Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Bright Force
「That night, in the front courtyard of the Martial Arts Hall.」
Liang Cheng assumed the Mixed Element Stance, his Qi Blood surging with each breath. The Fierce Bull Force had reached a critical point; he could feel the Power within him surging like a tide, just a hair’s breadth from breaking through.
He calmed his mind and quieted his Qi. As his Pile Skill activated, he channeled strength from his waist and spine, his feet rooting to the ground. The thousands of times he had practiced his fist forms flashed through his mind.
The ferocity of the Shattering Fist, the substantial power of Kaozhuang, the nimble agility of the Side Step Flash.
The Qi Blood in his body circulated faster and faster.
In a moment of inspiration, he threw a natural punch. He didn’t use deliberate force, yet his bones and tendons resonated in unison, crackling like popping soybeans.
The fist flew. The Wind whistled.
Liang Cheng retracted his fist and stood tall. He felt the Power in his body become a single, unified whole, no longer loose and scattered as before. He had grasped the first hint of the Fierce Bull Force’s essence of "wholeness."
[Fierce Bull Force Minor Success (1/800)]
[Realm: Bright Force Early Stage]
It was a natural breakthrough, the culmination of his efforts.
Liang Cheng felt the new Whole Force within him and threw a punch at the wooden post beside him.
"BANG!"
Splinters flew as the Fist Seal sank half an inch deep. The force of this punch was more than twice as strong as before. Even more remarkably, he could now control its release and withdrawal at will, and there was already a hint of Soft Force within its hardness.
Liang Cheng was overjoyed. He had trained bitterly for two months to finally break through to Bright Force, but without the boost from the Silver-headed Shark, he would have had to struggle at this bottleneck for at least another month.
Liang Cheng calmed himself and returned to the large shared bunkhouse. No one knew that he had undergone a complete transformation and broken through to Bright Force.
During practice the next day, Liang Cheng casually asked Zhou Hu, "Senior Brother, I heard about a sea fish called a ’Silver-headed Shark.’ Can it replenish Qi Blood?"
Zhou Hu glanced at him. "Why are you asking?"
"I overheard some fishermen at the docks talking about it the day before yesterday. I was just curious."
"That’s not something an ordinary person can afford," Zhou Hu said, shaking his head. "Silver-headed Sharks live in deep-sea reefs and take ten years to grow one foot. On the market, a foot-long specimen costs at least five hundred taels of silver. And even then, it’s a seller’s market; they’re mostly pre-ordered by the various Martial Arts Halls and Gangs."
Five hundred taels for one foot!
Liang Cheng’s heart jolted.
Then the one he’d swallowed last night was worth at least five hundred taels. No wonder Liu Biao had risked his life for it. He didn’t ask any more questions, just secretly committed it to memory.
An opportunity like this was a rare stroke of luck, not something one could seek out.
He continued his training.
...
「One day later, at the Martial Arts Hall’s minor assessment.」
Liang Cheng’s strength was now worlds apart from what it used to be.
[Mixed Element Stance Minor Success (76/500)]
[Fierce Bull Force Minor Success (2/800)]
[Stone Armor Skill (Fragment) Beginner Level (143/200)]
A fighting ring was marked out in the courtyard. Yang Wei sat in the main seat with Zhou Hu standing beside him. Over ten apprentices went up to compete one by one in the order they had joined. The rules were simple: fall from the ring or admit defeat, and you lose.
Liang Cheng drew a late number. He quietly watched the first few matches. Most were head-on clashes of Fierce Bull Force. The occasional use of clever tricks or unorthodox methods was immediately stopped by Zhou Hu.
The minor assessment was only about raw power.
Zhao Yuan didn’t compete. With his current strength, he was being saved for the final, decisive match. After all, having broken through to Bright Force, him fighting the others would be like an adult bullying a child.
It was Liang Cheng’s turn.
His first opponent was Li Mao.
"Junior Brother Liang, please." Li Mao cupped his fist, his gaze serious. He knew Liang Cheng wouldn’t be an easy opponent.
Liang Cheng returned the salute. "Senior Brother Li, please."
Li Mao gave a low shout and charged, attempting a powerful shoulder slam. Liang Cheng didn’t dodge or evade. His feet took root as he held his Mixed Element Stance, steady as a boulder, only slightly turning his shoulders and back.
"BANG!"
Li Mao felt like he had crashed into a solid earthen wall. The rebound force made his chest tighten, and he stumbled back three steps. He gritted his teeth and charged again, but Liang Cheng remained steadfast in his defense.
After ten attempts, Li Mao’s stamina gave out, and he staggered to the edge of the ring on his own.
"Thank you for the match." Liang Cheng reached out a hand to help him up.
Li Mao gave a wry smile. "Junior Brother Liang, your defense is truly impenetrable."
Zhou Hu, who had seen everything, whispered to Yang Wei, "Liang Cheng is playing to his strengths and hiding his weaknesses. He has old injuries in his waist and knees, so a strong offense is difficult for him. He has focused on defense instead."
Yang Wei nodded. "He knows how to hide his deficiencies. He’s a smart one."
