Deep Meaning

The memories Wu Di brought to Ma Ran were, of course, more than just these.

His teachings and example had a profound impact on Ma Ran.

Without Wu Di's "Earnest Fist," "Yearning Leg," and "Caring Knee" approach to education, Ma Ran before his rebirth wouldn't have grown so rapidly.

Ma Ran completely agreed with Wu Di's actions and understood his good intentions.

Therefore...

"Senior, this time it's my turn to help you grow."

"Jade cannot be shaped without cutting."

"What you said back then, I strongly agree with."

Thirty meters away from Ma Ran.

He Nanguang dropped his cigarette butt, crushed it with his foot, and popped a mint into his mouth.

Although he had seen the other person's photo long ago, this was the first time they were meeting in person.

His first impression of Ma Ran was...

He had a very strong presence.

Quite intimidating.

Even though he had a sincere smile on his face, without any hint of perfunctoriness, he inexplicably made people feel nervous.

"Sister Die, what do you think of him...?"

He Nanguang didn't name anyone, but everyone present knew that the focus of the conversation was the teenager who seemed to be standing in a spotlight.

Liu Huadie didn't answer, she just stared intently at Ma Ran.

Initially, Ma Ran's impression in her mind was merely "a genius who cultivates the Black Rock Martial Way."

That was nothing special.

With China's population of over a billion people, it wouldn't be normal if there weren't a few geniuses.

Later, with the emergence of the "Black Rock Guidance Technique," Ma Ran's status in Liu Huadie's mind rose again, becoming a "research talent in supernatural powers."

Now, Liu Huadie had to admit...

Her evaluation of this young man was too one-sided, too rigid, and somewhat biased.

Liu Huadie had very strong observational skills.

She had always been very accurate at judging people.

Generous people, kind people, selfish people...

Greedy people, honest people, people with extreme self-esteem...

Goofy people with unusual thought processes, oblivious people who didn't understand social niceties, stubborn individuals who wouldn't turn back even if they hit a brick wall...

In most cases, Liu Huadie could see through layers of pretense with a single glance and easily discern a person's true nature.

But this ability failed her with Ma Ran.

As she observed Ma Ran...

Ma Ran was also looking at her.

The other party curved his lips, a perfectly ordinary smile, a gentle gaze, yet it gave Liu Huadie a chilling feeling.

In the instant their eyes met, Liu Huadie had a misconception.

It felt as if all her secrets were seen through, and all her thoughts were laid bare under this young man's gaze, with nowhere to hide.

Now...

She didn't dare to evaluate Ma Ran.

She...

Couldn't understand that person.

Just as Liu Huadie and He Nanguang were preparing to exchange pleasantries with Director Huang, the young man named Xiao Di completely ignored Huang Weiguo, the representative of Caolu Academy, and walked straight up to Ma Ran, scrutinizing him carefully.

"Ma Ran?"

Xiao Di nodded with certainty: "Ma Ran!"

"You, you're good!"

"My surname is Wu, Tian Wu."

"Follow me from now on!"

"Call me Brother Di, and I'll cover for you!"

Ma Ran looked at the other person with a half-smile.

At this period, Wu Di's way of thinking was indeed a bit unusual. The things he said were also incredibly embarrassing, truly a black mark on his history.

"Are you qualified?"

Ma Ran beckoned Wu Di with a finger. "I'll let you have three moves. If you can even touch a single hair on my head, I'll consider you the winner."

The word "qualified" seemed to hold a peculiar magic for Wu Di.

He froze for a moment, then charged forward with bared teeth and claws, his inner energy surging as he unleashed a swift straight punch.

Snap!

The wind whipped around like a lashing whip, producing a crisp sound.

Ma Ran subtly shifted his body, the opponent's fist grazing his ear. A smile played on his lips. "One move."

The mockery was a bit much.

Wu Di, who had initially intended to hold back, instantly lost his composure.

He let out a roar and threw an elbow strike.

Boom!

It was like a thunderclap erupting from flat ground!

The air vibrated and swirled, causing Ma Ran's hair to dance in the wind.

The elbow missed its mark. Wu Di pushed off the ground with his feet, leaping into the air. He spun 360 degrees and forcefully delivered a whip kick.

