Harmony of Movement and Stillness, Combination of Virtual and Real

Jiang Yue's eyelids twitched slightly.

Maintaining this center of gravity that defied physiological instincts while stationary was already excruciating. If he had to forcibly sustain it during high-speed movement, the strain on his coordination and core muscle groups would be astronomical.

The two complemented each other; neither could be omitted.

"All talk and no action is just a sham. Now, stand in the All-Rounder Stance. Don't dodge, don't evade. Take one punch from me head-on, and first experience what it feels like when your center of gravity is forcibly impacted by an external force."

As soon as Shen Qing finished speaking, without any warning, his right foot stomped hard against the alloy floor.

Accompanied by a dull thud, Shen Qing shot forward like an arrow from a bowstring, his right fist clenched, unadorned, driving straight toward Jiang Yue's chest.

Jiang Yue's eyes flew wide open. He held the All-Rounder Stance rigidly, watching Shen Qing's fist rapidly enlarge in his pupils.

Thump!

A muffled sound, like striking thick, aged cowhide, exploded inside the Extra Training Room.

Shen Qing's punch, though seemingly fierce, had most of its physical impact subtly dissipated the moment it contacted Jiang Yue's chest, leaving only a third of its base force.

Yet that third of the force came with the core explosive technique of Ancient Martial Arts—Inch Power!

Jiang Yue felt that the dense, granite-like muscle groups on his chest, the instant they met the fist's edge, seemed to be stabbed deep by an invisible steel needle.

That highly penetrating Hidden Power ignored the physical defense of the surface muscles entirely, drilling along the fascia and blood vessels into the depths of his ribs and bone marrow.

"Hiss..."

A bone-piercing, heart-wrenching pain exploded in his chest cavity. Jiang Yue's face turned stark white, and his spine couldn't help but tremble faintly.

But he clenched his teeth, relying on his formidable core strength and the intent of the All-Rounder Stance to forcibly swallow that Inch Power, which tried to tear apart his center of gravity. His feet were nailed to the alloy floor, not retreating half a step. Only on his chest did a large patch of livid, purple bruise rapidly spread.

"You've improved quite a bit too..."

Jiang Yue slowly exhaled a mouthful of turbid air. After the sharp pain, he grinned, looking at Shen Qing, who had withdrawn his fist and stood upright.

Jiang Yue knew his current physical strength well.

Under the constant honing of the [Tough Skin] trait, his skin membrane thickness and muscle density far exceeded those of his peers.

Even if an ordinary recruit slammed into his chest with all their might, they might not leave a mark.

But Shen Qing, using only a third of his strength, could penetrate his defense with Inch Power and cause such deep pain feedback. This fully proved that Shen Qing's comprehension of the Six Harmonies Method and his base strength had also advanced terrifyingly.

"Naturally."

Shen Qing dropped his stance, shook his wrist, and said with a hint of pride and emotion: "After enlisting, the military's nutritional meals, high-grade flesh extracts, and the Gravity Chamber—these resources were things I couldn't even touch in my family."

"With these resources as a foundation, my progress speed is several times faster than before."

Poverty for study, wealth for martial arts—in this era of interstellar high martial arts, this truth was vividly demonstrated.

Shen Qing shook off stray thoughts, his expression turning stern again: "Enough small talk. That punch just now—you felt the shake in your center of gravity. Next, we officially begin the practice of the Living Stance."

He stepped back three paces, assuming a stance: "Now, I'll still use a third of my strength with Inch Power. You can't just take it like a wooden dummy—you must dodge! But the prerequisite is that during the evasion, you absolutely cannot break the center of gravity and intent of the All-Rounder Stance!"

"Come on." Jiang Yue took a deep breath, sank his waist and hips again, and locked his eyes on Shen Qing's shoulders.

Whoosh!

Shen Qing moved. His footwork was like a ghost's—a moment ago, he was three steps away; the next second, his fist wind tore through the air, driving straight at Jiang Yue's face.

Jiang Yue's brain reacted instantly. Military Basic Combat Arts and his instinct for survival intertwined. He slid his right foot sharply half a step to the side and back, leaning his upper body backward.

Whoosh—

Shen Qing's fist, with a sharp whistling wind, brushed past Jiang Yue's nose by a hair's breadth.

He dodged it! At a third of his strength, the speed was not hard for Jiang Yue, whose normal strength was approaching 800 kilograms, to track.

But before Jiang Yue could adjust his breathing, Shen Qing's cold voice sounded beside him.

"Your step was too wide, and your waist and hips weren't locked. Your center of gravity—it's floating!"

Jiang Yue's heart tightened, and he immediately sensed the abnormality in his body. That dodge had perfectly avoided the attack, but his center of gravity, which he had forcibly pressed into his lower body, instantly floated upward like a deflated ball as his foot moved. The intent of "Holding the Origin and Guarding the One" from his arms' empty embrace had scattered completely.

Living Stance, failed.

"Again!" Jiang Yue showed no discouragement. He immediately readjusted his breathing, pressing his center of gravity down hard.

Bang!

Shen Qing didn't pause. The second punch followed immediately, this time targeting Jiang Yue's right ribs.

Learning from the last mistake, Jiang Yue focused one hundred percent of his attention on his pelvis and spine the moment he dodged.

He frantically issued commands in his mind, trying to forcibly lock the deep muscle groups responsible for maintaining his center of gravity while moving his feet.

But excessive focus on his internal structure inevitably caused fatal stiffness in his movements.

Crack!

Jiang Yue's foot had barely shifted ten centimeters when his whole body jammed up like a rusty gear.

In that instant of hesitation, Shen Qing's fist, carrying a third of his Inch Power, landed solidly on Jiang Yue's right ribs.

"Ugh..."

Jiang Yue let out a muffled grunt. The piercing, bone-deep pain caused his facial muscles to twitch violently, and his entire body staggered two steps to the left under the impact, shattering the All-Rounder Stance's posture once again.

Though he had managed to hold onto the intent for even a fraction of a second, his stiff body had failed to dodge the attack. In a real fight, that made him a sitting duck.

"Stop."

Shen Qing withdrew his fist, watching Jiang Yue gasp in pain. He furrowed his brow and shook his head. "You dodged, but you relied too much on your brain's subjective thinking."

"Jiang Yue, you need to understand: when a person faces an attack, the body's instinctive reaction is always faster than the brain's logical reasoning.

Just now, you tried to use your brain to separately control your legs' evasion and your waist's sinking. In the life-or-death moment of a real fight, that simply won't work."

Shen Qing raised two fingers and tapped his temple. "You need to abandon this deliberate control. Motion and stillness must complement each other!

Turn dodging into a natural extension of your All-Rounder Stance's intent.

It's like water flowing past a rock—the water doesn't consciously avoid it; it just flows along the rock's shape, yet the water's unbroken continuity remains unchanged."

"Motion and stillness complement each other..."

Jiang Yue rubbed his aching ribs with one hand, mulling over those four words. A fierce, stubborn madness flickered deep in his dark eyes.

"Again!" Jiang Yue roared, sinking his waist and planting his stance once more.