Ever since Su Jie comprehended the realm of “heart and intent in harmony” in the wild, his martial arts had been improving at an astonishing rate every day. It was like a child going through a growth spurt with good nutrition and ample sleep, visibly getting taller by the day.

Now, Su Jie was intelligent, fully focused, using the most scientific training methods, and had excellent nutrition and medicine. He also received massages from a medical doctor specializing in sports recovery. On top of that, he had gained insight into the profound essence of boxing techniques. Under such conditions, his training progress in a single day was equivalent to several months for other students at the martial arts academy.

This was no exaggeration. Just in terms of training volume, Su Jie performed the “Hoe Strike” move at least tens of thousands of times each day.

Ordinary students could not do nearly as much. Even if they forced themselves to complete a third of his routine, they would be so sore that they wouldn’t be able to move for days.

However, with proper massage, acupuncture, medicine, and electric stimulation, Su Jie not only eliminated muscle fatigue and restored his body to normal but also accelerated his growth, allowing him to increase his training volume day by day.

This intense training continued for seven more days.

It was now August 24th, with only eight days left until the new school year started on September 1st. Normally, Su Jie should have bought a ticket home to prepare for school, but he had no intention of leaving.

During these seven days, he devoted himself entirely to training, thinking of nothing else—solely focused on improving his physical and mental strength. Every day, after training, he would undergo Uncle Mang’s grueling massages, acupuncture, and electric stimulation. He also applied the Nie family’s specially formulated medicinal ointment.

At his age, he was in a prime growth period. In the previous days, he had been growing rapidly, and if it had continued, he would have soon surpassed 1.9 meters in height. However, with the effects of the electric stimulation and medicinal absorption into his bones, his growth seemed to have halted. Instead, his body became denser and more solid.

Before, his rapid growth had made him feel somewhat weak, but now that his height had stabilized, he could feel the hardness and resilience within his bones.

This was not just psychological—it was real. Tests showed that his bone density and toughness were exceptionally high, surpassing ordinary athletes and even some professional fighters.

Although Su Jie’s physique remained the same as before, without significant muscle mass increase, he felt much stronger and more powerful. His body seemed as if it were forged from steel, and with every punch and kick, he felt capable of destroying anything in his path.

Beyond that, he found that he could now perform complex movements with ease—even flashy parkour-style flips and multiple mid-air rotations, despite never deliberately training them. He only had to visualize the moves in his mind, and his body could execute them effortlessly.

This was the result of his physical fitness reaching a peak and his mind and body achieving perfect coordination.

During these seven days, Su Jie had once again made a major breakthrough in his martial arts, stepping onto a whole new level.

He still participated in the queue for fights every day. Sometimes, he managed to get a spot, sometimes not, but whenever he did, he won at least ten matches in a row and made a decent amount of money.

This was also because, with the start of the school year approaching, the number of participants had increased.

By late August, the martial arts academy had fully resumed its curriculum. During the day, the training fields were packed, and every practice area was overcrowded. Even Josh and Su Jie’s training had to come to a halt because the arenas were always occupied.

Since the day Josh was knocked down by Su Jie in a street match, he had been secretly training every day. No one knew exactly what he was practicing, but Su Jie rarely saw him anymore.

Su Jie guessed that Josh was holding back his frustration, preparing for a rematch.

The Morning of August 24th

Su Jie trained from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. as usual before heading back to the academy for breakfast. On the way, he suddenly stopped.

He had spotted a group of chickens foraging in the wild.

As they walked, they bobbed their heads with each step, pecking at insects in the soil. Sometimes, two chickens would fight, leaping into the air, feathers flying, and even drawing blood—yet neither backed down.

This scene suddenly sparked something in Su Jie’s mind.

The “Hoe Strike” move had similarities with the way chickens moved.

Chickens had exceptional balance. In fact, among all animals, birds had the strongest sense of balance.

A bird could stand on one leg on a swaying branch without falling, no matter how strong the wind blew. Chickens shared this trait.

Even the most balanced human could not match the stability of birds.

Su Jie became completely engrossed in watching the chickens peck and fight. He crouched there for over an hour, studying their movements and incorporating their balance into his own techniques.

“The Ancient Martial Manuals Say…”

At that moment, a voice spoke up beside him:

“The ancient martial manuals say, ‘Every strike should resemble an eagle’s catch, every stance a tiger’s pounce, and every step a chicken’s leg.’ The old masters created martial arts by observing the natural world. Chickens, the most common animals, have an exceptional trait—balance.

“Nowadays, to prevent camera shake, some people even mount cameras on a chicken’s head. Every movement is rooted in balance. Without balance, one cannot generate power or speed. If someone can achieve the same balance as a chicken, their movements in combat will be stable and their strikes will be tremendously powerful.”

Su Jie turned sharply and saw that it was Gu Yang.

