The Path of Dark Force!

He did not head straight to the martial arts arena, but returned to the communal dormitory first.

To do a good job, one must first sharpen one's tools.

Li Chuan had discovered this during his martial arts training over the past few days.

If that "hunger" was not satisfied, his progress in martial arts would be significantly slowed.

It was noon, the time when people should have been back for a meal, but the room was empty.

Strange, did Hu Yuan take leave today? Li Chuan felt a bit puzzled.

Usually, Hu Yuan would be in the room eating at this hour.

Li Chuan did not take it to heart; he simply set up a pot and added two kettles of water.

Once the water boiled, Li Chuan added a few handfuls of scallions and garlic, followed by two spoonfuls of salt, and finally dropped the dark red donkey meat into the pot.

After boiling for about an hour, Li Chuan lifted the lid.

A cloud of white steam billowed out, carrying with it the savory aroma of the donkey meat.

After letting it cool slightly, Li Chuan picked up a piece and chewed it.

The taste is actually quite good? Li Chuan was surprised.

The generous amount of scallions and garlic masked the gamey smell of the meat, and the pinch of salt served as a garnish, making the meat both fresh and fragrant.

Li Chuan puffed out his cheeks, chewing heartily:

If plain boiled donkey meat tastes this good, I wonder how delicious braised donkey meat or donkey meat sandwiches would be?

The saying "Dragon meat in the sky, donkey meat on the ground" was truly no lie.

Moreover, compared to the taste, the nourishing effects of donkey meat were even more outstanding.

Li Chuan could feel the vital energy contained within the donkey meat slowly nourishing every part of his body.

Ever since he broke through to Bright Force, his perpetually hungry body finally began to feel satisfied.

The vital energy provided by donkey meat is of higher quality than pork, which is why it can satisfy my body. Li Chuan thought thoughtfully, confirming his hypothesis.

After eating his fill, Li Chuan looked down to see that the seven taels of donkey meat were completely gone.

Thinking back to my past life, a pound of pork could last me two or three days. If I could go back, I'd probably be able to enter a "big eater" competition.

Li Chuan chuckled inwardly.

After a brief rest, he did not want to waste time and immediately walked to the martial arts arena.

After standing in his stance for a moment, Li Chuan checked his panel.

He discovered that the proficiency of his Mountain-Holding Stance was indeed increasing faster than before.

It seems that replenishing sufficient vital energy really can accelerate the progress of my stance training.

Li Chuan felt encouraged, feeling that all his efforts had finally paid off.

The martial arts examination half a year away no longer seemed so distant.

Under the blazing sun, the figure of a youth stood in his stance one moment and threw punches the next.

[Practiced Mountain-Holding Stance, proficiency +1]
[Practiced Mountain-Holding Stance, proficiency +1]
[Practiced Through-Arm Fist, proficiency +1]
[Practiced Through-Arm Fist, proficiency +1]

About an hour later, Hu Yuan arrived.

"Senior Brother Li, try the flatbread my sister made!"

Hu Yuan took a flatbread from his cloth bag and handed it to Li Chuan.

Li Chuan stopped his training and threw on a coat.

His training clothes were soaked through with sweat; if he didn't keep warm, he would easily catch a cold in the chilly breeze.

Li Chuan took the bread and took a bite; it was soft, tender, and fragrant.

"Junior Brother Hu, why didn't I see you in the room earlier?"

Hu Yuan chuckled:

"Senior Brother Li, my vital energy is almost fully accumulated. I can attempt the breakthrough tonight."

Li Chuan gave an "oh," though he felt a bit suspicious.

Hu Yuan's family was not well-off, relying solely on his sister's labor to support his martial arts training.

He usually ate even worse than Li Chuan, so his rate of vital energy accumulation shouldn't be this fast...

However, this was ultimately someone else's private matter, and Li Chuan did not press further.

"Senior Brother Li, did you gain any insights from your breakthrough attempt?" Hu Yuan asked, his eyes filled with hope.

Li Chuan glanced at the Primordial Jade Record before him.

How was he supposed to explain this?

It was a natural success once the proficiency reached the required level!

Li Chuan could only offer words of encouragement:

"Keep your mindset steady and feel the flow of blood and energy within your body."

Hu Yuan nodded repeatedly, as if he had grasped some profound truth.

Just then, a commotion erupted in the martial arts arena.

Li Chuan looked up and realized that Liang Hangzhou had arrived.

Among the many "masters," Liang Hangzhou waved his hand, signaling everyone not to crowd around.

Behind him followed Qin Feng, Tang Xiang, and Jiang Ting.

Over this period, the three of them had effectively formed a small clique.

Jiang Ting's gaze swept across the arena, but it didn't linger on Li Chuan, passing over him quickly.

The four of them walked straight into the inner courtyard.

With a loud "clack," the inner courtyard gate shut.

"I heard Senior Brother Qin's blood and energy are nearly full and he's preparing for a breakthrough; the master is here to guard him!"

"Good heavens, how long has it been? He only broke through to Bright Force a couple of months ago, and he's already attempting a second breakthrough?"

