Strength Amplification

Compared to his punching power, Jiang Zhe's speed seemed somewhat lacking.

After all, he had little foundation as a martial warrior before this. His Force Amplification Technique had been something he hastily figured out at the last minute, without any systematic training.

He could call himself a "future warrior," with plenty of room for improvement.

Next came the Nerve Reaction Test.

Relying on his clumsy footwork, coupled with a Psychic Master's powerful nerve reactions and calculating ability, he received the ratings—"Excellent at Mid-Level Warrior Grade!" / "Pass at High-Tier Warrior Grade!"

The successive shocks had already left Jiang Wu and his sister numb. They had accepted the fact that "Jiang Zhe's excellence was only natural."

When Jiang Zhe approached, they gave him a thumbs-up.

Jiang Sisi sighed softly. "If Grandpa and the others don't come back soon, Little Zhe will be advancing to War Marshal Level. Then he'll go straight to the Elite Training Camp. With Dragon Blood and Jade Marrow for him to use, the Bloodwine our family brews will barely do anything for him."

Jiang Wu laughed. "Haha, Grandpa and the others probably never imagined Little Zhe's talent would be this terrifying!"

"No one could have imagined it... I worked hard for four years, yet he caught up to me overnight. I'm starting to wonder whether I'm even suited to becoming a martial warrior."

Jiang Wu did not follow up on that. Instead, he said, "Be glad! He's our cousin, and he shares the same bloodline as us. We should be proud of him!"

Jiang Sisi realized that her mentality had become unbalanced. She pressed her lips together and said nothing.

Jiang Wu continued, "Little Zhe hasn't soared straight to the heavens either. He still has a long way to go. Before Grandpa returns, we need to help him. We have five days to turn him into a qualified martial warrior. That shouldn't be too challenging, right?"

"Indeed, it isn't. I'll teach him footwork," Jiang Sisi volunteered.

"Then I'll teach him weapon combat and Force Amplification Techniques. I just wonder whether Little Zhe is ready."

By then, Jiang Zhe had already come over to them.

Jiang Zhe asked with a smile, "Second Brother, has my Martial Warrior Combat Assessment been arranged?"

Jiang Wu made an OK gesture.

"Easy. One phone call took care of it."

"On August 1, more than a thousand of you will head to the Southern Military Region for a Combat Assessment in a small town by South Four Lakes."

"Little Zhe, have you watched the recordings on the USB Drive? Have you decided what weapon to use?"

Jiang Zhe had prepared for this already. "I haven't decided on a primary weapon yet. For now, I'll use a shield and an Iron Whip as a temporary measure."

Thinking more deeply about it—

Psychic Master or martial warrior?

Jiang Zhe was not ready yet, nor did he have enough experience to make that choice.

Take Luo Feng as an example.

Before entering the Cosmic Sea, he had also wavered between the two paths, choosing his profession according to his opportunities and creating suitable ultimate techniques.

Only after he accepted the "Inheritance of the Blade" from Duan Donghe did he finally settle on a path, devoting himself to the blade and becoming renowned across many Source Worlds.

"That's a good idea." Jiang Wu praised him. "A novice using a blade might not be able to kill anyone, but with heavy weapons like whips and maces, if you land even one hit, that's a critical blow!"

As for the saying, "Iron whips and bronze maces can only be wielded by the mighty," it was meaningless when applied to Jiang Zhe.

Jiang Wu hooked an arm around Jiang Zhe's shoulders. "Come on, follow Second Brother and pick out a weapon."

The fifth floor of the Inherited Martial Hall had a dedicated equipment room filled with all kinds of weapons. Their materials were all Series 5 or above, comparable to mid-level War Marshals.

Jiang Zhe first chose a four-foot bamboo-jointed whip weighing two hundred kilograms. The weight was not quite ideal; it was a little too light.

Then came the shield.

Among the many designs, Jiang Zhe preferred a Fan-Shaped Shield.

It was the sort of shield shape commonly seen in car logos.

But at his second brother's suggestion, Jiang Zhe ultimately chose a Beast-Faced Round Shield.

It had a diameter of eighty centimeters. When raised, it could cover nearly half his body.

He was a Psychic Master. If he encountered a crisis he could not handle, he could step on the shield and fly away. A round shield had less air resistance than a fan-shaped one.

After returning to the spacious martial arts hall, Jiang Wu began explaining how to use weapons to Jiang Zhe.

"Set the Iron Whip aside for now. We'll focus on how to use the shield, so you can think about counterattacking only after you've kept yourself alive."

Jiang Wu suddenly asked, "Have you heard of Eagle-Bear Integration?"