“Coach, what are you doing here?” Su Jie snapped out of his trance.

“It looks like you’ve made another breakthrough. You can now observe the true ‘spirit’ in all things. I only attained this level of understanding after turning forty,” Gu Yang said, visibly impressed.

Su Jie stood up and practiced the “Hoe Strike” move again, incorporating the balance he had observed from the chickens. He immediately felt his stability improve, and his speed seemed to increase just a fraction.

“You should take the time to observe a real tiger hunting or an eagle diving for prey. These things must be seen firsthand to truly grasp their essence. Words alone won’t do them justice,” Gu Yang advised.

“In martial arts, we call this ‘perceiving the spirit.'”

“You’re right. Some things can only be understood through direct observation—no amount of verbal explanation can capture the essence of ‘spirit.'”

Su Jie finally understood what “spirit” truly meant.

In an instant, there was a deep shock in his soul, followed by a sudden realization, as if a light had flashed in his mind.

“Many people have moments of sudden realization in their lives, but after a few days, it fades and doesn’t integrate into their spirit. This is the meaning of ‘it is easy to acquire the Way, but difficult to preserve it,'” Gu Yang said. “What you need to do now is to fully integrate this flash of insight, the divine intention you’ve gained, into your heart, never to fade, and then act on it in your daily life, making it your own.”

“Got it.” Su Jie nodded, deeply agreeing with this.

“Let’s go. You haven’t had breakfast yet, right? After eating, there’s a large-scale event at school today. I’ve signed you up. Of course, whether you participate or not is up to you. You should go back and continue your studies. Actually, everything you need to learn has already been taught. There’s not much more I can teach you now, and from here on, you’ll need to self-study.” Gu Yang said, “However, there is one thing you’re lacking. Do you know what it is?”

“What am I lacking?” Su Jie asked.

“Money,” Gu Yang replied. “To push your physical abilities to the extreme, you need countless resources and wealth. Your physical condition is already top-tier, you’ve achieved the Way, but to preserve this Way and push it even further, wealth is essential.”

As they spoke, they entered the school cafeteria. Su Jie followed the routine, ate, and waited for digestion before asking, “Coach, what event did you sign me up for?”

“There are more than ten martial arts schools in this area, and there’s a league during the start of the school year that anyone can join. You can take part in one last major competition before you leave, and make a fair amount of money. The champion of this event will earn around 500,000.” Gu Yang said.

“That much?” Su Jie was surprised.

“This league, involving ten martial arts schools and over a hundred local martial arts gyms, is sponsored by Haoyu Group, so the prize money is much higher than usual. You’ve probably earned quite a bit from smaller competitions recently, but it’s still not enough.” Gu Yang waved his hand. “With your current state, winning the championship shouldn’t be a problem.”

“I’ve earned 170,000 from these recent competitions,” Su Jie said, clicking his tongue. He realized that with skill, one could make quite a bit of money.

“Afterward, we’ll head to the sports hall for the preliminaries.” Gu Yang patted Su Jie’s shoulder. “I think practical combat is still quite important for you. You’ve already mastered the correct training methods, so even if you go back to studying, you can continue practicing. The only thing you’re lacking is practical experience.”

‘Since it’s Haoyu Group funding it, I might as well take the money. If I don’t, I’d be wasting an opportunity,’ Su Jie thought to himself.

When they arrived at the sports hall, it was already 8 AM, and despite the early hour, the place was crowded yet orderly, like a large-scale sports event. The school had many staff managing the venue, which was divided into multiple rings.

Su Jie quickly found his ring number on the registration machine, then sat on a chair outside the ring to wait.

This competition was free fighting, focusing on standing techniques, not mixed martial arts. Once a competitor fell, they would score points and could no longer pursue the fight.

The sports venue had more than thirty temporary rings, each with a referee. The competition was intensively prepared.

It would start at 9 AM and continue until evening, with a knockout system. There were three sports halls, meaning there were hundreds of people competing at any given time.

This fast-paced, high-efficiency competition was becoming very popular.

This area was the heart of martial arts in the country, with competitions as common as eating and drinking. Nearly all students were accustomed to the daily routine of competitions.

Of course, because of the frequency of competitions here, even ordinary students who fought a few times would become formidable figures.

Su Jie was assigned to ring 13.

There were more than ten chairs under the ring, all occupied by competitors.

Looking at his number plate, Su Jie sat in his assigned spot and saw a young man sitting next to him. The young man was fair and handsome, about the same age as Su Jie, with his eyes closed in rest.

Su Jie knew that, according to the rules, this young man was his opponent. He couldn’t help but greet him.

“Hey, we’re opponents later, right?” Su Jie smiled.

The young man opened his eyes, glanced at Su Jie, and then indifferent, closed them again, ignoring him completely, as if Su Jie wasn’t even worth his words.

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