Tianhai City No. 2 High School was one of the key secondary schools in Tianhai City.
A large number of martial arts geniuses were gathered within it.
The entire school occupied a vast area, with its architecture in a red-and-white style. It was surrounded by tall metal walls that separated the world inside from the one outside.
One teaching building after another stood tall within, and countless students wearing blue-and-white school uniforms gathered at the entrance, lining up to enter in an orderly fashion.
A row of burly security guards stood at the main gate, each with a gaze as sharp as a torch, patrolling like great bears.
"Is this No. 2 High School? It really is full of geniuses and top students."
"Son, study hard. Our family is counting on you!"
"..."
The new first-year students, filled with curiosity, entered the school one after another.
Lin Qi looked at the new students who radiated youthful energy and felt a sense of nostalgia. Two years ago, he had entered No. 2 High School as a last-minute admit and had been just as green as they were.
Lost in nostalgia, he followed the flow of people into the school.
He parked his bicycle and, following a familiar path, walked to the athletic field, found his class's designated spot, and prepared for the opening ceremony.
An hour later.
The tedious opening ceremony concluded. Everyone returned to their respective classes, but it was not an ordinary classroom.
Instead, it was a spacious room of over a thousand square meters. The walls were fitted with a large number of common weapons such as sabers, spears, and swords.
At the same time, in a corner, stood incredibly thick training posts, each over two meters tall, erected on soft mats.
After the students of Class 3, Grade 12 entered, they consciously went to the changing room to put on loose-fitting martial arts uniforms and began their training.
Some people stood in place practicing their stances; some began to practice their fist techniques.
Some moved like a fierce tiger descending a mountain, some like a crane spreading its wings, some swung their arms through the air like an ape, and others coiled like a nimble snake...
A few people started striking the training posts, creating a series of crackling sounds.
There were even some who picked up weapons like sabers, spears, and swords, brandishing them with abandon.
While training, they chatted amongst themselves, recounting the happy events of their vacation. The air was filled with a pleasant and leisurely atmosphere.
Lin Qi did not engage in idle chat. Instead, he hid in a corner, popped a Qi and Blood capsule into his mouth, and then began to warm up his body.
By getting his body thoroughly warmed up before training, he could more easily avoid injury.
"The fatigue and soreness in the muscles all over my body... this has been going on for several days. Why haven't I recovered yet?"
Lin Qi thought to himself as he rotated his body, feeling the abnormality within it.
"Look at you all! Muscles stiff, fists lacking power. How long has it been since you last trained?"
"A whole summer vacation has been wasted, and you still have the nerve to stand here grinning."
A resonant voice of admonishment rang out amongst the crowd, drowning out everyone else's voices.
Lin Qi looked over. It was a middle-aged man, nearly 1.8 meters tall, with lean muscles, an ordinary face, and a distinct scar.
He wore a white tracksuit and walked among the students as if he had wind at his heels.
A formidable aura emanated from him, and the entire martial arts hall instantly fell silent, everyone as quiet as a cicada in winter.
This was their Class 3's martial arts teacher—Wu Kang.
He was responsible for their martial arts instruction and was a Third-Realm Martial Artist.
Wu Kang's gaze was sharp, like a blade brushing past each person's cheek. He sneered and said:
"Some of you haven't even achieved Great Accomplishment in your fist techniques, yet you have the audacity to practice with weapons. You want to run before you've even learned to walk? Do you think you look cool?"
The students who were called out instantly put down their weapons in shame. Only two or three people remained who paid him no mind, puffing out their chests and tightening their grip on the weapons in their hands.
Wu Kang clasped his hands behind his back, scanned his surroundings, and spoke again, his voice like a great bell.
"Why do you practice martial arts?"
"Because being a martial artist is the most promising profession in this world. They possess superhuman strength."
"And in this world invaded by Disaster Beasts, strength means safety, money, and status."
"According to the latest social survey report, the average income for the martial artist profession ranks first in the world, far surpassing the second-ranked profession."
"This is an era of national martial arts practice. From birth, everyone must strive to become a martial artist. It's like a hundred boats vying for the current, a thousand soldiers crossing a single-plank bridge."
"It is destined that only a small minority will be able to become martial artists."
"And right now is your golden period. It's the time when you will improve the fastest."
"With your current attitude, how will you compete with others?"
After Wu Kang finished speaking, the entire martial arts hall was silent. The relaxed atmosphere had completely dissipated, replaced by heavy pressure.
"Let's begin class!"
Seeing that he had achieved the desired effect, Wu Kang continued:
"In the year 1999 of the Martial Arts Calendar, another world invaded, and the Disaster Beasts descended."
"Our Blue Star was torn open with countless spatial rifts. Disaster Beasts charged out from these rifts, and along with them came a type of transcendent power—Source Energy!"
"This was something our Blue Star did not possess in the past."
