Heading to Eastsea City

The essence of Fist of the North Star lies in "yin"; it is a martial art of pure assassination.

The technique combines fisticuffs with Pressure Point Striking. By striking the "Secret Acupoint" — hidden pressure points present throughout the human body — the practitioner can induce various effects, such as causing the body to burst or healing injuries, making it a martial art with a dual nature.

Those who practice Fist of the North Star must follow specific breathing and meditation techniques, tempering their bodies and refining their spirit to develop an incredibly keen sense of perception.

The rain had just ceased, and the stone path outside the window still shimmered with a cold light.

Situ Xuan's training room was located on the third floor of an old building, its four walls constructed of thick bluestone, with several heavy iron ingots and sandbags piled in the corners.

He removed the top of his black training uniform; his bare upper body gleamed with a cold, hard luster under the moonlight.

Though he was only a ten-year-old boy, his muscles were as clearly defined as if carved by a blade, every inch of his physique taut and brimming with explosive power.

"Hah--!"

Situ Xuan sank into a horse stance and suddenly threw a punch!

Whoosh--!

The wind from his fist was like a blade, tearing through the air and causing the sandbag in the corner to sway slightly. He had used no soul power, relying purely on physical strength, yet it already exceeded the level of an ordinary adult.

"Not enough."

He frowned, retracted his fist, and muttered to himself.

The body-tempering method of Fist of the North Star emphasizes "overcoming hardness with hardness, and dominance with dominance." The force of the strikes must be like a thunderclap, erupting with maximum destructive power in an instant. While he currently possessed physical advantages over his peers, he was still far from mastering the essence of this martial art.

Sweat slid down his jaw and dripped onto the floor with a soft "patter." He adjusted his breathing, circulating the respiration technique of Fist of the North Star. His chest rose and fell slightly, each inhalation as if drawing all the spiritual energy of the world into his body.

"Again!"

With a sudden push of his toes, Situ Xuan moved like lightning, charging toward the iron ingots piled in the corner.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Fists, elbows, knee strikes—every joint in his body became a weapon, slamming fiercely into the iron. The dull thuds of metal echoed through the room; the surface of the iron ingots was already pitted and scarred, and his knuckles were rubbed raw and crimson from the repeated collisions.

Yet, he did not stop.

"Not enough... still not enough!"

A flash of ruthlessness crossed Situ Xuan's eyes. His punch speed increased once more, and the blood seeping from his knuckles left mottled marks on the iron. Little Black Tiger lay on the windowsill, its amber eyes watching him silently, seemingly accustomed to this self-torturous method of tempering the body.

--Fists can heal after being mangled, but a lack of strength will cost one their life in a real battle.

"Boom!"

As the final punch landed, the iron ingot finally succumbed to the impact, a dent driven clean through it.

Situ Xuan slowly retracted his strength, his fists trembling slightly. His knuckles were a mess of blood and flesh, yet a cold smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Situ Xuan rinsed the blood from his fists with cold water.

The icy stream washed over the torn skin of his knuckles, carrying away the blood-stained iron filings. He did not frown, nor did he show even a hint of pain—these minor injuries were not worth mentioning compared to the torment he had endured in his past life while fighting in underground boxing matches to survive.

After drying his body and changing into a clean black training uniform, he walked toward the desk on the second floor.

The moonlight spilled through the window onto the gold-rimmed letter on the desk—the [Red Mountain Academy Recommendation Letter].

This was the entrance qualification issued by Proud Arrival Primary Academy to its top graduates, allowing the holder to enter any intermediate Soul Master Academy.

On the Douluo Continent, within the Sun Moon Federation, primary academies were merely the threshold of basic education, while intermediate academies were where soul masters were truly cultivated.

Situ Xuan picked up the envelope, his fingertips tracing the embossed emblem of Red Mountain Academy—a crimson mountain peak with a silver-white soul ring coiled around its summit. The corners of his mouth tilted upward, and the fighting spirit in his eyes burned faintly.

