"This time, I can finally truly see the core circle of martial arts!" Galon was somewhat excited inside, as he had always loved martial arts in his previous life but never had the chance to practice from a young age. Now, with this foundation, he could fulfill his wish.
"It's a bit strange, though, that there are names here similar to Chinese ones. Fei Baiyun's name is clearly similar to Chinese names from my previous life. And it reminds me of the martial artists who left China to teach martial arts in the West."
Following Fei Baiyun, as they slowly walked under the eaves, Galon couldn't help but ask, "Teacher, you're not from the Federation, are you?"
Fei Baiyun nodded with a smile, "You noticed? Yes, my name doesn't match those of the Arou Federation. I come from a vast empire in the East. Indeed, I'm not a Federation citizen."
"The East? Is it Tulip Republic?" Galon wondered.
"No, it's a far-off place, so far that airplanes can't reach it, only massive ships..." Fei Baiyun's smile gradually settled into a hint of sadness, "Well, we were lucky to come here, but now we can't return. Let's not talk about this anymore. We're almost there. Get ready and be careful not to get teased by your senior brothers and sisters."
"Oh..." Galon quickly responded, his mind drifting to modern-day China on Earth.
Entering the foyer and heading upstairs to the second floor, they saw two disciples who had participated in the test talking to a blond man. The black-haired girl turned her head and glanced at Galon with a hint of envy.
Another muscular man shrugged, "Don't be envious. With that little time, you're better off going back to practice hard and try again next time."
"We're too old... there's no chance," the girl shook her head, "This was also my last time coming here. My parents are sending me to study business management in Westland soon. After that, I can only come to the dojo during holidays. This kid must have passed the test, what's his name?"
"I just checked, and it seems his file says Galon," the muscular man also looked over.
"Alright, alright, people like us were never really meant to dive deep into martial arts. Now we can still lead our own lives, but soon we'll have to accept family arrangements, so not being selected might actually be a good thing, at least there won't be any regrets," the blond man said with a hint of resignation, "I really envy Senior Sister Rosita..."
Mentioning the name Rosita, the three fell silent.
Galon overheard their conversation and saw the black-haired girl giving him a fist pump gesture of encouragement.
He nodded, smiled back, and made an 'OK' gesture before hurrying after Fei Baiyun to the second floor.
The second floor was a vast hall, covered with a deep brown material resembling felt, with a giant gray circle painted in the center.
Surroundingly, red wooden columns supported the roof.
Strangely, there were no supporting columns in the middle of the hall; the ceiling was directly formed by two inclined planes joining together. It looked stable and aesthetically pleasing.
At the end of the hall facing the staircase, a giant black and white painting hung on the wall, depicting a large white ship cutting through the waves.
Below the painting, some redwood tables and chairs were placed, where two people in black uniforms were sitting and chatting.
The standing woman, in her twenties with brown-black hair, wore a sleeveless black vest and shorts, revealing her slender thighs and arms. Her chest almost burst the front zipper of her vest, drawing attention.
Leaning against the wall, her features were delicate with a touch of valiance, speaking in short and powerful lips movements, clearly a competent and strong woman.
The seated man, also in his twenties with white hair, had an ordinary and lazy face, the kind that would go unnoticed on the street. His arms were unusually long, reaching the ground while seated, giving an uncoordinated impression.
Seeing Fei Baiyun bringing a young man upstairs, they instinctively straightened up and came over.
"Teacher, you've got results from today's test?" The brown-haired woman was surprised, glancing at Galon.
"Found a good seedling with decent foundation and qualities. This will be my last disciple, and I'm settling down," Fei Baiyun said with a chuckle, "His name is Galon, your new junior brother from now on."
"The last one? Hehe! Finally, someone younger than me!!" The white-haired man snickered, "I've been waiting for this day for so long. Senior sister and brother always pick on me without letting me fight back! Now it's my turn."
"That's just how you are! Did you really think we picked on you because you were the youngest?" the brown-haired woman hit him.
"Alright, introduce yourselves. From now on, you four support each other. I won't be taking any more disciples," Fei Baiyun said with half-closed eyes and a smile.
The woman nodded, "I'll start then."
She looked at Galon, who stood obediently aside, "I'm Rosita, the teacher's first disciple, your senior sister."
The white-haired man also dropped his mischievous smile, "I'm your second senior brother, Garcia..." "Second senior brother, my foot!"
A towering, muscular man with bronze skin and a white tiger tattoo came up from the staircase, his voice booming.
"When did you become the second senior brother, and I wasn't aware?"
"Uh... isn't this our admirable, handsome, strong, and irresistibly charming second senior brother, Farak?" Garcia shivered and hid behind the senior sister.
