The Limits of Pure Physical Strength? Watch Closely!

Chen Xuan raised both hands.

Dark-gold metal claws covered the backs of his hands and knuckles. There were no unnecessary patterns, only a rock-like rough texture.

Heavy. Extremely heavy.

An ordinary adult would not even be able to raise their arms with this weight, but for Chen Xuan's level-eleven physique, it was just right.

A system notification rang out in his mind.

[Congratulations, host, for obtaining: Earth-Splitting Claws (Epic) ×1.]

[Description: A close-combat tearing weapon that gathers the power of extreme earth, carrying the effects of "Shock" and "Armor Break."]

Deep within his dantian, five dull gray stones floated quietly. One of them had shed its weathered gray outer shell, lighting up with a heavy earthen-yellow glow.

[Earth Shadow Stone has been synchronized and activated.]

Chen Xuan flexed his fingers. The metal joints scraped together, producing a teeth-grating series of cracks.

The Water Armor Shield specialized in defense, while the Flame Bow and Wind Eagle Crossbow handled long-range combat.

Now, his weakness in close-range burst damage had been completely remedied.

He turned and fixed his gaze on a chunk of granite ten paces away. The rock stood half a head taller than him, and the village children often climbed it to play.

Chen Xuan took a deep breath, bent his knees slightly, and kicked off the ground.

He shot forward like a cannonball.

He did not call upon any soul power, relying entirely on the explosive speed of his body.

The five fingers of the Earth-Splitting Claws on his right hand spread wide, then slammed viciously into the center of the granite.

Boom.

A tremendously muffled explosion rang out.

There were no flames, no shockwave, not even flying fragments of stone.

Chen Xuan withdrew his hand and took two steps back.

The granite before him remained completely intact. Not even a crack had appeared.

"Is that all?" Chen Xuan raised an eyebrow.

A night breeze swept through the woods.

A layer of powder suddenly peeled away from the granite's surface. Immediately afterward, the entire boulder began making a fine, rustling sound.

Crash.

The granite, taller than a person, collapsed right in front of Chen Xuan and turned into a pile of fine stone powder. The wind swept it up and plastered it all over his face.

Chen Xuan spat twice, clearing the dust from his mouth. Looking at the debris scattered across the ground, he sucked in a cold breath.

Shock.

It ignored surface defenses and sent its destructive force directly inside.

If this hit a person, there might not even be a red mark on the outside, but their internal organs would probably already be mush.

Tang San's prized Blue Silver Grass bindings? Before these claws, they were no different from paper.

Chen Xuan shook his hand, and the Earth-Splitting Claws turned into a streak of yellow light and burrowed back into his body.

He brushed the dust from himself and looked toward the training grounds.

Yu Xiaogang wanted to use him as a negative example. He wanted to see the limits of pure physical training.

Tomorrow, Chen Xuan would make sure he got a good look.

The following afternoon.

Nuoding Academy's training grounds.

The sun was scorching, yet the field was packed with people. It was not only the first-year freshmen; even upperclassmen and several teachers without classes had come to watch.

After all, this was a "guidance match" personally hosted by the master.

At the center of the training grounds was a white circle twenty meters in diameter.

Tang San stood on the left side of the circle, dressed in a clean blue martial outfit, with Twenty-Four Bridges Under Moonlight tied around his waist. He had his eyes closed as he adjusted his breathing.

Yu Xiaogang stood at the edge of the white circle, holding a notebook in one hand and a sound-amplifying soul tool in the other.

"Quiet, everyone."

Yu Xiaogang's voice spread across the field, and the noisy grounds immediately fell silent.

"Let me reiterate: today's demonstration is meant to show everyone the importance of martial soul development." Yu Xiaogang lifted his head, his gaze passing over the crowd before landing on Chen Xuan, who was strolling over at an unhurried pace.

Chen Xuan was still wearing yesterday's gray cloth outfit, and he was even holding half an apple he had yet to finish.

When he reached the edge of the white circle, he took a crunchy bite from the apple and greeted him through a mouthful of food. "Master, have you eaten?"

A few stifled laughs came from the crowd.

Yu Xiaogang's face darkened as he looked at him coldly. "Chen Xuan, a practical demonstration is no joke. Put down your food and enter the ring."

Chen Xuan shrugged, casually tossed away the remaining apple core, and accurately threw it into a trash bin in the distance.

With his hands in his pockets, he sauntered into the white circle and stopped opposite Tang San.

"Chen Xuan, you may begin." Yu Xiaogang opened his notebook, his tone arrogant. "Remember, do not force yourself. If you cannot withstand Tang San's attacks, admit defeat immediately. I will stop the match in time."

Chen Xuan ignored him and looked at Tang San instead.

Tang San opened his eyes.

"Chen Xuan, I was unprepared last time in the woods." Tang San rested his fingers on his belt. "Today, I won't hold back."

"What a coincidence." Chen Xuan pulled his hands from his pockets and rolled his wrists. "I was planning to get a little serious too."

Yu Xiaogang raised his right hand.

"The demonstration begins!"

The moment his words fell, Tang San moved.

