Watching from the Shadows

"Then, with a skeptical attitude, I finished reading your improvement data, only to realize that I had been biased. Your improvements are enough to be called the work of a master."

"I also heard that you are obsessed with improving the Guoyi Fist, going so far as to halt your blood energy cultivation and refusing to practice other fist techniques."

"This dedication deeply moved me, which is why I proposed awarding you this Silver Lion medal, a symbol of honor."

"The progress of the Guoyi Fist, generation after generation, represents the ever-growing foundation of our Great Chu."

"You keep the nation in your heart, and the nation will naturally not treat you poorly."

Zhao Yingchun sighed with emotion:

"Truly, heroes emerge from the youth."

Meng Chuan felt a bit ashamed; without the super Trait of One Proof Eternal Proof, it would have been impossible for him to waste so much time on the Guoyi Fist.

Zhao Yingchun's gaze was kind, filled with the concern an elder feels for a junior.

"But from now on, Meng Chuan, you must focus your energy on raising your blood energy."

"I can see that you are a child with unique insights and aptitude for martial arts; you should not be limited to the stage of a blood energy Martial Practitioner."

"Our nation's ancient martial arts are as numerous as the stars, and there are many legendary supreme techniques unknown to the public, waiting for you to learn and improve."

"For instance, the secret sect supreme technique [Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art] or the Zen sect divine skill [Sitting-Forgetfulness Jowo Method]—the nation hopes for someone who can improve and utilize these top-tier techniques, which have extremely difficult cultivation requirements."

"Because hidden within them is the eighth ultimate mystery of the human body!"

"So Meng Chuan, I hope you can always maintain your original intention, and with the same spirit you used to break through the Guoyi Fist, keep moving forward."

"Go as far as you can, until one day you can touch these mysterious divine techniques and raise the upper limit of humanity in this world!"

The elder's words made Meng Chuan's heart surge with excitement, filled with a heroic spirit of "if not me, then who?"

"A ten-thousand-foot building rises from the ground; taking it step by step is the most crucial thing. I look forward to your future."

"Meng Chuan will keep this in mind. Please rest assured, Heavenly King."

Zhao Yingchun smiled with satisfaction.

Then, he changed the subject and continued:

"I have suppressed the news of you improving the Guoyi Fist. Becoming famous at a young age is sometimes not a good thing; it will not only make you restless but also attract prying eyes in the shadows."

"Seeing you today, your state of mind should be fine, but the threats in the dark cannot be ignored. Before you have grown strong enough, you must learn to protect yourself."

Meng Chuan understood what Heavenly King Zhao meant; before his wings were fully grown, he indeed needed to keep a low profile.

Because the prying eyes in the shadows did not just refer to the Heavenly Demons, but also the people of the Demonic Path!

Since ancient times, there has been a distinction between the righteous and the demonic, divided into two factions based on the logic of their behavior in seeking the Dao.

The righteous path needs no explanation, while the demonic path is an alternative way of acting and seeking the Dao that was misunderstood by people in ancient times and differs from tradition.

The righteous path speaks of the unity of heaven and man, Buddhism speaks of transcending reincarnation, and the demonic path speaks of freedom and self-reliance.

But nowadays, due to the existence of Heavenly Demons, people of the Demonic Path have completely become "rats crossing the street" that everyone wants to beat, ending up as wanted posters on the bulletin boards of the police station and the Martial Arts Association.

To find shortcuts in martial arts, modern practitioners of the Demonic Path have reached a consensus of cooperation with Heavenly Demons, becoming accomplices and lackeys who harm their own kind!

Most of the powerhouses standing at the pinnacle of the Demonic Path realized this and chose to sever ties with the identity of being a Demonic Path practitioner.

However, in order to obtain greater power, some Devilish Heresy practitioners still gather together to re-establish Demonic Path organizations, practicing evil Heavenly Demon Techniques and nourishing themselves with the flesh and blood of their own kin.

[Demon Summoning Hall], [Heaven Beyond Heaven], and [Black Water] are the three major Demonic Path organizations within Great Chu, all of which have hidden strongholds across the country and have secretly planned hundreds of bloody incidents.

