After being taught a lesson by Fang Jianxing, he became much more cautious in his interactions.
"First, assume the worst; the other party might have some plan related to me."
Meng Chuan thought that Yin Tianshou's initiative to inquire about the chemical plant was more than just simple interest.
Yin Tianshou was the top-ranked participant in the peak competition of the last Tianshan Martial Arts Assembly.
Not to mention himself, even a thousand Master Luo tied together wouldn't be enough to face him.
"Regardless, it's best to minimize contact in the future..."
If one's strength is not enough, it's best to keep a low profile. There's nothing more to say about that.
Coming back to his senses, Meng Chuan fitted his shoes, feeling eager to try out his moves.
He was ready to make the most of the Team Divine Mat, equating it to over two million yuan; it was necessary to make full use of it...
He positioned his feet parallel and shoulder-width apart, bent his knees, sank his hips, and pressed his hands down gently, concentrating his energy in his dantian!
Standing on the Team Divine Mat, he practiced his Pile Skill...
An hour passed, and he realized:
"It doesn't feel much different from standing on the floor..."
[Taiyi Three Talents Posture: Human Posture (85%) Pending Limit Break]
"Oh well, using it is effective, and it's soft enough not to hurt my feet,"
Meng Chuan comforted himself.
After finishing the posture, Meng Chuan felt a lot more relaxed.
As expected of the Team Divine Mat, even good for standing on tiptoe.
Before going to bed, he found a practice diagram for the Doma Iron Crotch Skill online and downloaded it for careful study.
Because this Hard Skill had some peculiar effects and didn't require special Esoteric Oil for application, many men of Great Chu used it to strengthen their "weapons"...
The discussion area for this cultivation technique was quite popular.
One netizen said:
[At a minor achievement, it can withstand a three-hundred-pound impact, and ordinary blades and swords can't pierce the oily skin!]
Meng Chuan's evaluation was skeptical.
"What have they achieved... I can't believe it..."
[This cultivation technique is truly amazing; it can withstand boiling oil with no harm, scorpion venom and spider liquid are repelled!]
Meng Chuan was filled with questions, finding it increasingly incredulous.
[Above you, you haven't achieved Perfection. The moment I achieved it, a killing move naturally formed in my mind — Doma Soul-Shattering Pestle!
Within five steps, enemies would feel as if struck by a yak; those untrained in Hard Skills would fall on the spot...!]
Meng Chuan immediately turned off his phone; witnessing this chaotic discourse, he decided to consult Brother Gang before training...
This group of netizens was too outrageous; if he trained incorrectly, his life would be ruined, something that high-tech couldn't fix.
...
Inside the United University Preparatory High School.
Several new faces arrived at the school, all martial arts talents poached from other Martial Arts Schools.
People always seek higher places, water flows to lower ones; with United University's invitation, no one refused except Meng Chuan...
"Look here, this is our United University's exclusive high-tech fist post, there's no other place like it."
Zong Ping, seeking to earn some preparatory school study points, took on the task from the Academic Affairs Office to familiarize new students with the school.
"Can I try?"
"Go ahead."
Zong Ping responded nonchalantly.
"Great!"
This new student came from Hongwu High School, with above-average talents.
After recently understanding and comprehending certain traits, he was successfully invited to study at United University's preparatory school.
He approached the innermost silicone-gold pile, starting with the Elephant Form Sect's Eagle Form Boxing stance — The Eagle Spreads Its Wings!
Seeing this, Zong Ping showed a strange expression and reminded him:
"Xiaoliu, try a different post."
"Why?"
Zong Ping was at the same five-gate level as him.
Even a year older in age, he felt somewhat unconvinced.
"Then try it; you'll find out."
Xiaoliu stood by the post, channeling energy from above, fiercely grabbing downwards.
His fingers latched inwards, imagining himself as an eagle, grasping the wooden post and tearing it apart.
"Ah!"
He jumped around holding his hand, and the five fingers visibly swelled red, while the silicone-gold pile remained unmoved.
"Pfft, hahaha."
The informed senior students beside him covered their mouths, quietly laughing.
"Damn, I can't believe this!"
Xiaoliu felt embarrassed and, out of frustration, kicked it hard.
The silicone-gold pile was still as immovable as a mountain, only Xiaoliu's louder wailing echoed in the Martial Arts Dojo.
"Hahahaha, this kid is killing me with laughter."
The surrounding seniors found amusement in yet another stubborn newcomer attempting to challenge this post.
Surrounding laughter made his face flush red with anger, striving to endure the pain in his limbs, he relentlessly pounded on the post.
This silicone-gold post seemed as if it was covered in anti-armor; Xiaoliu's attacks only rebounded the damage completely.
Fortunately, a kind senior couldn't bear his persistence and advised:
"You should try the other silicone-gold posts; this one's specially adjusted, even I can't move it. It's specially designed for..."
Just then, a sturdy figure strode over.
Zong Ping waved in greeting:
"Brother Chuan!"
Meng Chuan smiled and nodded in response.
Seeing him come to practice boxing, the seniors all greeted him.
"Brother Chuan, hit a little more today, I'll watch closely."
"No problem."
Recently, through his insights into his fist skill, he intended to unleash his moves and thoroughly practice the post.
At the same time, several new students standing behind Zong Ping were also sizing up Meng Chuan.
"The way he looks so full of vigor really has the aura of a master."
Meng Chuan stood before the innermost post while Xiaoliu beside him was nursing his vibrated-injured right hand.
Although his stature was strong, his face was youthful. Seeing everyone surrounding calling him Brother, he couldn't help but remind:
"Brother Chuan... this post is too hard, it's difficult to hit."
