This Is What You Call Average Talent?

"The second six-star mission."

Su Bei felt a slight surge of excitement. "The last mission was Mystery of the Cultivation Method. The differences between the two worlds make it easier for high-star missions to appear."

But actively triggering them was rather difficult.

The last one had been a main quest to increase his strength, issued because of the differences in cultivation systems. This time, it was a moving mission, a panel quest caused by the differences between spiritual energy and source force.

The reward was still a wisp of Emperor Sun Aura. That was an incredible treasure. The reason Su Bei could so easily crush opponents of the same rank was largely thanks to the Emperor Sun Aura!

It was like having a cheat that gave him unlimited mana!

Without it, Su Bei's strength would not have fallen by much, but this martial evaluation would definitely have been far more difficult.

Therefore, this mission had to be completed!

He needed to gain a deep understanding of the composition of these energies, understand why they appeared and where they originated, then try to tame them for his own use.

Su Bei carefully read through the mission description.

However, this mission was not as easy to complete as he had imagined.

First, historians still had countless different theories about the origins and appearance of the energies represented by source force—metal, wood, water, fire, earth, sun, moon, wind, rain, thunder, lightning, and so on. There was no definitive explanation that could settle the matter once and for all.

Second, the types of energy in this world were simply too numerous, and the composition of source force was even more complicated. Fortunately, science still existed in this high-martial world.

Anything mysticism could not explain could be handed over to science.

At worst, he could just study all of it. Then the mission would be complete.

Once martial artists reached the later stages of cultivation, mysticism and science went hand in hand.

Still, to understand these things in such meticulous detail, he would need a certain level of access. He wondered whether the military had it—back in his previous life, even reading university students' papers required a membership, much less cutting-edge material.

"I'll ask tomorrow."

With that thought, Su Bei temporarily put the matter aside.

Emperor Sun Aura was certainly good, but he still had one wisp inside his body, so it was not that urgent.

After all, he had not even used one-thousandth of the energy contained within it. It was as vast as an ocean. He simply did not know whether the consumption would become more exaggerated once he reached the Martial Artist Realm.

So the mission definitely had to be completed, but it did not have to be done in a short time. Even if it took several years, Su Bei could afford to wait.

He settled his mind.

Su Bei browsed and compared the options through the association's links before finally choosing a fist technique—"Cannon Fist."

A high-grade martial technique.

It was a fist technique derived from ancient martial arts and was absolutely renowned among fist techniques.

Its stances were open and extended, its power fierce, its momentum deep and heavy. Its movements were vigorous and forceful, broad and direct, centered on hardness. Its forms were relatively simple as well, so quite a few people learned it.

This fist technique happened to suit Su Bei perfectly. His fighting style was broad and aggressive, with a dense rhythm like an unending storm. Once he was given an opening, he would almost never give his opponent a chance to strike back!

He immediately chose to exchange for it.

Not long afterward, an encrypted document was sent to Su Bei's phone.

As for a Gene Method, Su Bei searched for quite a while before ultimately choosing the Five Animal Gene Method. It was a high-grade Gene Method. Its combat ability was average, but cultivation was gentle and simple, and it did not demand much talent. It could ward off all manner of illness and prolong one's life.

It was perfect for his parents to cultivate. In fact, it suited Su He as well.

All three of them had the talent of ordinary people. It would probably be difficult for them to achieve much in cultivation, so they might as well practice this sort of health-preserving Gene Method. It would greatly improve their constitutions.

He directly sent the Gene Method document to the family group chat with the four of them.

Su Bei: @Everyone This is the Gene Method I just exchanged for. Start cultivating it as soon as possible, and remember not to spread it around casually!

Su He: Received!!

Mother Su: Why didn't you pick a better Gene Method for yourself? Why choose this for us?

Father Su: [Voice message] 25s

Su Bei then found a cultivation tutorial in the Wuji Martial Hall app. Seeing that the instructor was an old man in his sixties or seventies who looked extremely convincing, he spent another eight hundred thousand to download the full course and sent the package to the group chat as well.

The price was anything but cheap. This was only because the Five Animal Gene Method was the health-preserving type. For other categories of high-grade Gene Method instructional videos, not a single one cost less than a million.

It made Su Bei's eyes turn red.

But this was money he absolutely could not save. If he let his parents figure it out themselves, who knew how long it would take them just to get started?

After giving them a few more simple reminders in the group chat, Su Bei memorized all the essence of Cannon Fist and tossed his phone aside.

He was currently in the underground training room. Its soundproofing was excellent, and the interior was built entirely from special steel, so he did not need to worry about the noise from cultivation disturbing anyone else.

"Cannon Fist."

There was a saying in the fist technique: "Raise within, follow without. Rise horizontally, fall smoothly. Strike at close range, drive with qi. Let the fist be like a cannon and destroy the enemy's body."

Simply put, setting aside moves such as Chasing Wind Cannon, Heart-Hiding Cannon, Flying Cloud Cannon, Chain Cannon, Face-Meeting Cannon, Sky-Piercing Cannon, and Coiling Whip Cannon, it was more like a technique for exerting force. It concentrated the strength of the body into the fist and released it in an instant. With long practice, the fist would strike like a cannon, possessing boundless power.

Once cultivated to a profound level, its explosive force would definitely not be inferior to spear techniques.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Following the descriptions in the fist technique, he began attempting the training.

