Chapter 18: Asking For A Technique

After Meng Shu left, Ding Jiao immediately ran over from behind and clapped Chen Chuan on the back as he exclaimed in an exaggerated fashion, “Chen Chuan, you were keeping quiet all this while because you were waiting to drop this bomb on us, weren’t you?! That’s Martial Valor University!

The

Martial Valor University!”

He was more excited than Chen Chuan himself.

“I haven’t taken the follow-up exam,” Chen Chuan said and shook his head.

“Even if you haven’t, you still got in. From now on, I can tell others that my best friend is studying at Martial Valor University, and no one can say anything about it!” Ding Jiao yelled.

Chen Chuan’s other classmates also became really friendly toward him. They started asking for his number, but Chen Chuan tactfully said no by telling them he was about to move out of his uncle’s house and could not give them a number.

He had to step up his training soon and did not have the time to waste on social obligations.

Even the student who had been sucking up to Han Shu approached Chen Chuan enthusiastically for a chat. He stayed by his side all evening.

Han Shu was left all alone. He hesitated for a long while before he stood up and walked over with a stiff expression. “Chen Chuan, I wasn’t expecting you to be able to get into Martial Valor University. Congratulations. Let’s keep in contact in the future.”

Chen Chuan shook his head. “Not for the time being. But we can consider it later.”

Han Shu thought that Chen Chuan was intentionally making things awkward for him, and he gritted his teeth, but he could only put on a stiff smile. “Sure.”

Once Chen Chuan chatted briefly with a few batches of students who came to talk to him, he finally had time to eat. After he started martial arts training, his appetite had grown. After a waiter put a plate of food in front of him, he cleared the plate in just a few minutes, leaving Ding Jiao dumbfounded.

Chen Chuan had a feeling that the food he ate outside the Domain of Fists did not convert to energy efficiently and could not satisfy his needs.

It was no wonder why Yu Gang said that nutritional paste was the main food consumed in Martial Valor University. It had all the nutrients needed so that the students did not have to waste too much time on eating. The only flaw of the paste was its bland taste and that anyone would get sick of eating too much of the same thing, but Chen Chuan did not mind it.

The food kept coming until around 8 p.m. By then, the graduation party was reaching its end. While the students who lived near the downtown area decided on some more activities, the ones who lived further away decided to go back earlier, because the gangs were at their most active after 9 p.m. There were also all sorts of strange urban legends circulating around, so it was not too safe at night in the city.

After Chen Chuan and Ding Jiao bade farewell to the other students at the hotel entrance, they walked out together.

“I rode a motorbike here, one I modified myself, and it runs like a beast. Want me to give you a lift?”

“I came with my bike, and my place isn’t too far from here. You’d need to take a huge detour to send me back. You should go straight home,” Chen Chuan said.

Ding Jiao was still really excited. He patted Chen Chuan’s shoulder. “Okay, then. Seriously, though. How did you manage to get into Martial Valor University? It’s

the

Martial Valor University we’re talking about. Once you pass the follow-up exam, you have to treat me to a meal so that I can brag about it in front of my other friends.”

Chen Chuan laughed and agreed to it. After he parted ways with Ding Jiao, he crossed the road and went to the parking lot to grab his bike. He turned around to cast a glance at the brightly lit hotel entrance, along with the departing students, then stepped on the pedal and rode home.

At that hour, there were not many cars or pedestrians left. The road was practically empty. In less than twenty minutes, he returned home. When he rode into the courtyard, he saw sparks and a person sitting on the bicycle cargo rack with a cigarette.

“Uncle?”

Nian Fuli hummed. “I saw the note you left. What’s going on?”

Since Chen Chuan thought that the matter with Mr. Qi might affect his training, he mentioned it in the note he left for Nian Fuli. After he parked his bicycle, he told the whole story.

Nian Fuli took a few puffs of the cigarette before he put it out and said, “It’s okay. Continue learning from Yu Gang, and don’t ask any questions. If Mr. Qi shows up again, avoid him. Yu Gang will keep Mr. Qi from you.”

“Alright, Uncle. I’m going back to my room now.”

“Go,” Nian Fuli said.

After Chen Chuan left, Yu Wan came out with a shirt in hand, and Nian Fuli said, “The boy has become much stronger than before.”

“Listen to yourself. Chan’er has always been good. He’s just even more mature now,” Yu Wan retorted.

Nian Fuli stood up and grabbed his bicycle’s handle. “Fine, fine. Xiao Wu is still holding the line at the station, so I have to go back. The resistance group has been causing trouble again. They seriously just won’t stop.”

Yu Wan hurriedly handed the shirt to him. “Take this with you. It’s cold at night.”

Nian Fuli took the shirt and stuffed it into the basket in front of the bicycle before shooing Yu Wan inside. “Go back in. Don’t stay outside.”

He then pushed his bicycle out.

Yu Wan only locked the gate once she heard the bicycle leave the alley. After checking that the lock was secure, she went back inside.

While Chen Chuan had gone inside, he still heard Nian Fuli and Yu Wan’s conversation in the courtyard. He suspected that Yu Wan had been the one who read the note, then called Nian Fuli to come back. His uncle had to have waited for him for quite some time.

He stopped walking for a moment and only went back to his room after he heard Yu Wan come back in and lock the door. Once he removed his jacket, he grabbed a set of clothes and went into the bathroom to take a shower, then read a little after coming out. When it was time for bed, he turned off the light and slept.

