The morning sun rose, its faint dawn light spilling into Taoyuan Academy.
Early in the morning, after washing up with the cool, clear well water, the four students of the academy began their daily special training.
As their teacher, Su Ran led by example, starting his morning exercises early.
Su Ran's morning routine was actually very simple. He would leisurely practice a set of Peach Blossom Sword forms with the peach branch that was always tucked by the left window of the classroom, and that would be enough.
Ning Rongrong would always make a point to arrive at the classroom early, waiting eagerly to watch Su Ran wave the peach branch, completely mesmerized.
Zhu Zhuqing would also come with her, waiting for the class to begin. When the teacher explained something well or demonstrated a move beautifully, even her usually cold face would light up with an expression of sudden understanding, as if bathed in a spring breeze. A good teacher could truly open one's heart and change one's self.
Meng Yiran, the fourth student and third direct disciple of Taoyuan Academy, was still new and sometimes found it difficult to wake up so early. On her very first day of class, 'Eldest Senior Sister' Ning Rongrong had seriously warned her not to be late or leave early, or the consequences would be severe: a smacking on the hand and a self-criticism letter!
After the morning exercises and breakfast, they would gather in the classroom, where the students could ask Su Ran questions—difficulties they encountered in their cultivation the previous day, or things they didn't understand about their ultimate techniques, cultivation methods, or Martial Souls.
Once the questions were answered, the daily special training would officially begin.
The special training at Taoyuan Academy was different from the uniform regimen at Shrek. Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and Meng Yiran each had their own training standards, tailor-made for them. Even Wang Sheng had his own specific routine.
Ning Rongrong's training focused on strengthening her physique, with a heavy emphasis on physical stamina. As a support-type Spirit Master, the pressure she endured was immense.
Especially after cultivating the third layer of the Golden Bell, she had entered the second stage of her special training: refining her blood and steeling her bones. Every day, she had to use the secret method of the Golden Bell to compress the blood and marrow throughout her body, condensing and densifying them. The pain of each compression was no less than being trapped in a sealed compressor, feeling as if she were about to be crushed into a meat patty.
In addition to compressing her bones and condensing her blood, she also had to practice Wing Chun, dueling with the hard iron posts every day without using the Golden Bell Shield to protect her arms.
Su Ran had told her: "One day, when you can use the Wing Chun One-Inch Punch to pierce through an iron post, and also leave a fist print on a block of tofu without breaking its shape, your fist technique will be complete."
Ning Rongrong believed him.
The poor little girl. After two months of physical strength training, the once delicate and pretty little princess had almost turned into a 'tough guy' with two little buns in her hair. But she was still made of flesh and blood.
Whack!
One of her small hands struck the tofu, while the other struck the iron post.
The tofu was instantly smashed to smithereens.
And the little hand that hit the iron post immediately became red and swollen. The pain brought a look of grievance to her face, her eyes welling up with tears.
"Waaah—Teacher, you lied!"
"A normal punch would smash the tofu, let alone a fist that can pierce through an iron post. And... can a fist really pierce through an iron post?" Forget piercing it, even denting it seemed impossible.
Su Ran remained silent. He simply took another block of soft white tofu from the water vat nearby and placed it on a wooden post next to the iron one.
"Rongrong, stand back."
"Huh? Oh." Ning Rongrong was puzzled. Even if Teacher is going to demonstrate, he's going to hit the iron post, not me. Why do I need to stand back?
Ning Rongrong had just taken two steps back when Su Ran, without using his Martial Soul or any spirit power, simply found his position, took a deep breath, and shifted from an open palm to a fist.
BOOM!
He struck out with both fists simultaneously.
With a violent tremor, the iron post in front of him vibrated wildly. A ferocious shockwave erupted, and a fist-sized hole instantly appeared on its surface. Iron fragments and shavings flew everywhere, shattering the roof tiles of the house. The instantaneous force was so terrifying that if one were standing too close, the iron shards would have been enough to pierce through human bone.
"Ouch," at the same time, a pained cry, held back with great effort, sounded from a hidden spot on one of Taoyuan Academy's rooftops.
Meanwhile, Su Ran's other fist had landed squarely on the block of white tofu. When he withdrew his fist, the tofu was miraculously without a single crack. There was only a faint fist-shaped impression, proof that it had just been struck.