Jiang Zhe nodded. "The Bear Form and Eagle Form in Hsing-I Chuan: Old Bear Exits Cave, Eagle Strikes Sky. Movement and stillness combined, yin and yang grinding against each other. Rising is the bear, falling is the eagle. Strike when rising, strike when falling!"

He had nearly worn out the Fist Scripture treasured by the family. Naturally, such a small question could not stump him.

"Haha, Little Zhe, those scriptures you've read for more than a decade weren't for nothing. This makes things much easier for Second Brother to explain."

"Our family has two techniques that can barely be considered mandatory—Bear King Shield and Eagle Claw Art. But because they're rather unconventional and are mainly meant for comprehending the Force Amplification Techniques within them rather than being practiced in full, I didn't count them among the five Core Classics yesterday."

"Strictly speaking, our family has seven Core Classics when paired with the two Guiding Techniques. They correspond to the Xingyi Six Arts of the previous era—Chicken Leg, Dragon Body Form, Tiger Embrace Head Form, Bear Arm Form, Eagle Claw Form, and Thunder Sound! Two techniques represent the Tiger Form."

"How will you walk your Hsing-I Chuan path? How will you choose and combine the 'Six Arts'? Grandpa will need to plan that together with you."

"Right now, I'll teach you Bear and Eagle. In a while, Sis Si will teach you Chicken-Form Step. These three are things you must understand, and they won't affect your future choices."

"You only need to comprehend the Force Amplification Techniques within them. Don't imitate them rigidly. Learn their spirit, not merely their form."

Jiang Zhe nodded, the round shield strapped to his left arm as he focused on watching his second brother demonstrate the essentials of the two True Forms.

"Bears are clumsy, dull creatures, but their shoulder and arm strength are astonishing. They have the force to raise the neck, the power to swing the arms, and the might to emerge from a cave. Bear Form draws meaning from outward form, imitating these strengths of the bear."

"It has extremely high compatibility with shields, so Grandpa created Bear King Shield based on Bear Form."

"The Fist Scripture says: if the hand loses, do not lose the elbow; if the elbow loses, do not lose the shoulder."

"This technique emphasizes force from the elbows and arms, linking the waist and hips, running through the wrists and hands. Once fully mastered, it can produce twice the force."

Hearing this, Jiang Zhe's expression changed subtly.

Only 2/7 of Ninefold Thunder Blade? And slightly weaker than the Second Level's effect.

A bit low. Not sure. Better keep watching.

After all, Bear Arm Form was only one-sixth of the whole. The Xingyi Style claimed that with all Six Arts complete, skill would enter the body.

There had to be a way to integrate them and increase the force multiplier. Otherwise, Grandpa could never have earned the title of Invincible War God.

Jiang Wu continued explaining the theory.

This time, it was Eagle Form.

The corresponding technique created from it was Eagle Claw Art.

Before one could project Gene Primordial Energy outward, nobody would use it to fight monsters. That would just be delivering food to the monsters.

"Among birds of prey, eagles are the fiercest and most vicious. They excel at snatching and seizing, masters of capturing prey."

"Eagle Form imitates the swift, fierce posture of an eagle swooping down to seize something. It requires power to run through the extremities, the entire body to sink and drop, and every extension and contraction to coordinate closely with breathing, making the force whole and compact."

"As long as you master the Force Amplification Technique within Grandpa's Eagle Claw Art, you can also achieve up to twice the force."

"Don't think that's low."

"Returning to the Eagle-Bear Integration I mentioned earlier, the two are similar because both integrate the hands, arms, shoulders, waist, hips, and upper body."

"The bear rises, hating that the earth has no ring; the eagle falls, hating that Heaven has no handle."

"As long as you master the essence of both and perfectly combine the two Force Amplification Techniques, you can achieve up to triple force!"

Jiang Wu said proudly, "These are only two of my Jiang Family's unconventional techniques. Little Zhe, as long as you grasp fifty percent of their essence, then study the other five Core Classics, your final physical force output definitely won't be low!"

Yes!

Now that was more like it!

Jiang Zhe's eyes lit up. He finally realized just how incredible his family's secret inheritance was.

It was a completely different theory from Ninefold Thunder Blade.

Born from the ancient inheritance of Hsing-I Chuan, it deeply studied the Xingyi Six Arts, separating them before integrating them again, using quantitative change to bring about qualitative change.

Jiang Zhe was beginning to look forward to it.

If the remaining five were like these two, then after perfectly integrating six completely different types of force, how many times could the Force Amplification Technique soar?

