Beyond the Threshold, Beyond Minor Accomplishment

A six-foot-tall man and a four-foot-tall little sprout were entangled.

To be precise, the little sprout had the big man's limbs locked down tight, while the big man's body continuously erupted with the sound of cracking bones and tendons, trying to shake the little sprout off.

This was the scene Hong Tianbao and Chen Yuque witnessed.

The two stared at each other, wide-eyed.

"You're... Zhang Fusheng? That's the name, right?" Chen Yuque asked hesitantly, a look of confusion on her face.

This guy had only just started Stance Training and Breathing Technique this afternoon, and now he was a Martial Artist by evening and was fighting evenly with the junior sister?

She felt a bit disillusioned with life.

"School Master. Senior Sister Chen," Zhang Fusheng said through gritted teeth, "Could you ask this little sprout to let me go first?"

"You're the little sprout, your whole family are little sprouts!"

The little sprout roared in anger, let out a howl, and bit down on Zhang Fusheng's back. Her teeth pierced through his clothes and muscle, causing his face to contort in pain.

"Why is this little sprout biting people?"

The little sprout said indignantly. She locked onto Zhang Fusheng from behind like an octopus, suddenly exerted force, leaped up with him, and slammed him down!

'Dong!'

The metal floor let out a heavy thud, and Zhang Fusheng gasped.

"I broke it, my ribs are broken!"

Chen Yuque put her hand to her forehead and quickly stepped forward, picking up both the big and small individuals, one in each hand:

"So what exactly happened? And what were those thunderous sounds and tiger roars just now?"

Zhang Fusheng's heart leaped. He was being held by Senior Sister Chen like a baby chick, with no room to resist at all.

Her fair palm contained a surging power like a great river and a vast tide.

"I'll tell you!"

The little sprout gritted her teeth:

"This pervert sneaked into the fourth floor with unknown intentions, ill will, and ulterior motives. I shouted and rushed forward, intending to capture him immediately. Who knew this scoundrel had such formidable skills..."

Her little face was incredibly red, her eyes seemed to be spitting fire.

Zhang Fusheng felt a twinge in his teeth.

Chen Yuque looked at the little sprout in her hands, also speechless.

After a while.

The old School Master coughed:

"Little one, sparring and sparring, physical contact is inevitable."

He lightly defined the situation, but his gaze swept over Zhang Fusheng. The old School Master did have some impression of this student.

Two days ago, he had sat in the front row, not knowing his own limitations. But at that time, he was still a complete ordinary person, not even having practiced a meditation technique.

Yet, in just two days, he could fight evenly with this Thing, unable to distinguish between victory and defeat?

Those rumbling sounds and tiger roars just now, probably...

The old School Master's eyes lit up slightly.

Chen Yuque let go and put them both down. Looking at the pouting little sprout, she said with a headache:

"Alright, Thing, you're almost twenty years old, why are you acting like a child?"

Zhang Fusheng, who had been pondering the old School Master's 'little one,' understood. This little sprout's name was [Thing].

What kind of a ridiculous name was that?

A commotion came from downstairs, clearly the students had been woken by the great noise. Outside the Martial Arts Academy, the sound of 'sirens' could also be heard.

Hong Tianbao frowned slightly:

"Yuque, you go check the surveillance footage from the past two days first. Thing, you go and calm down the students. As for you..."

He looked Zhang Fusheng up and down and said calmly:

"Come with me."

Chen Yuque and the little sprout responded, and Zhang Fusheng obediently followed the old School Master.

However, the old School Master headed straight downstairs and out of the Martial Arts Academy.

It was already past midnight, the night breeze was cool. Moths gathered in clusters around the streetlights on both sides of the road.

A hovercar slowly descended at this moment.

Zhang Fusheng's eyes widened.

He had only ever seen hovercars on television. Whether in the Lower-Level District or the Mid-Level District, patrol and response vehicles were ordinary police cars.

