Chen Chuan was struck by a sense of extreme danger. His pupils dilated abruptly, a jolt like an electric current shot up his spine, and everything around him seemed to slow down.
But before his body could truly react, Yu Gang's fist stopped just short of his skin.
Yu Gang said slowly, "Remember this feeling. Remember how your body just reacted. Later, you can use the Breathing Technique to try and manipulate your qi and blood to this extent. Once you're familiar with it, you'll be able to land a strike that surpasses your usual strength."
Chen Chuan slowly calmed his breathing and heartbeat. He noticed his back was slightly sticky, as if he had broken out in a sweat. Even though he knew he could have used his Second Self to transfer the damage, and that Yu Gang wouldn't have actually hit him, he still had an instinctive stress response. Besides, Yu Gang's fist was just too fast—so fast that even merging with his Second Self wouldn't have been enough to dodge it.
He slowly exhaled and said, "I'll remember." Looking up, he asked, "Mr. Yu, what's this move called?"
Yu Gang said, "The Old Martial Arts Management calls this move the 'Shocking God Fist.' It shocks your own spirit, as well as the spirit of others. The New Martial Arts Management calls it the 'Limit-Breaking Strike.' This move isn't limited to a straight punch; it can be delivered in any form. But remember, when you practice, you must never throw it at empty air. There must be an object to hit, or you'll dislocate something. Whether or not you can master this move is entirely up to you. I'm only responsible for telling you the secret. Alright, go practice on your own. Remember to close the door on your way out."
Chen Chuan acknowledged and, as he was walking out and closing the door, Yu Gang's voice came from inside again. "Also, the cost of any sandbags you break will be put on your tab."
Chen Chuan paused for a moment, then said, "Alright, Mr. Yu." Trading money for a powerful technique didn't feel like a loss to him at all. In fact, he felt he had gotten the better end of the deal.
He went down the stairs to the first floor and walked directly to a training dummy, where he stood still, quietly reliving the feeling from before.
This move wasn't one you could train for by gradually progressing from shallow to deep, or from weak to strong. It was unleashed in a sudden burst, by shocking your own system.
He had only just experienced the move, so the memory was at its freshest. It was the perfect time to give it a try.
However, just remembering the feeling was useless. He had to use the Breathing Technique to forcefully channel his qi and blood and unleash the strike, regardless of the cost.
He stared at the training dummy for a moment, then suddenly kicked it, sending it into a violent tremor.
He slowly lowered his leg. Although he'd found the right feeling, channeling his qi and blood with the Breathing Technique felt sluggish and difficult, as if he had hit a wall of resistance.
This move was meant to be triggered in a moment of life-or-death urgency. Since he wasn't in any real danger now, his body was instinctively resisting his attempts.
He couldn't help but think of that night when Mr. Wen had the Patrol Officers try to stand on one leg. Just like then, the one he needed to fight now was himself.
He decided to try one more time.
He first stood perfectly still. After a moment, a sudden flush crept up his face and neck. He lunged forward, stomped his foot hard on the ground, and struck with a Pan Tuo Palm from his lead hand. With a dull thud, the heavy training dummy was actually knocked upward into a small hop, startling even Lu Ke, who wasn't far away.
He retreated, letting out a breath. 'Still just a little bit off,' he thought.
But as long as his control over his breathing became proficient enough, and he combined it with his intent, he was sure he could break through that barrier.
Just as he was about to try again, Yu Gang's voice drifted over. "Don't overdo it with this move. Not only will it put a strain on your body in various ways, but it might also interfere with your normal attacks. Stop for now. It's better not to master it at all than to be too hasty."
Chen Chuan couldn't very well say that he wasn't actually afraid of injury, but since Yu Gang had said so, he had no choice but to stop for now. He decided he would find a chance to try again after he got back.
Lu Ke, on the other hand, felt that the power of Chen Chuan's strike was greater than ever before. He ran up to inspect the training dummy, then looked up and said, "It's fine."
Yu Gang said expressionlessly, "If it breaks, make him pay for it."
Lu Ke scratched his head.
Chen Chuan didn't dwell on it and decided to proceed with his normal training. But after only a short while, he felt a dull ache in various parts of his body, and his condition seemed a bit worse than usual.
This was likely due to strained muscles and the burden placed on his internal organs.
Even when merged with his Second Self, this type of internal damage, caused by his own actions, would not be actively transferred away by it. This was because his will was singular; everything internal had to be directed by his own self.
Now that he'd noticed it, he focused his intent, and his body quickly felt light and relaxed again.
After the afternoon's training was over, he tidied up a bit, said goodbye to Yu Gang and Lu Ke, and left Quan's House.
On his way back, he kept practicing the breathing mobilization while jogging. He had actually been trying it repeatedly during breaks in his training that afternoon. Now, after a short interval, as he guided his breath again, he suddenly felt as if he had touched something. It seemed like he was just one punch away from executing that strike.
But he needed a suitable target right now. He should probably also try a few more times while he was in this state. 'Should I turn back?'
'Not a good idea. Yu Gang wouldn't approve.'
At that moment, he suddenly remembered that there was a Xiujiang Boxing Club not far ahead. It wasn't the same one from the flyer he'd received the other day, but it was probably more or less the same. It wasn't far to get there.
