HPDBC Chapter 6: 3x Boost!
Chapter 6: 3x Boost!
Sun Hao stared at the number in the upper right corner of the force gauge screen, and the smile on his face gradually disappeared.
1506.
Someone measured 1506 jin on this force measuring instrument.
It was a full 8 jin more than the 1498 jin he had just hit.
This number was like a thorn, pricking his most sensitive nerve.
He thought 1498 jin was the ceiling among everyone present today, but it turned out that someone had already set a higher number for him.
who is it?
Sun Hao's gaze suddenly swept across the courtyard.
His gaze swept over the followers who were marveling at his achievement of 1498 pounds, over Zhao Xiaoyue who stood calmly to the side, and then stopped in the direction of the villa entrance in the distance.
He vaguely saw Lin Fan standing nearby for a while when they were wandering around the yard.
But he extinguished the thought in less than a second.
impossible.
Lin Fan? That good-for-nothing?
Last week, during the school's placement test, his strength was only 300 jin (150 catties), ranking third from the bottom in the entire school. How could he gain so much weight in just one week, from 300 jin to 1506 jin (750 catties)? That's an average daily gain of over 170 jin (85 kg)?
This kind of thing has never happened before, not only in Jiangcheng, but also in the entire Jiangnan Province, the entire East China region, and even the entire Huaxia Federation.
It absolutely couldn't be him.
So—among all the people here today, there's a ruthless person he hasn't discovered yet.
Sun Hao's gaze swept across the faces of everyone present.
Zhou Ming from Class 3? His weight last week was 980 jin (440 catties), and he has indeed shown signs of improvement recently, but it is unlikely that he would gain more than 500 jin (250 kg) in a week.
Zhao Qian from Class Two? He weighed 960 jin last week, so it's impossible for him to have gained weight so quickly.
Qian Lei from Class 5? That guy only weighs a little over 800 pounds, that's even less likely.
Could it be from another school?
Today, besides the students from Jiangcheng No. 1 Middle School, he was accompanied by two friends he met outside of school: Li Tong and Wang Yan, both top martial arts students from other high schools.
Sun Hao's gaze lingered on Li Tong and Wang Yan's faces for a moment longer.
Both of them appeared perfectly normal, revealing nothing amiss.
It was hidden quite well.
Sun Hao sneered inwardly and withdrew his gaze.
Holy crap!
Just then, one of the henchmen noticed the number in the upper right corner of the screen and exclaimed in surprise.
"1506? There was a score of 1506 on this machine before?"
This shout drew everyone's attention.
Seven or eight people gathered around the force measuring instrument, staring at the number on the screen with expressions of disbelief on their faces.
"It really is 1506, which is 8 pounds taller than Brother Sun's 1498."
"Who hit it? Who used this force gauge just now?"
Everyone looked at each other.
Then everyone's eyes turned to Zhao Xiaoyue.
This is Zhao Xiaoyue's force gauge; she's the one most likely to achieve this result.
"Xiaoyue, did you reach that number?" a girl asked with envy. "When did you break 1500? Didn't you just say you weren't even close to 1400? You were hiding it so well."
Zhao Xiaoyue shook her head blankly: "It wasn't me."
Her expression was genuine; it didn't seem like she was faking it.
"My current strength is 1350 jin, which is still a long way from 1500 jin. Besides, I haven't used this dynamometer for the past few days; it's been sitting in the yard."
Not Zhao Xiaoyue?
The expressions on everyone's faces became even stranger.
"Who is that?"
"When we were walking around the yard just now, did anyone come here alone?"
When the question was raised, everyone fell silent.
They tried hard to recall every detail of what had just happened in the yard.
It seems... there really was someone who stood near this force gauge before they arrived.
What was that person's name again?
Lin Fan.
The name popped into the minds of several people, but they quickly dismissed it themselves.
What a joke.
How could that loser, who's at the bottom of the class, possibly weigh 1506 pounds?
They must have misremembered.
"Maybe it's Uncle Zhao?" someone suggested a more reasonable guess. "Uncle Zhao is a level-one martial artist; 1500 jin is just a matter of throwing a punch at him."
"Yes, yes, it must be Uncle Zhao. He usually uses this dynamometer when he practices boxing at home, right?"
Zhao Xiaoyue thought for a moment and nodded: "My dad does use it occasionally."
