Chinese Martial Arts: My Super Beast Clone

Lin Hai took off his tattered short jacket, and beside him, his senior brother Chen Wu wrapped Lin Hai's wounds with bandages.

Lin Hai closed his eyes, seemingly enduring the pain, but in reality, he was using that invisible spiritual connection to send a message to the Earth-Splitting Crocodile Dragon, which was lurking two or three meters underground in the martial arts school, instructing it to return to the wilderness outside the city.

Deep underground, the Earth-Splitting Crocodile Dragon made no sound, quickly swimming back towards the wilderness outside Yangcheng along the soil layers.

Only after confirming that the Earth-Splitting Crocodile Dragon had left the inner city did Lin Hai completely relax. Although he hadn't revealed his biggest trump card today, its existence allowed him to fight without any reservations on the arena.

After bandaging the wound, Chen Wu reached out and patted Lin Hai's uninjured right shoulder, his tone tinged with emotion: "Junior Brother Lin, you really impressed me today. Two experts who had broken through three levels couldn't withstand the Japanese weapons, and you, who have only been practicing martial arts for two months, actually managed to cripple them."

Lin Hai smiled and replied, "The Japanese weapons are too rigid in their movements. Spring steel weapons have strong explosive power, but they need to build up momentum. Blades are sharp, but their center of gravity is unstable. As long as we seize the opportunity, engage in close combat, and smash the joints of their weapons, they will become scrap metal."

"Easy for you to say. When it comes to the actual competition, you won't find many people with your courage and insight." Chen Wu shook his head, then straightened his expression and said, "Put on your clothes and come with me. Master is waiting for you in the backyard."

Lin Hai took the clean short jacket that had been prepared next to him and put it on. He then followed Chen Wu through the training ground and arrived at Lu Zhengchuan's courtyard.

Lu Zhengchuan was sitting in a grand chair, holding a brass pipe in his hand, taking a puff here and there.

Seeing Lin Hai enter, Lu Zhengchuan pointed to the wooden chair next to him and said, "Sit down and let's talk."

Lin Hai did not refuse and went over to sit down as instructed. Chen Wu stood properly beside Lu Zhengchuan.

Lu Zhengchuan looked Lin Hai up and down a few times before asking, "Are your bones alright?"

"Master, it's just a minor cut, nothing serious," Lin Hai replied.

Lu Zhengchuan nodded, exhaling a puff of smoke. "So, what stage have you reached in your kung fu training?"

Lin Hai sat upright in his chair and replied, "I have mastered the Tiger-Taming Stance that my master taught me. I have also mastered the whole-body strength and am about halfway through the Bone-Changing Technique."

"Your progress isn't slow." Lu Zhengchuan nodded. "Today on the field, you punched that Takeda Yu so hard he staggered back three steps. How powerful are your punches now?"

"1,500 jin."

Lin Hai said calmly. He knew that Lu Zhengchuan was asking so many questions because he might already be considering taking on another true disciple. Now was the time to show his talent and demonstrate his worth.

A look of surprise finally appeared on Lu Zhengchuan's face. He recalled that when Lin Hai first started training his strength, he had examined his physical attributes, which were only below average. Now he couldn't help but wonder if he had misjudged him back then.

The strength of 1,500 jin.

An ordinary martial artist, having mastered the three stages of Foundation Establishment and thoroughly mastered the Tendon-Changing, Bone-Changing, and Marrow-Changing techniques, typically possesses a strength of around a thousand jin.

Lin Hai had only achieved minor success in bone transformation and had not yet begun marrow transformation. His qi and blood had not fully transformed, yet he already possessed a punching force of 1,500 jin.

Lu Zhengchuan was silent for a moment, then placed his pipe on the table and said solemnly, "The rules for accepting disciples at the martial arts school are very strict. Outer disciples learn stances, while inner disciples learn fist techniques. As for personal disciples, my rule is that they must first reach the level of Ming Jin (manifest strength) and then have the potential to reach An Jin (hidden strength) before they can receive the true core secret techniques of my Fuhu Martial Arts School."

He paused for a moment, looking at Lin Hai.

"But rules are rigid, people are flexible," Lu Zhengchuan said. "Today you killed two Japanese ronin, bringing fame to my Fuhu Martial Arts School and making a great contribution. With this achievement and your talent, if I were to use rigid rules to hold you back, it would be because I don't know true gold."

