Full-Level Fierce Person

Fang Zhixing countered, "Besides learning martial arts, is there any other way to become powerful?"

The proprietor thought for a moment and then chuckled, "There really isn't."

Fang Zhixing's eyebrows slightly raised as he persisted, "If I wanted to be an official, what should I do?"

"What, become an official?"

The proprietor laughed dumbfoundedly, looking at Fang Zhixing as if he were a fool, "Heh, only children from aristocratic families can become officials. Are you one?"

Aristocratic Family!!

Generations of officials from prominent families, also known as clans, nobility, aristocrats, powerful families, and giant families!

Fang Zhixing understood that in this world, the social hierarchy was strict, and commoners could not become officials.

Born as the lowly, die as ants!

As for the aristocratic families, they were like the sun, moon, and stars, lofty and in control of everything!

A moment later...

Fang Zhixing left the teahouse and headed west, meandering along his way.

Suddenly, he saw a banana tree with thick branches and large leaves, its crown stretching towards the sky like a bird soaring upwards, free and majestic.

As he walked closer, a white wall came into view.

Fang Zhixing then saw a large red-painted gate, guarded by two proudly standing stone lions, imposing and fearsome.

The gate was tightly shut.

"Hey!"

"Ha!"

Fang Zhixing heard shouting coming from inside the yard. He walked to the gate and peeked through the crack.

Inside the yard was a sandy area, lined with a row of wooden dummies.

At that moment, five bare-chested youths were doing push-ups on the ground, sweating profusely.

Seeing this, Fang Zhixing knew he had found the right place.

Thump thump!

He raised his hand and knocked on the door.

After a short while, the door opened, and a sweaty youth stuck his head out, looking tough and scrutinizing Fang Zhixing as he barked loudly, "You beggar, what do you want? Scram, there's no leftover food for you here!"

Fang Zhixing glared and said sternly, "I'm not here to beg, I'm looking for Hero Cheng."

The youth was startled by Fang Zhixing's fierce gaze and stammered, "You, wait a moment."

He turned and ran off.

Soon, he returned, opened the door, and called out, "Come in, the master wants to see you."

Fang Zhixing stepped inside and looked up to see a tall man with long hair standing under the eaves, his temples flecked with gray, prominent cheekbones, and a wrinkled, pale face. He was holding a gourd.

"This man seems ill."

Xigou smelled a strong scent of medicine.

Fang Zhixing also noticed it and carefully observed Cheng Tianen, noting that his breathing was too heavy, his face as pale as paper, and his body thin and frail, hardly seeming like a warrior of great martial prowess.

Stepping forward, Fang Zhixing greeted with a bow, "Junior Fang Zhixing, pays his respects to Hero Cheng."

Cheng Tianen glanced at Fang Zhixing and was just about to speak when he suddenly covered his mouth.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

After a bout of severe coughing, an unusual red flush covered Cheng Tianen's face. He paused for a moment and then asked, "Are you here for a reason?"

Fang Zhixing paused briefly and said earnestly, "Junior wishes to learn about matters of martial arts and hopes Hero Cheng can clarify them for me."

Cheng Tianen's mouth curled slightly, his tone annoyed as he said, "Humph, clarify for you, do you think I have nothing else to do?"

Fang Zhixing responded quickly, "I have money, I won't mistreat you."

With that, he directly pulled out three hundred Big Coins.

Cheng Tianen's expression changed, and anger seemed to flicker across his face.

Seeing this, Xigou instantly transmitted a message, "What are you doing? This man is not simple. He values his dignity and won't bow down for a few measly coins."

Fang Zhixing transmitted back, "He's ill, his expenses must be huge, he definitely needs money. Besides, even if he turns hostile, I'm not afraid, I don't think he's stronger than me."

Xigou was suddenly enlightened.

Indeed, Fang Zhixing had improved three times and mastered two Burst Skills, with more than a dozen people having died by his hand.

And yet, the Cheng Tianen before him was merely a sickly figure.

Fang Zhixing was outwardly respectful to him, but inwardly he scorned him.