The thought had no sooner crossed his mind than he acted on it, jogging quickly in that direction.
In just five or six minutes, he found the boxing club. It was located in the middle of the only commercial street in the west district. A huge sign with the two characters for "Xiujiang" hung above the entrance, its four sides flashing with neon lights. It was, one might say, very eye-catching.
But this was the old district of the west side, after all. The roads were worn, and pedestrians and vehicles were usually crammed together, surrounded by a cacophony of ringing bells and honking horns.
He entered through the boxing club's main entrance, which opened to a staircase leading up. On the second floor, past a backlit screen partition, was a wide-open training hall. Bright industrial lights hung from the ceiling, the walls looked like unfinished concrete, and the floor was swept clean. Large posters of various cool fighting moves were plastered on the walls. At the moment, a dozen or so people were doing fitness training, while others, dressed in uniform practice clothes and holding protective gear, were sparring with each other.
A young man in his twenties was sitting on a tire, gnawing on a chicken leg. Seeing a new face, he quickly swallowed the chicken in his mouth, wiped his hands, and looked up. "Hey, little bro, here to learn boxing?"
Chen Chuan said, "I saw a flyer for your Xiujiang Boxing Club. I heard you can try it out first, so I came to take a look."
The young man said, "Sure thing. You can look around on your own. My name is Liang Fang, everyone here calls me Xiaoliang. But if you want to use the equipment, you have to call me over. Don't get me wrong, it's just so you don't hurt yourself using it. Someone's gotta watch you."
Chen Chuan looked around, pointed to a sandbag on the side, and asked, "Can I use that?"
Xiaoliang said generously, "That? Use it all you want."
Chen Chuan started to walk over, then paused and said, "By the way, if I accidentally break it, I'll pay for it."
Xiaoliang looked at him as if he were joking and said with wide eyes, "Little bro, we're a legit boxing hall, not some place that scams people. Let's put it this way: go nuts on the sandbag. We're open for business, and that means making our customers happy. As long as you're not here to deliberately cause trouble, we'll cover it even if you really do break it."
Chen Chuan nodded. "Thanks, then." With that, he walked over to a corner and threw a few trial punches at an unoccupied sandbag.
Xiaoliang watched for a moment but didn't think much of it. Their Xiujiang Boxing Hall did pretty good business. Many nearby office workers and students came here to practice, and in the evenings, people even came to watch the sparring matches inside the hall.
They didn't mind people like Chen Chuan, who clearly just came to check things out and see the excitement. Even if he didn't sign up, it still boosted their popularity a bit. Besides, if enough people like him came by, one of them might eventually become a real customer.
More customers would be arriving soon, and he needed to fill his stomach first, so he went back to gnawing on his chicken leg.
Chen Chuan stood before the sandbag. He breathed in and out repeatedly, closing his eyes to experience that feeling. When he felt the state return once more, his eyes snapped open, and he blasted a punch forward!
「Half an hour later.」
"Dammit, someone must have poked this with something! Don't let me catch them!" Xiaoliang cursed.
A small patch on the sandbag in front of him was damaged. It wasn't very noticeable from the outside. If someone hadn't seen sand leaking out while they were punching it later, it would have been hard to spot.
Just then, a coach from the boxing club happened to walk by. He heard the commotion and glanced over in surprise. He didn't normally pay much mind to such minor things, but when his gaze swept over the sand on the floor beneath the bag, he suddenly felt something was off and walked over.
When Xiaoliang saw him, he quickly greeted him, "Coach Gu."
Coach Gu stepped forward, reached out, and pulled the other side of the sandbag around. What he saw was a shattered, fist-sized hole torn in the back of the bag. That was where the sand was leaking from.
"What the—"
Xiaoliang was stunned. You could tell at a glance that the force had exploded from the inside out. He instantly realized it couldn't have been poked open with an object.
Coach Gu stared at the hole, his expression turning serious. Generally, only someone who had developed true Power could deliver such a strike. But why would they do this? It didn't seem like a provocation.
He asked, "Who used this sandbag?"
Xiaoliang thought for a moment, then slapped his forehead. "I remember the first person to use it was a handsome, student-looking young man. He even asked me if the sandbag would break! Right, it must have been him!"
Coach Gu thought, 'A student... could he be from Wuda?' He said, "If that person comes again, remember to let me know." Then he added, "And be polite to him."
Xiaoliang readily agreed with a "Yup!" and added, "Coach Gu, you know me. Aren't I polite to everyone?"
At this very moment, Chen Chuan was already back home. He still felt a little keyed up, because he had finally succeeded in executing the Limit-Breaking Strike.
He also realized that the reason he had mastered it so quickly was because, in his own mind, he knew he could rely on his Second Self to bear almost any cost. This wasn't some self-hypnosis or trick; it was a concrete fact. Combined with an entire afternoon of nonstop practice, his will had finally been fully imposed upon his body.
The only regret was that he hadn't been able to destroy the sandbag at the boxing hall like Yu Gang had. 'It's probably because their sandbags are better quality, and my own strength is still lacking,' he thought. 'Looks like I still need to train harder.'
...
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