Chapter 2: Breakthrough in Stance Training (Please keep reading)

Tianhai No. 2 High School, one of the key secondary schools in Tianhai City.

It gathers a large number of martial arts geniuses.

The entire school covers a vast area, with buildings in a red-and-white style, surrounded by tall metal walls that cut off the inside from the outside world.

Building after building rises within, and countless students in blue-and-white uniforms gather at the entrance, lining up to enter in turn.

A row of burly security guards stands at the main gate, their eyes sharp as torches, patrolling like great bears.

"Is this No. 2 High School? As expected, it's full of genius top students."

"Son, study hard; our family is counting on you!"

"..."

The freshmen who had just stepped into their first year of high school entered the school one after another, filled with curiosity.

Lin Qi looked at the vibrant freshmen and felt a sense of nostalgia. Two years ago, he had entered No. 2 High School as a "lucky pick," just as green as they were.

Lost in nostalgia, he followed the crowd into the school.

After parking his bicycle, he walked familiarly to the playground, found his class location, and prepared for the opening ceremony.

An hour later.

The tedious opening ceremony ended, and everyone returned to their respective classes—but not to an ordinary classroom.

Instead, it was a spacious room of over a thousand square meters, with walls lined with a large array of common weapons like knives, spears, and swords.

At the same time, in the corners, thick, sturdy punching posts over two meters tall stood on soft mats.

After the students of Class 3, Grade 12 entered, they consciously went to the locker room to change into loose martial arts uniforms and began training.

Some stood in horse stances, while others practiced fist techniques.

Some moved like fierce tigers emerging from the mountains, others like cranes spreading their wings, some swung their arms through the air like apes, or moved like coiling spirit snakes...

Some struck the punching posts, creating a rhythmic *pitter-patter* sound.

There were even those who picked up knives, spears, or swords and swung them wantonly.

While practicing, they chatted with each other, recounting the happy lives they led during the holidays, and the air was filled with a pleasant and leisurely atmosphere.

Lin Qi did not join the chatter. Instead, he hid in a corner, popped a blood-energy capsule into his mouth, and began to warm up his body.

Thoroughly activating the body before practicing martial arts makes one less prone to injury.

"My muscles are exhausted and sore all over; this has been going on for several days, why haven't I recovered yet?"

Lin Qi rotated his torso, feeling the abnormality in his body, and thought to himself.

"Look at you all—muscles stiff, punches powerless. How long has it been since you practiced?"

"You've wasted an entire summer vacation, and you still have the nerve to stand here grinning."

A loud, scolding voice rang out among the crowd, drowning out everyone else.

Lin Qi looked over. It was a middle-aged man nearly 1.8 meters tall, with lean, powerful muscles, an ordinary face, and a clear scar.

He wore a white tracksuit, moving with the wind as he walked through the crowd.

A formidable aura radiated from him, and the entire martial arts room instantly fell silent, as quiet as cicadas in winter.

This was their Class 3 martial arts teacher—Wu Kang.

He was responsible for martial arts instruction and was a Third-Realm martial artist.

Wu Kang’s eyes were sharp, sweeping across everyone's faces like blades as he sneered

"Some of you haven't even mastered your fist techniques, yet you have the nerve to practice with weapons? You haven't learned to walk, and you want to run? Do you think you look cool?"

Those who were called out shamefully put down their weapons, leaving only two or three who ignored him, puffing out their chests and gripping their weapons tighter.

Wu Kang stood with his hands behind his back, looked around, and spoke again, his voice like a booming bell.

"Why do you practice martial arts?"

"Because martial artists are the most promising profession in this world. They possess superhuman strength."

"And in this world invaded by disaster beasts, strength equals safety, money, and status."

"According to the latest social survey report, the martial artist profession has the highest average income in the world, far exceeding the second-ranked profession."

"This is an era of universal martial arts. Everyone, from birth, must strive to become a martial artist. It is a race where thousands of boats compete, and thousands of troops cross a single-plank bridge."

"It is destined that only a small number of people can become martial artists."

"And now is your golden period, the time when you progress the fastest."

"With your current attitude, how can you compete with others?"

After Wu Kang finished speaking, the entire martial arts room was silent. The relaxed atmosphere had completely dissipated, replaced by heavy pressure.

"Class begins!"

Seeing that he had achieved his effect, Wu Kang continued

"In the 1999th year of the Martial Era, the Otherworld invaded, and disaster beasts descended."

"Countless spatial rifts opened on our Blue Star. Disaster beasts rushed out from these rifts, and along with them came a transcendent power—Source Energy!"

"This was something our Blue Star did not possess before."

