Half-Step Blast Fist

"Martial Child Test?" Zhang He was taken aback. He really didn't know much about it.

"That's right. The instructor explained it once. The trial means making it safely through an alleyway full of ambushes by puppet warriors. To get through unharmed, you have to dodge their attacks or defeat them. Any method is allowed. As long as you make it through, you pass."

"So it's basically like actual combat? I see—you're worried you won't do well in a real fight." Zhang He understood what they meant.

The Martial Children trained almost exclusively for the Martial Child Test. They had never paid much attention to actual combat, focusing instead on physical conditioning and general fitness. So when they heard that the test would involve real fighting, they were stunned.

"Dachui and I are both terrible at actual combat. Every time we're at the Martial Arts Arena, Zhao Feng and the others beat us black and blue. Sigh..." Fatty Tang looked utterly dejected.

Wang Dachui nodded in deep agreement. A cultivation technique was worth a fortune. Commoner Martial Children like them had no chance of learning new techniques. Compared to those rich young masters, they had fallen behind from the starting line.

Zhang He thought it over and came up with an idea. "This shouldn't be hard. Actual combat is about finding a way to defeat your enemy while keeping yourself from getting hurt. How about this? I can teach you some special martial arts and give you some targeted training. I guarantee your combat skills will improve by leaps and bounds in no time."

Fatty Tang and Wang Dachui's eyes lit up.

"The fastest way to improve your combat skills is to train in actual combat. Only by fighting others often can you discover your weaknesses and work on them. That's how you keep improving. All right, you should be familiar with the simple moves I just taught you, right? Let's begin. Come at me one at a time."

Zhang He waved them forward. Fatty Tang and Wang Dachui exchanged a glance, and in the end, Fatty Tang reluctantly stepped out.

"Before we start, I have a question. Are those simple moves really that useful?" Fatty Tang looked doubtful. The moves Zhang He had taught them seemed so simple that anyone could see through them at a glance.

"You'll find out when you try them." Zhang He smiled faintly. "Get ready. I'm coming at you." As he spoke, he sprang forward like a leopard. His arm snapped, and he drove a fist upward toward Fatty Tang's stomach.

His punch came like rolling thunder, its momentum astonishing. Fatty Tang jolted in alarm and instinctively raised his hand to block. But Zhang He suddenly shifted to the side. Fatty Tang watched helplessly as Zhang He changed his fist into a grab and seized his arm. At the same time, Zhang He kicked the back of his leg. Fatty Tang's balance vanished, and he crashed to the ground.

He rolled a full three zhang before coming to a stop. Grimacing, he got to his feet. The fall hadn't injured him, but it still hurt.

"I barely used any strength, yet I sent you flying that far. And the move I used was one I taught you. Do you still think those moves are useless?" Zhang He looked at Fatty Tang, entirely at ease.

Wang Dachui, watching from the side, had his eyes wide open. He had seen exactly how Zhang He had attacked. It was such a simple move—the very one Zhang He had just taught him. Good heavens! Who would have thought such an easy move could be so powerful?

"I'm not convinced. Again." Fatty Tang gritted his teeth. He refused to believe it.

Zhang He smiled faintly and motioned for Fatty Tang to attack.

"Here I come!" Fatty Tang roared and charged. As he drew close to Zhang He, he suddenly sprang forward and kicked at Zhang He's lower body. Zhang He didn't dodge. He simply hooked his foot around Fatty Tang's leg, and Fatty Tang immediately lost his balance, landing flat on his face like a dog eating dirt.

"Your stance wasn't steady. Don't lift your leg to kick someone when you haven't planted your feet," Zhang He said. "And the point of actual combat is to knock your opponent down. So when you attack, catch them off guard. Don't shout to warn them."

"Isn't that a little underhanded?" Fatty Tang got up, stunned by what he'd heard.

"If you were dealing with a thief, would you warn him before you struck?" Zhang He scoffed. "Remember, when you fight an enemy, it's a life-or-death situation. If you want to survive, your only goal is to take them down, by any means necessary! Don't worry about honor in a real fight!"

His words upended some of the principles Fatty Tang and Wang Dachui had always held.

"You still don't look convinced. Come on, then!" Zhang He glanced at Fatty Tang and beckoned with a finger.

Fatty Tang charged again, and Zhang He easily took him down once more. Every time Zhang He knocked Fatty Tang over, he used one of the moves he'd taught them. Fatty Tang and Wang Dachui realized that the very same moves could have such an effect, and their initial carelessness vanished. They now understood that the techniques Zhang He had taught them were incredibly useful.

