Nightmare Despair

Chapter 56 Broken Wings, Blue Leopard, Ichthyosaur
"Come with me to pay homage to the ancestral master."

Chen Ping's voice was flat, as if the conversation just now was nothing more than casual chatter after dinner.

Zhou Kai suppressed his thoughts and didn't ask any more questions.

Click.

With a crisp click, Chen Ping turned on the light.

The lights instantly illuminated the entire room.

The place was somewhat different from what Zhou Kai had imagined; the furnishings were simple: elegiac couplets, photos, memorial tablets, offering table, incense burner, and prayer cushions.

Chen Ping didn't speak. He walked straight to the prayer mat, knelt down on both knees, and bowed three times to the black and white photograph with steady movements.

Then he got up, took three incense sticks from the offering table, lit them on the candle flame, and inserted them into the incense burner.

Zhou Kai stood behind him, seeing every movement clearly.

He didn't say anything, but followed suit and then went forward to light a few sticks of incense in the incense burner.

Soon, the two completed the ritual of worshipping the ancestral master.

And from this moment on, the unknown truth of Crimson Star Martial Arts slowly unfolded before him like a dusty scroll.

……

"The decline of ancient martial arts is not entirely due to its inability to keep up with the times." After the ceremony, Chen Ping looked at Zhou Kai with much closer eyes, a kind of scrutiny one would show when looking at someone he considered one of his own.

"More often than not, this is a proactive choice."

He led Zhou Kai up to the rooftop; the night wind was icy cold, clearing their minds.

The neon lights of the distant city flicker like a silent sea of ​​stars.

"The information about ancient martial arts online is both chaotic and scarce. For ordinary people, finding anything useful is harder than climbing to heaven. Do you know why?"

Zhou Kai frowned slightly. The city's hustle and bustle carried on the wind. He pondered for a moment: "...Is it blocked?"

Chen Ping nodded and leaned against the railing: "That's right, this is the result of the joint efforts of the government and our martial arts forces. This era can't accommodate too many martial artists. And our three families can't afford to support too many martial artists either."

The ancient martial arts of Akahoshi have a long history, which can even be traced back to before the advent of writing.

Legend has it that in ancient times, there were as many schools of thought as there were stars in the sky.

Pictographic, internal and external schools, northern and southern schools... a wide variety of schools, known as the Hundred Schools of Thought.

The category of pictographic boxing alone has hundreds or even thousands of sub-categories.

But as time passed, thousands of years later, the power of martial artists far surpassed that of the past, yet the variety of ancient martial arts became far rarer than before.

"In today's Red Star, there are only three families and three major schools that can truly enable people to step into the four realms of martial arts."

"Our Broken Wing Sect, and its main branch, the Falcon Wing Boxing School, practice the 'Broken Wing Style.' It's a style that imitates the forms of eagles, falcons, and cranes, incorporating fighting techniques from both ancient and modern times."

"The 'Blue Leopard Clan,' currently the most powerful force entrenched in the northern part of Crimson Star, is also a school of thought based on animal imagery, incorporating the hunting techniques of tigers, leopards, and wolves from ancient and modern times."

"Sharing the southern part of Crimson Star with our Broken Wing Sect, the legendary 'Fish-Dragon Style' has produced some of the strongest ancient martial artists. It remains a representational style, incorporating strangulation techniques from ancient and modern dragons, snakes, and lizards."

Zhou Kai couldn't help but interrupt: "Only pictographs are left? What about Tai Chi and Bagua? I used to read novels, and they were full of famous sects."

Chen Ping raised his hand, signaling him to calm down.

"Internal martial arts do have their merits, but compared to the imitative martial arts of today, they are just health exercises. You'll understand once I finish explaining."

Chen Ping paused for a moment, then continued.

"I just mentioned the four realms of martial arts, so let me tell you what these four realms are."

"The first realm, where strength arises and power is generated... is called True Strength!"

"At this level, scaling walls and leaping across rooftops, possessing immense strength, are all commonplace."

The four realms of martial arts are True Strength, Qi Induction, Form Refinement, and True Spirit.

As Chen Ping continued using his words, his gaze became increasingly fervent, and his descriptions grew ever more bizarre.

Zhou Kai's eyelids twitched; the tone of the conversation had changed too quickly...

Is this still martial arts?

Inhale?

True God?

