Chapter 18 Apprentice of the Future

　　Bang! A thunderous crash echoed out! The teenager’s clasped-hands strike slammed solidly against the burly man’s palms! A resonant boom burst forth as their internal energies clashed! The force was so great that Zheng Feng, already in a lowered stance, sank down a little further!

　　Gu Moxun had anticipated that the burly man would block the strike! His expression remained unchanged, while his gaze sharp as torches! Maintaining his posture, he used the powerful force from Zheng Feng’s palms to propel himself upward! He tensed his waist, twisted his body in mid-air, and hooked his feet downward in an upside-down kick (a classic martial arts move known as "hanging golden hook")! —aiming straight for the burly man’s face!

　　The two moves followed in a quick succession, and this kick came with terrifying momentum. Even with Zheng Feng’s rich combat experience, he dared not take it lightly. He hastily leaned sideways to dodge—but in doing so, he inadvertently revealed a gap in his defenses…

　　The teenager instantly seized the burly man’s opening. His legs missed their target mid-air, but he forced his body into a spin, reorienting himself toward Zheng Feng! His hands—charged with power he’d been gathering—shifted from fists to palms! With a heavy strike delivered in mid-air, he slammed them straight into the burly man’s thick chest. Caught off guard, Zheng Feng took the hit and stumbled back several steps…

　　Gu Moxun had landed a successful blow! Yet this strike, fueled by only Level 1 internal energy, was quickly dissipated by the burly man’s robust internal force—it did no real harm at all...

　　But it had ignited the fighting spirit of Zheng Feng, the top martial arts fanatic of Dragon Head Fortress!

　　His eyebrows furrowed. As he stepped back, his right hand shot out like an iron claw, clamping tightly around the teenager’s wrist! Using the momentum of his retreat, he channeled strength from his waist! Spun around, and hurled the teenager away…

　　Gu Moxun had forced himself to stabilize his posture mid-air and deliver that full-force strike! However, he had no support beneath him!

　　In his battle-frenzy, Zheng Feng had tossed him aside without a second thought. The teenager flew through the air like a cannonball, crashing into a pile of clutter. The debris scattered in all directions under the immense impact, and the teenager was buried in the falling objects…

　　The thrilling spar came to an abrupt end! Zheng Feng, who’d been carried away by the heat of the moment, stared at the scene before him, his face drained of color and filled with terror! Fortunately, the teenager had crashed into a pile of soft debris—otherwise, Zheng Feng, in his moment of impulse, would have been consumed by regret.

　　“Ahh!” Zheng Feng, the martial arts fanatic, let out a shocked cry at his own recklessness! Only now, as the adrenaline faded, did he realize he’d used at least Level 3 internal energy in that throw! If it weren’t for the vast gap in their internal energy, that strike the teenager had landed on his chest would have left the burly man seriously injured! Zheng Feng didn’t have time to think further—he sprinted toward the pile of debris.

　　But before he could take more than a few steps, a thunderous roar erupted from the clutter! A dark figure burst out of the pile at top speed, leaping toward him.

　　“All right!” Master Wei Zhengdao, who had been watching from the side, seemed to have sensed the violent aura in the debris pile long ago. The moment the dark figure darted out, he shouted loudly! He slammed his dragon-patterned cane hard against the ground, sending out an invisible wave of energy that stopped the teenager’s attack dead in its tracks.

　　The invisible force caused Gu Moxun’s body to freeze mid-air, and Wei Zhengdao’s roar snapped the teenager out of the ferocity that had clouded his mind! Gu Moxun forced himself to halt his assault, but he couldn’t stop his forward momentum in the air—his body still hurtled toward Zheng Feng…

　　The burly man looked at the teenager flying toward him and laughed heartily: “Haha, well done! I’ll call this one my loss! Xiao Xun, your fighting spirit is unyielding, and your moves are sharp. It’s only your internal energy that’s weak for now. It is just you need to study and train hard under the Master’s guidance from now on! I’m sure you’ll become another great martial artist of the Alliance in time!

　　Haha! Never thought I’d have this much fun sparring with you today! Awesome—this is so awesome!” As Zheng Feng spoke boldly, he turned his hands into palms, channeling a subtle force. He pressed them gently against the teenager, who couldn’t stop his momentum, then stepped back half a step while supporting Gu Moxun’s body.

　　Using a swirling, soft energy, he dissipated the teenager’s forward inertia, stabilized his body, and spun him once in the air before setting him down gently on the ground. It is the application of Tai Chi’s principle of “neutralizing force with softness”!

　　Zheng Feng set Gu Moxun on his feet, then asked with concern: “You, okay?”

