Chapter 365 - 348: Younger Brother Su Is Just Average Too

’He didn’t even touch the stake, but he unleashed a piercing attack from a distance? What kind of force-projection skill is this?’

But before he could get a closer look, Master Qin seamlessly transitioned to his next move.

"Twining Vine Bypasses the Dead Angle!"

Qin Fangqiong retracted his right arm. In an instant, it was as if the bones in his left arm had vanished, the Great Tendons transforming it into a supple, green-hued whip!

His arm twisted and bent in mid-air at a bizarre angle that completely defied the structure of human joints. Coated in Gang Force, the back of his fist forcefully wrapped around the front of the Ironwood Stake and, with a SWISH, struck from behind!

Su Yu was stunned again. ’Is it an optical illusion from the sheer speed? I clearly saw Master standing in front of the stake, but that fist struck viciously from behind it!’

BANG!

Before the violent tremors from the last blow had even subsided, the back of the century-old Ironwood Stake let out another deafening crash, sending splinters flying everywhere!

"Fierce Tiger’s Limb-Breaking Chop!"

Master Qin bellowed, and as his hand movements changed, his entire aura transformed.

If his first two moves were those of a strange, unpredictable shadow ape, then Master Qin was now a fierce tiger descending the mountain, ready to plow through an army! The clothes on his back instantly bulged taut. Beneath his skin, his Great Tendons coiled and writhed like horned dragons. The visual impact of his rippling muscles was an explosive aesthetic of pure violence!

He clasped his hands together as if raising a giant mountain-cleaving axe and, channeling ferocious white Gang Force, chopped down viciously from above!

CRACK!

As the knife-hand strike landed, the immense power from his Great Tendons forcibly split a shocking crack, an inch deep, into the nigh-indestructible century-old Ironwood Stake!

The tremendous impact made the spectating disciples’ eyelids twitch, a chill rising in their hearts. ’What utterly domineering, crushing power! If that hit a person, they’d be split in two, even if they were wearing Heavy Armor!’

"Rooted Stance, Iron Mountain Collapse!"

This move appeared to be a trump card for dealing with being surrounded.

Master Qin’s legs tensed, the Great Tendons exerting force, rooting him to the ground like the gnarled roots of an ancient tree. The Great Tendons around his waist and hips groaned like a winding winch.

Harnessing this violent torque, Master Qin turned his shoulder, back, and elbow into lethal weapons, savagely and repeatedly crashing them into the Ironwood Stake!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The Gang Force exploded outward with each physical impact as if it were tangible. The Ironwood Stake issued a series of agonized groans, unable to bear the assault, and was forcefully knocked back, tilting a full inch!

"Flood Dragon’s Abyssal Inch-Strike!"

CRACKLE! POP!

Amidst a symphony of popping joints and snapping sinews, Master Qin’s seemingly lean frame seemed to lock all two hundred and six of his bones into a single, flawless unit!

The fist descended with deceptive slowness, its true speed astonishing.

There was no preparatory wind-up; all the Gang Force erupted in a concentrated burst, like a volcano, at the exact moment of impact with the Ironwood Stake!

BOOM!

The Gang Force detonated from his knuckles!

The crack-riddled Ironwood Stake could no longer withstand this terrifying, focused power. The point of impact instantly caved in, and a spiderweb of new cracks exploded across its surface!

Even more terrifying, the nigh-unbearably compressed Gang Force didn’t lose momentum. It pierced straight through the Ironwood Stake and continued blasting backward as if it were a physical object!

"Ah!"

A junior disciple in the Skin Tempering Realm, secretly watching from over a hundred feet away, suddenly felt a violent Gang Wind slam into him. It was as if he’d been struck by a charging bull. He staggered back several steps and collapsed to the ground with a THUD!

The faces of the surrounding disciples paled, and they all gasped in unison.

’The aftershock of that punch, even after passing through an Ironwood Stake from over a hundred feet away, can still knock someone down? If you took that punch head-on, wouldn’t your organs be turned to mush instantly?’

"Watch closely! The final move: One Breath Becomes the Dragon, Subduing the Cosmos!"

Qin Fangqiong’s hair and beard whipped about as he let out a bellow like a clap of thunder. In that instant, his aura surged to its absolute peak. His entire being—his essence, qi, spirit, and presence—fused into one perfect whole!

His body shot up from the ground like a dragon ascending to the heavens. While in mid-air, he drew the Great Tendons in his back taut like a full-moon bow and unleashed a punch straight down!

In that moment, every disciple could have sworn they saw it. Surging from Master Qin’s fist, the roiling Gang Force burst forth from his body, faintly coalescing into the phantom head of a ferocious, azure dragon!

ROAR!

A roar that sounded chillingly real exploded in everyone’s eardrums, leaving them dizzy and disoriented.

BOOM!

The heavy fist struck the ground. The floor of the Martial Arts Hall instantly shattered, dirt and gravel rolling outward in violent waves.

With a tremendous roar, the pure Gang Force blasted a terrifying crater into the ground, a full five feet in diameter!

Dust filled the air!

As the dust settled, Qin Fangqiong stood at the edge of the crater, his hands clasped behind his back. He steadied his breathing slightly, then waved a hand dismissively. "Sigh, I’m getting old. I couldn’t quite control the power at the end there, and let some Gang Force leak out. *Cough, cough*... Yu’Er, have a stonemason come fix the floor later."

Standing to the side, Lin Yunshu watched this scene, his eye twitching uncontrollably.

