Embodying Myriad Traits, I Will Ultimately Become Immortal — 23

Hearing that Director Fang was leaving, Chief Long called out:

"Alright, Director Fang, I won't keep you. You researchers are busy."

At the same time, he pulled out his phone and made a call:

"Xiao Yue, come down to Building Three and drive Director Fang back."

Just as Fang Jianxing reached the door, he seemed to remember something and suddenly turned around:

"By the way, Little Meng, let's exchange contact information. I want to find a martial arts academy to work out at. Do you have any good recommendations?"

Meng Chuan took out his phone and saved Fang Jianxing's contact information.

"No problem, Brother Fang. The Infinite Martial Arts Academy I attend is very good, and they teach well. If you want to learn boxing or work out, you can't go wrong coming here."

Naturally, Meng Chuan had to advertise for his own master.

"Infinite Martial Arts Academy. Alright, I've noted it down. Sigh, I'm usually too busy with work to have time to exercise. It was only when I went to the hospital for a physical examination a while back that I found all my indicators were below standard. That's why I'm trying to mend the pen after the sheep are gone."

Meng Chuan encouraged him:

"You're still young, Brother Fang. You really should exercise more. As long as you want to work out, it's never too late."

Fang Jianxing replied with a smile:

"You're right, Teacher Meng. I'll listen to you."

"If you feel any psychological pressure later on, whether from life or martial arts practice, you can come to me and ease it. I earned a doctoral degree in psychology from Puxiuston University abroad, and I'm also a professionally certified psychological counselor here in the country. You teach me martial arts, and I'll help relieve your stress. How about it?"

Meng Chuan had not expected Director Fang to be such an all-rounder. He conducted scientific research while also understanding psychology.

"No problem, Brother Fang. If you have any questions about martial arts, you can come to me."

"Then it's settled. Goodbye."

Meng Chuan escorted him all the way downstairs. Only after Director Fang got into the car did he wave goodbye, then turn and head back upstairs.

As he walked through the corridor, Meng Chuan felt that something was off, but no matter how he thought about it, he could not figure out what it was.

When he reached the door, Meng Chuan suddenly realized:

"This Director Fang seemed a little too enthusiastic. It was clearly our first meeting, yet he acted as if we'd been old friends for years."

"Maybe he's just naturally familiar with people. Don't overthink it."

Meng Chuan cast aside his unrealistic speculation.

His uncle, Meng Yongzhi, came in from outside at that moment.

"Come on, Chuan'er. Once we collect the reward from Chief Long's office, we can head back."

Meng Chuan asked doubtfully:

"We're leaving right after collecting it? Aren't we supposed to cooperate with some publicity?"

Meng Yongzhi patiently explained:

"Considering that you're still underage and unsuitable for interviews, and since your uncle knows you don't like this kind of thing, I specifically went to speak with them. They agreed."

Meng Chuan had not expected his uncle to have considered things so thoroughly, and warmth rose in his heart.

Inside the chief's office.

Dragon Nine directly transferred three hundred thousand to Meng Chuan's citizen identity card.

An identity card was proof of identification processed for every Great Chu citizen at birth, along with their birth certificate.

Every citizen could only have one identity card. It was used to prove one's Great Chu Nation citizenship; if it was lost, it could be canceled and reissued at any time.

At the same time, the citizen identity card also had functions similar to the bank cards from Meng Chuan's previous life. It could store money, transfer funds, and make payments. It was also very simple to use—just tap it.

"Two hundred thousand in special reward money, plus the one hundred thousand I'm giving you personally as thanks. That's three hundred thousand total. Little Meng, check that you've received it."

With a ding, Meng Chuan picked up his phone and saw that the transfer had arrived.

Received special demon-elimination reward from Qindu Branch Bureau: 200,000 yuan

Received transfer from citizen Dragon Nine: 100,000 yuan

Meng Chuan prepared to transfer Chief Long's one hundred thousand back.

"Chief Long, I can't take this one hundred thousand. If you hadn't notified Teacher Luo to save me, I definitely wouldn't have held on."

Dragon Nine waved his hand.

"If I'm giving it to you, take it. I'm not short of a hundred thousand."

The two went back and forth several more times. Only when Dragon Nine's attitude began to show impatience did Meng Chuan finally give up.

On the way back, Meng Chuan thought that he had nowhere to spend money for the time being, so he wanted to transfer the three hundred thousand to his uncle to help with household expenses.

"You keep it. Spend it sparingly and don't waste it. Academy Master Luo has treated you so well, and he even saved your life. Show him more filial respect."

Meng Chuan knew his uncle's temperament. Once he dug in his heels, he was as stubborn as Meng Chuan himself, so he did not bring it up again. In any case, the money was of no use to him for now, so he would keep it with himself for safekeeping.

