Chapter 106 – Professional Advanced Boxing Techniques, Sparring Partner

“My bones seem to itch a bit… Is it the medicine seeping in?”

Lu Yuan stretched his fingers, looking at the black sandbag tied to the concrete block.

This was something Lin Zhiqin had someone bring for him when he came back from the martial arts gym. The sand inside had been fried with special herbs, also used to assist with skin training.

It was specifically for practicing punches, kicks, and elbows important parts of the body.

Although Lu Yuan had carefully controlled the force of his punches, after a few hours of practice, the sandbag was nearly worn out, and a mixture of black and white sand was leaking out with a “sh-sh” sound.

“I’ll ask Mom to sew a few more bags. When the sand turns eighty percent black, it’s time to replace it…”

Lu Yuan grabbed the mineral water bottle placed next to the block and drank a few gulps. He tossed the empty bottle into the nearby bin.

There were still remnants of the bottle pile footwork he had drawn on the rooftop floor.

He no longer needed it, as the efficiency of gaining experience was too low.

Walking to the edge of the rooftop, he saw that most of the lights were on in the neighboring residential building.

In some living rooms, the TV was still on.

Lu Yuan stood quietly watching for a while, then suddenly turned around.

“Let’s continue.”

The bedroom was too small and stuffy, and the movements of the [Spirit Crane Body] were quite large, so Lu Yuan decided to practice on the rooftop.

This practice session differed from the progress he made in the martial arts gym that afternoon.

In the state of [absolute concentration], Lu Yuan reached the thirtieth move in one go before stopping.

Then he rested, waiting for his injuries to recover.

Practice again, recover again… This cycle repeated for an hour.

Only then did Lu Yuan end today’s training of the [Spirit Crane Body].

“Lin Zhiqin said the first eighteen moves of the [Spirit Crane Body] are for skin training. Does that mean the moves from the nineteenth onwards are for muscle, bone, and organ training?”

“If that’s the case, then practicing up to the thirtieth move now means I’m training both skin and muscle?”

Skin and muscle are so close together that training the skin while also working the muscles, and even the bones underneath, seems quite normal.

Thinking this, Lu Yuan habitually opened the professional panel.

[Spirit Crane Body] experience points increased by 8.

Both advanced boxing techniques and advanced leg techniques showed slight growth, with the former nearly reaching level 5. However, Lu Yuan wasn’t sure if the basic professional skill was also capped at level 5.

He closed the professional panel and continued practicing the crane stance.

This is what hard training is like; there’s always an endless array of skills to practice.

At first, it might feel tiring and monotonous, but gradually, Lu Yuan got used to it and even started to enjoy it.

The satisfaction of watching his strength grow bit by bit every moment is something others can’t truly understand.

Entering level 3 [absolute concentration], Lu Yuan completed a set of crane stance practice.

Suddenly, he exited on his own, looking at himself in surprise.

“Why do I feel warm all over, as if I’m soaking in warm water…”

Lu Yuan had never experienced this feeling during previous practices; it was a fresh, first-time experience.

He hurriedly opened the professional panel, and several notification messages popped up.

[Your skill crane stance has gained a boost, experience points +13]

[Your skill crane stance has gained a boost, experience points +15]

…

“Holy crap!”

Lu Yuan was shocked.

This set of crane stance practice had increased his experience points by more than forty.

“When did it get so fast? It never happened at level 1!”

Lu Yuan was both surprised and delighted, quickly recalling the afternoon’s acupuncture and secret ointment.

“So the skin training ointment is also effective for training the crane stance! No wonder Lin Zhiqin told me to practice the crane stance together with it.”

What’s more satisfying than gaining experience? It’s gaining experience after taking a multiple experience pill!

Lu Yuan was now in this state, with his enthusiasm for training the crane stance reaching its peak.

However.

The second practice session gained only half the experience points.

The third session gained half of that.

The fourth even less…

Until it completely reverted to the usual slow pace.

