Qin Xuan walked to the center of the platform, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes.
Every gaze focused on him. Even the veteran inner court disciples stopped chatting and looked over with interest.
"Eldest senior brother, how many forms do you think this kid can perform?" a voice asked.
"Hard to say. He learned the stance training after watching it just once that day, so his comprehension is indeed astonishing. But the Mountain-Breaking Fist is far more complex than stance training. Performing the whole thing after seeing it only once is no easy task."
"I doubt he can."
Another voice cut in, carrying a hint of dismissiveness.
"Stance training is stance training, and fist techniques are fist techniques. You can't lump the two together. Just because he's good at stance training doesn't mean he can learn a fist technique in one viewing."
The speaker was a powerfully built young man with a tiger's back and a bear's waist. His arms were thicker than most people's thighs, and a fierce presence radiated from him.
He folded his arms across his chest, an amused smile hanging at the corner of his mouth.
"Sun Yi, you can't put it that way."
A fair-skinned young man beside him smiled. "This kid has the rarest, highest-grade bone structure. The hall master has high hopes for him. Perhaps he really will give us a surprise."
The speaker had refined features and wore a neat, well-fitting blue robe, with a silver-threaded brocade sash around his waist. One glance was enough to tell that his family was well-off.
His eyes smiled as he spoke, and his gentle tone felt like a spring breeze.
"Lin Feng, you're just too easygoing."
Sun Yi curled his lip.
"Highest-grade bone structure, huh? Hearing is unreliable; seeing is believing. I want to see just how much real ability he has."
Lin Feng took no offense, merely smiling and shaking his head. "Let's just watch."
Beside them stood a young woman of about eighteen or nineteen, with an oval face, delicate features, and a slender, graceful figure.
She wore a pink martial outfit. Her bosom was full, and a palm-wide black silk sash cinched her waist, accentuating her curves.
At that moment, her beautiful eyes were studying Qin Xuan in the arena, a trace of curiosity flashing in their depths.
"Junior sister Song Wan, what do you think?" Lin Feng turned to ask her.
Song Wan smiled softly, her eyes shifting. "Me? All I know is that anyone Master values this much certainly won't remain a creature confined to a pond."
Her tone was laden with meaning.
"If he really can remember seventy or eighty percent, his future will be boundless. As his senior brothers and sisters, we ought to build a good relationship with him early."
Sun Yi snorted at her words, plainly somewhat disdainful.
Just then, Qin Xuan opened his eyes.
He thrust his right fist straight forward. Though his movement was somewhat unpracticed and his application of force was not quite smooth, his posture was actually seventy or eighty percent similar to what Zhao Zhong had just demonstrated.
He turned his body and brought his left fist smashing down. This form was a little smoother than the last, and already bore a faint resemblance to the proper shape.
Below the platform, some people had already begun drawing sharp breaths.
Qin Xuan performed one move after another. Though he struggled more the further he went, and his movements began to distort, sheer tenacity carried him through all eighteen forms of the Mountain-Breaking Fist from beginning to end.
When he finished the final form, withdrew his fists, and stood still, he was drenched in sweat, his face slightly pale.
But he had finished it all the same.
The entire arena fell deathly silent.
Sun Yi's expression turned somewhat ugly, the smile at the corner of his mouth long gone.
A trace of surprise flashed through Lin Feng's eyes before his gentle smile returned.
Song Wan's eyes shone as she looked at Qin Xuan as though he were a piece of uncut jade.
Wang Shi nodded slowly, approval in his eyes. "To perform the complete sequence after seeing it once-comprehension like that is truly rare."
"Hmph!" a sharp voice suddenly rang out.
Everyone turned toward the sound and saw a tall, thin young man standing with his arms folded, a sneer at the corner of his mouth.
He had high cheekbones and a spiteful gaze. One look told them he was no easy person to get along with.
"He only barely managed to finish. His postures were crooked, and his application of force was a complete mess. You call that learning it after one viewing?"
He snorted. "You're giving him far too much credit."
"Senior brother Xie Tan is right."
A round-faced young man beside him immediately chimed in.
"From what I saw, he wasn't even thirty percent as proficient as I was when I first learned it. What's there to make such a fuss about?"
