Swallowing the Stars: Reboot, The Eternal Serpent!

Chapter 7 Power Amplification: ↑ (Two chapters combined, please add to your favorites and vote!)

Compared to his punching power, Jiang Zhe's speed seems somewhat lacking.

After all, he didn't have much of a martial arts background before, and his power generation techniques were all things he had figured out at the last minute without any systematic training.

They can call themselves "future warriors," but there is still a lot of room for improvement.

Next is the neurological response test.

With clumsy movement skills combined with the powerful neural reflexes and computational abilities of a mentalist, the rating reached—"Excellent, Intermediate Warrior Level!" / "Qualified, High Warrior Level!"

The continuous shocks had numbed Jiang Wu and his sister, leading them to accept the fact that "Jiang Zhe's excellence is a given."

He gave Jiang Zhe a thumbs up as he walked over.

Jiang Sisi sighed softly, "If Grandpa and the others don't come back soon, Xiao Zhe will be promoted to the level of a warrior general. He'll go straight to the elite training camp, where he'll have dragon blood and jade marrow to use. The blood wine we brew will have little effect on him then."

Jiang Wu laughed, "Haha, even Grandpa and the others never imagined that Xiao Zhe's talent would be so terrifying!"

"No one could have imagined... I worked hard for four years, only to be caught up by him overnight. I even started to doubt whether I was suited to be a martial artist."

Jiang Wu didn't respond to the previous comment, but instead said, "Feel fortunate! He's our cousin, we share the same blood, we should be proud of him!"

Jiang Sisi realized that she was losing her composure, so she pursed her lips and remained silent.

Jiang Wu continued, "Xiao Zhe didn't achieve his potential overnight; he still has a long way to go. Before Grandpa returns, we need to help him. Turning him into a qualified martial artist within five days shouldn't be too challenging, right?"

"That doesn't count. I'll teach him the movement techniques," Jiang Sisi volunteered.

"Then I'll teach you weapon-based combat and power generation techniques. I just don't know if Xiao Zhe is ready?"

At this moment, Jiang Zhe had already approached the two of them.

Jiang Zhe asked with a smile, "Second Brother, has my martial arts combat assessment been arranged?"

Jiang Wu made an "OK" gesture.

"It's no big deal, a phone call will solve it."

"On August 1st, you and more than a thousand people will go to the Southern Military Region to conduct a live-fire assessment in a small town on the shore of the South Four Lakes."

"Xiao Zhe, have you looked at the video on the USB drive? Have you chosen which weapon to use?"

Jiang Zhe was prepared and said, "We haven't decided which weapon to specialize in yet. For now, we'll use a shield and an iron whip as a temporary solution."

Thinking about it on a deeper level—

A mentalist or a martial artist?

Jiang Zhe was not prepared, nor did he have enough experience, to make this choice.

Take Luo Feng as an example.

Before entering the Cosmic Sea, he also tumbled between two paths, choosing a profession based on his circumstances and creating suitable unique skills.

It wasn't until he received the "Sword Inheritance" from Duan Donghe that he truly settled down, focused on the Way of the Sword, and became famous in many Origin Worlds for it.

"Very innovative," Jiang Wu praised. "A novice might not be able to kill someone with a knife, but with a heavy weapon like a whip or mace, a single strike is a critical hit!"

As for the saying, "Iron whips and bronze maces can only be used by those with great strength," it's just nonsense when applied to Jiang Zhe.

Jiang Wu raised his arm and hooked his arm around Jiang Zhe's shoulder. "Come on, let's go with your second brother to choose weapons."

The fifth floor of the Martial Arts Hall has a dedicated equipment room containing all kinds of weapons, all made of materials starting from the 5th series, comparable to those of intermediate-level warriors.

Jiang Zhe first selected a four-foot bamboo whip, weighing 200 kilograms. The weight was not just right; it was a bit too light.

Then there's the shield.

Among the various shapes, Jiang Zhe preferred the fan-shaped shield.

It's the shield shape commonly seen on car logos.

However, on his second brother's advice, Jiang Zhe ultimately chose the beast-faced round shield.

It has a diameter of 80 centimeters and can cover nearly half of your body when lifted.

He is a psychic, and if he encounters a crisis he cannot handle, he can take off by stepping on his shield. The round shield experiences less air resistance than the fan-shaped shield.

Back in the spacious training hall, Jiang Wu began to explain to Jiang Zhe how to use the weapons.

"Put the iron whip aside for now. We'll focus on teaching you how to use the shield, so you can prioritize staying alive before considering a counterattack."

