Task

Night.

Beast King Fist Hall.

Bai De stood with his hands behind his back, swept his gaze over all the students, and said, "The Phoenix Claw Form requires a specially formulated secret medicine for training. Zhang Ping, come up and distribute it to everyone."

At his words, Zhang Ping stepped forward and handed out the secret medicine on the table one jar at a time.

It was a paste-like secret medicine. The ingredients 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 were not paid for with public funds, Zhang Ping would never have touched it.

"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 the Phoenix Claw Form. Watch carefully," Bai De said after Zhang Ping finished distributing the medicine.

Next, he gave a detailed explanation of the Phoenix Claw Form's moves and methods of exerting force, personally demonstrating both its training methods and combat applications.

The Phoenix Claw Form was somewhat like the Nine Yin White Bone Claw from martial arts novels. Once one got started, their finger strength became astonishing, allowing them to easily pierce an enemy's skull. Even the hardest frontal bone could hardly withstand the life-stealing finger strike of the Phoenix Claw Form.

If trained to mastery, the Phoenix Claw Form would undergo a transformation. Ordinary rocks and steel could both be easily clawed through.

"Does everyone understand the training methods and combat applications?"

Bai De had spoken for a full half hour. When he finished, he looked around at the crowd and asked.

Most of them indicated that they understood. Only Wang Jieming wore a miserable expression; he had not even gotten started on the Giant Crocodile Form yet.

While Zhang Ping had been away from Mingzhu City these past few days, he could only keep practicing the Ape King Form. Now, he was waiting for Zhang Ping to help him break down the moves of the Giant Crocodile Form.

The Phoenix Claw Form was far too advanced for him.

"All right, now spar freely."

Seeing that most of the students understood, Bai De simply sat down in a chair, picked up his teacup, and rested while drinking tea.

The students had become familiar with one another during this period. They each found partners they knew, exchanging pointers and practicing one-on-one.

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 the 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 the Giant Crocodile Form later. Once you've practiced the Giant Crocodile Form, you should be able to get started on the Phoenix Claw Form quickly. Besides, neither of us has started applying the secret medicine yet. We'll just try it casually."

"Mm, thank you." Wang Jieming looked grateful.

These past few days, while Zhang Ping had not been at Beast King Fist Hall, Wang Jieming had suffered quite a bit.

After all, few of these adventurers had good tempers. Because he learned slowly, sparring with him was like feeding him moves. They often became unhappy halfway through a match about serving as his practice partner, then began hitting harder.

He had accumulated plenty of bruises, and they still had not fully healed.

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 Heavenly Fox had already eaten his mother.

"My mom hasn't been home these past few days. Do you want to come to my house?" Realizing what Zhang Ping meant, Wang Jieming went along with it and asked.

That day, after spending the night at Iron Soul, he had planned to ask Zhang Ping the next day to return home with him and appraise whether his mother was truly Heavenly Fox.

Who could have known that plans would not keep up with changes?

The next morning, the moment he stepped out of his room, he encountered Liu Sishan waiting outside Zhang Ping's door. Instead, Liu Sishan ordered him to ask for leave on Zhang Ping's behalf and provide 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 the courage to return home by himself, only to find that his mother was not there.

At the time, it felt like throwing a punch into cotton. The courage he had painstakingly gathered drained away all at once.

For the next several days, he was the only one at home.

But deep down, he already understood that his mother was most likely doomed.

Zhang Ping understood what Wang Jieming meant. He sighed and patted Wang Jieming on the shoulder in consolation.

"Zhang Ping, can I follow you and 'practice martial arts'?" Wang Jieming asked after a moment of silence.

He wanted revenge.

But he did not even know where his enemy was.

Without revealing anything, Zhang Ping said, "Following me to 'practice martial arts' will be very hard. I'm worried you can't endure that hardship. Besides, you're too weak right now."

"I'm weak? Want to spar?" Wang Jieming immediately protested.

Zhang Ping also wanted to see Wang Jieming's strength, so he nodded. "The open space ahead?"

"Let's go!" Wang Jieming strode ahead.

Once they reached the open space, Zhang Ping gestured for Wang Jieming to make the first move.

"You'd better be careful. I may learn slowly, but Pearl Three Fists is already at the mastery level," Wang Jieming reminded him.

Zhang Ping beckoned with one hand and smiled. "Come."

If it had been before, he might not necessarily have been able to defeat 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 small, quick steps.

Wolf Charge!

Suddenly, he lunged forward and drove a fist toward Zhang Ping's spine.

Wolf Charge, one of the Pearl Three Fists, specifically targeted vital points such as the eyes, ears, and spine, emphasizing a single strike that had to hit.

Many Awakened ones liked to use Wolf Charge as their opening move. Especially in combat against other people, it was the most flexible and versatile opener.

Facing that punch, Zhang Ping turned and took a deceptive Ape Step, neatly evading Wang Jieming's attack. Then, with his face almost brushing Wang Jieming's arm, his entire body slammed toward Wang Jieming's chest. If that hit landed solidly, it could have driven Wang Jieming's chest into his ribcage.