The next day, Chen Chuan left early and ran to the Domain of Fists. The moment he walked in, he saw Lu Ke stretching. “Good morning, Lu Ke. Are you okay?”

Lu Ke shook his head. After a moment’s hesitation, he said, “Thanks.”

“For what?” Chen Chuan asked.

“I know that Master Yu didn’t want to accept Mr. Qi’s invitation. If you hadn’t stepped forward, Master Yu would have had to accept it,” Lu Ke answered.

“I had my reasons for doing it. Besides, Mr. Yu still ended up saying that he would join, so I wasn’t really that useful,” Chen Chuan replied frankly.

“It’s not the same! In any case, I have to thank you for standing up for Master Yu yesterday,” Lu Ke stressed.

When Chen Chuan saw how serious he was, he nodded and asked, “Is Mr. Yu upstairs?”

“He is. Just go up, and you’ll see him.”

“Okay.” Chen Chuan went upstairs and walked along the balcony corridor until he reached the room at the end. He knocked on the door.

𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

“Mr. Yu, it’s me, Chen Chuan.”

The door opened with a creak, and Yu Gang showed up. “Come in.”

Once Chen Chuan walked in, he handed Yu Gang the fifty devs and said, “Mr. Yu, I have a question.”

Yu Gang motioned for him to take a seat. “What is it?”

Chen Chuan only sat down after Yu Gang did. He then asked, “Mr. Yu, are there many people who can use refined force?”

Yu Gang hummed. “Not really. Since you can only master breathing techniques after rigorous training and since the complete version of refined force is even harder to master, I can’t even say that one out of ten people who have mastered breathing techniques knows how to use refined force. Sometimes, martial artists have no other choice but to learn subtle force. After all, it’s easier to pick up.”

“Just like Ding Shuo?” Chen Chuan asked.

“I can’t say that Ding Shuo isn’t able to master the complete version. He might have decided to first learn subtle force to quickly build up his fighting power because he’s in a hurry to create his own fighting style. Later on, he might slowly perfect his refined force. Quite a number of martial artists who don’t learn from proper martial arts schools choose to do this.”

“Then, Mr. Yu, when I take the follow-up exam, could I run into an upperclassman who has already mastered refined force?” Chen Chuan asked.

“Even though such students have seldom appeared during the previous examinations, I wouldn’t rule out that possibility.”

Chen Chuan sat up straight and asked, “How should an examinee win against someone like that? You said before that most students have yet to master any breathing techniques before they join Martial Valor University, even if they have been training since they were children. If they encountered such upperclassmen, I just don’t think they could win.”

“Defeating your opponent during the follow-up exam is the certain way of passing it, because you will be told that you passed right there and then. But you will also be assessed and given marks during the follow-up exam. If you run into an upperclassman who has already learned how to use refined force, your examiners will award you marks based on your performance. If you don’t mind losing some marks, you can even wear protective gear. Don’t treat those who can use refined force as unbeatable, though. At the end of the day, it’s just a tool one can use in a fight. It has flaws and weaknesses. There are also certain ways to counter it.”

Even though Chen Chuan did not know Martial Valor University’s specific grading criteria, getting low marks was not what he wanted. So, he asked, “Mr. Yu, if I do run into someone who is as durable as Ding Shuo during the follow-up exam, how should I win against them?”

“While breathing techniques can increase durability, it comes from the user’s breathing. If they can’t maintain it, their durability will decrease as well.

“When someone isn’t all that good at using refined force, they will need their breathing technique to complement it. So, if you can disrupt their rhythm, even if it’s just for a moment, you’ll get your chance to win.”

Chen Chuan thought about it. “Breaking their rhythm, huh...”

“It’s not as complicated as you might think. Most people are defeated when their opponents hit them at the moment they are about to execute an attack. So, you have to hit your opponent right before they are about to use refined force. This is the way to disrupt their breathing rhythm and even defeat them.

“But you need incredibly fast reaction speed and great accuracy for that, which is why it’s quite hard to achieve such a feat. With your talent, though, you might have a chance.”

He then stressed, “The best way to defeat an opponent is to hit them with a powerful attack. As long as your attack is strong enough, you don’t need to think about much else. This is the essence of true combat.”

Chen Chuan mulled over those words. “I think it’ll be hard for me to do that, Mr. Yu.”

“It’s not impossible. It just depends on how great of a price you’re willing to pay. The human body can use much greater strength than we imagine, but our own protection mechanisms have put a limit on how much strength we can put to use. I can teach you how to use your breathing technique to temporarily become faster and stronger. You can think of it as an immature form of refined force, but you will be sustaining an equivalent amount of damage. That is the price you have to pay,” Yu Gang said.

Chen Chuan’s eyes lit up. Since he had his second self, he did not need to care too much about injuries, so he said seriously, “Please teach me, Mr. Yu.”

Yu Gang stood up and went to a punching bag bound to a wall with a metal chain.

“Watch,” he said gravely.

He lowered his center of gravity before suddenly letting out a loud shout while he delivered a punch. It looked like an ordinary punch, but it blasted through the punching bag. When Yu Gang pulled his fist back, the pulverized stuffing and sand spilled out.

Chen Chuan could not help but wonder how it would have felt if that punch had landed on him...

While he was thinking about it, Yu Gang suddenly turned around and threw a punch at his face!