Martial Dao: Peace by Force

Chapter 74: Chapter 72: Punching Power Upgrade, Though Far, They Will Be Slain

A loud explosion boomed in the distance. It was powerful, but there was no telling what had just blown up.

”Hoo...”

Wan Ze retracted his gaze and let out a long breath, the muscles all over his body gradually relaxing.

He could feel the astonishing power latent within him—more than enough for him to digest for a good while.

He decisively went to the shower for a cold rinse, changed into a fresh set of clothes, and let his damp hair fall casually over his forehead.

His mind calm, he looked down at the display on his retina.

...

[Illustrated Guide: Tiger Cannon Fist] (Basic, Mastered)

[Skill Intermediate Satisfying Conditions: Perform Tiger Stance for fifteen hours] (13.5/15)

...

’Soon. Just an hour and a half to go.’

The thought flashed through his mind, and Wan Ze wasted no more time, immediately assuming the stance.

He sank his shoulders and dropped his elbows, his feet slightly apart and shoulder-width, settling into a firm horse stance. Then, he slowly sank his hips while keeping his back ramrod straight, like a spear. Each vertebra of his spine loosened and aligned, forming a ”great dragon” that connected his upper and lower body.

His hands were held in loose fists at his waist, fingers slightly spread to form tiger claws. Though he exerted no force, they already carried the intent to capture and tear.

His eyelids drooped slightly, his gaze drawn inward, a divine light hidden in the depths of his eyes.

His entire being seemed to merge with the ground, like a true tiger brewing a thunderclap in the stillness.

A moment later, the stagnant energy was broken.

Wan Ze let out a short, forceful grunt. He took a sudden shuffle-step forward with his left foot, pushing off his heel with enough force to make the ground tremble slightly.

Riding the momentum, his body shot forward like a tiger bursting from its cage. Though he didn’t leap far off the ground, a powerful pouncing aura erupted from him.

At the same time, his hands followed the flow of his breath, flipping into open palms. The tiger-claw shape became more distinct as they spiraled out from his waist, one extending and one pressing down in a crisp, clean motion.

His shoulder blades spread like wings as the muscles in his back engaged. Power surged up from his heels, through his waist and hips, up his spine to his shoulders and arms, and finally poured into his fingertips.

A series of faint yet crisp cracks, like the popping of roasting beans, echoed from deep within his body.

The movement froze at the apex of the extended claw and pressing palm. He sank his elbow, letting his qi return to his dantian, held but not released.

The momentum of a tiger patrolling its mountain, poised to strike, had been condensed!

Immersed in his practice, he forgot both himself and the world around him.

Time slipped away quietly with each deep, slow breath.

An hour and a half might seem long to an ordinary person, but for Wan Ze, it was merely the time it took for a few complete circulations.

He raised his eyelids. As he blinked, a sharp glint of light seemed to flash and vanish in his eyes.

Wan Ze’s entire aura was now completely different, carrying a hint of a wild beast’s fierce agility.

Without needing to warm up, he took a step. His body turned and slid forward, his footwork solid and swift, like a great tiger patrolling its territory.

When he swung his arm and struck out with his claw, it was no longer a simple practice of form. It now carried a true ”collapsing” force!

His arm was like a whip, his fingertips like an awl, tearing through the air with a short WHOOSH! of displaced wind.

’Success!’

Wan Ze relaxed his stance and immediately turned his focus inward with introspection.

...

[Illustrated Guide: Tiger Cannon Fist] (Intermediate, Mastered)

[Effect: Significant Power Increase (Power +0.03)]

[Skill High Level Satisfying Conditions: Perform Tiger Stance for 100 hours]

...

’This is going to be a long road.’

Wan Ze’s expression was calm as he looked at the 100-hour requirement.

The path of the Martial Dao was one of dripping water wearing away stone. He had long been prepared for this.

By the time he left the training hall, the sky had already darkened, and the martial arts school’s corridors were lit by warm, yellow lights.

Just then, Zhai Jia called.

”Damn it, I wasted half the day arguing with that woman, Huo Wen. I told her how my drop of blood did nothing, and guess what? She flat-out doesn’t believe me. Insists we’re trying to fool her...

But it wasn’t a total waste. It’s confirmed: Wang Long came to Holy City on his own, on the sly, specifically to find Huo Wen. Huo Wen has an older sister who used to be Divine Spear Horse’s old flame... Why ’used to be’?

Eight years ago, her sister took a bullet for Divine Spear Horse from one of his enemies. She didn’t make it. Because of that connection, Wang Long has always looked out for Huo Wen. This time, he was trying to stick up for her and ended up taking the fall.

I figure Divine Spear Horse won’t let this go now that he knows Wang Long fell to us. You know the saying, ’you have to consider the master before you beat the dog.’ Not to mention the old ties to Huo Wen’s sister... But whatever. Senior Sister is already on her way, so let them have the headache.”

”Oh, right. There’s also the Rain Bell.”

Zhai Jia’s voice lowered slightly. ”Huo Wen confessed that even before she got tangled up with the Song Family from An City, she’d heard rumors about the Rain Bell back in the Guandong underworld. The most ridiculous part is, the whole ’it can only be activated by a drop of blood from a descendant’ thing? Divine Spear Horse apparently said it himself, dead serious, to a few of his trusted men when he was drunk one time! Claimed it was some secret he’d read in a fragmented ancient text years ago...”

’Dead serious?’

Wan Ze didn’t know what to say. ”...That’s it?”

”I know, right? The way she said it was so convincing, I almost fell for it again.” As he said this, Zhai Jia’s own confidence started to waver. ”But what do you think... could it be that Miss Ling just didn’t use enough blood?”

”Bro, are you still hung up on that?” Wan Ze asked, stunned.

Zhai Jia coughed. ”Ahem, just curious, purely curious. But Junior Brother, I’ll be honest. Now that we have the Rain Bell, it’s become a hot potato, regardless of whether it’s useful or not... Even if we shout a hundred times that this thing is just a decoration, it won’t work. No one will believe us. They’ll just think we’re hoarding the treasure and trying to keep the secret for ourselves... Innocence is a crime when you possess a treasure.”

Wan Ze sighed internally.

He understood this principle all too well.

He said with a sigh, ”As far as I know, Miss Ling is the only one left in the Ling Family. If people out there... especially the desperate ones, actually believe this blood-binding story, I doubt she’ll live for long. Sooner or later, they’re going to bleed her dry.”