This explanation was reasonable, and everyone was immediately relieved.
For a martial artist at the Earth level to strike 1506 jin, isn't that just child's play?
They might be hiding the truth from the hit.
"Oh, it's Uncle Zhao. It's alright then."
"You scared me! I thought we had a hidden master among us."
"Let's go, let's go."
The group laughed it off and moved on from the matter.
But Sun Hao didn't laugh.
He glanced at the number 1506 on the screen, then at Zhao Xiaoyue.
Zhao Xiaoyue's expression was calm, even somewhat absent-minded, her gaze occasionally drifting towards the villa.
What is she looking at?
Sun Hao followed her gaze and could only see the villa's floor-to-ceiling windows. Behind the windows was the living room, which was empty and deserted.
His brows furrowed even more.
……
After Lin Fan came out of the living room, he did not leave Zhao Xiaoyue's house immediately.
Zhao Xiaoyue said she wanted to continue the lesson for a while, and told him to go for a walk in the yard first, and they would talk after Sun Hao and the others left.
But he didn't want to stay in the yard.
Sun Hao and his group were chatting enthusiastically over the force measuring instrument; his going over there would only make the atmosphere more awkward.
So he went around in circles and returned to the villa through the side door.
In addition to the living room and dining room, the first floor of the villa also has a study.
He had just tutored Zhao Xiaoyue in the study, but he was focused on his textbook and notebook the whole time and didn't pay any attention to the room.
Now I finally have the time.
Lin Fan pushed open the door to the study and went inside.
The study was very large, even larger than their living room.
Three walls are lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, filled with books.
By the window was a mahogany desk with several open books and pens on it. Sunlight streamed in through the window, warming the desk slightly.
Lin Fan's gaze swept across the bookshelf.
Then he froze.
On the bookshelf closest to the door, dozens of books were neatly stacked. The spines of the books were not the literary classics or historical texts he had imagined, but rather names that made his heart race.
Thunder Fist.
"Mountain Shaking Fist".
Tongbei Quan (a style of Chinese martial arts).
"Splitting Mountain Fist"
They are all martial arts techniques.
Moreover, it's not the basic martial arts taught in schools; it's truly advanced martial arts.
Lin Fan pulled out a book called "Thunder Fist" from the bookshelf and opened it to the first page.
The very first line of text made his eyelid twitch.
"Thunderbolt Fist, a mid-grade Xuan-level martial art. When mastered, the fist strikes like thunder, its sound reverberating a hundred paces away. Its power contains the sound of thunder, capable of injuring the enemy's bones and muscles, as well as shocking their mind."
This fist technique requires the use of true qi to activate it; martial artists at the Body Refinement Realm should practice with caution.
Mid-grade Xuan level.
The Returning Mountain Fist taught at the school is at the Yellow Level (Superior Grade), which is already considered quite difficult in high school martial arts courses.
The martial arts manuals on this shelf are all at least of the low-grade Xuan level.
It requires the activation of true qi.
Lin Fan put "Thunder Fist" back on the bookshelf and then took out a few more books to flip through.
"Mountain Shaking Fist", a high-grade Xuan-level technique.
"Azure Dragon Claw", a high-grade Xuan-level item.
"Wind-Treading Leg", a mid-grade Xuan-level technique.
"Qi Guiding Technique", a high-grade Xuan-level auxiliary cultivation method, used to guide true qi during the transition from the peak of the Body Refinement Realm to the Qi Condensation Realm.
Every single one of them is a good book.
However, each of these books requires true qi to cultivate.
Lin Fan is now in the Body Refinement Realm. Although his internal energy and blood are many times more abundant than they were a week ago, internal energy and blood are two completely different concepts from true energy.
The Body Refinement Realm refines the physical body, while True Qi is something that can only be condensed in the Qi Condensation Realm.
It's like giving a primary school student who's still practicing basic skills a university-level advanced mathematics textbook; no matter how smart they are, they won't understand it.
Lin Fan didn't insist. He put the book back in its place and turned to walk towards the desk.
There were also a few books on the desk. Compared to the neatly arranged books on the bookshelf, these books were obviously frequently read. The edges of the pages were curled up, and there were fingerprints on the covers.
Lin Fan picked up the top book.
The words on the cover made his pupils shrink slightly.