"I meant third senior brother; you must have heard wrong! Heard wrong... hehe." He looked like a mouse seeing a cat.
The muscular giant, Farak, walked up to Fei Baiyun, ignoring Garcia, and bowed,
"Master, I heard you took in a junior brother, so I came to meet him."
"Sit down, everyone."
Fei Baiyun was most pleased with his second disciple, Farak, who, in his twenties, had already reached the third layer of the Baiyun secret technique and the second layer of the explosive fist technique. Coupled with his innate strength, his combat ability was formidable, not much less than his own younger self, although still no match for the eldest, Rosita. But with his physique and direct confrontation style, he was the epitome of the Baiyun Martial Arts School's style and the one Fei Baiyun admired the most.
"Since the junior brother is new and hasn't learned anything, don't bully him too much," he said, rotating his neck with a smile, "It'll probably take a year or two before he can start sparring."
"That's fine. Junior brother, if you have any questions, feel free to ask me! I have some insights into dodging," Rosita said with a smile, arms crossed.
"I specialize in heavy punches. If you have any questions about explosive force, you can also ask me," Farak patted Galon's shoulder.
"And you have your third senior brother here for anything you need help with in Huai Shan. But I can't do much elsewhere... hehe."
"Anyway, we're all brothers and sisters, and there'll be plenty of opportunities to get closer. How about we celebrate a bit first?"
Amidst their lively banter, they felt especially close, and although Galon was the weakest among them, no one looked down on him. As disciples of the same master, the four of them were as close as family.
Galon was vigorously patted on the back by several large hands, causing a thumping sound, but fortunately, his explosive fist technique was already at a beginner level, otherwise, just these pats might have been too much for him to handle.
"Let's go to the Worcester Hotel; their prawns are not bad, taste good," Rosita suggested.
"I'll pass this time, you young people have fun," Fei Baiyun shook his head with a smile, "I have something to do, meeting an old friend."
"Alright, then we'll just celebrate on our own tonight. We'll invite you next time!" Rosita waved her hand with an elder sister's air, "Let's go, first test the junior brother's foundation!!"
"I like this!" Third senior brother Garcia looked at Galon with mischief.
"Don't bully the junior brother!" The towering Farak smacked Garcia on the head and gave him a noogie, "He's new and doesn't know anything!"
Galon stood smilingly aside, watching until Fei Baiyun calmed everyone down.
"Alright, who's first? Be gentle."
"I'll go first," Garcia volunteered, still in his twenties but acting like a child.
He pulled at his black uniform and stepped out into the center of the hall. Spreading his right hand, he made a gesture of invitation.
Galon, though unsure of the meaning, knew it was a test of his full strength, or rather, a ranking among the siblings, and a direct impression of strength. This was crucial for establishing the seniority and authority among the siblings.
Martial arts is not just talked about but proven through actual combat.
Facing off against his third senior brother Garcia in the center of the hall, Galon assumed the most basic fighting stance. Unfamiliar with systematic combat knowledge, he could only take the easiest power-generating posture from basic fighting techniques.
Garcia grinned, revealing his white teeth, "Here I come!"
As his words fell, he stepped forward, aiming a palm strike at Galon's left arm joint. The strike was swift, creating a whooshing sound.
The strike was average in both power and speed, appearing as a simple friendly gesture.
However, to Galon, it was entirely different.
Garcia's palm strike, though not fast, gave him a sensation of agility and quickness. He had an instinct that any attempt to dodge in another direction would lead to Garcia's palm following like a shadow for a close, rapid attack.
And judging by the sound of the palm wind, the strike's power was probably not weak.
In a split second decision, Galon didn't overthink and met the attack head-on, hiding most of his strength, only showing the same force he used when sparring with Fei Baiyun, roughly around 140 pounds.
Likewise, he slapped back, aiming for Garcia's approaching hand.
Smack!
"Eh? Junior brother, your reaction is so quick!" Senior sister Rosita exclaimed in surprise, standing up, "Garcia's speed may not be very fast, but it's not something ordinary people in Baiyun can clearly see. I didn't expect the junior brother to be able to intercept his attack with a later start, blocking his offense. His bodily reaction and vision are much stronger than average students."
"Of course." Fei Baiyun smiled proudly, "That's his talent, along with the hidden strength. Our Baiyun Martial Arts School has always enhanced strength through the Baiyun secret technique, but it also affects speed and reaction. So this time, I accepted you, the junior brother, mainly to see if a naturally fast talent can compensate for this weakness by practicing the Baiyun secret technique."
"Master is right, our Baiyun Martial Arts School has always been slower than other schools," Rosita agreed solemnly.
