Half-Step Blast Fist

019 Half-Step Blast Fist

"The comprehensive Martial Child assessment?" Zhang He paused, truly unfamiliar with this matter.

"That's right. The instructor once explained that to pass the trial, one must navigate a corridor filled with ambushing wooden puppets unscathed. To pass safely, you must either dodge the puppets' attacks or defeat them. No matter the method, as long as you make it through, you pass."

"Doesn't that sound like actual combat? So, you two are worried about your combat skills." Zhang He understood what they meant.

The training of the Martial Children was almost entirely geared toward the assessment. In the past, they hadn't focused on actual combat, concentrating only on physical conditioning and basic fitness. Thus, hearing that the assessment would be conducted through live combat left them dumbfounded.

"Fatty Tang and I are simply not good at combat. Every time we're in the training arena, Zhao Feng and his lot beat us until we're looking for our teeth on the floor. Sigh..." Fatty Tang looked utterly dejected.

Wang Dachui nodded in sympathy. A cultivation technique was worth a fortune. As commoner children, they had no chance to learn new techniques; compared to those wealthy, high-status youths, they were behind from the starting line.

Zhang He thought for a moment, an idea forming in his mind. "That's simple enough. Combat is really just about finding ways to defeat the enemy while protecting yourself from injury. How about this: I can teach you some special martial arts and provide targeted training. I guarantee that in a short time, your combat ability will improve significantly."

Fatty Tang and Wang Dachui's eyes lit up instantly.

"The fastest way to improve combat ability is to train through combat itself. Only by sparring with others can you discover your weaknesses and address them specifically. That is the only way to continuously improve. Alright, you should be familiar with the simple moves I just taught you, right? Let's begin. One by one, come and fight me."

Zhang He waved his hand. Fatty Tang and Wang Dachui exchanged glances, and finally, Fatty Tang bit the bullet and stepped forward.

"Before we start, I have a question. Are these simple moves really that useful?" Fatty Tang asked, looking skeptical. The moves Zhang He had taught them looked incredibly basic, almost as if they could be seen through at a glance.

"You'll know once you try." Zhang He smiled slightly. "Get ready, I'm coming for you." As he spoke, Zhang He moved; he lunged forward like a hunting leopard, his arm flicking as he threw a punch from bottom to top toward Fatty Tang's abdomen.

The punch was like a thunderbolt, its momentum startling. Fatty Tang was shocked and instinctively reached out to block, but Zhang He suddenly sidestepped. Fatty Tang watched helplessly as Zhang He turned his fist into a grab, seized his arm, and simultaneously kicked the back of his knee. Fatty Tang felt his balance vanish instantly, and he was sent crashing to the ground.

He rolled a full three zhang before coming to a stop. He stood up, grimacing; although the blow hadn't injured him, it had certainly been painful.

"I only used a little strength to throw you that far, and I used the very moves I taught you. Do you still think they're useless?" Zhang He looked at Fatty Tang with composure.

Beside them, Wang Dachui's eyes were wide. He had seen exactly how Zhang He had moved. The action was incredibly simple—it was the very one Zhang He had just taught him. Heavens, could such a simple move really have such power?

"I don't accept this. Again!" Fatty Tang gritted his teeth. He didn't believe it.

Zhang He smiled slightly and signaled for Fatty Tang to attack him.

"Here I come!" Fatty Tang roared and lunged forward. As he neared Zhang He, he suddenly snapped a kick toward Zhang He's lower body. Zhang He didn't dodge; he simply hooked his foot quickly, and Fatty Tang immediately lost his balance, face-planting onto the ground in a classic "dog eating dung" posture.

"If your stance isn't stable, don't go around kicking people," Zhang He said. "Also, the goal of combat is to knock down your opponent, so when you strike, be unexpected. Don't roar to warn them."

"Isn't that too underhanded?" Fatty Tang climbed up, stunned by the remark.

"Do you expect to warn a thief before you strike them?" Zhang He scoffed. "Remember, when you face an enemy, it is a life-or-death situation. To survive, our only goal is to take them down, no matter the method! Don't talk about morality in actual combat!"

These words completely overturned the principles Fatty Tang and Wang Dachui held in their hearts.

"You still don't look convinced. Come again!" Zhang He glanced at Fatty Tang and crooked his finger.

Fatty Tang lunged again, and Zhang He easily knocked him down once more. Every time Zhang He downed him, he used the moves he had taught them. Fatty Tang and Wang Dachui realized that the same moves could have such effects, and their initial indifference vanished. They knew now that the techniques Zhang He had imparted were incredibly useful.

