Half-human, half-ghost, the number one divine fist

Time passed, and half a month later.

Lin Fusheng stood on the lawn in the manor, looking at the hardwood stake in front of him.

Originally, he used wooden stakes wrapped in soft cloth.

Now they have been replaced with hardwood stakes, and the soft cowhide cloth has been lost.

After half a month of cultivation, he has successfully entered the mid-stage of the Stone Skin realm.

[Mountain Collision Technique - Minor Success (101/200): Defense +101%]

Next, he checked his panel.

[Contemplation of the casting process]

Six Harmony Fist (Perfect: 445/1000): Attack +445%

Ironclad Stance (Perfect: 400/400): Health +400%

Mountain Crash Technique (Minor Success: 101/200): Defense +101%

Qi and Blood: 35 (+140)

Attack: 38 (+169.1)

Defense: 26 (+26.26)

Agility: 15

Activated visualization diagrams: [Yanshi Town Suiqianlian Liuhequan], [Rong Chongming Bailian Liuhequan], [Rong Chongming Bailian Tieyizhuang], [Rong Chongming Bailian Zhuangyuefa], [Mo Yiyi Thirty-Two Lian Taijiquan]

After watching it, Lin Fusheng exclaimed that he was now both a skilled fighter and capable of prolonged battles.

"I'm currently in the mid-stage of the Stone Skin realm, and I'm aiming to reach the late-stage by the end of the month."

Although my main focus is on the Mountain-Striking Technique, I still need to dedicate sufficient time to practicing the Six Harmonies Fist. I heard from the old man that he'll be assigning me temporary duties around this time.

"I can't possibly resolve every troublesome situation, every gang fight, by relying on personal connections, can I?"

"Saving face" is the key?

Having pondered this for a while, Lin Fusheng prepared to rest for a bit before continuing his cultivation.

Two more days passed, and Lin Fusheng received a message.

Rong Chongming sent men to capture and kill the bald man Shi Pi who had previously ambushed him.

After that sneak attack, the kid ran incredibly fast, supposedly escaping into the mountains, but he was still caught.

The Tongxin Society now uses him as a "role model of loyalty," and someone like Bald Stone Skin is perfect for killing him for propaganda purposes, to serve as a foil.

"It's been a while since I've been to Jinrong Casino, but what would I do there?"

Lin Fusheng didn't really want to see Rong Chongming.

While pondering, he resumed his cultivation.

Just then, two young men slowly walked in from outside the manor.

The two are named Qin Shidao and Lu Xiaoyu.

Qin Shidao stood outside the manor gate, his posture as upright as a pine tree. He was about twenty years old, wearing a dark blue Zhongshan suit, with relaxed eyebrows and gentle eyes.

His first impression can be summed up in two words.

thoughtful.

Lu Xiaoyu, standing next to Qin Shidao, was a little younger, around eighteen or nineteen years old. He was fair-skinned, with a lively and unrestrained air about him.

Lu Xiaoyu had specially changed into a newly tailored bamboo-green long robe today, and he would occasionally peek into the doorway.

"Brother Qin."

Lu Xiaoyu turned to look at the person beside him, his tone filled with undisguised admiration, "You're so smart!"

He lowered his voice, "I only heard about Lin Fusheng a few days ago, and you quickly recommended him to the Military Academy. He was then approved and granted the right to inspect him, and he went straight to the Mo family manor."

"Among the younger generation, you have the widest circle of friends, the most active network, and the sharpest mind. I bet no one else has thought of using the Military Academy to befriend Lin Fusheng."

At this point, Lu Xiaoyu's eyes sparkled:

"This opportunity at the Military Academy is something countless people would kill for. We've proactively offered it to him, giving him a break and helping him get a good rating. Lin Fusheng will definitely remember this favor."

Upon hearing this, Qin Shidao slowly nodded.

"You're currently in the late stage of Stone Skin, right?"

"Lin Fusheng was in the early stage of stone skin."

"He's been recuperating at Elder Mo's place for the past two weeks, so even if he wanted to practice, he couldn't do much. Considering his previous foundation, he's at most at the mid-stage of the early Stone Skin realm."

"Our identities are those of the Tongxin Society, specifically responsible for testing the strength of young disciples and determining their eligibility to participate in the Martial Arts Academy assessment. With your level, defeating him is a matter of one move."

Lu Xiaoyu nodded repeatedly, about to say something, but Qin Shidao slightly raised his hand, signaling him not to speak yet.

"But remember this."

Qin Shidao's face showed an extremely serious expression, and his voice was lowered a few decibels.

"Although you are sure to win, you should act convincingly. It would be best if you could fight him for seven or eight rounds before 'barely' defeating him."

Qin Shidao emphasized the word "勉强" (barely).

After saying that, Qin Shidao looked at Lu Xiaoyu with a clear understanding of the world: "Only in this way can we give him a 'high score' and let him pass the test and qualify to participate in the Martial Arts Academy assessment in a reasonable way."

