The next morning.
The Martial Arts Field.
"Eight Extremes Fist is like a collapsing bow in motion and a thunderclap in release. It requires tempering the shoulders, elbows, hands, hips, knees, feet, and other body parts to their absolute limit, allowing power to flow in all eight directions."
Qi Zhimu stood in the center of the field, his aura contained but unreleased, like a volcano that could erupt at any moment.
"This set of fist techniques doesn't care for flashiness; it's about hard opening and hard hitting, no blocking or parrying. For those with weak bodies, not only will it lack lethality, but it's also easy to injure oneself."
"Your current physical strength far exceeds that of ordinary people. Once you master this fist technique, you can kill even the Borisin with their powerful regenerative abilities in a single strike."
Jingliu and the other two stood in a row, their expressions solemn.
"Watch closely."
Qi Zhimu's figure moved abruptly, crossing several yards in an instant, his right shoulder slamming heavily into a nearby specialized alloy post.
Clang!!!
The alloy post, capable of withstanding high-speed starship impacts without a scratch, was actually dented deeply by his strike, rendered useless on the spot.
The air surged, blowing the three women's hair into a slight mess.
Even though they had all witnessed actual lethality on the battlefield, seeing this scene still made them instinctively gasp.
Even the Department of Craftsmanship wouldn't easily use this specialized alloy post to test standard Cloud Knight weapons... it was too easy to be humiliated.
They hadn't expected it to be destroyed by a single hit. If they were to take this blow, their bodies would likely shatter into pieces on the spot.
"This move is called the Close-Body Lean, though in later generations, to emphasize the power and momentum of the technique, it is more commonly called the Iron Mountain Lean."
Qi Zhimu withdrew his stance and stood still, continuing to teach this martial art.
From 그날 onwards, the three women began a hellish special training in Eight Extremes Fist.
"The lower body must be as steady as a rock."
"Power must not rely on brute force; it must be connected through whole-body energy."
Qi Zhimu moved among the three, correcting their movements from time to time.
It had to be said that their talents were all excellent.
Clear Cold had a steady personality, a very stable lower body, and her fist strikes were heavy and solid.
Sleeping Snow had amazing explosive power, and her moves carried a terrifying ruthlessness.
And Jingliu had the best comprehension, progressing the fastest.
In just two months, the three had already grasped the basics.
Bang!
Jingliu's Heart-Piercing Elbow snapped the wooden post in front of her on the spot.
Yes, a wooden post.
As beginners, they were far from the level of destroying specialized alloy posts with their bare hands.
After the foundations were solid, it was time for actual combat sparring.
Time passed quietly amidst sweat and collisions, and in the blink of an eye, the three-month period was up.
"All three of you, come at me at once," Qi Zhimu said calmly to the three women, standing in the center of the field.
The three exchanged glances and quickly spread out, surrounding him in a triangle formation.
Clear Cold was the first to strike, a Collapsing Punch aimed directly at Qi Zhimu's abdomen.
At the same time, Sleeping Snow crouched low, attacking Qi Zhimu's lower body.
Jingliu, using the other two as cover, brought a palm strike down toward his head.
The offensive covered multiple blind spots, sealing off all of Qi Zhimu's paths of retreat.
The offensive sealed all paths of retreat; if it were anyone else, even a Cloud Knight Vanguard would inevitably be flustered.
Qi Zhimu nodded slightly, his footsteps shifting strangely to avoid Sleeping Snow's attack, while his left hand shot out like lightning to precisely grab Clear Cold's wrist, pulling and pushing in one smooth motion.
Clear Cold felt a massive force surge through her, and she was helplessly sent crashing toward Sleeping Snow.
At this moment, Jingliu's 'Ferocious Tiger Climbing the Mountain' move had reached his head.
Qi Zhimu did not retreat but advanced, his right shoulder jerking upward violently.
A dull thud sounded.
Jingliu felt an unbearable force spread from her palm throughout her entire body, and she was sent flying backward.
She tumbled twice in the air, barely adjusting her landing posture, and stumbled several steps before she could dissipate the remaining force.
She understood in her heart that in a life-or-death struggle, this force would likely be many times more powerful.
"Continue," Qi Zhimu beckoned.
