Bright Force

Whoosh~ whoosh~ crack~

Lin Hao completed a full set of Crouching Tiger Fist stance training in the side courtyard. His bones and sinews resonated throughout his body, and all his strength came together as one!

This was already Lin Hao's third consecutive set in which he had fully activated every muscle in his body. After finishing it, he felt his muscles, tendons, skin, and membranes grow a little tighter again. Every movement seemed capable of drawing on all his muscles in concert!

"Did you do it?"

Beside him, Yi Feng had just finished practicing with the Crouching Tiger Staff and was catching his breath.

Hearing Lin Hao produce those sounds over and over, he asked with delight.

"I think so. The realms in this world aren't divided all that clearly, but I should at least count as having entered Bright Force now."

Lin Hao finished his closing stance and slowly exhaled. Then he casually swung his fists through the air a few times, producing several crisp cracks!

His body barely seemed to turn, yet he still drew on his other muscle groups for support. The muscles of his bare upper body were sharply defined, and their contours visibly shifted with each punch!

"Haha, you're awesome, Lin! A fifty-percent three-point shooting rate and a hundred-percent rate get you completely different treatment."

Yi Feng waved his arms excitedly beside him, happy for Lin Hao.

Over the past month, with the boost from his [Proficient] Crouching Tiger Staff, Yi Feng had managed to make his bones and sinews resonate two or three times, despite slacking off a little.

But at his current frequency and effectiveness, it had almost no practical value in a real fight.

With a ten-percent three-point shooting rate, you would not even be allowed to attempt threes on the court. Compared with Lin Hao, who could now unleash whole-body force at will, the difference was like night and day!

Even when caught off guard, a Bright Force expert could inflict considerable damage on an ordinary adult with a casual swing.

"My physical conditioning is still a little lacking. Fortunately, we both started with decent foundations."

Everyone liked hearing praise. Though Lin Hao was already used to Yi Feng's smooth talk, a faint smile still appeared on his face.

"I can't match professional athletes in bench presses or squats, and the same goes for the hundred-meter sprint. But I can coordinate all my muscles to produce force with every move. That's something their normal training can't compare with."

Lin Hao opened and closed his fist. By now, he also understood more clearly why Wu Xin had said he could draw on other training methods.

Even though he had entered Bright Force, the way Lin Hao generated force still mainly followed the corresponding areas covered by his training methods. It worked best when matched to the techniques, while he still could not manage it in certain unconventional positions.

That probably meant there were still areas he had not trained sufficiently!

At the Bright Force and Hidden Force levels, however, those gaps did not really show and had little effect.

After all, he would naturally attack according to his own habits, and whole-body force had already become instinctive.

"Once I start Organ Tempering, the difference will probably become apparent. Those top-level lineages must have more secret methods and experience for organ and marrow training. But that experience probably has to be passed down orally, or even through hands-on guidance..."

Lin Hao recalled how his master had guided him when he first started, tossing him around like a rag doll.

If he fumbled through training on his own, a mistake in even one area could ruin his body after years of practice.

Even muscle and tendon training could go wrong, so Organ Tempering and marrow training would only be more dangerous.

People might not even dare to casually "steal" another lineage's teachings. If someone maliciously altered a small detail, an organ might already be ruined by the time the pain alerted them.

"The Earth Will's healing access is looking more valuable by the day..."

Lin Hao flicked the skin of his arm and felt its normal response. He could already sense its toughness.

His Great Achievement-level Crouching Tiger Staff had also improved his fascia through practice. He simply had not been training for very long yet...

"Lin, now that you've achieved Bright Force, you can keep strengthening your body while exploring how Hidden Force works. I heard from Senior Brother Qin that even though he's only at minor achievement in Bright Force, he can already produce Hidden Force ten or twenty percent of the time when using the moves from his fist routine."

Over the past month, Yi Feng had gotten a general idea of everyone in the Martial Arts School. Though he still went out now and then, he cleverly made sure to team up with Qian Tao each time to stay safe.

He knew far more about the news in Dam Market and even farther afield.

Since he always brought back at least some useful information, Lin Hao let him do as he pleased. The outside world really was where Yi Feng could put his strengths to use.

Lin Hao's growing understanding of Great Qi, despite never leaving the premises, was entirely thanks to him.

The fellow was sharp enough that there was no need to worry too much.

"I can start trying. With the staff skill, if I keep practicing and strengthening my fascia, it'll happen naturally in time. But asking for a few pointers should still help."

Lin Hao also thought Yi Feng had a point.

With his [Great Achievement] staff technique, Hidden Force would arise naturally once continued practice brought his fascia up to the required level. It was like learning to balance on a bicycle, play badminton, or skip rope-practice could turn all of them into muscle memory.

The reason ordinary Bright Force experts got stuck before Hidden Force was most likely that some of their training methods had not reached [Great Achievement]. That level was not something sheer persistence alone could grind out; it required personal insight and intuition.

