"Golden Ape Earth-Splitting Art"

By the time Su Xinghe arrived at the Martial Arts School, some early-rising disciples were already practicing their fist forms in the front courtyard's training ground. Most of them came from villages outside the city and ate and lived in the large warehouse in the Martial Arts School's side courtyard.

More than a dozen stood crookedly, chatting and laughing among themselves. Watching these vibrant youths, he was reminded of his school days.

Back then, he too had been full of hope for the future, believing he had limitless possibilities ahead of him.

Thinking back on it now, he had merely been a little bird protected inside a cage.

Just like these apprentices before him—once the illusory blue skies and white clouds above Lin County were swept aside, all they would see was the dark mass blanketing half the heavens.

After standing there in a daze for a moment, he let out a long sigh.

"Ah... I can't go back."

"What can't you go back to?"

A deep voice sounded behind him.

Su Xinghe hurriedly turned around. Seeing that it was the Martial Arts School instructor, Wu Yingcai, he clasped his hands and bowed.

"Good morning, Instructor Wu."

When Su Xinghe did not answer, Wu Yingcai did not take it to heart.

He merely replied lightly, "You're up quite early too."

This Outer Disciple, about the same age as himself, did not seem particularly exceptional.

The only thing that had left an impression on him was that, among the nine newly recruited disciples from that batch, this man was the sole lucky survivor.

He did not know why Elder Xie had taken a liking to him.

"Come with me. Elder Xie wants to see you."

With that, he turned and headed toward the rear courtyard.

White Ape Martial Academy's decor carried a distinctly minimalist style.

Although the rear courtyard served as the workplace and training area for the Martial Arts School's higher-ups, its arrangement was no different from the front courtyard.

Everywhere were white walls, black tiles, and square-brick flooring. Only a few pots of chrysanthemums had been added by the walls, releasing a faint, secluded fragrance beneath the autumn morning sun.

Before a row of training rooms converted from warehouses, Wu Yingcai knocked on a tightly shut door.

"Elder Xie, Su Xinghe is here."

"Come in."

Xie Guang's lazy voice echoed from within the training room.

The moment he entered, the entire room lay open before his eyes.

It looked like a warehouse from outside, and it still looked like one inside. Only the floor had been covered with smooth, polished marble slabs, and a five-meter-high solid-wood ceiling had been added overhead.

Within the large open room, roughly ten meters long and wide, there was only an old set of tables, chairs, and tea ware beside the window.

Once the two entered, the door closed again.

Su Xinghe clasped his hands toward Xie Guang, who was brewing tea.

"Greetings, Chief Steward Xie. You're already up and working so early—truly a model for disciples like us!"

The corner of Xie Guang's mouth twitched slightly.

"I got up this early because of you!"

At that, Su Xinghe did not know what to say.

He could only smile awkwardly and quietly watch the other man brew tea.

The teapot circled the cups three times, and steaming vapor began to spread across the table.

Xie Guang lifted one of the cups and took a light sip.

Its fragrance was pure, its taste sweet, and its lingering finish unending.

He nodded in satisfaction and unhurriedly set down the teacup.

Only after the fragrance of tea had faded from his mouth did he look at the two of them with contentment.

"Yesterday, when I watched you practice your fist form, it seemed you had nearly mastered the Golden Ape Fist."

Joy stirred in Su Xinghe's heart.

He had only revealed the slightest trace of his talent, yet he had immediately caught this man's attention. It seemed this plan had to continue. While the Martial Arts School still had few disciples, he needed to secure as many martial resources as possible.

"Elder Xie, your discerning eyes are as true as a ruler. This disciple's fist technique is still crude and requires much more polishing."

A hint of approval appeared on Xie Guang's face.

There were many gifted disciples, but ones who remained this humble were rare indeed.

Shaking his head, he sighed.

"The Martial Arts School has only just been established; everything is waiting to be rebuilt, and we are short of capable disciples."

"The Martial Arts School master is stretched too thin, and many arrangements have yet to be put in place. Take Narcissus Street, for instance. It is the territory of a force called the Black Tiger Gang. And standing behind them is precisely that group who came the day before yesterday—the Fierce Tiger Martial Hall."