Before he could speak, someone beside Xiaoliu explained:
"This is your Brother Chuan's exclusive post. The Martial Arts Dojo administrator adjusted the hardness at the back end. No one in the whole preparatory high can hit it besides him."
"..."
Xiaoliu fell silent, no wonder Zong Ping asked him to change to another one.
"So the clown was me all along..."
He didn't have time to think further; he quickly sidestepped to make way.
Meng Chuan stood firm in front of the silicon-gold post, tapping lightly on the post body with his thick knuckles, producing a muffled metallic sound.
An expert's actions instantly reveal their skill. Xiaoliu immediately realized this was a master towering ten stories above him.
This post he also hit just now, despite all his strength, he couldn't produce the slightest sound.
While the other was merely stroking it with a finger!
Meng Chuan was testing the hardness, and he specifically asked the administrator yesterday afternoon to adjust the hardness by an additional 10% on top of the existing double increase.
"The normal hardness silicon-gold post, Brother Chuan could penetrate with three punches..."
Zong Ping explained to the new students behind him.
Just as the words fell, a burst of muscle-bone thunder suddenly erupted around Meng Chuan.
His arms spread flat, palms enveloped in red mist, initiating the Five Elements Qiankun Fist, [Meltdown Flame Burst Fist].
As the Heart Fire aura stirred within the air, the new students suddenly found their throats parched, their breathing stifled, as if the air was seized by an invisible hand.
This was the exclusive area control ability of the Five Elements Qiankun Fist, jokingly referred to as [Intention's Prototype] by Luo Guanyun.
Its gap with the Intention of a Xingyi Martial Arts Master was, of course, vast.
But to be performed by a seven-gated martial artist was enough to shock people.
Meng Chuan swung his arms into a punch, with the red mist forming into a flaming python coiled around the arm.
At the instant the fist tip touched the surface of the silicon-gold post, dark red lines spread across like a spiderweb.
Boom!
Xiaoliu couldn't help but stare wide-eyed.
To him, that indestructible alloy melted out a bowl-sized depression as if a hot knife slicing through wax.
The molten metal droplets hovered mid-air, again smoothed out by the momentum Meng Chuan flicked with a turning palm.
The moves hadn't ceased as green wood aura surged from the liver meridian.
Meng Chuan shifted his fists into claws, embedding his five fingers into the still high-temperature metal.
The next moment, everyone heard a long tearing sound, the kind of metal twisting that makes one's teeth ache!
In Meng Chuan's hands, the silicon-gold post twisted like braided dough, forcibly spinning ninety degrees.
This was the new way of performing the [Silk Binding Fist], augmenting with the wood energy of the liver, which accompanied by powerful forces, even a tiger or leopard could be forcibly twisted like a folding screen!
After practicing the Five Elements Fist a few more times, he took up the second, more familiar fist maneuver—Luo's Eight Extremes, the first naturally being the Nation's Righteous Fist.
Shaolin Long Fist hit the silicon-gold post, and the metal surface instantly exploded into small depressions.
Followed by a punch-transitioning-to-elbow strike to the top, the silver-white post body was chiseled out with several gaps, and the metal liquid gushed like a living entity, swiftly repairing.
His body pressed against the post, due to the [Sharpness] effect, erupting with short strikes, it shaved off countless half-inch-thick silicon-gold shells, and before they could fall, they were reassembled by the post's gravity.
After three rounds of practice, the post was already covered with crater-like scars, gradually reflecting a mercury sheen.
The metal liquid receded along the pattern of the post, and after a stick of incense, only faint fist marks remained.
"Incredible!"
Meng Chuan praised, if not for this silicon-gold post, he would only have shadowboxing to practice now.
The Martial Arts Dojo fell into dead silence.
Xiaoliu stared at his reddened and swollen fist and suddenly bowed ninety degrees towards Meng Chuan:
"Brother Chuan, can you teach me how to train the Eagle Claw Skill to this level?"
"Focus on practicing your fists, don't overthink things."
A female voice sounded from behind Xiaoliu, it was Meng Jiaolong.
She walked to Meng Chuan's side and said:
"It's noon, let's head to the cafeteria for lunch and then give each other a hand in the afternoon?
Your skin is thick, I'll try out this new Dragon Form Claw Skill I've just learned."
Meng Chuan was speechless, waving his hand said:
"Tomorrow, I have things to do in the afternoon today."
"Alright, then tomorrow it is."
...
After lunch, Meng Chuan hurried home.
The reason being, after sparring with Brother Gang this morning, the [Doma Iron Arm] was about to break through the limit.
As the effect of the Blood Formation Ointment dissipated, he needed to quickly prepare for the promotion ritual.
"I wonder if, when breaking limits, it's possible without all these mystical proceedings..."
After some thought, he decided otherwise, this being his first breakthrough in Western Region's Hard Skills, it was better to follow the rules.
In the attic at home.
Meng Chuan sat on the Team Divine Mat, lighting incense, and began muttering the pinyin version of the Esoteric Document.
Now his sensory ability and heart spirit intensity had far exceeded the past.
As time slipped by, he could feel a mysterious force swirling around his arms.
A moment later, the mysterious force fully merged within, and that slightly oppressive feeling dissipated.
[Doma Iron Arm: Perfection (99%) → (100%) Limit Broken]
Acquired Limit Breaking Trait: Arm of Rock (Basic)
Meng Chuan focused on observing its effects, unable to hide a slight surprise.
Effect One: Anti-Injury Arm Armor, arms are as steadfast as rock when resisting blades and strikes, triggering a counter-vibration force (damaging enemies with 20% impact force).
Effect Two: Earth Vein Rock Sense, able to sense small-scale ground vibrations and rock changes around, detecting enemies and traps hidden underground or in rocks, or foreseeing impending geological disasters such as earthquakes, landslides, etc.