Night.
Beast King Fist Hall.
Bai De stood with his hands behind his back, sweeping his gaze over all the students before saying, "Phoenix Claw Form requires a specially formulated secret medicine. Zhang Ping, come up and distribute it to everyone."
At his words, Zhang Ping stepped forward and handed out the secret medicine from the table one jar at a time.
It was a paste-like secret medicine. The materials needed to make it were not expensive, but Beast King Fist Hall sold it at an outrageous price. A jar that cost 5 Pearl City Coins to produce was sold for 200 Pearl City Coins.
If it had not been paid for with public funds, Zhang Ping would never have touched the stuff.
"Apply this secret medicine to your fingers once every morning. Do not touch water for an hour after applying it. All right, now we'll explain the moves of Phoenix Claw Form. Watch carefully," Bai De said after Zhang Ping finished distributing the medicine.
Next, he gave a detailed explanation of Phoenix Claw Form's moves and methods of exerting force, personally demonstrating both its training methods and combat applications.
Phoenix Claw Form was somewhat like the Nine Yin White Bone Claw from martial arts novels. Once one got started, their finger strength would become astonishing, allowing them to easily pierce an enemy's skull. Even the hardest frontal bone could not withstand the life-stealing finger strike of Phoenix Claw Form.
If it could be cultivated to mastery, Phoenix Claw Form would undergo a transformation. Ordinary rocks and steel could be easily torn through.
"Has everyone understood the training methods and combat applications?"
Bai De had spoken for a full half hour this time. When he finished, he scanned the crowd and asked.
Most people indicated that they understood. Only Wang Jieming wore a miserable expression. He had not even gotten started with Giant Crocodile Form yet.
Since Zhang Ping had not been in Mingzhu City these past few days, he could only keep practicing Ape King Form. Now, he was just waiting for Zhang Ping to help him break down the moves of Giant Crocodile Form.
The contents of Phoenix Claw Form were far too advanced for him.
"All right, now you may spar freely."
Seeing that most of the students understood, Bai De simply sat down in a chair, picked up a teacup, and rested while drinking tea.
By now, the students had become familiar with one another. They found partners they knew and paired off to exchange pointers and practice.
Zhang Ping had originally wanted to spar with Zhou Jielin, but after looking around, he did not see him anywhere. Left with no choice, he walked over to Wang Jieming and said, "Let's spar."
"Zhang Ping, I didn't understand Phoenix Claw Form at all. I'm afraid I won't be much help," Wang Jieming said apologetically.
Zhang Ping had expected this. Smiling, he said, "I know. I'll help you break down Giant Crocodile Form later. Once you finish practicing Giant Crocodile Form, you should get started with Phoenix Claw Form quickly. Besides, neither of us has started applying the secret medicine yet, so we'll just give it a casual try."
"Mm, thank you." Wang Jieming said gratefully.
While Zhang Ping had been away from Beast King Fist Hall these past few days, Wang Jieming had suffered quite a bit.
After all, few of these adventurers had good tempers. Since he learned slowly, sparring with him was like feeding him moves. They often grew annoyed at becoming his practice partners halfway through and started hitting harder.
He had accumulated quite a few bruises, and they had yet to fully heal.
After class.
The two left Beast King Fist Hall.
Zhang Ping looked up at the stars in the sky and suddenly asked, "Wang Jieming, has your mother been home these past few days?"
He still remembered Wang Jieming saying that he suspected his mother had already been eaten by the Heavenly Fox.
"My mom hasn't been home these past few days. Do you want to come to my house?" Wang Jieming understood what Zhang Ping meant and followed up with a question.
That day, he had spent the night at Iron Soul. He had originally planned to ask Zhang Ping the next day to return home with him and use Appraisal to determine whether his mother was truly the Heavenly Fox.
Who would have thought that plans could not keep up with Transformation?
The next morning, as soon as he left his room, he ran into Liu Sishan waiting outside Zhang Ping's door. Instead, Liu Sishan ordered him to request leave for Zhang Ping and cover for him.