In the Martial Dao, survival is what matters most!
Round after round, Liang Cheng used defense as his offense. His opponents would exhaust themselves trying to break through his guard and end up defeating themselves. Occasionally, against a stronger opponent, Liang Cheng would use a clever burst of Power at the last moment to knock them from the ring.
Playing it safe and steady, he unexpectedly made it all the way to the final match.
His opponent was none other than Zhao Yuan.
The apprentices below held their breath. No one had expected Liang Cheng, with his damaged Root Bone, to make it this far.
Zhao Yuan’s eyes were cold as he said in a low voice, "Junior Brother Liang, you’ve hidden your skills quite deeply. It seems Senior Brother Zhou’s special training has been very effective."
Liang Cheng’s expression was calm, unfazed. "Senior Brother Zhao, please."
The gong sounded.
Zhao Yuan immediately lunged forward, his fists sharp and fierce, displaying the full extent of his Bright Force Cultivation. He was determined to end the fight quickly and establish his dominance in front of everyone.
Liang Cheng remained on the defensive. The foundation of his Mixed Element Stance at the Minor Success Realm was now on full display. He allowed Zhao Yuan to rain punches and shoulder slams on him, his feet rooted to the spot, deflecting and neutralizing the attacks with the smallest possible movements.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The sounds of impact were relentless. The more Zhao Yuan attacked, the more shocked he became. Liang Cheng’s defense was far more solid than he had imagined; his own Bright Force Power couldn’t seem to budge him in the slightest.
Ten moves, twenty moves, thirty moves...
Sweat appeared on Zhao Yuan’s forehead, and his breathing grew heavy. He became impatient and anxious, starting to forcefully increase his Power for a desperate onslaught. His attacks were fierce, but they had lost their form.
Liang Cheng’s defense remained as steady as ever, his eyes clear. He was waiting. Finally, Zhao Yuan missed with a full-power shoulder slam, and his movement faltered for a moment.
’Now is the time!’
Liang Cheng moved.
His waist and hips twisted violently as the Power he had been accumulating for so long burst forth. Fierce Bull Force—Shattering Fist!
The punch was fast, accurate, and heavy.
Zhao Yuan blocked hastily, only to feel a powerful force penetrate his arm. He grunted, stumbled back five steps, and then his foot found empty air, sending him tumbling off the ring.
The entire arena fell silent.
Liang Cheng retracted his fist and cupped it in a salute. "Thank you for the match."
Zhao Yuan sat on the ground, his face a mask of disbelief. ’I actually lost?’
A glint flashed in Zhou Hu’s eyes. "Master, that punch from Liang Cheng just now... the Power was fluid and penetrating. He’s already reached the level of Bright Force."
Yang Wei had seen it long ago. He slowly nodded. "More than that. His Mixed Element Stance foundation is solid, having already reached the Minor Success Realm. For someone with old injuries to reach Bright Force in two months... that’s rare.
However..."
Yang Wei didn’t finish his sentence. Instead, he stood up, his voice carrying across the entire courtyard. "For this minor assessment, Liang Cheng is first place."
The apprentices finally snapped back to their senses and began to buzz with discussion. No one had expected the ultimate victor to be this quiet boy from a Fisherman’s Family.
Yang Wei looked at Liang Cheng. "You, come with me."
Then he had Zhao Yuan come along as well. Zhou Hu followed Yang Wei into the back courtyard first. Zhao Yuan gave Liang Cheng a deep look, and the two remained silent.
As Liang Cheng and Zhao Yuan stepped into the back courtyard, the front courtyard fell deathly silent for a moment before erupting.
"He’s really going into the back courtyard?" Li Mao’s voice was a little hoarse.
"On what grounds?!" an apprentice roared in a low, jealous voice. "Two months ago, he was just a bag carrier!"
The apprentices’ faces flushed red and pale in turn. A few who prided themselves on their good backgrounds found the result the hardest to accept. The poor boy they had once looked down on had just soared to the heavens in a single step.
"If he can do it, what are we lacking?" a short, stocky apprentice said fiercely, pounding on a wall. "Starting tomorrow, we’re training harder!"
His words lit a fire under everyone.
Envy and jealousy burned into a vicious fire, all of it transforming into ruthless determination. Without anyone giving orders, the sounds of heavier impacts and sparring practice erupted in the front courtyard. But their fists and feet had lost all form, driven only by unwillingness to accept defeat.
Li Mao was silent as he walked to a wooden post and slammed his body against it with all his might.
"BANG!"
A dull thud echoed, and his palms went numb. He gritted his teeth and persevered, striking again. Seeing this, the surrounding apprentices trained even more ferociously.
As the moonlight shone down, many figures were still moving, their breathing heavy and ragged. Back in the large bunkhouse, some tossed and turned, unable to sleep, while others lay with their eyes wide open in the darkness.
Liang Cheng’s entry into the back courtyard was like a stone tossed into stagnant water. Beneath the ripples, a fire had been lit in everyone’s heart, and it was burning fiercely.
’If even Liang Cheng can do it, why can’t I!’