"These moves are all military hand-to-hand combat techniques. They're simple, but powerful. If they land, they can often take an enemy out of the fight in a single move." There wasn't much time left before the Martial Child Test. Teaching them complicated martial arts wouldn't help; these simple moves would serve them better. To improve their combat skills, Zhang He put the two through the wringer, beating them black and blue. Though they were left in a sorry state, they gritted their teeth and kept going.

Once they let go of their inhibitions, all sorts of potential came pouring out. Their combat skills improved at a dizzying pace. They were no longer knocked down by Zhang He in a single move. They noticed their progress, too, and grew even more enthusiastic, spontaneously coming up with all sorts of combinations.

By the time Zhang He finished drilling with Fatty Tang and Wang Dachui, the two had mastered the moves inside and out. But the way they attacked now was so shameless that even Zhang He felt embarrassed watching them. He didn't know whether there was something wrong with the way he'd taught them or whether they'd misunderstood, but Fatty Tang and Wang Dachui's attacks grew increasingly devious and underhanded. For instance, the shameless move known as Monkey Steals the Peach had become their favorite. Whenever they sparred with Zhang He, the two would frantically try to steal his peach.

After practicing actual combat, Fatty Tang and Wang Dachui started training according to the workout list again.

Zhang He watched from the side. The two had already realized the benefits of the workout list. And after being driven out of the Martial Child Academy, they were both nursing a grudge and wanted to make a name for themselves at the Martial Child Test. So they trained hard, never slacking off.

Zhang He was reassured and went to take care of his own affairs.

Bang!

Zhang He slowly lowered his hand and picked up the bluestone slab in front of him, examining it closely. Several fine cracks had appeared on the front where he'd struck it, and he frowned slightly. He turned it over. The stone on the back had been smashed to pieces, stone dust trickling down from a deep dent.

"If I could open eight acupoints, I'd be able to unleash explosive force. A punch like that wouldn't leave a crack on the surface of the bluestone, but the force passing through it would smash the back to pieces. I'm still not strong enough!" Zhang He set the slab down.

That punch was called the Half-Step Blast Fist. Zhang He had created it by combining elements of Xingyi Fist, Baji Fist, and Tang Sect Scattered Hands. The Half-Step Collapse Fist of Xingyi Fist was powerful, Baji Fist was fierce, and Tang Sect Scattered Hands was subtle. Combining them had given rise to the Half-Step Blast Fist. Anyone struck by it would show no wounds on the surface, but the true qi could drive into their body like a nail and inflict severe internal damage. The Half-Step Blast Fist was also a close-combat technique. Within a meter, it was almost impossible to defend against!

The Half-Step Blast Fist's attack pierced through its target. Even a shield couldn't stop the force from penetrating.

"To unleash the power of the Half-Step Blast Fist, I have to complete the first stage of Rejuvenation True Explanation and open eight acupoints. My cultivation is already approaching a bottleneck. To open the remaining acupoints, I'll have to work hard. It looks like I won't be able to use the Half-Step Blast Fist until I reach the True Martial Realm."

Zhang He frowned in thought. In addition to opening eight acupoints so that he could accelerate his true qi and produce an explosive impact, the Half-Step Blast Fist also consumed a great deal of true qi. He would need to reach the True Martial Realm to have enough true qi to use it reliably.

"If I take first place in this Martial Child Test, I'll be granted Cold Gate status. I'm determined to get it." A gleam flashed in Zhang He's eyes. Cold Gate status belonged to the scholar-gentry class and carried great prestige, along with rights commoners couldn't enjoy. It was also extremely difficult to obtain under normal circumstances, so this was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.

"In all of Mengyin City, there are only two or three Martial Children who might be my rivals. One of them is Wen Liang. He reached the Brute Force Realm several years ago. So much time has passed; he may well have already broken through to the True Martial Realm."

Wen Liang had reached such a level at a young age. He could already be considered a genius. If Zhang He wanted to claim Cold Gate status, he had to be stronger than Wen Liang.

A sudden patter of footsteps sounded. Fatty Tang came running in from outside and stopped in front of Zhang He, his eyes shining. "Zhang He, hurry outside! The goddess is looking for you!"

"Lian Yunbi is looking for me?" Zhang He's heart stirred.

In the courtyard outside, Lian Yunbi stood by the entrance, her lovely figure upright and still. Her exquisite face was full of worry. When she saw Zhang He come out, she hurried toward him. As soon as she reached him, her eyes turned red, and she spoke in a tearful voice.

"Zhang He, please save my little brother!"