Limitation

Fist Manor Courtyard.

Xu Chang, tasked with instructing the newly accepted disciples in Stance Skill, paced slowly through the outer grounds with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze occasionally sweeping over the disciples sweating profusely within the manor.

"Tuck your shoulders and elbows inward, strike fast."

Frowning, he halted Wan Qing's movements, guiding the other's wrist with his hand to execute a relatively standard set of motions.

"Continue!"

"Thank you, Senior Brother."

Wan Qing's face flushed bright red, beads of sweat the size of beans sliding down his temples—whether from nervousness or exhaustion, it was unclear.

There was no helping it. Throughout the entire morning, most had already grasped the essentials of the first few postures, rarely needing Xu Chang's personal correction. For him to still be making mistakes at this point was clearly a sign of falling behind.

Watching Wan Qing's slightly trembling muscles, Xu Chang gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head.

This was why martial arts practice demanded good aptitude and Bone structure.

Look at those talented disciples—many simple movements and breathing techniques could be mastered after just two or three demonstrations.

But some people couldn't see through the essentials, and even their Bones and joints were far from smooth in executing certain moves.

Once or twice might be chalked up to unfamiliarity with first contact, but after dozens of corrections over an entire morning, with frequent errors and no progress in either breath or motion—this was the limitation of Bone structure.

After watching a while longer, noticing that Wan Qing still couldn't grasp certain postures and movements, Xu Chang furrowed his brow.

"Take a rest!"

Hearing this, Wan Qing, who had long been unable to hold on, collapsed instantly to the ground.

His sweat-soaked cloth shirt stuck to the dust on the floor, making him look both disheveled and grimy.

His chest heaved violently, his face pale, but Wan Qing no longer cared about any of that.

He had truly reached his limit.

"..."

Xu Chang turned to the others.

His gaze swept past Shi Zhong and the rest one by one, lingering deliberately on Shi Zhong.

The sixteen-year-old youth already stood over 1.8 meters tall, his frame fully developed. Standing there, he was even taller and sturdier than Xu Chang himself.

Seeing Shi Zhong throw a punch, with sweat vapor forming a mist around his body, Xu Chang nodded inwardly.

"Not bad. Though his Bone structure isn't anything special, his Qi and Blood and physical capital are the best among this group."

He silently took note of the tall, robust Shi Zhong.

Xu Chang's expression remained unchanged as he continued pacing calmly across the grounds, occasionally correcting disciples who made mistakes.

Compared to Wan Qing, who frequently erred and had disordered breathing, the others performed mostly adequately—at least not that poorly, making corrections easier.

Soon, Xu Chang casually arrived at a corner of the Staking Ground.

"Oh?"

The figure that caught his eye was practicing earnestly, each move deliberate. Interestingly, though the motions seemed unfamiliar, each one was more precise than the last.

"Lin Yin..."

Because of yesterday's incident, Xu Chang had a strong impression of Lin Yin—extremely diligent, but with poor Bone structure and Qi and Blood foundation.

Yet now, seeing Lin Yin again, a flicker of barely noticeable surprise passed through Xu Chang's eyes.

It wasn't that Lin Yin's Stance Skill performance was particularly outstanding, but rather his current state—compared to the sweat-drenched Shi Zhong and the others—was simply too "good."

A fine sheen of sweat beaded on his forehead, his eyes gleamed with sharp brilliance, and every movement exuded an air of... calm composure!

After watching for a while...

Xu Chang grew more and more astonished.

He realized the youth before him had basically mastered all the postures and techniques he had taught that morning.

That was no small feat. These movements had to match the mobilization of Qi and Blood; even a simple straight punch required mental effort.

Yet despite such complex and tricky Qi and Blood Circulation, the youth before him breathed evenly, his movements flawless...

If you can't find the book by its title, try searching by the author—maybe it just changed names!

This was somewhat unbelievable.

Just moments ago, he had noted that Shi Zhong, who possessed the most robust foundational Qi and Blood, was already experiencing muscle spasms and labored breathing.

The youth before him was thin and frail, clearly inferior in Qi and Blood, yet showed no signs of such exhaustion at all.

Xu Chang abruptly stopped in his tracks, carefully observing the youth's movements.

After confirming that both the motions and breathing were correct, he was left utterly bewildered.

"What's going on... Is he actually training, or not?"

The thought even popped into his mind.

He quietly came up behind the youth, reached out, and clamped down on the fist the boy had thrown.

Fist met palm.

Xu Chang stood rooted to the ground like a nail, his form utterly still, while Lin Yin swayed slightly.

"Your stake is weak. Your physical foundation really isn't good—your strength is hollow."

Disappointment flickered in Xu Chang's eyes as he released Lin Yin's hand.

"Not bad. Your movement essentials are the most standard among this group. From now on, you'll guide Shi Zhong and the others."

"Yes, Senior Brother."

Lin Yin wiped the sweat from his brow and cupped his fists in acknowledgment.

Xu Chang stepped forward and patted Lin Yin on the shoulder.

"As repayment, from today on, you can take three extra steamed buns and two stuffed buns each day."

The voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz, but it made Lin Yin's eyes light up.

"Yes, Senior Brother!"

Compared to before, Lin Yin's voice this time was noticeably firmer.

Xu Chang nodded with satisfaction, then walked straight out of the courtyard.

Teaching Lin Yin and the others was a task he'd taken on, but he had his own matters to attend to. After all, most people came to this Fist Manor to improve, and he was no exception.

"What a pity..."

Thinking back to the force behind Lin Yin's punch just now, Xu Chang couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

He felt that Lin Yin might have high comprehension when it came to practicing techniques, but the deficiencies in his bone structure and Qi and Blood were all too obvious.

This was a major hindrance in the early stages of martial arts practice.

Perhaps Lin Yin would perform well in the beginning, but later on, when he reached the Condensing Strength stage, the gap between him and those with abundant Qi and Blood—like Shi Zhong and the others—would only grow wider.

On the other side.

Lin Yin was still going through the basic stake postures Xu Chang had taught him, rigid and methodical. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the complicated expressions on Shi Zhong and the others not far away.

Xu Chang's meaning had been direct just now. How could they not understand that Lin Yin had already stood out in stake work? Naturally, their moods were mixed now.

Lin Yin paid no attention to what they were thinking. He secretly glanced at the courtyard entrance.

Only after confirming that Xu Chang had truly left did his seemingly relaxed muscles suddenly tense. He threw a punch, and the sweat vapor clinging to his skin burst forth like a spray of mist.

The early morning light was especially bright, casting a strangely beautiful glow through the faint haze.

At that moment, Lin Yin's aura surged sharply upward, surpassing even the much larger Shi Zhong by several levels.

[Heaven rewards diligence, will achieve something]

[Vajra Stake Technique: Beginner (89/100)]

"Almost... almost there!"

A glint of gold seemed to flash in his eyes. Lin Yin's previously rigid and methodical movements had undergone a complete transformation.

His punches came faster, the transitions between actions instantly smooth, and even the swing of his fists and kicks carried a new weight and power.

Now that the one who knew what he was doing had left, it was time to start training for real!

Dual Techniques, practiced together!