Breaking through to the Second Stage

"With a single strike, you are defeated..."Yun Che's face was an open display of astonishment and excitement, emotions that he could not conceal.Had he won? And with a single strike, no less?Before the duel, due to the mysterious transformation of his left eye, Yun Che had been confident that, with his enhanced reflexes and perceptive abilities, he could withstand Yun Kun's attack, and with optimal performance, perhaps even endure up to ten moves.Yet the outcome had far exceeded his expectations.Yun Kun's sudden assault had been swift, leaving the onlookers struggling to follow his movements... but through the lens of his left eye, every motion, every trajectory, was rendered crystal clear.When the left eye reached its peak, Yun Che felt as though his opponent's actions were sluggish, almost clumsy.Even more astonishing, he was able to discern the flaws in Yun Kun's technique!Flaws!The flaws in a high-level martial art!Yun Che did not fully understand why he could so effortlessly see through the gaps in his opponent's moves, perhaps because Yun Kun's mastery of his advanced martial arts was not yet perfected.In the end, Yun Che instinctively launched his counterattack, as precise as when he had swatted a fly with his chopsticks, exploiting the fatal opening with a single, decisive strike.A gasp rippled through the crowd at the training grounds."Could it be that my eyes are deceiving me? The one who lost was Yun Kun!""Absolutely certain, the loser is Yun Kun."The Yun Clan disciples were left utterly dumbfounded, their expressions a mixture of bewilderment and disbelief...."How could this be... I actually lost to this guy!"Yun Kun stood there, his face a mask of confusion and disbelief.Indeed!He had lost in a state of utter disarray, unable to comprehend how or why.For a moment, the expressions on Yun Che and Yun Kun's faces stood in stark contrast."This must have been a fluke!"Some of the Yun Clan disciples, observing the stunned and dazed look on Yun Che's face, suddenly came to an understanding.Upon hearing this, many of them nodded in agreement."Exactly! This kid must have just gotten lucky, stumbled upon a chance win.""His luck is unbelievable..."The crowd relaxed, their doubts alleviated by this "reasonable" explanation for Yun Che's victory."Luck? Perhaps," Yun Che replied with a faint smile, before turning and walking away."Boy! Stop right there!"Yun Kun, clutching his abdomen, forced himself to stand, his face darkening as he growled, "Yun Che! You only won by luck, by pure chance! Let's have another match!""Another match?"Yun Che frowned slightly and gave Yun Kun a brief glance. "First, you're injured. Second, I don't have the time."With that, he turned and walked towards the corner of the training grounds, leaving behind a group of stunned and speechless Yun Clan disciples."You little brat! Wait until I've recovered, and perfected the 'Poisonous Snake Thirteen Transformations.' Then I'll settle the score with you."Yun Kun's face was filled with rage and frustration as he stormed off.Reflecting on the battle just past, Yun Kun concluded that his defeat had been due to three main reasons:First, he had underestimated his opponent.Second, he had only mastered the first three moves of the 'Poisonous Snake ThirteenTransformations,' and they were riddled with flaws.Third, Yun Che had been incredibly lucky, a fluke that allowed him to land a victory by chance.... ...On the opposite side of the training grounds, Yun Che began practise shadow boxing."The reason I was able to win earlier was because Yun Kun underestimated me. The intricacies of his advanced techniques, though profound, were not perfected, allowing me to spot the flaws..."Yun Che's mind was clear.Next time they fought, Yun Kun would certainly not underestimate him again. If he could fix the flaws in the first three forms of the 'Poisonous Snake Thirteen Transformations,' Yun Che would no longer have the upper hand.After all, there was a significant disparity in strength between the First and Second Stages of Martial Arts.The martial arts system consists of nine stages, with the first three known as the "Refining Strength Phase."The "Refining Strength Phase" is focused on building endurance, strengthening the vital energy, and solidifying the foundation of the body.Thus, the difference in strength between the First and Second Stages is immense, often by hundreds of pounds.Under normal circumstances, defeating a martial artist in the Second Stage while still in the First is an extraordinary feat, let alone winning in a single strike."The key is to improve my own strength!"Yun Che took a deep breath and resumed practicing the "Flame Iron Fist."First form... Second form... Third form...The movements of the Flame Iron Fist flowed seamlessly through Yun Che's body, more fluid and