The first thing Chen Chuan did after getting home was use a timer to measure the overlap time with his Second Self.
Even though he hadn't won against Coach Gu in the end, he was still very satisfied with the outcome, so he expected a significant increase.
The result was indeed a pleasant surprise. The overlap time had increased by more than twenty seconds.
In a fight, a single second could decide a great deal. An increase of over twenty seconds brought his total overlap duration to more than a minute and a half, making him even more confident about passing the re-examination.
He stood up from the edge of his bed and looked out the window. That last fight had confirmed the path he needed to take.
'At this stage, there's no point in trying to refine my techniques. Whether in combat experience or fighting skills, I can't possibly surpass those who are already ahead of me.'
'I should fully exploit the Second Self's immunity to injury. During the overlap, I must use all my power to take down my opponent at any cost. If one move can do it, I won't use a second. As for my other weaknesses, I can worry about fixing them after I pass the re-examination.'
He looked at his palm and clenched his fist.
Thanks to his relentless efforts, the duration he could maintain the Breathing Technique was steadily increasing. Driven and sustained by it for long periods, he could clearly feel himself improving every day.
'As things stand, since my Second Self is almost identical to me, the better my physical condition, the stronger it becomes. With nearly a month left, I can definitely raise my strength to another level.'
'There's really no need to visit other boxing halls anymore. Strengthening my foundational training is the priority.'
However, he noticed from the student profiles provided by Wuyi University Hall that three of the five were skilled in wrestling takedowns. This meant he might face such an opponent in the re-examination.
His wrestling and grappling skills were a bit weak, and since he hadn't had time to focus on everything, it was an understandable gap. Therefore, he decided to visit a boxing club that specialized in wrestling takedowns to gain some experience.
And one boxing club fit his requirements perfectly: the Flipping Waves Fist Club, whose reputation in Yangzhi City surpassed even that of Xiujiang Boxing.
Flipping Wave Fist was, on the surface, a style focused primarily on wrestling takedowns. This was its advertised specialty.
After getting involved with fighting, he had gradually come to understand that, in reality, all modern fighting styles were eclectic. You couldn't get by on just one discipline. Grapplers had to learn striking, and strikers had to learn grappling.
Take the Xiujiang Boxing Club, for example. Coach Gu used many modified techniques that were completely different from the original version of Xiujiang Boxing.
The Flipping Waves Fist Club had a decent reputation and was open to challenges from visitors seeking instruction. So, the next day, after finishing his training at Quan's House, he went to their boxing hall, located in the city's eastern Wangyang District.
The resident coach at Flipping Waves Boxing Hall was very cautious. Hearing that Chen Chuan wanted to learn about wrestling and grappling techniques, he didn't get in the ring to spar. Instead, he personally demonstrated many characteristics of the Flipping Wave Fist, sharing a great deal of practical knowledge. Before he knew it, Chen Chuan had spent the entire afternoon there.
As he was leaving, the coach gave him a self-authored booklet. He told Chen Chuan that if he needed, he could arrange for the club's students to train with him, free of charge for the first week. After that, as long as the price was right, even daily sparring sessions with the coach himself could be arranged.
Although Chen Chuan didn't get to spar, he felt the trip hadn't been a waste. He thanked the coach sincerely and took his leave, and the coach politely saw him out.
Inside the boxing hall, a veteran fighter found this perplexing. "Coach Huang," he asked, "why were you so accommodating to that young man?"
Coach Huang replied, "We're running a business; it's best not to make unnecessary enemies. That young man is not simple. He's mastered the Breathing Technique at such a young age, and you can tell just by looking at him that he's experienced real combat—he's probably even seen blood. Who knows how far he'll go in the future? Just think of it as a small favor."
The fighter pursed his lips and thought, 'I've never seen you be so polite to anyone else.'
But of course. Boxing clubs treated people according to their status. If you had no connections and no strength, who would give you the time of day? But some people just looked like trouble and might even have a powerful background. It was always best not to offend them if you could help it.
After returning, Chen Chuan opened the booklet. It contained Coach Huang's personal notes on fighting, with a heavy emphasis on wrestling takedowns. It even mentioned how to deal with and counter the type of Power used in grappling.
None of this was a secret; Yu Gang had already explained it in great detail. However, seeing it now from a different perspective gave him a new level of understanding.
In the days that followed, besides intensifying his regular training, he practiced the Great Scattering Hand over and over again.
The set of basic techniques seemed simple, but the more he practiced, the more depth he discovered.
Lately, however, he couldn't shake the feeling that he could be doing better. He wasn't sure what was lacking. He was executing the moves and generating force correctly, yet there was always a sense of disharmony, as if his Power couldn't fully penetrate and he couldn't unleash his body's full strength.
