Applying

Applying

Principal Lu glanced at the doorway, fell silent for a long while, then slowly said, "Special admissions and makeup admissions do indeed... have their own complications. But I guarantee that with your strength, as long as you aren't blocked and get into the makeup admission test, you'll definitely enter West Sea Martial University. Besides, I'll call West Sea Martial University's admissions office and recommend you. A high school principal's recommendation still carries considerable weight."

Zhou Leng looked at Principal Lu in surprise. Though he did not understand many of the ins and outs, he knew very well what Principal Lu's recommendation meant.

"Principal Lu, you..."

Principal Lu smiled faintly. "You were seriously injured by demons, yet you didn't lose heart. You even rose sixty thousand places in one breath. You deserve my recommendation. A few days ago, I joked with the school leadership that we should simply rename the 'Eighth Middle School Progress Award' the 'Zhou Leng Improvement Award.' They took it seriously and objected one after another. In short, you did what a student ought to do. Then I must do what a principal ought to do."

"Thank you, Principal Lu." Warmth surged through Zhou Leng's heart.

"I know you're still hesitating. Don't rush to fill it out; think it over some more. It won't be too late to submit it this afternoon. All right, go back. Don't forget your document folder," Principal Lu said.

Zhou Leng stood and bowed to Principal Lu. "Goodbye, Principal Lu."

Principal Lu watched Zhou Leng leave. After sitting there for a while, he took out his phone and made call after call.

"Ms. Xu? Zhou Leng from your class seems to have been misled by someone. Instead of applying to perfectly good West Sea Martial University, he insists on applying to Rucheng Martial University. Find an opportunity to persuade him today. Mm... all right..."

"Sun Xiong, that kid Zhou Leng doesn't want to apply to one of the Top Ten Martial Arts Universities; he wants to apply to Rucheng Martial University. Find an excuse to visit Class Three and explain the difference between the Top Ten Martial Arts Universities and ordinary universities. We absolutely can't let the child take the wrong road..."

Zhou Leng returned to the classroom and continued chatting with his classmates.

Before long, homeroom teacher Xu Meijie entered with a stack of college entrance examination application forms and began explaining them.

Afterward, she let the students discuss things among themselves.

The students filed out of the classroom one after another, took out their phones to contact their parents, and made their final confirmations.

Xu Meijie walked over to Zhou Leng.

"Zhou Leng, do you have any thoughts?"

After hesitating for a moment, Zhou Leng said, "I'm considering whether to apply for Rucheng Martial University's makeup admission or West Sea Martial University's makeup admission."

Xu Meijie said, "That depends on you. If you're as lacking in ambition as Hu Yi, then apply to Rucheng Martial University. If you want to be like Zhang Xinglie, then apply to West Sea Martial University."

Hu Yi stood nearby with a blank expression.

The surrounding students snickered one after another.

"Ms. Xu, you can't do this..." Hu Yi said, heartbroken.

"I'm mainly worried that West Sea Martial University won't give me enough freedom," Zhou Leng said.

Xu Meijie said, "If you want to live on campus, live on campus. If you don't, commute. Even if you don't want to go, as long as you use cultivating in Demon City as an excuse, the school can't do anything to you. As long as you earn enough credits... no, you don't even need enough credits. You only need to reach the Vitality Stage to apply to challenge the Innate Realm and graduate early."

"You can do that?" Zhou Leng immediately relaxed.

"Of course."

Zhou Leng had originally worried that if he went to the strict West Sea Martial University, he would be unable to cultivate at the Frost Giant Tree. Now, it seemed that he had worried for nothing.

Before long, teachers from every subject arrived one after another and chatted with the students.

Most of the teachers came over to Zhou Leng and discussed his choice with him. Almost all supported his choosing West Sea Martial University's makeup admission.

Xu Qingjin stood up and asked several students about their applications in succession. She also asked Zhou Leng about his, but offered no advice.

Zhou Leng sat at his desk and pondered for a long time. In the end, he found Xu Meijie. "Teacher, I've decided."

