Eighteen Falls Upon Touching

"Since neither of you is saying anything, I've thought of a good solution."

After Principal Han finished entering Qin Fen and Shi Jian's information, he spoke.

"What solution?"

Zhou Wu and Liu Sheng both looked toward the principal.

Naturally, both of them wanted to teach Martial Arts Class A.

But they could not make it too obvious on the surface. Instead, both wore calm expressions, unruffled by the waves.

"There are still twenty-six days until the new students complete their Class Division into literary and martial arts tracks. Twenty-six days from now, let Qin Fen and Shi Jian have a match." Principal Han said, "If Qin Fen wins, Teacher Zhou will teach Martial Arts Class A. If Shi Jian wins, then Teacher Liu, you will teach Martial Arts Class A. What do you think?"

"That's a good solution. I have no objection."

Zhou Wu considered it for a moment, then quickly agreed.

He knew very well that Qin Fen had not undergone a second transmission of strength. Instead, he had developed his own strength after the first transmission. Qin Fen's martial arts talent was certainly higher than Shi Jian's.

With twenty-six days and his careful instruction, it would not be difficult for Qin Fen to defeat Shi Jian.

Therefore, Zhou Wu did not object to Principal Han's proposal.

"I have no objection either."

Since Zhou Wu had agreed, Liu Sheng could only accept as well.

Besides, he could not think of any better solution.

In Liu Sheng's mind, both Qin Fen and Shi Jian had developed strength through a second transmission of strength. Their talents and aptitudes were evenly matched, and the odds of victory in the match twenty-six days later were fifty-fifty.

It would depend on the teaching ability of himself and Zhou Wu.

Whichever of Qin Fen and Shi Jian won would represent that the martial arts teacher behind him had superior teaching ability.

"Good. Since neither of you has any objection, then it's settled."

Principal Han nodded and settled the matter with one decisive word.

Martial Arts Hall.

An empty training room.

Zhou Wu and Qin Fen pushed open the door and walked in.

"Qin Fen, you heard it in the principal's office just now. In twenty-six days, you'll be competing against Shi Jian." Zhou Wu said, "This victory or defeat is of little consequence to you. It is only one win or loss. But for me, it concerns whether I can teach Martial Arts Class A."

"Rest assured, Teacher. I will certainly give it my all."

Qin Fen stood straight and tall, speaking loudly.

Though they had only known each other for a few days, Qin Fen and Zhou Wu had already become fairly familiar. Moreover, with twenty-six days remaining before the literary and martial arts Class Division, Qin Fen would certainly consult Teacher Zhou about martial arts matters.

Therefore, Qin Fen also hoped that Zhou Wu would remain his martial arts teacher.

Different martial arts teachers had somewhat different teaching styles. Changing teachers midway would more or less affect a student, so naturally it was best not to change unless necessary.

Unless the difference in strength between the martial arts teachers was vast—one at the Fifth Realm of Jin Li and the other at the Sixth Realm of Jing Li—then most students would choose the teacher at the Sixth Realm of Jing Li.

If the teachers' strength was about the same, one would naturally choose the teacher one was familiar with.

"Good. Then next, I'll teach you a martial art for actual combat, to deal with the match twenty-six days from now."

Zhou Wu nodded.

"A martial art for actual combat."

Excitement and anticipation appeared in Qin Fen's eyes.

Galloping Horse Strength was merely a foundational external training martial art. Its main purpose was to increase strength and consolidate one's force; it had no combat techniques.

Even without combat techniques, once one had cultivated strength, one could still deal with more than a dozen burly men with one's powerful physical constitution. But if one learned martial arts meant for actual combat, one's fighting power could rise by a great margin.

He had thought he would have to wait until the formal Class Division into literary and martial arts tracks before he could learn combat martial arts.

But because he would be competing with Shi Jian in twenty-six days, Teacher Zhou was indeed giving him special instruction.