His movements were fast!

His posture was cool!

Too bad...

In Ma Ran's eyes, the move was riddled with openings, so crude he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Are you dancing?"

"It's quite a show."

Snap!

The formidable kick missed Ma Ran.

Wu Di's face turned crimson with anger. He spun another 180 degrees in the air, switching legs and changing his attack from a sweep to a stomp.

Twisting his waist and hips, converting force and momentum, he stomped down. The immense power cracked the stone bricks beneath his foot, creating a spiderweb of fissures.

"My turn."

Ma Ran raised his right hand, his fingers slowly curling into a fist.

Boom!

Unpretentious and unadorned, the punch was thrown, yet it conveyed a sense of being tempered a thousand times, utterly flawless.

No openings!

Impossible to evade!

Hum!

Wu Di felt a heavy blow to his head, his ears ringing, stars dancing before his eyes.

He touched his face with his hand. While wincing in pain, he also knew...

His right eye was swollen.

If not for the protection of his inner energy, he felt he would have been blinded by that punch!

What grudge? What animosity?

To strike with such viciousness!

Wu Di was stunned by the impact.

Clutching one eye, he stared blankly at Ma Ran, his expression incredibly aggrieved, tears welling up in his eyes.

He had clearly held back earlier!

But Ma Ran had gone all out!

What a bastard!

No martial ethics!

"I wasn't even using full strength..."

Ma Ran seemed to have seen through Wu Di's thoughts.

He patiently explained, "For this friendly spar, I only activated the inner energy in two acupoints."

"In other words, I only used one-tenth of my strength."

"After all, you're at the Second Stage of Inner Qi. You should be able to tell I'm not lying, right?"

"Mmm..."

"Based on the principles of fairness and justice, I've made my move. Now, it's your turn."

Ma Ran, attempting to inflate his own combat power, patted Wu Di's head as if playing house.

At this moment, Ma Ran transformed into a heartwarming, familiar older brother, gently encouraging him, "You can make three moves."

"There's no time limit. Think it through before you act, don't waste your opportunity."

"Huh?"

"You... you're not crying, are you?"

Wu Di couldn't stand this injustice.

"Why are you crying? Men bleed, they don't cry! I just got sand in my eyes!"

He yelled a few times, stiffening his neck, gritting his teeth, and forcing his eyes wide open. The moisture in his eyes quickly dissipated. With a roar and flailing limbs, he suddenly punched back.

Today, he, Wu Di, would beat Ma Ran into submission with his own strength, thrash Su Qiangwei, and dominate Caolu Academy!

"..."

Watching the interaction between these two, Director Huang Weiguo, as an observer, felt a pang of annoyance.

Faraway guests were still guests, and they had even brought equipment that Caolu Academy desperately needed.

Although it was true that the other party had made the first move, Ma Ran's behavior didn't seem right.

A friend from afar, though far away, must be punished?

As if sensing Director Huang's concern, Ma Ran explained while dodging Wu Di's attacks, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I won't hurt him."

"To the two seniors from Fulan Academy, please trust me and don't interfere casually."

"Me hitting him is for his own good."

Liu Huadie and He Nanguang had been preparing to intervene, seeing Wu Di getting beaten unilaterally.

Upon hearing Ma Ran's words, the two exchanged a quick glance and decided to observe the situation.

To be honest...

Although they couldn't laugh out loud, watching that brat Wu Di get beaten was really satisfying!

Liu Huadie and He Nanguang were both very opinionated individuals.

They found that Ma Ran was speaking clearly, calmly, and rationally.

Beating up Wu Di was likely not a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Moreover, Ma Ran's combat power level was indeed slightly higher than they had anticipated.

If they rushed in, it would be futile.

It was a 99.9% chance of them feeding themselves to the enemy.

Therefore...

He Nanguang and Liu Huadie quickly reached a consensus: Ma Ran beating Wu Di must have a deeper meaning!

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Hahaha, the update is complete! Awesome!

A weekend full of positive energy has begun! Wishing everyone a great time!

I'll work on the bonus update rules later... could you all please give me some feedback if anything seems unreasonable?