Was Chen Gu trying to sharpen his spear right before battle? The surrounding students and teachers shook their heads. Even if he were given a secret manual, what could he do? In such a short time, he could at most learn a few moves, and he might not even memorize them all.
To think of using it against Liu Shichan, who had practiced the "Dragon's Backbone Whip" since childhood, was simply a fool's dream.
And why did he approach Chen Zili so directly? It seemed the two even had a slight conflict before.
But to everyone's surprise, Chen Zili, his face etched with reluctance, handed a secret manual to Chen Gu.
Chen Gu opened it and saw it was a secret military combat manual called "Ancient Martial Nine Forms." Within it, Chen Gu vaguely recognized elements of Bajiquan and Xingyi Quan from his previous life.
Chen Gu had guessed correctly. Chen Zili, as his grandson—or more accurately, as Chen Jixian's son—indeed possessed secret military combat techniques.
Their duel was scheduled as the grand finale, the ultimate highlight of the event. Before that, other students would engage in sparring matches.
Class Nine's morale was severely crushed, while Class Four's spirit soared. Consequently, in the initial matches, Class Nine's students appeared hesitant and constrained, leading to a string of quick defeats.
In this exchange meet of six bouts, Class Nine had already lost all five.
Even students with a slight strength advantage could only perform at seventy or eighty percent of their capacity under such pressure, falling to Class Four students who achieved underdog victories.
The first five bouts concluded in a mere fifteen minutes, with each participant lasting an average of only three minutes.
All of Class Nine's combatants were male, and the five of them were overcome with shame. They often boasted about their stamina, but reality delivered a harsh truth: You guys are just pathetically quick finishers!
Teacher Zhou's face was so grim it looked as if water could be wrung from it. He hadn't been a graduate for long; this was his third year working at Lubei Middle School. Unfortunately, his luck had been poor in the first two years, with the classes he taught consistently ranking last in physical skills. This year… it seemed destined to sink again.
Otherwise, why would Class Four's physical skills teacher mock him to his face for "not being up to par"?
Suddenly, Teacher Zhou grasped at his last straw: his and his martial senior's prize disciple. Last time, it was Chen Gu who had turned the tide, allowing them to hold their heads high.
He whipped his head around to find Chen Gu, just as the girls from Class Nine were also turning to look at him. The girls were certainly not pleased; how could a class full of such "quick finishers" satisfy them?
But the sight stunned everyone. Chen Gu was sitting at the very back, his school uniform completely drenched in sweat.
The students from Class Four noticed too. Their physical skills teacher burst out laughing, "Our dear Chen Gu, surely you're not breaking out in a cold sweat from nervousness, are you? Don't worry, I'll ask Miss Liu to be gentle with you…"
The moment the words left his mouth, the physical skills teacher inwardly regretted them. Why did that sound like I was helping Chen Gu take advantage of Liu Shichan?
He cautiously glanced at his student. Liu Shichan, however, looked at him seriously and replied, "I will not."
The other Class Four students also snickered, "Chen Gu, don't be too scared. Big Sister Liu's whip kick will, at most, knock you out for a few dozen minutes."
Chen Gu remained silent. His profuse sweating was certainly not from fear. It was the result of him embodying Griffin Wester through his memories, rapidly grasping the "Ancient Martial Nine Forms" using the techniques of the High-Energy Combat Art.
The High-Energy Combat Art could be combined with any weapon, especially high-tech ones, to maximize the synergistic power of a biological body and said weapon.
But to underestimate this skill simply because of the words "Combat Art" at the end would be truly foolish.
Fundamentally, this skill was a combat art.
This embodiment through memory granted Chen Gu exceptional combat talent and battle experience. However, achieving such comprehension demanded even more effort than when Chen Gu first experimented with the High-Energy Combat Art.
As for Chen Gu possessing the memories of two professionals but, so far, only utilizing Griffin Wester's… Besides its suitability, what man would willingly pat his own chest for no reason?
Chen Gu slowly rose, a single sensation overwhelming him: hunger.
Liu Shichan suddenly noticed a change in Chen Gu's gaze as he looked at her. It was a look of raw, intense desire!
Big Sister Liu was, after all, still young and couldn't distinguish between lust and hunger. If she could have had an open discussion with Great Actor Chen, he would have undoubtedly arranged a private session to meticulously explain the performative differences between these two gazes… and what might ensue.
Just as Great Actor Chen had done for those young, aspiring actresses in his previous life.
However, Liu Shichan wasn't particularly surprised. She herself didn't place much importance on looks but was aware of her own attractiveness. She usually didn't mind timid boys sneaking glances at her.
But this direct, unblinking stare made her feel somewhat repulsed.
"HUMPH!" she snorted softly.
