Hidden Force

Gradually, amid the pain, Zhao Feng actually began to feel a trace of ease. Against the excruciating agony, that tiny trace felt especially refreshing. He understood that the endurance of his muscles, bones, and flesh had been tempered and strengthened. They had become tougher, which was why he was beginning to feel at ease.

In other words, this was a sign that his muscles, bones, and joints had been opened up.

Time passed, second by second. That sense of ease spread farther through his body, gradually reaching every part of him as his muscles, bones, and flesh became interconnected.

His whole body began to feel wonderfully refreshed, as though he were soaking in a hot spring. It was immensely comfortable.

Boom!

An unprecedented sensation of freedom and ease spread throughout his body. His qi and blood circulated smoothly, and a powerful force quietly arose within his muscles, bones, and joints, ready to gather and strike in an instant.

[Eight Extremes Stake Skill: major mastery (1/2000)]

"So this is hidden force!"

Zhao Feng thought to himself. By his reckoning, he had broken through only a little over two months later than Chu Fan, the Martial Arts School's most gifted disciple. That was pretty good, wasn't it?

After breaking through to hidden force, his body felt incredibly light, and his control over his qi and blood had clearly become much more effortless.

His body was lighter than ever, his control over his qi and blood precise down to the finest detail. With a mere thought, a terrifying, dormant power burst forth from his muscles, bones, and joints.

Whoosh! He tried throwing a punch with hidden force. It made no sound, yet he could feel an internal force projecting out of his body. But he was still unpracticed, and the sensation was faint!

Zhao Feng lightly leaped off the Plum Blossom Stakes and landed nimbly. While that breath still lingered in his chest, he immediately began practicing the Eight Extremes Fist! At the same time, he tried mobilizing his hidden force!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! As he worked through the sequence of punches, he could clearly feel that, while the movements perhaps caused less of a commotion than they had with bright strength, they distinctly stirred the surrounding air. This was a sign of hidden force occasionally projecting from his body and resonating with the air to create ripples.

He continued practicing while visualizing how to incorporate the mobilization of hidden force into his fist technique.

After he finished two sequences, a white light flashed before his eyes.

[Eight Extremes Fist: major mastery (1/2000)]

With that, both his stance training and his fist technique had broken through one after the other tonight.

I'm still not proficient enough at releasing hidden force. I've barely crossed the threshold. I need to ask Master about the knack of throwing punches with hidden force, as well as the stance-training postures for this stage.

As Zhao Feng landed and turned around, he saw his master's daughter, Huo Yao, staring at him in surprise with her beautiful eyes wide open.

"You succeeded in your gate breakthrough to hidden force?" While walking through the covered corridor, Huo Yao had heard movement in the front courtyard. She had come out to look and seen him throw a punch. Although he had yet to grasp the essentials of releasing power, she could sense what seemed to be hidden force.

"I got lucky," Zhao Feng said.

"I'll take you to see my father," Huo Yao said. She actually felt a little delighted deep down. Of course, it was not romantic affection. Rather, Zhao Feng's diligence and hard work over the past few months had left a deep impression on her and stirred a little compassion. Although she knew he had little potential, she still hoped he could succeed in his gate breakthrough.

Huo Yao led Zhao Feng through the covered corridor into the rear courtyard. It was quiet and secluded, with a tall parasol tree beside the wall that provided shade in summer. His master's wife had planted flowers and greenery, giving the place a warm, lived-in feel.

This was Zhao Feng's second visit to the rear courtyard. The last time, he had needed to see Huo Shan about something and had only entered after receiving permission.

At that moment, Eldest Senior Brother Shi Mao, Second Senior Brother Wei Yuan, Third Senior Brother Wang Yu, Fourth Senior Sister Zhou Xue, and Chu Fan were gathered around the round table in the rear courtyard, offering tea to their master and his wife.

As inner disciples, they could enter the rear courtyard directly and naturally enjoyed a closer relationship with him. Chu Fan had been in the limelight over the past two days, winning fame and distinction for the Martial Arts School. With their master's wife's birthday falling at the same time, it was truly a double blessing at the door.

"Father!" Huo Yao called.

Everyone turned around and saw Zhao Feng following behind Huo Yao. They all looked puzzled.

Apart from inner disciples, no one could enter the rear courtyard without an invitation.

"Zhao Feng, is there something you need?" Huo Shan asked, lifting his tea. Could this disciple have come to bid me farewell?

"Master, I just managed to break through to hidden force, with a little luck," Zhao Feng said calmly.