Under Liu Sishan's sharp gaze, he could not bring himself to say no.
However, after breakfast at Iron Soul, he gathered his courage and returned home alone, only to find that his mother was not there.
At the time, he felt as though he had punched cotton. The courage he had painstakingly gathered drained away all at once.
For the next few days, he was the only one at home.
But deep down, he already understood that his mother was probably doomed.
Zhang Ping understood what Wang Jieming meant. He sighed and patted his shoulder in consolation.
"Zhang Ping, can I follow you and 'practice boxing'?" Wang Jieming asked after a moment of silence.
He wanted revenge.
But he did not even know where his enemy was.
Without changing his expression, Zhang Ping said, "Following me to 'practice boxing' will be very hard. I'm worried you won't be able to endure it. Besides, you're too weak right now."
"I'm weak? Want to fight?" Wang Jieming immediately protested.
Zhang Ping also wanted to see Wang Jieming's strength, so he nodded. "The open space up ahead?"
"Let's go!" Wang Jieming strode ahead.
Once they reached the open space, Zhang Ping signaled for Wang Jieming to attack.
"You'd better be careful. Although I learn slowly, Pearl Three Fists is already at the mastery level," Wang Jieming reminded him.
Zhang Ping beckoned with a smile. "Come."
Before this, he might not necessarily have been able to beat Wang Jieming. But now he was Level 9 while Wang Jieming was still Level 5. What could Wang Jieming use to fight him?
Wang Jieming took a deep breath and circled Zhang Ping in quick, small steps.
Wolf Charge!
Suddenly, he lunged forward and drove a fist toward Zhang Ping's spine.
The Wolf Charge stance of Pearl Three Fists specifically targeted vital points such as the eyes, ears, and spine, emphasizing a single decisive strike.
Many Awakened liked to open with Wolf Charge. Especially in combat against other people, it was the most flexible and versatile opening move.
Facing that punch, Zhang Ping turned and used Ape Step to feint, narrowly avoiding Wang Jieming's attack. Then, with his face almost brushing Wang Jieming's arm, he drove his entire body toward Wang Jieming's chest. If that strike landed solidly, it could have smashed Wang Jieming's chest inward.
Zhang Ping had thought Wang Jieming would retreat, but Wang Jieming not only failed to retreat, his fist suddenly transformed into a hooking hand and pecked straight at Zhang Ping's eye.
He had the Pure Water Body. Even if Wang Jieming truly pecked his eye out, he could quickly recover by undergoing Transformation into his Pure Water Body. But if he landed that body blow, Wang Jieming would be seriously injured even if he did not die. So Zhang Ping had no choice but to abandon his offense and raise both hands to block Wang Jieming's hooking hand. Their hands collided once, then they separated at the first touch.
Only as he retreated did he notice that Wang Jieming's feet were not planted firmly on the ground. Instead, he stood on the balls of his feet, allowing him to rapidly dissipate force when retreating.
Zhang Ping simulated it in his mind and realized that his body blow might not actually have seriously injured Wang Jieming. Wang Jieming had shed the force too quickly; at most, he would have suffered a minor injury.
"Again!"
Wang Jieming gave a low shout and rushed forward, launching an unbroken barrage of attacks like an ape.
Ape King Form!
Zhang Ping immediately became interested. He likewise used Ape King Form to meet Wang Jieming head-on. The two rapidly exchanged moves in the open space, countering every attack with another. They fought for over ten minutes before stopping.
If they compared only their boxing techniques, the two were actually evenly matched.
Once Wang Jieming learned a boxing technique, as long as he practiced it consistently, he improved far too quickly.
"Old Wang, do you know what your primary attributes are?" Zhang Ping asked, wiping the slight sweat from his forehead.
Wang Jieming was in a much more bedraggled state, drenched in sweat from head to toe. Bracing his hands on his knees and breathing heavily, he replied, "My primary attributes are stamina, strength, and speed."
