Six Scripts Can Fight, Eight Natures Wound the Enemy (Third Update: Please Vote and Keep Reading)

Six Scripts Can Fight, Eight Natures Wound the Enemy (Third Update: Please Vote and Keep Reading)

Shi Ruyu, the fist art instructor invited by Wanhua High School.

She swept her gaze around. Lu Chenzhou was the only one there.

Shi Ruyu smiled helplessly.

"The second monthly exam is coming up, and fewer and fewer people are attending class. Luckily, you came. Otherwise, it'd be rather awkward teaching the air. Thanks for the support.

"But I see you spend a great deal of time practicing martial arts every day. Aren't you afraid it'll affect your academic classes? After all, for people like you, studying may be the true way out."

Lu Chenzhou stood tall and straight, first bowing to his teacher.

"Hello, Teacher."

He said earnestly,

"I don't think academics and martial arts conflict with each other."

He had indeed always been engrossed in martial arts.

Yet that had not stopped him from taking first place in his class in every academic exam.

To Lu Chenzhou, academic subjects were merely something he picked up along the way. Though he attended a regular academic school, the only thing his heart yearned for was a martial arts university. Practicing martial arts was the pursuit of his entire life. There was no particular purpose behind it—he simply liked it. He enjoyed the feeling of growing stronger.

Shi Ruyu looked at Lu Chenzhou's serious expression.

There was not a trace of superiority or arrogance on his face.

It had been two months since Lu Chenzhou enrolled. Through their interactions during that time, she could tell that this boy truly had an unwavering passion for martial arts.

In ancient times, he would have been called a "martial arts fanatic."

"What a pity..."

She could not help sighing.

"Teacher, what's such a pity?"

"If only you had medium-grade bones. Then you wouldn't have to waste nine years in a place like this."

Lu Chenzhou fell silent for a moment before saying,

"There's nothing to regret. There are plenty of Martial Artists from regular academic schools. I think that as long as I work hard enough, breaking through the First Shackles isn't impossible."

This was the hand he had been dealt at birth. He was not the sort to blame Heaven and curse the earth.

"That's true, but survivor bias..."

Shi Ruyu did not want to discourage Lu Chenzhou too much.

She admired this boy.

She had heard from other students that Lu Chenzhou had risen early every morning to practice fist arts since elementary school. Over nine years, apart from days when the teacher took leave, he had never missed a single day.

Such perseverance was truly rare and precious.

The ancients spoke of "practicing martial arts at the cock's crow."

It sounded simple, but few could persist for nine years.

After waiting a while longer, Shi Ruyu said,

"It seems no one else is coming after all. Let's begin class."

Thinking that he had a teacher all to himself, Lu Chenzhou felt he had struck gold. Shi Ruyu was a Sixth Stage Martial Warrior at the peak of the Anli Realm, only one step away from entering the Huali Realm. The bald coach who charged him 300 per class was only at the Second Stage.

"Lu Chenzhou, show me a complete set first."

Shi Ruyu stood with her hands behind her back, her expression solemn.

"Alright."

Lu Chenzhou immediately assumed his stance and performed his Major Accomplishment Basic Fist Art in one flowing sequence, waiting for Shi Ruyu's assessment.

Shi Ruyu had a sharp eye and immediately noticed the difference in Lu Chenzhou today.

Lu Chenzhou had previously said that his fist art had reached Minor Accomplishment in his third year of middle school. He had been stuck at the threshold of Major Accomplishment for some time, unable to advance even an inch. Unexpectedly, he had broken through today.

The same old saying applied.

Learning fist arts required perseverance; when the water flowed, the channel formed.

She smiled and applauded.

"Not bad. You reached Major Accomplishment without making a sound."

Now she was beginning to believe that Lu Chenzhou might someday become a Martial Artist.

Lu Chenzhou said, "You taught me well, Teacher."

Being praised by her student made Shi Ruyu rather pleased inside.

"You don't need to be modest. It's rare for someone with low-grade bones to reach Major Accomplishment in Basic Fist Art while still in high school. It shows that you've worked hard enough, and your comprehension isn't bad either."

Of course, he was still far behind those with medium- or high-grade bones. Most of those gifted children who had attended martial arts classes since childhood reached Major Accomplishment or even Perfection in Basic Fist Art during middle school. Some monsters had reached Perfection in elementary school. But she did not tell Lu Chenzhou that. There was no point. Their innate conditions and resources were simply beyond comparison with his.

Thinking of something, Shi Ruyu reminded him,

"Major Accomplishment to Perfection is the hardest step in Basic Fist Art. You need to pay extra attention from here on. If you can reach Perfection before eighteen, you may have a chance to take special admissions assessments for some ordinary Wudas... I think you have a fair shot."