Lu Zhengchuan straightened up, putting his hands behind his back: "Lin Hai, I wish to take you as my twelfth personal disciple..."

"Are you willing?"

Lin Hai immediately stood up, and without hesitation, lifted his clothes, knelt down, and kowtowed three times.

"Disciple Lin Hai greets Master."

According to the rules of the Yangcheng martial arts community, disciples who come to the martial arts school to learn skills pay tuition and are only considered as nominal disciples. However, once the status of a personal disciple is established, it is equivalent to half a father and son.

This is the result that Lin Hai has always wanted to achieve. Only by becoming a direct disciple can he learn the true heritage of the martial arts school and go further on the path of martial arts.

"Get up." Lu Zhengchuan stepped forward and helped Lin Hai up. "You already drank the apprenticeship tea when you entered the academy, so there's no need for those formalities today. Your other senior brothers are all in the front yard dealing with the funeral arrangements. Chen Wu, go to the kitchen and ask your master's wife to cook a few of her signature dishes. We, master and disciples, will have a few drinks behind closed doors tonight."

"Yes, Master," Chen Wu replied, then turned and quickly left the courtyard.

As dusk fell, the bright lights illuminated the hall.

Lu Zhengchuan sat at the head of the table at a large round table. His teacher's wife, Madam Liu, was a kind-looking middle-aged woman who, along with two maids, brought plates of steaming dishes to the table.

Sitting at the table were Senior Brother Chen Wu, Fourth Senior Brother Lei Zhen, Fifth Senior Brother Chang Yun, and Seventh Senior Brother Guo Fei.

The atmosphere at the table was very lively. Although two disciples had died today, Lin Hai's swift and decisive counterattack against the Japanese was truly satisfying.

"Junior Brother Lin, those moves you made today were really satisfying." The fourth senior brother, Lei Zhen, who had the most fiery temper, picked up his wine bowl. "Come, let me toast you."

Lin Hai quickly picked up his wine glass, clinked it with Lei Zhen's, and drank it all in one gulp.

After a few drinks, everyone started talking more. Chen Wu put down his glass, took out a small white porcelain bottle from his pocket, and placed it on the table in front of Lin Hai.

"Junior brother, according to the rules of our martial arts school, the senior brothers should show their appreciation to the newly appointed personal disciples." Chen Wu pointed to the porcelain bottle and said, "This is a bottle of Tiger Essence Pills, with three pills inside. These Tiger Essence Pills are different from the ones we usually give out. They are made by Master using the essence blood of a high-ranking demon tiger, combined with old ginseng. They are at least several times more potent than the commonly made Tiger Essence Pills."

Lin Hai solemnly accepted the porcelain bottle: "Thank you, Senior Brother."

"What a pity." Chen Wu sighed, picked up his wine cup and took a sip. "Master hasn't taken us to hunt demon tigers in the wilderness for over a year. It'll probably be difficult to get medicine of this quality again in the future."

Beside him, the fifth senior brother, Chang Yun, took out a pair of shiny black brass knuckles from his sleeve, placed them on the table, and slid them in front of Lin Hai.

"I'm not as extravagant as my senior brother," Chang Yun smiled. He was more composed. "These brass knuckle dusters are made of black iron. Wearing them, you won't be afraid of going head-to-head with weapons anymore."

Lin Hai picked up the brass knuckles and weighed them in his hand; they were quite heavy.

"Thank you, Fifth Senior Brother."

"The biggest expense for martial arts practitioners is money." Fourth Senior Brother Lei Zhen pulled three golden croakers from his pocket and slammed them on the table. "I'm a rough man and don't like all that beating around the bush. Take these three croakers. If you want to buy any meat or tonics, go to the shop and pick them out yourself."

Lin Hai looked at the gold bars on the table, and without hesitation, he generously put them into his pocket.

Finally, it was the turn of the seventh senior brother, Guo Fei.

He reached into his robes and pulled out a Browning pistol.

He pushed the pistol in front of Lin Hai.

"Junior Brother Lin, what we martial artists lack most is ranged attack methods. In the martial world, sometimes relying solely on fists is a disadvantage. Keep this gun for self-defense, just in case."