Start with push-ups to gain experience

Chapter 432 A Masterpiece, Senior Brother Wei
In the darkness, the handbag lay quietly on the slightly damp steps.

Its blackened surface was covered with water droplets, which were the product of the condensation of the hot air inside the cave after it cooled down.

Fang Cheng reached out to take it, and his expression changed slightly the moment his fingertips touched the bag.

It didn't feel as resilient as usual when I held it; instead, it had a crispy texture.

With a gentle touch, the surface of the handbag crumbled into tiny pieces, as if it were a centuries-old, decaying object.

Think about it too.

He visualized the true fire of the sun and practiced the "Thunderfire Cauldron" technique for several days, almost turning the entire water prison into a giant furnace.

This old companion that has been with me for many years is made of durable canvas.

But it's a miracle that it still retains its outline and wasn't burned to ashes under such intense heat.

"Sigh, you've really done your best."

Fang Cheng shook his head and sighed, "It's time to get a new one."

He held the zipper very gently, carefully unzipping it and reaching inside.

The spare clothes in the bag met a fate no better than the bag itself; they crumbled at the slightest touch, turning into a handful of gray powder.

Fang Cheng searched carefully, and finally a relieved smile appeared on his face.

At the bottom of the clothing wreckage, he found a pair of boxer briefs that still felt normal to the touch.

These underwear are bright red all over and have an ordinary design, but they are made of a special blend of fire-resistant fibers.

It's simply because during past transformations, too many pants burst and clothes burned.

That's why he specially searched for this treasure on the market.

The brand's underwear is said to use aerospace-grade innovative fabrics, which are widely used in the clothing of special professions such as astronauts, firefighters, and air force pilots.

While it may not be invulnerable to bullets and knives, its biggest selling points are its wear resistance, high temperature resistance, and excellent elasticity.

Fang Cheng shook off the ashes and confirmed that it was basically intact and could still be worn.

"After this real-world test, it seems the advertisement wasn't so outrageous after all..."

Muttering something to himself, Fang Cheng quickly put on his underwear and straightened his back again.

Having resolved the most crucial issue of covering his shame, he felt much more at ease, and his gaze sharpened once more.

It's time to leave.

but……

Fang Cheng looked around and his gaze fell on the stone wall covered with poems by predecessors.

Many martial arts masters once secluded themselves here to cultivate their spirituality and inscribed poems as a memento.

I was fortunate enough to find my true self here and undergo a complete transformation. It would be a shame not to leave something behind.

After a moment of contemplation, Fang Cheng brought his index and middle fingers together, and a wisp of incredibly refined golden true energy swirled around the tips of his fingers.

He then walked to the poem with its elegant and unrestrained style, found a blank space, and waved his arm.

With a flick of the fingertips, stone chips flew everywhere, and the hard rock wall was easily sliced ​​open like tofu.

A line of calligraphy, distinctly different from the arrogant and bold strokes of its predecessors, yet equally full of personal style, was deeply engraved on it:

"Ignite a sun in my heart, and there is no other sky outside of me."

"Fang Cheng has achieved success here, establishing himself as a martial artist. He is very hungry and will take his leave first."

After finishing writing, Fang Cheng nodded in satisfaction.

This message not only pays tribute to the predecessors and records the joy of one's own success, but also expresses the most genuine needs at this moment, making it a masterpiece.

If your elementary school Chinese teacher were here and saw such a beautiful sentence that combines passion and realism, they would surely applaud it and give it full marks without hesitation.

Fang Cheng admired himself for a moment with narcissism.

Without lingering any longer, he grabbed the charred satchel and strode back to the stone steps he had come from.

Boom——

With a casual push, the heavy stone door that isolated the water prison slowly opened with a muffled thud.

Fang Cheng quickly walked up the dark, damp steps.

Her body was so light that it seemed weightless, her toes lightly touching the stone steps, leaving only a series of blurry afterimages.

In just a few breaths, they arrived at the cave entrance and stood before the final stone door leading to the outside world.

He stopped and took a deep breath.

Then, he pushed open the stone door.

A burst of fresh air, carrying the scent of rain and earth, instantly rushed towards him, making every pore on his body open up.

Fang Cheng squinted slightly, adjusting his eyes to the light, before looking up.

The scene before him, however, made him pause slightly.

The sky above was now covered with thick, dark clouds, so dense they seemed impossible to pierce.

Thick clouds pressed down on the mountaintop, seemingly within reach.

Large raindrops pelted down from the clouds, splashing up tiny droplets on the ground near the cave entrance.

However, as Fang Cheng's gaze passed over the hill, across the fields and villages, and into the distance...

The scene, however, was quite different.