Dragon Form Fist of the Twelve Forms of Yiquan.
He opened the cover, and there was a line of small print on the title page.
"Xingyi Quan imitates the forms of all things in heaven and earth and takes their meaning from them. The dragon form is derived from the idea of the divine dragon ascending to the sky and entering the sea, with endless transformations. This style of boxing ranks first among the twelve forms of Xingyi Quan. It is extremely difficult to master and cannot be entered by anyone without exceptional comprehension."
Below is a line of handwritten annotations, written in a vigorous and powerful style, which should have been left by Zhao Xiaoyue's father.
"Moon, this fist technique is difficult, but if you can master it, it will greatly benefit your Ice Phoenix Feather Martial Soul. The intent of the Dragon Form Fist is similar to the intent of the Ice Phoenix Martial Soul, both drawing on the form and intent of divine beasts. I hope you will practice diligently and not disappoint me."
Lin Fan turned the title page and began reading the main text.
The pages of the book are printed with pictures, each one depicting a dragon-shaped boxing stance.
Some patterns depict a human figure in a certain pose, with a coiled dragon outlined next to it using dotted lines;
Some designs depict a human figure soaring into the air, with a dragon outlined in dotted lines in a flying posture; others show a human figure bending down to strike, while the dragon appears to be entering the sea.
Each illustration is accompanied by dense text descriptions, ranging from the flow of Qi and blood to the methods of condensing the fist posture, from footwork techniques to breathing rhythm control, in great detail.
But it is also extremely complex.
Lin Fan only read one page before understanding why the book was placed on the desk instead of the bookshelf.
too difficult.
If Returning Mountain Fist is a compulsory course in high school mathematics, then this Dragon Form Fist is an Olympiad math problem.
Moreover, it was an Olympiad math problem at the national training team level.
The power of the Returning Mountain Fist is stacked in nine layers, while the first move of the Dragon Form Fist, "Azure Dragon Emerging from the Water," requires twelve layers of power.
The movements of the Returning Mountain Fist are designed to simulate the pressure of a mountain. The goal is to condense the energy and blood into the shape of a "mountain".
The fist techniques of Dragon Style Boxing are meant to simulate a living dragon.
The dragon's charm, its imposing presence, its awe-inspiring power, its agility.
How can these ethereal things be simulated using qi and blood?
The book does describe the method, but the descriptions are very mysterious—"Use the spine as the dragon's body, the limbs as the dragon's claws, and the qi and blood as the dragon's veins. Imagine the shape of the dragon and let the qi flow like the dragon's momentum."
Most people would probably throw the book away immediately upon seeing this description.
But Lin Fan didn't throw it away.
He stared at that page for a long time, then turned to the next page.
I looked at it for a long time before turning to the next page.
His brows furrowed, not because he couldn't understand, but because he did.
Those mysterious descriptions automatically transformed into specific pathways for the circulation of Qi and blood in his mind.
"Use the spine as the dragon's body" means to concentrate your qi and blood on the spine, which is like a dragon, and let the entire spine twist and exert force like the dragon's body.
"Use the limbs as dragon claws" - when punching, the qi and blood should extend from the spine to the extremities of the limbs, and each finger should be infused with qi and blood, just like a dragon claw tearing apart its prey.
"Using Qi and Blood as the Dragon Vein" - the circulation route of Qi and Blood in the body is no longer a simple straight line or arc, but rather a simulation of a dragon's trajectory within the body, winding, spiraling, rising, and diving.
Lin Fan turned the pages one by one, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.
He understood.
I understood every single word.
Those things that Zhao Xiaoyue had practiced for a long time but couldn't master were like pre-disassembled building blocks in his eyes, clearly laid out, and all that was needed was to put them back together piece by piece.
Of course, understanding it is one thing, but mastering it is not so easy.
The complexity of Dragon Form Fist far exceeds that of Returning Mountain Fist. It involves twelve layers of superimposed strength, the concentration of Dragon Form Fist posture, the coordination of Dragon Form steps, and the "Dragon Form Breathing Method" mentioned in the book... Each of these requires a lot of time to hone.
But at least, he has crossed the threshold.
As Lin Fan turned to the last page, the study door was pushed open.
"Lin Fan, so you're here."
Zhao Xiaoyue stood at the door, followed by the other girls.
