Winged Tiger (3rd Update—Please Vote and Follow)

After learning more, Lu Chenzhou finally understood.

Ji Feiyan had also been a standout figure in high school. Like Liu Huan, she had entered the Sixth Stage at Lu Chenzhou's age, broken through to the Seventh Stage in Grade Two, reached the peak of the Seventh Stage in Grade Three, smoothly passed the college entrance exams into Dragon City University of Martial Arts, and entered the Eighth Stage in her first year.

In the Upper Three Stages, every single step was exceedingly difficult.

That was why breakthroughs took longer and longer.

Huo Tianyu was known in class as the "Tiger-Toothed Girl."

Whenever martial arts came up, Tiger-Toothed Girl could talk without stopping.

"Chenzhou, do you practice Swallow Return Fist?"

Lu Chenzhou shook his head.

"I practice Black Tiger Fist."

"Huh? Isn't Bright-Winged Swallow good at Swallow Form Fist?"

Lu Chenzhou roughly explained his circumstances to her. When she heard that he had only begun systematically learning fist techniques last year, surprise flickered in her eyes.

The other students gathered around as well.

"Amazing, Chenzhou. You broke through three stages in half a year!"

Liu Huan's praise came from the heart. Though he was already at the Sixth Stage, he had actually entered the ranks back in his first year of middle school. He did not have Martial Artist parents; he was simply talented, and his family was wealthy enough to provide martial arts supplements from a young age. His breakthroughs before the Sixth Stage had been swift and fierce. Then he had remained stuck at the Sixth Stage for a long time. To reach the Seventh Stage, he would likely need until Grade Two or even Grade Three. With bad luck, he might not break through until university.

Chen Yusheng, who also possessed low-grade bones, gnawed on a chicken leg and said:

"For those who gain enlightenment, the first three stages are the fastest to break through. I only entered the ranks a year ago and smoothly broke through three stages in a row, reaching the Fourth Stage... then I got stuck here and haven't moved since."

Zhang Sanshun was tall and lean, and he deeply agreed.

"Old Chen and I are both stuck at the Fourth Stage. Breaking through in the Anli Realm is too difficult. Still, it'll be enough if we reach the Fifth Stage before the college entrance exams and meet Dragon City University of Martial Arts' qualification line... Brother, we're not trying to discourage you. We're just sharing our experiences."

Lu Chenzhou smiled.

"Not at all. Thank you both for sharing your experience. No matter what the future brings, we just need to work hard. I hope all of us get into Dragon City University of Martial Arts."

Huo Tianyu said:

"Don't scare the newcomer. Junior brother, let me put it this way: there are fewer than a hundred people at our campus, but over 80% get into Dragon City University of Martial Arts. The rest can still be assigned to local prestigious schools like Pingjiang Martial University—they're fighting to take us."

The name of a top Wuda was just that useful!

The dining table was the easiest place to get acquainted.

Everyone chatted about everything under the sun.

The topic that never went away was each person's favorite Martial Artist.

The Azure Heaven Dragon King was, without question, voted first.

As for the Grade Two and Grade Three seniors, they were busy preparing for the martial arts college entrance exams. They rarely chatted during meals, and after eating, each went off to practice Heaven Stance and punch drills.

The martial arts atmosphere here was far too intense.

Still, there seemed to be an early romance in this class. Lu Chenzhou noticed that Huo Tianyu sat together with Vice Class Monitor Yuan Zhigang, and from time to time, they picked food for each other.

It was filled with the tender sweetness of adolescence.

The other students constantly teased them about it too.

"Ooh, ooh, ooh! You two, enough already!"

Liu Huan could not bear to watch anymore and could not help complaining.

"Hehe."

Yuan Zhigang smiled sheepishly.

Huo Tianyu, however, was entirely open about it.

"The discipline committee member hasn't said anything."

Ji Changkong coughed.

"Even if I did, you wouldn't listen... Besides, both your families have agreed, so we won't delay the marriage alliance between your two great lineages."

Hearing this, Lu Chenzhou roughly understood.

Huo Tianyu and Yuan Zhigang were most likely from martial arts aristocratic families. For a family to be called a true aristocratic lineage, it generally needed a Martial Dao Grandmaster of the Fourth Shackle Breakthrough in the present day.

Seeing that Lu Chenzhou still seemed to be guessing, Wen Tiange, the martial virtue committee member, said:

"You guessed right. The Huo Family of Cang City in the north, and Su City's local great family... the Yuan Family."