A few kilometers away, the city was bathed in brilliant sunshine.

Golden rays of light slanted down onto the high-rise buildings, and the glass curtain walls even reflected a dazzling light.

The scene of torrential rain above his head created a stark contrast with the surrounding landscape, creating a strong sense of separation.

It's as if an invisible dividing line separates the world in two.

Here, it's a raging storm; over there, the sky is clear and blue.

The entire Tianxin Village is like a giant glass dome covering it up, staging a one-man show.

"What kind of damn weather is this?"

Fang Cheng stood at the cave entrance, gazing at the spectacular sun shower, a strange expression on his face.

He scratched his newly grown, still prickly short hair, and finally just shrugged indifferently.

who cares.

Even if the sky falls, we have to fill our stomachs first.

He then turned around and grabbed the heavy stone door with both hands.

With a muffled "boom," the Ma family's sacred cultivation ground was sealed off once again.

After doing all this, Fang Cheng looked down at the charred satchel in his hand and the tattered remains of clothing inside, which had long since crumbled into powder.

After thinking for a moment, he suddenly clasped his hands together and began to rub them vigorously.

scoff-

With a soft sound, the canvas bag, having completed its historical mission, along with the clothes inside, was instantly annihilated by the golden true energy emanating from his palm.

He opened his palm, letting the handful of fine black powder be blown by the mountain wind, drifting into the rain and blending into the forest.

After cleaning up the last traces, Fang Cheng, shirtless and wearing only bright red underwear, stepped into the cool rain.

....................................

Raindrops pounded against the windshield, forming a blurry curtain of water.

The windshield wipers dutifully swung left and right, each "squeak" only providing a few seconds of clear visibility.

A dark green old-fashioned jeep is driving on a highway in the suburbs of Jiangbei City.

On both sides of the road, there were endless farmlands and township factories emitting smoke, all of which looked gray and hazy in the rain.

"Damn it, this weather!"

Beside the driver's seat, a burly man, as big as a bear, complained:

"Didn't the weather forecast say it would be sunny all week? How come it's raining so suddenly? It's so unpredictable." The burly man was Ma Donghe.

The driver was a middle-aged man with an ordinary appearance and a calm demeanor.

He smiled upon hearing this:
"Donghe, this isn't your first time experiencing this. When we came from Dingqiao, it was sunny and bright, wasn't it? But as soon as we entered your Tianxin Village, the sky turned cloudy."

"What does this mean? It means that your Ma family's place is a feng shui treasure land, able to gather clouds and rain. No wonder your ancestors have always stayed here and refused to move away."

"Come on, Senior Brother Wei, don't make fun of me."

Hearing the other person's teasing words, Ma Donghe pursed his lips:
"If this place were truly a blessed land, I should be a tycoon's son by now. How could I have been chased and beaten all over the yard by my dad every day when I was a kid, just to prove him wrong?"

“You’ve seen me before, back when you were learning Tai Chi at my house.”

The man referred to as Senior Brother Wei is named Wei Zheng.

A hint of nostalgia flashed in his eyes as he slowly began to speak:
"You were so young back then, like a little cannonball. You couldn't stand not causing trouble every day."

"Uncle Ma was so angry with you that he had no choice but to give up. But then again, I heard from my master that he is much more satisfied with you now."

"That's true."

Mentioning this, Ma Donghe's face showed a rare hint of pride:
"Ever since I made up my mind to join the Special Investigations Team, the old man's eyes have changed."

“When I used to come home, he would at most 'humph'.”

"Now it's all over. Not only does he personally cook me a bone-strengthening soup every day, saying that my body was worn out from studying for the exam and I need to replenish it properly, but he also keeps asking me about my condition after practicing. He's even more nagging than my mother."

“A few days ago, he saw that I had strained my muscles from practicing standing meditation too hard. That night, he even took out his precious medicinal wine and personally massaged me to improve blood circulation.”

Ma Donghe chuckled twice as he spoke, then changed the subject:

"By the way, I'm so grateful for Officer Shi's help this time. Otherwise, I don't know how long my identity verification would have been delayed. I'll buy some fruit and visit him in a few days."

"Commander Shi was recently transferred to logistics, so he has a lot less work to do."

Wei Zheng skillfully steered the wheel and calmly instructed:

"Donghe, if you pass the retest and join the team, observe more, listen more, and speak less."

“We’re different from those who have formal training, especially when we’re on a mission. Don’t always think about rushing forward.”

"Remember, your first priority is to survive, then complete the mission. This line of work isn't a place to be a hero. Many times, a bullet is more effective than ten years of hard-earned fists."

Wei Zheng is a second-level administrative officer in the special search team. He has been working in the team for more than ten years and is very experienced.

