Inside the Martial Arts School
"Junior brothers, watch closely!"
Zhao Hu stood in front of a wooden training dummy. The dummy was wrapped in a thick cowhide to provide cushioning and prevent injuries during practice.
With a slight tremor in his palm, Zhao Hu placed his hand on the dummy.
Boom
The dummy exploded instantly, the cowhide wrapping flying apart like torn cloth, and the smooth wooden surface splintered into sharp shards.
"So powerful!"
"Senior Brother Zhao is amazing!"
Amid the praises from the surrounding disciples, Zhao Hu's lips curled into a faint smile. He continued to explain to the crowd.
"This is the Tiger's Force, achieved after mastering the Tiger Fist to perfection. The Tiger's Force is extremely fierce and explosive, so all of you must practice diligently and strive to master the Tiger Fist as soon as possible."
As he spoke, his gaze subtly swept over the crowd, searching for a familiar figure.
In the next moment, his eyes narrowed.
He saw that figure standing beside a man, chatting happily, with a faint smile on her face.
"Junior Brother Jiang, it's only been a few days, but you've changed so much!" Li Qing said, her expression filled with surprise.
Li Qing clearly remembered that when Jiang Ning first joined the martial arts school, although he had a pleasant appearance that matched her aesthetic preferences, he was somewhat frail and sickly, with little visible muscle.
But now, the change was striking.
The muscles on his arms were clearly defined, full of lines and strength. Through his thin shirt, she could see that his physique had undergone a significant transformation.
He was no longer just skin and bones but had developed a muscular build.
Unlike some disciples who had become bulky, Jiang Ning's muscles were well-defined, exuding both beauty and explosive power.
Just the change in his appearance alone showed Li Qing that Jiang Ning had made remarkable progress, far beyond what she had imagined.
Hearing Li Qing's astonishment, Jiang Ning smiled.
"Practicing day and night has finally paid off a little."
"So, how's your progress with the fist techniques?" Li Qing asked, her eyes lingering on Jiang Ning's face. The more she looked, the more she found him pleasing to the eye, and her mood lightened.
In her eyes, many disciples in the martial arts school had developed thick limbs and bulky muscles, almost resembling gorillas, which made her frown in distaste.
Although a few were relatively normal, their appearances didn't appeal to her at all.
Only this disciple, who had joined the school just a few days ago, though initially frail, had delicate features and a face that matched her preferences, making him a pleasure to look at.
It was precisely because she found him pleasing that she had offered to guide him back then.
"Not bad!" Jiang Ning nodded slightly in response to Li Qing's question.
"Junior Brother Jiang seems quite confident! Later, I'll test you and see how your Five Animals Fist is coming along," Li Qing said with a smile, her tone relaxed.
At that moment, Jiang Ning seemed to sense something and looked up to see Zhao Hu staring at him with fiery eyes.
Oh no!
Beauty is indeed a curse. The ancients weren't lying!
Jiang Ning immediately understood the situation and felt a sense of foreboding.
He had been targeted by Zhao Hu.
Beside him, Cheng Ran chuckled. "Senior Sister Li, congratulations on achieving the rank of a martial artist!"
Li Qing smiled at Cheng Ran. "I remember you used to call me 'Junior Sister.' Why are you so polite today?"
Cheng Ran grinned. "Now that Senior Sister Li has achieved the rank of a martial artist, how could I dare? I don't want to become your punching bag."
"Cheng Ran, you're quite clever. My hands have been itching these past few days, and I was just thinking of finding someone to spar with," Li Qing said with a teasing smile.
"No, no, no!" Cheng Ran waved his hands frantically, shaking his head. "Although my qi and blood have reached full circulation, I haven't achieved the rank of a martial artist yet, and my fist techniques are no match for yours. Sparring with you would just be asking for a beating!"
"After I spend ten or fifteen days sparring and exchanging martial arts insights with Junior Brother Jiang, and my fist techniques improve, I'll come to find you for guidance!"
Junior Brother Jiang as a sparring partner?
Li Qing was stunned, her gaze fixed on Jiang Ning beside her.