　　The teenager, now steady on his feet, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and offered Zheng Feng a fist salute (a traditional Chinese martial arts greeting). “I’m fine… Thank you… Uncle Zheng… for holding back!” Gu Moxun, though slightly injured, was shocked inwardly!

　　If the major had used that skill of “overcoming force with softness” during their spar, he would have been defeated within two moves at most.

　　Seeing the teenager’s demeanor, Zheng Feng laughed and joked: “Haha! From now on, I’ll be your military instructor—so I’m half your master, in a way. But you can keep calling me Uncle Zheng from now on, and I’ll call you Xiao Xun. How does that sound?”

　　“Okay… Unc… Uncle Zheng!” Gu Moxun replied, deferring respectfully.

　　“Ahem… Ahem! “The two of you have become uncle and nephew after fighting—leaving me, this old man, out in the cold, it seems.” Wei Zhengdao said with a smile.

　　At the elder’s words, Zheng Feng instantly reverted to that earnest, somewhat awkward uncle with the fierce scar on his face.

　　He clearly feared Wei Zhengdao; he hurried to explain: “Not at all, not at all! My skills are only enough to be half a master at best. You are his true master.” With that, he stepped aside and stood at attention with his hands clasped behind his back, showing deference...

　　Gu Moxun, standing nearby, said nothing. He lowered his gaze to the spot where the elder had struck the ground with his cane earlier!

　　Until now, Gu Moxun had thought the burly man was only deferential to Wei Zhengdao—who seemed old and frail—out of fear of the elder’s authority! But that casual strike from the master had sent a shock wave through the teenager’s mind!

　　That seemingly simple hit had left a deep hole, roughly the size of the cane, in the floor paved with high-performance polyester compound. Moreover, the strange energy wave it emitted had frozen his body mid-air for a moment! To cause such damage with a single, effortless strike… It seemed the elder’s martial arts prowess had long since reached the pinnacle of perfection! That must be the real reason why Zheng Feng—a martial arts fanatic—was willing to submit to him wholeheartedly…

　　The floor was slowly repairing itself, but the teenager’s mind was in turmoil…

　　While Gu Moxun stood rooted to the spot, lost in thought, Wei Zhengdao had already walked onto the combat platform and sat down! Zheng Feng, who had followed the elder, remained by his side, standing respectfully to one side with a deferential posture…

　　“What are you standing there for? Hurry up and come over to pay respects as my disciple!” Wei Zhengdao called out, seeing the teenager still in a daze.

　　“Yes…” At the words, Gu Moxun immediately pulled himself together. He strode over to the cushion in front of the elder, wiped the sweat from his face in a fluster with both hands, gave Wei Zhengdao an apologetic smile, and then sat down…

　　“You did well just now—you’ve passed this final test too! You’ve barely scraped through all three assessments! Now, you can formally become my disciple. But before that, I have something to say to you…” He glanced at the stunned teenager, thinking to himself: This boy seems dull on the surface, but when he fights, he’s full of ferocity.

　　While that’s impressive in a way, if he keeps going like this, it will likely distort his state of mind. When he eventually returns to Earth, such a mindset will be extremely dangerous—and it will do no good for his martial arts progress in the later stages. So, he continued: “Alas, in this day and age, there are too many ‘intelligent fools’ . They love to get stuck in their own ways, their understanding of the world is narrow, and their outlook and vision are limited. Resentment and anger build up in their hearts, converging into overwhelming malice that clouds their judgment, turning them into beasts!

　　You’re still young—don’t let such malice take root in you. Otherwise, it will twist you into something savage someday. Do you understand?”

　　“Yes… Master!” Gu Moxun nodded, half-understanding.

　　“Good. Since the first vital acupoint you broke through was the Baihui (the top-most acupoint on the head, deemed a ‘life-and-death point’ in martial arts), you must be more intelligent than ordinary people. But the world only values ‘cleverness’ and overlooks ‘wisdom’. The cleverer one is, the more they tend to get stuck in rigid thinking; without a foundation of wisdom, their vision remains narrow…

　　In the years to come, as you study with me, I hope you’ll gradually cast off the shackles of what you learned at Mars Academy. You need both cleverness and wisdom! You must not only accumulate vast knowledge like an ocean but also nurture compassion—the kindness to care for all living beings and things.

　　You must learn to think from the perspective of all humanity. Once you become my disciple, you’ll begin training to be a Guide—the one who steers the future destiny of humankind!

　　This burden is no light one. I am already in the twilight of my years, and at any moment, I might depart from this world…

　　I urge you to seize every opportunity to grow quickly, to take on this great responsibility, and to succeed me. Do you understand?” The elder looked at the teenager before him with a tender, loving gaze—his eyes filled with earnest hope...