Ling Fei attacked relentlessly, sending Huang Liang flying.
This caused an uproar and won him back his dignity.
"What are you all just standing there for?" Just then, a deep voice suddenly rang out.
At some unknown point, a middle-aged man in a tight-fitting cyan uniform had appeared on the Martial Arts Platform up ahead.
This man was none other than the Martial Master of the Longtan Town Training Ground, Zhang Quan, who had once attended the Divine Academy.
"Master Zhang!" Seeing him, the youths immediately gathered below the Martial Arts Platform.
"I saw the exchange between Huang Liang and Ling Fei just now. Today, I will explain the Shattering Stone Fist and Fierce Tiger Fist to you all again." On the platform, Zhang Quan stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the youths below as he spoke.
"Alright!" Hearing this, the eyes of every youth below the platform burned with excitement.
"The Shattering Stone Fist emphasizes explosive power!" Zhang Quan said, demonstrating as he spoke.
"First, your posture must be correct. Only by perfectly combining the power of your waist and arms can you unleash the might of this punch," Zhang Quan explained.
"Next is gathering power. Once the power is channeled into your fist, you must strike with the force of a thunderbolt."
WHOOSH!
His body moved in a flash.
BOOM!
With a single motion, Zhang Quan's fist slammed into a nearby rock.
BANG!
The rock shattered, bursting apart.
"So strong!" The youths below were all filled with excitement.
What they loved most was watching Master Zhang demonstrate Martial Arts.
The power to shatter stone monuments was something they all yearned for.
"Fist Techniques also have levels!" After throwing the punch, Zhang Quan continued his explanation.
"At the introductory level, the waist moves, and the fist follows."
"With some accomplishment, the waist and fist move as one!" Zhang Quan said.
The youths below listened intently.
Ling Fei was also listening carefully.
"If you achieve Great Success in a Fist Technique, you reach the legendary state of Heartbeat," Zhang Quan said, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Master Zhang, what is Heartbeat?" someone asked, confused.
'Heartbeat?' Ling Fei was also full of curiosity.
"Heartbeat is where intention leads. It is the perfect fusion of person, waist, and power. There's no need to deliberately remember the techniques. With a single thought, the most perfect punch is unleashed. This is a Realm only Cultivators at the Innate Realm can reach. If you can step into the Innate Realm, you will naturally comprehend it. Otherwise, you will never be able to attain it in your lifetime and can only hear others speak of it." As he mentioned the Innate Realm, a strange light flashed in his eyes.
At the same time, there was also a hint of regret.
Stepping into the Innate Realm was to truly touch the threshold of the Martial Arts World.
"The Innate Realm!" Instantly, the eyes of all the youths below filled with longing.
This wasn't the first time they had heard Master Zhang mention the Innate Realm.
In their hearts, this Realm held a magical allure.
'If I can step into the Innate Realm, I'll have a chance to become a Divine Guard.' Ling Fei was also full of anticipation for the Innate Realm.
"Alright, next up is the Fierce Tiger Fist."
Then, Zhang Quan continued his demonstration.
Fierce Tiger Descending the Mountain!
"Watch closely. This move is about using the power of your muscles and tendons, coordinating it with your body's strength to deliver a thunderous blow."
WHOOSH!
Master Zhang's body shot forward like a spring.
His hands were like tiger claws, carrying gusts of wind as currents of air swept in from the Void.
Everyone felt an immense pressure, and even their breathing became difficult.
It was as if the air itself had frozen solid.
The crowd retreated to a safe distance.
Then, under everyone's watchful gaze, Master Zhang's palm struck the massive rock in front of him.
BANG!
The rock cracked and crumbled, turning into dust and debris that flew in all directions.
'Now that's what Fierce Tiger Descending the Mountain is supposed to look like!' Ling Fei thought, his heart trembling.
For a moment, it was as if he had truly seen a fierce tiger pouncing.
Compared to that, Huang Liang's attempt was worlds apart.
"Huang Liang, just now you completely failed to use the power of your entire body," Zhang Quan said after the demonstration.
"I was too hasty," Huang Liang said, his face filled with shame.
"As a Martial Artist, you must never be hasty. Only by remaining calm at all times can you properly leverage your advantages."
Zhang Quan said with a stern expression.
"Yes!" Huang Liang nodded.
"Ling Fei, your move earlier, grabbing Huang Liang's left hand, was very precise. However, you must be careful with that kick you threw. If your opponent's right hand had been free, you would have had a hard time... When you encounter this move, you should counter it like this." He then began to instruct Ling Fei.
Ling Fei listened with rapt attention.
The other youths were also listening, mesmerized.
...
In the Training Ground, Zhang Quan carefully explained the fundamentals of Martial Arts to the youths below the platform.
All the youths were filled with respect for Zhang Quan.
"Alright, next, you all go and practice on your own," Zhang Quan said in a deep voice after his demonstration and explanation.
"Yes!"
The youths below the platform nodded and then scattered.
In the Training Ground, there were many large rocks for people to practice their Martial Arts on.
There were also some wooden dummies.
Of course, besides that, the students could also spar with each other.
Ling Fei's sparring partner was none other than Wu Dapang.
"Ouch, that hurts! Brother Fei, go easy on me!"
"Brother Fei, take it easy! Your brother is about to be crippled by you!"
