Chapter 41: Sparring and the First Stop
Chapter 41: Sparring and the First Stop
At the Waveflow Martial Academy, the morning sun had risen, casting a scorching heat over the courtyard. The sky was a vast expanse of blue, clear of any clouds.
"Jiang Shidi, how about a friendly spar?" Cheng Ran suddenly spoke up, his eyes gleaming as he looked at Jiang Ning.
Ever since Jiang Ning had lent him a helping hand a couple of days ago, Cheng Ran had felt the power surging through Jiang Ning's arms, and his curiosity had been piqued ever since.
He had been wondering about Jiang Ning's current strength and was eager to find out.
Cheng Ran had suggested a spar, not to gain combat experience as he had previously claimed, but purely to satisfy his curiosity about Jiang Ning's true abilities.
In his mind, a true combat experience could only be gained from an evenly matched opponent, not from a spar with a vastly superior opponent.
Cheng Ran, with his Qi and Blood perfection and full-body circulation, had a single-arm strength exceeding five hundred jin, more than twice the force he had felt from Jiang Ning.
Such a huge disparity in strength would make any direct confrontation akin to a battle between an adult and a child, not a fair contest by any means.
In his eyes, there was no way such a spar could enhance combat experience.
The proposal to spar was merely to satisfy his curiosity.
He wanted to know Jiang Ning's true strength and the level of his fist technique.
In the courtyard, Jiang Ning agreed to Cheng Ran's proposal after a brief moment of consideration.
"Alright!"
His reason for agreeing was simple.
Xu Yunfeng, with his Qi and Blood perfection and full-body circulation, was currently the most direct threat to him and the most likely person to take action against him.
Cheng Ran, also with Qi and Blood perfection and full-body circulation, was, in Jiang Ning's estimation, a match for Xu Yunfeng in terms of strength.
By sparring with Cheng Ran, he could gauge Xu Yunfeng's approximate strength.
As for any information revealed during the exchange, Jiang Ning didn't care.
Concealing his abilities was not his priority at this time.
In this world, there was no such thing as a talent so terrifying that it must be eliminated.
Appropriately showcasing one's talent had far more advantages than disadvantages, as long as it didn't exceed human understanding and turn one into a demon.
A moment later, Cheng Ran stretched his muscles and bones.
"Jiang Shidi,"
He stretched his muscles and bones again.
"Jiang Shidi, you go first! I'll control my strength," Cheng Ran said, confident in his position.
"Then be careful, Cheng Shixiong," Jiang Ning replied.
In the next moment, Jiang Ning's body moved, surging forward with a sudden burst of energy. His Qi and Blood surged through his right arm, transforming him into a tiger descending from the mountain.
In just a short distance of less than two zhang, he closed the gap with a few quick steps.
"Good move!" Cheng Ran's eyes narrowed as he saw Jiang Ning's right hand spread out like a tiger's paw.
Cheng Ran shifted his right foot, lowering his stance.
Facing Jiang Ning's palm strike, he had no intention of evading.
In his eyes, it was neither necessary nor something he could afford to lose face over.
Cheng Ran clenched his palm into a fist, unleashing half of his strength.
Bang!
The fist and palm met, creating a dull thud.
The powerful burst of force caused Cheng Ran to take a half-step back, and he was astonished by the sheer explosive power.
Cheng Ran's heart was filled with shock, and his gaze at Jiang Ning shifted.
After the exchange, he felt Jiang Ning's strength firsthand.
Tiger Form Fist had clearly reached a minor achievement!
"With this palm strike, Jiang Shidi unleashed the might of a tiger descending from the mountain, erupting with a thousand pounds of force."
"I had truly underestimated him!"
Cheng Ran couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion. Such innate talent for fist techniques was something he had never heard of or seen before.
If he hadn't witnessed it himself, he wouldn't have dared to believe it.
A new martial arts academy disciple who had only practiced for ten days, cultivating the Five Beasts Fist concurrently, had already achieved a minor level of mastery.
This was what made him most envious and shocked.
Such innate talent for fist techniques left him in awe.
If only he had such talent, he thought to himself.
Upon realizing Jiang Ning's innate talent for fist techniques, Cheng Ran couldn't help but feel a myriad of emotions.
"No wonder these past few days, Master has been paying extra attention to Jiang Shidi."
"Not only has he been allowed to stay at the martial arts academy, but he has also been provided with the treatment of a direct disciple, receiving three bowls of herbal soup daily."
"With Jiang Shidi's talent, who wouldn't be moved to take him as a disciple?"
Cheng Ran understood in his heart that the reason for Jiang Ning's rapid progress and current achievements was undoubtedly due to Wang Jin's special attention and guidance.
However, even with this knowledge, he didn't feel the slightest bit of unfairness.
In his opinion, this was completely normal. Not to mention Wang Jin, even he himself would do the same.
It was difficult to find a good teacher, but it was even harder to find a talented and virtuous disciple worthy of inheriting the master's legacy.
At this moment, upon fully understanding Jiang Ning's martial arts achievements, Cheng Ran had only one thought in mind.
He could only be a friend, not an enemy! Even if Jiang Ning didn't have the opportunity to join the Inspection Bureau, he didn't know how far he could go in the future.
But he knew that with Jiang Ning's talent, even if he didn't come from a good background, anything was possible in the future.
Perhaps one day, he might even become famous throughout Guangning Prefecture.
Immediately, a genuine smile appeared on Cheng Ran's face.
"Instantly unleashing a thousand pounds of force, Jiang Shidi, what incredible talent!"
Jiang Ning stopped his retreating figure and shook his hand. Even with the eruption of vital energy, such an intense collision still caused some pain in his right palm.
However, this pain didn't make him hesitant to continue the fight; instead, it made his blood boil with excitement.
"Cheng Shixiong, again!" Jiang Ning's eyes blazed with intensity.
"Good!" Cheng Ran readily agreed.
The next moment, both figures moved.
In an instant, they closed the distance between them.
Bang—
Bang—
Bang—
Their fists collided repeatedly.
"This is a real man's fight!" Cheng Ran grinned as they separated.
Jiang Ning also smiled, and in his vision, a prompt appeared that only he could see.
[Five Beasts Fist Experience +1]
So fighting could also increase fist technique experience.
At this moment, Jiang Ning immediately understood.
His gaze towards Cheng Ran was now filled with even more fighting spirit.
"Again!!"
With a loud shout, Jiang Ning's figure moved, resembling a pouncing white ape.
"Good!" Cheng Ran responded.
Facing Jiang Ning's direct charge, he unleashed fifty percent of his force.
His five fingers spread out like a tiger's paw.
The next moment, Cheng Ran's expression changed.
Jiang Ning's figure suddenly shifted from extreme speed to extreme slowness, and then, with the agility of an ape, he struck Cheng Ran's exposed defense.
Thud, thud, thud—
Cheng Ran retreated three steps, his face turning slightly red.
After a moment, he spoke, "Is this the way of dynamic change in Deer Form Fist?"
"Yes!" Jiang Ning replied.
"Again!" Cheng Ran, having regained his composure, had his fighting spirit soaring. He wasn't going to back down.
(End of Chapter)
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