"These moves are from military close-quarters combat. They are concise but powerful. If they land, a single strike can often leave an enemy unable to resist." With little time left before the Martial Child assessment, teaching them complex martial arts wouldn't help; these simple moves were far more practical. To improve their combat skills, Zhang He drilled them mercilessly, beating them until they were looking for their teeth on the floor. Yet, despite their battered state, both men gritted their teeth and persisted.

Once a person lets go of their inhibitions, their potential is unleashed. The combat abilities of the two improved rapidly. They were no longer the pushovers they had been, easily downed by a single move. Seeing their own progress, their enthusiasm soared, and they began to spontaneously develop their own combinations.

By the time Zhang He finished drilling them, they had mastered the moves to perfection. However, even Zhang He felt a bit ashamed when he saw them fight now. Whether it was his teaching method or their own skewed understanding, their attack style had become increasingly devious and wretched. For instance, "Monkey Steals the Peach" had become their favorite move. Every time they sparred with Zhang He, the two would frantically try to steal his peaches.

After the combat drills, Fatty Tang and Wang Dachui returned to their training list.

Zhang He watched from the side. Both men had realized the benefits of the list, and combined with the frustration of being driven out of the Martial Child Academy, they were fueled by a desire to achieve a great result at the assessment and shock everyone. They trained with intense discipline, never slacking off.

Zhang He then felt at ease to attend to his own affairs.

Bang!

Zhang He slowly withdrew his hand and picked up the bluestone slab in front of him, examining it closely. Fine cracks had appeared where he had struck the front. Zhang He frowned slightly. He flipped the slab over; the back of the stone had been shattered, with stone powder falling away to reveal a crater.

"If I can cultivate eight apertures, I can generate critical-strike power. With a punch like this, the surface of the bluestone wouldn't crack, but the back would be shattered by the penetrating force. My strength is still insufficient!" Zhang He set the slab down.

The punch he had just used was called the Half-Step Blast Fist. It was a technique Zhang He had synthesized from Xingyi Fist, Baji Fist, and the Tang Sect Scattered Hands. The Half-Step Crushing Fist of Xingyi provided immense power, combined with the rigidity of Baji and the subtle, yielding nature of the Tang Sect, resulting in this Half-Step Blast Fist. Anyone struck by it would show no external wounds, but the true energy would penetrate like a nail, causing severe internal damage. Moreover, it was a close-quarters technique; within a one-meter range, it was absolutely impossible to defend against!

The attack of the Half-Step Blast Fist was a piercing force; even if an enemy used a shield, they could not block the penetration of the energy.

"To unleash the full power of the Half-Step Blast Fist, I must complete the first stage of the Rejuvenation True Explanation and open eight apertures. My cultivation is nearing a bottleneck; I must put in hard work to open the remaining apertures. It seems that to truly utilize the Half-Step Blast Fist, I need to reach the True Martial Realm."

Zhang He frowned in thought. Using the technique required not only the eight apertures to accelerate his true energy for a critical strike but also consumed a vast amount of that energy. Reaching the True Martial Realm was the only way to ensure he had enough energy to use it safely.

"If I take first place in this Martial Child assessment, I will be granted the status of a Cold Gate family. I am determined to obtain this status." A glint flashed in Zhang He's eyes. The Cold Gate status belonged to the gentry class; it was a position of high prestige and granted powers that commoners could not possess. It was rarely obtainable, and this was an opportunity he could not miss.

"In all of Mengyin City, there are only two or three potential rivals among the Martial Children. Especially that Wen Liang; he reached the Brute Force Realm years ago. After all this time, he has likely broken through to the True Martial Realm."

For someone so young to reach such a level, Wen Liang was a genius. To secure the Cold Gate status, Zhang He had to be even stronger than him.

Footsteps approached, and Fatty Tang came running in, his eyes glowing as he reached Zhang He. "Zhang He, hurry out! The goddess Lian Yunbi is looking for you!"

"Lian Yunbi is looking for me?" Zhang He's heart skipped a beat.

In the courtyard, Lian Yunbi's beautiful figure stood by the entrance. Her exquisite face was full of anxiety. When she saw Zhang He emerge, she hurried toward him. Before she even reached him, her eyes turned red, and she spoke with a choked, tearful voice.

"Zhang He, please, save my little brother!"