Instead of constantly challenging your limits, if you can make your everyday state close to your limits, then breaking through those limits becomes much easier.
While it's still difficult and requires a long period of accumulation, compared to the former method, the danger is reduced to almost zero.
And besides being time-consuming, the only drawback is that it relies heavily on natural talent.
Someone with average talent might train for half their life and only reach the level of Chalan, while someone exceptionally gifted, like Suiryu, can achieve Demon-level Monster combat power with minimal serious effort.
Qingshui wasn't sure about his martial arts talent, but he imagined it wouldn't be too bad.
His Taijutsu foundation was already decent, his Swordplay reached master level, Transparent World gave him an extremely high perception and control over his body's muscles, and Medical Ninjutsu allowed him super strong physical regeneration.
These prerequisites were enviable to anyone; he couldn't compare to an unparalleled prodigy like Garou, but he estimated he was still among the top tier. With sufficient nutrition, ample training, and the correct methods, he could quickly approach his own limits.
Of course, the later limiters are, the harder they are to break, to the point that even grandmasters like Bang and Bomb, who stand at the pinnacle of martial arts in the One-Punch Man world, haven't broken through them. But for Qingshui, the initial hurdles were relatively easy to overcome.
This was also why he was able to increase his strength from 700 kilograms to two tons so quickly.
He just didn't know how far he could push his physical body using this method.
After briefly browsing the Hero Association app, Qingshui was surprised to find that his hero ranking had actually advanced by one spot since last time.
Upon closer inspection, it was because Puri-Puri Prisoner, who was previously A-Class rank 2, had successfully been promoted to S-Class, causing Qingshui to move up one spot in the A-Class hero rankings.
"Not bad, A-Class rank 20. The Black Samurai Armor is now fully built, equipped with a Palladium Arc Reactor, and the Magic Tool Transformation process is also quite fast. The Black Steel Sword has completely undergone Magic Tool Transformation, and the main parts of the armor are almost done. My current strength should be enough to contend with, and even kill, many Demon-level Monsters."
With his current strength, he should be at the mid-to-lower tier of S-Class heroes.
At least he felt that his current strength, when wearing the armor, should be a notch above Haragiri.
The stronger S-Class heroes all had the ability to kill Dragon-level Monsters, and even instantly defeat weaker ones.
Closing his phone, Qingshui exercised a little more. After greeting Wild Ox Horn, who was still wearing heavy armor nearby, he went upstairs for a sauna, rehydrated a bit, rested for a while, and then took a shower.
This was the Hero Association's gym in City D's branch, open to heroes and staff within the association. The equipment was good and could meet the training needs of most B-Class heroes.
As for A-Class heroes, they could come if they wished, but they typically requested specialized training from the association.
Heroes of different classes enjoyed different benefits within the Hero Association. A-Class heroes already had considerable authority and perks.
Qingshui's Avatar still needed the Black Samurai Armor to unleash its full power. Without using Breathing Style to enhance his physical abilities, the gym's various training facilities were just right for his needs.
Just as Qingshui was drying his hair, his phone suddenly rang urgently.
"Moshi moshi, is this Black Whirlwind Samurai-sama?"
A pleasant female voice came from the other end of the line.
"Uh... I said I don't really like that hero name. Can I change it?"
"Excellent! It seems it is you! A giant monster, estimated to be Dragon-level, has appeared on the outskirts of City D and is now moving towards City B. Can you please proceed to assist as quickly as possible?"
"Dragon-level?"
Qingshui frowned slightly.
If it were a Demon-level, it would be fine; even a peak Demon-level, he could try to fight, at least he was confident he could withdraw safely. But a Dragon-level...
"I'll try my best to stall it. Also, notify the higher-ups of the association to change my hero name as soon as possible, hey!"
"Thank you for your effort! We have already sent the monster's movement trajectory and remote real-time footage to your phone!"
He could tell she hadn't heard the last part.
Qingshui hung up the phone, speechless, and opened the official association app, where he saw the links in the message.
There were two links: one was an animation of the predicted route, and the other was real-time footage.
