Wu Li and Li Tongyun, as martial artists, possessed formidable physical qualities and swift reactions, sharply exceeding the average person.
Having these attributes, when they trained in spear technique, it certainly doubled their effectiveness, and in terms of individual combat power, it could be said to be akin to adding wings to a tiger.
"Are you thinking that training with guns doesn’t actually contradict martial arts training, and at most it would just divide so of your attention?" Li Tongyun asked.
Wu Li remained silent. He had already learned from the system the path beyond the Grandmaster, but how difficult was it to reach the pinnacle of martial arts? Even a prodigy would need to invest all their efforts through their lifeti without the slightest relaxation, and they might not be guaranteed to achieve Grandmaster level, let alone the elusive Legendary realm.
So, once his attention was divided by training with guns, could he still reach the summit of martial arts?
"The ability to train Kung Fu to the extent of comprehending the Fist Intent invariably marks one as a prodigy."
Although she was also praising herself, Li Tongyun’s expression remained calm and she did not seem embarrassed.
"Such people are full of confidence in themselves. Others may hinder their martial arts journey by multitasking, but what about themselves? Perhaps it wouldn’t have any impact."
"The more confident a person is in themselves, the more likely they are to think this way. It’s quite normal," Li Tongyun said, looking at Wu Li.
Wu Li was silent for a mont, then nodded, "Yes, I have indeed thought that way."
However, he was different from others; he had the system! Thus, Wu Li was not only confident in himself but also in the system: if others couldn’t do it, couldn’t he, with the system, achieve it? Dividing his attention to train with guns, perhaps he could break through to the Legendary Realm and also master unparalleled spear techniques. Wouldn’t both be great?
Such thoughts were indeed arrogant. But still, he had the system.
"Could you tell about the gunman you encountered?"
Li Tongyun asked with curiosity. If soone had caused Wu Li to suddenly want to train with guns, that person must be an extraordinary expert.
"His na is Feng Lin."
Wu Li said the na, and Li Tongyun’s expression changed.
"Do you know him?" Wu Li noticed the change in Li Tongyun’s expression.
His bout with Feng Lin wasn’t broadcast live; Chen Gang and others had only recorded it, so not many knew about it yet.
Li Tongyun nodded, "He must have sought you out because of Sun Yiquan."
Wu Li asked, "Do you know about the past between Feng Lin and Sun Yiquan?"
Li Tongyun’s gaze drifted for a mont, "Their master was Qin Mo, a Double Flower Red Stick of the Arican Hongn Zhigong Hall, and a close friend of my master. So, I know both of them."
Wu Li nodded. Hongn Honolulu Zhigong Hall was part of the global Hongn association, and Qin Mo, being a Double Flower Red Stick there, held a status much higher than Li San today.
"Feng Lin and Sun Yiquan joined their master the sa year. Among the disciples, in terms of talent, Feng Lin and Sun Yiquan had the highest, and Qin Mo placed great expectations on them."
"Sixteen years ago, Qin Mo’s eldest disciple was killed in a conflict, shot dead. After that incident, Feng Lin first proposed the idea of integrating martial arts with firearms, but was severely criticized by Master Qin Mo. He brought it up a few more tis afterward, and each ti he was imdiately rebuked."
"Six months later, Feng Lin was caught secretly practicing with firearms. Master Qin Mo, furious upon learning of it, expelled Feng Lin from the sect despite everyone’s pleas and attempts to persuade him otherwise."
"Suddenly, Feng Lin’s reputation was in tatters, and he left the United States."
Wu Li nodded. The more traditional the practice, the more rigid the adherence to old rules. With the universe, emperor, parents, and teacher being core values, soone publicly expelled by a Master like Qin Mo, and a prominent Great Boxer no less, one can only imagine what Feng Lin went through. His tarnished reputation could hardly sum up everything he had experienced.
Li Tongyun continued, "Before Feng Lin left Arica, I had t him. He said he would return, and when he did, he wanted to prove to everyone that he was right."
"True to his word, six years later, Feng Lin returned to Arica. By then, Master Qin Mo had passed away, and Sun Yiquan was making a na as the ’Spear King.’ Feng Lin approached Sun Yiquan directly, challenging him to a duel."
"Sun Yiquan, confident as ever, didn’t think he would lose even with Feng Lin using firearms. I didn’t witness the duel myself, but later when I asked Feng Lin about it, he simply said that Sun Yiquan lost, without elaborating further."
"You know what happened afterward. From then on, Sun Yiquan completely abandoned firearms and left Hongn."
Li Tongyun looked at Wu Li, "How did your fight with Feng Lin turn out?"
Wu Li replied, "He was utterly confident he could beat using just a handgun, but he lost to by one move."
Li Tongyun nodded, "No wonder you’re inclined to train with guns now."
Wu Li looked at her, "Do you have any advice?"
Li Tongyun asked, "Have you thought about why your Fist Intent might be weakening?"
Wu Li replied, "Because of the hesitation in my heart."
Li Tongyun looked at Wu Li with a half-smile, "Just hesitation?"
Wu Li frowned, "What else could it be?"
Li Tongyun shook her head, not answering Wu Li’s question directly but instead continuing, "Why the hesitation?"
Wu Li replied, "If I divide my attention to train with guns, will it affect my ultimate martial arts achievent?"
Li Tongyun countered, "What if it does?"
Wu Li pondered, "The question is, how can I be sure whether it will or won’t?"
Li Tongyun sighed. She knew that soone as talented as Wu Li, so confident in himself, would not be easily persuaded.
"Let’s not talk about this for now, let’s discuss the signing," Li Tongyun suggested.
Wu Li inquired, "You’re still signing for just one fight?"
Li Tongyun nodded, "Yes."
