Chapter 129: Martial Arts! The Naturally Gifted Competitor! [Please Subscribe]

Jingmen Safe Zone.
Within the city.
Two figures darted swiftly between towering buildings.
Their speed was astonishing—so rapid that ordinary explorers could scarcely trace their movements.

“Empty your mind and body. Beyond mastering your skills, you must remember every takeoff and landing point, and control the strength precisely.”
“At all times, stay acutely aware of your surroundings. Use your body to sense your own power, then channel it steadily.”
“Before landing, quickly thrust your leg, controlling both force and speed. Concentrate the power on your toes. For a brief moment, compress the air around you into a white mist, generating thrust. As long as your body can withstand this, you can achieve a stable mid-air halt.”

Zhan Yu moved swiftly alongside Yi Shen, explaining as they went.
Previously, Yi Shen had relied heavily on Light Feather Technique and Blink for body control.
Zhan Yu’s approach, however, was pure physical technique.

Though Yi Shen’s speed was now comparable to Zhan Yu’s, he found Zhan Yu’s method fascinating and listened intently to every word.

“Our recognized system of physical techniques includes twenty-six moves. Mid-air halting is just the simplest step. Some deeply skilled explorers can even surpass multiple times the speed of sound in a short burst, delivering devastating blows.”
“It’s an extension of physical aptitude, but our raw physicality is somewhat constrained by the data system. Otherwise, given our attributes, we’d easily damage buildings or bystanders.”
“Physical technique transcends these limits, unleashing power beyond the data panels. Key to this is either extreme strength or extreme speed.”

Zhan Yu began recounting the origins of physical techniques to Yi Shen.
At the onset of the mutation, it became evident that explorers who trained rigorously or inherited ancient martial arts had significant advantages in their physical stats.

Yi Shen initially assumed that once his attributes reached a sufficient level, mastering physical technique would be straightforward.
But hearing Zhan Yu’s explanation, he realized there was much more nuance involved.

Regarding the definition of physical technique, it has more than thirty years of history since discovery.
At first, explorers across regions noticed that mastery over one’s body better adapted them to the alien environment and combat scenarios.
Later, the concept extended to the idea of “domains,” breaking conventional limits.
On a smaller scale, throwing a punch that breaks the sound barrier is already a form of physical technique.

Thus, early techniques varied widely.
Within China and neighboring minor states, each had its own secret methods.
Eventually, a group of top Chinese explorers established the Central Coordination Bureau, tasked in part with standardizing and categorizing physical techniques.

The system expanded from the foundational nine forms to eighteen, and eventually stabilized at twenty-six.
Though research became more systematic, it was never widely popularized.
People gradually understood that forcing physical technique without sufficient attributes inflicted irreversible damage upon the body’s foundation, effects unseen on system panels but deeply harmful.

The consensus is that true physical technique training begins only after reaching level fifty, when attributes start to overflow.

The twenty-six techniques are divided into three stages:
The basic ten focus on fundamental principles such as stepping through the void, short bursts of force, and side kicks.
The intermediate nine involve combinations—spinning kicks while stepping through the void, or using the environment to cause large-scale damage at a distance.
The advanced seven approach the realm of domain-level rules, some requiring specialized equipment or weapons.

For example, Zhan Yu’s “Sword Qi” when using his blade is one of the advanced seven, effectively reaching domain standards.
Similarly, certain magic users can manipulate objects or perform actions through sheer will without active skills, classified under the “mind” category of advanced techniques.

These diverse paths mean each explorer’s journey through physical techniques is unique, with further refinement especially in the highest tier.

“You should start with the basic ten. Given your current strength, they shouldn’t be too difficult. Physical technique isn’t as hard as you think—it’s essentially battle experience distilled. The only tricky parts are some of the advanced seven’s ‘mind’ and ‘will’ techniques, which are rather esoteric; even I can’t fully explain them.”

Zhan Yu drew his sword, tracing a blade of light through the air, prompting Yi Shen to ponder.
If he used Moonlight Energy, he might replicate this. From an energy control perspective, low-level physical technique is body mastery, while high-level involves energy manipulation.

Yet, since Zhan Yu advised starting with the basics, Yi Shen resolved to follow his lead and build a solid foundation.

Time passed like a fleeting horse, and three days slipped by since the light screen dissipated.
Though busy, Zhan Yu made time daily to instruct Yi Shen and assess his progress.

In a specially designed martial arts hall within Jingmen Safe Zone,
Yi Shen faced a specialized ability detector. In an instant, he threw a punch followed by a precise side kick.

The wall-mounted device instantly registered 5,921 standard energy units for the punch, and over 8,000 for the kick.
This standard measures impact energy equivalent to one kilogram force combined with other integrated data. A top-level explorer at level sixty typically scores around 3,000.

“That number is terrifying,” Zhan Yu remarked beside him. He knew Yi Shen had no buffs, and his own highest was just over 6,000. Yet, in only three days, Yi Shen had surged from just over 1,000 to beyond 8,000.

The special wall material has self-restoring properties; even after impact, it slowly returns to its original state.

More astonishingly, Yi Shen had mastered all ten basic techniques in just three days.
While learning physical technique correlates with attributes, this speed was extraordinary.

“Your attributes must be over fifty thousand now, right? Your level—never mind, can’t compare with you.”

Zhan Yu had asked Yi Shen’s true level before, but Yi Shen only smiled and changed the subject. His actual level was just 46, below the recommended minimum for physical technique training.
In truth, Yi Shen’s attributes had surged past 100,000, reaching 200,000 in Saint Ascension state.
His strength belonged to a system beyond levels, constantly enhanced by his magic specialization.

“This is insane,” Zhan Yu commented, aware that Yi Shen was a bona fide magic user besides physical technique.
This meant Yi Shen’s ranged attack power was off the charts, and now his close combat was formidable as well!

“Still, I need to practice my fighting skills more.”

Yi Shen ran several more tests, unsatisfied. He was at a stage where sheer strength could overwhelm spells, but his real combat technique was lacking.

“We’ll train more when we can,” Yi Shen said. “Let’s get our strength up to 1,000 standard energy units.”

From recent tests, Yi Shen’s foundational ability had already surpassed Zhan Yu’s.
However, in actual combat relying solely on fighting technique, Yi Shen remained somewhat weaker, losing more often than winning so far.

“Alright, more practice then.”

Zhan Yu agreed and accompanied Yi Shen onto the sparring platform.
Though their strengths were suppressed, it was perfect for honing technique.

Zhan Yu was an excellent sparring partner.
He pointed out flaws in Yi Shen’s combat style, helping him improve rapidly.

Another three days passed.
Yi Shen progressed from barely landing a few moves to exchanging blows with Zhan Yu evenly. With both suppressing their attributes, the battles became exercises in skill and finesse.

“I honestly don’t know what kind of prodigy you are,” Zhan Yu said again.
He had taught many students before, often frustrated by their inability to grasp concepts quickly.
But Yi Shen learned from a single demonstration with astonishing speed.

Eventually, Zhan Yu even trained wielding his sword against Yi Shen, only then able to firmly control the fight.

When Yi Shen asked, “Can you teach me swordsmanship?” Zhan Yu’s heart skipped a beat.
This guy would surely master his entire sword style in just three or four days, wouldn’t he?

(End of chapter)