“Whoo.”

Lu Yuan exhaled a breath of impure air, stopping his crane stance practice.

A thin layer of sweat covered his body, and the night breeze on the rooftop felt extremely refreshing.

“The residual medicinal power under my skin has been completely exhausted. Well, from now on, I’ll practice like this—shorter time, more experience points…”

With the lingering effects of the acupuncture and secret ointment from the day, Lu Yuan managed to boost his crane stance experience points by nearly a hundred in just one hour.

If he could maintain this efficiency, it would take him only another week to level up to level 5.

This was even faster than leveling up from level 3 to level 4.

“Flap, flap—”

A few crows landed on the edge of the rooftop, gently preening their feathers with their beaks and claws.

Lu Yuan’s eyes flickered slightly as he slowly walked toward them.

In no time, the crows flapped their wings and merged into the night sky, as if their landing here was just a casual and brief rest.

After finishing his information exchange with the crow assistants, Lu Yuan’s face showed a hint of contemplation.

“Hospital… daughter…

So Lin Zhiqin has a daughter who’s hospitalized?”

Muttering a few words softly, Lu Yuan’s expression returned to calm.

He tidied up briefly and then walked downstairs.

After finishing his martial arts training, it was time for his scholarly studies.

In recent days, he had joined several online groups related to ancient languages, Baishan History, and Baishan Mythology.

Not only did the experience points for [ancient language expert] increase rapidly, but the secrets he had glimpsed from Lu Jing also began to take shape.

…

Summer days are both long and short.

Amid the sound of cicadas and dripping sweat, a week passed in a flash.

It was another dull and hot afternoon.

“Creak—”

Pushing open the glass door of the martial arts gym, Lu Yuan habitually scanned the room.

At this time, the gym was usually empty, even the cleaning Old Lady was napping in the lounge.

Today, there were still two people at the front desk.

The girl with the air bangs, Wang Yan, was chatting with a guy.

She noticed him immediately and waved with a cheerful smile.

“Good afternoon, Yan-Jie.”

Lu Yuan smiled in response and quickly walked past the two of them.

“Is that the Lu Yuan you keep mentioning?”

The guy leaning on the front desk glanced at Lu Yuan’s departing back and sneered.

“Yeah, isn’t he handsome?” Wang Yan replied casually while organizing the summer class registration forms in her hand.

The guy snorted disdainfully. “What’s the use of being handsome? I could take on ten of these pretty boys by myself.”

“You?” Wang Yan glanced up at him with a mocking expression.

“Don’t believe me?” The guy seemed provoked by her look. He immediately raised his hand and flexed his bulging arm muscles, boasting, “I just reached the fifth rank last month! I even have the certificate. Want me to show you?”

“Even if you were a ninth rank, it wouldn’t matter. I couldn’t kiss that face of yours with my eyes closed…”

Wang Yan unceremoniously issued her dismissal, “Alright, leave now. Don’t waste my time. Here’s your movie ticket back.”

She tossed a thin movie ticket in front of him.

The guy’s acne-covered face turned purple-red with embarrassment.

People who work out frequently often have oily skin, and some are prone to breakouts. He was one of them.

This had always been a sensitive issue for him, and now being called out by the girl he was pursuing made it even worse.

“Fine! Wang Yan. Let’s see what kind of boyfriend you’ll find in the future.”

The guy, both ashamed and angry, grabbed the movie ticket and left in a huff.

…

“Coach.”

Lu Yuan walked into the familiar training room and greeted Lin Zhiqin, who had arrived earlier.

Lin Zhiqin nodded slightly and then immediately reached for Lu Yuan’s arm.

Lu Yuan seemed used to this and didn’t flinch at all, allowing Lin Zhiqin to grab him.

Lin Zhiqin’s iron grip pinched and pressed several spots on Lu Yuan’s arm before releasing.

“Your progress is much faster than I expected,” Lin Zhiqin remarked, his eyes showing a hint of complexity.