What level had the old man, the founder of Jiang Family's New Xingyi Quan and the man who had once earned the title of Invincible War God, reached by now?

Hong and Thunder God had taken the wrong path.

So by the standards of the universe, what level was my family's path?

Jiang Wu picked up another round shield from the ground. After swinging it twice, he held it horizontally beside his ribs, then suddenly stepped forward sideways. His footwork was unexpected—brutish yet deft—as he drove the shield with his body and slammed forward.

Huh?

Jiang Zhe was rather puzzled. Why did his shield technique look so axe-like?

Weren't they supposed to first learn how to take a beating, how to use the shield to protect themselves?

"Come, practice with me. This move is Old Bear Exits Cave!"

Forget it. It probably wasn't a big problem.

Jiang Zhe hurriedly raised his shield and imitated him, carefully observing the details of his second brother's movements as he pondered the Force Amplification Technique hidden within them.

"Lazy Bear Hits Tree!"

"Fierce Bear Swings Arm!"

"Black Bear Holds Pagoda!"

Jiang Wu demonstrated the full set of Bear King Shield three times from beginning to end. Every move revolved around the arms, shoulders, and spine.

Jiang Zhe discovered that his memory was now excellent, and his comprehension was ridiculously high.

On the first run, he memorized the entire sequence;

On the second, he extracted the hidden Force Amplification Techniques;

On the third, he vaguely felt that he could apply those Force Amplification Techniques to himself.

Of course, Jiang Zhe remained clear-headed.

The feeling during the third run only means my mind understands it. My body still needs to comprehend, adapt, and explore it step by step. Only then can I probably display it, even at a discount, Jiang Zhe thought.

"Little Zhe, do you need me to continue?"

Jiang Zhe shook his head. "Second Brother, why don't you watch me do it once?"

"Oh? Quite confident, aren't you? Give it a try." Jiang Wu's thick brows rose as his interest was piqued.

—Old Bear Exits Cave!

—Lazy Bear Hits Tree!

—Fierce Bear Swings Arm!

Jiang Zhe did not merely repeat the moves. He also displayed the physical Force Amplification Techniques he had comprehended, hoping to receive corrections from his second brother.

"Little Zhe, think more about the way a bear sways both arms when it is showing off its might."

"When exerting force, raise your head, sink your shoulders, and open your arms."

"Pay attention. Open and close diagonally, lengthen your body as you rise. Let the body lead, let the body carry the shoulders, and let the shoulders drive the elbows and hands!"

"..."

Jiang Zhe was like a sponge dropped into water. Under Jiang Wu's guidance, he desperately absorbed nourishment, and his study of Force Amplification Techniques gradually entered its stride.

In the corner of the martial arts hall, Jiang Sisi watched the two brothers with a frown, unable to understand.

"Didn't we say... time was short and the task was heavy, so we'd start with the easy things? Teach Little Zhe how to use a shield effectively to block attacks?"

"How did it suddenly turn into teaching advanced knowledge like force amplification?"

"Uh... to be fair, Little Zhe's comprehension is a little terrifying!"

Gradually, Jiang Wu realized the problem as well, and his expression became somewhat strange.

Damn it!

How many times has this been?

Why do I feel like there aren't many problems with his movements, and I can't see any flaws in his physical force output...

He seems to have reached my limit!

Jiang Wu muttered inwardly in embarrassment.

But the bearded bear-like face he showed outwardly revealed no emotional change.

After all, he was only a Mid-Level Battle General, on par with Jiang Zhe's cultivation as a Psychic Master.

In terms of physical force output, he had barely reached three times force, and that was only after combining the Bear, Eagle, and Tiger Forms to reach that level.

"Second Brother? Second Brother?"

Jiang Zhe called softly, pulling Jiang Wu back from his daze.

"Huh? What is it?"

Jiang Zhe said helplessly, "Second Brother, where else is there a problem with my physical force output?"

"Cough, cough. Well... you barely pass. When you go back, remember to watch more of the videos Grandpa recorded."

"Our time is tight. Since you've more or less mastered Bear King Shield, let's move on to the next lesson."

Jiang Zhe was suspicious.

Second Brother, why does your tone sound so bluffing?

Could it be that you can't teach me anymore?

The more Jiang Zhe thought about it, the more he felt that might be the truth.

He smiled inwardly but did not expose him, saving his second brother some face.

"Second Brother, are we learning Eagle Claw Art next?"

Jiang Wu shook his head. "No, still shield techniques."

"I'll incorporate Eagle Form's force into the moves and demonstrate them for you. Pay attention to the new Force Amplification Techniques within, and try combining the two."

With that, Jiang Wu began demonstrating.

