In a corner of the Training Ground, five second-year students and Zhao Rui, a first-year student, stood in a line with their hands clasped behind their backs, listening attentively to Assistant Coach Zeng Hongyi's instructions.
The Martial Arts Team had three assistant coaches. They had previously accompanied the official team members out of town for a competition.
Now that they had returned, they naturally took over training the younger team members.
Wang Zhanshan was the second head coach, and in practice, the head coach. He focused more on the Martial Arts Team's main responsibilities.
At the last martial arts competition, Elder Ge had gone to visit a friend, so Wang Zhanshan had led the team to compete, leaving Wang Zhanshan behind.
"People who practice their fists without putting in the work will never master them; people who put in the work without practicing their fists will never bring them to life. Training on paper is ultimately an empty exercise... Real combat is the only way to test your cultivation..."
Zeng Hongyi was just as his name suggested: upright and proper. He liked to teach patiently and win people over with words.
But to this group of second-year students, he was honestly a bit long-winded. Who didn't understand these big principles?
After talking himself hoarse for over ten minutes, Coach Zeng had everyone begin practical sparring.
Zhao Rui and Zhang Kui had to take turns sparring with the four second-year students present, with each bout lasting no more than ten minutes.
During each bout, the others had to watch from the sidelines, identify both fighters' strengths and weaknesses, then relate what they saw to themselves and review what they had learned.
"Zhang Kui, you'd better go easy on me later!"
A second-year student raised an eyebrow and spoke to Zhang Kui beside him with a mocking lilt.
They were both second-years and had originally joined the Martial Arts Team together. But Zhang Kui had now become a sparring partner, so the speaker naturally felt a little superior.
Zhang Kui said nothing, but his face gradually flushed red, showing that he wasn't nearly as calm as he looked.
"Brother Zhang, let me go first. You can take a break!"
Zhao Rui had heard their exchange, so he hurriedly spoke up.
Zhang Kui was just about to refuse, but when he saw the unwavering look in Zhao Rui's eyes, he changed his mind. "All right!"
"Oh, it's just practice, not a competition. What are you, shy? Right, I forgot this is your first time being a sparring partner."
The young man's lips curled in a sneer. He was clearly trying to provoke Zhang Kui into sparring with him.
Zhang Kui remained silent.
"All right, let's begin. Cao Guannan, who from the Sparring Partner Group will take you on?"
A moment later, Coach Zeng, having finished setting up the sparring assessment equipment nearby, checked the time and asked.
"Coach, I'll do it!"
Zhao Rui hurried forward to volunteer, afraid Zhang Kui might change his mind.
Seeing that it wasn't Zhang Kui who stepped up, Cao Guannan, who had been taunting him the whole time, shot Zhang Kui a sidelong glance, then shook his head scornfully.
"Please guide me, senior."
On the sparring platform, after they exchanged the customary bows, Cao Guannan crossed his hands and stepped into position. He lowered his stance and assumed the opening posture of Prajna Palm, his eyes fixed on Zhao Rui.
"Please guide me, senior."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Cao Guannan struck like a hare bursting from its burrow, his palm shooting toward a vital point on Zhao Rui's chest.
Zhao Rui had kept his shoulders lowered and his body bent, ready for an attack. Now that his opponent charged, he quickly stepped back and slapped out with his palm, using Prajna Palm as well.
Their palms collided. Both bodies jolted, and each recognized that the other's palm strength was no pushover.
But Cao Guannan wasn't alarmed. Instead, delight spread across his face.
He'd heard that this year's first-years included several young prodigies already at Level Seven or Eight, their strength on par with second- and third-years.
He'd assumed Zhao Rui, this sudden newcomer from the first year, was one of them.
After that first exchange, he realized that although Zhao Rui's skill was impressive, he was still a hair behind Cao Guannan. He clearly wasn't some martial arts prodigy.
Cao Guannan's confidence soared. He launched into a fluid sequence of Prajna Palm, every move aimed at Zhao Rui's vital points.
Seeing his opponent attack so fiercely, Zhao Rui relied on Prajna Palm's blend of feints and real strikes to hold him off for a few moves, then hurriedly switched to Cloud Hand Plucks Stars to withstand his endless lethal attacks.
He hadn't been learning Prajna Palm for long, after all. He was nowhere near being able to use it with ease.
"Not bad, junior, but you're a little slow. Pick up the pace!"
Cao Guannan shouted as he attacked, growing more and more arrogant.
Martial artists came in all sorts. Some were reserved, while others were as brash as him.