But soon, he regained his composure and said to Lu Yuan, “I have to go to Weishan tomorrow. You’ll need to train on your own for a while.”

“Weishan City?!” Lu Yuan’s expression shifted slightly. “Coach, what are you going to Weishan for?”

Lu Yuan had asked casually, not expecting Lin Zhiqin to be so forthcoming.

“The main Yuan Martial Arts Gym is in Weishan. It’s also the current base of the crane style. When the direct disciple assessment happens, you’ll need to go too…”

At this point, Lin Zhiqin paused and reminded Lu Yuan, “Remember to inform your family in advance when the time comes.”

“Understood.”

Lu Yuan nodded.

What followed was their usual training routine.

Lin Zhiqin acted as Lu Yuan’s sparring partner…

During these seven days, Lin Zhiqin taught Lu Yuan another true crane style technique.

It was a set of boxing techniques, with a plain name that followed the same lineage as the crane stance—called [crane boxing].

Its rank reached the professional advanced level.

The inheritance of the crane style was indeed impressive.

With several professional advanced skills and multiple professional killer moves, it could be considered top-tier even in the martial arts world.

Clearing his mind of distractions, Lu Yuan entered a state of [absolute concentration] and earnestly sparred with Lin Zhiqin.

The standout feature of crane boxing as a professional advanced skill was its fixed moves.

Like the pecking of a crane’s beak, it was full of explosive power, allowing Lu Yuan’s punches to have several times more impact.

If the moves of basic boxing techniques were like fundamental formulas, crane boxing was akin to advanced theorems—more complex and harder to master.

Of course, it could also solve more complicated problems!

“Bang—”

A figure flew backward, stumbling several steps upon landing but managing to stay on their feet without falling.

“The explosive power and cohesion of your punches are there, but you need to watch your footing. Your footwork is sloppy, leaving your lower body full of openings…”

Lin Zhiqin coldly critiqued Lu Yuan’s recent performance.

Lu Yuan listened humbly.

His attributes hadn’t improved much recently, but his combat skills had soared.

This progress was largely due to Lin Zhiqin’s sparring and his pointed critiques after each session.

After Lin Zhiqin finished his critique, Lu Yuan was about to continue for another round but was stopped by Lin Zhiqin.

“That’s enough for today. I have other matters to attend to later. Reflect on what you’ve learned by yourself.”

Lu Yuan, realizing that Lin Zhiqin might be gone for several days, quickly spoke up, “Coach, I have something else I want to ask you!”

“Go ahead,” Lin Zhiqin said, retracting his step towards the door.

“I’ve been doing Skin Training for a while now, and every day I’ve been practicing [Spirit Crane Body]. Do you think I should add some external impact resistance training?” Lu Yuan asked.

He had wanted to discuss this with Lin Zhiqin for a while, but since he had just started Skin Training, he had held off, waiting for a more suitable time.

Now, with Lin Zhiqin about to leave, he was eager to get an answer.

After hearing Lu Yuan’s question, Lin Zhiqin furrowed his brows slightly.

“The martial arts of our Sky Water Stream Crane Style focus on agility and speed, defeating opponents in a single strike. The effects of the body training techniques are more geared towards enhancing speed, unlike those sects that focus on extreme body hardening… But if you want to deepen your Skin Training, it’s not impossible.”

After thinking for a moment, Lin Zhiqin said, “Alright, I’ll find a few people to help you test it out. If you can handle it, you can occasionally add some targeted impact resistance training in the future.”

Lu Yuan’s eyes lit up, and he quickly nodded, “Great!”

He had been unable to find anyone to help him, otherwise, he would have tried it on his own.

The martial arts gym had plenty of martial arts enthusiasts and fitness buffs with strength to spare. Having Lin Zhiqin find some sparring partners for him was ideal.

“Wait here, I’ll go find someone,” Lin Zhiqin said, leaving quickly.