Chapter 25: Stance Training, Special Training!

Only by facing him directly did Chu Xun truly feel the terrifying power of Chu Kuangren!

At this moment, Chu Kuangren was like a dump truck moving at full speed, exuding a heavy, unstoppable momentum. Every step he took caused the ground to tremble violently, and deep footprints were left behind, as if the once hard surface had turned into soft mud under his feet.

In less than the blink of an eye, Chu Kuangren's fist was already in front of Chu Xun. The powerful gust of wind from the punch made it difficult for Chu Xun to breathe properly.

"Too fast!" Chu Kuangren's attack was so swift that Chu Xun barely had time to cross his arms to defend before being struck by the blow.

The next moment, Chu Xun felt an overwhelming force surging toward him. His arms throbbed in pain, and before he knew it, his body was flying uncontrollably through the air, crashing hard into the wall.

Boom!

A loud sound echoed as the concrete wall was dented by Chu Xun's body. Numerous fragments of stone and concrete shot out in all directions, filling the air with dust.

Amidst the dust, Chu Xun's body slid down from the dent in the wall, landing heavily on the ground.

Cough cough...

The violent impact left Chu Xun feeling as though his arms had lost all sensation; he could barely lift them. A bitter, metallic taste rose in his throat, and after a few intense coughs, he was shocked to find that he had coughed up blood.

He had been injured internally by a single punch from Chu Kuangren!

"Teacher, you must have cheated..." Chu Xun sat on the ground, still in disbelief from the immense force he had just faced.

"Nonsense, do you think I need to cheat to deal with you?" Chu Kuangren scolded him, somewhat exasperated. "The strength I used just now is almost the same as yours. I only fully unleashed it!"

"Can I also unleash such terrifying strength?" Recalling the unstoppable power and momentum Chu Kuangren had displayed, Chu Xun's eyes lit up.

"I can't guarantee that. As the saying goes, the master leads you to the door, but the practice is up to you. I can only show you the way, but whether you can do it depends entirely on you!" Chu Kuangren shook his head, then pulled Chu Xun up from the ground. "Now, think carefully. What's the difference between my attack and yours?"

"Difference?" Chu Xun paused for a moment, then looked down at the deep footprints on the ground, starting to recall every movement Chu Kuangren made when he punched.

Perhaps because of the fusion with alien genes, his body had been fully enhanced. Chu Xun's memory and observation were now much sharper than before. Soon, the image of Chu Kuangren's earlier movements—his stance, his body shift, and his punch—appeared clearly in his mind.

"Your posture was straighter, your steps steadier, and it seemed like you used the power from your waist and hips when you threw the punch. So, your movements were more coordinated and rhythmic..." After thinking for a long while, Chu Xun hesitated before speaking.

"Haha, good observation!" Chu Kuangren smiled with satisfaction and gave Chu Xun a slap on the back. "Actually, the basics of martial arts can be boiled down to just four words: 'stand,' 'move,' 'gather,' and 'strike.' Once you understand these four concepts, you'll have made progress in your combat techniques."

"Stand, move, gather, strike?" Chu Xun furrowed his brow as he processed the words, almost as if he had realized something.

"Standing refers to stance training, moving refers to stepping, gathering refers to accumulating force, and striking refers to attacking the enemy." Chu Kuangren glanced at him and said, "You don't have any foundation yet, so we'll start with stance."

"Like this?" Hearing this, Chu Xun immediately assumed a horse stance like he'd seen on TV and asked.

"Bullshit!" However, in the next moment, Chu Kuangren slapped him across the back, knocking him to the ground, and scolded, "Where did you learn that crap?"

"Uh, wasn't it like this?" Chu Xun was momentarily stunned by Chu Kuangren's angry reaction.

"Of course not!" Chu Kuangren gave him a disdainful look, then straightened up. He placed one leg forward and the other back, slightly squatted down, raised his arms slightly, elbows dropped, forming a ninety-degree angle in a combat-ready position. "Look closely, this is stance training!"

"This doesn't look like what I saw on TV..." Chu Xun muttered to himself, then mimicked Chu Kuangren's posture.