At the same time, he is also a disciple of Zhang Haixiang, the head of Xingyiquan, another founder of the martial arts research association.

In terms of seniority, Ma Donghe should indeed call him senior brother.

Faced with this senior's guidance, Ma Dong-hyuk, unusually, did not refute it, but simply nodded patiently:

"I understand, I understand, Senior Brother Wei."

Wei Zheng glanced at his junior brother, knowing his personality well.

He actually has quite a bit of talent, and comes from a family with a long history of martial arts. As long as he puts in the effort, his future prospects will be bright.

Master Ma Jianguo had a son late in life and spoiled him terribly when he was young, which led him astray for a few years. He even went so far as to join the underworld.

However, once he joins the team, this experience might actually be an advantage.

Thinking about the team's situation, Wei Zheng couldn't help but sigh again:

“You’ll understand once you’re in here. These days, those of us who practice traditional martial arts are becoming less and less popular in the team.”

"The ones with the most power are those researchers, who are always thinking about gene optimization and human enhancement programs."

“There are fewer and fewer pure martial artists like us. Most of them are sent to small cities to guard or watch warehouses, sitting on the sidelines.”

He worked diligently in the Special Investigations Unit for over a decade, but in the end, he was only a Level 2 administrative officer.

These words were spoken with a hint of listlessness.

"Those guys don't know anything!"

Ma Dong-hyuk immediately perked up:

"Senior Brother Wei, that's why I asked you to come and see my buddy."

"Let me tell you, he's a monster. He got to that level purely through training. He can punch right through a concrete wall!"

"Once you see him, you'll know what a true genius is!"

Wei Zheng smiled and didn't take it too seriously.

No matter how strong a martial artist is, how strong can they be? Can they be faster than a spear?

Even if he practiced martial arts and qigong from a young age, he was only stronger and recovered his strength faster than the average person.

Ultimately, they are made of flesh and blood.

When it comes to actually carrying out a mission, they still rely on various firearms and equipment, modern weapons.

Who would be foolish enough to fight monsters with special abilities with their bare hands?

As they were talking, the jeep had already arrived at the entrance of Tianxin Village.

Strangely enough, the torrential rain that had been pouring down just moments before suddenly subsided.

"Turn at the next intersection and you'll arrive."

Ma Donghe peeked out and pointed the way.

"It's been so many years since I've been here, I've almost forgotten the way."

Wei Zheng sighed and drove his jeep through the narrow dirt roads of the village.

"Senior Brother Wei, let's stop for a moment."

Ma Donghe suddenly said:
"We're out of alcohol at home, so I'll go to the convenience store and buy two good bottles. I'll let you try my cooking later, and we'll have a good drink together!"

As he spoke, he pushed open the car door and, braving the light drizzle, ran towards a small shop with a sign that read "Tobacco, Alcohol and Groceries" not far away.

Wei Zheng parked the car on the side of the road, rolled down the window, and casually put his arm on the windowsill.

He took out his cigarette case, lit a cigarette, looked at the hazy scenery outside the window in the rain, and slowly exhaled a smoke ring.

The parking spot happened to be at a fork in the road.

A winding path leads to the hills behind the village, and the grass and trees along the path appear even greener after being washed by the rain.

His visit this time wasn't entirely due to Ma Donghe's warm invitation.

Last month, he led a team on a mission that failed.

Two teammates who had been with him for many years, one died on the spot, and the other is still lying in the hospital.

He was therefore given a long leave, ostensibly to "adjust his mental state".

Wei Zheng may seem generous, but when he is alone at this moment, a hint of weariness is unconsciously revealed on his face.

I was just joking with Ma Donghe earlier, but I was just putting on a brave face. I still had a heavy weight on my mind.

Today, Ma Donghe specially invited him to the Ma family home, saying that he wanted to introduce him to a "peerless martial arts genius".

Since he's suspended from work and has nothing to do at home anyway, he might as well come over and relax.

"A peerless genius..."

Wei Zheng chuckled self-deprecatingly and took another drag of his cigarette.

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed slightly.

On the path leading to the back mountain, a man was walking down at a leisurely pace.

The man was shirtless, his bronze skin glowing with a healthy sheen in the rain.

Each muscle has a clear and distinct outline, yet it doesn't look like the bulky, dead muscles you get from working out in the gym; instead, it's full of fluid, powerful lines.

Water droplets slid down his well-defined abdominal muscles and disappeared into his... conspicuous bright red underwear.

He walked barefoot, step by step, on the wet, muddy ground.

Even though it was just a walk, it gave people an indescribable sense of oppression.

It resembled a fierce tiger that had just finished a hearty meal in the mountains and was now patrolling its territory.

(End of this chapter)