"Finally..."

He murmured softly, his pupils reflecting the fire of battle, as if he could already see the opponents with abundant soul power waiting in the intermediate academy.

--With the Black Heart Evil Palm and Fist of the North Star, his strength had long since surpassed the realm of ordinary primary soul masters.

But the problem was... his peers in Aolai City were too weak.

In every fight, he had to hold back his strength, fearing that one careless move might leave his opponent crippled. Just like the brawl in the abandoned warehouse earlier, over twenty boys hadn't even lasted two minutes under his hand.

Battles where he had to restrain himself like this were completely meaningless!

"Bang!"

Situ Xuan slammed his fist onto the desk; the wooden surface instantly caved in, and cracks spread like a spiderweb. He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the Malevolent Qi surging within his chest.

The Black Heart Evil Palm was known for its ferocity; the deeper one trained, the more intense the killing intent became. And Fist of the North Star emphasized "nurturing battle through battle," progressing rapidly only through true life-and-death struggles.

Not to mention that for a martial artist, one must first cultivate a breath of "evil" in their chest.

The energy was in his chest, and he had to vent it!

But as things stood?

--He couldn't even find an opponent capable of making him fight at full strength!

"Awoo~"

Little Black Tiger leaped gracefully onto the desk, tilting its head to nuzzle Situ Xuan's wrist. It seemed to sense its master's agitation; its amber pupils narrowed slightly, and faint black energy swirled within them.

Situ Xuan glanced at it and reached out to stroke its head.

"Don't worry, the opportunity will come soon enough."

His voice was low and cold, like a sharp blade scraping against metal.

Three days later, early morning.

Situ Xuan stood on the platform of the Aolai City Soul Guidance Train station, the Little Black Tiger sprawled across his shoulder, carrying simple luggage in his hand—a few sets of clothes, a training manual for Fist of the North Star, and that letter of recommendation.

His destination was Eastsea City, the capital of Eastsea Province and home to the intermediate soul master academy, Eastsea Academy.

"Woo—"

The whistle of the incoming Soul Guidance Train pierced the morning mist. Situ Xuan stepped onto the train and found his seat. Outside the window, the silhouette of Aolai City gradually receded into the morning light.

He closed his eyes, his mind already beginning to simulate the battles to come.

Eastsea Academy... he hoped the students there would be able to entertain him.

Eastsea City.

The second-largest coastal city in the Sun Moon Federation. It was a vital hub for ports, maritime transport, and the development of ocean resources.

The city had a permanent population of over three million, and thanks to its exploitation of marine resources, it was quite wealthy.

Even within the entire Sun Moon Federation, it was considered a second-tier city.

At the Eastsea City Soul Guidance Train station, a dark blue Soul Guidance Train slowly pulled into the station, decelerating.

The train came to a halt, and the doors opened.

Tang Wulin tightened the straps of the backpack on his back and followed the flow of people outside. Having arrived in this big city for the first time, he looked at everything around him with curiosity.

His expression was not very good, and his mood seemed somewhat dejected.

Facing this unfamiliar environment, at only nine years old, it was inevitable that he would feel some fear in his heart.

On his first long journey away from home, without the company of his mom and dad, Tang Wulin looked around with a sense of bewilderment and fear of the outside world.

Suddenly, Tang Wulin's eyes lit up as he spotted a sturdy youth emerging from another train exit not far away. The gray, old shirt he wore was somewhat faded, but it did a good job of containing the explosive power packed within.

"Situ Xuan, over here, over here!"

Tang Wulin hadn't expected that a classmate would actually come to Eastsea Academy just like him; his previously gloomy mood instantly found a sense of comfort.

Situ Xuan glanced toward Tang Wulin, nodded, and then continued walking forward.

"Eh?"

Tang Wulin stood dazed for a second, then hurried to catch up with Situ Xuan.