"Though our White Ape Martial Academy and theirs have always kept to our own wells and never crossed each other's rivers, this still makes us seem a head shorter than Fierce Tiger Martial Hall."

Su Xinghe listened quietly.

These were matters the Martial Arts School's higher-ups ought to consider. Perhaps the man had been under too much pressure lately and was simply venting when the opportunity arose.

But for the sake of resources, he still had to provide the emotional validation expected of him.

"Elder Xie, thank you for your hard work. This disciple is ashamed."

Xie Guang did not react and continued talking to himself.

"Ah... it seems I'm still not suited to sit in this position."

"If it were before, where would all this trouble have come from? Whoever I didn't like, I'd just call him outside the city and beat the hell out of him."

After saying that, he drained all the brewed cups of tea in one gulp.

At last, he let out a long breath.

"Yingcai, demonstrate the complete Golden Ape Earth-Splitting Art for Little Su three times. Sing the mnemonic aloud."

Wu Yingcai: !!!!!!!!!!

He was a dignified ninth-rank Martial Warrior, yet he had to give special tutoring to an outer disciple who had not even reached Inner Tempering. Even those two inner disciples who had long reached Inner Tempering had never received such treatment.

And he had to sing it aloud!

This...

But Elder Xie's orders could not be disobeyed.

The martial instructor first stretched his limbs, then, face flushing red, began softly chanting and demonstrating the art.

Su Xinghe had initially thought the man would give him Qi-Replenishing Pills, but the true art was even more precious.

He immediately cleared away all distracting thoughts and began memorizing it with full concentration.

This Golden Ape Earth-Splitting Art was an advanced version of the Golden Ape Fist. The movements of the two sets of fist forms were basically identical.

The difference lay only in the mnemonic and the artistic conception, which incorporated content concerning the mobilization of the power of qi and blood within the body.

Thus, apart from the mnemonic...

Su Xinghe had learned it after watching it only once. From the second demonstration onward, he began simulating the practice in his mind.

Perhaps his Listening to Tides Art had become more proficient recently. Following the flow of his subconscious thoughts, the silver little figure in his mind-space began to dance gracefully.

Because he was too focused, the qi and blood within his body began to surge without his noticing. Yet without specific mental-method and combat-method mnemonics, it looked the same as when he normally practiced the Golden Ape Fist.

"Diligence Makes Up for Dullness, one hundred practices a day."

"Golden Ape Fist, experience +1."

"What!"

Su Xinghe had been immersed in observing and learning when the sudden notification in his mind gave him a fright.

He hurriedly looked toward the Fate Panel, where the clear characters remained.

I...

I can actually use the silver little figure in my Consciousness Space to practice fist forms!!!

Could this Listening to Tides Art be my transmigration cheat?

"Su Xinghe, focus!"

An elderly voice carrying a trace of anger rang out.

He hurriedly reined in his surging emotions and seriously observed the instructor's demonstration of the fist art.

A quarter of an hour later,

Su Xinghe saw that red scroll once again.

It had been unfurled, spread fully across the table.

"Golden Ape Fist," "Golden Ape Earth-Splitting Art."

Practice method, mental method, combat method—the three combined formed a complete Ninth Rank true art.

The fist form was still the same fist form, but it now included methods for coordinating the mobilization of qi and blood within the body.

There were also killing techniques for practical combat.

Previously, when he erupted with qi and blood in a desperate fight, he only knew how to activate the warm current in his chest and abdomen all at once.

Now that he had seen the mental method of the Golden Ape Earth-Splitting Art, he realized that had simply been a waste of qi and blood.

It went from the simple stirring of qi and blood to the circulation of the power of qi and blood.

It was like having the same liter of gasoline: he had directly lit it in a washbasin with a lighter. The flames looked fierce, and the heat pressed against his face, but its actual efficiency was poor.

This Golden Ape Earth-Splitting Art, however, turned the body into an engine. It could draw greater, more lasting efficiency from that same liter of gasoline.

But all of that would have to wait until he broke through to become a Martial Warrior and condensed the power of qi and blood within his body.

For now, it was temporarily useless to him.