"Instructor, I want to learn explosive techniques."
Lixia raised her eyebrows as she looked at the Casio in front of her.
It was around two or three in the afternoon, and Lixia had just announced that the students in group four were to practice independently, with the assistant supervising them.
She herself was standing in the shade of a tree and assumed a peculiar pose, apparently using a method to strengthen her physique.
"Explosive Techniques? Why study this early? First perfect the basic training frame and combat movements. The young shouldn't aim too high, I've told you this before. "
Lixia shook her head and straightened up to stand, but upon thinking, she realized that Li Wei was never an arrogant person.
He had been steady and diligent in the past month and a half.
"Well then, let's give you a chance, punch me."
Lixia changed her statement and then walked to a spot about three meters in front of Casio, essentially leaving a space for exerting power.
"Come on, give it your all." Lixia beckoned.
"I didn't mean to offend you." Following the norms, Casio first made a fist salute.
With his feet apart, he took a step forward. His whole body lunged forward, his arm lifted and punched out a standard straight fist.
Smack! A palm suddenly slapped from the side, striking the left side of the fist. A force instantly deflected Casio.
The straight punch intended for the target was drastically off course.
Whoosh! At the same time, a blurred shadow attacked from Casio's left side, quick as a predatory poisonous snake. Fortunately, Casio dodged in time, using his arm to temporarily block Lixia's fist.
"Huh?" Lixia withdrew her palm sharply.
Casio took three steps backward and leaped forward again. His initial punch aimed at Lixia's side, and upon being blocked and repelled, astonishingly he spun around for a counterattack!
His arm cut through the air, creating a blurred black shadow.
The tip of his fist aimed straight at Lixia's brows.
"Smack!"
His fist was halted mid-air by a palm.
Lixia shook her arm, and Casio retreated several steps once more.
"There's no need to continue, it seems I underestimated your progress in training. You have made satisfactory progress in a month and a half of initial learning of the Wind Elephant Basic Fighting Technique. Your hard work over this long period of time has not been in vain."
She nodded her head, "Just like I told you at the beginning, being steady and diligent are the most important and fundamental aspects in martial arts training. Sweat doesn't lie. Keep it up..."
Lixia walked over and patted Casio's shoulder.
Only then did Casio realize that Instructor Lixia hadn't moved at all during their encounter, she was merely passively defending and attacking.
"Let's go, let's go to that corner and talk."
Casio followed Lixia's silhouette all the way over.
Half an hour later, he roughly understood what explosive combat techniques were. Simply put, it's using a special way of exerting force to make the next attack faster, stronger, and trickier. For example,
The Wind Elephant Gate's Basic Fighting Techniques have only two kinds of explosive techniques. One to increase attack speed, and the other to increase attack power. Once the speed type explosive technique is mastered, it can roughly increase the speed by one and a half times at full effort.
The power type explosive technique also has a boost of one and a half times, which is very effective in close combat.
However, one thing to note is that explosive techniques cannot be used consecutively many times, otherwise it can easily cause joint wear and muscle strains. Explosive techniques should be used instantly and cautiously!
"Here's what we'll do, starting from today. After finishing your dusk training, you first go and have your dinner, then come to the small sports field next to the hospital. I'll wait for you there." Lixia said after a moment of thought.
"Thank you, instructor."
So, from that day onwards, in addition to finishing double training, Casio would also go to the desolated small sports field for extra training.
Lixia gradually taught Casio the explosive techniques in the Wind Elephant Basic Fighting Technique, including some realizations she had during her own training for over a decade. Every day during dusk, Lixia would spar with Casio once.
Then, through sparring she would deduce some of Casio's flaws. Firstly to train actual combat, secondly to correct some bad habits in close combat.
In the sparring process, Lixia hit hard, aiming to give Casio the feeling of truly fighting an enemy. In various ways, Casio's actual combat experience progressed quickly, the only downside was probably that the proportion of potions distributed by the Youth Training Camp was consumed too much.
Usually, he could use up a month's amount in half a month, leaving him to procure his roommate's leftover potion for the remaining fifteen days.
Time passed day by day until the end of September.
The horizon was reddish at dusk, glaringly red. The mountains under the evening glow became blurry, and the sunlight beamed from the mountains towards the Youth Training Camp. The roof under the light was tinged with red, flickering. The tree on the sports field and the small house beside it formed a beautiful silhouette, frozen in the field.
By the side of the orange sports field, two figures stood face to face.
Casio took a deep breath, his right foot stepped back slightly to part his legs, and his fists were by his side. His facial expression was serious, overall giving the impression of a tightly coiled spring.
"Sorry in advance…"
As his voice faded, he charged forward.
With a commanding force in his waist, his right fist drew a straight line in mid-air. The speed was much faster than it was a month and a half ago.
However, Lixia just had to shift slightly to the left side, and with a slight tilt of her shoulders, she dodged the attack. She even counterattacked by pushing forward horizontally with her hand, her arm smacked on Casio's chest.
Casio grunted and pressed his shoulder slantingly. He lunged towards Lixia on the side with the force of half his body.
However, Lixia spun around in an instant, her knee jutting out sternly. She thus stayed mid-air, waiting for Casio to charge into her.
"Smack!"
Through dozens of actual combat experiences, Casio quickly switched his attack, sweeping his leg to fend off the knee, while simultaneously swinging his left fist.
Lixia's palm turned into a black shadow as she swiftly blocked and counterattacked.
Unexpectedly, Casio had a hidden trick. From somewhere came a right fist, fiercely swinging in a movement of the Basic Fighting Technique.
Even though Lixia quickly raised her hand to block it, her feet still retreated imperceptibly backward by one step. This was the first time she had retreated after suppressing her strength to spar with Casio for dozens of rounds.
"Not bad, you have a slight grasp of the Explosive Techniques. Unfortunately, you're still lacking in proficiency. Your moves are a bit strained."
"Otherwise, I would've had to retreat a few more steps for that punch." Lixia, slightly approving, nodded as she released Casio's fist.
Casio looked at his right hand, noticing five red imprints on the back of his hand, pressed by Lixia's fingers.
"By the way, there will be Actual Combat Rankings again tomorrow. When fighting, remember to hold back, just go through the motions. With the extra training I have given you, your actual combat experience is definitely much higher than others. Participating in Actual Combat Rankings has no training value for you..."
"So, don't hit too hard. Finishing in the 20s or 30s will be sufficient. Don't get over-excited like last time; that person had to stay in the hospital for a day. Reconsider yourself."