Spirit-Startling Fist

Chen Chuan instantly felt an overwhelming sense of extreme danger wash over him. His pupils flared wide, an electric jolt shot up his spine, and everything around him seemed to slow down. Yet before his body could mount any real response, Yu Gang's fist halted barely shy of touching his skin. Yu Gang spoke slowly. "Remember this sensation. Remember how your body just reacted. After this, you can use the breathing technique to try mobilizing your qi and blood to this level. Once you get used to it, you'll be able to unleash a strike with power beyond what you normally possess." Chen Chuan gradually steadied his breathing and heartbeat. Only then did he realize his back felt slightly clammy, as though he had broken into a full-body sweat. Just now, even though he knew he could transfer harm using his Second Self and that Yu Gang wouldn't actually hit him, an acute stress response had still flared instinctively. On top of that, Yu Gang's punch had been terrifyingly fast—so fast that even merging with the Second Self wouldn't have let him evade it. He slowly exhaled a breath and said, "I remember it." Looking up, he asked, "Mr. Yu, what is this move called?" Yu Gang replied, "The old martial arts call this move the 'Spirit-Startling Fist'—it startles the spirit of oneself, and it startles the spirit of others. The new martial arts call it the 'Limit-Breaking Strike.' It isn't limited to straight punches; it can be delivered in any form. But remember, whenever you exert force while practicing it, you must never swing into empty air. There must be an object to strike in front of you, lest you dislocate a joint. Whether you can master this move depends entirely on you; my only job was to give you the knack. All right, go practice on your own. Remember to shut the door behind you." Chen Chuan answered in the affirmative. As he stepped outside and pulled the door shut, Yu Gang added from inside, "Also, the cost of the wrecked sandbag goes on your tab." Chen Chuan paused for a second before replying, "All right, Mr. Yu." Exchanging money for a potent technique didn't feel like a loss to him at all; in fact, he felt he had come out ahead. He descended the stairs to the ground floor, walked straight over to a target dummy, came to a halt, and quietly immersed himself in the sensation from moments ago. This move wasn't forged through gradual progression from shallow to deep or from weak to strong; rather, it was triggered in a sudden explosion by jolting and pressing oneself. Having just experienced it, the memory was at its freshest, making this the perfect time to give it a try. However, remembering the sensation alone was useless. One had to forcefully circulate qi and blood through the breathing technique, thus driving this strike home regardless of the cost. He stared at the target dummy for a moment, then suddenly launched a kick into it. The dummy shuddered violently. He slowly lowered his foot. Although he had tapped into the right feeling just then, channeling his qi and blood with the breathing technique had felt stiff and arduous, as if encountering a layer of resistance. Because this move was something stimulated when a person stood at the brink of life and death, and he wasn't in actual danger right now, his body's instincts naturally resisted doing it. He couldn't help recalling that night when Mr. Wen made those patrolmen attempt to stand on one leg. Just like then, what he had to fight against right now was himself. He decided to try once more. At first, he stood quietly without moving. A moment later, a sudden flush surged across his face and neck. Leaning forward, he stamped his foot heavily against the floor and drove his lead hand out in a Tray-Lifting Palm. With a dull thud, the heavy target dummy actually jolted upward from his strike, catching the attention of Lu Ke not far away. Chen Chuan stepped back and exhaled. He sensed that he was still short by just a tiny bit. Still, as long as he became proficient enough at mobilizing his breathing, paired with his focus and intent, he was certain he could break through that boundary. Just as he was about to try again, Yu Gang's voice carried over: "Don't practice this move too many times in a day. Not only does it place various strains on the body, but it can also disrupt your normal striking rhythm. Stop for now. It's better not to master it at all than to rush into it recklessly." Chen Chuan couldn't very well say that he wasn't actually afraid of bodily injury, but since Yu Gang had said so, he had to set it aside for now, deciding to look for an opportunity to try again after heading home. Lu Ke, on the other hand, felt that the power behind Chen Chuan's strike seemed greater than ever before. He ran over to inspect the dummy, then looked up and called out, "It's fine!" Yu Gang said impassively, "If it breaks, he pays to replace it." Lu Ke scratched his head. Chen Chuan didn't dwell on it either, deciding to proceed with normal training first. But after practicing for only a short while, he felt dull aches spreading through various parts of his body, and his overall condition seemed noticeably worse than usual. This was likely due to strained muscle damage as well as the burden placed on his internal organs. Even when merged with the Second Self, this kind of internal damage caused by his own actions would not be actively transferred away by the Second Self. This was because his will possessed a unique singularity; everything within had to be governed by himself. Now that he had noticed it, a shift of his intent quickly restored ease to his body. When the entire afternoon's training came to an end, he tidied up briefly, bid farewell to Yu Gang and Lu Ke, and left the House of Fists. On the way back, as he jogged along, he continually experimented with mobilizing his breathing. In truth, he had been trying it repeatedly during breaks throughout the afternoon. Now, after an interval, as he channeled it once more, he suddenly felt as if he had touched upon something—it felt as though he was just a single punch away from unleashing that strike. But right now, he needed a suitable target, and perhaps a few more attempts while in this state. Head back now? Not wise; Yu Gang wouldn't agree. At that moment, he suddenly remembered there was a Xiujiang Boxing Club not far ahead. Though