"Martial arts under heaven are divided into nine grades and three tiers. Grades one through three are lower-tier, grades four through six are middle-tier, and grades seven through nine are upper-tier. Galloping Horse Strength is a foundational external training martial art and does not enter the grades. The Quasi-Martial Artists of the Six Realms of Strength all cultivate lower-tier martial arts. Only Martial Artists who have opened the Mysterious Gate Aperture and nurtured Internal Family True Qi cultivate middle-tier and upper-tier martial arts." Zhou Wu said, "What I'm going to teach you now is a Lower First Grade Martial Art: Eighteen Falls Upon Touching."

Qin Fen nodded repeatedly.

He was not disappointed merely because it was a Lower First Grade Martial Art.

He understood that rice had to be eaten one bite at a time. He had to keep his feet on solid ground and advance step by step. Besides, for someone like him, who was only at the First Realm of Jing Li, a Lower First Grade Martial Art was already quite good. After all, even Quasi-Martial Artists of the Six Realms of Strength only cultivated lower-tier martial arts.

"Martial arts may be strong or weak, but the most important thing is still the cultivator himself." Zhou Wu said, "In the hands of a true powerhouse, even an ordinary Lower First Grade Martial Art can possess astonishing killing power. The stronger the cultivator himself, the greater the power of the martial art he unleashes."

Qin Fen understood this principle.

If someone at the First Realm of Jing Li faced someone at the Sixth Realm of Jing Li, the latter would not need to use any martial art at all. One punch or palm strike would easily knock the former down. No matter whether a Quasi-Martial Artist at the First Realm of Jing Li cultivated lower-tier or middle-tier martial arts, it would be of no use.

Therefore, for cultivators, under the condition of laying a solid foundation, increasing one's realm always came first.

But in a battle between people of the same realm, the strength or weakness of their martial arts played a decisive role.

Zhou Wu extended a hand and crooked his fingers at Qin Fen. "Attack me with your greatest strength and fastest speed."

"Alright."

Qin Fen circulated his strength into his legs, burst forth at his fastest speed, and threw a punch at Zhou Wu's chest.

Facing Qin Fen's full-force strike, Zhou Wu extended his arm in an arc, sinking to hook the elbow of Qin Fen's attacking arm. Then he spun, swung the back of his palm at Qin Fen's right side, and stepped forward with his right foot.

Zhou Wu leaned his entire body forward, joined the force above and below, and shoved Qin Fen away in one motion.

Qin Fen flew two or three meters and landed on the ground flat on his backside.

"The essence of Eighteen Falls Upon Touching is using four ounces to shift a thousand pounds. Its general formula has thirty-six characters in all: withdraw the body and change the shadow, ride the momentum and borrow force, shed and transform while shifting form, draw in and leave empty, evade the edge and hide the sharpness, dodge and turn while walking and transforming, strike straight with the slant, break straight with the horizontal, use skill to overcome clumsiness." Zhou Wu said, "In actual combat and killing, you must seize openings and flaws that vanish in an instant, pull, press, lock, and lean; strike and neutralize together; release force and send the enemy tumbling. If I had added even a little more force just now, or used my strength, you would not merely have flown two or three meters. You would have flown more than ten meters, and if I secretly sent my strength into your body, every bone in your body would have fallen apart.

Eighteen Falls Upon Touching is called Eighteen Falls because it has eighteen falling techniques. What I used just now was the first falling technique, Oblique Step Single Whip. When an enemy strikes at my chest or throat with a fist, I swiftly extend my arm, bend it into an arc, and sink to hook the bend of the enemy's attacking elbow. With one shake, I turn. Then I swing back with the back of my palm and forearm, striking the enemy's right side and whipping toward the neck.

At the same time, my right foot presses forward from below against the outside of his left foot. Joining the force above and below, I send the enemy tumbling backward.

The key lies in hooking the enemy's elbow in time, and in releasing force simultaneously above and below in Oblique Step Single Whip."