Luo Guanyun felt that even if Meng Chuan had pushed Guoyi Fist beyond its limits and cultivated it to the master realm, it could only prove the strength of his perseverance.
Besides, he had not broken through because he was exceptionally gifted, but because he had attained enlightenment amid a life-and-death crisis.
Meng Chuan still insisted, so Luo Guanyun could only continue explaining.
"Study other martial arts. Though your natural physique is ordinary, with your perseverance, you may still have hope of becoming a martial artist in this lifetime.
"If you learn my Thunder Method True Art, I might as well tell you plainly: even if you somehow manage to cultivate it, once the speed at which you break your limits fails to keep up with the Thunder Seed's growth, your fate can be summed up in one word—death!
"Give up these unrealistic fantasies. Think about your family."
In the end, Luo Guanyun still refused Meng Chuan. He had seen the other's diligence every day at the martial arts hall, and he greatly admired it.
But the path of martial arts was this cruel. If one's natural physique and talent were lacking, everything else was empty talk. Nothing anyone said would help.
"It's getting late. Go get some sleep first. Take the innermost room. I've already told your uncle about your situation. Once the police arrive tomorrow and the tests show there are no problems, they'll take you home."
Luo Guanyun gave Meng Chuan no chance to speak. With a one-handed beckoning gesture, he used the magnetic field generated by lightning True Qi to levitate Meng Chuan steadily into the room, even thoughtfully covering him with a blanket.
Lying in bed, Meng Chuan pondered Luo Guanyun's meaning. Thunder Method was difficult to cultivate. If one's talent was insufficient, cultivating it would be like burying a hidden disaster within the body.
But he had [One Proof Eternal Proof]. No matter how difficult a cultivation method was, as long as he persisted, he would definitely master it.
Moreover, he had the panel. He could obtain more traits related to comprehension, or traits capable of improving his natural physique. His cultivation speed would only grow faster and faster.
For instance, the fourth effect of the One Proof Eternal Proof trait had already enhanced his comprehension of Xingyi martial arts. Once his body recovered, he could practice and experience it for himself.
With that, Thunder Method was merely somewhat difficult for him at present, nowhere near impossible to cultivate.
What was more, True Technique-level martial arts could only be attempted at the peak of the Blood Qi Realm. By then, once all his traits had stacked together, learning it would surely be easy and enjoyable.
Having thought it through, Meng Chuan was no longer in a hurry. He already had a plan: once his body recovered, he would formally seek out Master Luo and become his disciple, using [One Proof Eternal Proof] as his calling card.
Besides, after what had happened tonight, if the hall master was surprised by the changes in his talent, he could simply attribute it to enlightenment at the brink of death.
With that thought, the night's experience had been too perilous. Meng Chuan's mind and body had both long since reached their limits, and he gradually fell asleep.
If someone entered at that moment, they would discover that every pore on Meng Chuan's body was secreting black matter. This black substance was the impurities within his body, being expelled outward under the influence of One Proof Eternal Proof.
In ancient times, people of the martial world called this phenomenon Marrow Cleansing.
Early the next morning, Meng Chuan slept exceptionally well. He was having a strange dream. In it, an elderly man who seemed to be Taishang Laojun, radiating Immortal Qi from head to toe, was scrubbing his back with a bath mitt and rubbing off grime all over his body...
The instant he opened his eyes, Meng Chuan caught a strange, foul stench and sprang up in fright.
"Fuck, don't tell me I crapped myself..."
Only after standing up did he discover that he was covered from head to toe in dark, sticky filth. It was all over the bed as well, and the mud-like substance gave off threads of foul odor.
Luo Guanyun was currently drinking tea in the living room with Police Chief Long Jiu from the previous night. Hearing movement from the room, he got up, walked over, and knocked on the door.
"The police are here. Once the testing is done, you can go home."
Through the door, Meng Chuan told Luo Guanyun that after sleeping through the night, he had woken to find himself inexplicably covered in black mud.
There was nothing to hide. He would just wash the sheets and bedding he had dirtied; there was no need to rack his brains trying to fool anyone. No matter how explosive Master Luo's temper was, he could not kill him over this.
Luo Guanyun pushed open the door and stared at the scene in astonishment. He neither blamed Meng Chuan for dirtying the room nor minded the pungent smell. He simply stood at the doorway, lost in thought.
"Go take a bath first. Come out once you're done, and we'll talk. Don't worry about the sheets; housekeeping will deal with them."
While bathing, Meng Chuan discovered that after washing away the black mud covering his body, he felt as though he had been reborn.
Even the few old scars left from his past boxing practice had vanished. He tried throwing a punch with force, and with a crack, a sharp explosive sound rang out in the air.
"I should have entered the first Qi-Blood Pass."
Through [One Proof Eternal Proof], he could clearly sense that the force transmitted through his arm just now was faster than when he had punched in the past. It was as though all his strength had struck a single point, more solid and no longer scattered.
Meng Chuan tried to catch the stream of water falling from the showerhead. The instant he fixed his eyes on the descending flow, he seized the timing and punched with force. When his fist struck the water stream, it directly exploded into splashing droplets instead of having his arm pass straight through it as before.
Power condensed at one point, erupting on the surface—this should be Ming Jin.
Ming Jin was a special technique of exerting force. It meant controlling one's strength, concentrating it at a single point, and striking directly, making the power solid rather than dispersed.
It was like standing a blue brick upright on a table and punching its upper half. The top half shattered into powder, while the lower half remained intact and did not move a hair. That was Ming Jin achieved.
Feeling his strength increase by a large margin, Meng Chuan was somewhat delighted. He threw punch after punch, making the splashing water snap and crackle, taking the chance to vent the bitterness he had endured for twelve years.
Soon, Meng Chuan calmed down again. [One Proof Eternal Proof] alone had brought him so many benefits. If he could grind every martial art in the world until it broke its limits, just what height would he reach?
A Martial God among men? A living god or Buddha? Could he completely drive out the Heavenly Demons?
Meng Chuan grew excited again and hurriedly turned the water to cold, calming his restless heart.
There was no use thinking too much. Unity of knowledge and action was the key. Since his body had fully recovered, he needed to hurry up and practice his fist techniques.
[No Heavenly Demon factor residue detected]
"All right, now you can go reunite with your family. Everything is fine. Young man, your body is in great shape."
Police Chief Long personally used the machine to test Meng Chuan. He also wanted to thank and commend him.
"On behalf of the Qindu District Police Department, I thank you for your contribution last night. If not for your delay, had the Heavenly Demon escaped again, I would have had no face to meet the people of this district."
Meng Chuan recognized him. He was the bald Police Chief who had berated him while he was waiting for the bus that day.
He did not claim credit. He had merely played a supporting role. It had all depended on Master Luo arriving and displaying his might; not only had he destroyed the Heavenly Demon, he had saved Meng Chuan as well.
"Being able to hold on until Master Luo arrived is already remarkable. If it had been me before entering the first pass, I'm afraid I wouldn't have lasted that long."
Meng Chuan still wanted to say something, but Long Jiu directly waved him off.
"No need to say more. Your uncle, Meng Yongzhi, is also a police officer, so you can be considered one of our own. Merit is merit. Excessive humility is pride in disguise."
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