Jiang Wu suddenly asked, "Have you heard of the [Eagle and Bear Combined Training]?"

Jiang Zhe nodded, "The bear and eagle forms in Xingyi Quan are like an old bear emerging from its cave and an eagle soaring through the sky. They combine movement and stillness, yin and yang interacting. Rising is like a bear, falling is like an eagle; you strike whether you rise or fall!"

He's practically worn out the boxing manuals he's treasured at home, so this little problem is no challenge for him.

"Haha, Xiao Zhe, you've really not wasted your time studying the scriptures over the past ten years. It's much easier for your second brother to explain them to you now."

"Our family has two sets of techniques that can barely be considered essential skills—the Bear King Shield and the Eagle Claw Kung Fu. However, because they are relatively unorthodox, the main focus is on understanding the power generation techniques, not necessarily mastering them completely. Therefore, I didn't include them in the five core manuals yesterday."

"Strictly speaking, our family has a total of seven core manuals that are paired with two sets of guiding techniques, corresponding to the Six Arts of Xingyi from the previous era—Chicken Leg, Dragon Body, Tiger Embracing Head, Bear Shoulder, Eagle Claw, and Thunder Sound! Among them, there are two that represent the Tiger Form."

"How should you walk your path of Xingyi? How should you choose and combine the Six Arts? Grandpa and you will have to plan it together."

"I'll teach you the 'Bear' and 'Eagle' now, and later your sister Sisi will teach you the 'Chicken Step'. These three are things you must learn, and they won't affect your future choices."

"You only need to grasp the techniques of force application; don't rigidly imitate them. Learn the spirit rather than the form."

Jiang Zhe nodded, his left arm clad in a round shield, and focused intently on his second brother's demonstration of the essence of the two true forms.

"Bears are clumsy creatures, but their strength in their arms or shoulders is astonishing. They possess the strength to straighten their necks, the power to swing their arms, and the imposing presence when they emerge from their dens. The bear-like form is a representation of these strengths of the bear."

"It has a very high compatibility with shields, so my grandfather created the 'Bear King Shield' based on the shape of a bear."

"As the boxing manual says: 'Losing a hand is not a loss, but losing an elbow is not a loss, and losing an elbow is not a loss, but losing a shoulder.'"

"This method focuses on generating power from the elbows and shoulders, connecting the waist and hips, and linking the wrists and hands. Once fully mastered, it can produce twice the power."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhe's expression underwent a subtle change.

Is it only 2/7 of the "Ninefold Thunder Blade"? And it's slightly inferior to the second layer's effect.

It's a bit low, I'm not sure, I'll have to wait and see.

After all, "bear shoulder" is only one-sixth of the whole, while the Xingyi school is known for "all six arts are complete and kung fu is in the body".

There must be a way to integrate them and increase their power exponentially, otherwise Grandpa would never have earned the title of "Invincible War God".

Second Brother Jiang Wu continued to explain the theory.

This time we're talking about the eagle shape.

The corresponding secret manual created is "Eagle Claw Kung Fu".

Before the ability to release genetic energy, no one would use it to fight monsters; that would be like delivering takeout to the monsters.

"The eagle is the fiercest and most vicious of birds of prey, skilled in seizing and capturing prey."

"Imitate the swift descent and seizing of an eagle, requiring power to be concentrated in the extremities, the whole body to sink down, and the movements to be closely coordinated with breathing, so that the force is complete and precise."

"Grandpa's Eagle Claw Kung Fu can be used to generate up to twice the force if you master the power generation techniques."

"Don't think they're all low."

"Returning to the previously mentioned 'Eagle and Bear Combined Training,' because the two are similar, both integrating the skills of the hands, arms, shoulders, waist, hips, and upper body."

"The bear rises, lamenting the lack of a ring on the earth; the eagle falls, lamenting the lack of a handle in the sky."

"By mastering the essence of both techniques and perfectly combining them, you can achieve up to three times the power!"

Jiang Wu said with pride, "These are just two of the Jiang family's unorthodox secret manuals. Xiao Zhe, if you master even half of their essence, and then learn the other five core manuals, your final physical strength will definitely not be low!"

Correct!

That's more like it!

Jiang Zhe's eyes lit up, and he finally realized how amazing his family's secret technique was.

It is a completely different theory from "Ninefold Thunder Blade".

It originated from the long-standing Xingyi Quan, meticulously studied the six arts of Xingyi, dispersed them and then integrated them, using quantitative change to promote qualitative change.