"So when I'm not around, take good care of Galon and teach him everything he needs to know," Fei Baiyun nodded.
"Yes."
Meanwhile, in the arena, after blocking the first palm, Galon began to only defend and block. Palms from various angles continuously struck him, creating a series of slapping sounds.
Each slap made him feel a numbness spreading throughout his body.
His dynamic vision and physical reactions were fast enough to keep up with the speed, but he often could only block the first strike, completely at a loss against the varied changes in palm techniques.
After being hit by more than ten palms in a row, Galon took a few steps back, constantly being pressured, which also frustrated him internally. Finally stabilizing himself, he hurriedly sent a straight palm forward in response.
It was a simple move, a direct punch turned into a palm strike, meeting Garcia's incoming palm head-on.
Bang!
Their palms collided fiercely.
Galon staggered back, retreating more than ten steps, his face turning pale, momentarily unable to catch his breath.
He felt a hot energy circulating in his chest, suffocatingly unable to be released. The palm of his right hand that met the strike was burning hot, red as a lobster.
Looking up, he saw Third Senior Brother Garcia approaching with a worried face.
"Are you alright, Junior Brother? I got carried away and forgot you're still underage. I used a bit too much strength..."
"It's okay..." Galon felt that Third Senior Brother had immediately reduced his force upon realizing something was amiss, not hurting him in any significant way. He raised his right arm, "Just a bit of congestion."
He estimated the force of Third Senior Brother's palm; it was definitely over 180 pounds, and judging by Garcia's demeanor, it was far from his limit. Surely, he was another freak with strength over 200 pounds.
"Garcia's strength is about 300 pounds, considered the weakest among us. Your eldest sister and I have strengths around 350 pounds, while your strongest Second Senior Brother was tested the day before yesterday with over 450 pounds," Eldest Senior Sister Rosita came over and began to gently massage Galon's hand.
"Martial arts isn't just about having greater strength." Second Senior Brother Iron Tower Frank touched his chin, "Eldest sister, you've already passed the E-rank level, and I'm still stuck at amateur ninth rank."
"You just lack a bit of flexibility. Having too much strength isn't always a good thing; it makes you a bit cumbersome," Rosita chuckled, squeezing Frank's arm, "Look at all this muscle. I don't know how many people's share of meat you'll order at the party tonight."
"That's because I burn a lot!" Frank shrugged helplessly, "Let me test Junior Brother's level next; it'll be a good chance to roughly evaluate the highest rank Junior Brother can quickly achieve."
"That sounds good; you're one of the amateur martial arts rank evaluators in our city, after all," Rosita nodded.
Frank, towering over two meters tall, stepped in front of Galon, pushing Garcia aside, who ran off to the side to watch the match.
"Junior Brother, give it your all!" Garcia raised his fist and whispered.
"Brother, you got it backward..." Galon smirked wryly.
Everyone chuckled softly.
"Please." Frank stood barefoot on the spot, casually gesturing, creating a breeze that blew Galon's hair about four meters away.
Galon knew that these senior brothers and sisters were adults, their strength not only at its limit but also far beyond due to the combination of explosive boxing techniques and skills, as that limit was merely the average adult male's strength.
Thus, each of them was far stronger than him. At this time, as long as he didn't reveal anything abnormal, that would be enough; winning was impossible.
Realizing this, he took a deep breath, chest bulging, and held his breath.
Step forward! Punch!
Bang!
The punch landed on Garcia, feeling like hitting a hard, elastic rubber tire, the strong rebound force pushing Galon backward several steps.
Feeling this rebound force, Galon was inwardly shocked.
"This level of defense must be another martial secret technique of the gym, the Giant Elephant Technique. Just relying on the body's skin and muscles, one could stand invincible!"
"Secret techniques?"
"Yes, those are the unique, closely guarded martial arts secrets within all martial schools, collectively referred to as secret techniques. Our Baiyun Martial Arts School's Explosive Fist Technique isn't particularly strong; many schools have something similar. However, the Giant Elephant Secret Technique is different—it's unique to us, something other schools don't possess. It enhances muscular strength while also offering defense."
Frank patiently explained.
"Now, I'll attack you with just 10% of my strength. Try to block."
"Okay."
Galon bent his knees, focusing intently, slightly tensing his body's strength. He knew that even if he unleashed all his power, he would still be like a sprout in front of this second senior brother, easily swatted away. But it was precisely in such moments that he needed to be careful not to reveal his secret.
Even the most talented couldn't possibly master the intermediate Baiyun Secret Technique and the basic Explosive Fist Technique within a month. That would be beyond genius, venturing into freakish territory.