Wu Dapang's howls echoed continuously across the Training Ground.
At this moment, Wu Dapang's brows were tightly furrowed; it was impossible to describe how aggrieved he felt.
In the past when he sparred with Ling Fei, he had always held the upper hand.
But this time, for some reason, Ling Fei's bones were like iron. Every clash of limbs made Wu Dapang yelp in pain.
"Dapang, I'm already using very little power. You're still in pain?" Ling Fei looked completely astonished.
He really was using very little power. If he lightened his blows any further, there would be no point in sparring.
"It's not about the power! Your bones are like Profound Iron! Dammit, I'm not practicing anymore." Wu Dapang was on the verge of tears.
After trading two more moves, he felt he really couldn't go on like this, or else he'd actually be crippled by Ling Fei.
The fatty sulked, actually squatting down at the side.
"Come on, Dapang, Little Pang, Pang-Pang! If you don't spar with me, who will?" Ling Fei said hurriedly.
"Don't... Bro, don't call me so affectionately. I'd rather die than spar with you again. This is just asking for a beating."
Wu Dapang shrank back, gritting his teeth.
'Are my bones really that hard?' Seeing this, Ling Fei arched an eyebrow.
He had felt his own strength when he defeated Huang Liang earlier.
But Ling Fei hadn't expected to be *this* strong.
You have to understand, he really hadn't used much of his strength when sparring with Wu Dapang just now!
"Brother Fei, I think your good days are just beginning. Keep up the hard work. Maybe next spring you'll really get a spot at the Divine Academy. I'm gonna go cry in a corner now. Dammit, it hurts so much!" Looking at his already swollen hand, Wu Dapang really did start to wail.
"This... Dapang, come back to my place later. I'll have my adoptive father prescribe you some medicine," Ling Fei said.
Seeing Wu Dapang's state, he also looked guilty.
"That'd be great!" Hearing this, Wu Dapang's eyes immediately lit up. "It's been a while since I've seen Elder Ling, too."
...
Wu Dapang's wails attracted the attention of the other youths nearby.
'Is Ling Fei really that strong now?'
'Did he take some kind of pill?'
Instantly, everyone looked at each other, feeling as if the world was being turned upside down.
Wu Dapang was at the Perfect Body Tempering Eighth Layer!
"Brother Liang, is Ling Fei really that terrifying?" At this moment, those two youths couldn't help but ask Huang Liang.
Zhao Fa also looked at him questioningly.
"His power is about the same as mine, but his damn bones are just too hard," Huang Liang said with a frown.
"Did this guy's luck finally turn around?" Zhao Fa frowned.
Now, when everyone looked at Ling Fei, their eyes held a trace of fear.
'That kid, Ling Fei, has been sensible since he was young, and he has tremendous willpower. It seems his suffering has finally paid off.' On the Martial Master's platform, Zhang Quan nodded slightly, thinking to himself, 'With a temperament like Ling Fei's, in the Martial Arts World, as long as he has even a little talent, he will surely achieve something.'
"Assemble." A deep voice then came from his mouth.
It was now close to dusk.
Instantly, more than three hundred youths gathered below the platform.
"Everyone performed quite well today, especially Ling Fei. He has persevered for many years, and now his hard work is finally paying off. You should learn from him. At the same time, the Martial Arts World is full of capable people. Never use your position to bully others, or you might end up picking a fight with the wrong person. Huang Liang is a cautionary tale." On the platform, Zhang Quan's gaze was sharp as he scanned the youths below.
"You learn Martial Arts to strengthen your body and protect your loved ones, not to bully people."
"Yes, we will remember Master Zhang's teachings!" the youths chanted in unison.
Huang Liang's face flushed beet red with shame.
'Ling Fei, I'll get you back for this. Just you wait,' Huang Liang thought, glaring at Ling Fei from a distance and secretly gritting his teeth.
"Everyone, go home!" After a few more words of admonishment, Zhang Quan dismissed the youths.
"Yay, time to go home!" Instantly, more than two hundred youths scattered noisily.
"Brother Ling Fei, how did you suddenly get so strong?"
"Brother Fei, are you free? How about I treat you to a meal?" As the crowd dispersed, quite a few people walked over to Ling Fei.
In the past, these people would never have paid Ling Fei any mind.
Some had even called him Ling the sickly.
But now, Ling Fei had defeated Huang Liang, and even Wu Dapang was no match for him.
A person like that had an excellent chance of getting into the Divine Academy.
Therefore, these people began to suck up to Ling Fei.
Others wanted to resolve their past grievances.
After all, once someone entered the Divine Academy, they had a chance to become a Divine Guard!
A Divine Guard...
That was a major figure who commanded everyone's respect.
"Heh, I'm heading home. Let's get together some other time when we're free." Ling Fei, naturally, had no intention of associating with these people.
Then, he turned to Wu Dapang and said, "Dapang, let's go to my place!"
"Alright!" Wu Dapang was overjoyed. "But... my face is all swollen like a pig's from you hitting me. Will little sister Xue Xi be disgusted when she sees me?" he asked, hesitating.
"You say that as if Xue Xi wasn't disgusted with you before?" Ling Fei shot Wu Dapang a sidelong glance.
"I guess that's true," Wu Dapang nodded.