"Oh... what did you say?" Huo Shan had lifted the lid of his teacup and was about to drink when his hand trembled, spilling a few drops.

Everyone beside him also looked astonished and incredulous. Wasn't Junior Brother Zhao's root bone too poor, his potential already exhausted?

"Junior Brother Zhao, you really succeeded in your gate breakthrough!" Wei Yuan was the first to react, springing to his feet in delighted surprise.

"Senior Brother Wei, I got lucky." Zhao Feng nodded. He had noticed the subtle change in Wei Yuan's attitude toward him over the past few days, but he had not taken it to heart.

Huo Shan stood up, walked over to him in a few strides, and looked him up and down before pointing toward the parasol tree to one side.

"Throw a punch at it. Try using hidden force." Zhao Feng nodded, stepped forward, gathered his power, and drove a punch out with an advancing step. The punch seemed unremarkable, yet it cut through the air with a whistle and struck the tree trunk from a distance. There was no violent crash of force, and the tree did not even sway. But the bark visibly caved inward from the impact, leaving a shallow fist mark. Clearly, hidden force had struck directly into the trunk's interior.

"It really is hidden force!" The disciples present all looked shocked.

Didn't Junior Brother Zhao have a fifth-grade root bone? How had he also broken through to hidden force in just over half a year? It overturned everything they knew.

"You said you just broke through. Was this your first gate breakthrough attempt?" Huo Shan asked.

"Yes, Master." At Zhao Feng's affirmative answer, Huo Shan's pupils contracted slightly, and towering waves surged through his heart. He had personally examined Zhao Feng's bones and confirmed that he had a fifth-grade root bone, barely qualifying as below average-in truth, perhaps even worse. His breakthrough to hidden force was already a real surprise. Yet he had actually succeeded on his very first attempt, putting him not far behind those gifted disciples. In the entire Martial Arts School, apart from Zhao Feng, only Chu Fan had succeeded on his first attempt.

Huo Shan did the calculations. Zhao Feng and Chu Fan had joined at the same time, and Zhao Feng had only taken about two months longer. But Chu Fan had a second-grade root bone!

Huo Shan's impression of Zhao Feng was that he was steady and diligent, training hard without distractions. But for someone with a fifth-grade root bone, diligence and hard work alone were nowhere near enough. Back in the Sect, and outside it as well, he had seen many people with fifth-grade or even fourth-grade root bones train bitterly and struggle with all their might, only to become stuck at the bottleneck. The barrier to hidden force was a vast chasm to them. Failure on the first attempt was practically the norm, and afterward they could make at most another two or three attempts. Forcing another gate breakthrough beyond that would only backfire, injuring them and severely damaging their vitality until they were completely ruined.

Yet Zhao Feng had broken through to hidden force in just over half a year, and on his very first attempt at that. The only explanation was comprehension. The last time Huo Shan had guided him through the techniques, he had noticed that his comprehension was indeed quite good. Even with a poor root bone, someone with high comprehension deserved attention! He was worth nurturing.

"Good! Good!"

Huo Shan laughed heartily and patted Zhao Feng's shoulder, his eyes brimming with approval. "Well done, lad. I misjudged you!"

"From today onward, you are my sixth inner disciple."

"This is truly a triple blessing at the door!" Everyone knew what he meant: first, Chu Fan had earned merit and fame; second, it was their master's wife's birthday; and now Zhao Feng had achieved his gate breakthrough to hidden force.

"Junior Brother Zhao, congratulations." As the eldest senior brother, Shi Mao was the first to step forward and congratulate him.

Wei Yuan, of course, was sincerely happy for Zhao Feng. He also finally understood why Zhao Feng had declined to join the Patrol Squad a few days earlier: he had been concentrating on his gate breakthrough. To think Wei Yuan had been disappointed in him, believing Junior Brother Zhao had lost his spirit. How laughable.

Wang Yu and Zhou Xue also came forward to offer congratulations out of courtesy toward a fellow disciple. Both felt somewhat awkward. On more than one occasion, they had said that Zhao Feng had absolutely no chance of succeeding in his gate breakthrough to hidden force.

Chu Fan, however, lowered his head and gripped his teacup tightly. There was a trace of incomprehension in his eyes, but far more resentment. This family banquet had originally revolved around him. He had never expected Zhao Feng, whom he had always looked down on, to steal the limelight. But why? What gave him the right to stand on equal footing with me?

Although he also held the status of final disciple, the one who would inherit his master's legacy, he still found it hard to accept. Why did it have to be Zhao Feng, the fellow newcomer who had once seen me at my most wretched? Couldn't it have been someone else? Anyone else would have done.