Meng Chuan felt increasingly exhilarated as he fought, recalling the scene of Master Luo elbowing the wooden stake, instantly gaining inspiration.
In this unique state, Meng Chuan seemed to embody the martial spirit, as Liu Ru gradually unleashed her Qi and Blood, reaching the peak of the four Qi Blood barriers, barely able to withstand the opponent's storm-like assault.
Here it comes!
Meng Chuan suddenly leaped up, transforming his punch into a palm strike mid-air, targeting Instructor Liu Ru.
Liu Ru glided to another wooden stake, while Meng Chuan's vertical palm fiercely struck the stake she had just stood on.
With the exertion of power, his whole body shuddered, rapidly mobilizing the Qi and Blood within him.
In an instant, a latent force exploded from his palm!
Crack!
A crisp cracking sound came from the wooden stake, with a crack extending from the top surface down to the bottom.
Compared to Master Luo, Meng Chuan's force was still lacking, unable to completely shatter the stake.
At this moment, the knife-edge side of Meng Chuan's hand turned red from the stake's counterforce.
However, he felt no pain, instead showing an expression of excitement.
"Dark Strength, I did it!"
"The strike just now exploded through the resonance inside and the massive thrust of Qi and Blood."
This is Dark Strength.
The reason intermediate martial artists can crush lower-level ones isn't just due to their excess Qi and Blood, but because Dark Strength has an overwhelming destructive power internally!
Meng Chuan kept the momentum going, seeking the feeling from before.
In an instant, Ming Strength and Dark Strength alternated and exploded, hitting the wooden stake repeatedly.
Together with the previous palm strike, the stake developed cracks.
After a few more punches, the stake burst apart!
Seeing this, Liu Ru clasped her hands and congratulated from the side:
"Congratulations, Xiaomeng, you've mastered Dark Strength."
"Thank you, Sister Ru."
Liu Ru waved her hand, backing away without further words.
The wooden stakes in the martial arts hall are Master Luo's property, so Meng Chuan decided not to destroy any more stakes.
He stood aside, striking the air with Luo's Eight Extremes, continuing to feel the power of Dark Strength.
More than an hour passed, yet Meng Chuan tirelessly practiced.
The activation of Dark Strength became increasingly proficient, while the proficiency of Luo's Eight Extremes occasionally ticked in his mind.
Liu Ru occasionally glanced at Meng Chuan practicing punches, deeply suppressing her thoughts to avoid revealing them to others.
No matter if she becomes a direct disciple of Hall Master Luo in the future,
right or wrong has nothing to do with Meng Chuan, and Liu Ru gradually began to admire him.
...
The winter sun set quickly, and it grew late.
After mentoring Fang Jianxing, Meng Chuan bid him farewell:
"I'm about done for today, Xiaomeng, my legs are killing me, haha."
"Brother Fang, you lack exercise. Standing more during work will help."
Fang Jianxing smiled helplessly:
"Oh, no helping it, I've got to work hard for all of humanity."
Meng Chuan clasped his hands and laughed:
"Brother Fang, you're noble!"
"I'll be off, there's work waiting in the lab."
"I'll see you off."
At the martial arts hall entrance, Fang Jianxing casually asked:
"Who was that girl you sparred with earlier? She seemed even stronger than you, but appeared very preoccupied."
Meng Chuan explained:
"She's our hall instructor, of course she's stronger than I am. She's probably under a lot of pressure preparing for the martial arts hall competition lately."
Liu Ru hid her emotions well, and Meng Chuan didn't notice anything from her appearance.
"I see, no problem then."
Fang Jianxing added after pondering:
"I know a bit of psychology, some emotions can be seen."
Meng Chuan nodded.
Along the way, Meng Chuan gave Fang Jianxing some solo standing posture tips.
When the car arrived, Fang Jianxing clasped his hands to say goodbye.
"See you next time, Xiaomeng!"
"Bye, Brother Fang."
Meng Chuan turned back to the martial arts hall, and as he stepped through the door, a sudden coolness washed over him, a warning from Luo's Eight Extremes.
He immediately raised his elbow to strike back, sending Wang Yue flying.
"Damn, do you have eyes on the back of your head?"
Meng Chuan crossed his arms:
"With just your little tricks, you want to sneak attack me?"
"Little do you know, the barrier between us keeps getting thicker."
Wang Yue got up from the ground, moaning deeply:
"Damn it!!!"
Master Luo had notified him earlier about having something tonight, so after leaving the martial arts hall, Meng Chuan went straight home.
In the late-night bedroom, Meng Chuan's legs shook like sieves, and sweat continuously dripped from his head onto the floor.
He didn't have time to wipe it, as his stamina nearly reached its limit.
Whew!
Meng Chuan collapsed onto the bed.
A full five hours, and the Three Talents Posture made significant progress again.
[Taiyi Three Talents Posture: Human Posture (47%) → (48%) Awaiting Limit Break]
Standing for five hours straight, each session challenging the limits of the human body.
How challenging the path of martial arts is!
...
Just after the fifteenth, early in the morning, Meng Chuan practiced boxing on the rooftop as usual, when Master Luo called with good news.
"Good news, Meng Chuan, the Guoyi Boxing optimization review was approved."
Hearing this, Meng Chuan couldn't help but feel a sudden jolt of excitement.
He always kept calm, but this news was truly wonderful.
"Really, Master Luo, what should I do now?"
"You come to me first, and we'll talk face to face!"
"Alright."
Meng Chuan went downstairs and bid farewell to his uncle.
"Going to the martial arts hall for training again, Chuan'er, remember to balance work and rest."
Meng Chuan replied with a smile:
"Not going for training, there's news about the Guoyi Boxing optimization, so I'm heading to meet my master."
Meng Yongzhi, upon hearing this, leaped from the sofa.
"Good hahaha, I knew you could do it!"
"Go quickly, remember to bring back the award!"
...
At Luo Guanyun's home.
"After the evaluation group discussion, it's initially deemed a reasonable optimization. Subsequently, your optimized Guoyi Boxing will undergo a small-scale pilot observation."
"Let Meng Chuan prepare to come over in the afternoon, someone significant wants to meet him."
The voice of Bai Junfeng came through the phone, and beside him, Meng Chuan couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.
Luo Guanyun laughed heartily beside him:
"Hahaha, I knew my apprentice could do it!"
"Old Bai, who is the significant figure you mentioned?"
Bai Junfeng paused briefly, then spoke:
"The previous edition's modifier of Guoyi Boxing, Honorary President of the Martial Arts Association, the sixth Celestial King level martial artist."
"[Master of Infinite Change: Zhao Yingchun]."
"Holy crap!"
Luo Guanyun fell into silence, immensely astonished.
He had prepared himself mentally, but truly hadn't expected the significant figure Bai Junfeng mentioned to be Zhao Yingchun, Celestial King Zhao.
Known as the Master of Infinite Change Zhao Yingchun, he's been alive for nearly five hundred years, a living fossil of Great Chu. Throughout his life, he modified Guoyi Boxing several times, dedicated to improving the physical quality of Great Chu's citizens from the foundation.
Moreover, he's one of the founding members of the original Martial Arts Association, alongside the Emperor Taizu, heralding the era of Martial Arts Families on Great Chu's historical stage, a pioneer of the martial arts era in Great Chu.