The more Meng Chuan fought, the more exhilarating it became. The image of Teacher Luo elbowing a wooden post flashed through his mind, and inspiration struck.
Meng Chuan seemed to be enveloped in martial rhythm as he entered a strange state. Liu Ru gradually released her qi and blood, reaching the peak of the four-gate level before she could just barely withstand his torrential onslaught.
Here it comes!
Meng Chuan suddenly leaped into the air, changing his fist into a chopping palm as he swooped down on Instructor Liu Ru.
Liu Ru's feet seemed to drift as she slid onto another wooden post. Meng Chuan's vertical palm slammed hard into the post she had just stood on.
As he exerted his strength and channeled his force, his whole body shuddered, and the qi and blood within him surged into motion.
In an instant, a hidden power inside him burst forth through his palm!
Crack!
A sharp, splitting sound rang out from the wooden post. A crack stretched from its top all the way down to its base.
His strength still fell far short of Teacher Luo's, so Meng Chuan hadn't managed to smash the post to pieces.
At that moment, the side of his palm, which he'd used like a blade, had turned red from the force of the post's rebound.
But he didn't feel the slightest pain. Instead, his face lit up with excitement.
"Dark Jin. I did it!"
"That strike just now burst forth through resonance inside my body and the push of a massive amount of qi and blood."
This was Dark Jin.
The reason intermediate-level Martial Practitioners could crush low-level ones wasn't mainly their additional qi and blood. It was Dark Jin's devastating ability to destroy from within!
Meng Chuan pressed on while the iron was hot, searching again for the feeling he'd just found.
In an instant, Ming Jin and Dark Jin burst forth in alternation. The two forces took turns, striking again and again at the same wooden post.
With the chopping palm he'd landed just before, cracks had already appeared in the post.
After a few more punches, he smashed it into pieces!
Seeing this, Liu Ru cupped her hands in congratulations.
"Congratulations, Xiao Meng. You've mastered Dark Jin."
"Thanks, Sister Ru."
Liu Ru waved a hand, then stepped back without saying anything more.
The wooden posts in the martial arts school all belonged to Teacher Luo, so Meng Chuan decided not to damage any more of them.
Instead, he stood to one side, punching the air as he practiced [Luo Family Baji], continuing to feel out how to exert Dark Jin.
More than an hour passed, and Meng Chuan was still practicing over and over without showing any signs of fatigue.
He grew increasingly skilled at unleashing Dark Jin, and the proficiency of Luo Family Baji in his mind kept ticking upward from time to time.
Liu Ru stood nearby, sneaking glances at Meng Chuan as he practiced his punches. She buried her feelings deep inside, making sure no one could see them.
Whether or not she could one day become Master Luo's personal disciple,
none of the rights or wrongs had anything to do with Meng Chuan. Liu Ru gradually began to admire him.
The winter sun sank quickly, and dusk fell.
After giving Fang Jianxing a few more pointers, Meng Chuan heard him say goodbye.
"Xiao Meng, I've practiced enough for today. My legs are killing me, haha."
"Brother Fang, you're a bit out of shape. You should spend more time on your feet at work."
Fang Jianxing smiled helplessly.
"Ah, there's nothing I can do. I have to work hard for all of humanity, after all."
Meng Chuan clasped his hands and said with a smile,
"Brother Fang, your dedication is admirable!"
"Then I'll head off. There's work waiting for me in the lab."
"I'll walk you out."
The two stood at the martial arts school's entrance. Fang Jianxing asked casually,
"Who was that girl you were sparring with just now? She seemed even stronger than you, but she looked like she had a lot on her mind."
Meng Chuan explained,
"She's an instructor at our school, so of course she's stronger than me. But she's been preparing for the martial arts school competition lately, so she's probably under a lot of pressure."
Liu Ru had hidden her emotions so well that Meng Chuan hadn't noticed anything amiss from her expression.
"I see. All right, never mind."