From what Yi Feng had learned so far, at least among the few Martial Arts Schools in Dam Market, those whose techniques reached [Great Achievement] seemed to have all attained Hidden Force.

That meant Lin Hao had already met the prerequisites. But if there were tips he could use while exploring it, they could speed up the process.

Mastering Hidden Force was not merely useful in a fight. It was also indispensable for training the internal organs.

On his next trip back, Lin Hao intended to use the wish power he brought back for the first time, along with the convenience of healing, to properly undergo Organ Tempering.

According to the broadcast, ordinary people could stay for two or three months without trouble, but after that, they needed to start preparing to evacuate.

But as his body grew stronger and his mental state improved, he would certainly be able to stay longer.

"Oh, right. Going by when the Regular Evacuation point opened last time, it should open again in two days. Should I go take a look this time?"

Yi Feng spoke as something occurred to him.

The last time the Regular Evacuation point opened, they had only just settled in and had not paid it any attention. But with it opening once a month, the next time was approaching.

"It's a fallback option, after all. You can take a look, but be careful."

They still did not know what the evacuation item in the county town was. Keeping another way out was certainly necessary.

"I'm planning to go take the County Examination this time. Having an official qualification should help at least a little, and

"I can also find out about the evacuation item."

"Let's go together, then. Hehe, I think I really might have a chance in the County Examination. And now that you've attained Bright Force, Lin, you can get the Martial Talent qualification directly. That's pretty good."

Yi Feng looked eager to give it a try.

The County Examination could grant the title of Martial Student. Generally, it served to select promising candidates with good physical conditioning. A strong candidate only needed to complete two of the three tests: lifting stone weights, drawing a bow, and channeling force. It offered no tax benefits, just a title and eligibility to take the Prefectural Examination.

Most apprentices at the Martial Arts School had picked up that title, though some found it too troublesome to bother.

Given Yi Feng's current condition, he really did have a chance of becoming a Martial Student.

But just as the top candidate in the civil County Examination could receive the title of Cultivated Talent directly, the martial County Examination also offered special treatment. A Bright Force martial artist could receive the title of Martial Talent outright, gaining certain privileges while also taking on obligations to answer paid call-ups.

Those call-ups could be refused, but repeated refusals might lead to the qualification being revoked.

"Then make the most of this time and practice more. Master and the others still aren't back, so things over there are probably a little chaotic. Improving our own strength is the right thing to do."

"I already asked some merchants who came downstream. That band of River Pirates and the Mountain Bandits are nearly dealt with now. I reckon Master and the others are searching for those Lizardmen."

Yi Feng paused, then slipped off toward the outer courtyard.

"I'll go find Senior Brother Qian and get the latest news with him."

Watching Yi Feng leave, Lin Hao shook his head. Fortunately, the fellow still practiced several times a day with his [Proficient] staff. [Proficient] could practically squeeze out all of his current potential.

He was getting enough food, too. If he did not want to use medicine, so be it. Lin Hao let him be.

Then Lin Hao converted his equipment. This time, he equipped only the blue long staff in his left-hand slot, yet he still felt that familiar sense of [Great Achievement]. A faint smile appeared on his face.

"That means my Crouching Tiger Staff itself has already reached [Proficient]. Practicing with the [Great Achievement] boost really is fast."

Then Lin Hao equipped a green long staff in his right-hand slot and carefully felt the difference.

There was still a certain boost!

His [Great Achievement] staff technique seemed to improve a little more, but since he had only added one instance of [Practiced], the increase was small!

"The rate of proficiency gain is clearly starting to slow down. Even with my equipment slot enchantments, I probably won't be able to stack it up to Perfection when I reach Great Achievement myself..."

Lin Hao felt a little disappointed, but then a trace of resolve appeared in his eyes.

"But even after I reach Great Achievement, the equipment slot enchantments will still improve it. Even if they can't bring me to Perfection, they can keep leading the way ahead. If I keep practicing, I'll reach [Perfection] sooner or later!"

[Perfection] in a technique!

That was absolutely the kind of transformation one could only encounter by chance, not seek at will.

Through years of patient, persistent practice, almost any training method had a chance of reaching [Proficient]. [Proficient] was also the pinnacle of practice for ordinary people, allowing them to almost reproduce the techniques their master taught them, perhaps even exactly.

If a technique reached [Proficient], and the practitioner added personal understanding and intuition to adapt it to their own characteristics, they had a chance of entering Great Achievement. But usually, fewer than one in ten managed it.

[Perfection], however, lay on an even deeper level. It practically meant there was no room left for improvement: truly reaching a technique's limit, or even surpassing it, turning the mundane into the miraculous!

Zhao Xiaowen had learned from Wu Xin that Wu Deshui had immersed himself in martial arts for decades. His Crouching Tiger Fist, staff, spear, and saber techniques had all reached Great Achievement. Yet even so, he had never managed to push his Crouching Tiger Fist to [Perfection]. He often lamented that [Perfection] was bestowed by nature, and was difficult to achieve through effort alone...