Inside the spacious hall of the Dragon Eagle Martial Arts Hall.

A bald elder sat in the second-in-command’s chair, just below the Hall Master’s seat. Behind him were two large characters: Dragon Eagle. The cold wind battered the windows, making them CLANG loudly.

Twelve Official Disciples, dressed in martial robes, sat cross-legged on cushions in the hall. Each wore a solemn expression, their gazes fixed on the speaking bald elder.

"First, congratulations on becoming Official Disciples of the Dragon Eagle Martial Arts Hall..."

As the elder spoke, Chen Rong, who was in the crowd, stared at Wan Ze in utter astonishment.

Of course, he remembered the boy.

When he first came to the martial arts hall, he was accompanied by a chubby boy.

’But all things considered, how much time has really passed? And he’s already become an Official Disciple in the same group as me???’

But that wasn’t what surprised him the most.

What he found most incredible was that Wan Ze’s master at Dragon Eagle was the Hall Master himself!

He, of all people, hadn’t managed to become a disciple of the Hall Master, and had to settle for studying under Master Ma instead.

He hardly heard a word of the lesson, his mind completely elsewhere.

Just then, the Hall Master’s voice sounded again. "Your presence at tonight’s class means you have all successfully reached the Beginner Level of the Dragon Eagle Secret Martial Arts. As such, you should understand the enhancement to your Power that this Secret Martial Art provides...

"The average person’s Punching Power is 120 pounds, with a maximum of 150 pounds. Of course, given your age, it’s closer to 100 pounds. But with professional training, plus the explosive burst from the Secret Martial Arts, your Power can instantly reach 170 to 200 pounds...

"So, if your Punching Power doesn’t even reach 170 pounds, you need to focus and dedicate yourselves to your Cultivation."

The Hall Master’s gaze swept across the room, finally landing on the bald elder with a nod. The bald elder rose to his feet. "Everyone, on your feet. We’re heading to the backyard to test your Punching Power."

"Yes, sir!" everyone replied in unison.

Wan Ze followed the crowd, as disciples who knew each other chatted while they walked. At some point, Chen Rong had sidled up next to him.

"What a coincidence. This must be the second time we’ve met," Chen Rong said, affecting a casual air. In truth, he didn’t even know Wan Ze’s name.

"Brother Chen, long time no see," Wan Ze said with a nod and a smile.

Chen Rong gave a light cough. "And your name is?"

"Wan Ze."

"I’m Chen Rong." He lowered his voice. "How’s your practice with the Secret Martial Arts coming along?"

"It’s passable."

"We should practice together sometime. We could give each other a few pointers," Chen Rong offered.

Wan Ze was open to all challengers; fighting against different people made it easier for him to discover the flaws in his own techniques.

Seeing that he had agreed, Chen Rong breathed an inward sigh of relief and became a bit more enthusiastic. "Have you ever tested your Punching Power before?"

"No, this is my first time."

"That’s fine. I’ve tested it before, so I can tell you a bit about it. The explosive effect of the Dragon Eagle Secret Martial Arts kicks in the moment you draw that breath. I was already at 138 pounds before. After cultivating the Secret Martial Arts, I tested it a couple of times and consistently hit around 175 pounds. It’s just that I haven’t been practicing long enough, so I can’t maintain that explosive output."

Chen Rong sighed as he spoke.

Wan Ze’s gaze fell on his larger physique. "Brother Chen, you’ve got a solid build. No need to worry."

Hearing this, Chen Rong laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. "This is all stuff you can train. Age is on our side; we can keep improving for at least another twenty years. But once you hit forty, that’s when it becomes truly hellish. At that point, all you can do is hope your body doesn’t decline too quickly..."

As he spoke, he pointed to some sandbags nearby. "The weights are marked on each of these sandbags. When it’s your turn, you knock one flying, and they calculate your Power based on the distance... I usually go for the 80-pound one. Sending it flying more than half a meter is a pass."

Wan Ze looked over.

In the distance were four different colored sandbags: 60, 80, 100, and 120 pounds.

The testing began shortly after.

With the senior brothers setting an example, the testing proceeded quickly. So far, no one had scored below 170 pounds.