"Let's go, my mom has prepared afternoon tea, let's go have some together."
Lin Fan closed the book and placed it on the table with the cover facing up.
"Xiaoyue, have you read this book?"
Zhao Xiaoyue glanced at the cover, and her expression immediately turned bitter.
"Don't even mention it. My dad bought it for me specially, saying that the essence of the Dragon Form Fist is similar to my Ice Phoenix Feather Martial Soul, and that mastering it would be a huge help to me."
"I practiced for two months, and I couldn't even stack six layers of the twelve-fold power in the first move. Later, my dad taught me personally, guiding me for a week, but I still couldn't learn it, so I finally gave up."
She sounded a little frustrated when she said this, but that was all.
After all, she had personally experienced the difficulty of Dragon Form Fist, and she knew all too well the feeling of not being able to master it no matter how hard she tried.
"What's wrong? Are you interested in this book?" Zhao Xiaoyue asked.
"Just flipping through it." Lin Fan put the book back in its place, stood up, and said, "Let's go have afternoon tea."
……
The afternoon tea consisted of snacks made by Zhao's mother: osmanthus cake, mung bean cake, and red bean pastry, which filled the table.
Sun Hao and his group sat in the courtyard for a while before coming in. They sat around in the living room, eating snacks and chatting.
Lin Fan sat in the corner, holding a cup of tea, his mind still replaying the Dragon Form Fist.
Those dragon-shaped patterns, the routes of qi and blood circulation, and the methods of condensing fist techniques were as if they were engraved in his mind, clear as day.
He could even close his eyes and mentally rehearse every detail of the first move, "Azure Dragon Emerging from the Water."
This feeling is amazing.
In the past, when he read martial arts books, his head would hurt after reading just one page, and he would feel sleepy after reading just two pages.
Now, when I look at martial arts like Dragon Form Fist, I not only don't get a headache, but the more I look, the more energetic and insightful I become.
It's like an old computer suddenly getting a top-of-the-line processor; files that couldn't be opened before now open instantly, and programs that couldn't run before now run smoothly.
At 4:30 pm, Lin Fan tutored Zhao Xiaoyue on humanities subjects for over an hour.
By 6 p.m., Zhao Xiaoyue had completed two practice tests, and her accuracy rate on the multiple-choice questions had stabilized at over 85%.
"At this rate, you should have no problem passing the cultural subjects section at Shanghai Martial Arts University," Lin Fan said, glancing at her answer sheet.
Zhao Xiaoyue's eyes sparkled: "Really?"
"Really. Your foundation isn't bad, it's just that your answering methods are wrong. Memorize these templates, and you can just apply them during the exam."
"Lin Fan, thank you." Zhao Xiaoyue looked at him earnestly. "I'll treat you to a meal after the college entrance exam."
Lin Fan smiled but didn't say anything.
At 8 p.m., Lin Fan left Zhao Xiaoyue's house.
Zhao Xiaoyue originally wanted her father's driver to take him, but Lin Fan refused.
He wanted to take a walk.
It takes about twenty minutes to walk from the Ziyuan Villa area to their residential complex. Lin Fan walked along the street under the streetlights, the cool autumn night breeze brushing against his face.
The content of Dragon Form Fist was still swirling in his mind.
The first move, "Azure Dragon Emerges from the Water," combines twelve layers of power, using the spine as the dragon's body and the limbs as its claws, embodying the form of a dragon and the flow of energy.
The second move, "Dragon Tail Swing," involves turning and generating power, with the spine sweeping like a dragon's tail, the force exploding from the tailbone all the way to the fist.
The third move, Flying Dragon in the Sky, involves leaping into the air and throwing a punch. All the body's energy and blood converge at a single point in the instant of the leap, then explode like a dragon soaring into the clouds...
There are twelve styles in total.
He went through the entire book in his mind from beginning to end, and every detail was crystal clear.
It was already 8:30 when I got back to the neighborhood.
Lin Fan didn't go upstairs, but instead turned directly into that old spot.
Several old locust trees swayed gently in the night breeze, their leaves rustling softly.
The property management staff hung a sign on the thickest locust tree: "Tree under maintenance, please do not approach."
Lin Fan walked around the sign and stood under the tree.
He closed his eyes and regulated his breathing.
The contents of Dragon Form Fist flashed through my mind page by page.