The next moment, Cheng Tianen sighed, pulled over a chair, and sat down, pointing to a nearby incense burner, "Ask away, until that incense stick burns out."

Fang Zhixing hurriedly asked, "What are the Heavenly People?"

Cheng Tianen looked deeply at Fang Zhixing and replied, "I have only heard of the Heavenly People, but I have never seen them, nor do I understand them."

Fang Zhixing pondered and asked, "Are the Heavenly People very powerful?"

Cheng Tianen said, "I'm not sure. As I mentioned, I don't understand them, and I can't even be certain if the so-called Heavenly People actually exist; they might only be legendary."

Fang Zhixing understood, then changed the subject, "You are a Martial Artist, may I ask how the cultivation realms of a Martial Artist are divided?"

Cheng Tianen countered, "Do you know what 'martial arts' actually is?"

Fang Zhixing was taken aback.

For a moment, he found himself unable to clearly define what "martial arts" was; it was a very broad concept.

"Please enlighten me," he requested.

Cheng Tianen smiled slightly, "Practicing martial arts, what exactly are we practicing? If you were a ten-foot-tall, immensely strong man, and everyone else was frail and weak, would you still find it necessary to practice martial arts?"

Fang Zhixing responded, "Are you suggesting that what we practice in martial arts is strength?"

"Exactly!"

Cheng Tianen nodded, "As long as your strength is greater than others, your explosive power and speed will naturally be stronger and faster. What we call martial arts is essentially practicing the power to defeat others!"

Martial arts is the power to overcome and control the enemy!

Cheng Tianen continued, "The first realm of martial arts is to temper one's own strength to achieve a unified and flowing force throughout the body, this realm is called the 'Power Transmission Realm'."

"Power Transmission, a unified and flowing force throughout the body?"

Fang Zhixing frowned, "What exactly does that feel like?"

Cheng Tianen laughed, "It's mystical yet simple; it's about twisting all the body's strength into a single force…"

With these words!

Fang Zhixing was struck with a thought and suddenly drew his sword from its sheath.

Whoosh!

A chop descended!

The sword was sheathed!

Cheng Tianen suddenly widened his eyes as a mosquito fell onto his thigh.

The mosquito still moved around.

But the mosquito had no wings!

"Drawing Sword Skill: Perfection"

Cheng Tianen rubbed his eyes in disbelief, and after a while, he raised his head and looked at Fang Zhixing in astonishment, "So, you are a Martial Artist of the Power Transmission Realm? Unity of Man and Blade!!!"

Fang Zhixing reflected internally, as expected.

Ever since he mastered the Full Level ordinary Sword Drawing Skill, he had vaguely felt it.

He was much stronger than ordinary people, killing people as if slaughtering chickens!

Cheng Tianen asked, "Who is your master?"

Fang Zhixing shook his head, "No master, I practiced on my own."

"What, you achieved the Power Transmission Realm by yourself?!"

"And you practiced blade skills!!!"

Cheng Tianen was shocked, "In practicing martial arts, there is a saying: 'first, the fists and legs, then weapons!'"

Fist and leg techniques are the easiest to cultivate.

But even if one practices these techniques, under the direct guidance of a master, and starts from a young age, it still requires many hard years, perhaps a decade or more, to possibly break through to the Power Transmission Realm!"

Looking at Fang Zhixing, Cheng Tianen's shock continued to escalate, "As for practicing with weapons, the difficulty exponentially increases, necessitating even longer practice! Without a master's guidance, achieving 'Unity of Man and Blade' is almost impossible!"

Upon hearing this, Xigou inwardly cursed, "He's just a cheater, what the hell is there to praise!"

Fang Zhixing heard this and couldn't help but glance at the five young men in the courtyard.

They were all conditioning their bodies, training their strength, but they were still far from the Power Transmission Realm.

Power Transmission is a perfect union of strength and skill, lacking either one wouldn't suffice.

The five young men lacked sufficient strength and the skills were poor, nowhere near Fang Zhixing's level.