Chapter 71: Chapter 50: Advancement Points Obtained

The next day, Martial Dao training continued. In the morning, Zhao Rui first went to see Wang Zhe.

By now, Wang Zhe’s injuries had long since healed, but his spirits were low. He had previously suffered an Inner Strength backlash from forcing his Cultivation Technique, and Tian Zirong had later taken the opportunity to injure him, delaying his recovery.

Now, he was channeling his frustration, focusing all his energy on his Cultivation. He was looking for a chance to redeem himself and naturally wasn’t in the mood for anything else.

Zhao Rui knew his situation, so of course he wouldn’t disturb his Cultivation at this time to ask for advice on Martial Arts.

’I’ll just cultivate on my own. My Prajna Palm has already reached Mastery, and I’m not facing any cultivation bottlenecks at the moment.’

The entire Martial Arts Team had a total of three squads: one main and two auxiliary.

The main squad was composed entirely of starters. In the auxiliary squads, the captain was typically a starter, while the rest were substitutes.

Wang Zhe had failed to be selected twice. If not for Teacher Wang knowing his situation, the captain would have been replaced long ago.

In the entire Martial Arts Team, the overall strength of the auxiliary squads was relatively weak.

Wang Zhe’s squad had seven members: one senior, five juniors, and only one sophomore, who was one of the people Zhao Rui had been sparring with lately.

As for the other sophomores, they had already been eliminated before the new semester began.

The other auxiliary squad was the exact opposite; more juniors had been eliminated, leaving four sophomores.

That group included Li Xinran and Zhang Kui.

The starters were mostly juniors, with a few seniors mixed in.

To be honest, the Dongqi Martial Arts Team was in a slump, with a clear gap in talent between the upperclassmen and the new members. They looked strong on the surface but were hollow inside.

This was why Wang Zhanshan had previously berated the team members for their poor performance. If even they couldn’t carry the team, how could he possibly rely on this sorry bunch of sophomores?

This recent defeat was, in fact, an ominous foreshadowing of Dongqi University’s competition results for the next two years.

In the afternoon, Zhao Rui and Zhang Kui went to the sophomore group’s section of the Martial Arts Arena as usual.

Given the unpleasantness between Cao Guannan and Zhang Kui last time, Zhao Rui was assigned to be his opponent for this training session.

Cao Guannan had been reprimanded twice by Zeng Hongyi and didn’t dare try any more funny business.

He obediently sparred with Zhao Rui using the Prajna Palm.

As they began to spar, Cao Guannan was shocked to find that his prized Prajna Palm Technique was being countered at every turn. Zhao Rui saw through many of his techniques before he could even complete them and was already prepared with a response.

Fortunately, Zhao Rui wasn’t launching counter-attacks; he simply matched him move for move, helping to refine their skills.

At first, Cao Guannan struggled to adapt, but he gradually began to take it seriously. He stopped rigidly adhering to the standard Prajna Palm techniques and started to think more flexibly about his approach to executing moves.

For a while, the two exchanged blows, their techniques growing increasingly fluid and inventive. Often, before one move was fully executed, the next was already poised to strike.

A masterful Prajna Palm, formless and ever-shifting, blending the real and the illusory. It was like dew, like lightning, a fleeting dream, a phantom bubble. And a marvelous Cloud Hand Star-Picking, its ethereal clouds hiding endless killing intent, the twinkle of its stars determining life and death. In this interplay of substance and void, it seemed poised to overcome all other Martial Arts.

The two displayed the full extent of their learning, creating a spectacular, lively exchange.

Zeng Hongyi, watching from the side, nodded repeatedly, a faint smile gracing the corners of his mouth.

“That’s progress. Zhao Rui, you did very well just now. It’s clear you’ve been studying diligently.”

“Guan Nan, if you can just be patient, your true potential is far greater than this.”

When the sparring session ended, Zeng Hongyi, in a rare show of approval, praised both of them.

“Next group. Zhao Rui, you’re up again…”

Zeng Hongyi was in a great mood. The progress of the sophomore team members was always a key focus for the coaching staff.

Now that he saw the partner training was effective, he was naturally quite satisfied.

…

Time flows like a river, waiting for no one.

For a while after that, Zhao Rui stuck to his routine of classes and training.

He used his free time to deepen his understanding of the Prajna Palm and several other advanced Martial Arts.

At first, Zhao Rui primarily used his own techniques when sparring with the other sophomores.

But when Coach Zeng realized Zhao Rui’s understanding of the Prajna Palm far surpassed that of the other sophomores, he had him start using it in their sparring sessions.

Zhao Rui was happy to oblige. Although the system had brought him to the Master Level, he knew that Martial Arts still required constant practice and insight to maintain.

And sparring was often the best test.

It was less a case of Zhao Rui acting as a sparring partner for the sophomores, and more a case of them being sparring partners for him.

Over time, Zhao Rui’s command of the Prajna Palm became increasingly effortless, as if it were an extension of his own limbs.

And thanks to Zhao Rui’s targeted sparring, the four sophomores’ practical application of the Prajna Palm showed visible improvement.

This left Zeng Hongyi both gratified and quite surprised.

“Zhao Rui, stay behind!”

One afternoon, after their combat sparring session, Zhao Rui was about to leave with Zhang Kui and two of their female teammates.

when he heard Assistant Coach Zeng Hongyi call his name.

Zhao Rui had to stop and turn back to Coach Zeng’s side.

“Coach Zeng!”

“Zhao Rui, I’ve noticed your command of the Prajna Palm has become increasingly refined these last few days. Did you have a breakthrough?”

Zeng Hongyi asked.

“Yes, I’ve made some minor progress.”

Zhao Rui nodded and replied.

“Oh?”

Zeng Hongyi had his suspicions, but hearing Zhao Rui admit it himself still surprised him. ’How long has he even been practicing?’

’No wonder Wang Zhanshan was willing to take him in, making an exception to let him join the team. It seems this kid’s talent for Martial Arts is average, but his aptitude for understanding them is superb!’

“You’ve done well, but your foundation is still weak. Don’t get arrogant over a little success. You need to keep pushing forward and strive for true Integration and Mastery as soon as you can.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep