Master Hand-to-Hand Combat

Master-Level Boxing?

The system once again, as if well practiced, stuffed a stream of memories into Lin Yuan's mind.

This time, however, the memories were especially vast and complex.

Atop a massive rock facing the sea, he trained tirelessly to the sound of waves crashing against the reefs.

Punches, palm braces, probing hands, wing hands, circling wrists—a complete set of Wing Chun unfolded beneath his movements, carrying an ultimate beauty of simplicity.

After completing the set, he did not stop. Instead, he stepped forward and threw a fierce bracing punch.

"Tai Chi brings peace to the world through civil arts; Baji sets the universe in order through martial arts."

The fierce, crisp, and explosive Baji Quan flowed seamlessly after Wing Chun.

Dragon Subduing, Tiger Taming, Mountain-Splitting Palm, Horse-Searching Palm, Tiger Embrace, Bear Crouch, and Crane Step Push followed in rapid succession.

Though these Vajra Eight Stances were merely the most basic introductory training of Baji Quan, they displayed an overwhelmingly domineering aura in Lin Yuan's hands, carrying the bold spirit of blasting open a path between life and death with a single punch.

Next came Xing Yi Quan, Tai Chi, Hung Ga, Bagua Zhang, Choi Li Fut... and a whole series of other boxing styles, each appearing one by one in Lin Yuan's hands.

Unlike swordsmanship, there were simply far too many varieties of boxing.

The Lin Yuan in those memories had spent fifty years gradually mastering and integrating all those styles.

By the end, Lin Yuan was no longer bound by any particular school when he moved. One strike might be Xing Yi Quan's splitting punch, while the next seamlessly transformed into Tai Chi's Grasp the Sparrow's Tail.

He had truly reached the point where all forms of boxing moved according to his will.

Those decades of insights into boxing were incredibly useful to Lin Yuan.

For one thing, the types of kung fu movies he could shoot had expanded dramatically. Filming action scenes involving traditional martial arts was now a piece of cake.

For another, Master-Level Boxing was extremely useful for everyday self-defense. After all, in the magical land of America, it would be the ultimate black comedy if his path to superstardom ended because of violent crime.

Having obtained Master-Level Boxing, Lin Yuan could only sigh again. The system really gave him far too much!

How great would it be if skills came along every so often?

But the system was so stingy. How could he get skill rewards without going around flirting?

The host successfully helped Taylor avoid a pitfall. Dedication rating: S!

The host has received a skill reward: Leg Techniques (Master Level)

!!!!

That slap in the face came so quickly.

What was so special about today? Did that count as completing a task?

Lin Yuan happily prepared himself as the familiar flood of memories arrived once more.

"Fists are two doors; it all comes down to using the legs to hit people."

Compared with fists, human legs had greater power, a wider attack range, and posed a more lethal threat.

Twelve Road Tan Legs, knee strikes, Nine Palace Legs, scissor kicks, Shadowless Kick, Mizong Legs, Vajra Legs... the essential principles of all kinds of leg techniques rapidly filled Lin Yuan's mind.

As his proficiency and experience with leg techniques steadily improved, the boxing techniques he had just mastered began to merge into them as well.

Separated leg techniques and boxing techniques could not produce an effect where 1 + 1 > 1. Instead, they would create internal conflict in actual combat:

Should I attack with my legs or my fists?

The Lin Yuan in those memories was not stumped. He simply kept practicing.

Fists and legs were both parts of the body. Naturally, boxing and leg techniques could be integrated.

As time passed, Lin Yuan finally achieved unity between fists and legs.

At that moment, golden system text immediately appeared before his eyes:

The host has mastered both Master-Level Boxing and Master-Level Leg Techniques. Skills merging.

Congratulations, host. You have obtained a new skill: Master Hand-to-Hand Combat.

From the system notification, Lin Yuan discovered that his two skills had actually fused together, creating a new skill: Master Hand-to-Hand Combat.

As the skill fusion succeeded, many movements he had never practiced before also appeared in his mind: shifting footwork, continuous aerial flips, kip-ups, lightning backbends, and more.

These movements were essential fundamentals for linking boxing and leg techniques together, so the system had granted them to Lin Yuan as well.

What a huge haul!

The newly acquired Master Hand-to-Hand Combat was far stronger than Master-Level Leg Techniques and Master-Level Boxing combined, achieving the excellent result of 1 + 1 > 2.

Yet Lin Yuan vaguely felt that this was still not perfect. There seemed to be room for further improvement.

When the host obtains Master Ground Techniques, this skill will merge and upgrade into: Master Hand-to-Hand Combat.

Just as he had expected, the system immediately confirmed his guess.

All the boxing and leg techniques he had learned so far were skills used while standing.

But without ground techniques, how could one be considered truly proficient in every kind of fighting skill?

The requirements for the next skill fusion and upgrade were very reasonable.

However, to obtain Master Ground Techniques, he could only wait for the next reward from an interaction with a woman.

Lin Yuan suddenly thought of something else. Since he could eventually learn Master Hand-to-Hand Combat through skill fusion, could his Master Swordsmanship also fuse with other weapon skills and improve?

Master Level was not the end of a skill. Perhaps only through constantly drawing on the strengths of many disciplines could he reach a higher level.

With that thought, Lin Yuan opened his panel again:

Name: Lin Yuan

Age: 18

Strength: 15

Agility: 16

Constitution: 15

Distributable Attributes: 1

Skills: Master Swordsmanship, Master Parkour, Master Flying Daggers, Master Hand-to-Hand Combat

Action Scene Danger Level C, host success rate: 90%.

Action Scene Danger Level B, host success rate: 32%.

His attention immediately focused on the action scene success rates.

C-level had risen from 80% to 90%.

B-level had risen from 22% to 32%.

That increase was quite considerable.

Last time, when he added attributes, the success rate for B-level action scenes had only increased by 2%. This time, it had jumped by 10%.

Sure enough, he still needed skills to challenge action scenes of greater difficulty.

With two more skills to raise his success rate for B-level action scenes, he felt that he could give them a shot.

Lin Yuan summed up the system tasks he had yet to complete and found that only two remained:

Task, First Stage: Star in a Hollywood film and surpass The Mummy Returns in global box office revenue.

This task would have to wait. The Mummy Returns was scheduled for release in May, while Jurassic Park 3 would not be released until June.

The host has reached the potential limit and cannot further increase this attribute. Complete the task: Establish an intimate relationship with any woman who is not Type B. The host will be rewarded with a breakthrough beyond the potential limit.

This left Lin Yuan even more conflicted. Whether he should become a player was one question; how to become one was another.

Overall, neither of these two tasks could be completed immediately.

Distributable Attributes: 1

Seeing that single remaining distributable attribute made Lin Yuan's obsessive tendencies extremely uncomfortable.

Damn it, where could he get more attributes?

If only time would pass a little faster!