Invincibility Begins with Mastery of Fist Techniques-Chapter 191 - 185: Layout

After leaving the airport, Ning Muqing had a private car she'd booked in advance waiting to take them to Changhe Town, the home of the Changhe Martial Arts School.

"Are you two headed to the Changhe Martial Arts School to train?"

The driver was quite the talker and struck up a conversation with them on the way.

Hearing this, Ning Muqing glanced at Zhou Yuanjue.

"We are. You've heard of the Changhe Martial Arts School?"

Zhou Yuanjue said with a smile.

"Of course! I'm originally from Changhe Town. The Changhe Martial Arts School is our town's pride and joy now. Ever heard of Liu Guoguang? He came from our school. I've heard he's not even the strongest one they have. The school is split into an inner school and an outer school, and Liu Guoguang was just the best in the outer school. They say the masters in the inner school are practically immortals."

The driver said with great exaggeration.

'Liu Guoguang?'

Zhou Yuanjue thought for a moment. He seemed to recall the name—a recent champion of a national fighting tournament that had been widely publicized. The man had become quite famous online and was said to be a world-class fighter.

"You definitely came to the right place. The instructors at Changhe Martial Arts School have real skills. My nephew takes classes there. His instructor can take a brick in his bare hands and crush it into dust."

"Plus, the students from Changhe are different from those at other martial arts schools. I hear students from other places are always looking for a fight, but the ones from Changhe are all very reasonable. To be honest, my nephew used to be a real punk. After just six months there, he came back a completely changed person."

"Changhe Town used to have a lot of gangs and crime, and the public safety was pretty bad. People like us, just trying to make a living, had to be really careful. But after the Changhe Martial Arts School was built, things got a lot safer."

"It's a shame, you don't look that young, and it's best to start martial arts when you're fourteen or fifteen. But you have a great build! I bet with even a little training, you could be stronger than most ordinary people. Do you want me to have my nephew introduce you to an instructor?"

The driver offered enthusiastically.

"Thanks, but that's alright. We've already made arrangements."

Zhou Yuanjue refused with a smile.

By casually chatting with the driver on and off during the trip, Zhou Yuanjue gained a much better understanding of the actual situation at the Changhe Martial Arts School.

The school had an excellent public reputation. Unlike some other martial arts schools whose students were known for being belligerent and causing public disturbances, this one was well-regarded.

This only made him more curious about the Changhe Martial Arts School.

An hour and a half later, the car arrived in Changhe Town. Zhou Yuanjue and Ning Muqing got out and checked into the hotel they had booked.

As he walked through Changhe Town, Zhou Yuanjue's first impression was that the entire place was branded with the mark of "Martial." Most of the young people on the streets were bursting with vitality, and their conversations revolved around fighting techniques and competitions. Stores selling fighting gear, massage and chiropractic clinics, and fitness equipment shops were everywhere. There were also numerous training centers run by graduates of the Changhe Martial Arts School, offering services like sparring partnerships and practice matches.

Just as Ning Muqing had said, fighting had truly become an industry here—a trend.

When people are brimming with that kind of vitality, they tend to become aggressive, yet Zhou Yuanjue didn't see many street brawls in Changhe Town.

What surprised Zhou Yuanjue most wasn't what he could see with the naked eye. He had extended his Life Magnetic Field to sense his surroundings and discovered that the field of the entire town was remarkably unique.

The collective will to pursue the Martial Dao had coalesced, forming a special magnetic field that was silently influencing everything in Changhe Town.

As the ancient saying goes: One's environment shapes one's character, and one's nourishment shapes one's body.

This wasn't some mystical concept.

A person's environment has a tremendous influence on them. For instance, if a student enters a good school where everyone, teachers and students alike, is driven to succeed, that collective will creates a positive atmosphere. Immersed in it, the student will subconsciously feel a sense of pressure and, under its influence, gradually begin to strive for excellence as well. A poor student could transform into a top performer.

Conversely, if they were to attend an inferior school with a lax and careless atmosphere, that would also affect their behavior. A good student could end up being led astray in less than a semester.

This is why the story of Mencius's mother moving three times to find the right environment for her son is so famous, and why upper-class parents will do anything to get their children into the best schools.

Often, it is not we who determine who we become, but our environment that shapes us.

It takes immense will, perseverance, and determination to go against the current of one's environment; most people can only drift along with the flow.

And here in Changhe Town, just such a peculiar magnetic field—or atmosphere—existed. It was a miracle formed from the converged will of every person with a heart for the Martial Dao.

Here, even a poor student would be driven to excel and transform themselves.

The source of this aura was in the eastern part of Changhe Town, the direction of the Changhe Martial Arts School.

'To gather the power of the masses, to bear their will, to be the focus of their hearts... National Fortune and the will of the people are born from this... Oh, Chief Commissioner, how could this Changhe Martial Arts School possibly have nothing to do with you?'

A smile touched the corners of Zhou Yuanjue's lips. The moment he stepped into Changhe Town, he had understood a great deal.

This special magnetic field enveloping Changhe Town was remarkably similar to the National Fortune borne by the Chief Commissioner.

The Chief Commissioner was an absolute master in this area; few in the world could likely rival him. To achieve such an effect, the Chief Commissioner's influence had to be behind the Changhe Martial Arts School.

This made him even more certain that even if the old headmaster of the Changhe Martial Arts School hadn't reached Saint Awakening, his power—so long as he was within the school, or even within Changhe Town itself—was far greater than that of a mere top-tier Martial Artist. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for the school to withstand the pressure from the Northern Martial Alliance.

'The Chief Commissioner is experimenting with a different path to Saint Awakening. Instead of using his own power to shatter his limits, he's gathering the power of the masses to achieve self-transcendence.'

'Unfortunately, the conditions for gathering the power of the masses are too demanding. One must not only have an unwavering will but also harbor a grand vision. If you don't dedicate your all to the people, how can they, in turn, elevate you to an infinite height?'

'The paths to Saint Awakening are many and varied. In an age that has surpassed all those before it, the emergence of such inconceivable methods is hardly surprising.'

'Moreover, this school is also a form of exploration. It seems the Chief Commissioner has learned some incredible secrets and foreseen a shift in the global situation. He's starting to set up 'pilot programs' for the grander scheme of things.'

'To spread martial arts across the land is to spread not just its techniques, but the will of "Martial," the very atmosphere of "Martial."'

'When people strive to better themselves, the entire nation fills with vigor.'

"What were you just saying?"

Ning Muqing asked, looking at Zhou Yuanjue with some confusion.

"It's nothing. Have you gotten in touch with the contacts I mentioned?"

Zhou Yuanjue said.

"I have. I had someone put me in touch with one of the best instructors at the Changhe Martial Arts School. He's going to give us a detailed introduction to the place."

Ning Muqing nodded.

"You didn't expose our identities?"

Zhou Yuanjue asked. He wanted to experience the school firsthand, and if his identity were revealed, many things would likely lose their authenticity.

It was like an Emperor who wanted to truly understand his people—the only way was to go among them in disguise.

"I didn't. They probably just know we're not ordinary people. They might assume we're a couple of rich kids who are obsessed with martial arts, but they won't know anything more than that."

Ning Muqing said.

"Good. Let's go and see what profound secrets this Changhe Martial Arts School is hiding."