"It's just an attempt; it doesn't mean he'll succeed. Which of our Senior Brothers hasn't needed a second attempt to reach Dark Force?"

"But Senior Brother Qin has superior aptitude..."

The crowd fell silent.

Indeed, there was a vast difference between superior and average aptitude.

Perhaps Qin Feng really could succeed on his first attempt.

If he succeeded, it meant that as long as he didn't die, he was practically guaranteed to reach Transforming Force in the future.

In the vast Anning County, that would place him among the very top tier of individuals.

Hu Yuan bit his lip, a look of defiance shining in his eyes.

He grabbed a bag of flatbreads and returned to the communal sleeping quarters to prepare for his own breakthrough.

Li Chuan sighed inwardly.

Fate was so fickle, toying with Hu Yuan like this.

I hope he makes it, Li Chuan silently cheered for Hu Yuan.

"Not bad, Junior Brother Li! I heard from my uncle that your delivery of the medicine was absolutely perfect!" Luo Zheng said, throwing an arm around Li Chuan with a boisterous laugh.

Li Chuan shook his head with a wry smile:

"Senior Brother Luo, please don't tease me. Compared to experts like you in the Dark Force realm, I am still far behind."

Luo Zheng patted his own chest:

"There is one more thing—you encountered a White-Browed Ape? That's a vicious creature. It's a good thing my uncle led the team personally, otherwise..."

Luo Zheng didn't finish his sentence.

But Li Chuan understood what he meant.

Otherwise, they would have been completely wiped out.

When that White-Browed Ape appeared, the pressure it exerted had nearly made it impossible for Li Chuan to breathe.

This also made Li Chuan very curious.

"Senior Brother Luo, how big is the gap between me and the Dark Force realm, and what exactly is Dark Force?"

Luo Zheng thought for a moment and said:

"Bright Force is when your blood and energy are vigorous and your strength is projected outward; a single punch can create a sonic boom in the air. That is the origin of the saying, 'A thousand gold cannot buy a single sound,' and it is only when one reaches Bright Force that they have truly stepped over the threshold of martial arts."

"Dark Force, however, is a level higher. The strength shifts from rigid to supple, allowing it to penetrate the body to injure an enemy, or to condense all force into a single point for an explosive strike."

Li Chuan nodded, gaining a preliminary understanding of Dark Force.

Dark Force had two functions: one was "armor-piercing," and the other was like the concept of focusing a surface area into a point, condensing scattered power into one spot to unleash immense destructive force.

The difference between Bright Force and Dark Force was like the difference between punching a hole through a steel plate and punching a single dent into it.

The former appeared more rigid and fierce, but the difficulty and lethality of the latter far exceeded it.

"What, do you want to try out Dark Force?" Luo Zheng teased.

Li Chuan laughed:

"Naturally, I want to try it, so I can gauge my own level and know to run immediately if I ever encounter it in the future."

Luo Zheng laughed heartily:

"Junior Brother Li, there is no running away once we have crossed paths."

As soon as the words left his lips, his figure darted forward like a ghost, instantly lunging before Li Chuan and leaving a footprint imprinted into the bluestone slab!

Luo Zheng formed his right hand into a fist, whistling through the air toward Li Chuan's face.

Li Chuan's heart jolted and his pupils constricted; he hurriedly turned his body, attempting to parry Luo Zheng's right hand.

Yet, the moment their arms made contact, he discovered that Luo Zheng's right hand had exerted no force at all.

It was a feint!

Luo Zheng extended his left palm, pressing it lightly against Li Chuan's chest.

"Bang!"

Li Chuan felt as if his chest had been struck by a truck; his entire body flew backward, slamming straight into the wooden post behind him.

The pain in his chest made it nearly impossible to breathe, and it took him quite a while to recover.

Dark Force... is it truly this powerful?

Luo Zheng had defeated him with a single move.

Luo Zheng offered words of comfort:

"The gap between Dark Force and Bright Force is naturally vast. Just consider that Dark Force can easily catch a ten-ton semi-truck and you will understand. You did quite well earlier; many people cannot even react when they spar against me using Bright Force."

"However, your experience in combat techniques is still shallow. I will teach you a few key points. First is to avoid the solid and strike the void. Do you remember the essence of the Through-Arm Fist I told you about earlier?"

Luo Zheng stopped his movements, guiding Li Chuan hand-in-hand on how to react to different situations.

"Never let your opponent guess what you are about to do."

"Furthermore, when you practice combat techniques in the future, you must think about how you should respond when an opponent uses different moves."

"You must train these things into instinct, integrating them into your bones and blood, so that you can make perfect responses even in a subconscious state."

Luo Zheng looked at Li Chuan deeply:

"Only then will your combat techniques have a soul, rather than being a simple pile of moves. After all, an opponent will not be foolish enough to wait for you to finish an entire technique."

"If there is anything you do not understand, you can come and ask me. As for the payment... treating me to a bowl of noodles from your family's shop will suffice."

Li Chuan laughed:

"Two steamed buns at most!"