Chapter Eighteen: The Crane’s Figure

In the principal’s office, the principal poured a cup of tea and handed it to Old Wei, speaking with deep emotion: “You’ve finally found a worthy successor. All these years, you refused to meet with me. But I knew you wouldn’t give up so easily.”

Old Wei swallowed the full cup of tea in one gulp, smacked his lips, and replied, “Ha, you’ve always understood me best. I’ve observed Amory for several years. The boy’s character is outstanding—reminds me of myself in my younger days! Wahaha!”

The principal smiled gently. “That must make him a proud and ambitious young man.”

“Ambitious, certainly. Proud, not excessively so. He’s still very straightforward. The one with a truly unruly spirit is the other lad. If he weren’t so unsuited to specialize in blade techniques, I’d be reluctant to steer him down the path of a close-combat specialist,” Old Wei said, his face tinged with regret.

The principal was surprised. “To hear you praise someone so highly is rare indeed. Now I’m quite curious about him. Anyone who takes on the path of a close-combat specialist is no ordinary person.”

“Ha, he’s an interesting child,” Old Wei chuckled.

The principal laughed aloud. “Come now, you wouldn’t visit me for nothing. What can I help you with?”

Old Wei showed no embarrassment. “It’s nothing much, really. Amory has no trouble learning the Earth Mad Blade, but he lacks a proper place for practical training. I’d like to borrow your Celestial Crystal’s Trial Star Gate. As for Tang Tian, he’s already seventeen and only recently completed his basic martial arts training. If we delay any longer, he’ll be left behind.”

“Seventeen?” The principal’s smile faded as he fixed his gaze on Old Wei. “He only just finished basic martial arts training?”

“That’s right!” Old Wei replied with a smile. “But don’t underestimate him—”

The principal raised his hand, cutting Old Wei off. “I’m not underestimating him, but I don’t believe there’s any value in cultivating someone who only finished basic martial training at seventeen. Pick someone else.”

Old Wei’s smile disappeared, and he frowned. “So you’re refusing?”

“Amory is fine, but I see no point in cultivating Tang Tian,” the principal said firmly. “Now that I think about it, Tang Tian is that notorious repeat student. And you brought him here?”

Old Wei’s tone turned cold. “Are you questioning my judgment?”

“You’re too soft-hearted, always moved by inexplicable emotions,” the principal replied with icy calm. “You always believe in miracles. But those without talent are destined for mediocrity, especially when they don’t even have time on their side. I’m glad you came to see me, but bringing someone without a future like him is something I can’t accept. You’re wasting time—yours and mine.”

Old Wei sneered. “You’re just as cold as ever.”

“That’s why Celestial Crystal is the top academy in Starwind, and your Sakima Academy is third from the bottom,” the principal retorted, unyielding.

Old Wei couldn’t be bothered to argue further. “Then we’ll meet at the Starwind Martial Meet,” he said coolly, turning to leave.

When Tang Tian and Amory saw the stormy look on Old Wei’s face, they wisely kept silent.

Back at Sakima Academy, the two whispered secretly among themselves.

Tang Tian quickly put the matter out of his mind, immersing himself in training his Flash Fist every day. While his efficiency wasn’t as dramatic as it had been during his intense training behind the Light Gate, he still managed about four thousand Flash Fist strikes daily.

He applied his habit of rigorous practice even under normal circumstances, exhausting himself until his muscles gave out, then using the Crane Qi Technique to restore his body. His progress with the Crane Qi Technique was astonishingly swift, and it proved invaluable for completing his daily four thousand strikes.

Unknowingly, Tang Tian’s total Flash Fist count had reached 160,000.

It was time for the third round of rigorous training.

Tang Tian buried himself in his practice, his fists flickering in and out of the air, swift beyond measure and unpredictable as shadows.

It was as though an invisible thread connected his punches to the true energy within the pool of his third-stage dantian. Each time he struck, a fine thread of true energy flowed from that pool into his meridians.

So fine was this true energy—thinner than a hair—that Tang Tian didn’t notice it at all. But with every punch, these threads were gradually infusing every corner of his body.

They may have been minuscule, but in number they were vast. Since he began practicing the Crane Qi Technique, he’d thrown around 150,000 punches—150,000 tiny streams of true energy. These gathered into a surging tide, slowly advancing through his body.

They passed through countless obscure, delicate meridians—ones that most people would never use in their entire lives—each one awakened and revitalized by the true energy.

Within the human body, the twelve main meridians serve as the primary channels, wide and accommodating for the flow of true energy. Then there are the eight extraordinary meridians, independent in their pathways and the foundation for many martial skills. Beyond these, however, are a vast network of tiny, web-like meridians, generally disregarded by most martial artists as worthless.

They are simply too fine, too fragile, scarcely able to withstand even a trickle of true energy.

Unbeknownst to Tang Tian, his punching was triggering changes in his true energy.