His eyes darted about as he spoke, his face plastered with a fawning smile. At a glance, he was clearly adept at bootlicking.
"Liu Changhe, stop licking boots."
Another burly man spoke bluntly.
"You think those paltry skills of yours are worth mentioning? It took you three whole days to memorize all the forms of the Mountain-Breaking Fist, and you still have the nerve to compare yourself to him?"
The burly man's voice was loud and resonant, his words direct. He clearly had a straightforward disposition.
"Li Tiezhu!" Liu Changhe's face flushed red when his sore spot was exposed. "You..."
"Enough, enough. All of you, say less." A languid voice rang out.
The speaker was a tall, lean man with eyes as sharp as an eagle's, his whole bearing warning strangers to keep away.
He leaned against a wooden post, the faintest hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth.
"Whatever else, he has the highest-grade bone structure, and Master values him. Since when was it your place to stand here passing judgment?"
His words were casual, but an indescribable chill in his tone made the others shut their mouths despite themselves.
This was Zhang Qi, a highly renowned late Dark Force expert in the Zhao Clan Martial Hall's inner court, whose strength was second only to Wang Shi's.
He had an eccentric temperament and acted perversely.
Yet he was exceptionally strong. Aside from their eldest senior brother Wang Shi, few in the inner court dared provoke him.
Zhang Qi swept his gaze over them, then suddenly grinned. "Still, to be fair, this kid does have some skill, but that's all. Still, he's a good deal better than you pieces of trash."
Their faces alternated between green and white at his words, but none dared talk back.
Zhao Zhong pressed his hands downward, and the arena fell silent once more.
He looked at Qin Xuan, his eyes full of gratification. "Not bad. Performing the complete Mountain-Breaking Fist on your first attempt is already rare. But don't grow arrogant. The key to fist techniques is perseverance. Right now, you've only memorized the moves. You're still far from true entry."
"This disciple understands," Qin Xuan said respectfully.
Zhao Zhong nodded, then turned his gaze toward those below the platform. "You've all seen it. What allowed Qin Xuan to learn it after seeing it once? Talent!"
He spoke without reservation. "Talent is something you either have or you don't. Most of you might not be able to perform this entire fist technique even after ten days or half a month of practice. That isn't your fault. But if you abandon yourselves to despair because of it, that is your problem."
The disciples below wore varied expressions. Some looked dejected, some clenched their teeth, and others were utterly unconcerned.
Zhao Zhong continued, "If talent is lacking, make up for it with diligence. I've told you before: on the martial path, talent is certainly important, but perseverance and diligence are equally indispensable. If you're willing to put in hard work, achievement is not necessarily beyond you."
He paused, his tone growing stern. "Training in the Mountain-Breaking Fist is divided into five realms: entry, minor achievement, major accomplishment, perfection, and the Transformation Realm."
"For entry, you need only perform the moves correctly and apply force properly. At minor achievement, form and spirit are both present, and your punches stir the wind. If you can reach minor achievement within a year or two, your comprehension can be considered good."
Another stir ran through those below the platform.
Minor achievement in a year or two?
Jiang Fa repeated the words inwardly as the Mountain-Breaking Fist's panel values surfaced in his mind:
[Mountain-Breaking Fist (mid Yellow Grade) · Entry (0/200)]
He secretly clenched his fists.
Others needed a year or two. He did not.
As long as he had the panel, as long as he was willing to practice, he could master it extremely quickly.
After finishing his explanation, Zhao Zhong waved everyone off to practice on their own.
The inner court disciples also left in twos and threes.
The outer court disciples eagerly spread out and began imitating the moves they had just learned with some semblance of form.
Zhao Zhong kept Qin Xuan behind, seemingly intending to give him a few extra pointers.
Li Tie pulled Jiang Fa to a corner of the training ground and asked excitedly, "Jiang Fa, did you remember it?"
Wang Dahu came over too, scratching his head. "I've only remembered the first three forms so far. I've forgotten everything after that."
Jiang Fa nodded and answered honestly, "I remembered it."
Li Tie rolled his eyes, taking Jiang Fa's words as a joke and giving them no further thought.