You couldn't call the latter stupid or say they didn't know how to hide their strengths. The martial arts path placed even greater importance on cultivating the heart. Only when one's martial arts and inner self were in harmony could one unleash their full power.
That was the honest reflection of his state of mind when facing an enemy.
Strength came from the heart; energy came from the mind!
Only then could one unite intent and technique!
Zhao Rui ignored Cao Guannan's taunts and continued to struggle against the palm strikes pouring down on him like a violent storm.
He retreated while leaping and vaulting around the training area, evading his opponent's lethal moves.
"Prajna Palm copying progress: 5%... 6%..."
Watching Cao Guannan attack with such enthusiasm, Zhao Rui really wanted to say, "Keep it up, senior!"
In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged nearly fifty blows. Cao Guannan had struck Zhao Rui several times, but Zhao Rui had avoided the vital points, so the hits were nothing serious.
Seeing that he still couldn't break through after a prolonged assault, Cao Guannan's expression darkened. A flash of viciousness passed through his eyes.
His body had been moving forward with each palm strike, but suddenly he planted a foot on the ground and sprang into the air. He twisted midair, then braced one hand on the ground and swung both legs out in a powerful side kick.
That move was completely outside the bounds of Prajna Palm.
A glint flashed in Zhao Rui's eyes. He pressed down with Plowing Hand to block the side kick, then assumed the Two-Character Goat-Clamping Stance. He borrowed the force of the kick and redirected it, neutralizing the surprise attack.
"Beep!"
"Cao Guannan, foul!"
Zeng Hongyi, watching from the side, immediately blew his whistle and stopped the match.
"Sorry, Coach Cao. I lost control for a moment."
Cao Guannan quickly put on an expression of someone who'd made an honest mistake, lowered his head, and apologized to Cao Hongyi.
"Lost control? Go down and practice Prajna Palm ten more times!"
Zeng Hongyi wasn't stupid. He immediately scolded Cao Guannan and ordered him off the platform.
On the platform, Zhao Rui quietly suppressed the slight trembling in his arms, then jumped down as well.
That guy's kick was unbelievably fierce. Even with fifteen years of skill, Zhao Rui had struggled to block it.
"Great Vajra Leg. I want it!"
Once he was off the platform, Zhao Rui regulated his breathing and checked his system panel.
Prajna Palm progress: 8%. He'd just clicked on Great Vajra Leg, and its progress was at zero.
Not bad for a haul. But fully learning Great Vajra Leg might take some time and a bit of luck.
"Zhao Rui, you did well. Your ability to adapt stood out, and your transitions between moves were fluid..."
"Cao Guannan, is your Prajna Palm so well-practiced now? What, has your teacher run out of things to teach you?"
Zeng Hongyi's expression darkened as he scolded Cao Guannan, who was practicing Prajna Palm by the sidelines.
"Coach, I was wrong!"
Cao Guannan ended his practice, stood at attention, and admitted his mistake with his head bowed.
"There's nothing wrong with being competitive. If you brought that attitude into a real competition, I'd actually be pleased."
Zeng Hongyi gave him a couple more words of reprimand, then signaled for the next pair to continue.
This time, a young woman stepped onto the platform. Her name was Qin Rui. She was petite and wore a purple Martial Arts Uniform, with a long braid resting over her slender right shoulder.
"Coach, I want to spar with him! He knows Wing Chun!"
Before she even stepped onto the platform, Qin Rui pointed at Zhao Rui and spoke up.
Only then did Zeng Hongyi realize what she meant. He quickly nodded. "Zhao Rui, sorry to put you through it again."
Zhao Rui was baffled. What was the big deal about Wing Chun?
Was there some kind of trick to it?
But since Coach Zeng had asked, he had no reason to refuse. Besides, being a sparring partner was his whole purpose here.
He opened the padded barrier, ducked into the ring, and stood face-to-face with the young woman. He clasped his hands slightly. "Hello, senior."
"Hehe, just use Wing Chun, okay? Don't use anything else."
The young woman smiled, her fair cheeks showing two tiny dimples. She looked playful and adorable.
"Uh, all right, senior."
Zhao Rui bent his knees inward into a "clamped" stance, lowered his center of gravity, raised both fists in front of his chest along the centerline, and tucked his elbows in to protect his ribs.
The proper opening stance of Wing Chun: Two-Character Goat-Clamping Stance!
Qin Rui was delighted. She sprang forward and launched into Prajna Palm.
Zhao Rui met her moves, and the two immediately began exchanging blows.
"Prajna Palm progress: 10%, 15%..."