Why does this sound like a setting from a cultivation novel?
But as soon as the thought popped into his head, Zhou Kai instantly understood why those so-called Tai Chi and Bagua were eliminated by the times and reduced to a morning exercise program for old men in parks.

"Could it be... that apart from these three major schools, there is no other martial art that can allow one to step into the four realms of martial arts?" Chen Ping nodded in satisfaction and said, "More or less. To be more precise, it's impossible to enter the last three realms. Apart from our three major schools and some similar traditions abroad, in other martial arts, being able to cultivate true strength is already the limit."

Now we come to the question that Zhou Kai is most concerned about.

That's really powerful...

What exactly is it like?
Why did that enhanced human named Qiu Ping mistake himself for a true martial artist?
Chen Ping explained, "True strength isn't difficult. Simply put, it's about integrating all the body's power through martial arts training, forcibly breaking through genetic limitations, and unleashing superhuman strength and speed. It's that simple."

"A jump of eight or nine meters, with a limit of more than ten meters; a punch of eight or nine hundred kilograms, with a limit of two tons; a 100-meter sprint, from nine seconds to five seconds... These are all things that a true martial artist can do."

"In ancient terms, it is called 'When strength arises, power is generated, and one thing leads to the whole.'"

Isn't it difficult...?

Okay, if you say it's not difficult, then it's not difficult.

Zhou Kai mentally complained, but then he thought, if Chen Ping thought it wasn't difficult, then it should be even less difficult for him...

After all, he can overcome any difficulty through hard work.

As for "strength arises from the movement, and it is consistent throughout".

Zhou Kai understood the literal meaning almost instantly.

This state described is the core characteristic of the True Strength realm!
By integrating the strength of the whole body and concentrating it into power, every attack can unleash the power of every muscle and every bone in the body from a single point or a line without reservation!

Thinking of this, Zhou Kai's heart started pounding uncontrollably.

Except for the passive integration when he uses the "Chariot" engraving, the power within him is like a pile of loose sand, each fighting its own battle.

From this perspective, I am still far from reaching the True Strength realm.

Even so, through the combination of various abilities, he had already acquired power comparable to a true martial arts master...

How strong will he be after he truly breaks through?
I had a bunch of explosives in my hand, and I've only just gotten the fuse.

With his hands gripping the cold railing, Chen Ping looked down at Xishan City under the night sky and finally revealed his strength.

"I retired from MMA and various lightweight boxing tournaments six years ago and joined Falcon Wing Boxing Gym. Four years and three months ago, I broke through to the True Strength level."

"Even now, it's still the real deal."

"But if I were to fight the person I was four years ago, even ten of me from that time wouldn't be able to withstand a single punch from me now."

How could one reach the first realm of ancient martial arts in just one and a half years?
It sounds like this Senior Brother Chen is also a true genius.

But Chen Ping ignored the approval in Zhou Kai's eyes.

He scoffed, "Ha, martial arts are different now. There are plenty of geniuses more talented than me... like you, aren't you?"

"Your Falcon Strike technique is quite proficient; I can tell."

Chen Ping's expression was somewhat sarcastic, a stark contrast to his usual taciturn demeanor.

Zhou Kai felt a little uncomfortable from the sudden praise, and his old face flushed slightly.

He could only nod and vaguely admit, "It was just hard work and a lucky breakthrough."

Chen Ping shook his head and said seriously:

"What do you mean by luck? You're insulting every drop of sweat you've shed."

“You’re not a superhuman, and you’ve never touched the secret medicine.”

"No effort is ever wasted. Every achievement you make is the result of your talent and hard work, and breakthroughs are only natural."

Zhou Kai's eyes flickered slightly.

Although the panel stats increase rapidly, experience points are always scarce, so I try to save them whenever possible.

Most skill improvements are indeed achieved through daily, tireless practice, sometimes even without sleep, treating oneself like an animal.

There was nothing he could do; the relentless pressure from the nightmare forced him to repeatedly push his limits.

"One compliment is fine, but why are you going on and on so late at night?"

Zhou Kai was inwardly full of complaints.

Why did Senior Brother Chen's style suddenly change?
He kept praising her like a broken record, and Zhou Kai, feeling embarrassed, immediately decided to change the subject.

Coincidentally, Chen Ping had mentioned something that had been on his mind for a long time, but he hadn't yet gone into detail.

Zhou Kai then asked, "So, what exactly is this secret medicine? And what is its connection to ancient martial arts?"

(End of this chapter)