"Scientists discovered that after the human body absorbs Source Energy, it can break the shackles of genes, allowing the body to undergo transformation and evolution."

"Humans can also possess the superhuman strength seen only in comics, novels, and films."

"Ancient martial arts have risen again, setting off a frenzy of human biological evolution."

"According to the joint research of all countries on Blue Star, nine major barriers and nine shackles of martial arts have been summarized."

"The realm of martial artists is divided into nine levels."

"Every time a barrier is broken, one's strength undergoes a world-shaking change."

"Source Energy is overbearing; the organs of an ordinary human body cannot absorb it directly. It can only be absorbed through food, or slowly and bit by bit over many years."

"In order for us martial artists to improve our strength more scientifically and efficiently, our Xia Kingdom has deduced the 'Hunyuan Stance' and 'Five-Form Fist' based on ancient health-preserving techniques, cultivation methods, and ancient boxing."

"The first lesson of the semester: stand in the Hunyuan Stance to thoroughly activate your slack bodies."

With a loud shout from Wu Kang, the 50 students quickly separated and began to stand in their stances.

"The Hunyuan Stance is the stance technique with the best universality and the strongest effect, deduced by our Xia Kingdom from countless ancient stance techniques."

"The first barrier of martial arts is 'Flesh Refining'!"

"It requires us to exercise the large muscles of the body and improve our physical fitness in all aspects."

"And the Hunyuan Stance can fully mobilize the body's blood energy, tempering every muscle in the body without omission."

Lin Qi devoted himself entirely to the stance.

"Stance training is the connection between form, intent, qi, and force."

"It emphasizes keeping the head upright, sinking the shoulders and dropping the elbows, hollowing the chest and rounding the back, sinking the breath, tucking the buttocks and contracting the anus, gripping the ground with the five toes, and centering the qi in the dantian..."

"It not only tempers the flesh but also stretches the tendons and bones..."

Following Wu Kang's explanation, Lin Qi entered the state.

Having practiced stance training for over a decade, he had long since turned the Hunyuan Stance into an instinct.

His breathing was natural, his muscles relaxed, his arms held in a circle, forming a seamless whole as he felt the changes in his spine.

In a short while, his body began to heat up, then went numb, and began to tremble involuntarily.

*Drip!*

Sweat seeped out, dripping onto the soft mat in a continuous stream.

His body seemed to come alive, and the blood energy throughout his body was ignited.

His spine protruded, as if a great tendon were pulling it up.

This was the "Dragon Bone," a condition that only appears when the Hunyuan Stance is practiced to its essence.

At this moment, Lin Qi felt a large hand placed on his back.

"Some of you have been learning stance training for over a decade and still haven't grasped the essence; your foundations are unstable."

"Take a look at Lin Qi's stance; his is the best in your class."

Wu Kang's voice rang out again, and he looked at Lin Qi with an expression of appreciation.

His words immediately attracted the attention of many, who gathered around and whispered.

"As expected of the master of basic skills, the person with the best basics in our class. This stance is truly like a textbook."

"Every time I see it, I feel it's perfectly round and unified. It's too perfect."

Some marveled, while others were disdainful.

"No matter how strong the basics are, it's useless if the stance looks good. Without enough blood-energy capsules, blood-energy potions, and other resources, your blood-energy value won't go up."

"As a martial artist, blood-energy value is the most important thing."

At this time, Lin Qi was completely immersed in the stance.

His whole body was hot and drenched in sweat. Blood energy rose from his feet, rapidly penetrating every corner of his body.

Driven by the local to the whole, his upper and lower body connected into one. An invisible qi surged through his body; apart from a few minor obstructions, it was incredibly smooth.

"Hoo~"

Lin Qi suddenly widened his eyes and exhaled a breath, and a surge of power gushed out.

A wave of heat steamed off him.

[You have made a new breakthrough in practicing the Hunyuan Stance. Your blood-energy value has increased. Blood-energy value +0.1!]

[Blood-energy value: 5.2 → 5.3]

...

Lin Qi was overjoyed and stood up from the ground.

"Hoo~"

He clenched his fists, and waves of heat permeated every joint in his body, his muscles undulating.

Finally, another breakthrough!

The higher the realm of stance training, the higher the efficiency of tempering the flesh.

Looking at the 5.3 blood-energy value on the panel, Lin Qi felt invigorated, his whole body like a glowing furnace.

The so-called blood-energy value represents the strength of a person's blood energy and also represents their realm.

The nine major barriers of martial arts divide martial artists into nine levels, while the blood-energy value provides a more detailed classification.

It is a way to intuitively see the progress of physical tempering.

Every bit of progress can be seen.

...

(End of chapter)