Zhang Ping had assumed Wang Jieming would retreat. Who would have thought that Wang Jieming not only failed to retreat, but suddenly turned his fist into a hooking hand and jabbed directly at Zhang Ping's eyes.

He possessed a Pure Water Body. Even if Wang Jieming truly pecked out his eyes, he could recover quickly by transforming into his Pure Water Body. But if Zhang Ping's body check landed, Wang Jieming would be severely injured even if he did not die. Thus, Zhang Ping had no choice but to abandon his offense and raise both hands to block Wang Jieming's hooking hand. Then they collided once and immediately separated.

As he retreated, he noticed that Wang Jieming's feet were not planted solidly on the ground. Instead, he stood on the balls of his feet, allowing him to dissipate force rapidly when retreating.

Zhang Ping simulated it in his mind and realized that his body check just now might not have seriously injured Wang Jieming after all. Wang Jieming had shed the force quickly enough that he would have suffered, at most, minor injuries.

"Again!"

Wang Jieming gave a low shout, rushed forward, and launched an unending offensive like an ape.

Ape King Form!

Zhang Ping was immediately interested. He likewise used the Ape King Form to clash head-on with Wang Jieming. The two rapidly exchanged moves in the open space, countering every move with another, and only stopped after fighting for over ten minutes.

If they compared only their martial arts, they were actually evenly matched.

Once Wang Jieming learned a martial art, as long as he kept practicing diligently, his progress was incredibly fast.

"Old Wang, do you know what your primary attributes are?" Zhang Ping's forehead was lightly beaded with sweat. He wiped it away with his hand before asking.

Wang Jieming looked even more bedraggled. He was drenched in sweat, bracing both hands on his knees as he panted heavily and answered, "My primary attributes are stamina, strength, and speed."

"Three attributes. That makes you a balanced type." Zhang Ping nodded.

Scholars in Mingzhu City had studied this. Among Awakened ones, the primary attributes of most summoners and beast tamers were stamina and spirit, while those of pure spellcasting Awakened ones were spirit.

The physical enhancement type of Awakened ones 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 instance, massive health tanks whose primary attribute was stamina, and hyper-speed assassins whose primary attribute was speed.

It was worth mentioning that according to Mingzhu City's classification, Awakened ones with the Eagle Eye talent were also considered physical enhancement types, except only their eyes were enhanced.

Zhang Ping's Level was higher than Wang Jieming's, and his primary attributes were stamina and spirit. Therefore, his stamina recovered far 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 quickly refused. In their exchange just now, he had been gritting his teeth and forcing himself to hold on. If Zhang Ping had not stopped, he would definitely have lost.

Although his martial arts were on par with Zhang Ping's, his endurance was far inferior.

"Stamina and spirit," Zhang Ping answered.

Wang Jieming immediately refused to believe him. "Impossible. Your strength and speed are about the same as mine. How could you only have stamina and spirit?"

"That's the result of my own hard training. If you do five thousand push-ups every morning when you get up, followed by two thousand sit-ups, I believe you can do it too," Zhang Ping said with a smile.

His potential had now reached as high as six stars, so the effects of his training were exceptional.

During the day, he had constantly been testing his limits. Yet because his primary attributes were stamina and spirit, not only did his physical strength recover extremely quickly, but his Mental Strength recovered very quickly as well.

Whenever he grew tired from training, he only needed to rest for a few minutes before becoming full of energy again and continuing to train.

So even he did not know where his limits lay.

In fact, if he did not need to eat, drink, relieve himself, and sleep, he could have trained madly all day long.

"Ah, it's very late. Let's head back," Wang Jieming said after falling silent, then sighing again.

He knew Zhang Ping also possessed an ability to release flames. If Zhang Ping used that move as well, he would be no match for him at all.

"Let's go. What you need to do now is train hard. Sooner or later, you'll make everyone stare in amazement," Zhang Ping comforted him upon seeing that Wang Jieming had given up.

Before this, Zhang Ping would have loved to bring Wang Jieming along to fight Heavenly Fox.

But things were different now.

His trip outside the city had not only greatly increased his strength, but also given him a deeper understanding of Mingzhu City's situation.

Besides Heavenly Fox, there was also the Beast-Taming Zhu Family lurking in the shadows and watching greedily. Bringing Wang Jieming along would not help at all; instead, 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 and then took out the Ghost Lantern.

The Ghost Lantern gave off a hazy gray light, turning everything within its illumination black and white.

Zhang Ping covered his body with Nether Mist. Beneath the long black cloak, thick Nether Mist churned, and in the blink of an eye, he transformed from an ordinary student into a two-meter-tall reaper.

In truth, he was floating roughly twenty centimeters above the ground at that moment, which was why he appeared so tall.

He took out a mirror, looked over his appearance, and felt very satisfied.

Then he put away the mirror, gave a cold laugh, and quickly drifted into the distance.

Tonight.

He still had another task.