The sparring at the Martial Arts Field continued until the setting sun dipped below the horizon.
The three women rushed forward countless times, but they were never able to break through Qi Zhimu's defensive stance.
Sleeping Snow and Clear Cold eventually collapsed to the ground in exhaustion, not wanting to move even a finger, lying on the ground and panting heavily.
Only Jingliu still had strength left, a faint longing lingering in her eyes.
Do you want to continue... Qi Zhimu easily read his disciple's thoughts, but he did not follow her wishes.
"That's enough for now."
"Master, the Martial Arts Examination officially starts tomorrow. I want to practice a bit more, is that okay?" Jingliu still tried to push for it.
"Mhm, as you wish."
Seeing her persistence, Qi Zhimu didn't say much more.
Hearing her master's words, the curve of Jingliu's lips hadn't even begun to rise before she saw him turn and leave.
Eh?
Wasn't he going to practice with her some more?
It wasn't until she saw Sleeping Snow and Clear Cold supporting each other as they stood up to follow him that Jingliu realized the meaning of 'as you wish'... it meant letting her practice by herself... Jingliu couldn't help but feel a deep sense of resentment in her eyes.
With her master's strength, his performance of not even being flushed or out of breath after a whole day of sparring meant it was impossible for him to be tired.
He just didn't want to spar with her anymore... It's fine, it's fine... Watching her master and seniors disappear around the corner, Jingliu calmed her emotions and turned her gaze toward the nearby specialized alloy post.
Before long, sounds different from the striking of wooden posts echoed across the Martial Arts Field.
Jingliu's already crimson pupils now looked somewhat terrifying.
It was as if she were venting something through her training, completely ignoring the pain of the impact when her fists and elbows hit the post.
Perhaps... the contestants who faced her in the Martial Arts Examination would likely suffer quite a bit.
After practicing for another hour, the faint irritation in Jingliu's heart finally faded quite a bit.
Picking up her discarded shirt and returning home, she discovered someone had used the bathroom not long ago as she prepared to wash her face.
Normally, she wouldn't have thought much of it, but the problem was... she was now extremely sensitive to her master's scent.
Even if they were far apart or much time had passed, as long as it wasn't deliberately erased, she could sense it.
Her master's scent lingered in the bathroom, mixed with two other familiar scents... belonging to Sleeping Snow and Clear Cold.
Master and them... could the three of them have... If not for the rustling flow of the faucet over the basin, time in the bathroom would have seemed to have stopped.
The highlights in Jingliu's pupils quietly vanished, and her mind couldn't help but conjure up some imagined biological textbooks that were forbidden to be viewed without passing the Adulthood Exam.
No... those weren't textbooks... She looked up at herself in the mirror, only to be startled to find that what was reflected in the mirror were still those lingering images.
She slapped her forehead hard.
Wake up, wake up, wake up!!
In the Xianzhou, wasn't such a daily life very common?
As long as it didn't violate the Family Planning Laws and as long as people passed the Adulthood Exam, who would care how many people were in someone's 'party'?
Seemingly convinced by this thought, Jingliu took a deep breath, turned off the water, and went back to her room to get her loungewear to prepare for a bath.
But as she passed Clear Cold's room, she heard suppressed moans again.
It was very familiar, a deep impression she had heard decades ago... Calm down, calm down.
Jingliu selectively blocked some of her senses, acting as if she hadn't noticed, and silently comforted herself: this is all human nature.
That's right, human nature... the seniors are human too.
Master is even more human, rather than a Mara-Struck who has lost his mind and only knows slaughter.
She herself is also human, so it's not strange to be jealous because of these things.
Master and the seniors are all very normal; there are no problems.
The only one with a problem is her, for actually falling for her own master and feeling bitter because her master's tenderness never falls upon her.
What she didn't understand, she at least knew to seek knowledge of.
In various literary works or Illusory Dramas of the Xianzhou, those who fall for their master are called Rebel Disciples.
In reality, there's no such thing as a Rebel Disciple; doing it for real would easily invite criticism.
So it still comes back to that conclusion: she is the one with the problem... but her world only has her master left.
Therefore, asking Master to help solve the disciple's problem is perfectly reasonable, isn't it?
Master... Master...
Jingliu cupped her flushed cheeks with both hands, her expression unreadable.