refined than ever before.With a sharp exhale, Yun Che completed the entire set of thirty-two forms in one go, and was astonished by how much faster and more powerful he had become.After finishing the series, he felt his vital energy coursing through his body, more vibrant and vigorous, almost as though he were ablaze.Thump, thump! Thump, thump!...At the same time, the rhythmic pulsing from his left eye grew more intense.Closing his eyes, Yun Che quickly connected with a pitch-black space within his consciousness.At the center of this space was a faint blue spiral light.Originally, the spiral light had been no more than a foot or so in length, faint and dim.Now, however, its length and luminosity seemed to have increased."Could it be that... the special ability of my left eye is connected to my own strength?"Yun Che mused quietly to himself.The mysterious transformation of his left eye had granted him an opportunity to change his fate, helping him secure an unexpected victory over Yun Kun. Now, as he practiced his fist techniques, everything felt more fluid and natural."Again!"Yun Che's gaze sharpened, and he resumed the practice of the Flame Iron Fist.Whoosh, thud, thud...His speed and movements grew faster and more fluid, as if his fists were mercury sliding across the ground, never ceasing.By the third round of practice, his speed had doubled, and the force of his strikes had more than doubled as well.With each breath, he felt his energy surge, and even the parts of his body that had previously been difficult to refine began to strengthen and refine."At this rate, I should break through to the Second Stage of Martial Arts in the next few days."Yun Che could clearly feel his progress.He continued training until evening, wiping the sweat from his brow before heading back to his quarters.Once home, he couldn't stop pondering the strange transformation of his left eye."Bestow upon me the ultimate divine power of my bloodline's eye, to rule through the ages, to command eternity—fortunate youth, do not disappoint me..."He recalled the voice that had echoed within the dark space during his unconscious state.Yun Che now speculated that this eye likely came from an ancient, god-like being, and through a twist of fate, had merged with his own left eye...Even at night, when he opened his eyes, he could clearly see the objects outside.The darkness of the night barely affected his vision. His eyes could even make out birds flying several miles away in the sky...As he lay in bed that night, Yun Che felt the constant throbbing of his left eye, emitting a gentle warmth that flowed through his veins and deep into his body.In this strange sensation, he gradually fell asleep.The next morning,Yun Che woke early, stretching his limbs before practicing his拳 in the narrow courtyard."This little courtyard is so dilapidated, the environment is so poor. Once I become stronger, I must move my parents into a spacious and grand residence."Yun Che silently vowed.Soon, he began performing the thirty-two forms of the Flame Iron Fist once more.Whoosh, thud, thud...Each punch was accompanied by a whistling sound, vibrating powerfully, the force incredible.After throwing just a few punches, Yun Che felt something was off.His vital energy surged with each breath, strong and unyielding, and with each punch, there was at least four to five hundred pounds of force."Huh!"Yun Che was somewhat startled, his fists glowing with the intensity of burning fire as they whistled through the air.Boom! Crack—One punch struck a large tree in front of him, snapping a branch the thickness of a fist into several pieces."This is not right! This is no longer the strength of the First Stage of Martial Arts... Could it be..."Yun Che's heart skipped a beat.To verify his suspicions, he took a deep breath, concentrated all his strength, and stamped forcefully on the ground.Boom!With a tremendous rumble, the ground trembled, and the soil around his foot shattered, leaving a deep indentation.His face lit up in joy as he then struck a large stone, weighing several dozen pounds, with a palm strike, causing it to shatter into pieces.Such strength was far beyond the capabilities of the First Stage of Martial Arts."The Second Stage... I've broken through to the Second Stage of Martial Arts!"Yun Che's heart raced with exhilaration. He closed his eyes, feeling the stronger vital energy flowing within him.He had thought that breaking through to the Second Stage would take him at least a day or two,but to his surprise, after just one night of rest, the breakthrough occurred naturally.Connecting with his left eye again, Yun Che noticed that the faint blue spiral in the dark space had extended from a foot and a half to two feet in length.He vaguely sensed that his vitality was even stronger than before, along with other subtle, inexplicable changes...