He saw a massive giant, he didn't know how many meters tall, walking from the edge of steel buildings.
With one step, a large area of the city turned into a deep footprint, and the clouds floating in the sky only reached the giant's waist.
Is this... Giant Younger Brother?
"Ew... my eyes."
Qingshui noticed that the giant was naked.
However, this guy's strength was definitely immense, so strong that even his main body likely couldn't defeat it; it was clearly a powerful monster of high Dragon-level.
What am I supposed to do about this?!
It would be a different story if it were Senju Hashirama in his prime!
Qingshui scratched his head, thought for a moment, then quickly made his way downstairs and ran out of the association branch's main entrance.
Before long, a glossy black suit of armor flew into the sky from not far from the association branch.
In his apartment, Qingshui, wearing pajamas, placed a freshly brewed cup of coffee on his computer desk, then watched the footage transmitted from the armor on the computer screen.
Inside the armor now was one of his Shadow Clones.
To deal with such a powerful high Dragon-level monster, he wasn't confident he could withdraw safely, so he simply sent a Shadow Clone to control the armor.
With the Arc Reactor, the endurance issue was greatly alleviated. The drawback was that due to the limited Chakra, it couldn't recover as quickly as the main body, nor could it repeatedly cast powerful magic and Ninjutsu.
Another issue was its fragility.
Although the armor could block and mitigate most external damage and impacts, its shock absorption had limits. Once the impact exceeded the Shadow Clone's limit, disrupting its Chakra flow, the Shadow Clone would disappear.
Of course, that being said, the Black Samurai Armor, manipulated by a Shadow Clone, could theoretically unleash most of the original's power before being struck.
This way, it was safe enough and got the job done.
The only potential loss would be the armor itself, but he only intended for the Shadow Clone to go through the motions. If there was a risk of significant damage, he would directly summon the armor back.
Even if it were damaged, with his current resources, he could quickly build a new set, or even have the Hero Association reimburse him.
At that point, Qingshui could name any price for the cost, and as long as it was within reason, the Association could afford it.
Not to mention, he had actually built an extra set of armor and two Magic Tools.
However, while the new set of armor was complete, it hadn't undergone Magic Tool Transformation yet, and the two Magic Tools weren't high-level; they were just experimental prototypes.
Now, they were conveniently equipped on the Black Samurai flying outside, perfect for testing their effects.
*"Boom!"*
Another large urban area was destroyed.
"My brain plus your brawn, the combination of the strongest intellect and the strongest physique! As long as we brothers work together, we can conquer everything on Earth!"
A scientist in a white lab coat and glasses stood on the giant's shoulder, shouting excitedly.
In the distant sky, a figure trailing exhaust fumes appeared with a sonic boom, bringing this scene into the Shadow Clone's view and transmitting it to Qingshui's computer.
The combination of the Giant Younger Brother and the Genius Older Brother... I wonder if there's a chance to get the latter's invented serum. After all, it's something that can create Dragon-level Monsters. Even with the drawback of becoming too large and having low intelligence, it still holds considerable value.
Qingshui thought, resting his chin on one hand in front of the computer.
However, the power gap between the two sides was too great; he probably wouldn't be able to get his hands on it.
As expected, given his personality, if he were to engage in battle at this moment, he would definitely feign an attack on the Genius Older Brother on the Giant Younger Brother's shoulder first.
This was the only weakness he had discovered, besides the Giant Younger Brother's lack of intelligence.
"Notify City B residents to accelerate evacuation. I have arrived at the monster's location and will try my best to delay it for a while."
Qingshui's voice transmitted via radio to the Hero Association headquarters.
"Received, Black Whirlwind Samurai. Don't be too impulsive. We've already notified King, who is located near City B. We believe he will arrive quickly to assist!"
This time, a deep male voice answered.
"Black Whirlwind Samurai, A-Class rank 20. Hopefully, he can hold out until King arrives."
Sitch, a high-ranking member of the Hero Association, sighed as he watched the bearded staff member hang up the phone.
"Perhaps. According to our last assessment, the Black Whirlwind Samurai definitely possesses the strength of a top A-Class hero. In fact, based on reports of the wounds on the monsters he's killed recently, his combat power might even be approaching S-Class."