"Alright, that is enough for now. Meng Chuan, you may go."

"Meng Chuan will keep the Heavenly King's teachings in mind."

With that, Meng Chuan bowed to Heavenly King Zhao and exited the room.

Inside the Yunyan Pavilion, Heavenly King Zhao muttered to himself:

"Ten years of drinking ice cannot cool the hot blood; he is a good child..."

Police residential compound.

"Uncle, I'm home."

As soon as Meng Yongzhi heard the sound of the door lock being triggered, he sprang up from the sofa and rushed in front of Meng Chuan.

He was too excited, his mouth trembling, not knowing what to say for a moment.

Meng Chuan saw his uncle's excitement, patted his back, and comforted him softly:

"Uncle, don't be anxious. The certificate and the medal are both here. Let's sit on the sofa and look at them slowly."

Meng Chuan helped his uncle sit down, placed the certificate on the coffee table, and took the Silver Lion medal out of his pocket to hand to him.

The medal shone brilliantly, reflecting the sunlight streaming in from the window.

Meng Yongzhi held the medal gently in his left hand, his right hand constantly wiping it.

He muttered to himself:

"Silver Lion..."

"Chuan'er, remember this, this is an honor you should be proud of for the rest of your life."

Meng Chuan nodded.

"Uncle, don't get too worked up, watch your health."

"I know, I've calmed down now."

Meng Yongzhi pulled out his phone, ready to announce the news to the world.

Meng Chuan hurriedly stopped him.

His uncle had already told his colleagues about his optimization of the Guoyi Fist.

But his master and Uncle Bai would coordinate with Sheriff Long Jiu to keep this matter confidential internally.

After explaining the stakes clearly, his uncle finally gave up.

"Chuan'er, then we shall listen to the seniors. The followers of the demonic path are rampant; your safety is what matters most."

Yet, he was still somewhat reluctant; such a great achievement that should have been announced to the world had to be kept under wraps because of these sordid affairs.

Meng Chuan wore a face full of confidence and said with a faint smile:

"When I become a Martial Artist, there will be no need to hide anything!"

"Uncle believes in you, good!"

Meng Chuan handed the medal to his uncle. After wiping it for a long time, Meng Yongzhi found his wife's most expensive jewelry box to store it in.

Back in his own room, Meng Chuan remembered that the principal had also been concerned about the progress of the Guoyi Fist optimization.

[Hello, Principal.]

Seeing that it was Meng Chuan calling, the principal put on his glasses and hurriedly answered.

[What is it, Meng Chuan?]

[The Guoyi Fist optimization has been approved.]

[Really? Hahahaha, I knew you could do it!]

On the other end of the line, Principal Zong jumped three feet high upon hearing this good news.

[Yes, but please don't publicize it yet. Just keep it to yourself for now; the school's rewards will not be lacking.]

Principal Zong thought for a moment and understood what Meng Chuan meant.

[Understood, I will keep it confidential, but what about the new textbooks...]

[There are plenty of people in this world with the same name, and it's currently in a small-scale pilot phase. When it rolls out later, I don't think we'll need to keep it secret anymore.]

After hanging up the phone, Principal Zong sat on the sofa, stunned for a long time before he came to his senses. He took a sip of strong tea and muttered to himself:

"A prodigy, truly a prodigy."

Beilin District.

The Ape God Martial Arts Hall was located in the most prosperous shopping mall in Beilin District, Yongye Saige.

On the ring, the brothers Hu Jiaxiang and Hu Jiarui were acting as sparring partners for a giant of a man over 1.9 meters tall.

Facing the attacks of the two, the giant was completely unperturbed. Using the second-rate fist technique, the Tongbei Fist, he took on both of them at once, sending them scurrying away in just a few moves.

"Boring. After mastering Dark Jin, anyone below the four Qi-Blood Pass is an instant kill."

Hu Jiarui rubbed his bruised arms and couldn't help but sigh:

"Senior Brother Wang, you are too fierce."

The older brother was flattering him on the surface, but in his heart, he was gnashing his teeth in hatred:

"You knew we were only at the three-pass level, yet you used Dark Jin to hit me. You son of a bitch Wang Xudong, I hope you die tonight!"