Cheng Ran's words instantly caught her attention.
Junior Brother Jiang?
Sparring for ten or fifteen days?
How? How could Junior Brother Jiang possibly spar with Cheng Ran?
Their strength is worlds apart, like an adult versus a child. How could he qualify as a sparring partner?
Is Cheng Ran just teasing me?
Li Qing was filled with astonishment, her eyes narrowing suspiciously as she looked at Jiang Ning.
"Junior Brother Jiang, is Cheng Ran just joking?"
Jiang Ning smiled faintly. "Senior Sister is indeed clever, seeing through us at a glance."
"Senior Brother Cheng was, of course, joking. I've only been practicing for less than half a month. How could I possibly spar and exchange martial arts insights with him? He just took some time to give me a few pointers!"
"Senior Brother Cheng, right?"
Seeing Jiang Ning's glance, Cheng Ran immediately understood his intention.
He nodded repeatedly. "Junior Brother Jiang is right!"
Watching the exchange between the two, Li Qing, who had initially been skeptical, now began to believe them.
She wasn't foolish; she had noticed the subtle glances between them.
Thinking back to Cheng Ran's earlier words, she recalled some of the legendary geniuses of the era.
In Guangning Academy, there's a student said to be the reincarnation of a deity, born with a powerful soul and extraordinary martial talent. He mastered a supreme martial art in seven days and achieved the rank of a martial artist in three months.
At just twenty-three, he was listed on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, exuding the aura of a young grandmaster.
The world believes he has the potential to become a grandmaster.
At the Diamond Temple, there's a young monk said to possess innate wisdom, born with an understanding of Buddhist principles and unparalleled comprehension. He even derived a Buddhist divine ability from the scriptures alone.
At the Jade Void Temple, there's also a reincarnated Daoist master.
Thinking of these contemporary legends, Li Qing couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.
I must be overthinking this. Even if Junior Brother Jiang can spar with Cheng Ran, he couldn't possibly compare to those legendary figures.
If Cheng Ran's words are true, and Junior Brother Jiang is capable of sparring and exchanging martial arts insights with him, it would only mean that Junior Brother Jiang has astonishing comprehension and his Five Animals Fist is at least on par with Cheng Ran's.
Only then would he qualify to spar and exchange insights with Cheng Ran.
Considering this possibility, Li Qing was even more shocked.
She remembered that when Jiang Ning first joined the school, he had been quite ambitious, choosing to practice all five forms of the Five Animals Fist instead of just one or two like most disciples.
Now it seems that if my analysis is correct, Junior Brother Jiang must have been confident from the start!
No wonder I heard that Master allowed him to stay at the school for protection.
Master also recognized his extraordinary talent and treated him with special care!
At this moment, Li Qing felt she had figured everything out!
Just then, a loud shout suddenly rang out from nearby.
"Cheng Ran, fight me!!"
The shout, like a thunderclap, echoed throughout the front courtyard of the martial arts school.
Everyone's attention was instantly drawn to the source of the voice.
They saw Zhao Hu leaping forward like a white ape, covering over twenty meters in three bounds, landing right in front of Jiang Ning and Cheng Ran.
A ferocious aura, like a tiger descending the mountain, swept toward Jiang Ning and Cheng Ran.
Jiang Ning was stunned.
Cheng Ran?
Not me?
Cheng Ran was equally shocked, looking at Zhao Hu in confusion.
"Senior Brother Zhao, what do you mean?" Cheng Ran asked, his expression cooling.
"What do I mean?" Zhao Hu glared at Cheng Ran. "You know exactly what I mean!"
As tensions rose, a calm voice suddenly sounded from the school's entrance.
"What's going on here?"
Hearing the voice, everyone turned to look.
"It's Senior Brother Zhou Xing!"
"Greetings, Senior Brother Zhou Xing!"
"Senior Brother Zhou Xing is here!"
"And Senior Brother Zhang Tiesheng!"
"Both Senior Brother Zhou Xing and Senior Brother Zhang Tiesheng have arrived!"
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