'Spirit' Takes Shape

As Xiao Wang and Linghu Ke reached the entrance of the martial arts school, they caught the aroma of food.

For the past two days, they had remained on high alert the entire time and had barely eaten a proper meal.

Now, smelling Cheng Hu's cooking, they felt a long-missed pleasure stir on their tongues.

Cheng Hu carried the finished dishes into the main hall and happened to see Xiao Wang and Linghu Ke enter.

"You're back?"

"Yeah, we're back."

"Go wash your hands and eat."

After washing up, the four sat around the table in the main hall. Dinner was as plentiful as ever, with pork and even a plate of stir-fried chicken.

As they ate, Wei Zhongxing looked at Xiao Wang. "You're injured?"

Xiao Wang glanced at the dried bloodstain on his shirt over his abdomen. "It's nothing. Just a minor wound. A dagger nicked me."

"Junior Brother's ability to take a beating is truly unlike anything I've ever seen," Linghu Ke remarked while eating.

Cheng Hu's interest was piqued. "Take a beating? With Junior Brother's skinny frame? How much punishment can he take? Could he possibly be tougher than me?"

Linghu Ke smiled at Cheng Hu as he ate, then recounted Xiao Wang's battle from earlier.

Wei Zhongxing and Cheng Hu were so absorbed that they forgot to bring food to their mouths.

"Are you serious?" Cheng Hu asked incredulously.

"How could it be fake? I wasn't the only one there."

Cheng Hu then turned his gaze to Xiao Wang. "Junior Brother, you're the real beast. This Senior Brother admits he can't compare."

Wei Zhongxing looked at Xiao Wang. "Martial arts require strength, courage, and no retreat, but you must also use strategy. You're still made of flesh and blood. Bullets, blades, and swords have no eyes."

"I understand, Master. I'll be more careful next time."

As Xiao Wang answered, he checked the bead in his mind. Black had already begun to faintly seep through its color. Aside from the dagger wound, the injuries from punches and kicks had almost completely healed.

"Master, the ones who ambushed us this time were from the Red Dragon Gang," Linghu Ke reported.

"It's fine. The Red Dragon Gang wouldn't dare break this unspoken rule and cause trouble for deliverymen."

Linghu Ke nodded upon hearing that.

Xiao Wang listened. Though Linghu Ke had previously said that the Red Dragon Gang would not dare cause trouble, he probably had not been entirely certain himself. Only after hearing Wei Zhongxing's words did Xiao Wang finally feel at ease.

The master and his three disciples chatted as they ate.

Linghu Ke and Xiao Wang described the delivery and the battle. After listening, Wei Zhongxing looked at Xiao Wang. "Other than that reckless disregard for your life, you handled everything else quite well. Watch and learn more. After making a few more deliveries, you'll get the hang of it."

"I understand."

Xiao Wang then asked Wei Zhongxing one by one about several minor details and doubts from the battle, and Wei Zhongxing answered each of them.

After dinner, the master and his three disciples sat side by side at the entrance to the main hall to digest their food.

After resting for half an hour, Xiao Wang got up and walked to the center of the courtyard, where he began practicing his fist technique. The other three watched without saying anything. They had gradually grown used to it, especially Cheng Hu and Linghu Ke.

Cheng Hu already knew that his talent was far inferior to Xiao Wang's. At the same time, he had slowly come to realize that his determination was also nowhere near Xiao Wang's. At first, he had wanted to compete, but now he merely watched Xiao Wang practice in silence.

After the delivery battle, Linghu Ke had also realized that he could never reach Xiao Wang's level—entering a state of combat as though he had forgotten his own life. It was the fighting will every martial artist yearned for, yet very few could achieve it.

He knew this was likely the main reason Sister Hua valued Xiao Wang so highly.

Of course, there might have been another reason: he was handsome and young.

Xiao Wang practiced over and over, filling in the gaps in the points he had just asked Wei Zhongxing about while observing the bead's color in his mind. With each round of practice, the bead's color slowly lightened.

At the same time, Xiao Wang felt that as he practiced, his understanding of the Tiger Guard Fist was gradually deepening, and his mastery was slowly improving as well.

As Wei Zhongxing and Linghu Ke watched Xiao Wang practice from the side, both were startled. "Master, Junior Brother has already grasped a trace of 'spirit,' hasn't he?"

"He really has. This kid is quite interesting. As his cultivation progresses, not only has he not slowed down, he's actually getting faster and faster."

"Perhaps that intense battle gave him an insight much like enlightenment."

"That's possible. That's why I always tell you: as martial artists, you can only move forward. If you shrink back and act like cowards, how could you possibly improve in martial arts?"

While picking vegetables for tomorrow morning, Cheng Hu asked, "Master, Second Brother, where's this 'spirit'? Why can't I see it?"

Wei Zhongxing shot Cheng Hu a glare. "It'd be a miracle if you could see it. If you could, you wouldn't have practiced for years and still only be at the Form stage."

Cheng Hu fell silent and focused wholeheartedly on picking vegetables.

Xiao Wang continued practicing, unhurried as he circulated his breathing technique and sensed the movement of strength and vital energy within his body each time he threw a punch.

Once, twice, five times, twenty times. As Xiao Wang continued practicing without pause, the damage within the bead in his mind was constantly converted. He slowly began to feel that even if the form of his punches was occasionally slightly off, their force was unaffected. Not only was it unaffected, it became stronger and more ferocious.

Feeling this, Xiao Wang was delighted. Could this be the 'spirit' of a combat technique?

Recalling Wei Zhongxing's earlier words, Xiao Wang quickly became certain that this was indeed the 'spirit' of a combat technique.

Though he was still far from the final level of mastering 'spirit,' he had already attained a trace of it. This meant he possessed the aptitude to master 'spirit.'

Once he understood this, Xiao Wang threw himself into training even more wholeheartedly, nearly forgetting all outside distractions. He struck punch after punch, his footwork steady yet swift as the wind. His movements flowed like drifting clouds and running water, and his hands showed signs of moving freely while every strike still hit its mark.

Wei Zhongxing and Linghu Ke watched with shock in their eyes.

"Let's go to bed. Don't disturb him while he practices."

"But Master, I haven't finished picking my vegetables yet."

"To hell with your vegetables. Do you see that? Don't you feel any sense of urgency?" Wei Zhongxing said, pointing at Xiao Wang.

"Master, mine is urgent too. These are for tomorrow morning's breakfast."

Wei Zhongxing shook his head and walked toward his room.

Cheng Hu and Linghu Ke then followed him back to their rooms.

After Xiao Wang practiced until part of the damage in the bead in his mind had been converted, he finally stopped. The moon was high overhead, and his entire body was drenched in sweat.

He looked toward the entrance of the main hall and found no one there, knowing they had all gone to rest.

That's enough for today. I'll continue tomorrow.

After washing up, Xiao Wang quickly fell asleep.

Early the next morning, Xiao Wang left for school.

He had not exchanged information with An Han for two days and had no idea what the situation was.

After waiting at the school gate for only a short while, An Han arrived. The two then found an empty corner.

"Any new developments?" Xiao Wang asked.

"Yes."