"Scientists discovered that after the human body absorbs Source Energy, it can unlock the shackles of its genes, allowing the body to undergo a metamorphosis, an evolution."
"Humans can also possess the kind of superhuman power seen only in comics, novels, and films."
"The ancient martial arts rose again, setting off a frenzy of human life evolution."
"Based on the joint research of all the nations on Blue Star, the Nine Great Gates of Martial Arts and nine shackles were summarized."
"The realms of martial artists were divided into Nine Realms."
"Every time a gate is broken through, one's strength will undergo a world-shaking change."
"Source Energy is tyrannical. The organs of an ordinary person cannot absorb it directly. It can only be absorbed through food, or bit by bit over long periods."
"In order for us martial artists to improve our strength more scientifically and efficiently..."
"Our Xia Country deduced the Hunyuan Stance and the Five Forms Fist from ancient health-preservation arts, techniques, and ancient fist forms."
"For the first lesson of the school year, you will practice the Hunyuan Stance to thoroughly loosen up your slack bodies."
Wu Kang shouted, and the 50 students quickly spread out and began to practice their stances.
"The Hunyuan Stance was deduced by our Xia Country from countless ancient stance techniques. It is the stance with the best universality and the strongest effect."
"The First Gate of Martial Arts is Flesh Tempering!"
"It requires us to train the large muscle groups of the body and improve our physical fitness in an all-around way."
"And the Hunyuan Stance can fully mobilize the body's Qi and Blood to temper every muscle in the body, without any omission."
Lin Qi devoted himself completely to the practice of the stance.
"Stance work is the interconnection of form, intent, breath, and strength."
"It emphasizes a suspended headtop, sunken shoulders and dropped elbows, a contained chest and straightened back, sinking the breath, lifting the hips and contracting the anus, gripping the ground with all five toes, and sinking Qi to the dantian…"
"Not only can it temper the physical body, but it can also stretch the muscles and bones…"
Following Wu Kang's explanation, Lin Qi also entered the state.
Having practiced stance work for over a decade, he had long since trained the Hunyuan Stance to the point of instinct.
His breathing was natural, muscles relaxed, arms held in a circle, a perfect whole, feeling the changes in his spine.
In a short while, his body began to heat up, followed by a numbing sensation, and his body began to tremble involuntarily.
Drip! Drip!
Sweat seeped out, dripping continuously onto the soft mat.
It was as if his body had come alive, and the Qi and Blood throughout his body were stimulated.
The vertebrae of his back protruded, as if a great tendon had been pulled taut.
This was the Dragon Bone, a phenomenon that only occurred when the Hunyuan Stance was trained to its very essence.
And at this moment, Lin Qi felt a large hand placed on his back.
"Some of you have been learning stance work for over ten years and still haven't grasped the essence. Your foundation is unstable."
"You can take another look at Lin Qi's stance work. His is the best in your class."
Wu Kang's voice rang out again. He looked at Lin Qi with an expression of admiration.
His words immediately attracted the attention of many, and they gathered closer, discussing among themselves.
"As expected of the master of basic skills, the person with the best fundamentals in our class. This stance is truly like something out of a textbook."
"Every time I see it, I feel it's so perfectly whole. It's too perfect."
Some exclaimed in admiration, while others were disdainful.
"It doesn't matter how strong his basic skills are or how good his stance looks. Without enough resources like Qi and Blood capsules and potions, his Qi and Blood value won't increase."
"As a martial artist, the Qi and Blood value is the most important thing."
At this moment, Lin Qi was completely immersed in his stance work.
His whole body was scorching hot, and he was drenched in sweat. Qi and Blood rose from his feet, rapidly coursing through every corner of his body.
The parts led the whole, the upper and lower body linked into one. A formless energy darted through his body. Apart from a few slight obstructions, it was incomparably smooth.
Hooo~
Lin Qi's eyes suddenly flew open as he exhaled a breath, and a surge of power erupted.
A wave of hot air steamed off him.
[You have made a new breakthrough in your cultivation of the Hunyuan Stance. Your Qi and Blood value has increased. Qi and Blood +0.1!]
[Qi and Blood Value: 5.2 → 5.3]
...
A look of joy appeared on Lin Qi's face as he stood up from the ground.
Hooo~
He clenched his fists. A hot current spread through every joint in his body, his muscles undulating.
He had finally broken through again!
The higher the realm of his stance work, the higher the efficiency of tempering his body.
Looking at the 5.3 Qi and Blood value on his panel, Lin Qi's spirits were lifted, his entire being like a radiating furnace.
The so-called Qi and Blood value represented the strength of a person's vital energy and also represented their realm.
The Nine Great Gates of Martial Arts divided martial artists into nine levels, while the Qi and Blood value represented a more detailed division.
It was a way to visually observe the progress of one's physical tempering.
Every single point of progress could be seen.
…