TL : Anna Yildiz & Adrian Katastofi
PR : Adrian Katastofi & kai_gear
As Zhang Ping stepped back into the blacksmith shop, he couldn’t help but pause and reflect on the state of his finances.
The martial arts dojos were too expensive. Even small martial arts dojos charged between 300-500 pearl coins, he would have to live as a beggar for several months just to ensure a spot in the most basic program.
“I’m curious if Liu Sishan might be willing to provide me with some funding,” he thought.
As Zhang Ping drifted off to sleep, a sudden thought struck him: ‘Liu Si’s organization must be incredibly wealthy, right?
In the following week, Zhang ping had an ordinary routine.
In the morning, he stayed in the shop to learn weaponsmithing; at night, he roamed the streets to analyze dojos while informing Liu Sishan about the celestial foxes.
The celestial foxes remained elusive, evading the purge squad’s immediate attention. Instead, they were tidied up sporadically, leaving Zhang Ping puzzled. It took several days for him to notice that a few of these celestial foxes had vanished.
It was evident the purge squad took measures.
Zhang Ping knew the purge squad didn’t trust him. Liu Sishan hadn’t said which group he was from, but Zhang Ping had figured it out anyway. As his analysis skill leveled up to advanced, he knew who they really were.
Contract Gems can enhance potential, and there are three types of potential consumption methods.
The first is to release potential slowly through training.
With rigorous training he could achieve an otherworldly physique that could rival the high level awakener’s physique. Though it seems far-fetched, it’s not impossible for him to achieve.
The second way is the probability of awakening a new talent or skill.
In some perverted play of fate, Zhang Ping is truly fortunate to have already awakened three skills.
The third approach is to level up existing skills.
Zhang Ping most frequently utilizes the skill of analysis, which has been progressively upgraded from ‘Analysis (Basic)’ to ‘Analysis (Intermediate)’ and most recently, two days ago, to ‘Analysis (Advanced)’.
Analysis (Advance) can determine the target’s faction allegiance. If the target is unaffiliated, no faction will be displayed.
Due to the advancement of his analysis skill , Zhang Ping was able to know the affiliation of Liu Sishan. She had an affliction with the purge squad.
Afterwards, he finally plucked up the courage to ask Liu Sishan for the funds needed to enroll in a dojo.
The next day, Liu Sishan gave him 10,000 pearl coins to enroll in a dojo.
With the funds in hand, Zhang Ping plans to visit various martial arts dojos to comprehend the scenario.Once he’s gathered enough intel, he’ll assess which dojo is the most trustworthy. With the aim in mind to recruit skilled warriors.
At Midnight.
Zhang Ping visited the Beast King Fist Dojo again.
Actually, the Beast King Fist Dojo was not the best choice, but… it was close enough to the blacksmith shop.
After buying the initial three forms of the Beast King Fist course, Zhang Ping gained access to the inner sanctum of the martial arts dojo. The dojo consists of five floors, with two above-ground training halls and three subterranean levels.
Guided by a receptionist, Zhang Ping arrived at the room.
Zhang Ping initially felt like an outsider among the many apprentices in the room, who were mostly in their 25-30s. However, the arrival of another young man around his age slightly alleviated his unease.
“Hello.”
The boy came up to Zhang Ping and spoke.
Zhang Ping nodded and said, “Hello.”
“Are you here to learn Beast King Fist too?” Wang Jiemin asked.
Zhang Ping narrowed his eyes and replied with a smirk , “What else would I be here for? Pottery?”
“Ah, sorry, that was a stupid question. I’m Wang Jiemin.” The boy realized he had asked a dumb question and scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
Zhang Ping introduced himself, “I am Zhang Ping.”
Enough of this dry talk, the instructor is here.
The instructor, a middle-aged man likely in his 40s or 50s, boasts a robust physique, typical of a strength-type Awakener. His entire body was densely packed with muscle, showcasing his impressive physical conditioning.
His face was covered in a white beard, he had wolf-like eyes and sharp canines visible while he spoke.
As the instructor introduced himself, Zhang Ping activated his Analysis Skill, promptly analyzing the information.
[Analysis successful]
[Name: Bai De]
[Race: Human]
[Affiliation: Beast King Fist Dojo]
[Potential: ⭐]
[Lifespan: 159]
[Rank: High-Level Awakener]
[Level: 25]
[Abilities] : [Mimic’s Hunger : By consuming a creature, Bai De can temporarily assume its physical form.The number of forms he can store depends on his level.]
[Current Forms] :
[Running Wolf : Unleashes latent power, gradually turning into a wolf-human hybrid, significantly increasing movement speed.]
[Raging Lion Warrior : Activates latent power, transforming into a powerful lion-human hybrid, strengthening the whole body.]
…
Impressive.
Judging by his abilities alone, he can go head-to-head with Liu Sishan.
“Who is stronger between the two?”
Solely relying on the description alone doesn’t paint the full extent of the strength between the two. Only a battle between Liu Sishan and Bai de would give the idea of how powerful the Running Wolf or Raging Lion Warrior form is .
Following his brief introduction, Bai De quickly got down to business without any further ado
“The first three forms of the Beast King Fist are the Ape King, Giant Crocodile, and Phoenix Talon style. Similar to Bright Fist, each form corresponds to a specific animal. The Ape King style is characterized by its diverse and unpredictable movements. The Giant Crocodile style focuses on developing finger strength and, when mastered, can allow one to tear through tigers and leopards with bare hands. The Phoenix Talon style also places a high emphasis on finger strength. I recommend starting with the Giant Crocodile style and leaving the Phoenix Claw style for last.“
“Okay, let’s get started on the hands-on part. Watch me and do what I do.“
Following his talk, Bai De commenced teaching the Ape King style.