He continued tirelessly. He was not far from the 200,000 mark for Flash Fist—at which point he would perform the technique perfectly. In fact, of every ten punches he threw now, nine were already true Flash Fists.

His personal style was becoming increasingly pronounced—quick, yet light and elusive.

Sweat dripped continuously, but his focused gaze never wavered.

Perhaps because he was nearing his goal, Tang Tian didn’t feel tired at all—on the contrary, he was more exhilarated than ever, his fists growing ever faster.

The wind of his punches shifted, becoming sharper and more urgent.

The true energy in his third-stage dantian pool felt like a reservoir on the verge of overflowing, growing ever more turbulent.

Lost in the flow, Tang Tian saw the trajectory of each punch with increasing clarity, even catching the eddies of air his fist stirred as it vanished into the void.

Punch after punch!

The air rippled like water, only to be shattered by the force of his blows.

The 200,000th punch!

A jolt ran through Tang Tian. The true energy in his third-stage dantian burst forth like something breaking free from a cocoon.

A clear, piercing crane’s cry suddenly rang out in his mind.

Tang Tian’s fist vanished instantly in the air.

When it reappeared, a faint glow—an aura of power—shrouded his fist.

He stared at it, dumbfounded. That last punch… that glow…

He tried again.

Sure enough, a pale white aura appeared around his fist once more.

A fist aura! It really was a fist aura!

Only third-stage fist techniques were supposed to produce such an aura, and yet here it was, on his own hand!

Ecstatic, Tang Tian’s heart soared. Though the aura was faint, its power was fundamentally different. Flash Fist, as a second-stage technique, still emphasized physical strength and muscle control, much like the basic fist techniques, and could not generate a fist aura.

But a true fist aura could cut through blades, shatter stone, and destroy metal.

“Haha! Fist aura! I’ve mastered the fist aura! I actually did it!”

This aura was the outward projection of true energy—a hallmark of third-stage martial techniques. Amory’s “Earth Shatter Slash” could unleash a blade aura, but although Tang Tian had previously been able to channel true energy into his palms, he had never managed to form a fist aura.

This meant that his Flash Fist was now on par with third-stage martial skills.

After a while, he calmed down and began to ponder. How was it that Flash Fist, a second-stage technique, could produce a fist aura?

He recalled the recent stirring in his third-stage dantian and the cry of the crane. True energy! He quickly sat down to examine the flow within his body. The third-stage dantian was full to the brim, but nothing unusual was apparent.

However, when he tried another Flash Fist, something remarkable happened. He saw a stream of true energy flow from his third-stage dantian, following the familiar path of his cultivation technique, traveling to his fist.

Interesting!

Tang Tian repeatedly struck out with Flash Fist, his mind immersed in the observation of his internal energy. It was remarkably lively, forming a vast network throughout his body. Each time he punched, the network shifted, countless streams converging upon his fist, forming the fist aura.

He watched this process over and over, feeling that the structure of the energy web was strangely familiar.

Wait—a sudden realization struck him.

A crane’s shape!

His entire energy network formed the shape of a crane, with his fist as the beak.

When he punched, the energy gathered at the beak, forming the fist aura. As he retracted his fist, the crane shape dissipated and blurred.

The Crane Qi Technique!

Truly formidable!

Tang Tian was awestruck. No wonder the Crane School had been so powerful in its day, with such an extraordinary cultivation method.

What Tang Tian didn’t realize was that, by a stroke of luck, he had mastered the Crane Qi Technique in its entirety. The version practiced nowadays was only an abridged form. Its gradual disappearance was due in part to its own complexity—without guidance, it was almost impossible to discern the characteristic crane shape, making the technique incredibly difficult to master. Furthermore, it required relentless practice of martial arts to activate all those obscure, tiny meridians—the so-called “crane body.”

This third-stage Silver “Crane Qi Technique” Soul General Card was originally issued by the Crane School to lay a foundation for their young disciples. The “crane body” was the basis for all their martial techniques—the true inheritance of the Crane School.

Unwittingly, Tang Tian had completed the crane body.

Now, with every punch, the true energy in his entire body surged together, becoming a mighty torrent.

Sometimes, when you look back from the result, the key points become clear. With only a month left of the Silver Card’s possession, Tang Tian suddenly achieved a breakthrough, a cascade of comprehension flooding his mind, his understanding growing ever clearer.

He realized at last: these seemingly useless, tiny meridians, once enough of them were activated, produced explosive power when the true energy surged.

Even more exciting, once the crane body was mastered, it wasn’t limited to fist techniques—it could be applied to any martial skill.

Without hesitation, Tang Tian plunged back into his training.

Two hundred thousand punches were nothing—there were four hundred thousand still to go.

Strengthen the crane body!

Comprehend the killing move!

Tang Tian was filled with enthusiasm.

Peerless Tang Sect