CHAPTER 263: CHAPTER 247: BODY TECHNIQUE PERFECTION! SOUL-WOUNDING TRUE MARTIAL!

Meng Chuan felt that there was definitely something wrong, but there was nothing he could do to solve it.

"Forget it, even though it’s slow, it’s not much slower. The more the Dragon Demon eats, the more it gives back to the tendons and bones, it’s not a loss."

Even though his progress was slow, each time his proficiency improved, the effects were remarkable.

The role of Hard Skills can vary greatly depending on the individual.

Different physical constitutions will produce vastly different effects.

A few days ago, he even had a video call with Grandmaster Zhao from Wudang, showing him the massive Dragon Demon he "cultivated."

The other party, upon seeing it, exclaimed that after Meng Chuan achieved Perfection, he might be the number one with the effect of [Cyan Netherworld Dragon Lock Body], a testament to his "Innate Horizontal Training Holy Body."

Looking down intently, the third-rate Shaolin Iron Crotch Skill he learned recently, thanks to having the Doma Skill as a foundation, had reached proficiency in a short time.

[Shaolin Iron Crotch Skill: Elementary (98%) → Proficient (2%) pending Limit Breaking]

[Limit Breaking Trait: Preservation of Essence (Basic)]

Merely breaking into proficiency, coupled with the presence of the Doma Iron Crotch as a precedent, Meng Chuan still couldn’t feel its power.

But this method, as the [Top 1 Hard Skill that male Martial Artists in Great Chu must train],

its power is also described in mysterious terms, but there are few he has seen in reality who have achieved Perfection.

Li Weigang has only reached Great Accomplishment, with only Teacher Dong Yue having practiced the Shaolin Iron Crotch Skill to Perfection.

Meng Chuan speculated without any "malice," perhaps there is a talent gap in that regard...

...

At four in the afternoon, in the Body Technique Area of the Martial Arts Building at United University.

On the amber wooden floor, a strong silhouette was reflected.

Meng Chuan moved like lightning, stepping barefoot over thirty-six plum blossom stakes, with only faint dust stirred at the point of contact, the entire process akin to silent falling leaves.

"Your Eight Steps to Catching a Cicada has a touch of thieves’ skills..."

Zhao Chun, with arms crossed, leaned against a corridor pillar and said.

Though the Thieves’ School is now gone, it was a major sect in the old days.

It established its way with "theft," skilled in exotic arts and subtle techniques. Within its ranks, there were various factions like flying thieves and adept hands, skilled in lock-picking and stealth.

In Zhao Chun’s eyes, Meng Chuan’s [Eight Steps to Catching a Cicada] indeed had a bit of that flavor...

Since progressing to Great Accomplishment, Meng Chuan’s body technique was no longer like a bull charging forward.

Instead, it was swift and stealthy, unpredictable.

This was his self-realized "way of body technique," applicable in his practical combat, and also his path to future Limit Breaking.

His Qi Blood rapidly filled his feet, and his extremely robust physical constitution gave Meng Chuan terrifying explosive power.

However, the scene that should have been a raging tempest was silent.

From a bird’s-eye view over the body technique area, there was only a faint silhouette with a weak sound of airflow whirling in the venue.

Zhao Chun uncrossed his arms, leaning slightly forward, with a toe point followed along.

"Eight Steps to Catching a Cicada focuses on the word ’Catch.’ You’ve captured its essence but lack a trace of Perfection. Increase your speed, give it more effort!"

"Understood."

...

A moment later.

In the pursuit, Meng Chuan’s figure moved as swiftly as lightning, covering a thousand miles in an instant.

With one step forward, the afterimage had not yet dissipated, yet the man had already reached the end of the stakes, without even disturbing the airflow the slightest bit.

Zhao Chun’s mouth lifted slightly:

"This has succeeded."

He felt a sense of wonder, recalling the student he previously taught who practiced the Eight Trigrams Yin-Yang Steps.

"Sometimes the gap between people, tsk tsk..."