Zhao Rui fed his senior moves at an unhurried pace. By now, he'd figured it out.
Wing Chun Inquiry was a signature skill of the Emei Sect. Both men and women used it, but women practitioners were clearly more common.
Qin Rui had probably encountered a fighter who used Wing Chun at a competition before.
So in this senior's eyes, wasn't he the perfect sparring partner?
This exchange was different from his earlier bout with Cao Guannan. The previous fight had felt more like a brawl, but this one involved much more feeding moves.
Five minutes flew by.
Qin Rui was still eager for more. "I haven't used two of the variations yet. Let's go again later!"
Zhao Rui could only say that this request was exactly what he wanted!
"Qin Rui, your Prajna Palm has improved a little, but it's still not enough. You need to study it more diligently, until your intent reaches your strength and your strength follows your intent..."
"Zhao Rui, you did well. I only know a little about Wing Chun, but you handled her moves with excellent adaptability. It seems you've received the true teachings. Don't slack off from now on; keep practicing diligently!"
As usual, Zeng Hongyi gave his assessment of the two fighters. He also instructed the watching team members to study the match and consider how they would counter the other fighter's moves.
The rise of martial arts wasn't about a flood of secret manuals. It was about the flourishing exchange of martial arts.
Seeing Zhao Rui take his teacher's encouragement with a face as calm as still water, Zhang Kui couldn't help but reflect on himself.
Teacher Wang had told him to settle down and take some time to reflect. What did he need to reflect on?
Was it how to stay composed in the face of things, like Zhao Rui?
Or was it that he needed to stop getting carried away and showing off?
All sorts of thoughts surged through his mind.
Half an hour later, after the team members finished analyzing the two bouts, a new round of sparring began.
Zhao Rui had already fought two bouts in a row, so he naturally needed a rest. He wasn't tired, but the others thought he was.
Zhang Kui stopped him from heading back onto the platform. "I've got myself together. I'll go."
Seeing this, Zhao Rui had nothing to say. He could only watch helplessly as Zhang Kui stepped onto the platform.
There weren't any especially outstanding standouts among this year's second-years. When they first enrolled, the strongest had been Cao Guannan, at Level Seven.
After half a year of honing his skills, Cao Guannan had only just touched the threshold of Level Eight.
Zhang Kui was roughly on par with the other second-years, and perhaps even a little better.
That was why Coach Wang had asked him to serve as a sparring partner for a while: to temper his character.
Now that Zhao Rui was free, he sat quietly to one side and watched Zhang Kui spar with an older student on the platform.
Just then, a figure slipped up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Hey, junior, spar with me later!"
The speaker was a short-haired senior with a pixie cut and an androgynous style. Her mannerisms were rather boyish too.
"This..."
"I'll introduce you to a girlfriend later. They're all gorgeous!"
"Uh..."
"It's settled!"
After saying that, the young woman slipped back to her original seat.
A while later, when Zhang Kui's group had finished, the short-haired young woman leaped onto the platform and called to Zhao Rui, "Get up here!"
Zhao Rui glanced at Zhang Kui, then returned to the platform under Zhang Kui's astonished gaze.
"Please guide me, senior!"
"Don't worry, junior. I guarantee you'll be pleased!"
"..."
Did she have a quota to fill or something?
There was no more talk. They let their fists and feet do the talking.
Another bout of Wing Chun against Prajna Palm unfolded on the platform.
Zhao Rui's level was lower than theirs, but he had the advantage of a broad range of techniques and deep Internal Energy. He was outmatched, but not by much.
Since this wasn't a fight to the death, the two naturally traded moves back and forth.
"Prajna Palm progress: 25%!"
When the whistle sounded, Zhao Rui's Prajna Palm copying progress stopped at twenty-five percent.
"Li Xinran, you've improved..."
The short-haired young woman was named Li Xinran. It was a nice name, but it really didn't match the way she dressed.
Practical sparring usually involved two rounds each afternoon. After the first round, the coaches and team members analyzed the bouts, and then the coaches gave each team member one-on-one guidance.
The second round was mainly to test the results of their analysis and adjustments.
They would see what had improved and what problems remained, then go back and refine their practice.
After a brief break, the second round began as usual.
Because of Cao Guannan's "misconduct," Zhang Kui replaced him as a sparring partner.
The two had never gotten along. As they fought, their tempers nearly flared, and in the end, Zeng Hongyi kicked them both out of the training area and sent them outside to reflect.
That left Zhao Rui as the only sparring partner. He once again "got his wish" and fought for over half an hour.
