After the sparring session ended, Meng Chuan was drenched in sweat, streaming down the floor cracks and spreading everywhere.
But Li Weigang didn't mind at all, being martial artists, they didn't pay attention to such small details.
"Xiaomeng, are we continuing tomorrow?"
"Continue, Brother Gang. I'd like to schedule the sparring sessions at eight in the morning, and if I can't make it, I'll inform you a day in advance."
Meng Chuan's plan was to wake up and do morning exercises in the loft and neighborhood, then go for the sparring at eight, and after that, head to United University Preparatory High School for training.
A perfect day, time management master Xiaomeng!
"Every day sparring? No problem for me."
Li Weigang was somewhat surprised; enduring strength was one thing, but the young man's financial resources were impressive too.
Even with discounts, it's still 1.2 million a month just for training; it seems this kid is really a hardcore fan of hard skills.
Meng Chuan drank some tea to adjust his breath, and after resting enough, he got up immediately.
As he secretly mustered strength throughout his body, a faint humming sound like an engine accompanied by wisps of white smoke emerged.
Instantly, all the sweat sticking to his body evaporated, returning him to a fresh state.
Li Weigang praised:
"This move is nice. Once you become a Martial Arts Family, your control over your body will improve further, and you'll even be able to shake out the grime in your body, so you won't need to bathe."
"...See you tomorrow, Brother Gang."
After Meng Chuan left, Li Weigang watched his departing figure and thought to himself, what a pity.
He just checked the mentor-student registration on the Martial Arts Association's website, and this kid's direct teacher is the renowned Martial Arts Master in the city, [Qianyuan Thunder Strike·Luo Guanyun]. It seems I have no chance...
...
Exiting the club, Meng Chuan sat in the Huayun Prefecture's car heading to United University Preparatory High School.
He lightly moved his upper body, which was tense from the sparring, and thought to himself:
"I wonder how Master Luo is doing over in Japan..."
Every time he asked, Luo Guanyun's reply was always the same few words.
[Don't worry unnecessarily, everything is fine here. How's your fist technique coming along?]
Meanwhile, somewhere in Japan.
The curtains of the Kushiyaki Bar gently swayed in the evening breeze.
After hanging up the phone, Luo Guanyun was secretly rubbing the frosted beer mug.
Drinking a large glass of Asahi beer, he felt a bit troubled.
Contrary to what he told his disciple, things weren't going well at all.
"Damn, the Parasite Association bastards are too good at hiding."
Not only couldn't he find the hiding places of the nine seats of the Parasite Association, but he hadn't found many people who had been implanted with the Demon Seed either.
Since arriving in Japan, Luo Guanyun had observed for a long time. On a regular day, they're just office workers brushing by on the subway, female students playing with stray cats in front of convenience stores, or wandering ronin on the streets, their heart rates no different from ordinary people.
Only when desires flare up, the spirit platform within them reveals the strange Demon Seed.
Once implanted, unless it manifests, it's indistinguishable when hidden inside the body.
Unless the other party actively uses it, he and the Thunder Seed within him can't detect it at all.
Luo Guanyun took another big sip, his gaze subconsciously monitoring a certain location.
"Luckily, I've got some good luck; tonight looks promising."
Last night, at Da Mu Cross Street, he happened to come across a small-time gangster using the Demon Seed to kill people and collect emotions.
After capturing him, and following a round of electric interrogation, Luo Guanyun was satisfied, acquiring a seed before leaving.
"This small-time gangster willingly allowed himself to be seeded as nourishment, calling it a Holy Seed."
At this moment in the bar, there was an aroma of charred charcoal in the air.
The owner of the bar, dressed in a dark blue hemp robe, was smiling as he wiped the glasses.
The night that small-time gangster claimed, the one who seeded him was exactly the owner of this bar.
Luo Guanyun stood up and ordered the final glass of beer.
The warm yellow lantern ready to go out as closing time neared, the Thunder Seed faintly pulsing, he planned to have a good chat with the owner...
...
The next day.
After applying the Blood Formation Ointment, Meng Chuan massaged his sore arm as he left the club.
"Only 2.47 million left in the account, not sure how long this will last..."
The Bone Tempering Blood Formation Ointment was several times more expensive than muscle-building ointment, but he knew this expense couldn't be skimped.
During the sparring practice at the acupoint, it would inevitably cause some collateral damage to the body's muscles.
And while the Body Refining Ointment promoted acupoint absorption, it also repaired the hidden injuries brought by sparring.
Feeling the countless pores on his arms absorbing the medicinal effect, Meng Chuan smiled knowingly.
"Getting closer to Limit Breaking..."
[Doma Iron Arm: Perfection (10%)→(12%) Awaiting Limit Breaking]
Li Weigang's sparring effect was indeed very good; even with Doma Iron Arm reaching Perfection, each sparring could increase proficiency by two percent.
Plus, with the ointment application, the feedback upon recovery.
Within a month, he could break through the limit of his first hard skill.
"No worries about fist skill and hard skills; to compete against those university martial artists in the Supernova Competition, I need to make up for the last shortcoming, body technique."
If it hadn't been for Lin Yue's uncanny body technique that day, he could have taken him down in a hundred moves.
Thinking about it, Meng Chuan headed to United University Preparatory High School.
"Xu Qingfeng said there's a body technique class this morning, hope I can catch it..."
...
Teaching building.
In his rush, Meng Chuan arrived just as the teacher had only started the lesson.
And the instructor was the practical combat teacher from the day he dueled with Lin Yue.
[Cloud Chasing Spear·Lu Zhuxiao]
Seeing Xu Qingfeng waving him over, Meng Chuan tiptoed to his side to listen together.
