41: Chapter 41 Shocking the Curator

The intention to chasten him grew stronger in his heart, and his voice deepened a little: "Two types of fist techniques practiced to Major Achievement? Lin Tian, in Martial Artist Cultivate, you must keep the four words 'keep your feet on the ground' firmly in mind."

"For any Move of the Five Elements Fist, to reach the Realm of 'Major Achievement', one cannot achieve it without combining years of hard work and Comprehension Ability. You have only been initiated for a few months; this statement... is an exaggeration."

He stared at Lin Tian's young face; no matter how he looked at it, he didn't look like someone who could practice a profound fist technique to Major Achievement, let alone two.

It must be the impetuousness of youth, mistaking 'familiarity' for 'Major Achievement', or exaggerating to strive for that illusory joint attack technique. This trend must not be encouraged.

"If you insist, then demonstrate your so-called 'Major Achievement' fist techniques." Hall Master Chen Qingfeng stood up, walked to a relatively open area on the side of the study, stood with his hands behind his back, his tone brooking no doubt, "I will see for myself."

He wanted to see whether this boy, whom both Master Huang and he himself thought highly of, truly had Heaven-Defying talent, or if he had been muddled by sudden fame and pressure.

"Yes." Lin Tian said no more, knowing that only facts could dispel Hall Master Chen Qingfeng's doubts.

He took a deep breath, instantly discarding all distracting thoughts, his eyes becoming calm and focused, and the Qi around his body changed accordingly.

He first assumed the starting stance of the Metal Element Fist, without too much flair, and slowly delivered a punch.

At first it was silent, but as the fist momentum unfolded, a low and sharp sound of breaking through the air faintly resounded in the room, as if it were not a fist of flesh and blood, but a spear of refined iron being forged. Wherever the fist tip pointed, the air seemed to become dense and sharp.

Between the transitions of the Moves, the power surged smoothly and without obstruction. Within the fierce and violent force, there was a precision and control that came after thousands of refinements; every bit of power was concentrated on the line of the fist tip, without the slightest waste or stagnation.

This was precisely the sign of Major Achievement in the Metal Element Fist—the force was released like metal and stone, its momentum unstoppable, and it could be retracted or released at will.

The fingers Hall Master Chen Qingfeng had behind his back trembled almost imperceptibly.

After finishing the set of punches, Lin Tian slightly adjusted his breath, and his fist momentum changed abruptly. The sharpness of Golden Spears and Iron Horses quickly receded, turning into a Concept of endless, dense, and tough vitality.

The Wood Element Fist unfolded; the fist shadows were like a forest, and his footwork was like intertwined roots. It seemed less fierce and swift than the Metal Element Fist, but the fist momentum was continuous, the defense was thorough, and the power was like vines entwining, flexible and long-lasting, containing the subtlety of counter-shock and neutralizing force.

What was even more rare was that the flavor of "vitality" and "toughness" in the Fist Intent was no longer just in form, but had a trace of the true essence.

This was the sign that the Wood Element Fist had entered the hall, stepping into the threshold of Major Achievement—defending like a forest, its power never-ending.

In the study, only the sound of wind from his clothes and the faint noise of the fist power stirring the airflow remained.

Hall Master Chen Qingfeng had already straightened his body. The previous touch of severity and scrutiny had long since disappeared, replaced by undisguisable astonishment. His pupils contracted slightly, staring intently at every movement of Lin Tian, as if trying to find any trace of falsehood or reluctance.

However, there was none. There was only an incomparably solid Foundation, the smooth and masterful conversion of power, and those two Fist Intents that were completely different yet had both reached a quite profound Realm.

After demonstrating the two sets of fist techniques, Lin Tian withdrew his stance and stood, sweat on his temples, but his breath remained long, and he looked at Hall Master Chen Qingfeng.

The study was silent. Hall Master Chen Qingfeng stood in place for a full three breaths before slowly exhaling a breath he seemed to have held for a long time. The expression on his face was incomparably complex, mixed with shock, confusion, and a trace of disbelief.

"Metal Element Fist, fierce and subtle, power released in a line... Wood Element Fist, dense and tough, meaning just born..." He muttered, every word seeming to be squeezed out from between his teeth, "It really is... the Realm of Major Achievement!"

He suddenly raised his head, his gaze like lightning, shooting at Lin Tian again, his voice carrying a haste he himself had not noticed: "How did you practice it to this point?!"

This completely contradicted his decades of knowledge of the Dao of martial arts! Even counting from the first day Lin Tian touched the fist technique, this time was shockingly short!

Lin Tian scratched his head, revealing a touch of just-right "confusion" and "calmness" belonging to a young man: "It's just like this... follow the fist manual to practice, and as I practiced, I felt that I should exert force this way, circulate the Qi and blood this way, and then... it was done."

"As you practiced... it was done?" Hall Master Chen Qingfeng repeated this sentence, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly. Looking at Lin Tian's "matter-of-fact" expression, he suddenly felt a tightness in his chest.