His Prajna Palm progress rose straight to fifty percent!
After these two rounds, training was nearly over.
Zeng Hongyi was very pleased with Zhao Rui's performance that day. After training ended, he made a point of giving Zhao Rui his phone number.
He told Zhao Rui that if he had any questions about martial arts, he could get in touch anytime to discuss them.
After saying goodbye to Teacher Zeng, Zhao Rui packed up his backpack and turned to leave the Training Ground. The moment he stepped over the threshold, he heard Li Xinran's voice beside him.
"Junior Brother Zhao!"
"Senior Sister Li? Did you need something?"
Zhao Rui blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected Li Xinran to be waiting for him at the entrance.
"Of course! Didn't I say I'd introduce you to a girlfriend?"
Li Xinran tilted her head back with a dash of swagger, like the dashing Tiger of the Little Tigers from his previous life.
Seriously...
Le Bin and Li Xinran—you two should just switch bodies!
Zhao Rui grumbled to himself, then smiled and said, "Senior Sister, that was just a joke. If there's nothing else, I'll be off!"
With that, Zhao Rui started walking away.
But after just a couple of steps, Li Xinran grabbed him by the arm and said, "How could I be joking? What do you mean? I've already made plans."
"..."
"Um, I didn't bring any money!"
"My treat!"
"I have high standards!"
"No harm if you're not interested."
"Fine!"
Zhao Rui agreed readily. It was too good an opportunity to pass up. Even in the worst case, he'd get a free meal out of it.
When Li Xinran heard him agree, she laughed heartily, then casually draped an arm around his neck and gave him a manly squeeze. "Now that's more like it! Why are you being so fussy?"
Zhao Rui got goosebumps all over. He was genuinely worried this senior sister might be one of those... types!
"Senior Sister, let go first. I want to ask you something. Something serious."
Hearing that Zhao Rui had something serious to discuss, Li Xinran finally released him and looked at him briskly. "Go ahead. What is it?"
"Does the Martial Arts Team only learn Prajna Palm during the early stages?"
Zhao Rui asked.
"Not exactly, but you can't chew more than you can swallow, and Teacher Wang doesn't let everyone study too many things. Basically, once you're a junior, he stops keeping tabs on you. You can look through whatever books and video materials you want in the library."
"Oh! So do we only practice Prajna Palm against each other?"
"Not exactly. Our—uh, my year is relatively weak, and our foundations are a bit shallow, so we've focused mainly on Prajna Palm..."
After hearing Li Xinran's explanation, Zhao Rui finally understood.
The two chatted as they walked. About ten minutes later, they arrived beside a tower-shaped building around five stories tall.
"I arranged to meet her at the cafeteria!"
After saying that, Li Xinran climbed the steps and headed inside the tower-shaped building.
Zhao Rui looked up. "First Restaurant!"
It was the famous independent cafeteria of the Martial Arts Academy.
What a treat!
Zhao Rui hurried to catch up and followed her inside.
From outside, the cafeteria looked like a broad, somewhat squat tower, but its interior was remarkably modern.
It had the feel of a star-rated hotel.
The two followed a corridor and turned into the entrance of a spacious dining hall.
"Sichuan-Chongqing Flavor!"
A black plaque with gold lettering hung high above the entrance, bearing the four characters for Sichuan-Chongqing Flavor in ancient script!
"You can handle spicy food, right?"
"I'm all right."
"What man would say he can't?"
Li Xinran strode in first and surveyed the hall. She found a spot by the window and sat down.
"Wait a little. She hasn't arrived yet."
Li Xinran gestured for Zhao Rui not to rush.
"I'm not in a hurry!"
Zhao Rui smiled and glanced around the restaurant.
The sky was still bright. There weren't many Martial Arts Students to begin with, and even fewer students came to eat at this hour.
There were only three or four scattered tables of customers.
The two sat facing each other, making small talk. After a while, Li Xinran's phone rang.
Li Xinran ended the call and stood up. She looked around, then waved toward the entrance.
Zhao Rui followed her gaze and froze.
A petite young woman with bright eyes and pearly teeth stood at the entrance. A familiar long braid still fell diagonally over her shoulder.
Wasn't that Senior Sister Qin Rui?
Only now, Qin Rui had changed into a light, flowing satin-like dress, and she wore a faint touch of makeup.
"Heh, why let the fertile water flow into someone else's field?"
Seeing that Zhao Rui had spotted Qin Rui, Li Xinran wore a look of triumph, like her little scheme had worked.
Just then, Qin Rui had already walked over.
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