The Strength of Qi and Blood at Perfection

The Strength of Qi and Blood at Perfection

Li Qing?

Jiang Ning was astonished. So Senior Sister Li Qing had been making a final push to enter the ranks of martial artists. No wonder he had not seen her these past few days.

He had not expected Senior Sister Li Qing to look so young, yet already be on the verge of attaining the strength of a ranked martial artist.

It seemed Senior Sister Li Qing was one of Wang Jin's chosen candidates for a personal disciple.

"What is Junior Brother Jiang thinking about?" Cheng Ran's voice sounded beside Jiang Ning's ear, snapping him back to his senses.

Then—

Jiang Ning smiled. "I was just wondering what kind of divine might that fierce tiger will possess in five days. With a body four meters long, one swipe of its paw should carry a thousand jin of force, right?"

"It does!" Cheng Ran nodded. "And then some! That is precisely why only those senior brothers who have entered the ranks of martial artists are qualified to fight that tiger! If the likes of us encountered it in the wild, all we could do would be roar and die a little more gloriously!"

Jiang Ning could not help but smile faintly at that.

Then Cheng Ran's face lit up with excitement.

"The Five Animals Fist was born from the tiger, bear, ape, crane, and deer! In five days, by observing the fierce tiger's divine might and posture, I might grasp the form and spirit of Tiger Form Fist. Only when form and spirit are both present can one reach the realm of mastery in a fist art!"

"It is just a pity that we are too weak to take the field! If we could fight the fierce tiger ourselves, perhaps we could seize that thread of ineffable inspiration and push Tiger Form Fist to the realm of perfection!"

"Once one reaches perfection and condenses Fierce Tiger Force, one can unleash strength far beyond one's own limits, no weaker than some mid-grade martial arts techniques!"

Just then—

A man dressed in a white training uniform approached. He was imposing and spirited, and this man was none other than Xiao Peng.

He was also the absolute core figure of Blue-Wave Martial Academy's front courtyard.

In everyone's eyes, among all those here, Xiao Peng was the one most likely to enter the Inspection Office in three months and accomplish the grand feat of a fish leaping through the dragon gate.

Before one possessed peerless power, the importance of authority was beyond question.

Not to mention that the Inspection Office possessed not only authority, but also martial arts techniques and precious medicinal treasures.

For anyone, it was a heaven-sent opportunity.

So long as one could join it, one would certainly be able to travel farther on the path of martial arts.

Thus, every movement Xiao Peng made naturally drew everyone's attention.

As they watched Xiao Peng approach, all eyes gathered on him.

"What is Senior Brother Xiao Peng going to do?"

"Who knows!"

"."

Several people whispered among themselves nearby.

Xiao Peng passed Jiang Ning and came before Cheng Ran. The corner of his mouth rose slightly. "Junior Brother Cheng, in the entire academy, you are now the only one who can stand shoulder to shoulder with me. How about we exchange a few moves?"

Looking at Xiao Peng, Cheng Ran said coldly, "Fine. Since you want to fight, I will grant your wish!"

The two walked past Jiang Ning and came to an open area.

At the same time—

The crowd grew excited at the sight.

"Who do you think will win between Senior Brothers Cheng Ran and Xiao Peng?"

"I think Xiao Peng will win. Senior Brother Xiao Peng has mastered Tiger Form Fist, and his explosive power is extremely strong. He has also achieved minor mastery in Ape Form Fist, his body as nimble as an ape's. His strength must be formidable!"

"I see it differently!" someone spoke up in rebuttal. "Senior Brother Xiao Peng has the advantage in fist techniques, but Senior Brother Cheng Ran has achieved qi and blood perfection! With qi and blood at perfection, it courses through the whole body, granting five hundred jin of strength!"

"With one punch, his minor mastery of Tiger Form Fist is enough to let Senior Brother Cheng Ran unleash more than two thousand jin of force. One force can overcome ten techniques—Senior Brother Cheng Ran naturally holds the advantage in that regard!"

"Senior Brother Xiao Peng, on the other hand, has merely achieved major mastery of qi and blood, with it coursing through his limbs. His strength only exceeds three hundred jin. Even if he has the advantage in fist-art realm, there is still a huge difference in their strength!"

At that moment, in the martial academy's front courtyard—

Listening to the discussion nearby, Jiang Ning secretly clicked his tongue.

Senior Brother Cheng Ran, with qi and blood at perfection, could throw a punch carrying more than two thousand jin of force. That completely surpassed the limits of humans in his previous life.

He still remembered a set of figures.

In his previous life, even a boxing champion could at most throw a punch with sixteen hundred jin of force.