’When Master Qin executed that last move, I definitely sensed a terrifying presence...’ Lin Yunshu was inwardly aghast. ’Master Qin suffered a grievous injury in his youth that damaged the foundation of his Dantian. It should be impossible for his Cultivation to ever reach the Profound Bone Realm. And yet, the aura from that strike was as complete and vibrant as the rising sun. Could it be...?’

This speculation made Lin Yunshu gulp, his heart suddenly pounding with excitement.

’If Master Qin has truly recovered, then in these chaotic times, the White Ape Martial Arts Hall has a much better chance of survival!’

"Alright, Yu’Er, your turn. Give it a try."

With his hands behind his back, Qin Fangqiong ambled over to his Grandmaster’s Chair and sat down. He pointed at Lin Yunshu and the other two disciples, chuckling.

"This Greenwood Shadow Ape Fist is conceptually profound and quite difficult. I don’t expect you to grasp it all in one go. It’s perfectly normal to struggle with the entry-level stage for a while. But, with your monstrous talent, I’m sure you’ll have no problem blowing past the progress these three old rascals made back in their day."

Faced with their master’s blatant favoritism, Lin Yunshu and the other two could only exchange wry smiles.

Just then, a smiling Lin Wanzhu brought over a platter of freshly shelled edamame and peanuts, dutifully placing it by her master’s side.

"You’re playing favorites, Master. Why didn’t you ever teach me such a powerful Fist Technique?"

Qin Fangqiong popped a peanut into his mouth, crunching it loudly. He chuckled, "Lin Girl, your talent is top-notch, but it’s still not enough! Mastering this Fist Technique would take you far too long. You’d be better off focusing on your Lin Family’s ancestral arts."

Lin Wanzhu sighed internally. ’It seems this Fist Technique really is that difficult. Master doesn’t even think my level of talent is enough for it.’

’But Ah Yu’s aptitude is terrifyingly high. He should be able to learn it... I just wonder how long it’ll take him to grasp the basics.’

Her gaze fell upon the handsome, straight-backed figure who was already beginning to practice.

’Shadow Ape’s Branch Exploration... what’s the knack to this move?’

Su Yu began to practice, mimicking his master’s form. He threw a straight punch with astonishing power, but he hadn’t found the knack. He completely failed to replicate the core principle: stretching the Great Tendons to their absolute limit to make the punch’s reach far greater than it appeared.

’Twining Vine Bypasses the Dead Angle! This one is even harder. The attack’s trajectory actually curves? How do you even do that!’

...

Su Yu practiced one move after another, but found he hadn’t grasped the core of any of them.

He was mimicking the form, but had none of the substance.

At the side, Lin Luan couldn’t help but laugh heartily. "This Fist Technique really is tough! Younger Brother Su is supposed to have monstrous aptitude, but from what I’m seeing, he’s just average. No better than I was back in my day!"

He was a gruff, straightforward man who spoke his mind without any real malice.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yanchu, fanning himself with his Feather Fan, was having some doubts of his own.

’Younger Brother Su’s combat power is indeed heaven-defying, but his learning aptitude doesn’t seem as monstrous as the rumors claim. I bet when that brat at home was singing his praises, he was mostly talking about his talent with the saber. As for this Fist Technique, he’ll probably have to just grind it out the hard way.’

When Lin Yunshu saw Su Yu finish the last move, it was clear from his posture that he hadn’t yet grasped the ’tendon-sense’. He couldn’t help but comment, "To reach the entry-level, you have to master the basic stances first. Even if you can’t perform the more profound skills, you should at least have a general idea of the principle behind them. At this rate, it’ll probably take Younger Brother Su a month or two."

If it had been anyone else, it might have been fine, but Lin Yunshu’s comment immediately made Lin Wanzhu’s brows shoot up. She glared at her older brother. "Brother, that was Ah Yu’s very first attempt! It’s too early to judge. With his talent, why would he need a month or two to master the basics!"

Lin Yunshu immediately looked sheepish. He wanted to argue, but he knew his sister’s temper. If he did, he’d get an earful all the way home, so he wisely shut his mouth.

’She isn’t even married yet and she’s already taking an outsider’s side. Sigh... ’

’Still, this future brother-in-law’s talent really isn’t as incredible as they say. A pity.’

After running through the set once, Su Yu understood just how difficult this Fist Technique was. His own aptitude wasn’t bad to begin with, and with the Martial Arts God enhancement from his White Ape Saint Body, his current comprehension was at a genius level.

His main takeaway after one pass was that the Fist Technique demanded an extremely high level of control over the body’s Great Tendons. The transitions between hard and soft styles within just a few moves were stark.

This also meant the martial art was of a high grade—it had to be at least Profound Tier.

If he could master it, his power would increase immensely.

Compared to Feng Dakui and the others he’d fought before, those men seemed to rely completely on their higher Realm to fight. They only practiced common Martial Arts with very low ceilings for growth.

In contrast, the techniques his master had taught him—from the White Ape Fist and the Demon Ape Mountain-Shaking Fist to today’s Greenwood Shadow Ape Fist—all had incredibly high ceilings. They were a clear path to greatness!

’It’s just incredibly difficult. Even with my current constitution and aptitude, it would probably take me a month or two just to grasp the basics.’

’But that doesn’t matter. I have an even stronger, peerless talent!’

In the next instant, familiar ink-wash characters appeared before his eyes.

[Greenwood Shadow Ape Fist: Entry-Level]

[Martial Art]: Greenwood Shadow Ape Fist (Entry-Level 1/1000)

At the same time, a flood of profound enlightenment, defying all logic, poured into the depths of Su Yu’s mind!