That was how she had entered Pingjiang Martial University four years ago.

Basic Fist Art Perfection was only one of the conditions for the special admissions examination. To pass the assessment, one also needed a rank and other qualifications. The earlier one reached Perfection, the better.

However, Pingjiang Martial University was a first-rate university second only to the twenty-four top academies, and its requirements were high. One had to reach Perfection in Basic Fist Art before turning seventeen. As for the top academies, their requirement was before fourteen or fifteen. Lu Chenzhou no longer had a chance.

She had read his file. His birthday was January 1st.

Of course, rules were dead.

If Lu Chenzhou later awakened some Martial Bone Dao Body, or accumulated knowledge until it burst forth and displayed astonishing comprehension, proving himself a late-blooming great vessel, those top universities would come fighting for him again like fierce beasts that had caught the scent of meat. But that was no different from winning the lottery.

They both had low-grade bones.

She understood how difficult things were for Lu Chenzhou.

Her student had broken through, and Shi Ruyu was in a good mood today. She said,

"Now that you've reached Major Accomplishment, there's nothing more I can teach you about cultivating Basic Fist Art... Today, I'll give you some additional knowledge and practical combat instruction."

Lu Chenzhou immediately stood properly and listened.

Shi Ruyu said,

"Basic Fist Art originated from the Form Imitation lineage. Form Imitation has a long history that can be traced back to ancient ancestors, though the exact time is impossible to verify. However, the one who truly developed it and fused its principles into a whole was Master Lingkong of Mount Wutai.

"After the founding of New Great Xia, the Martial Artists Association, in order to spread martial arts among the entire population, invited several Martial Dao Grandmasters of the Pictographic School to compile the 'Basic Fist Art' curriculum according to the actual circumstances of the Great Xia people.

"Therefore, the fist principles and techniques of Basic Fist Art are similar to Form-Emulation Fist. Both emphasize eight words: Six Scripts Can Fight, Eight Natures Wound the Enemy! So long as you grasp these, you can adapt to changing circumstances in all kinds of real combat and meet the enemy with your fists..."

Lu Chenzhou had an excellent memory, but just in case, he still opened the notes app on his phone and meticulously recorded the key points his teacher mentioned.

Much of this knowledge might be available online.

But without someone to point out the way, it was difficult to gather it all.

Seeing Lu Chenzhou so serious, Shi Ruyu was happy as a teacher as well.

"The Six Scripts are Form Imitation, Associative Compounds, Phonetic Loans, Transferred Meanings, Indicative Characters, and Phono-Semantic Compounds... The Eight Natures are seize, pounce, shake, lift, intercept, hook, extend, and coil..."

Shi Ruyu explained as she demonstrated her fist art.

With one punch, it seemed as though wind rose and clouds stirred.

Lu Chenzhou noticed the many calluses on her fists.

They were not white, smooth, and delicate like those of many of his female classmates.

They were medals of honor for a martial artist.

Shi Ruyu leaped and crossed more than a zhang to arrive before Lu Chenzhou. The wind from her fist swept across his face with enough force to sting. Lu Chenzhou nimbly dodged aside and used his palm to brush his teacher's arm outward. Once he landed, he raised his right arm into a defensive stance.

Yet he looked somewhat flustered.

Shi Ruyu frowned slightly and said,

"At any time, never instinctively reveal a panicked expression. Even if you have exhausted every trick in your donkey's bag, you cannot let the enemy notice that your formation has been thrown into disorder!

"Of course, deliberately deceiving the enemy to make them careless is an exception. But that is merely a minor path. A true Martial Artist would not fall for such petty tricks."

Lu Chenzhou learned something else.

"Thank you for your guidance, Teacher."

Only after criticizing him did Shi Ruyu reveal an approving expression.

"Your reaction was still quite good.

"Associative Compounds and Form Imitation are not merely about learning your master's fist moves, movements, and attack trajectories. You must also learn their spirit, bearing, momentum, and style. A martial artist, regardless of cultivation level, regardless of time or place, must carry the presence of martial arts!

"At the profound heights of martial arts, essence, energy, and spirit must surely become one. The battles of powerful Martial Artists are not merely clashes of flesh and body, but confrontations of spirit and bearing as well! Of course, all that is far beyond both you and me... I only heard it at university and am showing off in front of you."

Shi Ruyu looked at Lu Chenzhou, who seemed to understand yet not fully understand, and smiled.

"Don't worry if you can't learn what I taught you today. Much of it is beyond the curriculum to begin with. I only told you because I feel a connection with you. If you can enter under the tutelage of a true Martial Artist, you'll understand... Come, keep practicing!"

Third update—please keep reading, vote monthly tickets, and send recommendation tickets!