Hovercars like this were common in some giant, large cities. In a third-tier city like Jiangzhou City, a hovercar was a rare sight.

With a special engine hum, the cabin door slowly opened, and a heroic female police officer stepped out, three silver stars on her shoulder.

Zhang Fusheng's expression flickered slightly. This was a Senior Inspector.

The Director-General of the Jiangzhou Public Security Bureau was only a Junior Inspector.

In other words, this female police officer was one rank below the Director-General.

"Elder Hong, the Sky Eye detected abnormal sounds."

The female inspector greeted him politely:

"So I came to take a look."

The old School Master nodded faintly:

"Such a small matter could alarm a Deputy Director?"

"Elder Hong is too kind."

The female police officer glanced at the clean-cut young man shrinking behind him, not paying him any mind, and said with a smile:

"You know, the cultists in Jiangzhou have been restless lately. The higher-ups are worried about cultists infiltrating the Upper-Level Districts, so the screening is quite strict."

She paused and asked cautiously:

"What were the thunderous and tiger-like roars from ten minutes ago?"

"I was teaching my disciple, and it caused some minor commotion," the old School Master said slowly, his hands clasped behind his back.

He stood there, seemingly putting immense pressure on the Deputy Director.

The female director forced a smile:

"So that's what it was. I was wondering how those rats from the gutters would dare to make a sound near you. I'll take my leave with my people back to headquarters now. Please rest."

The old School Master nodded slightly.

The female director didn't waste any more words. She returned to her hovercar. The cabin door closed, the hovercar turned off its police lights, and it shot up into the sky.

Zhang Fusheng swallowed.

A Deputy Director of the Jiangzhou Public Security Bureau. How could she not even speak clearly in front of the old School Master?

Was the status of a Martial Arts Master really that high?

The old School Master turned around, sizing up the young man from head to toe, and asked casually:

"Little fella, tell me, what exactly happened?"

Zhang Fusheng didn't dare to deceive him and honestly confessed:

"I encountered some unexpected circumstances, so I wanted to find you to become your disciple, which is why I came to the fourth floor."

"Become your disciple?"

Hong Tianbao said playfully:

"Little fella, are you sure I will take you?"

Zhang Fusheng did not answer.

After a moment of silence, Hong Tianbao sighed:

"When did you achieve First Refinement?"

"Reporting to the School Master, after Senior Sister Chen taught me Stance Training and Breathing Technique at noon, I ate a Special Supply nutritional supplement, and then I achieved First Refinement in the afternoon."

Hong Tianbao's eyelids twitched:

"You learned that quickly?"

"Reporting to the School Master, Senior Sister Chen said I had an epiphany, so my progress with the Breathing Technique was a bit faster."

"Mm, not bad."

Hong Tianbao nodded slightly, his heart aching a little.

Half a day.

He learned the Breathing Technique in the morning and achieved First Refinement in the afternoon. This kid only took half a day!

From drawing the Mysterious Factor into the body to achieving First Refinement, the shorter the time consumed, the better.

Completing this step within three years was considered normal. Shortening the time to within a year could be considered a minor genius.

If it were a month, then his future would be boundless.

His own little disciple was a complete monster; he only took half a month for this step.

And this young man... half a day!

Half a day!!

He coughed slightly and asked calmly:

"In that case, you've naturally also grasped the basics of the meditation technique."

"Yes, I've grasped the basics."

After a moment's thought, Zhang Fusheng added:

"More than that."

"More than that?"

Hong Tianbao's hand, stroking his beard, trembled. He lowered his eyelids:

"Minor accomplishment?"

His tone was calm, but the end of his sentence rose unconsciously.

"It is a minor accomplishment, but..."

The young man truthfully confessed:

"It's still more than that."

Hong Tianbao suddenly looked up. At the same time, an uncontrollable shriek echoed from the Martial Arts Academy again.

It was Chen Yuque, who had gone to check the surveillance footage.