The 30th. The New Year was approaching.

Although it was Saturday, a day off from school, Meng Chuan still got up before dawn. Rising early to practice martial arts every day had already become an instinctive habit for him.

Today, he had found a new and excellent place to practice boxing—the rooftop.

Sweating profusely beneath the rising sun while standing atop the building and looking down over the distant land, Meng Chuan could not say why, but practicing boxing on the rooftop felt more vivid than practicing at home.

The proficiency on the Martial Arts Limit-Breaking Panel continued to rise and provide immediate feedback, proving that his feeling was indeed correct.

On the rooftop terrace, Meng Chuan hunched over, swaying unsteadily like an old boxing master who had practiced for years, silently pondering the key points Teacher Luo had taught him.

Once he found the right opportunity, he immediately stepped forward with his left foot. His right hand shot up in a Drill Fist level with his eyebrows, while his left fist followed close behind, rising with his right elbow to his chest—this was Elbow-Bottom Advancing Hammer.

Then he immediately twisted his waist with force. His left foot stepped forward, his right arm rotated outward and hooked back. He clenched his fist, twisted it outward, flipped and pulled it back above his right ear, palm facing forward and wrist folded. His body sank over his hips as he exerted force, and his left fist shot straight out with the motion.

He blasted his final punch toward the rising sun. Six explosions cracked through the air, and an intimidating aura unlike his usual presence emerged from his entire body.

Cannon Fist inherently emphasized killing and battle. Its frames were relaxed, its force violent, and its momentum deep and mighty. It was the finest of the Xingyi School's third-rate boxing arts.

It was no surprise that Meng Chuan possessed such momentum. With today's burst of inspiration, combined with the boost of One Proof, Eternal Proof, his Cannon Fist had now reached major mastery—one cannon, six echoes.

Cannon Fist: Proficient (88%) → Major Mastery (1%), pending limit-break

Limit-Breaking Trait: Heavy Blow (Beginner)

"Cannon Fist has reached major mastery!"

Teacher Luo had previously said that even someone with average or above-average innate talent, practicing a third-rate boxing art in the lower three gates of qi and blood, would need at least several months to nearly a year to cross from beginner level to major mastery.

The only people who could progress as quickly as Meng Chuan were those with comprehension-type traits and the outstanding among those with superior innate talent.

Once one's martial strength was sufficient and one had cultivated enough techniques, even those with poor innate talent could cultivate martial arts far faster than highly gifted practitioners in the lower three gates of qi and blood, due to their boxing experience and physical strength.

That was because the path of martial arts was one where a martial artist's qi and blood, mind, and techniques merged into one.

For example, when a Martial Artist's qi and blood and mind were powerful enough, cultivating ordinary martial techniques came as easily as turning one's hand over.

It was simply that at such a realm, cultivating these martial arts would be a waste of time. Not only was their power far inferior to true arts, they also did little to stimulate one's qi and blood—just like when Meng Chuan had previously practiced National Obligatory Basic Fist Art.

"Chuan'er, stop practicing for now and come down to eat. Master Luo called looking for you."

"Coming, Auntie. I'll be right down."

Meng Chuan briefly wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel, then followed Auntie downstairs and back inside.

The moment he came downstairs, Meng Chuan picked up his phone and called Teacher Luo back.

"Hello, Teacher Luo. What is it?"

"You just went to practice boxing, right? How did it go?"

"Major mastery. One cannon, six echoes!"

For a moment, Luo Guanyun said nothing from the other end of the line. He was somewhat surprised by Meng Chuan's words.

Since Meng Chuan's awakening, Luo Guanyun knew better than anyone how fast he cultivated.

Every evening when he practiced martial arts with Meng Chuan, the other's progress was visible to the naked eye.

But the problem was that every martial art encountered a period of bottleneck when progressing from proficiency to major mastery.

Luo Guanyun believed Meng Chuan would certainly overcome it, but he had not expected the bottleneck to fail to hold him up even once. He had simply broken through as naturally as water flowing into a channel.

"Can you maintain six echoes consistently?"

When practicing boxing, martial artists sometimes entered a strange state of Sudden Enlightenment when the feeling came to them.

They could instantly break through the limits of their current martial art—for instance, Cannon Fist advancing from one cannon, five echoes to one cannon, six echoes.

Yet once that state of Sudden Enlightenment faded, their level often regressed. This was especially common when making breakthroughs in martial arts progress.

After regressing, martial artists often had to spend a great deal of time studying and pondering that instant of Sudden Enlightenment before they could break through the bottleneck again and stabilize their boxing attainment.

"Don't worry, Teacher Luo. I can maintain it."