A thick Blue Silver Grass vine shot from his palm and spread rapidly across the ground, coiling toward Chen Xuan's ankle like a venomous snake.

First soul skill, Binding.

Tang San had learned from last time. He had no intention of giving Chen Xuan any chance to get close, opening with wide-range control.

The surrounding students cried out in surprise.

"What fast casting speed!"

"Is this the martial soul the master developed? How did Blue Silver Grass grow this thick?"

Yu Xiaogang nodded in satisfaction at the edge of the field and wrote a line in his notebook: Decisive opening, precise control.

The vine arrived in an instant.

Chen Xuan stood where he was without moving at all.

Just as the vine was about to wrap around his calf, Xiao Wu anxiously stamped her feet at the edge of the field. "Idiot! Dodge!"

Tang San was puzzled. Why was this guy not dodging?

But his hands did not stop moving. Driven by soul power, the vine instantly tightened.

Just as the vine was about to lock down Chen Xuan's legs—

Chen Xuan was not wearing the Earth-Splitting Claws, but the claws' shock power had long since fused with the Earth Shadow Stone. As long as he wished it, he could draw upon a trace of it and pour it into his limbs at any time.

He abruptly raised his right leg and stomped heavily onto the ground.

There was no martial soul possession.

There was no fluctuation of soul power.

It was purely a kick empowered by the Earth Shadow Stone's infusion into his body.

Thump!

The entire training ground trembled.

A visible earthen-yellow ripple spread outward from beneath Chen Xuan's foot.

The Blue Silver Grass vine that had just wrapped around his ankle suddenly froze.

Tang San's expression changed. He felt the connection between himself and that section of vine being severed outright by an overbearing force.

The next second.

With a crisp snap.

That thick, exceptionally tough Blue Silver Grass vine shattered inch by inch.

It broke into a pile of blue grass fragments.

The entire field fell silent.

Yu Xiaogang's pen froze in midair. Ink dripped onto his notebook, spreading into a large black stain.

"Th-This..." Wang Sheng rubbed his eyes. "What did Brother Xuan just do? He stomped once?"

Tang San stared unblinkingly at the grass fragments on the ground.

No one knew the toughness of Blue Silver Grass better than him. Even cutting it with a blade required tremendous force.

Chen Xuan had broken it just by stomping?

"Getting stronger." Chen Xuan patted the dust from his pant leg. "Continue."

Tang San took a deep breath and raised both hands at once.

If one vine would not work, then he would use ten.

More than ten Blue Silver Grass vines surged out from every direction, blocking all of Chen Xuan's paths of retreat.

At the same time, Tang San stepped into Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, his body turning into an afterimage as he circled toward Chen Xuan's side and rear.

His hands swept across his waist, and three Bone-Piercing Nails appeared between his fingers.

Control plus hidden weapons.

This was the strongest combination Tang San could currently produce.

At the edge of the field, Yu Xiaogang regained his confidence and loudly explained through the sound amplifier, "Watch closely! This is the perfect combination of martial soul and tactics! When facing an opponent who relies solely on brute physical strength, you cannot confront them head-on. Use control to limit their movements, then find an opening and defeat them in one strike!"

Chen Xuan looked at the vines dancing through the air and sighed.

"The tactics are not bad."

He raised his right hand and slowly spread his fingers.

"Unfortunately, before absolute destructive power, all that flashy nonsense is useless."

A speck of dark-gold light appeared in Chen Xuan's palm.

Heavy. Violent.

Chen Xuan drew back his right arm, clenched his fingers into a fist, and threw a punch at the dozen or so Blue Silver Grass vines.

He did not wear the Earth-Splitting Claws. He merely borrowed a trace of the shock power they carried.

Buzzz—

A piercing sonic boom erupted through the air.

The space ahead seemed to distort for an instant.

The dozen or so tough Blue Silver Grass vines could not even hold out for a second upon meeting the force of his fist.

Bang bang bang bang!

A series of explosions rang out.

Every vine burst apart in midair, scattering fragments everywhere like a fall of blue snow.

Tang San's Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track came to an abrupt stop. Before he could even throw the Bone-Piercing Nails in his hand, the terrifying shockwave sent him flying backward. He staggered back seven or eight steps before barely managing to steady himself.

The edge of the field was so quiet that a needle dropping to the ground could have been heard.

Chen Xuan withdrew his fist and blew the dust from his knuckles.

He turned to look at Yu Xiaogang, whose mouth hung wide open at the side of the field, and tugged at the corner of his lips.

"Master, what did you just say was the way to deal with an opponent who relies solely on brute physical strength?"

Yu Xiaogang stood there with his mouth open, unable to say a single word for a long while. His prized theories looked pale and powerless before that punch.

Inside the white circle, Tang San lowered his head, his bangs covering half his face.

He slowly raised his left hand.

Within his palm, an extremely obscure pure-black glow began to gather, carrying a suffocating pressure that made hearts tremble.

Chen Xuan noticed Tang San gritting his back teeth.

It was a tiny movement, but it was enough to explain everything—Tang San had been pushed to his limit.

Chen Xuan narrowed his eyes and watched the change in Tang San's left hand.

Clear Sky Hammer?

Couldn't keep it hidden anymore?