He had altered many of the moves beyond recognition, and their aura immediately changed dramatically.

No longer was it the heavy feeling of an arm raised as though it could block thousands of troops and horses.

In its place was—ferocity! Ruthlessness! Swift decisiveness!

The round shield seemed like a guillotine blade or an Axe, chopping down viciously from above.

After three runs, Jiang Zhe felt it was still not quite enough and asked his second brother to demonstrate another two times.

With his comprehension, extracting the new Force Amplification Techniques within was not difficult.

The difficult part was combining them, taking into account the strengths of both Bear Form and Eagle Form so that the force he could unleash would increase.

After pondering for nearly twenty minutes, Jiang Zhe lifted the round shield and showed his own understanding to his second brother.

Jiang Wu took advantage of the time while he could still instruct Jiang Zhe and lectured to his heart's content.

"Something's still missing. Be more ruthless—bring out the most crucial Sinking Force of Eagle Form!"

"Hate Heaven Has No Handle! Hate Heaven Has No Handle! Hate Heaven Has No Handle!"

"Do you understand what I mean?"

"Connect the tip segments of your body. You need to unleash Integrated Force—Integrated Force!"

"Can you put that lousy Bear Arm Form of yours aside for now?"

"As the root segment among the 'three segments,' it stands out too much. It affects the transmission of your overall force, preventing it from flowing perfectly through your arm."

"..."

"Fine, let me first explain what the 'three segments' are."

"The three segments refer to the tip segment, middle segment, and root segment. In the body's major three segments, the arms are the tips, the torso is the middle, and the legs and feet are the roots."

"Separately, each of them also has its own minor three segments."

"In the arm as a tip segment, the hand is the tip, the elbow is the middle, and the shoulder is the root."

"In the torso as a middle segment, the head is the tip, the shoulders and neck are the middle, and the waist and hips are the roots."

"In the legs and feet as root segments, the feet are the tips, the knees are the middle, and the hips are the roots."

"Our family's secret teachings, put simply, are all about making use of the body's 'three segments.' Chicken Leg, Dragon Body Form, Tiger Embrace Head Form, Bear Arm Form, Eagle Claw Form... Think about it. Isn't that right?"

"When the tip segments throughout the body are connected and become one whole, force can arise from every part of the body, and that force can also be transmitted everywhere."

"Only Grandpa in our family has reached this level. His force amplification is already very close to Hong's and Thunder God's."

The blazing sun hung high in the sky. It was noon.

Throughout the entire morning, Jiang Zhe had been studying Eagle-Bear Integration. With his comprehension, the results were naturally remarkable.

But Jiang Wu had suffered. At such a young age, he had experienced what it felt like to be completely drained dry.

If he had not used lunch as an excuse, he would not have known how to get away.

He could no longer see any flaws in Jiang Zhe's force application and was unable to offer any effective guidance.

"Little Zhe, let's stop here for now. Your big brother is about to faint from hunger. We'll continue after lunch."

"What? It's already noon?"

Jiang Zhe was surprised, only then noticing how empty his stomach was.

He had been too focused.

And martial arts were just too fun!

"Wait, let me test my punching power again."

Jiang Zhe walked over to the Punching Power Tester.

Jiang Wu and his sister were also curious about what Jiang Zhe had achieved that morning, so they followed him over.

Recalling the Tip-Segment Theory—

Jiang Zhe stomped hard. Force traveled from the root segments to his waist and hips. His waist and hips were in fact the body's Power Core; with the slightest twist, they burst forth with tremendous force. The combined force passed through the middle segments and into his arm, the tip segment. The Bear Arm Form he had trained so diligently showed its worth at that moment, and combined with the downward momentum of Eagle Claw Form, he threw a heavy punch like a cannonball!

Bang!

The red numbers on the tester's screen flickered rapidly before updating.

"10404 kg!"

"Ten tons? It doubled."

Jiang Zhe clicked his tongue softly, fairly satisfied with the morning's results.

But Jiang Wu and his sister were nowhere near as calm as he was, crying out one after another.

"War Marshal Level?!!!"

"Two Times Force Amplification already?!!!"

The little person in Jiang Zhe's heart had long since spread his hands. Actually, it can go even higher. This isn't my limit. This is... Second Brother's limit. Once I go back and watch Grandpa's force application recordings, I can improve further.

100 Times Perfect Force Amplification would depend on the Jiang Family's set of theories.

Chicken Leg, Dragon Body Form, Tiger Embrace Head Form, Bear Arm Form, Eagle Claw Form, Thunder Sound—the six arts were complete, and the kung fu had entered his body!