At the realm of Perfection, returning to simplicity and truth, Meng Chuan launched a dive toward the ground from mid-air among the stakes, like a comet striking the earth.

In the flickering shadows, Meng Chuan landed solidly beneath the stakes, his breath restrained, as if his steps had never moved...

[Eight Steps to Catching a Cicada: Great Accomplishment (100%) → Perfection (1%)]

Though it was merely a technical improvement, Meng Chuan could still feel a substantial enhancement in his practical combat ability.

Regarding the upcoming Supernova Finals, he had already researched his opponents in advance.

There was a competitor named Luo Qin from the Celestial Master Mansion, the one holding up the eastern region.

This person possessed three treasures: one was a Magic Sword, the second Extreme Cold, and the third was the Divine Possession technique!

Having watched the match videos of the opponent, Meng Chuan thought, all of the opponent’s means seemed like those of a "Mage," didn’t they?

Against such an opponent, one must rely on extreme speed to kill with a single strike!

Coming back to his senses, Meng Chuan saw Zhao Chun clapping while saying:

"Not bad, not bad, Eight Steps to Catching a Cicada has reached Perfection. Interested in learning another body technique, my specialty [Divine Action Hundreds of Changes]?

Ten credits per course round, I’ll give you a discount and cut it in half."

This was Zhao Chun’s signature body technique, extremely formidable.

Not everyone was taught by him, it depended on "fate."

It was more comprehensive than Eight Steps to Catching a Cicada, not only allowing quick changes in form and direction, making one hard to predict,

but it was also used for long-distance raids, being both enduring and astonishingly fast. Truly the top tier among first-rate body techniques.

Meng Chuan thought briefly, then politely declined,

"Teacher Zhao, once I progress to the Martial Arts Family, may I then come to you to learn?"

Zhao Chun understood, nodding his head.

He was only momentarily glad to have met a promising student; Meng Chuan’s current focus was still on Fist Skills.

Aiming to become a Martial Artist as soon as possible, to fight for the [Martial Extreme True Inheritance].

"Alright, you’re heading to Shanghai tomorrow, aren’t you? Good luck, bring back a national champion title."

"Certainly!"

Meng Chuan smiled as he bid farewell, heading to the True Dragon Hall for fist training.

On the way, he recalled Xu Qingfeng joking about him being "money-hungry."

But he thought, Teacher Zhao Chun seemed like a good person...

...

After finishing practicing fists with Master Lu, Meng Chuan returned to the dormitory to pack his things.

He felt a slight regret in his heart. The Basic Long Fist still needed 16% more proficiency to reach Perfection; otherwise, his Qi Blood could have surged further.

"As long as it’s enough. When facing the champions from the southwest, I can hide the Perfection-level Eight Steps to Catching a Cicada. It’s my trump card against those people from the Celestial Master Mansion on Dragon Tiger Mountain."

Meng Chuan had already studied it; there would likely be many with Perfection-level fists in the finals at Shanghai.

However, those who could achieve Perfection-level body techniques were extremely few.

Due to not having seen it with his own eyes, he even doubted that, apart from himself, almost no one could do it!

Because body technique can’t stimulate new Qi Blood, first-level is quite difficult to practice.

Other martial artists, to break through in Martial Arts, merely practiced it occasionally within their fist skills.

"A day without practicing body technique will feel a bit rusty."

Only Meng Chuan, due to the reason of [One Proof Forever Proof], has it solidified in the body, never regressing...

He repeatedly studied a few people’s routines, and compared them, feeling a vague sense in his heart.

The one most likely to stand on the final victory stage with him is probably this old mage from Dragon Tiger Mountain."

...

It’s night, eleven thirty.

After finishing a day of training, Meng Chuan packed what he needed for tomorrow’s departure to Shanghai.

Seeing the slight glow from the phone screen, he opened it to see a missed call from Hanhai Company’s Grandmaster Shen, which was turned into a voicemail.