Jiang Zhe is now somewhat hopeful.

If the remaining five sets are the same as these two, and the six completely different forces are perfectly integrated, how many times can the power generation technique be boosted?

What level has the creator of Jiang-style New Xingyi Quan, the old man who once earned the title of "Invincible War God," reached now?

Hong and Thor went the wrong way.

From a cosmic perspective, what level would my road be considered?

Jiang Wu picked up another round shield from the ground, swung it twice, then held it horizontally between his ribs. He then suddenly stepped forward with unexpected, skillful, and agile movements, using his body to carry the shield as he slammed it forward.

Ok?

Jiang Zhe was a little puzzled. Why does your shield look so axe-like?

Shouldn't we learn how to take a beating first, and then how to protect ourselves with a shield?

"Come on, practice with me, this move is 'The Old Bear Emerges from its Cave'!"

Never mind, it shouldn't be a big problem.

Jiang Zhe quickly raised his shield to imitate him, paying attention to the details on his second brother's body and trying to figure out the hidden techniques for generating power.

"The sloth bear crashed into a tree!"

"The bear swings its arms!"

"Black Bear Holding a Pagoda!"

……

Jiang Wu practiced the "Bear King Shield" routine three times, with all the moves revolving around the arms and back.

Jiang Zhe discovered that he now has an excellent memory and an absurdly high level of comprehension.

The first time, memorize the entire routine;

The second time, we'll extract the hidden power generation techniques.

On the third try, I vaguely felt that I could apply the power generation technique to myself.

Of course, Jiang Zhe remained clear-headed.

"The feeling on the third time only means that my brain understands, but my body still needs to gradually comprehend, adapt, and explore before I can show it with some discount," Jiang Zhe thought to himself.

"Xiao Zhe, do you need me to continue?"

Jiang Zhe shook his head. "Second brother, why don't you watch me do it?"

"Oh, you're quite confident. Why don't you give it a try?" Jiang Wu's thick eyebrows twitched, showing interest.

—The old bear emerges from its den!

—A lazy bear bumps into a tree!

—A fierce bear swings its arms!

……

Jiang Zhe not only repeated those moves, but also demonstrated his own understanding of body power generation techniques, hoping to get corrections from his second brother.

"Xiao Zhe, think more about how a bear swings its arms when it's showing off its power."

"When exerting force, the head should be upright, the shoulders should be relaxed, and the arms should be open."

"Note that the opening and closing motion should be diagonal, with the body rising first, leading with the shoulders, and then using the shoulders to drive the elbows and hands!"

I'm currently reading the error-free version! This is the first time I've published this novel.

"..."

Like a sponge that has fallen into water, Jiang Zhe absorbed nutrients like crazy under Jiang Wu's guidance, and his learning of power techniques gradually improved.

In a corner of the training hall, Jiang Sisi looked at the two brothers, frowning in confusion.

"Didn't we say... time is short and the task is heavy, so we should start with the simpler things, like teaching Xiao Zhe how to effectively use his shield to block?"

"Why are you suddenly teaching advanced techniques like generating power?"

"Um... to be honest, Xiao Zhe's comprehension is a bit terrifying!"

Gradually, Jiang Wu also realized the problem, and his expression became somewhat subtle.

"Damn it!"

"How many times is this?"

"I don't see any problems with his movements, and I can't see any flaws in how he generates power..."

"He seems to have pushed me to my limit!"

Jiang Wu muttered to himself, feeling ashamed.

But on the surface, the bear-like face with its thick beard showed no change in emotion.

It should be noted that he was only a mid-level warrior, on par with Jiang Zhe's mental cultivation.

In terms of physical exertion, it barely reaches 3 times, but this is only achieved by combining the forms of bear, eagle, and tiger.

"Second brother? Second brother?"

Jiang Zhe called out softly, pulling Jiang Wu back from his reverie.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

Jiang Zhe said speechlessly, "Second brother, look at my body, where is there a problem with how I exert force?"

"Ahem, well... you barely passed. Remember to watch the videos Grandpa recorded when you get back."

"We're short on time. Now that we've pretty much mastered the 'Bear King Shield,' let's move on to the next lesson."

Jiang Zhe was suspicious.

Second brother, why does your tone sound so tough on the outside but weak on the inside?

Are you unable to teach me?

The more Jiang Zhe thought about it, the more he felt that it might be the truth.

She smiled to herself, but didn't expose him, saving face for her second brother.

"Second Brother, are we going to learn Eagle Claw Kung Fu next?"

