From bone collectors to the supreme ruler of humanity

Chapter 20 You're still a long way off

Lin Yan gritted his teeth and punched Zhou Kai in the face with his left fist.

He used all the power of [Basic Body Tempering] in this punch; the fist whistled through the air, fast and ruthless.

Zhou Kaiquan turned his head to dodge, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

The power of that punch was not something an untrained person could deliver.

But it was just an accident.

Zhou Kaiquan tightened his grip on Lin Yan's shoulder, pinning Lin Yan to the stone, rendering him unable to move.

"Don't bother," Zhou Kaiquan said. "You've practiced, but you're still far from good enough."

Lin Yan stared into his eyes, her heart burning with resentment.

It was just a little bit short.

He was just a little short of achieving the highest rank.

Just give him a little more time, just a little will be enough.

Looking into his eyes, Zhou Kaiquan suddenly asked, "What are you practicing?"

Lin Yan remained silent.

Zhou Kaiquan looked him up and down, his brows furrowing slightly.

"A fragment of the Breathing Exercises?" he suddenly said.

Lin Yan felt a pang of anxiety, but her face remained impassive.

Zhou Kaiquan stared at him for a few seconds, then let go.

"Tie him up," he said to Su Wenyuan.

Su Wenyuan pulled a hemp rope from behind his waist and walked over.

Just then, Lin Yan made a move.

He didn't run downhill, nor did he run uphill; instead, he rolled down the steep slope to the left.

The slope was very steep, full of loose stones and dead branches. Once you rolled up it, it was like sliding down a slide.

Su Wenyuan reached out to grab it, but only grasped at thin air.

Zhou Kaiquan reacted quickly, taking a step to the edge of the steep slope and looking down.

Lin Yan had already rolled more than ten feet away and was scrambling to his feet, limping as he ran towards the ravine.

Zhou Kaiquan did not jump.

He stood on the edge of the steep slope, watching Lin Yan's figure disappear into the woods, his expression changing repeatedly.

"Not going to pursue them anymore?" Su Wenyuan walked over and asked.

"We can't catch him," Zhou Kaiquan said. "He knows this mountain too well; we won't find him before dark."

Su Wenyuan paused for a moment.

"Go back and tell Master Zhao that this kid is more troublesome than we thought."

Lin Yan ran through the mountain stream for a long time, until it got dark before he stopped.

He leaned against a big tree, his body covered in wounds.

As he rolled down the steep slope, gravel cut his arms and back, and his left knee slammed into a rock, swelling up badly and making it painful to walk.

But he dared not stop.

He ran until he was sure no one was chasing him before he dared to stop and catch his breath.

Lin Yan sat on the tree root, panting heavily, his mind filled with the scene from just now.

The hand that Zhou Kaiquan was using to grab his shoulder.

That grab seemed ordinary, but Lin Yan now realizes how terrifying it was when he thinks back on it.

It's not about speed, it's about timing.

He had just raised his hand when Zhou Kaiquan's hand was already there.

It was as if they knew his movements in advance.

Is this the strength of a rank-1 martial artist?

Lin Yan looked down at his hands; his fists were still trembling.

It wasn't fear, it was anger.

It was just a little bit short.

He was just a little short of achieving the highest rank.

Lin Yan closed his eyes and went through everything he had learned that day in his mind.

Zhou Kaiquan's footwork, power generation techniques, breathing rhythm, and the timing of that grab.

【Basic Sketching (Beginner) (187/500)】

His proficiency level increased by 100 points, but he was not satisfied.

No matter how well you imitate a form, it's still just imitation.

What he wants is something that becomes his own.

Lin Yan opened his eyes and looked at the dark sky above him.

I'm not going back.

There's no going back.

With those two blocking the way outside, his return would only expose his mother and sister.

All he can do now is stay in these mountains and wait for those two people to leave.

But waiting is not a solution.

He needs to become stronger.

He became stronger than Zhou Kaiquan.

Lin Yan stood up, found a sheltered crevice in the rocks, crawled inside, and sat down cross-legged.

He opened the fragments of the breathing exercises in his mind and went through them from beginning to end.

Sitting posture, standing posture, bowing posture.

Three postures, three breathing methods, corresponding to three different pathways for the flow of Qi and blood.

He's been practicing these past few days, but he always feels like something's missing.

The moment he clashed with Zhou Kaiquan today, he finally realized what he was missing.

What's lacking is the method to utilize qi and blood.

The incomplete text on breathing techniques only taught him how to cultivate and circulate his qi, but it didn't teach him how to transform qi into power or power into techniques.

It's like a water tank, full of water, but without a ladle to scoop it out.

Zhou Kaiquan is different.

He not only had a water vat, but also a spoon, and even a complete set of pots and pans.

His grab looked simple, but it contained a lot of meaning.

Judging the timing, controlling the distance, allocating power, and using momentum.

These are things that Lin Yan doesn't have.

But he can learn.

Lin Yan closed his eyes and began to mentally analyze Zhou Kaiquan's grab.

It's not about imitating actions, it's about dissecting principles.

Why was the timing of that grab so precise?

Because Zhou Kaiquan had already predicted Lin Yan's next move before he even made his move.

How was it determined?

Look at the shoulders.

A person's shoulders are more honest than their eyes. Eyes can lie, but shoulders can't. If you move to the left, your left shoulder will move first. If you throw a right punch, your right shoulder will sink first.

Zhou Kaiquan wasn't looking at Lin Yan's hands, but at his shoulders.

Lin Yan opened his eyes, and they lit up.

He stood up, found a large rock to use as an imaginary opponent, and began practicing.

It's not about learning how to catch people, it's about learning how to read people.

He threw a punch at the rock, then stopped halfway through and looked at his shoulder.

As soon as I threw my right fist out, my right shoulder sank a little first.

Try the left fist again, with the left shoulder moving first.

Try turning around again, starting with your shoulders.

After practicing for half an hour, he mastered the technique.

【Basic Sketching (Beginner) (231/500)】

not enough.

Lin Yan continued to disassemble.

Zhou Kaiquan's grab didn't come from his fingers, but from the soles of his feet.

With your feet on the ground, the force originates from the ground, passes through your legs, waist, back, shoulders, arms, and finally reaches your fingers.

This is a complete force chain.

Lin Yan's previous power was scattered. His fists were fists, his legs were legs, each striking separately, without any connection.

Zhou Kaiquan's exertion was a unified effort. The power of his entire body was twisted into a single rope, flowing from the soles of his feet all the way to his fingertips.

Lin Yan stood with his feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, back straight, and hands hanging naturally at his sides.

Then he tried to lift the force from the soles of his feet upwards.

Step on the ground with your feet, and apply force to your calves.

Tighten your calves and apply pressure to your knees.

Keep your knees straight and apply pressure to your thighs.

Use your thigh muscles to generate force, which will then travel to your waist.

Twist your waist, and the force goes to your back.

Straighten your back and shift your strength to your shoulders.

With a sinking of the shoulder, the force travels to the arm.

With an outstretched arm, the force reaches the hand.

Lin Yan threw a punch.

The fist whistled as it struck the large rock in front of him, making his entire arm go numb.

The stone remained completely still.

But Lin Yan smiled.

Because he sensed it.

That force traveled from the soles of my feet all the way up to my fists without interruption.

Although it's still unfamiliar and not smooth enough, the approach is right.

【Skill: Basic Body Tempering (Beginner) (267/500)】

The panel jumped.

Lin Yan didn't stop and continued practicing.

One punch, two punches, three punches.

Ten punches, twenty punches, fifty punches.