Luo Chan was struck speechless. Only after a moment did he say, "Yang Mo, stop constantly looking to watch the drama. You’d better spend more time polishing your Cloud-Overturning Palm to see how you can beat me. Among this batch of martial students, you're the only one who can give me any pressure at all."
At those words, Yang Mo's face fell. "Hard, far too hard! I've practiced the Cloud-Overturning Palm for ten years and considered myself to have brought it to its limit, yet I still can't beat your Heaven-Supporting Palm. Your palm strikes are so bold and expansive, your force so surging and majestic—you're just too tough to handle."
Luo Chan shook his head. "Actually, your Cloud-Overturning Palm is best at neutralizing and redirecting fierce fist and palm force, perfectly countering me. It's just that your mastery hasn't reached perfection yet, which is why dealing with me is a bit of a struggle for you."
Yang Mo sighed. "Nothing I can do about it. I just don't have the comprehension for it. I can't grasp the true intent of the Cloud-Overturning Palm, so I can never bring the technique to perfection."
Speaking of which, he suddenly looked toward Huang Tian, who was sitting on the other side. "I heard his comprehension is astonishingly high—he only watched the Spirit Tiger Demon Crane Stance once and managed to draw out force from it. If only I had comprehension like his!"
Luo Chan took a sip of medicinal soup. "I don't know if someone exaggerated, but if it's true, his comprehension is indeed astonishing. Perhaps he will be my greatest rival in the future..."
As they spoke, the two finished their food and medicinal soup and rose to leave. Just then, Huang Tian finished eating as well, and they walked out of the dining hall one after the other, heading toward Drill Ground Tian One.
Drill Ground Tian One was several times larger than Drill Ground Xuan Three. The ground was paved with bluestone, and weapon racks of ebony lined both sides, displaying all kinds of weapons such as sabers, swords, spears, and bows.
When the sun rose high and warm light spilled across the world, all twenty-five ninth-rank martial students had assembled.
Everyone sat quietly cross-legged on a prayer mat, awaiting the arrival of Head Instructor Liu. Yet despite their quiet sitting, the atmosphere in the drill ground was peculiar.
Meaningful glances drifted back and forth between Huang Rui, who had not uttered a word, and the calm, poised Huang Tian.
These martial students had no desire to get mixed up in the affairs of the Huang family brothers, but they loved watching a spectacle, and they never minded things getting out of hand—the bigger the scene, the better! Only then would it be entertaining!
Time slipped by amid these playful, appraising looks. Suddenly, a series of steady, forceful footsteps echoed out. Head Instructor Liu had finally arrived.
The crowd rose. Huang Tian silently took in Head Instructor Liu's appearance.
He was nearly forty, his posture upright as a pine, clad in a navy-blue robe. His face was broad and square, his eyes like ancient wells, and the hands hanging at his sides had thick, prominent knuckles covered in dense calluses.
Standing before the martial students, Head Instructor Liu was in no hurry to speak. He first cast his gaze around the circle, gave a slight nod upon seeing that everyone had arrived, and then shifted his eyes to Huang Tian.
"You are Huang Tian?" His voice was unexpectedly gentle, carrying not the slightest trace of pressure.
"Yes, Head Instructor," Huang Tian replied with a slight nod.
"Mm, good."
Looking him up and down, Head Instructor Liu nodded gently. "A newcomer has arrived today, so before the formal lesson, I will demonstrate the fist arts for him according to custom."
None of the students raised any objection.
Head Instructor Liu said to Huang Tian, "Among the twenty-five martial students, including yourself, only half practice their own unique martial techniques. The rest train in the Spirit Tiger Mountain-Smashing Fist and the Ferocious Crane Fist, which are derived from the Spirit Tiger Stance and the Demon Crane Stance. Next, I will demonstrate both fist arts for you. You must watch carefully and learn with earnest devotion."
Then he looked around at the other martial students. "Those of you who have grasped a bit of it must also watch closely. Do not let half-baked skill make you arrogant, practicing only the forms while failing to understand their intent."
With that, he sank his body slightly, sinking his chest and straightening his back while loosening his shoulders. Like a crouching tiger poised to pounce at any moment, a sinister, savage aura washed forward.
