Traits

The Eight-Limb Technique, originally at the Proficient level, had now reached the Master level.

However, the very moment it hit the Master level, Hu Long felt his body tighten, as if his limbs had been reinforced by some kind of power.

At the same time, a piece of feedback appeared on the panel, causing Hu Long to freeze in surprise.

The meaning was simple: he could consume Source Value to merge these three combat techniques into one.

So, as long as I have three Master-level skills, I can perform a fusion?

Hu Long's heart stirred.

He understood that there must be certain requirements for this.

Not just any Master-level skills would work.

Perhaps they all needed to be of the same type.

For instance, these three were all combat techniques.

Thinking of this, he glanced at his remaining Source Value.

[Source Value: 10.33 wisps]

After deducting the cost of downloading the skills, he had gained a bit more over the past few days.

He had originally reserved it for the Ancestral Rite.

But considering the information he had gathered from his conversation with Hu Chengwen, and the fact that a fused skill would undoubtedly be stronger than the sum of its parts—a logic that held true anywhere—he made his choice.

With only a moment of hesitation, Hu Long's mind shifted.

"Tai Su, consume Source Value to fuse Unarmed Combat, Boxing, and the Eight-Limb Technique!"

Hum—!

The panel vibrated slightly, and the number in the Source Value column quietly decreased by three.

Immediately after, the lines of text representing the Eight-Limb Technique, Boxing, and Unarmed Combat on the panel began to melt, intertwining like ink blending in water.

At the same time, Hu Long's body shuddered.

In an instant, countless combat techniques, principles, and practical experiences surged into his mind like a rushing river.

Three distinct sets of combat styles were dismantled and reorganized, as if forged into a single entity by an invisible pair of hands.

A massive influx of punching, kicking, grappling, and dodging maneuvers, along with muscle memory, flooded into the depths of his body like a tidal wave.

It was as if he had undergone decades of rigorous training, all rapidly absorbed and mastered to form a brand-new, near-perfect combat art that distilled the essence of the previous three.

Simultaneously, a tingling sensation, much like an electric current, spread throughout his entire body.

After a long while, the dazed look in Hu Long's eyes cleared.

This feeling?

In this moment, the most intuitive sensation was that his body, which had been nearing its limit and feeling somewhat fatigued, had regained its strength.

He even felt his energy was more vigorous than ever.

The boost he received seemed far greater than what he had gained from downloading two Master-level combat skills.

Thinking of this, Hu Long looked at the panel.

The three combat skills were gone, replaced by a brand-new one.

[Comprehensive Combat Arts (Perfected) Trait: Body-Mind Unity]

(Description: Fuses the essence of Boxing, the Eight-Limb Technique, and various forms of Unarmed Combat; has reached the pinnacle of technique attainable by a human.)

At this moment, the level of this combat art had jumped from Master to Perfected following the fusion.

This was the only Perfected-level skill Hu Long currently possessed.

Furthermore, it had gained something special.

Hu Long fixed his gaze on the newly added trait, and information regarding it immediately surfaced in his mind.

This immediately made him understand the function of this trait.

Body-Mind Unity. Once possessing this trait, physiological functions and combat consciousness could fuse completely, eliminating any delay or boundaries; the body became an extension of the will.

It was not merely simple coordination of body and mind, but the writing of combat instincts into nerve reflexes, cellular memory, and even the subconscious.

In short, it transformed these actions into instinct, allowing for rapid and effective reactions when facing an attack.

His mastery over his body became far more harmonious.

"Body-Mind Unity?"

Hu Long raised his hand and threw a punch.

In that instant, he suddenly felt a strange palpitation deep within his body.

It was as if a string that had been silent for many years had been gently plucked by an invisible finger.

The change was extremely subtle, almost imperceptible, as if a strand of unfamiliar energy had quietly flowed through his flesh, blood, and tendons.

He could not describe it clearly; he only felt that when he clenched his fist, the fit between his arm bones and muscles was tighter than ever before, and far more... comfortable.

It was as if he had been throwing punches with the wrong posture all along.

He looked up at the sandbag hanging before him. Without winding up or shouting, he simply raised his arm.

His five fingers curled into a fist, and he struck straight out.

Bang!

This time, a dull thud far louder than ever before exploded.

The sandbag in front of him buckled inward violently, trembling intensely.

If one could slow time down several times over, they would see ripples spreading from the center of Hu Long's fist across the surface of the sandbag.

Strangely, the sandbag did not swing high this time, but the tough synthetic leather at the point of impact split open with a jagged tear.

Swish, swish, swish—!

The heavy, pitch-black iron sand inside poured out like a waterfall, piling up into a small mound on the floor.

"Hmm, this is..."

Hu Long slowly retracted his fist, lowering his eyes to gaze at his slightly reddened knuckles.

He reached out to pick up the sandbag and rubbed his fingers against the tear, confirming that there were no issues with the thickness or quality of the material.

A look of uncertainty and surprise flashed across his face.

This thing was not some low-quality product found on the market.

Logically, it should have been impossible for human strength to break it.

Yet, it had been torn open.

In that instant when he threw the punch, power rose from his heels, climbed his spine like a dragon, twisted together at his shoulder and arm, and erupted...

This was a method of force exertion he had never experienced before: fluid, violent, and extremely efficient.

If he could master it thoroughly, his destructive power would likely more than double.

Is this... the realm of a Grandmaster-level combat technique?

It was simply inconceivable.

This situation did not occur because his strength had suddenly skyrocketed; although his physical power had increased, it was not to this extent.

The real reason he achieved this was that, in that very moment, a portion of his strength had been integrated and twisted into a single strand due to his technique, as if the majority of his body's force had been concentrated into that one punch and unleashed.

It was precisely because of this that such an exaggerated result occurred.

Possessing a vast amount of combat expertise, Hu Long understood.

If he were to land this punch on an ordinary person, even on the skull—the hardest part of the human body—it would kill them instantly.

Of course, his own arm might suffer an injury in the process.

Looking at his slightly reddened knuckles and the torn sandbag, feeling the wonder of this peculiar force-exertion method, the corners of Hu Long's mouth curled into a smile.

At this moment, he finally felt a sense of peace.

This was the confidence naturally generated by his own instincts as his strength grew.

"I wonder if I can continue to stack and fuse other combat techniques. If I can, even without coming into contact with a Secret Martial Artist, I should be able to step into the extraordinary by following this path."

This thought flashed through his mind.

However, there was no rush for now; he would wait until after the Ancestral Rite to decide.

In the days that followed, aside from exercising his body and his daily sunbathing, Hu Long spent his time mastering this method of force exertion.

To others, this life might feel dull and tedious.

But Hu Long was obsessed with it.

Time slipped away in an instant.

Soon, the day of the Ancestral Rite arrived.