This feeling became even more pronounced after he mastered the Shocking God Fist.
Unable to solve the problem on his own, he made a special trip one afternoon to ask Yu Gang for advice.
After listening, Yu Gang mulled it over for a moment. "The reason you're facing this issue," he said, "is actually because you're improving too fast. The body needs time to adapt. Your mind adapts and gets used to executing a technique, but then your physical attributes improve, and by the next day, you feel out of sync again. The Breathing Technique, in particular, amplifies this sensation."
Chen Chuan was surprised. "Is that what it is..."
Yu Gang said, "It's quite normal. I've told you before that after maintaining the Breathing Technique for an extended period, you reach a phase of prolonged, rapid improvement. You are clearly in that phase now.
"You'll continue to feel this way for its duration. You can either wait for this growth spurt to end, or you can train harder and use your own talent and effort to adapt to the changes.
"This is actually a good thing. My advice is that during this phase of your practice, don't chase explosive power or speed. Adopt a much slower, more deliberate rhythm for your forms. Take each move slowly, and carefully feel how every part of your body is involved.
"Remember to maintain the Breathing Technique throughout this process. Don't let up for a moment. Without the Breathing Technique, it's just calisthenics, and the effects will be minimal."
Hearing this, Chen Chuan finally understood how to solve his problem. After thanking Yu Gang, he immediately put the advice into practice, slowing down his movements while maintaining the Breathing Technique.
After several days of this training, he could feel the disharmony gradually fading. Then, with just two days left before the re-examination, he felt as if he had once again achieved complete mastery over his body.
This didn't mean his progress had stalled, however. On the contrary, he had advanced even further than before.
That day, after leaving Quan's House, he jogged along his usual route. Before long, he reached the spot where he'd been attacked. The marks from the fight were still visible even after so many days. He glanced at them and ran past, but just then, a shout came from above. "Hey, you!"
Chen Chuan looked up and saw a teenager with spiky hair standing on the balcony railing of a residential building. The teen waved enthusiastically. "I was gonna come down and help you that day, you know..." He bumped his fists together, looking eager. "How about you come up? We should have a match!"
Chen Chuan stopped, smiled, and said, "Alright."
The teenager's eyes lit up instantly.
Following the teenager's directions, Chen Chuan found a foothold on a nearby wall and easily vaulted onto the balcony. The teen held out a friendly fist. "I'm Weidong. What's your name?"
Chen Chuan bumped his fist against the other's. "Chen Chuan."
Weidong said eagerly, "Come on, let's go to the roof. There's more space, and no one will bother us. We can fight there." He gestured and led the way.
Chen Chuan followed him out of an apartment and up an external steel staircase to the rooftop. Before he could even get a good look at his surroundings, Weidong was already charging at him with excitement.
Seeing him charge, Chen Chuan simply lifted a foot and kicked.
「Two minutes later.」
Weidong lay on the ground, his face bruised and swollen, staring up at the sky as if questioning all his life choices.
Chen Chuan sat nearby, glanced around, and remarked, "You've got a pretty complete set of workout equipment up here."
Weidong pushed himself into a sitting position. He rubbed his face and said proudly, "Pretty complete, huh? An old man left it all to me."
Chen Chuan noticed the nameplate on a sit-up bench was inscribed with the words "Made in the 60th Year of Jianzhi." That was over thirty years ago. The equipment was definitely old, but it was all well-maintained.
He asked, "Did you learn your boxing style from him?"
"Yeah," Weidong said. "I practiced boxing his way every single day. When he left, he gave all this to me. Now that I think about it, the thing he told me most often was that I reminded him of his grandson. But I've seen a picture of his grandson, and I don't look anything like him."
Just then, something caught Chen Chuan's eye. He got up, walked over to a worn-out table, and picked up a reddish-brown student ID booklet. He flipped through it and felt a sudden sense of coincidence, though it also seemed logical. He said, "You're also testing for Wuyi University Hall this year?"
"Yeah, didn't I mention that?" Weidong scratched his head. "I saw you there on the first day, when I went to register for the entrance exam. After that, I saw you passing through the alley down there every day."
"Is that so?" Chen Chuan put the student ID booklet back down. "The re-examination is in two days. Looks like you'll be there too."
"Definitely!" Weidong threw a couple of punches into the air. "The old man said his greatest wish was to see his grandson get into Wuda. I may not be his grandson, but I can get in too. And I can be even better than his grandson ever was!"
Chen Chuan looked at him and nodded. He placed the student ID booklet back on the table, then turned to leave with a wave. "In that case, Brother Wei, I'll see you at Wuda."
"Alright, Brother Chen, see you at Wuda!"
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