The first move: Azure Dragon Emerges from the Water.
The dragon's body is formed by its spine.
His spine was slightly arched, like a dragon poised to pounce.
Its four limbs are like dragon claws.
Qi and blood extend from the spine to the extremities. The ten fingers are slightly bent, and the fingertips are covered with a faint red color, which is a sign that the qi and blood have been infused to the extreme.
Qi and blood are the dragon veins.
The circulation route of Qi and blood in the body is no longer a simple straight line or arc, but a spiraling and rising dragon-shaped trajectory.
Lin Fan's eyes snapped open.
Pushing off the ground with his right foot, twisting his spine, and sending his right fist flying through the air.
The sound of that punch exploding in the air was completely different from before.
It wasn't the dull, resonant sound of the Returning Mountain Fist, but a sharp, whistling sound, like something tearing through the air.
Faintly, the howling sound seemed to carry a hint of... a dragon's roar.
Lin Fan did not stop.
He unleashed the twelve movements of the first form one after another.
The first time was bumpy and difficult.
The twelve layers of force stacked together broke when he reached the sixth layer, and the subsequent seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth layers all dissipated.
But it's okay if it's broken.
He kept hitting.
Second time.
The force was stacked on top of twelve layers, and it only broke when it reached the eighth layer.
Improved.
The third time, I hit the ninth level.
The fourth time, I hit the tenth level.
On the fifth time, he unleashed all twelve layers of combined force.
Although the twelfth layer of force was only barely stacked up and its power was far less than the previous eleven layers combined, at least—he managed to unleash it.
The first move of Dragon Form Fist: Green Dragon Emerging from the Water.
getting Started.
Lin Fan stood up, his fist clenched, sweat dripping down his chin.
The corners of his mouth slowly turned up.
Two rounds of beginner's introduction.
It's even faster than the Returning Mountain Fist.
He initially learned the Returning Mountain Fist by reading the book once and practicing for nearly an hour. However, he mastered the Dragon Form Fist, a martial art at an advanced level, after practicing it only twice.
His comprehension was stronger than he had imagined.
Lin Fan didn't stop and continued practicing.
again and again.
He meticulously refined each of the twelve forms of Dragon Form Fist: Azure Dragon Emerging from the Water, Divine Dragon Swinging its Tail, Flying Dragon Soaring in the Sky, Hidden Dragon Entering the Abyss.
Half an hour later.
With the first move, "Azure Dragon Emerges from Water," he could already smoothly unleash twelve layers of superimposed force, with each layer seamlessly connected.
The level of proficiency.
Lin Fan withdrew his fist, feeling the surging blood and qi within his body, his eyes shining with an alarming intensity.
However, he also knew that mastering the skill level was just the beginning.
The true power of Dragon Form Boxing lies not in the form itself, but in the breathing techniques that accompany it.
Dragon-shaped breathing method.
The book says that the Dragon Form Breathing Method is the core of Dragon Form Boxing. Without the coordination of the breathing method, Dragon Form Boxing is just an ordinary boxing style with slightly greater power.
Only by perfectly integrating breathing techniques with the boxing stance can one truly capture the essence of Dragon Style Boxing—the punches resound like a dragon's roar, the energy flows like a dragon's vein, and the power is as imposing as a dragon's might.
However, the difficulty of practicing the Dragon Breathing Technique is a level higher than that of the Dragon Fist itself.
Because breathing techniques involve not only the circulation of qi and blood, but also the exchange of internal energy with the external world.
That's a realm that only Qi Condensation Realm martial artists can access.
A martial artist at the Body Refinement Realm has a closed, internally circulating Qi and blood system that has no interaction with the outside world.
The Dragon Breathing Method requires practitioners to resonate their internal energy with the external energy of heaven and earth at the moment of throwing a punch.
This is almost like doing Qi Condensation Realm stuff in Body Refinement Realm.
But Lin Fan wanted to give it a try.
But not today.
I've already trained enough today. Although my body is full of energy and blood, it can't withstand this endless consumption.
Furthermore, the Dragon Breathing Method requires a quiet environment to practice, so it is not suitable to practice it in an open space in a residential area.
I'll study it again when I get home.
Lin Fan wiped the sweat from his face and turned to walk into the building.
As the night wind blew, the leaves of the old locust tree fell to the ground again.