Sparring Partner

Chen Mochuan, the youth who had appeared suddenly a month ago and displayed astonishing comprehension, had long since entered the field of vision of Zhang Mingcheng.

He had witnessed with his own eyes how Chen Mochuan mastered the Tiger Fiend Fist in half a day, a feat that even earned the special favor of the young Martial Artist Feng Shi, who often used the excuse of "sparring" to provide guidance.

Although Zhang Mingcheng's own martial cultivation was not high, he was experienced and possessed a keen eye; he had watched every step of Chen Mochuan's rapid progress over this period.

Having carefully observed Chen Mochuan's stance while attacking the sandbag just now, he judged that his Tiger Fiend Fist was approaching, or perhaps had already reached, the "proficient" level.

Thinking of how he had struggled for over two years and still hovered at the "skilled" stage, while the other had reached a realm he found difficult to attain in just one month, Zhang Mingcheng felt both shocked and compelled to lament the vast gap in talent between people.

Yet, this massive disparity only served to strengthen the resolve he held in his heart.

He had long desired to befriend a potential talent like Chen Mochuan, but he lacked a suitable opportunity and feared that a rash approach might cause offense, which was why he had delayed acting.

Today, he finally seized the moment of Chen Mochuan's breakthrough in the Tiger Fiend Fist to suggest "asking for pointers," a reasonable excuse that was neither abrupt nor unnatural for establishing a connection—a move that served two purposes at once.

Fortunately, everything proceeded even more smoothly than he had anticipated, and a preliminary connection had already been established.

Although Zhang Mingcheng had initially harbored some utilitarian motives in befriending a genius, his pure love for martial arts began to take precedence amidst the clash of fists and feet.

Soon, he cast aside the distracting thoughts in his mind and threw himself wholeheartedly into this rare, practical sparring session.

As the sparring deepened, Zhang Mingcheng became increasingly pleasantly surprised; the youth's fist techniques were unrestrained and imaginative, never confined to rigid patterns. The moves he pulled off with ease often contained unique insights that felt refreshing to him.

After experiencing it firsthand, Zhang Mingcheng became even more certain: Chen Mochuan's Tiger Fiend Fist had definitely reached the proficient level.

Moreover, he felt it went beyond that; he had sparred with other masters of the Tiger Fiend Fist before, but compared to them, Chen Mochuan's technique possessed an extra layer of agility and sharpness.

In fact, during this short sparring session, he vaguely felt that the other's technique was still undergoing constant micro-adjustments and improvements.

Is this the world of a true genius? Zhang Mingcheng sighed inwardly.

Perhaps infected by the way Chen Mochuan was immersed in martial arts and constantly seeking improvement, Zhang Mingcheng actually caught a glimpse of a rhythm he had never experienced before during their exchange.

He felt as though his own fist technique had touched the threshold of a breakthrough, and he soon became completely absorbed in the world of martial arts.

"Alright, alright... let's stop for now."

About half an hour later, Zhang Mingcheng panted heavily and took the initiative to end the sparring, clearly exhausted.

Although Chen Mochuan's clothes were also soaked with sweat, his mental state was significantly better than his own; he looked like he could keep training for another hour without issue.

He couldn't help but lament, "I'm getting old; my body really can't keep up with the stamina of you young people."

Chen Mochuan was still feeling unfulfilled, as the high-quality sparring over the last half-hour had been surprisingly effective.

[You encountered an opponent slightly stronger than you. Under sustained pressure, you maintained a balance between offense and defense, gaining a deeper understanding of the Tiger Fiend Fist.]

[Tiger Fiend Fist: Proficient (1%) → Proficient (2%)]

He had originally thought that the rate of progress would slow significantly after reaching the proficient level, but it seemed that practical combat with a suitable opponent remained an excellent way to hone martial skills and stimulate potential.

Under pressure, his "Spirit Devourer" talent also seemed to be digesting the martial insights in his mind more efficiently.

After resting briefly, Zhang Mingcheng took the initiative to add Chen Mochuan on his communication app and promptly transferred the funds via his Personal Terminal.

Seeing the notification on his terminal, "Transfer of 800 yuan, awaiting acceptance," Chen Mochuan immediately spoke up, "Brother Zhang, we haven't even sparred for an hour. You should calculate it by the half-hour; 400 yuan is enough."

Zhang Mingcheng waved his hand, his tone sincere, "Little Chen, it's not like I haven't hired senior martial artists at the ninth or even tenth stage before. The inspiration and gains you've brought me far exceed theirs; it's not something that can be measured by time alone... this eight hundred is what you deserve."

Chen Mochuan knew in his heart that he had likely gained more from this sparring session than the other, and the fact that the man was paying such a high fee made him feel a bit uneasy.

Zhang Mingcheng, who was adept at dealing with people, keenly sensed his hesitation and said with a smile, "I'm hoping you'll continue to guide me in the future when you have time. We have a long road ahead; just don't find me a nuisance for taking up your time."

Seeing the sincerity in the other's words, Chen Mochuan accepted the 800 yuan and agreed that if their schedules allowed, they could continue sparring tomorrow.

Watching Chen Mochuan turn back toward the sandbag to continue his training, Zhang Mingcheng felt a surge of deep emotion.

With such talent and such diligent effort, this child's future achievements will be limitless! "Mortal Shedding" will never be his end; the three-realm "Inner Scene Realm"... or even the four-realm "Core Formation Realm," might be his true limit.

He secretly resolved to invest heavily in this young genius if the opportunity arose.

In fact, even setting aside long-term investment considerations, the 800-yuan sparring fee was worth every penny for the present moment alone.

His fist technique, which had seen no progress for a long time, had shown signs of improvement today; he paid this money willingly!

If he weren't worried that being too enthusiastic would cause unnecessary misunderstandings, he would have even wanted to give more.

However, having successfully added him as a contact and established a continuous connection, his main goal had been exceeded, and Zhang Mingcheng was satisfied, not wanting to be greedy for more all at once.

After ending the sparring, Chen Mochuan practiced the Tiger Fiend Fist alone for a while, savoring the gains from the session and consolidating his current level, before dragging his exhausted body to get a massage for recovery and enjoying the nutritious dinner provided by the martial arts gym.

Afterward, he logged into the Heaven Martial Battle Net and played five ranked matches.

He ultimately achieved three wins and two losses, raising his points to 990 in the Black Iron rank, once again approaching the 1000-point mark, just one victory away from advancing to the Bronze rank.

However, as his points continued to climb, the opponents he matched with on the network were no longer weak; every ranked match, win or lose, required his full effort and was quite draining on his energy and spirit.

After the high-intensity training and ranked matches that evening, he felt deeply exhausted, and the light screen panel clearly indicated that he was currently in a [Moderate Fatigue] state.

Checking the time, it was already late.

Thinking of the instructions from his homeroom teacher Han Zhen and the crucial midterm exam tomorrow, he decided to head home immediately to rest so as not to affect his condition.

He planned to wait until the exams were over before making a final push to reach the Bronze rank.