After a night of tending to himself, Zhang Junbao had finally gained complete control of this body. He had also treated some of its old hidden injuries, and both his muscles and bones felt as though they had been made anew.
The next morning, Zhang Junbao got up before dawn.
On the rooftop, Zhang Junbao, dressed in white, moved with the footwork of a roaming dragon. As his hands crossed and weaved, they seemed to contain a force poised to be released, forming a smooth, rounded whole that was impossible to break.
The first ray of morning sunlight fell on Zhang Junbao. A faint, barely visible wisp of purple qi gradually entered his body, leaving him invigorated and noticeably increasing his spiritual power.
This world really is different from my old one. Both physical strength and spiritual power grow much faster here. I can hardly wait to become a fighter and see what's so miraculous about this world's so-called Guidance Techniques and cultivation methods.
Zhang Junbao thought to himself.
"Dad, Mom, I'm going to the dojo. I'll have yesterday's problem settled by the time I get back, so don't worry!"
That was right. He was going to the dojo for another test today. As long as he met the standard for a fighter, Zhang Haobai wouldn't be able to stir up any waves.
He hadn't told his parents beforehand because he was afraid they wouldn't believe him and would instead let their imaginations run wild. After all, suddenly going from an intermediate student to an advanced student was startling enough. If he told them he was confident he could become a fighter, their first reaction might not be joy, but worry that he was lying because he intended to shoulder everything alone for the sake of his family's safety, or that he had taken some crooked, unorthodox path to improve his strength.
It would be better to go straight to the test and explain things with the results in hand. Either way, it would take only half a day. Wouldn't that be more convincing?
So Zhang Junbao left home early that morning and headed for the Limits Dojo.
Dawn has only just broken. This is the perfect time to cultivate and practice martial arts, yet there are still too few people out at this hour. It seems this era has a different understanding of the true qi of heaven and earth.
In my time, people always absorbed the first ray of morning sunlight to aid their cultivation. That was what we called purple qi coming from the east.
At this hour, sunlight blends the spiritual charm of night and day, containing the great truths of space and time turning, and the two poles of yin and yang coexisting. It fits my True Meaning of Taiji rather well.
I wonder how this era's so-called Genetic Origin Energy differs from true qi. I'm quite curious.
Ah well. When poor, one should cultivate oneself; when successful, one should benefit the world. Once I've improved my cultivation and studied the relationship between the two, I'll promote this ancient cultivation method.
After entering the Limits Dojo, Zhang Junbao saw only nearly a hundred people practicing. Normally, the entire dojo had as many as thirty or forty thousand students.
Without giving it much thought, Zhang Junbao headed for the advanced students' training building. After he had finished his test yesterday, Jiang Nian had granted him advanced-student access. There was no way Jiang Nian would let a student with such potential slip away so easily.
Just then, an exceptionally stylish sports car drifted silently past him from behind. In an extreme drift, it carved an exaggerated arc across the grass, nearly hitting him as he was lost in thought.
At the critical moment, however, Zhang Junbao pivoted on his feet, stepped out in a special rhythm, and twisted his body slightly, dodging the sports car.
After avoiding the crash, Zhang Junbao turned around and finally saw the culprit.
It was an exceptionally gorgeous supercar. In the morning light, the flames patterned across its body looked like little fire spirits dancing over the surface. It was incredibly cool.
The car door opened, and a beautiful woman in a snow-white training outfit stepped out. She first looked at the tracks on the ground, then saw Zhang Junbao staring at her from the side. Her delicate face reddened slightly, and she said in embarrassment, "I'm sorry, I... I was so absorbed in watching the morning sunlight that I wasn't paying attention. I accidentally stepped on the gas. I didn't hit you, did I?"
As she spoke, the beauty in the training outfit swayed slightly, and the ample curves hidden beneath her clothes rippled in an exaggerated wave. Looking down from above, Zhang Junbao had a perfect view. Fortunately, he had long since seen through everything, and not a ripple stirred in his heart.
He subconsciously touched his nose and quietly calmed himself, thinking, It must have been this body's natural reaction. Ahem, this humble Daoist has cultivated for hundreds of years. How could I be so easily moved? A beauty is no different from anyone else to me.
After attributing what he had accidentally seen to his body's instincts, Zhang Junbao remained composed, his face unflushed and his heart steady. Instead, he was a little intrigued by what she had said about being absorbed in watching the sunlight. "The sunlight may be lovely, but don't get drunk on it!
"Still, today I've truly experienced what it's like when a woman drives."
His words made her blush even harder. She apologized in a small voice, "I... I wasn't distracted. I really was absorbed in watching it. This car belongs to my cousin, and this is my first time driving it. I didn't hurt you, did I?"
"I'm fine. Are you a student here too? I haven't seen you before."
"N-no, I'm here to see someone."
Just then, a hearty laugh rang out. "Hahaha, Xiao Yan, you're here! Why didn't you tell me in advance?"
"Instructor Jiang!" Zhang Junbao saw that the newcomer was Jiang Nian.
"Hello, Uncle Jiang!"
"You two know each other?" Jiang Nian asked curiously.
"Uh... sort of. We don't know each other's names yet, but we almost had a close encounter." Zhang Junbao smoothed things over.
"Hahaha, you young people should get to know each other. This is Xu Yan, my comrade-in-arms' daughter. She's an advanced student at the dojo, just like you, though not at our branch." Jiang Nian could tell something seemed to have happened between them. A man who had grown shrewd with age, he seemed to have misunderstood something and introduced her with an auntie-like smile.
"This is Zhang Junbao, an advanced student at our dojo and a genius I have high hopes for. Uncle Jiang is counting on him for this year's performance assessment!"
Zhang Junbao took a careful look at Xu Yan. This soft-spoken girl was an advanced student too. You really couldn't judge a book by its cover. But fighting must be very tiring for her!
Damn it, why am I thinking about that? This humble Daoist is a respectable man!
"You flatter me, Instructor. It's all thanks to your excellent teaching! I wasn't ready yesterday, so I came back to take the test again today," Zhang Junbao said, hastily changing the subject.
"Oh? You mean yesterday's result wasn't your best? Then I'll have to take a good look. Maybe our dojo will soon produce another genius fighter.
"Xiao Yan, you came to bring me something, right? If you don't have anything else to do, why not come watch and see whether our dojo's genius can catch your discerning eye?" Jiang Nian could hear that Zhang Junbao seemed very confident, and he wanted to show him off in front of his old comrade's daughter.
After all, they had both retired and no longer had their old competitive spirit. Still, boasting to each other about how outstanding the next generation they had trained was wasn't a bad option either. It would give him a chance to show off in front of his old comrade!
Xu Yan thought for a moment, then nodded. "Really? Is that all right? I'd also like to know just how strong someone who could dodge my car so quickly is. You don't mind, do you?"
When the subject turned to matters concerning fighters, Xu Yan seemed like a different person, her eyes full of fighting spirit.
Does she want to size me up? Oh well, it'll be made public sooner or later anyway. One more person won't make a difference to me. After thinking it over, Zhang Junbao did not refuse.
"There's nothing to mind. It's no big deal. Instructor Jiang has already spoken, so how could I refuse?" Zhang Junbao gave Jiang Nian plenty of face, and a broad smile bloomed on his aged face.
Young people like this, who were strong but didn't look down on others because of their talent, were his favorite.