Lu Chenzhou suddenly understood.

Huo Tianyu and Yuan Zhigang coincidentally laughed at themselves. "Eat up. We're just minor characters in our families. The truly formidable geniuses of aristocratic families don't even attend high school. Their families arrange everything for them perfectly before sending them to top Wudas for further study. How are they like us two rookies, who still haven't reached the Huali Realm?"

"Damn... You count as rookies? Then what are we?"

"No, I'm just telling the truth."

Huo Tianyu sounded helpless, and her expression seemed somewhat dim.

Lu Chenzhou knew that martial arts aristocratic families were fiercely competitive as well. They had to prioritize their resources for the most exceptional geniuses, ensuring that every generation produced Martial Dao Grandmasters.

Ordinary disciples of aristocratic families truly were not as glamorous as they appeared from the outside.

Of course, they still crushed 99.9% of people.

"Enough, eat. Once we're here, we're classmates!"

Seeing that the two aristocratic family disciples did not wish to discuss the matter, Liu Huan promptly changed the subject. After dinner, everyone rested briefly before heading to the outdoor training ground.

Every kind of cultivation facility was available here.

In a martial arts class, the curriculum naturally focused on fist training. Course selection was often related to the Wuda each student aimed for. Class One of Grade One had two main courses:

First, Dragon-Tiger Heaven Stance, which was foundational training.

Second, ordinary martial arts of the Form Imitation lineage.

So-called "Form Imitation" was exactly what its name implied: training the human body by imitating the strengths and forms of various animals, displaying the arts of combat. It could be called one of the most important components of Great Xia martial arts. It later evolved into numerous schools and influenced all major fist styles.

The leader of Form-Emulation Fist was Dragon City University of Martial Arts.

Form-Emulation Fist was like the trunk of a great tree. Depending on the imitated form, it could be subdivided into hundreds of schools. The Black Tiger Fist Lu Chenzhou practiced was Tiger Form, Swallow Return Fist was Swallow Form, White Ape Fist was Ape Form, and so on.

The Yuan Family of Su City, to which Yuan Zhigang belonged, specialized in Ape Form.

The Yuan Family had deep roots in Pingjiang Martial University and was closely bound to it.

Through their conversation, Lu Chenzhou also learned that Shi Ruyu's teacher at Pingjiang Martial University was Yuan Zhigang's father, Sky-Surging Ape Yuan Tianqi, a Second Shackle Breakthrough practitioner.

Before long.

A male teacher standing one meter seventy-five tall arrived.

His gaze was deep, and he radiated the might of a tiger.

"Everyone's here. The school has previously taught four Form Imitation martial arts: Spirit Monkey Fist, Mantis Fist, Water Serpent Hand, Black Tiger Fist, and so on. Choose one based on what you excel at and specialize in it. There's no need to learn them all—bite off more than you can chew, and you'll choke. What I'll teach next are the corresponding movement skills for these fist techniques.

"I know some of you come from martial arts aristocratic families, while some of your families run martial arts academies. You've all had more or less exposure to movement-skill martial arts. No matter where you come from, in my class, you will follow me and learn seriously. Don't try to play clever tricks.

"Today, I'll first teach Mountain-Crossing Body. This is the movement skill paired with Black Tiger Fist. Students who primarily practice Black Tiger Fist, pay attention. If you don't understand something, come ask me."

The teacher was extremely stern, his authority apparent even without anger.

Lu Chenzhou had asked the class monitor about him beforehand.

This was Winged Tiger Hong Fu, a First Shackle Breakthrough Martial Artist. What he excelled at most was Tiger Form Fist. A third-rate martial art like Black Tiger Fist had long since reached Perfection in his hands.

The students secretly called Hong Fu the Black Tiger Master.

That made Lu Chenzhou greatly anticipate the lesson.

He had originally planned to teach himself Mountain-Crossing Body, but now there was no need. With guidance from such a famous teacher, he was brimming with confidence for next month's Martial Arts Academy Exchange Tournament.

Winged Tiger asked:

"Who here specializes in Black Tiger Fist? Raise your hands!"

Including Lu Chenzhou, twelve people in the class practiced it. Tiger Form and Dragon Form were considered the two most popular major schools of the Form Imitation lineage. Dragon Tiger was also synonymous with power.

Black Tiger Fist was fierce, forceful, and ruthless, making it most suitable for fighting enemies to the death.

Please vote, follow, and recommend.