"This is the 'San Ti Shi' from ancient martial arts, the foundation of all combat techniques. That's why it's said that all techniques stem from the Three-Body Stance." Chu Kuangren waited for Chu Xun to settle into position before walking over to correct any errors. "Don't underestimate stance training. This method has been passed down for thousands of years, from before the Great Cataclysm, and is still in use today. This posture is the most perfect combat stance. In it, your center of gravity will be stable, and both offense and defense will be quicker."

"But it feels so awkward..." Standing stiffly like a statue, Chu Xun looked confused and asked, "Teacher, isn't combat about adapting to the situation? If I always have to stand like this, won't it be too rigid?"

"You're just a beginner, so of course, you'll find it uncomfortable. But once you master the stance, and it becomes second nature, you won't have to worry about rigid movements anymore. In that state, your entire body will be like the stance, and you'll instinctively know how to control your center of gravity and how to strike." Chu Kuangren nodded as he observed Chu Xun holding the standard position. "And there's another important reason for stance training: it keeps your muscles in a constant state of tension, providing continuous stretching stimuli. Once you master this tension and can activate it at will, you'll significantly enhance your muscles' elasticity and explosive power."

At this point, Chu Kuangren's expression became serious. "This method of force application was known as 'Dark Force' before the Great Cataclysm."

"Dark Force? So there's more to it than I thought..." Hearing this, Chu Xun nodded, then stopped complaining. He straightened up and began to practice the stance.

He was eager to grow stronger. Since this stance would help him improve, he would follow through and practice.

"Your physical fitness is great, so you'll be able to endure longer than most, and the training effects will be better." Seeing that Chu Xun was no longer making excuses, Chu Kuangren nodded. "Alright, now focus on this stance training. As for time... let's aim for twelve hours."

"Twelve hours?" Chu Xun's face turned pale when he heard the duration.

Although he didn't feel much discomfort yet, if he had to maintain this awkward posture for twelve hours, he was sure he would be completely paralyzed by the end...

"Enough talk, just hold the stance. I'll stay here with you to make sure you don't slack off!" Chu Kuangren's personality may have been troublesome, but as a teacher, he was very responsible. He took his own stance and stood next to Chu Xun, ensuring he didn't cheat.

"Damn, only by enduring the hardest hardships can one rise above. As long as I don't die, what's a little hardship?" With no other choice, Chu Xun sighed deeply and began holding the stance.

Soon, the room fell silent, with just the two of them, standing like statues in the same posture.

...

Seven Days Later, at Chu Jie's Estate.

"Damn it, why hasn't Ghost Blade responded yet?" Chu Jie paced back and forth in the courtyard, his expression grim.

He had thought that Ghost Blade would have no problem killing Chu Xun, but seven days had passed, and there was still no news. This made him increasingly suspicious.

If it weren't for the fact that he knew Ghost Blade still needed to buy gene-enhancing potions from Chu Han, he would have suspected that Ghost Blade had run off with the money.

Now, he couldn't help but think the worst...

He hoped his fears were unfounded!

"Young master, we've found something!" At this moment, a servant hurried into the courtyard, looking flustered. "Someone saw Chu Xun enter the Combat Skills Hall several days ago, and he hasn't come out since. It seems like he's undergoing special training!"

"Combat Skills Hall?" Chu Jie's pupils contracted sharply when he heard this.

If Chu Xun had entered the Combat Skills Hall, it could only mean one thing: Chu Xun had successfully awakened and become a superhuman!

This meant that his worst fear had probably become a reality!

"Even a salted fish wants to turn over? Dream on!" Chu Jie took a deep breath, clenching his fists.

Indeed, Chu Xun had no background, no resources, and no support. Entering the Combat Skills Hall for special training was his only way to improve quickly. It seemed that this guy was trying to make a name for himself in the student evaluation.

But was it really that easy to rise to the top?

"Jie Er, let's go!" A cold glint flashed in Chu Jie's eyes.

Now, he didn't have time to worry about whether Ghost Blade had escaped or died. He had