He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, seemingly trying to calm his churning emotions, eventually turning it into a long sigh filled with endless emotion: "A Genius... no, a Prodigy! Truly peerless talent!"

He had traveled in the Jianghu and managed the Qingfeng Martial Arts Hall for many years; he had seen many Geniuses and outstanding talents, and he himself was considered talented in his youth. But like Lin Tian, in such a short time, pushing two completely different fist techniques in the Five Elements Fist, each with different cultivation difficulties, to the Realm of "Major Achievement" simultaneously—this was unheard of!

This could no longer be explained by simple "high Comprehension Ability"; it was simply as if he were born for the Dao of martial arts!

After the shock, a great sense of regret, like cold spring water, instantly drowned the heat in Hall Master Chen Qingfeng's heart. "A pity... such a pity!" He sighed inwardly, looking at Lin Tian with complex eyes. Fist techniques could be "fast-tracked" by relying on this Heaven-Defying Comprehension Ability, but cultivation could not.

The improvement of a Martial Artist's rank lies at its core in the accumulation of Qi and blood, the refining of the Physical Body, and the strengthening of internal breath. This is a time-consuming effort that requires time to accumulate and hammer out bit by bit.

No matter how good the talent is, or how hard one Cultivate, it can only shorten this process, but cannot skip the necessary accumulation of time. Half a year to Breakthrough from Late Stage of First Rank to Second Rank? Even with the terrifying Comprehension Ability Lin Tian displayed at this moment, in Hall Master Chen Qingfeng's view, it was absolutely impossible.

The Bottleneck from First Rank to Second Rank cannot be easily broken through by relying solely on Comprehension Ability. It requires a sufficiently deep Foundation of Qi and blood, the right Opportunity, and even some luck.

Du Fei could have a glimmer of hope because he had been stuck at the Peak of First Rank for nearly a year, his Foundation was relatively sufficient, and he was only one step away. What about Lin Tian? How long had he been initiated? At most, the time he had been Cultivate Qi and blood was probably even shorter.

No matter how solid the Foundation is, or how high the Comprehension Ability is, the total amount of Qi and blood that needs time to settle is a real shortcoming. "Missing this one step... is the difference between heaven and earth." Hall Master Chen Qingfeng felt dejected.

Once Du Fei gets the quota to enter the Imperial Guard, relying on the vast resources and special environment of the Imperial Guard that far exceed the Qingfeng Martial Arts Hall, he will surely soar into the sky, leaving his peers far behind. As for Lin Tian, even with Heaven-Defying talent, if trapped in the Qingfeng Martial Arts Hall with limited resources, his future achievements might still be high, but it would be difficult to catch up with Du Fei, who has the background of the Imperial Guard.

Sometimes, fate is just that cruel. One step slow, every step slow.

However... Hall Master Chen Qingfeng thought of another possibility, and his eyes brightened slightly. Such good talent, although he missed this Opportunity with the Imperial Guard, if he could stay in the Qingfeng Martial Arts Hall and be well-cultivated, in the future he could succeed him, manage the Qingfeng Martial Arts Hall, carry it forward, and even lead the Qingfeng Martial Arts Hall to go further in Heishan City—this was by no means an extravagant hope!

This might not be a great fortune for the Qingfeng Martial Arts Hall! Thinking of this, he already had a plan in mind, and his gaze towards Lin Tian became increasingly gentle, even carrying a kind of expectation one would have for an heir.

"Good! Good! Good!" Hall Master Chen Qingfeng said the word 'good' three times in a row, a genuine smile appearing on his face, all previous severity and scrutiny swept away, "Lin Tian, I have managed the Qingfeng Martial Arts Hall for many years, and the Disciple I have seen are like crucian carp crossing the river, but your talent is truly the only one I have ever seen in my life! In less than a year, two Five Elements Fist techniques at Major Achievement... the word 'Prodigy', you deserve it!"

He walked back behind the desk, pondered for a moment, and said loudly: "With such talent, you should naturally have corresponding treatment. From tomorrow, you can receive an additional portion of 'body strengthening soup' every month."

Hearing this, Lin Tian was instantly overjoyed. Relying on his own strength and the "dividends" from the previous fist fights, he already had two portions of body strengthening soup every month. If he added one more, it would be three portions! This meant that the Qi and blood nourishment he could absorb from daily Cultivate would greatly increase, and his Cultivate speed would surely improve by another level! For him, who was anxious to Breakthrough to the Second Rank, this was undoubtedly timely help!

"Thank you, Hall Master!" Lin Tian immediately clasped his fists and bowed solemnly.

Hall Master Chen Qingfeng waved his hand and smiled: "Mere soup and medicine, compared to your talent, is nothing. Since you have proven that you are indeed qualified to peek at higher-level techniques, I will naturally not break my word."

His expression became serious, his eyes burning: "Since you want to know the mutual cooperation and joint attack techniques of the Five Elements Fist, I will now teach you the basic essentials of 'Five Elements mutual generation, continuous power'! Watch closely!"