Wu Li decided, "Okay, then just one fight for now."
...
After finalizing the signing with Li Tongyun, Wu Li returned to the hotel.
Chen Ling and the others had already returned to Shudu, and Wu Li stayed behind due to his eting with Li Tongyun, planning to leave a day later.
A man sat alone in a room, brooding over the decrease in his Divine Value. Wu Li still felt uneasy about it.
He was hesitant about whether to practice spear technique now, as just contemplating it seed to reduce his Divine Value. Would it continue decreasing in the future if he actually divided his focus to practice it? Or would it rebound if he remained determined, firmly believing that even with divided attention, he could still master martial arts?
As he pondered, the phone rang. It was Zhao Lixin.
"Hello?"
"Are you still in Modu?"
"Yes."
"How about a sparring session?"
"Sure."
...
During the Spring Festival, a branch of Bo Yuan Martial Arts Hall in Modu was closed, providing Wu Li and Zhao Lixin with a private setting for their sparring practice.
The two figures moved swiftly across the floor, each stepping with the techniques of Bagua Palm, their motions fluid.
However, it was clear that Zhao Lixin, a true master of Bagua, had the quicker footwork. He seized the chance and aid a palm strike at Wu Li’s ribs.
Wu Li’s right hand ford a claw, grasping at Zhao Lixin’s wrist in an Eagle Form.
Zhao Lixin felt the hairs on his wrist stand on end. With a shuffle of his feet, his palm strike changed to a dragging motion, as if pulling a long blade across, aid at Wu Li’s lower abdon.
Bagua, the Dragging Blade Force.
Wu Li changed his claw into a fist, swung his arm, transforming the Eagle Claw into a Bear Arm, and collided with Zhao Lixin’s hand blade.
Wu Li’s right arm felt as if it had been slashed by a blade, a burning pain, but thanks to his well-developed Golden Bell Shield, he wasn’t injured. anwhile, Zhao Lixin’s arm was forced open by Wu Li’s Bear Arm, and with a swift movent, he dodged away.
Swipe!
Wu Li lunged forward, raised his right fist, then chopped down.
Tiger Hugging Head!
He decided to test the full extent of his Fist Intent, unleashing all his spirit, energy, and mind.
Zhao Lixin was montarily dazed by Wu Li’s Fist Intent, but he quickly recovered, swinging his arm around like a millstone, with a piercing whistling sound smashing toward the incoming fist of Wu Li.
Big Stone Breaking Hand!
Both used their most powerful techniques against each other.
Bang!
A loud explosion sounded, and both n stepped back several paces before almost simultaneously advancing again, using the sa techniques.
Wu Li raised his fist to chop down, Zhao Lixin swung his arm to smash up.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
After clashing three tis, Wu Li’s montum grew stronger and his gaze sharper. Suddenly, he roared, his breath thunderous, and like a fierce tiger descending a mountain, he charged forward again.
Raise fist, chop down!
Zhao Lixin finally dared not clash head-on and instinctively dodged to avoid the brunt, but the mont he stepped back, he regretted it.
From previous encounters, he knew well that with a Xingyi master like Wu Li, once the montum weakened in their duel, it was almost impossible to turn the tables.
As expected, Wu Li relentlessly pressed forward, his montum imnse, slowly gaining the upper hand until eventually, he stopped his fist right at Zhao Lixin’s throat and then pulled back.
"Whew, your Kung Fu has improved rapidly," Zhao Lixin exhaled and said sowhat emotionally.
Indeed, when they first sparred, Wu Li had just stepped into the Master Level, and now, in just over a year, he had deciphered Fist Intent and began to strive for the Grandmaster Level.
"You’re not slow either," Wu Li said with a smile.
From their recent engagent, Wu Li could sense that Zhao Lixin was on the verge of understanding Fist Intent, predicting it wouldn’t be long before he fully grasped it and advanced further in his martial arts.
"It’s unexpected that Hu Shan ultimately died at your hands," Zhao Lixin said with a hint of emotion.
Hu Shan was once touted as the top expert in Southeast Asia. Zhao Lixin had heard of his reputation and even watched his boxing matches, acknowledging that he was no match for Hu Shan, yet Hu Shan had been killed by Wu Li.
Wu Li recalled that battle, also feeling sowhat emotional, "Honestly, there was an elent of luck then."
Zhao Lixin shook his head, "In the face of life and death, luck is also a part of strength. If it were , I would definitely have died without question."
He then asked curiously, "In your view, how much do I still lack compared to Hu Shan?"
Wu Li replied, "You are just a step away from fully understanding Fist Intent, while Hu Shan had already mastered it. If you two were to fight, the odds would be 30 to 70."
Zhao Lixin nodded, "Returning to Innate, understanding Fist Intent, I know these, but after comprehending Fist Intent, what should the path forward be? Do you have any idea?"
Wu Li didn’t hold back from Zhao Lixin, and imdiately explained the path from Master to Grandmaster in detail.
"Dragon and Tiger Power, Innate Gang Qi... I can now barely manage to initiate Dragon and Tiger interactions, but I’m far from freely controlling Dragon and Tiger Power. I’ve managed to develop Thunder Sound, but I have no idea how far I still am from the realm of Innate Gang Qi," Zhao Lixin murmured to himself.
This was where Wu Li had the advantage of the system; he could always check his progress, knowing exactly how far he was from becoming a Grandmaster, whereas martial artists like Zhao Lixin were often uncertain about the path ahead.
"Do you think there’s a limit to martial arts?" Zhao Lixin suddenly asked.
The question took Wu Li by surprise.
"Those Grandmasters from the period of the Republic might have reached the realm of Innate Gang Qi, but what about beyond that? Where is the limit of martial arts?" Zhao Lixin asked with a wistful expression.
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