstructed. They transformed into the most fundamental information, deeply imprinted into his consciousness.

A moment later, the [Martial Skill] column on the light screen was no longer empty.

[Martial Skill: Nine Heavens Thunder Blade (Incomplete)]

[Current Mastery: 0%]

[Grade: Unknown (Original estimated as High-grade Yellow, grade dropped due to incompleteness)]

[Evaluation: Ambitious concept, contains a trace of true thunder intent. However, severe deficiencies make forced cultivation harmful and unbeneficial.]

Looking at the system's evaluation, Lin Feng's lips curved into a smile.

Harmful and unbeneficial? That was for others.

For him, possessing the [Myriad Laws Return to Origin] system, this was merely the beginning.

"Next, I will turn it... into my own!"