It should be noted that, normally, one must be at least at the Stone Skin Perfection level to enter the Military Academy.

Besides that, there are those with connections, those who get in through back channels.

As soon as Lin Fusheng's incident occurred, he quickly realized that this was an opportunity to get closer to Lin Fusheng, to gain the right to test him, and then to secretly give Lin Fusheng a back door.

"Lin Fusheng isn't stupid. After inquiring, he realized that he, a mere early-stage Stone Skin cultivator, had somehow managed to hold out for seven or eight rounds against a fully-fledged Stone Skin cultivator. And why was a newcomer to Stone Skin able to secure a recommendation for the Martial Arts Academy?"

"Lin Fusheng will understand then that we're letting him off the hook, that we're doing him a favor."

"He'll naturally remember our kindness when the time comes."

After explaining the intricacies of the matter to Lu Xiaoyu, Qin Shidao couldn't help but show a proud expression: "Xiaoyu, you should learn from this. Your brother Qin's astonishing wisdom will take you three to five years to even begin to grasp!"

Lu Xiaoyu's eyes widened, his face filled with a sudden realization of "I see."

He grabbed Qin Shidao's arm and exclaimed excitedly, "Brother Qin, you're brilliant! Don't worry, I'll definitely give you a great performance! You can completely trust my acting skills!"

Qin Shidao raised an eyebrow.

He didn't speak, but just looked at Lu Xiaoyu quietly with an "Are you sure?" look in his eyes.

Lu Xiaoyu felt a little uneasy under that gaze, and awkwardly let go of his hand, muttering softly, "I... my acting skills are actually not bad."

"I wouldn't value others this much, but Lin Fusheng is different. His status within the association will definitely rise in the future."

"So, how to act is an art."

"Fine, I'll teach you."

Qin Shidao cleared his throat, looked directly at Lu Xiaoyu, and began to 'lecture' word by word:

"When you spar with Lin Fusheng, don't rush to attack. After you catch Lin Fusheng's first move, you should show a 'surprised expression' on your face. This expression should not be one of fear or panic, but rather one of surprise that you actually have such strength."

He raised his voice slightly: "Then, you looked at Lin Fusheng and said, 'I never expected you to be so capable. This is nothing like the level of a beginner in the Stone Skin stage! Your talent and aptitude are rare among your peers!'"

Lu Xiaoyu nodded repeatedly, extremely serious, holding his breath and muttering to himself as if reciting a text.

"Furthermore," Qin Shidao continued, "I've heard a rumor about Lin Fusheng, that his blood and energy are extraordinary, and that he can rival the middle stage of the Stone Skin Realm even in the early stage. This rumor is certainly true, and I suspect that Lin Fusheng survived this ordeal because of it."

"It just so happens that Lin Fusheng has this physique, so it's easy for you to act."

At this point, Qin Shidao raised his right hand and made a gesture of "taking a deep breath".

"When the time comes, you'll take a couple of blows from him and feel his blood and qi. No matter how good Lin Fu's blood and qi are, you must gasp sharply. Remember, you must gasp sharply, showing a look of shock on your face. It's best to stagger back half a step and exclaim, 'Hiss—I never expected your blood and qi to be so terrifying!'"

Qin Shidao looked at Lu Xiaoyu:

"Remember, it's a 'hiss—' sound, a breathy sound, so that people can hear you inhaling, understand?"

Lu Xiaoyu nodded vigorously, his eyes burning with determination. He knew this was a profound subject, and quickly said, "I'll remember, I'll remember! 'Hiss—I didn't expect your blood energy to be so terrifying!'"

He mimicked taking a deep breath, making an exaggerated expression of extreme shock.

Qin Shidao's lips twitched slightly, but he didn't comment on his acting skills and continued:

"Then came the actual fight."

"Hold back your strength, don't send him flying with just one strike. The gap between you and him is too big; normally, he wouldn't even last three moves. But you need to stretch those three moves into seven or eight. When he throws a punch, you catch it; when he kicks, you block it; when he attacks, you take a half step back; when he chases, you dodge to the side."

"The key is that you cooperate with him, not that he cooperates with you. To make it appear to outsiders that Lin Fusheng is launching a fierce and relentless offensive, while you, Lu Xiaoyu, with your perfect skin, are being forced into a perilous situation and struggling for seven or eight rounds before barely managing to win."

"That's how we show he's good enough to get a high score, understand?"

Lu Xiaoyu was filled with awe.

"Understood."

He nodded solemnly, as if he had received some important military order, "Brother Qin, don't worry, I will definitely hold back and will absolutely not slap him away!"

Looking at his confident expression, Qin Shidao opened his mouth, wanting to say a few more words of advice, but in the end only said:

"Sigh, it's just that I'm already too stubborn to personally perform on stage."

"Fine, I trust you. Let's go in."

He turned and stepped through the manor gate.

Lu Xiaoyu quickly followed.