Chapter 23: Momentum

Boom!

A thunderclap erupted within his body. Zhang Lingshan’s frame shuddered slightly, and his entire body began to tremble uncontrollably.

Whether it was bone, muscle, skin, or blood, meridians, and blood vessels, everything vibrated at that moment as if struck by an electric current.

*Zzzzz.*

The sound of electricity coursing through his skin made every hair on his body stand on end, causing his clothes to bulge slightly.

At this moment, Zhang Lingshan felt his body become incredibly tense, like a taut string being pulled back and forth by an unknown force.

"Ugh!"

He couldn't help but let out a groan of pain.

Suddenly, there was a crisp *crack* from his body, and the pulling sensation vanished completely. However, he felt as though the string had snapped; he instantly went limp, devoid of even a shred of strength.

Then, a rustling sound began to rise from within his body again, like ants crawling under his skin. The numbness and itchiness reached an extreme, making him want to tear open his skin, mash his muscles, snap his bones, and frantically scratch at his very marrow.

'Damn it...'

The discomfort made Zhang Lingshan want to curse.

Forcing himself to suppress the urge to commit suicide just to find relief, he endured the sensation, feeling as though every second was an eternity.

Finally, the commotion inside his body ceased. In its place, a massive surge of heat invaded his entire being, much like the feeling of finally soaking in a hot bath after a long, exhausting day.

It was so comfortable that he drifted into sleep without even realizing it.

When Zhang Lingshan opened his eyes again, it was already the afternoon of the next day.

*Gurgle.*

His stomach let out a hungry growl; he had been woken by hunger.

Pushing himself up, Zhang Lingshan opened his bedroom door to find his mother and sister waiting outside, their faces filled with worry.

"Brother, you're finally out! If you hadn't come out soon, I was going to rush in," Zhang Lingyu said with a sigh of relief and a hint of complaint.

Because Zhang Lingshan had told them not to disturb him while he was practicing at home, the two had obediently stayed out. But after a full day and night had passed, they were still worried and couldn't resist the urge to check on him.

Fortunately, Zhang Lingshan had woken up in time; otherwise, seeing him lying on the floor would have only increased their anxiety.

"My fault, my fault. I got too tired from training and fell asleep," Zhang Lingshan said with an apologetic smile, then asked, "Is there food?"

"Yes! I'll go get some for you!" Zhang Lingyu immediately ran toward the kitchen.

Mother Zhang said with some heartache, "Xiao Shan, while martial arts are important, you mustn't push yourself too hard. Your health comes first."

"Mm, don't worry, Mother. I know my limits. I made another breakthrough in my training today. It won't be long before I can stand on my own and earn money for the family. Then you and my sister can finally rest a bit."

"It's fine, it's fine. We're idle anyway, what's the use of resting? If a person doesn't do something every day, they won't know how to pass the time," Mother Zhang said, waving her hand.

She had lived through many hard years; if she were simply left to do nothing and enjoy life, she wouldn't even know how to do it. Not to mention, now was not the time for leisure.

A child learning martial arts needed meat to eat—that was an expense. Furthermore, the rent for living on Hongwu Street and the tuition for the martial arts hall both required money.

Even though Zhang Lingshan told her not to worry, how could a mother not worry?

Zhang Lingshan saw his mother taking advantage of the last of the evening light to resume her hard work with needlework, while his sister was diligently helping her.

A wave of guilt washed over him.

He had been in this world for so long, yet he had never truly done anything for his family. Instead, his family had been constantly helping him fulfill his martial arts dream.

He felt like a vampire, sucking the blood and taking the money of his family.

He was truly being too selfish.

Although there were great prospects after succeeding in martial arts, he had been "drawing this pie" for so long without ever getting a bite. It was heartbreaking and placed a massive weight on his shoulders.

Zhang Lingshan knew he couldn't go on like this.

He had to find a way to start earning money.

Otherwise, they would eventually run out of resources. Not only would he fail to accumulate energy, but his mother and sister would continue to toil every day just to support him.

Moreover, his sister was reaching her growing years and needed nutrition as well.

He, Zhang Lingshan, could not be so selfish as to skimp on his sister's meals.

"Mother, Sister, I'm going back to my room to rest. You two should rest early too; don't overwork yourselves."

"Mm, don't push yourself too hard either," Mother Zhang said, looking at him with concern.

Her child had grown thin from training.

Actually, he hadn't grown thin.

He had grown taller.

Returning to his room, Zhang Lingshan first measured his height and found he was five or six centimeters taller than before.

He was nearly 1.7 meters tall.

'Sweet!'

He threw a vigorous punch at the air.

The days of being a shorty were over; from now on, no one could call him short.

Stripping off his clothes, he admired his well-built physique while performing a set of Red Line Boxing.

*Swish.*

The red line began to spread from his heart to his shoulder, then continued downward, slowly reaching the upper part of his upper arm before stopping at the middle section.

'As expected of the Perfect Realm of the Hunyuan Zhenyang Stance. It forcibly boosted my physical fitness. My strength has at least doubled, and the toughness of my skin, flesh, tendons, and bones has improved significantly.'

Zhang Lingshan clenched his fists and struck various parts of his body. He could hear a *bang, bang, bang* sound; his entire body felt rock-hard, his muscles and bones incredibly solid.

'This strength... it should be close to two hundred jin,' he thought to himself.

He would have to test it at the martial arts hall tomorrow to be sure.

Two hundred jin meant he was qualified to spar with Skin-Refining martial artists.

'Right, Master Hong said that if I could train the red line to my upper arm, he would waive my rent for these three months. Now that the red line has reached the middle of my upper arm, I should meet the requirement.'

Looking at the position of the red line, a sense of trance suddenly washed over Zhang Lingshan.

He remembered that before the Hunyuan Zhenyang Stance reached the Perfect Realm, the red line had struggled to crawl down past his shoulder. Yet, with this single breakthrough, it had pushed directly to the middle of his upper arm.

Was this the terror of the Perfect Realm?

No wonder Master Hong said he had practiced for most of his life and still couldn't reach the Perfect Realm with the Hunyuan Zhenyang Stance.

How could a realm that allowed one to undergo a complete transformation upon breakthrough be so easily attained?

If he didn't have the Panel, he estimated he would never achieve it in his lifetime.

Even if he could, it would require an immense amount of time, unyielding willpower, and grueling hard work.

And none of those three things were things an ordinary person could possess.

In other words, at the level of an ordinary person, Zhang Lingshan, having mastered the Perfect Realm of the Hunyuan Zhenyang Stance, was already a unique existence.

By that logic, at this moment, he had actually transcended the realm of ordinary people.

'Master Hong said the Perfect Realm is also called "Momentum" (Shi). I might as well try to see what the momentum of this Hunyuan Zhenyang Stance is.'

Curiosity piqued, Zhang Lingshan immediately assumed the stance and began practicing the Hunyuan Zhenyang Stance in his room.

*Boom!*

A surge of heat suddenly rose within his body.

It felt as if a fireball was roaring inside him.

His entire body heated up instantly.

But it wasn't a dry, irritating heat; instead, he felt incredibly comfortable, as if he and the fireball had become one, complementing each other. The fireball helped him hold the stance, and his stance helped fuel the fire.

But as he performed the Hunyuan Zhenyang Stance with a smooth, flowing motion...

A bone-chilling cold abruptly rose from within his body.

Unfortunately, this cold was weak; it only rose for a fleeting moment before being suppressed by the fireball.

Then, with a *bang*.

The ice shattered.

"Ah!"

A piercing scream rang out in Zhang Lingshan's mind.

(End of Chapter)