"Which one?"

"For the Martial Arts University makeup admission qualification, I choose West Sea Martial University. As for the Affiliated Martial Arts Hall makeup admission qualification, I choose Rucheng Martial University's affiliated martial arts hall," Zhou Leng said.

Xu Meijie nodded lightly. "That works too. It balances your future with your personal preferences."

Xu Meijie left the classroom and called Principal Lu, telling him the result.

"That works too."

After saying that, Principal Lu flipped through his contacts and made a call.

"Hello, Yu, it's me."

"Old Lu, the admissions office is a complete mess right now. So many pairs of eyes are watching."

"I'm just having a simple chat. We've got an odd talent at our school. His academic exam and physical exam rankings were over seventy thousand, but after the martial arts examination, his final ranking was twelve thousand. His martial arts examination score alone was 276, in the city's top thousand."

"That... is indeed a little strange. The one who retook the test at the examination site?"

"That's right."

"Mm. Though this student is somewhat unbalanced, he's a Martial Path genius our country needs. No Martial Arts University would pass up such talent."

"Once this busy stretch is over, let's have a meal together," Principal Lu said.

"No problem."

In the Class Three classroom, Zhou Leng officially finished filling out his application, then went to find Feng Wenhao.

"Once you're done, let's go to the Pioneer Company and meet that Boss Xue," Zhou Leng said.

"Okay."

That afternoon, led by Li Linhan, the two of them arrived at the Xue Ji Pioneering Branch Company in the suburbs and entered the company's indoor martial arts training ground.

The space was as large as two basketball courts, with training equipment arranged all around it.

There were many demonized training devices that would make martial artists' eyes burn with envy.

Not far away, three men stopped talking and walked over together.

Li Linhan said, "This is your Uncle Xue."

"Hello, Uncle Xue." Zhou Leng and Feng Wenhao greeted the tall middle-aged man at the front all together.

Xue Tongming smiled faintly. "Anyone Old Brother Li brings is naturally reliable. It's Just That rules are rules. The two of you will spar with Little Guo. Let me put the ugly words first: if you're too poor, then I'll have to play the villain."

Li Linhan said, "If their strength isn't enough, they can't blame anyone. Zhou Leng, you go first."

"Yes."

Guo Xiaohao, standing beside Xue Tongming, extended his left arm. "Please."

Zhou Leng clasped his fists with both hands. "Senior, please."

The two walked more than ten steps before stopping.

Guo Xiaohao looked Zhou Leng up and down, then asked, "What does it mean when people say, 'The hands are two doors; all fighting relies on the feet'?"

Zhou Leng thought briefly before answering, "The original meaning is that the legs possess greater strength than the arms, and that the legs are more capable of deciding victory or defeat. But behind it lie several more layers of meaning."

Zhou Leng spoke fluently and at length.

"In actual combat, leg techniques are more often probes, feints meant to seize the right moment and deliver an important strike. When using the legs to hit people, you absolutely cannot keep relying on them. Any leg technique that is overly flashy or overused will die a miserable death in real combat."

"Because the legs determine a person's center of gravity, and their range of motion is much larger than the arms'. They are also slower to retract. If you overuse leg techniques, your openings will inevitably be found."

"The word 'hit' in that saying is crucial. It isn't kick, jab, or stomp, so its scope is much broader. Martial Saint Zhao Dongjun once said during the Qi and Blood Realm that battle is a game played with the legs. There are two layers of meaning there."

"One layer is relying on the legs and feet to move. A martial artist who stands still is a dead man; only those who can move are experts."

"As for the second layer, in actual force generation, the legs, waist, arms, and hands are one whole. Without the strength of the legs, every attack is weak and powerless."

Guo Xiaohao nodded.

"Talking alone won't do. You attack now. I'll defend with one hand using only Greater Mastery True Qi. After thirty moves, I'll attack with one hand." As Guo Xiaohao spoke, he extended his right arm forward, bent it, and raised his hand in line with the center of his body.

One-Handed Questioning the Way.

Then he Beckoned at Zhou Leng.