Soon, a tall girl with a ponytail and a dark complexion emerged from the crowd. After bowing to the bald elder with her palms pressed together, she stood before the 80-pound sandbag. She took a deep breath, drew her right leg back, and settled into a punching stance.

"Her name is Li Aisha. She’s been athletic since she was young, so her physique is top-notch. She’s in my group, but she reached the First Transformation of Blood Tempering a month before I did," Chen Rong whispered to Wan Ze.

Wan Ze raised a slight eyebrow. "She doesn’t look that old?"

"She’s seventeen." Chen Rong’s expression was a little awkward. He would be turning twenty in two months, yet both Wan Ze and Li Aisha were already standing on the same level as him.

"No wonder."

The words had barely left his mouth.

BANG!!!

The sandbag was sent flying, and a flurry of gasps erupted from the crowd.

Wan Ze’s eyebrows shot up. He understood the gasps weren’t just because Li Aisha had sent the sandbag flying over a meter away, but because she was a girl who had just achieved a result more dazzling than many of the boys present.

"This girl is the real deal. Her Punching Power must be close to two hundred pounds," Chen Rong couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

Soon, it was Wan Ze’s turn.

"Go for it," Chen Rong cheered him on.

Wan Ze nodded and walked up to the 80-pound sandbag. Not wanting to draw attention, he deliberately controlled his Power, making it look as though he was striking with all his might.

Exactly 170 pounds.

There wasn’t much of a reaction from the crowd.

Chen Rong, worried that Wan Ze might be upset, offered some consolation. "You’ve only just started cultivating the Secret Martial Arts. Reaching this level is already impressive. Give it a little more time, and breaking 200 will be no problem at all."

Little did he know.

When no one else was around, Wan Ze returned to the backyard alone.

He stared at the 120-pound sandbag, took a deep breath, and charged forward, his five fingers clenching into a fist that slammed violently into the black bag.

BANG!

The sandbag flew more than half a meter before exploding in mid-air.

River sand spilled all over the ground.

Wan Ze froze, staring at his own fist in disbelief.

’Have I already become this strong?’

He looked at his personal Attributes in disbelief. His Strength Attribute had, without him realizing, increased by another 0.02.

...

[Power: 0.79]

...

’The Dragon Eagle Secret Martial Arts combined with the Taming the Tiger Vajra Skill really is a powerful combination!’

Wan Ze knew full well that his Power could never have increased this quickly without these two Cultivation Techniques. It was a shame Brother Lei had already made his decision.

As for the Thunderbolt Breathing Technique...

’I’ve cultivated the Thunderbolt Breathing Technique to the High Level. To advance to the Special Level, I have to enter Deep Meditation... but what exactly is the threshold for Deep Meditation...?’

Wan Ze was lost in thought.

He had already finished reading all the books Sun Fan had given him, but it still wasn’t enough.

His gaze shifted downward.

...

[Illustrated Guide: hypnosis] (Basic - Mastered)

[Requirement for Skill Intermediate: Read 20 related books] (13/20)

...

’The library doesn’t seem to be too far away.’

After cleaning up the area, Wan Ze turned and left as if he had never been there.

Ever since Sun Fan had learned the previous day that Wan Ze had successfully tempered his blood and qi, their employment arrangement had ended.

This was mainly because Sun Fan was going into seclusion to attempt a breakthrough within the week, so he had stopped coming to the martial arts hall altogether.

In truth, Wan Ze no longer needed to come to the martial arts hall every day either. However, it had readily available training equipment, and, out of caution, he also needed a plausible reason to "prove" his rapid improvement wasn’t achieved overnight.

Leaving the martial arts hall, Wan Ze hailed a horse-drawn carriage and climbed aboard.

"To the city library."

"Hold on tight."

As he sat in the carriage, rows of tile-roofed houses flew past. After rounding two street corners, the carriage entered the main road, bathed in the twilight glow. The long street was now lined on both sides with seven and eight-story buildings, one neon-lit shop after another.

Wan Ze sat inside the carriage and retracted his gaze, his eyes fixing on the screen before him...