it wasn't the branch mentioned on the flyer he had received that day, it shouldn't be much different, and it wasn't far off. Acting as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he quickened his pace and ran toward it. In only five or six minutes, he found the boxing club. It sat in the middle of the only commercial street in the Western District. In front of the entrance hung a massive signboard bearing the words "Xiujiang," framed by flashing neon lights—exceptionally eye-catching. Yet this was, after all, the old quarter of the Western District. The roads were dated, pedestrians and vehicles were frequently crammed together, and the air was filled with a racket of ringing bells and honking horns. He entered through the club's main doors. Right past the entrance was a flight of stairs leading up. Reaching the second floor, he bypassed a light-box screen to reveal an open training hall behind it. Bright industrial high-bay lamps hung from the ceiling, and the walls looked unfinished like bare concrete, but the floor was swept very clean and adorned with large posters depicting sharp combat poses. A dozen or so people were doing fitness training at the moment, while others dressed in matching training uniforms wore protective gear and traded drills with one another. A young man in his twenties was sitting on a tire gnawing on a drumstick. Seeing an unfamiliar face, he hastily swallowed the mouthful of chicken, wiped his hands, and looked up to ask, "Hey there, looking to learn boxing?" Chen Chuan said, "I saw a flyer for your Xiujiang Boxing Club and heard you offer trial sessions, so I came over to check it out." The young man said, "Sure thing! Feel free to take a look around first. I'm Liang Fang, but everyone around here calls me Xiao Liang. If you want to use the equipment, though, just give me a shout. Don't get me wrong—it's just in case you hurt yourself using them alone. Someone needs to keep an eye out." Chen Chuan looked around, pointed toward a sandbag off to the side, and asked, "Can I use that?" Xiao Liang said generously, "Help yourself to that anytime." Chen Chuan was just about to walk over when he paused and added, "By the way, if I accidentally break it, I'll pay for the damage." Xiao Liang looked at him as if he were joking. With wide eyes, he said, "Bro, we're a legitimate gym, not one of those places that shakes people down or scams them. Let me put it this way: go at the sandbags however you like. Our club is open for business to keep our guests satisfied. As long as you aren't here deliberately picking a fight, if it actually breaks, that's on us." Chen Chuan nodded. "Thanks, then." With that, he walked to a corner and threw a few testing punches at an unoccupied sandbag. Xiao Liang watched for a few moments and thought nothing of it. Business at their Xiujiang Boxing Club was fairly decent; plenty of company employees and students from the neighborhood came here to train, and in the evenings people would even watch sparring matches held inside the hall. For someone like Chen Chuan who was clearly just checking things out for the novelty, they wouldn't turn him away even if he didn't sign up. It still brought in some buzz, after all, and frequent drop-ins might eventually turn into real paying customers. Since more customers would be arriving shortly, Xiao Liang needed to fill his stomach first, so he went back to gnawing on his drumstick to one side. Standing before the sandbag, Chen Chuan breathed in and out repeatedly, closing his eyes to immerse himself in that sensation. The moment he felt that state emerge once more, his eyes snapped open, and he blasted a punch straight into it! Half an hour later. "Damn it, someone definitely poked this with something! Don't let me catch who did it!" Xiao Liang was grumbling and swearing. A small patch of the sandbag in front of him was torn. On the outside it didn't look like much, and if someone hadn't been punching it later and noticed sand trickling out, it wouldn't have been easily spotted at all. Just then, one of the club's coaches happened to walk past. Hearing the commotion, he cast a few surprised glances over. Normally, he wouldn't pay much attention to such trivial matters, but as his gaze flicked across the sand pooled beneath the bag, he suddenly sensed something off and walked over. Xiao Liang caught sight of him and quickly greeted, "Coach Gu." Coach Gu stepped forward, reached out, and hauled the opposite side of the sandbag around. There, on the back, was a ragged, fist-sized hole blown apart—and that was where the sand was leaking from. "What the... holy crap..." Xiao Liang was stunned. One look made it obvious that the force had exploded outward from within, and he instantly realized it couldn't have been punctured with a tool. Coach Gu stared at the hole, his expression turning solemn. Normally, only someone who had cultivated jin could deliver a strike like this. But why do it? It didn't seem like a provocation either. He asked, "Who used this sandbag?" Xiao Liang thought about it, then slapped his forehead. "I remember the earliest one seemed to be a pretty sharp-looking young guy who looked like a student. He even asked me if the bag would get wrecked! Right, it's gotta be him!" Coach Gu thought to himself, *A student...? Could he be from Wuyi College?* He said, "If that person comes back next time, remember to notify me." Then he added, "Be polite to him." Xiao Liang gave a prompt affirmative and added, "Coach Gu, you know me, don't you? I'm polite to everyone, aren't I?" At that very moment, Chen Chuan was already back home, his mood still slightly elevated. That Limit-Breaking Strike had finally been pulled off successfully. He also recognized that the reason he had mastered it so quickly was precisely because, in his understanding, relying on the Second Self meant he virtually didn't have to pay a price. This wasn't hypnotic self-deception, but an undeniable reality. Combined with unceasing practice throughout the afternoon, his will had at last been fully carried out through his body. Regrettably, however, he hadn't managed to rupture the gym's sandbag the way Yu Gang had. It was likely because their sandbags were of good quality, and his own power was still somewhat lacking. It seemed he would need to step up his training going forward. …… ……