Chapter 9: Punching Skill Breakthrough

Bang!

Cole crashed hard to the ground, momentarily speechless, as if knocked unconscious.

“Cole… really?”

“He’s a natural human, the top student in our class!”

The classmates fell silent for a long while before someone finally murmured.

“Wait, didn’t Fang Xing say he could only land the cannon punch by fluke and couldn’t stabilize it?”

“You actually believe that? It’s like a top student claiming they didn’t do well on a test.”

“You’ve got a point…”

……

“Xing, you actually took down Cole?”

Liu Wei stepped forward and slapped his best friend on the shoulder: “How did you get so strong?”

“This is obviously due to my relentless, hard training.”

Fang Xing said the usual empty platitude, then smiled subtly at Bai Lianyi beside Liu Wei, casually slipping his right hand behind his back.

In truth, Cole was physically stronger—he just lost due to inferior technique.

This win was only possible because I caught him off guard with a full-power strike; my fist still hurts.

“Fang Xing, you’re truly impressive—I look forward to sparring with you again.”

Bai Lianyi said softly: “Please remember to hold back a little…”

“Mm, let’s grow together.”

Fang Xing nodded.

……

After school.

On the riverbank embankment.

He held two bottles of soda and tossed one to Liu Wei: “Actually… I think Ouyang Qianqian would be better for you.”

“Gulugulu… awesome!”

Liu Wei downed it in one gulp, then said: “Honestly, I feel there’s too big a gap between me and Ouyang Qianqian… she’s a natural human, while I’m just a poor, broke bio-engineered person… On the other hand, Bai Lianyi… okay, I’m joking—I’ve been hanging out with her lately not because I’m trying to date her, though I do have some feelings for her. Bai-classmate is nice, and she’s recently shared a few part-time jobs that pay really well…”

“So it’s all about earning money for part-time jobs? Looks like you haven’t forgotten your dream.”

Fang Xing nodded.

“Of course, I’ve been secretly working hard too—even if I can’t match you,” Liu Wei grinned broadly.

“By the way, there’s a job at Huanghui Jiangfu—want to take it?”

Fang Xing suddenly spoke up.

“Huanghui Jiangfu? You mean…?” Liu Wei involuntarily shivered.

“That’s right—the one run by Gu Yun,” Fang Xing nodded; this was the job he deliberately chose.

He’d gone to great lengths for Liu Wei’s sake.

After all, they were classmates with the same free time.

If they ran into Bai Lianyi again at Huanghui Jiangfu… wouldn’t he finally wake up?

‘Sigh… brother can only help you this far.’

Fang Xing sighed inwardly.

“Gu Yun hits hard…”

Liu Wei hesitated.

“But she pays well,” Fang Xing replied matter-of-factly.

“I suffered so badly last time…”

“But she pays well.”

“I… I… fine, it’s just money, right? Fine, I’m going!” Liu Wei gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

“Good.”

Fang Xing nodded.

……

Huanghui Jiangfu.

Villa, training ground.

“Let me be clear—you put on your gravity suit first, then we’ll spar.”

Liu Wei, seeing Gu Yun with her tiny braid, immediately waved his hands.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry… this time I’ll definitely master the Demon Blade and fully control its demonic power!”

Gu Yun lifted her wooden sword, brimming with confidence.

“Come on!”

This time, Liu Wei was smarter—he held his wooden staff firmly in front of him.

“Good!”

Gu Yun let out a sharp cry and swung her wooden blade.

Swish! Swish!

Her speed was even faster than last time; afterimages of blades appeared in the air.

Three blade shadows struck Liu Wei’s staff simultaneously, indistinguishable in timing.

—Triple Stack Blade!

Swish!

A dark shadow flashed—the wooden staff vanished.

“Huh? Where’s my staff?”

Liu Wei’s eyes widened, then he screamed as he was blasted backward.

“Kill!”

Gu Yun seemed to be losing control again; she stomped her foot, planting it on Liu Wei’s chest as he lay helpless, raising her wooden blade toward his throat.

Even a wooden blade to such a vital spot could cause serious injury!

CLANG!

At the critical moment, another wooden staff flew in, intercepting the blade.

Gu Yun’s eyes glowed faintly red; with a flick of her blade, the staff was knocked aside, and now she faced Fang Xing charging toward her!

“Hah!”

Fang Xing stepped forward like a drawn bow, his fist sheathed in a layer of silver-white nanofiber armor, as if wearing a gauntlet.

Bow Step Cannon Fist!

One move mastered, dominate all!

It was still the technique he knew best.

THUD!

The silver fist collided with the wooden blade; Fang Xing felt a tremendous force surge through him, forcing him to stagger backward several steps.

‘Gu Yun may look like a little girl, but she’s stronger than Cole!’

‘Has she already broken through the second martial realm and started refining her tendons and bones?’

‘If I weren’t wearing armor, I’d be insane to punch a blade—even a wooden one!’