Contrary to its name, the ‘Ape King Style’ doesn’t involve emulating a monkey’s actions. It’s actually a lightning-fast boxing method. The term ‘Ape King Style’ stems from the phrase ‘a mind is like a monkey,’ symbolizing a mind that’s hard to tame.
While Zhang Ping was learning the techniques, he felt that the footwork was the essence of the technique.
On the first day of class, everyone started with slow and deliberate exercises, prioritizing caution over making mistakes.
Instructor Bai De begins by performing the first form, which is then imitated by the students. Next, he conducts individual assessments, offering tailored corrections to each student’s technique.
When he reached Zhang Ping, he took a moment to assess him, then gave a nod of satisfaction, saying, “Good work, continue”.
Upon reaching Wang Jiemin’s side, he promptly furrowed his brow in disapproval. He began to repeatedly adjust Wang Jiemin’s movements, only to have Wang Jiemin swiftly lapse back into his previous habits each time.
“Watch your feet.”
“Wrong! You’re focusing force on your toes, not heels. Pay attention.”
“Is your pelvis misaligned? Your upper half shouldn’t move independently from the bottom half.”
…..
Bai De lectured for over ten minutes, ultimately becoming exhausted.
Realizing Wang Jiemin lacked natural talent, Bai De approached Zhang Ping.
“Spar with him to test yourselves.”
Sometimes, practice is the best teacher.
Some people are naturally talented. They might struggle to grasp concepts through traditional learning, even after years of study. But when they actually put their skills to the test, they can improve rapidly.
It’s a wonder that Wang Jiemin is this kind of genius; otherwise, trying to teach Wang Jiemin the first three moves of the Beast King Fist would be an absolute torture.
The rest of the students moved aside a bit, leaving Zhang Ping and Wang Jiemin facing each other.
“Don’t use any other abilities. You can only use the ‘Ape King Style’. Begin!” said Bai De.
With lightning speed, Zhang Ping made a swift feint to the left before swiftly changing direction and charging towards Wang Jiemin from the right. Wang Jiemin reacted instinctively, throwing a punch, but Zhang Ping agilely dodged and wrapped himself around Wang’s arm, much like a monkey scaling a tree. From this position, Zhang Ping landed a punch to Wang Jiemin’s face, yet restrained himself from using his full strength.
“……”
Bai De watched the two competitors, finally sighed. Zhang Ping was completely outclassing Wang Jiemin, it was like watching an adult toying with a baby. The outcome was never in doubt.
Practical combat is not exactly Wang Jiemin’s strong suit.
Surrounding awakened individuals whispered, acknowledging Zhang Ping’s effortless victory.
While Wang Jiemin and Zhang Ping were similar in age, their skill levels were worlds apart.
At least, regarding Ape King Style, Zhang Ping got the hang of it, whereas Wang Jiemin merely scratched the surface.
“Enough, let’s stop.” Bai De sighed and said
Zhang Ping clasped his fists and said, “I concede.”
“……”
Wang Jiemin forced a smile, aware that Zhang Ping had held back. He felt the impact of every punch, and if Zhang Ping had used his full strength, Wang Jiemin would be bleeding by now.
“Face it, Wang Jiemin, boxing isn’t your forte,” Bai De said, stepping in. “I’ll refund your fees.”(sigh)
Wang Jiemin pleaded, ‘Instructor Bai, please give me a chance! I’ll prove I can do it!
“……”
Frustrated, Bai De hesitated, reluctant to mentor Wang Jiemin.
There’s a limit to how many students you can coach effectively. It’s a trade-off between guiding gifted students and spending valuable time on those who struggle to keep up. Teaching average students demands a lot of patience, taking away from the time you could spend developing more talented students.
“Please give a second chance, Instructor Bai” , Wang Jiemin pleaded, with teary eyes.
Bai De said with a sigh, “Three days, and if you haven’t grasped Ape King Style, I’ll return seventy percent of your fees.”
“Alright, thanks Instructor Bai,” Wang Jiemin responded promptly.
Zhang Ping was curious. Wang Jiemin clearly lacked natural talent for boxing, so why was he so determined to learn it? Moreover, his physique didn’t indicate a potential for developing an exceptional physical strength build .
Dead set to know, Zhang Ping used Analysis skill.
[Analysis successful]
[Name: Wang Jiemin]
[Race: Human]
[Affiliation: Beast King Fist Dojo]
[Potential: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐]
[Lifespan: 92]
[Rank: Low-Level Awakener]
[Level: 3]
[Abilities] : [Diligent will : Decreases learning ability by 90% but any skill can be improved through consistent practice. Each day of practice increases growth speed by 10%. Up to a maximum of 1000%.]
Ah, that explains it.
Zhang Ping finally understood the reason behind the insistence of Wang Jiemin.
Wang Jiemin is undoubtedly a late bloomer, but once he overcame his initial struggles and found his footing, his progress will be exponential .
Boasting seven stars of potential, Wang Jiemin would undoubtedly reach high-level awakener rank, possibly ascending to peak awakener rank.
Undeniably talented.
Wang Jiemin outshines most of the awakeners in Pearl city.
Don’t be deceived by the sheer number of awakeners in Pearl City – most are only mid-tier. High and top-level awakeners are extremely scarce. Furthermore, despite their abilities, awakeners are still human and susceptible to decline due to illness, underlying injuries, and the natural aging process.
Take Liu Tiefeng as an example. Despite being a mid-level awakener, he can no longer defeat low-level awakened ones like himself.
Even ordinary people can injure him if they catch him off guard.
Time spares no one; this is the reality.