Fang Jianxing seemed to think of something and added,
"I know a bit about psychology. I can pick up on certain emotions."
Meng Chuan nodded.
On the way, Meng Chuan told Fang Jianxing some things to keep in mind when practicing the stance alone.
When their car arrived, Fang Jianxing clasped his hands in farewell.
"See you next time, Xiao Meng!"
"Bye, Brother Fang."
Meng Chuan turned and headed back into the martial arts school. Just as he stepped through the entrance, a cool sensation suddenly stirred behind his head. It was Luo Family Baji's warning-from-all-directions technique.
He raised his arm and struck backward with his elbow. Wang Yue went flying.
"Holy shit! Do you have eyes in the back of your head?"
Meng Chuan folded his arms across his chest.
"With skills like yours, you thought you could sneak up on me?"
"Little did you know, the gulf between us has only gotten wider."
Wang Yue struggled to his feet and let out a mournful howl.
"Damn it!!!"
Teacher Luo had told him in advance that he'd be busy tonight, so Meng Chuan went straight home after leaving the martial arts school.
Late that night, Meng Chuan's legs trembled like a sieve in his bedroom, sweat dripping from his head onto the floor.
He didn't have the strength to wipe it away. His stamina was already near its limit.
Whoosh!
Meng Chuan collapsed onto the bed.
After a full five hours, his Sancai Stance had made another major breakthrough.
[Taiyi Three Talents Stance: Human Stance (47%) → (48%) Pending limit break]
He'd held the stance for five whole hours. Every session challenged the limits of the human body.
How arduous the path of the Martial Dao was!
The fifteenth had just passed, and Meng Chuan was practicing his punches on the rooftop as usual when Teacher Luo called with good news.
"Good news, Meng Chuan. The review of your Guoyi Fist improvements has passed."
Meng Chuan's heart suddenly tightened when he heard that, and he felt a little excited.
He was usually steady, but this news was just too good.
"Really, Teacher Luo? What should I do now?"
"Come over first. I'll explain when you get here!"
"Okay."
Meng Chuan went downstairs and said goodbye to his uncle before heading out.
"Off to the martial arts school again, Chuan'er? Remember to balance work and rest."
Meng Chuan smiled.
"I'm not going to practice. There's news about the Guoyi Fist improvements, so I'm going to see my teacher."
At the news, Meng Yongzhi sprang up from the sofa.
"Great, hahaha! I knew you could do it!"
"Go on, then. Remember to bring the certificate back!"
At Luo Guanyun's home.
"After discussion, the Research and Judgment Group initially deemed the changes reasonable. Next, they'll conduct a small-scale pilot observation of the Guoyi Fist you improved."
"Have Meng Chuan come over this afternoon. There's an important person who wants to meet him."
Bai Junfeng's voice came from the other end of the phone. Listening nearby, Meng Chuan couldn't help feeling delighted.
Luo Guanyun laughed heartily beside him.
"Hahaha! I knew my disciple would make it!"
"Old Bai, who's this important person you mentioned?"
Bai Junfeng paused briefly, then spoke.
"The person who revised the previous version of the Guoyi Fist, honorary president of the Martial Artist Association, and a Sixth Great Limit Heavenly King-level martial artist."
"Shenji Baibian Zhao Yingchun."
"Holy shit!"
Luo Guanyun fell silent, stunned to the core.
He'd prepared himself for anything, but he'd never imagined that the important person Bai Junfeng had mentioned would be Zhao Yingchun, Heavenly King Zhao.
Shenji Baibian Zhao Yingchun was a living fossil of Great Chu, having lived nearly five hundred years. Over the course of his life, he had revised the Guoyi Fist several times, determined to improve the physical fitness of Great Chu's citizens from the very foundation.
He was also one of the founding members of the first Martial Artist Association. Alongside Taizu, he had helped bring the association onto the historical stage, making him a pioneer of Great Chu's martial arts era.
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