With the support of his perfected fist martial arts realm, Su Bei's movements gradually changed from awkward at the start to smooth and fluid. His punches also became increasingly connected, while the wind from his fists cracked through the air like whipping strikes.

Only a little over ten minutes passed.

Cannon Fist had already reached the entry level.

That was the benefit brought by martial arts realm. When cultivating martial techniques of the same category, it was not merely twice the result for half the effort—it could be called traveling a thousand miles in a day.

Su Bei gradually immersed himself in practicing the fist technique.

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, an entire night had passed. Su Bei had achieved success in cultivation, and even if he went three days without sleep, he would not feel tired.

He would soon be heading to the Shattered Battlefield. He had to seize every moment to improve his strength.

Sweat poured down his body as he moved in flashing strides. His fist technique roared, and the sound of air tearing apart exploded. Every punch was like a string of firecrackers detonating, carrying astonishing force.

After a long while.

Su Bei stopped, his brows slightly furrowed.

After one night, Cannon Fist had reached the Mastery Realm. It was barely enough for combat, but although it looked impressive, the increase in power was negligible. Its consumption was even higher than Basic Fist Technique. The two could not be perfectly integrated, and instead, more openings had appeared.

If he encountered an opponent stronger than himself, he might end up suffering for it.

"My talent for fist techniques really isn't as strong as I imagined."

Su Bei sighed inwardly.

Of course, that strength was in comparison to his spear talent. When he had cultivated the Piercing Sun Spear Technique, he had encountered no such problem. In just one night, he had reached the Minor Achievement Realm!

One had to know that his martial arts realm with the spear was only at the Greater Achievement Realm!

But his fist martial arts realm was perfected. The difference between the two was considerable—a complete qualitative change.

However, if anyone knew what Su Bei was thinking, they would probably want to come up and punch him twice. His martial arts talent already far surpassed that of ordinary people. He could quickly grasp any martial technique, and reaching the Mastery Realm in a single night was something many people would not even dare dream of.

"Time is tight. If I had enough time, I could slowly polish it through steady effort, but that definitely won't work now."

Su Bei still had plans to learn archery.

Since that was the case.

Where talent could not reach, he would smash through with pills!

Intelligence Enhancement Pill, smash it open for me!

He had saved up a few before, but he had used them all on spear techniques. Now, he had only one Intelligence Enhancement Pill left, and Su Bei swallowed it directly.

In an instant.

A flash of inspiration passed through his mind. The fist technique, which had originally felt somewhat obscure, gave Su Bei entirely new insights at several key changes in its forms.

He assumed his stance and began pounding away at the training room's dummy.

This time, it was indeed different.

Time flew by. By the time the effects of the Intelligence Enhancement Pill faded, Su Bei's Cannon Fist had already reached the Minor Achievement Realm.

"I really am a martial arts genius!"

But that still was not enough.

Without the slightest hesitation, Su Bei struck while the iron was hot. He took out the Intermediate Enlightenment Pill and stuffed it directly into his mouth!

The pill transformed into a cool current that rushed straight into his mind. It was as if countless tiny electric currents connected and stimulated his brain. Wisdom surged wildly from within Su Bei's mind, while endless flashes of insight erupted like a volcano!

When he looked at the fist technique again, it was like a butcher dissecting an ox. Everything he had not understood became clear in that instant!

Su Bei almost instantly arrived before the dummy, applying everything in his mind to his body in a single moment.

It was as if he had entered a state of pure focus, abandoning every technique he had used before and immersing himself solely in Cannon Fist.

He did not know how much time had passed. He only felt that time had become incomparably long, as if nothing remained except one man and one fist.

He did not even notice when Liu Shan entered.

His martial arts realm in Cannon Fist was like spring bamboo shoots receiving a torrential rain, growing wildly upward!

Bang!

Bang!

Boom!

Boom!

As Su Bei threw punch after punch, his blood and qi surged, and his Qi Force erupted. The sound of his punches changed as well. Every strike sounded like a cannonball exploding from its barrel, crisp and thunderous. Each move seemed capable of blasting through the sky, while his steps raced wildly as though they were about to whip up a hurricane!

Boom!

With Su Bei's final punch, the specially made dummy—capable of withstanding continuous impacts of eight thousand jin—seemed to be made of foam as it instantly shattered into pieces!

Its broken remains fell to the side, displaying the power of that punch!

Su Bei withdrew his fist and stood still. His blood and qi overflowed, and his breathing was slightly ragged, but his spirit was incomparably invigorated!

Cannon Fist.

Had entered the Greater Achievement Realm!

He was even only separated from perfection by a thin layer of paper. One light poke would be enough to break through it!

"The medicinal effect isn't enough. Otherwise, I might have entered the perfected realm today!"

Su Bei felt some regret, but he was already extremely satisfied.

He recalled what he had gained in his mind.

Cannon Fist belonged to fire. It was the opening and closing of Qi Force within the human body, like ancient people loading medicine into a cannon barrel. When it opened like a cannon firing, the gunpowder exploded within the chamber and the cannonball burst forth in an instant. Its nature was the fiercest and most violent!

With a perfected martial arts realm and this fist technique as fierce as fire, Su Bei's fist techniques had now surpassed his spear techniques. Once he saw through the final barrier to perfection, this fist technique would instead become his strongest method.

"Xiaobei."

"This... is what you call average talent for fist techniques?"

Liu Shan stood at the side, completely dumbfounded.

His expression was blank.

Something that had only recently been repaired seemed to have been shattered again.