[See you tomorrow in Shanghai, I’ve arranged an assistant to pick you and Grandmaster Luo up at the airport.]

[See you tomorrow, Mr. Shen.]

After replying, Meng Chuan also returned a call to his master.

[I’ll come to pick you up early tomorrow, travel light, don’t bring that stick of yours, you won’t need it.]

The voice of Master Luo came from the other end.

[Got it.]

Meng Chuan realized that this thing indeed wouldn’t be needed.

Zheng Zhenzhen wanted it before, so he’d sell it to her.

After all, he was a bit short of money now.

After hanging up the call, Meng Chuan opened the Martial Arts Association marketplace and bought another batch of Mixed Element Body Refining Ointment and Five Elements Soup.

He underestimated the speed at which he spent money.

Previously, he thought the remaining over ten million would be enough to reach Martial Arts.

Now, with two months of training resources bought, the money was almost spent, leaving less than three million.

Coming to his senses, Meng Chuan was about to turn off the phone and sleep.

The very top of the Martial Arts Association marketplace in the [currently auctioning] section caught his attention.

It’s a Third Grade Fist Blade named [Bridgehead Moon of Neihe.]

Less than ten minutes remained before the auction ended, and the price was nearing 2.7 billion, still continuously rising.

"This is too expensive..."

For Third Grade True Martial to be this costly, then for Fourth Grade or even Fifth Grade, wouldn’t it be blowing the price sky-high...

Calming his "poor man’s" mindset, Meng Chuan clicked inside to see what was special about it:

[Fist Blade · Bridgehead Moon of Neihe]

"A hundred-ton Demon Nest’s product, Dark Iron, compressed and refined in form. The tooth of the Third-grade Demon Nest Master used as a blade, with its True Spirit casting soul and nurturing evil.

Finally, cultivated in [Fist Shocking the Eight Desolates · Qin Xiang]’s hand, its power increased further. When worn, True Qi’s power rises three folds, the fist’s evil can damage the soul, said to be once hit by it, half a foot on the bridge of Neihe."

[Notice: Due to incomplete historical records, there was no title of Celestial Demon in Xiang Wang’s era, therefore the identity of the tooth and the True Spirit master couldn’t be verified.]

"Impressive."

After understanding it, Meng Chuan had only this thought.

Expensive things have their reason, recalling the First Grade Fist Blade he saw in the police department’s honor armory.

The difference between the two is not a little bit, let alone the [Dragon Bone] in his hand.

After another detailed understanding, its sharp and solid characteristics were merely its basics.

The most important is its accompanying evil spirit, a strong means of spiritual attack.

Though he also has similar means, the roar from Tiger Roar Lung training only slightly intimidates the Heart Spirit, nearly useless against the strong.

Compared to the described power of this fist blade, it’s entirely heaven and earth.

"It’s just too expensive... can’t afford it!"

Meng Chuan realized there’s only 30 seconds left until midnight when the auction ends.

He paused to see its final price.

"Three billion... three billion one hundred million... three billion two hundred million!"

As the countdown ended, the price settled at 3.5 billion.

Meng Chuan felt it was crazy, even the best True Martial couldn’t compare to one’s own training importance.

With that money, he could buy Five Elements Soup and end up having one bowl and throwing another...

Also, he checked, generally the price of True Martial, except for popular categories like swords and knives, rarely exceeds three billion for Third Grade.

"Which fool... Great Chu surely has many rich people."

Meng Chuan turned off the phone, already thinking of tonight’s dream theme.

Wearing the [Bridgehead Moon of Neihe] and slaying Fang Jianxing!

After turning off the lights, he saw his master calling.

[Not asleep yet? What’s up, Master?]

On the other end, came the excited voice of Luo Guanyun:

[Chuan’er, your True Martial, has been obtained!]

Meng Chuan could hear Master Luo’s extraordinary excitement, his heart skipped a beat, with a sense of ominous premonition...

"The 3.5 billion fool, is it master..."