Upon seeing him, everyone wore expressions of subtle reverence.
Although the preparatory high is full of young geniuses, they are ultimately still youthful at heart.
Not only those present, but even those who watched the duel video of that day didn't dare to speak loudly to Meng Chuan.
"Today we're talking about [Eight Steps to Catching a Cicada], the one Lin Yue knows, so listen closely."
Meng Chuan nodded; it was better to be lucky than early, and he was indeed interested in this top-notch body technique.
Lu Zhuxiao glanced at Meng Chuan's figure but said nothing further.
His attitude toward Meng Chuan was quite subtle, considering him ruthless in action.
But at the same time, he found his decisive nature a good fit for real combat, making him a promising candidate for assaulting the Demon Nest.
Lu Zhuxiao also came from a military background in the Iron Blood Sect, but after retiring, he had been teaching at the school for five or six years.
Thus, a lot of his warrior spirit had been washed away by the academic atmosphere.
"Today's body technique class and the week's content are about the introductory explanation of the top-notch body technique [Eight Steps to Catching a Cicada].
From next Monday, we'll move on to the follow-up training. Those who have already mastered it can go to the Wooden Stake Area to practice on their own. Those who can't keep up with the pace should look up the online course by themselves."
Lu Zhuxiao scanned the room, noticing a few students had already left the line.
Meng Chuan marveled, United University Preparatory High School indeed gathered a wealth of talent.
Xu Qingfeng glanced at him and whispered:
"These are all children from prominent families; their martial arts education from childhood is different from ours. They don't learn stuff like National Righteous Fist."
Having studied it for nearly twelve and a half years, Meng Chuan wondered:
"Then how do they build their martial arts foundation?"
Xu Qingfeng explained:
"When the Forefather swept across the universe, some fish slipped through the net and weren't eradicated, still clutching ancient martial arts treasures closely.
Among them, there are family cultivation techniques passed down from ancient times, specifically used for foundational development."
Meng Chuan nodded in understanding.
Xu Qingfeng continued:
"But I feel they can't compare to National Righteous Fist. Not sure why they treasure it so much.
You mentioned before that you plan to compete with a few family children who aren't in school for a spot in the Supernova Tournament.
They have significant family resources and don't lack the prize money from competitions.
They just want to make a name for themselves and their families in the tournament. I support you in thoroughly beating them."
Meng Chuan nodded thoughtfully.
Competition prizes ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions are neither too little nor too much; he indeed needed the money...
"I wonder about the strength of these prominent family children?"
"The ones at school are somewhat mediocre; the real geniuses are privately taught at home and well hidden, though Lin Yue is a special case.
I believe you'll have no issues; at worst, it's just a matter of picking the weakest one."
Saying this, as Lu Zhuxiao geared up to begin the demonstration, he tugged at Meng Chuan's sleeve:
"No more talking, Old Lu is starting the class."
Meng Chuan focused intently.
"The body technique [Eight Steps to Catching a Cicada] must be utterly familiar to all of you.
This is a standard optimized version of ancient martial arts, and the version we learn has already been refined of many flaws.
For instance, issues like the incompatibility between cicadas and frogs, the prohibition against eating toads to prevent leg cramps, and so on.
Whether in the Xingyi Sect or the Elephant Form Sect, as long as the martial artist walks the agile path, this body technique can integrate with fist skills, making it a widely adaptable martial art.
Alright, follow me to the Wooden Stake Area for a demonstration."
The Wooden Stake Area at United University Preparatory High School is also vast, with over a hundred stakes of varying heights, coated with maintenance oil layers.
This involuntarily reminded Meng Chuan of his tough days, and the vehicle blockers at Ping'an Middle School...
Seeing Lu Zhuxiao leap onto a stake, moving quickly with eyes closed atop the stakes, regardless of the uneven heights, as if treading on flat ground.
"Beginners, like me, should sprint on the stakes with eyes closed. Initially, you might crash into the stakes a hundred times a day, but as you become proficient, you'll reach the point of navigating with eyes closed as if on flat ground."
Gradually, Lu Zhuxiao's speed increased, akin to flying on grass, swiftly traversing the forest of stakes without a speck of dust landing on him.
"[The stakes are the mountains and stones, the steps the startled cicada], after achieving the level of walking on stakes with eyes closed, imagine a shadow arrow chasing your soul, continuing to increase speed with eyes closed."
Practitioners of this body technique are bound to bump into something in the early stages due to the blindfolded practice.
But Meng Chuan wasn't worried; his physique wouldn't easily get injured, as long as he didn't break those stakes...
Refocusing, Meng Chuan continued to study intently.
Lu Zhuxiao then halted, taking a bowl full of water into his palm, and continued to maneuver through the stakes with his eyes closed.
Stepping down from the stake, he raised the water bowl to show that not a single drop had spilled.
"The final step, carrying water while sprinting with eyes closed, is about training the stability of your form. Passing these three stages perfectly means you've gotten the hang of [Eight Steps to Catching a Cicada]."
Handing the bowl to others, Lu Zhuxiao performed Eight Steps to Catching a Cicada at full force. As he completed eight steps, nine remnant shadows, thin as cicada wings, appeared, and amidst Meng Chuan's dazzled vision, he swiftly moved ten yards away.
"The skill of Eight Steps to Catching a Cicada was originally a compulsory course for those proficient in assassination, taking the cicada as its form and the stake as its bone, exhausting the natural path of body technique!
Eight steps with nine shadows confuse the eyes, stepping on shadows to pluck stars like a cold cicada pouncing on dew, advancing for attack or retreating as the best strategy!"