Yet Senior Brother Cheng Ran, whose build did not even appear particularly burly, could strike with more than two thousand jin of force.

Is this the charm of martial arts? The legendary Martial Saint of Great Xia—just how terrifyingly powerful must he be?

Jiang Ning could not help but yearn for it.

At that moment—

Xiao Peng and Cheng Ran had already begun exchanging blows.

With a movement of his body, Cheng Ran was like a flying crane soaring through the air as he swept toward Xiao Peng.

"Good!" Xiao Peng shouted.

He lowered his body, his feet arching slightly like sharp claws gripping the ground.

The next instant—

Cheng Ran, sweeping in with the momentum of a fierce tiger descending the mountain, lunged straight at Xiao Peng.

Xiao Peng lowered his body slightly, like the king of beasts poised to strike.

As their qi and blood surged—

Roar—

Xiao Peng let out a roar like that of a fierce tiger, and his crouched body abruptly erupted.

The moment they made a move, both unleashed their full strength.

At this moment, facing Cheng Ran, whose qi and blood were at perfection and whose strength and physique surpassed his own, Xiao Peng did not choose to retreat. Instead, he met steel with steel.

He directly withstood Cheng Ran's strongest blow head-on.

Bang—

With a dull thud, both of them staggered back.

Xiao Peng retreated more than two zhang, while Cheng Ran retreated only one and a half zhang.

Yet astonishment flashed through Cheng Ran's eyes.

Even in a head-on clash, he had not gained much of an advantage. This greatly exceeded his expectations.

After all, he had reached the realm where qi and blood coursed through his entire body. At this realm, one began with at least five hundred jin of immense strength.

Those born with divine strength could even possess seven or eight hundred jin of force.

Xiao Peng's qi and blood were a notch below his. He had merely achieved major mastery of qi and blood, the realm where it coursed through the limbs, with strength basically above three hundred jin.

With such a vast gap between them, yet so little difference in a direct clash, there could only be one explanation.

Cheng Ran then spoke. "It seems Senior Brother Xiao is not far from the realm where qi and blood course through the whole body!"

Xiao Peng's lips curved upward. "My strength now exceeds four hundred jin. I am not far from qi and blood perfection and circulation through the entire body. Junior Brother Cheng, do you still wish to fight?"

"Of course I do!" Cheng Ran gave a sharp cry.

His body moved again, instantly closing in on Xiao Peng.

Then the two fought again. As fists and kicks collided, clouds of dust billowed up. Their sleeves rubbed against the air, producing tiger roars that tore through the sky.

Not far away, Jiang Ning watched the scene, a strange glint flashing in his eyes.

"Qi and blood at perfection, coursing through the whole body, with five hundred jin of strength. Every movement can unleash a thousand jin of force, but it does not seem all that strong?"

After reaching minor mastery of qi and blood, Jiang Ning had tested his strength again.

He could lift a two-hundred-jin stone lock with one arm, though the two-hundred-and-fifty-jin stone lock was still somewhat difficult.

In other words, his strength had already approached two hundred and fifty jin.

Though that was only half the strength of someone whose qi and blood were at perfection and coursed through the entire body.

The number did not seem large or exaggerated, but as far as he knew, the peak record held by humans in his previous life seemed to be only lifting a little over three hundred jin with one hand.

In other words, being able to lift a stone lock weighing more than two hundred jin with one hand already placed him at an extremely high level.

Even a professional athlete in his previous life would find it difficult to achieve.

After all, that record belonged to an innately outstanding individual chosen one in hundreds of millions, who had then undergone professional, hellish training that squeezed out the body's potential before reaching that pinnacle of human achievement.

At that moment, Jiang Ning felt that if he fought Cheng Ran and Xiao Peng, he could also trade several exchanges with them.

Because in his eyes now, although Cheng Ran's strength was formidable—at least twice his own—he lacked agility, and his movements were not swift enough. Xiao Peng, meanwhile, moved quickly, his limbs as nimble as an ape's, but his strength was much weaker, and the footwork beneath him was plainly riddled with flaws, utterly crude.

"No wonder Wang Jin once said that cultivating all five animals together was the proper path!"

"I have merely achieved minor mastery in fist arts and qi and blood, yet I am already close to half of Senior Brother Cheng Ran's strength at qi and blood perfection, when it courses through the whole body. This is clearly the effect of Bear Form Fist! And by cultivating all five animals together, one not only has powerful bursts of force and swift speed, but also nimble, outstanding footwork without flaws. It is practically a five-sided martial art, truly an excellent foundational martial arts technique."

"Looking at it now, it seems I have somewhat underestimated my own strength!"

Watching the two exchange blows, this thought surfaced in Jiang Ning's mind.

(End of chapter)