Jiang Wu shook his head, "No, still the shield technique."

"I will incorporate the power generation of the eagle form into my moves and demonstrate it to you. Pay attention to the new power generation techniques and try to combine the two."

After saying that, Jiang Wu began to practice.

He completely altered many of his moves, and his aura changed drastically.

It's no longer the imposing presence of an arm raised as if it could block out a thousand troops.

Instead, it became—fierce! ruthless! decisive and efficient!

The round shield resembled a guillotine or axe, slashing down fiercely from above.

After the third rehearsal, Jiang Zhe felt it was still not quite right, so he asked his second brother to practice it two more times.

With his comprehension, it wouldn't be difficult for him to extract new power generation techniques from them.

The challenge lies in combining the strengths of both the bear and eagle forms to increase the power one can generate.

After pondering for nearly twenty minutes, Jiang Zhe picked up the round shield and showed his understanding to his second brother.

Jiang Wu also took advantage of the fact that he could still give Jiang Zhe pointers and indulged in a crazy verbal sparring session.

"It's lacking something. Be more ruthless, unleash the most crucial sinking force of the eagle form!"

"I hate that heaven has no hand to hold! I hate that heaven has no hand to hold! I hate that heaven has no hand to hold!"

Do you understand what I mean?

"Connect the extremities of your body, generate unified power, unified power!"

"Could you please put your tattered 'bear wing' aside for now?"

"Its prominence as the root joint among the 'three sections' is too prominent, affecting the overall transmission of force and preventing it from being perfectly channeled through your arm."

"..."

"Okay, let me explain to you what the 'three festivals' are first."

"The three segments refer to the tip, middle, and root segments. The human body is divided into three major segments: the arms are the tip, the trunk is the middle, and the legs and feet are the root."

"To be more specific, each of them has three smaller sections."

"Among the extremities of the arm, the hand is the tip, the elbow is the middle, and the shoulder is the root."

"Among the middle sections of the torso, the head is the tip, the shoulders and neck are the middle, and the waist and hips are the root."

"The root is the middle of the legs and feet, the feet are the tip, the knees are the middle, and the hips are the root."

"Our family's secret technique, to put it simply, involves utilizing the 'three sections' of the human body: the chicken leg, the dragon's body, the tiger's head, the bear's shoulder, the eagle's claw... Think about it, isn't that right?"

"When the joints of the body are connected and integrated, power can be generated everywhere, and this power can be transmitted to all parts of the body."

"Only my grandfather in our family has reached this level. He is very close to the power multiplier of Hong and Thor."

……

The sun was high in the sky; it was noon.

Jiang Zhe spent the entire morning studying the [Eagle and Bear Combined Training], and with his comprehension, the results were naturally remarkable.

Poor Jiang Wu, he experienced being completely drained at such a young age.

If it weren't for the "food escape," I don't know how I would have gotten away.

He could no longer see the flaws in Jiang Zhe's power exertion and was unable to provide effective guidance.

"Xiao Zhe, let's stop here for now. I'm starving. We'll continue after lunch."

"What? It's already noon?"

Jiang Zhe was surprised, only then realizing that his stomach was empty.

Too focused.

Moreover, martial arts is so much fun!

"Wait, let me test my punching power again."

Jiang Zhe walked up to the punching power testing machine.

The two siblings were also curious about Jiang Zhe's achievements that morning, so they followed him over.

Recalling the "tip theory"—

Jiang Zhe stomped his foot hard, and the force was transmitted from the root of his body to his waist and hips. The entire waist and hips are actually the core of the body's power. With a slight turn, a powerful force was released. The force was transmitted through the middle and tip of his arms. The hard-trained bear arms came into play at this moment. Combined with the eagle-claw landing, he threw out a heavy punch like a cannonball!

"Bang!"

The red text on the test machine screen flashed rapidly: Refresh!

"10404 kg!"

"Ten tons? That's doubled."

Jiang Zhe clicked his tongue slightly, quite satisfied with the results of the entire morning.

But Jiang Wu and his sister were not as calm as him, and exclaimed in surprise one after another.

"General-level?!?"

"That's double the power?!?"

Jiang Zhe's inner voice had already shrugged, "Actually, I can go even higher. This isn't my limit. This is... Second Brother's limit. Let's go back and watch Grandpa's power-up video. I can still improve."

The Jiang family's theory is the key to achieving 100 times the perfect power.

Chicken leg, dragon body, tiger head, bear shoulder, eagle claw, thunder sound – all six arts are present, kung fu is in hand!

(End of this chapter)