"Three attributes. That makes you a balanced type." Zhang Ping nodded.
Scholars in Mingzhu City had researched this. Among Awakened, the primary attributes of most summoners and beast tamers were stamina and Mental Strength, while the primary attribute of pure spellcasting Awakened was Mental Strength.
Awakened of the physical Transformation type came in far more varieties.
For example, there were burst types whose primary attribute was strength, endurance types whose primary attributes were strength and stamina, balanced types whose primary attributes were strength, stamina, and speed, and agile types whose primary attributes were strength and speed.
There were even some rather unusual cases.
For example, massive health tanks whose primary attribute was stamina, and super-speed assassins whose primary attribute was speed.
It was worth mentioning that according to Mingzhu City's classification, Awakened with the Eagle Eye talent were also considered physical Transformation Awakened, except only their eyes had undergone Transformation.
Zhang Ping was at a higher Level than Wang Jieming, and his primary attributes were stamina and Mental Strength. Therefore, his stamina recovered much faster than Wang Jieming's.
In just two minutes, he had recovered. Smiling, he asked, "Want to try again?"
"No. Zhang Ping, what are your primary attributes?" Wang Jieming hurriedly refused. When he had fought Zhang Ping just now, he had been gritting his teeth and forcing himself to hold on. If Zhang Ping had not stopped, he definitely would have lost.
Though his boxing was on par with Zhang Ping's, his endurance was far inferior.
"Stamina and Mental Strength," Zhang Ping answered.
Wang Jieming immediately refused to believe him. "Impossible. Your strength and speed are about the same as mine. How could your attributes only be stamina and Mental Strength?"
"That's the result of my own hard training. If you do five thousand push-ups and two thousand sit-ups every morning after getting up, I believe you can do it too," Zhang Ping said with a smile.
His potential had now reached six stars, so his training results were exceptionally good.
During the day, he had been constantly testing his limits. Yet because his primary attributes were stamina and Mental Strength, not only did his stamina recover extremely quickly, his Mental Strength recovered very quickly as well.
Whenever training exhausted him, he only needed to rest for a few minutes before he was full of energy again and could continue training.
Even he did not know his own limits.
In truth, if he did not need to eat, drink, relieve himself, and sleep, he could have trained madly all day long.
"It's getting late. Let's go back," Wang Jieming said after a moment of silence, then sighed.
He knew Zhang Ping also had an ability that released flames. If Zhang Ping used that move too, he would be no match for Zhang Ping at all.
"Let's go. What you need to do now is train hard. One day, sooner or later, you'll leave everyone stunned," Zhang Ping said, comforting Wang Jieming when he saw that he had already given up.
Before this, Zhang Ping had been eager to bring Wang Jieming along to fight the Heavenly Fox.
But things were different now.
His trip outside the city had not only greatly increased his strength, but also given him a better understanding of Mingzhu City's situation.
Besides the Heavenly Fox, the Beast-Taming Zhu Family was also lurking in the shadows, watching like a tiger. Bringing Wang Jieming in would not help at all. It would only harm him.
When they reached a fork in the road, the two went their separate ways.
Zhang Ping did not return to Iron Soul. Instead, he walked into an inconspicuous corner. After making sure the tail in the sky had swept past, he quickly put on the Assassination Ring, then took out the Wraith Lantern.
The Wraith Lantern emitted a hazy gray light, and everything illuminated by it turned black and white.
Zhang Ping covered his body with Nether Mist. Beneath his long black cloak, rolling Nether Mist churned. In the blink of an eye, he underwent Transformation from an ordinary student into a two-meter-tall Grim Reaper.
In fact, he was floating about twenty centimeters above the ground at that moment, which was why he appeared so tall.
He took out a mirror and examined his appearance, feeling very satisfied.
Then he put the mirror away, let out a cold laugh, and swiftly drifted into the distance.
Tonight.
He still had another task.