At a sudden moment, he lunged forward, his hands tearing like tiger claws and whipping up a whistling wind. Judging by the height of the claws, they were aimed straight for an enemy's face and eyes.
"This is Tiger Claws Ripping the Face!"
Spreading his claws, the backs of his fists and forearms swept out like steel whips—a fierce tiger swinging its tail—lashing loudly through the air.
"This is the Tail-Whip Hammer!"
Executing the lethal forms of the Spirit Tiger Mountain-Smashing Fist in succession, his movements were fierce and ferocious, bold and sweeping. At times twisting to claw from the flank, at times leaping to pin his target, he brought the tiger's pouncing, tail-striking, and overturning postures to vivid life.
Once he finished the set of the Spirit Tiger Mountain-Smashing Fist, he did not pause. Shifting his posture, he slowly raised his left foot while resting lightly on the tip of his right toes, steady as a boulder. His arms spread like crane wings, and his fingers drew together like a beak, his movements exceptionally graceful.
Whoosh—
With a flicker of movement, he crossed dozens of feet. His fingers, pointed like a sharp beak, stabbed through the air, producing an ear-piercing shriek.
"This is the Crane Beak Awl!"
The beak shifted again as his palm opened, sweeping out in what seemed like an airy brush, yet was actually an attack aimed at the opponent's eyes with the back of the hand and fingers.
"This is the Hidden Wing Brush!"
He dropped his body, his torso falling flat against the bluestone ground as his right foot kicked toward the sky like a bullet with a loud thud, thrusting straight for an enemy's heart.
"This is Submerged Body Splitting Clouds!"
As lethal move after lethal move unfolded under his hands, plumes of white steam rose from his body. Before long, he finally brought the forms to a close, his breathing settling into a steady rhythm.
"Did you catch all that?" He looked toward Huang Tian. "If you didn't memorize the essentials, you can spar and exchange pointers with the other martial students in the drill ground often. In addition, I will demonstrate these two fist arts for all of you once every three days. I hope you will master them within half a year."
Huang Tian did not answer immediately. In his mind, figures emerged one after another, each of them himself, all practicing the two fist arts Head Instructor Liu had just demonstrated—once, a hundred times, a thousand times, ten thousand times...
Entry, mastery, perfection!
In an instant, the true intent of both fist arts had been mastered by him!
In his mind's eye surfaced a striped, vicious tiger roaring through mountain forests and bounding across rivers, alongside a red-eyed, ferocious crane soaring into the sky, dozens of feet tall, its talons like silver hooks and its feathers like iron swords!
"Head Instructor, I understand."
Exhaling softly, Huang Tian spoke, an intimidating aura faintly radiating from his person.
Head Instructor Liu looked at Huang Tian in bewilderment, unable to understand how the youth's aura could change so drastically in a mere instant. One moment he had been serene and peaceful, yet in the very next, an overbearing might pressed outward from him.
"Mm, good that you understand..."
He said slowly, "Next is time for mutual sparring. Does anyone wish to challenge someone? If not, I will explain the key points to keep in mind when capturing enemies in the future, as well as methods for defending against poisons in the jianghu..."
Before he could finish, Huang Rui, unable to hold back any longer, abruptly stood up. "Head Instructor, I wish to spar with Huang Tian! Didn't he say he understood the two fist arts you demonstrated? I'll test his foundation and help you guide him while I'm at it."
The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere in the drill ground instantly grew odd and lively. The martial students looking for entertainment winked and exchanged smirks, but Head Instructor Liu's face darkened with displeasure, and he moved to refuse.
In principle, so long as no one was gravely injured during sparring, matches were permitted between any two opponents. But this was only Huang Tian's first day; he had likely not even learned the basic forms of the fist arts. For Huang Rui to challenge him like this was truly distasteful.
On top of that, Instructor Xu had asked him to look after Huang Tian...
Thoughts spinning through his mind, Head Instructor Liu was about to refuse Huang Rui's request to spar when Huang Tian suddenly stepped forward. As he walked, an awe-inspiring might emanated from him. In his stride, Head Instructor Liu could almost see the postures of a crouching tiger and a swooping crane, and the instructor's eyes instantly lit up!
Chapter 57