Should anyone probe deeper, they might indeed uncover his special ability.
Frank extended his right arm, his large hand swooping down towards Galon's right shoulder like a giant fan bearing down with a strong gust of wind.
Standing together, one towering and the other petite, the contrast was like an adult grabbing a child.
The palm's speed wasn't fast, but it gave an inescapable feeling, the hand trembling slightly, ready to sway in any direction. This uncertainty made it difficult for Galon to decide which way to dodge.
With no other choice, he braced himself with 140 pounds of force to meet the attack head-on.
The punch felt like hitting an iron plate, sending a painful shock through Galon's fist. A bizarre force pressed down upon his fist, not heavy, but causing a strong vibration and numbness in his arm upon contact.
Unconsciously, to resist this numbing sensation, Galon instinctively used all his strength, pushing back with 200 pounds of force.
The result was the same.
He ended up sitting on the ground, his entire body tingling and unable to muster any strength.
Frank then retracted his hand, nodding in satisfaction.
"Not bad physical condition. If you learn some basic fighting techniques and don't hide your strength, you could easily achieve an amateur sixth rank."
"Really??" Galon brightened slightly, "An amateur fifth rank could earn five or six thousand a month..." Then he sighed, realizing that whether he hid his strength or not made no difference in front of his senior brothers and sisters.
"Happy over just five or six thousand? Are you that in need of money?" Fei Baiyun slapped Galon on the head.
"There's something I wanted to buy." Galon suddenly remembered the medal was gone, his joy fading.
"Trying to hide your strength in front of your senior brothers and sisters? Did you know your second senior brother was naturally strong before he even joined, with 200 pounds of force at 15, standing at 1.9 meters tall, twice the size of your senior sister. So what if you're naturally strong? What's there to hide?" Senior Sister Rosita chided with a laugh.
Galon had no response, as long as they didn't notice the level of his Explosive Fist Technique and secret technique.
After standing up, he joined the others, sitting down as the three senior siblings began discussing the details of the sparring session.
Senior Sister advocated for striking vital points, using speed and explosive force to resolve opponents in the most efficient manner. Hence, she taught Galon to aim for a one-hit kill, focusing on dodging and pinpoint explosive force. Concentrating training efforts on strengthening specific areas would be more effective.
The second senior brother, on the other hand, believed in overwhelming with overall strength. He advised Galon to train his entire body, asserting that with a comprehensive strength increase, any situation could be easily handled.
The third senior brother advocated for survival first; if you can't beat them, run. He argued that practicing martial arts was originally for health and fitness, so there was no need to fight to the death with others. Creating enemies only leads to more trouble. His philosophy of valuing peace over conflict was unanimously scorned, while Senior Sister and second senior brother heatedly debated their approaches, eventually deciding to settle it through sparring.
After a bout of sparring, the second senior brother lost by a move but still felt unconvinced, obviously holding back to avoid injuring Senior Sister.
Galon watched with bated breath as the true capabilities of his senior siblings were revealed during their sparring.
Considering himself, facing any of them would result in instant defeat.
And the strongest among them, Senior Sister, was only ranked E, making Galon wonder about the levels beyond.
"Alright, that's enough." Fei Baiyun clapped loudly, glancing at Galon, "Don't overthink it. As you progress, it becomes increasingly difficult and limited to improve strength. Those above E rank mostly surpass us in their understanding of martial principles. The same goes for those major martial arts schools. Your second senior brother's strength, placed anywhere, would be considered above average."
"Higher ranks excel in various special secret techniques. For example, I know of a secret technique that allows for instant speed bursts, reaching incredibly fast speeds. Combined with sharp weapons, it's a top-tier killing technique. Different secret techniques, due to their unique insights, have varied effects. Like our Baiyun Martial Arts School's Giant Elephant Secret Technique, which is derived from the majesty of a giant elephant."
Galon knew his strength was nothing in front of his master and senior siblings, who were truly insiders in the martial arts circle. Though unsure about actual combat, just their physical condition alone meant that, without targeting vital points, even a regular person with a handgun would be ineffective.
Luckily, his master and senior siblings couldn't even dream that he had advanced the Baiyun Secret Technique to the second level. Achieving the third level would further increase his strength.
But the key Galon discovered was that his strength attribute could continuously increase. As long as he kept improving his strength attribute, he could reach the same level as his second senior brother.
Compared to Senior Sister's vital point striking method, he preferred the second senior brother's straightforward, overpowering style, which seemed to have no weaknesses. This approach was effective in any adverse situation.
Until now, Galon still harbored a sense of wariness and insecurity about this world. Coupled with his passion and zeal for martial arts, he became even more invested in training.