"But this is a Dragon-level Monster, and its destructive power ranks among the highest in past Dragon-level disasters. Even some S-Class heroes might not be able to hold it off for long."
The bearded staff member regretfully said, "However, in the vicinity of City B, the only one who might be able to hold out until King arrives is the Black Whirlwind Samurai, whom the Association assesses has S-Class potential. Other S-Class heroes, and several A-Class heroes including Sweet Mask, cannot arrive in a short amount of time."
Sitch sighed again.
"We can only arrange it this way for now. If King weren't near City B, I would have even considered notifying Tatsumaki to intervene."
"Yes, thankfully we have King!"
Recalling King's terrifying past achievements, the bearded staff member immediately brightened.
...
...
Thank goodness, King is here.
At this moment, Qingshui's thoughts were surprisingly consistent with those of the bearded staff member.
Given that King = Saitama Summoner, then King being here meant Saitama was here.
So, he just needed to stall a little, buy some time, and allow more people to evacuate the area. Then, he wouldn't feel guilty about running, since Saitama had his back anyway.
Small, self-made missiles flew from the Black Samurai's shoulders, emitting sharp whistles as they struck the Giant Younger Brother's back, exploding into bursts of fireworks.
However, aside from a few trails of black smoke and some carbon marks, there were no results.
The Giant Younger Brother, at least, remained completely oblivious, as if bitten by a mosquito.
It was the Genius Older Brother who heard the explosions and began shouting frantically.
"Heroes! It's the heroes! And heroes from the Hero Association! As long as we defeat all the heroes from the Hero Association, it proves our combination is the strongest! First, we deal with this A-Class hero, then let the Association send out S-Class heroes. As long as we eliminate all S-Class heroes, we'll be the strongest!"
The Giant Younger Brother was silent for two seconds, seemingly using his intelligence, which was gradually becoming inversely proportional to his size, to think. Then, he nodded heavily.
"Brother is right!"
The next second, a hand as massive as a mountain swatted at Qingshui like a fly.
Wind Release Chakra Mode activated, and the Black Samurai's energy turbines spun at full power, narrowly dodging the massive hand, which resembled the Five Elements Mountain. The already destroyed city ruins behind him were plowed over once more by the wind of the palm.
Immediately after, various attacks rained down on the Giant Younger Brother's shoulder.
That was where his brother was located.
"Brother! Protect me!"
The Genius Older Brother was startled, running all over the Giant Younger Brother's shoulders, which were as wide as a street. The Giant Younger Brother reacted in time, reaching out to block the attacks.
"It feels… a little itchy."
The Giant Younger Brother scratched the giant hand that had taken the attacks with his other hand.
"Forget about whether it's itchy or not! This giant dared to attack me! Brother, use this hand of yours to protect me, and then use your other hand to punish him severely!"
"Okay!"
This time, the Giant Younger Brother was clearly much more serious. He clenched one hand into a fist, his arm muscles bulging, and punched towards Qingshui's location. The speed was much faster than before.
Qingshui narrowly dodged, then, instead, spun around, circling from the side to approach the giant's shoulder. With his right hand raised, he fired a huge Concussion Grenade.
This Concussion Grenade was actually an experimental Magic Tool he had just completed yesterday. Its principle was the same as Ryūchi Cave's White Rage Technique: through strong light and air vibrations, it blinds the opponent and paralyzes their muscles.
After all, the principle of White Rage Technique wasn't too difficult, and Qingshui had already obtained the Sage Art cultivation method from Ryūchi Cave. Based on the principle and method, with Qingshui's ability, as long as he had the necessary conditions, he could create corresponding Magic Tools. The only difference was the strength of their range and power.
A dazzling blue light, accompanied by ultrasonic waves that caused muscle spasms, instantly swept across a range of several hundred meters.
However, this range of several hundred meters was ultimately too small relative to the Giant Younger Brother, which was why Qingshui needed to close the distance.
At least this way, the range of the White Rage Concussion Grenade could cover the Giant Younger Brother's shoulders and head.
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