Chapter 1627: Chapter 76: Unparalleled Management Department Head Disciple_2

[The first student in Unparalleled Academy’s Soul Casting course, Feng Shixing from Ningxiang Road’s Tiger and Leopard Fist]

[Unparalleled City’s Grandmaster neutralizes Spiritual Power with an empty palm without using Spiritual Power, astonishing all present]

Even though it was just a brief exchange of moves, the discerning reporters from Wind Media could tell there was something different about the Unparalleled City’s Grandmaster’s skills.

This aroused even more curiosity about Tang Luo’s background among the major Wind Media powers of Longzhou.

Xiehe is vast, with countless strong individuals, but someone with strength to this degree must have an origin.

Yet, this Grandmaster popped up like a jack-in-the-box, with no trace of a past, truly arousing some suspicion.

…

External speculations and doubts were of no concern to Tang Luo, who was devoted to teaching and educating.

Even though he was offering free services, he had no intention of taking it lightly, for this was crucial to determining whether Unparalleled Academy could make a definitive success.

It could be said that if Feng Shixing’s combat power after Soul Casting was impressive, with this living advertisement, the future of Unparalleled Academy would indeed be bound for wealth, with students flocking in endlessly.

“Martial arts advancement is a matter of continuous and relentless training.”

Leading Feng Shixing deeper into the student area, Tang Luo spoke, “But why do some excel and others fall short under the same harsh training? There are certainly differences in talent and understanding, but the choice of method and path play a larger part.”

“Time is the fairest of all; no matter the level of talent, everyone has the same amount of time to cultivate each day. How to use this time most efficiently is key to the disparity between the strong and the weak.”

“As a rogue cultivator, without the guidance of a renowned teacher or advice from seniors, to be able to cultivate Boxing Intent from the techniques alone shows your dedication to martial arts, but it’s still not enough.”

“To cultivate Boxing Intent is already the limit within the Mortal Realm. To take it a step further and attain the fusion of power, intent, and spirit, that’s not something that can be achieved through effort and concentration alone.”

“Your current body can’t withstand this kind of power, nor can your spirit. Even if you break through your current realm, you may not be able to bear it.”

“Do not assume that your current doubts and weakness in martial arts will be resolved after breaking through your realm.”

Tang Luo stopped and turned around, gazing into Feng Shixing’s somewhat astonished eyes, asking, “So, do you desire to continue practicing martial arts, or do you choose another path?”

The Crystal Palace hallway, made of gleaming gemstones, reflected no light in Feng Shixing’s eyes.

In the martial world, age does not define a master; the skilled are teachers.

Having practiced martial arts since childhood, over thirty years of summers and winters, martial techniques had become an instinct – but for several years now, he felt he had reached his, or rather, physical martial arts’ limitation.

The purity and refinement of Spirit Art and Boxing Intent improved, but the power struggled and increasingly weakened when compared to the other two forces.

From small clues, he suddenly realized why physical martial arts were on the decline, and why noble families and powerful clans focused on Spirit Art.

He too had considered whether to follow the trend of the era, to give up martial arts and switch to cultivating Spirit Art instead, rather than waste his years in a murky path without a future.

Previously, such thoughts had flashed by and were quickly expelled from his mind, but avoidance only works for so long before it’s no longer an option.

Now, he had reached the point where a decision needed to be made.

Feng Shixing, standing rooted to the spot, experienced an intense internal struggle, while Tang Luo, without hurry, waited peacefully, like two statues in the resplendent hallway.

“Feng… someone…”

Unsure how long he had stood there, Feng Shixing licked his dry, pale lips and murmured, “I know this is a presumptuous request, but I still have to ask the Grandmaster, if… if I continue to choose the way of martial arts, what will happen?”

“You can still manage by yourself, but you won’t have the dominating power you did within the Mortal Realm.”

Tang Luo responded indifferently, “And your progress will be very slow, extremely slow.”

As a Grandmaster of physical-type arts, even someone like him, who is a bug in terms of using Spiritual Power to control his physical body, is still exploring the path of power after reconciling the Yin and Yang.

For an ordinary martial artist, having two layers of power along with the fusion of spirit and intent is practically the limit; they might be competitive in the early and middle stages of Fierce Realm, but going further, their power can’t keep up with the progress of Spirit Art.

Even at his level, where four layers of power are fused, physical martial art’s attack power is insufficient to inflict adequate damage on an opponent of the same level.

Thus, on this matter, Tang Luo believed he had the most authority to speak in the entire world of martial arts practitioners in Xiehe.