Zhou Leng showed no reaction to the slightly provocative gesture. "Please instruct me, Senior."

At the instant the final note of "instruct" faded, Zhou Leng stamped his right foot. Force surged with qi as his body shot forward, his straight punch blasting out in a Mountain Splitting Welcome aimed straight at Guo Xiaohao's chest.

His long sleeves trembled, and his fist split the air.

This move went straight in without concealing any follow-up variation. It was called the Fist-as-Greeting Rite.

Guo Xiaohao did not press the matter aggressively either. He Retreated one step and raised his right hand before his chest in a blocking posture. This was called the Open-Hearted Return Greeting.

Zhou Leng stepped forward again, changed his fist into a palm, and thrust forward with a palm strike similar to Mountain Splitting Welcome, equally devoid of ornamentation.

Torrential Shorebreak.

Feng Wenhao's vision blurred in the distance. Before he could understand what had happened, Zhou Leng had Rushed To Guo Xiaohao.

At that moment, Feng Wenhao seemed to see a wave suspended above Zhou Leng's palm.

"Good." Guo Xiaohao gave a sharp shout, turned sideways, and reached out to block Zhou Leng's wrist.

Zhou Leng swept his arm across in Horizontal Block Autumn River, shoving Guo Xiaohao's right hand aside. Then his entire body surged forward like a moving tide. His feet stepped the Eight Trigrams, his palm withdrew and became an elbow, and the point of that elbow rose sharply toward Guo Xiaohao's face.

Guo Xiaohao hurriedly Retreated a step to avoid it. Zhou Leng pursued step by step, his body like a rushing tide.

Palms, fists, elbows, and legs crashed toward Guo Xiaohao wave after wave like the sea.

Xue Tongming said, "Old Brother Li, your nephew isn't bad. His body moves like the tide, fierce and forceful as he charges ahead. His Mysterious Tide Art has already grasped thirty percent of its true essence."

Li Linhan nodded. "He's improved by a huge margin compared to Several Months ago."

Guo Xiaohao was a Blood Circulation Stage expert. He Retreated for seven consecutive moves, only steadying himself on the eighth and breaking Zhou Leng's offensive.

On the thirtieth move, Guo Xiaohao suddenly struck, turning defense into offense.

Zhou Leng dodged left and right, retreating step by step without clashing head-on with Guo Xiaohao at all.

Guo Xiaohao kept his True Qi at Greater Mastery and did not use Blood Circulation Stage power. For a time, he actually had no way to deal with Zhou Leng.

After another twenty-odd moves, Guo Xiaohao smiled and withdrew his hand. "When attacking, you're as fierce as the sea tide; when defending, you're as slippery as a loach. Tides rise and fall at your will—you've truly brought the Mysterious Tide Art to life. Though you lack actual combat experience, and your body becomes disordered while retreating, with your moves losing their shape, you have more brains than the previous few."

Xue Tongming and Li Linhan nodded.

Xue Tongming said, "Little Guo's assessment is fair. These student kids who have never been on a battlefield become completely distorted in battle, their moves falling apart. They're all like this."

"We fought our way out through mountains of blades and seas of fire. They're still a step short," Li Linhan said. "Wenhao, go up."

Feng Wenhao hunched his neck, curled his shoulders, and slowly walked forward.

Zhou Leng said, "Don't overthink it. You won't get hurt. Even if you don't believe in yourself, you should believe in a Blood Circulation Stage expert a whole realm above you."

Feng Wenhao gave an embarrassed "hehe."

Guo Xiaohao crooked a finger, and Feng Wenhao copied Zhou Leng's method, charging forward fiercely with a punch.

Everyone frowned all together.

Guo Xiaohao did not move his feet. With one block and one push of his right hand, Feng Wenhao tilted to the right, his footsteps falling into disorder.

Xue Tongming shook his head. "This kid lacks inner qi, his lower stance is unstable, his fundamentals are weak, yet he blindly imitates others."

"Xiaoleng, what do you think?" Li Linhan asked.