Ning Rongrong was dumbfounded. "You can really do that?!"
"Teacher, you're too amazing!" Ning Rongrong was utterly stunned.
"Rongrong, what I taught you in the first two months were just the basic introductory levels of the Golden Bell Shield and Wing Chun. This is because as a support-type Spirit Master, your body cannot compare to other types, so you need to progress step by step."
"Now you have absorbed your third Spirit Ring and even obtained a rare Spirit Bone. Although its age is a bit low, as long as you persist in refining your bones and condensing your blood, combined with my Bone Nurturing Spirit Liquid, you will be able to evolve it into a ten-thousand-year Spirit Bone in less than two years, doubling its strengthening effect. You now need to pursue a higher goal."
"Next, you must learn momentum and pressure, to release and retract your power at will, to combine hardness and softness, to no longer be limited to defense, but to also possess offensive power."
Su Ran spoke calmly. He actually had high hopes for Ning Rongrong; she was, after all, his first direct disciple.
"What are momentum and pressure?" Ning Rongrong had only ever heard her Grandpa Sword talk about things like 'man and sword as one', 'sword momentum', and 'sword qi', but she didn't understand any of it.
"Momentum is one's own aura. When you emit your own energy and majesty to the extreme, that is the momentum of pressure, the power of a strong attack."
As he spoke, layers of golden bells materialized behind Su Ran. A massive, glazed golden pagoda pressed down from above Ning Rongrong, giving her the urge to kneel.
"Wait, what? Teacher, how do you have a Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda too?!"
"Don't ask too many questions. Just feel this power. Your next goal is to refine your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda to this level, to transform it into a Vajra Glazed Tile Pagoda."
"Pressure!"
Rumble!
The golden pagoda was like a small mountain crashing down. Even Ning Rongrong, who had already generated her third stream of Golden Bell Qi, felt as if she were about to be crushed.
"Release and retract at will, fist and man as one."
The next moment, the glazed golden pagoda vanished. In its place was Su Ran's Wing Chun stance. A fist the size of a sandbag came flying toward her, creating a powerful gust of wind that messed up her hair. But the fist stopped just a millimeter from the tip of her nose. It then transformed into a finger and thumb, which gave her nose a gentle flick.
"Silly girl. This is 'man and fist as one,' releasing and retracting at will, with softness within hardness, not harming a single hair, and hardness within softness, instantly defeating the enemy. Do you understand?"
"The One-Inch Punch has three levels. The first level can break bones and split stone. The second can sever iron and cleave mountains. The third can part rivers and open the heavens. You are currently still at the first level," Su Ran explained calmly.
Ning Rongrong was certainly frightened by Su Ran, but she was also flustered by the gentle flick on her nose. For a moment, she was both scared and delighted, unable to cry or laugh, her face turning a faint red. "Teacher, you're so mean."
"If you had ruined my face, you'd be the one at a loss!"
Teacher called me a silly girl, hehe. I am pretty silly, silly enough to soak a whole pillow with drool~
"Alright, this was just to let you feel this power."
"In short, your next training goal is to merge the Golden Bell into the pagoda, to refine the Vajra Glazed Tile. After you have achieved 'man and fist as one' and can release and retract your power at will, the next step is to execute the second level of the One-Inch Punch."
"Once you complete this second stage of special training, you will truly no longer be a simple support-type Spirit Master. Your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda will not only possess defensive capabilities but will also have an offensive power no less than that of an ordinary power-attack type Spirit Master."
Su Ran smiled faintly. Seeing Ning Rongrong's slightly dazed look, he sometimes found this girl rather amusing.
Ning Rongrong took a sharp breath and looked at Su Ran pitifully. "But it sounds so hard."
"Naturally. An advanced ultimate technique is of course not comparable to a basic one."
That's right. It took me over two months to complete the basic training, and I can already fight a power-attack type Spirit Master. How strong will I be after the advanced stage?
"Teacher, this 'man and fist as one,' besides you, has anyone else really been able to master it?"
"Yes. Your Senior Brother has been practicing the basic Tiger Fist for so long, he's about to turn into a simple-minded tiger himself."
(End of Chapter)