After hearing Tang Luo’s words, Feng Shixing fell silent once more and finally resolved, “Grandmaster, I still wish to practice martial arts.”

“Oh.”

Tang Luo nodded his head, turned, and walked away, with disbelief-inducing decisiveness.

“Aren’t you going to ask why?”

Feng Shixing, who had a multitude of words bottled up inside, blurted out.

“There’s nothing worth asking about, once you’ve made a decision, just bear the corresponding consequences.”

Without looking back, Tang Luo spoke indifferently, “Hurry up and keep up. If you want to learn boxing, then be prepared to endure hardship.”

Passing through the Crystal Palace to the north of Red Cloud Mountain, this platform originally served as a settlement for Xiling refugees. To this day, it still retains hundreds of thousands of mountain caves and crevices.

Now, it serves as the back mountain of Unparalleled Academy and also as the cultivation ground for the management department.

“Wait here.”

After instructing Feng Shixing, Tang Luo levitated and flew into a secluded cave in the mountain wall.

Soon, Tang Luo emerged from another cave, holding a brand-new book in his hand.

“Take it.”

Tang Luo tossed the “Five Forms Fist Manual” to Feng Shixing and said indifferently, “If you want to continue training in boxing, you have to first compensate for your own shortcomings. Before Soul Casting, you must completely learn the Snake Form, Crane Form, and Dragon Form.”

“This… is too precious, Feng does not dare accept it.”

Feng Shixing, having received the secret tome, was naturally excited. However, he understood all too well there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

Why didn’t he accept the invitation from the He Family, why did he travel thousands of miles to come to Unparalleled City if not because he did not want to be beholden to others?

The Unparalleled Academy had waived his tuition fee out of goodwill, how could he brazenly accept this ancient secret technique?

“It’s not a gift; this is the textbook for your cultivation to come.”

Tang Luo replied with irritation, “Hurry up and study it, study it so you can attend the class!”

…

Nowadays, Spirit Arts are widely practiced while physical techniques have dwindled, many brilliant and peerless physical techniques have been shelved and neglected.

The Five Forms Fist is such an example, once a core technique of ancient Zen cultivation, it is now long neglected.

But as a boxing technique once most renowned in Zhongzhou, the uniqueness of Five Forms Fist would not diminish with the passage of time.

The Five Forms are Tiger, Leopard, Snake, Crane, and Dragon.

Tiger Form strengthens bones, Leopard Form enhances strength, Snake Form cultivates breath, Crane Form refines spirit, and Dragon Form trains the divine.

Unlike the Five Animals Fist, the Five Forms Fist employs broad and expansive movements, embodying the unity of internal and external forces, fierce and peerless, a might that overpowers multitudes with a single force.

However, in the hands of Feng Shixing, this incomplete technique had become like a cart before the horse, an external technique that focuses only on strength and bone, harmful to the body with prolonged use.

Hence, those who practice Tiger and Leopard Fist must either win quickly in a fight or lose just as swiftly.

Yet Feng Shixing, worthy of being called a boxing prodigy, simply flipped through the manual once and began to understand and practice it as if he was already very familiar with it.

“Not bad, not bad. The Dragon seems to ascend the clouds with agility, concentrate and guard the center, with the intent to strike first.”

“The Crane seems to rest on branches pecking for food; focus on being stable and gentle, concentrate and refine the spirit, striving for precision.”

“The Snake seems to move swiftly through the grass; pay attention to agility and speed, and remember to breathe, remember to breathe!”

Tang Luo has instructed many types of disciples, including the clever and the dull. A student like Feng Shixing, who gets it with just a hint, is undoubtedly the most reassuring.

All that’s needed is to supervise from the side, hardly needing to say much, and the other party would adjust the poses accurately and practice boxing enthusiastically.

However, most of this enthusiasm stemmed from the long-awaited breakthrough in boxing that has finally found a direction, and Feng Shixing was immersed in the joy of this progress.

At most… three or four days, and once he has fully learned the Spirit Arts of the Dragon, Crane, and Snake Forms, he will once again fall into a quagmire, struggling to make progress.

‘Sigh… such is the sorrow of those who practice body cultivation.’

Tang Luo shook his head and turned away.

…

The business department of Unparalleled Academy had its first student, but this did not change the difficult situation of enrolling students at the academy.

Although the dean and elders open the doors for recruitment daily at noon, there were still more onlookers than participants below the stage.

After all, those who have managed to cultivate to the pinnacle of Mortal Realm are not fools; since there is already one student admitted, they are not about to take the bait without seeing the results of the other.

Decades have been spent waiting, and no one was impatient over this brief period of time.