In an instant, Fang Xing’s mind raced through countless thoughts; he took a deep breath, preparing to activate full-body nanofiber armor.

But Gu Yun trembled slightly, the crimson hue in her eyes fading; she looked at Fang Xing and smiled faintly with satisfaction: “Basic nanofiber armor? Good… now this is professional. I can go all out without worrying I’ll accidentally kill you!”

“Wait, wait!”

Fang Xing silently cursed, about to speak, when Gu Yun shut off her gravity suit, her delicate face now glowing with bloodlust and excitement: “Kill! Kill kill kill!”

……

Half an hour later.

The middle-aged man from last time appeared in the training ground, glancing at Fang Xing and Liu Wei, pausing briefly on Fang Xing’s nanofiber armor: “Nice armor—next time, don’t wear it. The impact feels different, and the training effect suffers… but this time’s fine; occasional catharsis isn’t bad.”

He smiled: “I see you’re practicing the Twelve Forms of Military Boxing. Aside from the first punch, which has some promise, the rest still feel stiff—I can give you some pointers. Let’s say twenty minutes… this time I’ll charge the standard rate.”

Fang Xing and Liu Wei exchanged glances: “Please instruct us!”

“I started my martial journey with the Twelve Forms of Military Boxing too, but I favored leg techniques—let me demonstrate ‘Battle Axe Leg’…”

The middle-aged man kicked through the air.

CRACK!

The air seemed to split; an invisible wave of leg wind swept across, and a wooden post several meters away exploded into splinters, revealing a deep, blade-like gash.

“Incredible… Uncle, you’re definitely a real professional, right?”

Liu Wei stared, dumbfounded.

Though he’d seen Bai Lianyi use Battle Axe Leg, he knew it was nothing compared to this Uncle Gu.

“It’s nothing special. I eventually abandoned the Twelve Forms—they’re simple to learn but fiendishly hard to master… yet if refined deeply, their ‘Military Dao’ resonance is incredibly powerful.”

Uncle Gu smiled and began explaining: “The essence of this kick lies in…”

Twenty minutes later.

Fang Xing and Liu Wei left, still buzzing with excitement.

“Is this what a true professional’s guidance feels like?”

Liu Wei rubbed his chin: “Feels a bit weaker than Teacher Xia’s, yet we paid less—doesn’t that feel like a loss?”

“Still better than practicing on your own… Teacher Xia Long isn’t just a professional—he’s a dedicated educator with vast teaching experience; how could it be the same?”

Fang Xing shook his head.

He could tell that Uncle Gu was frugal, so he used guidance instead of extra payment for the injury.

Yet despite that, for some reason, Liu Wei knew he had gained immensely.

The changes in his attribute panel were proof enough!

【Military Boxing Twelve Forms: 76/100 (Beginner)】

“Not bad, not bad—this is overall progress…”

“Still not a match for his daughter, though. Must keep pushing harder.”

Fang Xing silently resolved within himself.

…

Time flew by.

During these days, Fang Xing constantly drank medicine and trained, occasionally went out to work with Liu Wei, and spent his free time playing online games—his days were incredibly fulfilling.

One day.

Xingfu Jiayuan Community.

In the training room.

【Name: Fang Xing】

【Age: 16】

【Profession: Martial Artist】

【First Realm: Skin and Muscle (Skin Refinement: 43/100)】

【Military Boxing Twelve Forms: 86/100 (Beginner)】

【Great Dragon Stance: 99/100 (Beginner)】

【Gate of All Heavens: 59/100 (Calibrating)】

…

“The last bit of nutrient solution…”

Fang Xing opened his mouth and swallowed the final 20 milliliters of ‘D3-Level Nutrient Solution,’ then began practicing Great Dragon Stance.

He lost himself completely, immersed in the stance, continuously circulating his qi and blood.

Three hours later.

Something mysterious occurred.

Roar! Roar!

His qi and blood surged violently faster, as if breaking through a critical barrier.

Then, his bones trembled, countless notes overlapping into a single, dragon-like roar!

【Great Dragon Stance: 1/100 (Proficient)】

“Leveled up?”

Fang Xing’s heart leapt with joy—he felt his stance had made tremendous progress.

More astonishingly, every movement now carried a mysterious quality.

“Before, my stance was crude—utterly crude, almost unbearable to watch…”

After a brief comparison, Fang Xing saw countless ways to improve his stance.

He even felt that with these improvements, his skin-refinement progress would skyrocket!

…

The next day.

【First Realm: Skin and Muscle (Skin Refinement: 44/100)】

Fang Xing looked at the one-point increase in skin refinement and a satisfied smile spread across his face.

“A proficient-level Great Dragon Stance is truly no match for beginner level… If this pace holds, I’ll gain one point of proficiency roughly every day—my training speed has increased dramatically.”

“Even proficient level is this powerful—what about higher tiers? The future is bright, incredibly bright!”

“Indeed, all I needed to succeed was a golden finger.”