Chen Gu had already approached, his mouth parched. He reached out a hand towards her in a way that looked suspiciously like a grope!
Liu Shichan couldn't hold back any longer and lashed out with a kick. But Chen Gu said weakly, "Do you have a high-energy ration in your pocket? Give me a bite."
Liu Shichan froze. She had a touch of the sheltered young lady's naive ditziness and often spoke without thinking. "Do you have a dog's nose, or what? How is it so sharp?"
After completing the first phase of the Star Battle Instructor's preliminary training, Chen Gu's physical constitution was three times that of an ordinary person; naturally, his sense of smell was also three times sharper.
Chen Gu didn't answer, his eyes fixed intently on the breast pocket where she had stashed a high-energy ration.
Liu Shichan pursed her lips, took it out, and handed it to him. It was a palm-sized bar, packed with enough energy to sustain a fully equipped warrior through a day of intense combat.
Chen Gu took it, roughly and wildly tore open the ration's packaging, and devoured it like a ravenous wolf.
Liu Shichan frowned, How does this guy manage to make even eating look so lewd?
There was a water dispenser in the combat classroom. Chen Gu rushed over and gulped down half its contents. He was still famished but no longer felt so "weak."
"Ready now?" Class Four's physical skills teacher asked impatiently. Chen Gu walked back, brushed his damp hair back with a hand. The eyes of the girls from both classes instantly lit up. So handsome!
Chen Gu cupped his fist towards Liu Shichan. "Ready. Please, proceed."
Teacher Zhou hurriedly produced protective gear. "Put this on…"
"No need."
Liu Shichan's gaze sharpened, her entire demeanor shifting in an instant. With a cry as piercing as icy thunder, she charged.
Neither in the first inter-class combat exchange nor during yesterday's bout with Chen Zili had Liu Shichan actually used her full strength.
The Liu Family's "Dragon's Backbone Whip" was an extremely profound secret technique, its power originating entirely from the spine. Cultivated to its peak, the spine became like a steel whip.
Advancing rapidly, Liu Shichan's long legs moved in a continuous, coiling chain, unleashing a tornado-like flurry of leg shadows!
The moment this technique appeared, Teacher Zhou turned his head, unable to bear watching.
Chen Zili's mouth fell open. Good heavens, that tigress actually went easy on me with her long legs yesterday!
Her entourage from Class Four erupted into cheers. Chen Gu's "loyal crew" also wanted to shout their support, but faced with such a terrifying display of legwork, their throats went dry, and they couldn't utter a sound—their eyes were glued to the fight, afraid to miss a single moment.
Students specializing in military fitness often looked down on regular high school students, typically possessing an "I can take on ten of them" kind of confidence. But now, that confidence was utterly shattered by the whirlwind of Liu Shichan's leg shadows.
However, just when everyone thought Chen Gu was about to be swept away in a single onslaught, a series of sharp slaps echoed from the heart of the battle. Chen Gu hadn't retreated a single step. His upper and lower arms formed a ninety-degree angle in a scientifically sound defensive posture. With only minor parries, he defended his front, incredibly deflecting each of Liu Shichan's kicks to the sides.
The storm of attacks finally subsided. Liu Shichan twisted her slender waist and stepped back, adjusting her breathing.
Yet, one leg remained forward, like an iron stake. If Chen Gu were to press the attack then, she would seize the opportunity to counter.
But no one noticed that Liu Shichan's retreating leg was trembling slightly.
The shock in Liu Shichan's heart far surpassed anyone else's. Is this guy a monster? How can he be so strong! Her own barrage of kicks against his arms had sent a jarring force back into her own shins, making them numb!
She had tested her kicking power at home; each strike registered between 800 and 1,000 pounds. She wasn't some delicate girl with flashy but ineffective moves; this was the "Dragon's Backbone Whip."
The entire hall was silent, save for Liu Shichan's long, rhythmic breaths.
Chen Gu stood his ground. He had barely managed to block that last furious assault. Liu Shichan had cultivated her family's secret art for over a decade, while Chen Gu's understanding was the recent result of a "cheat." To have held his own like this was already remarkable.
Chen Gu wasn't avoiding pursuit; instead, he was reflecting on and replaying the recent exchange, deepening his understanding of the "Ancient Martial Nine Forms."
Liu Shichan had recovered. This time, she didn't expect to defeat Chen Gu in a single move. Instead, she began to circle him with unique footwork, launching occasional hit-and-run attacks.
Chen Gu responded conventionally. The duel between them slowly became "mundane," far less dazzling than its explosive start.
But the expressions of the two teachers grew solemn. This was the calm before the storm.
Indeed, after several probing attacks, Liu Shichan had gained a rough measure of Chen Gu's level. Suddenly, she let out another sharp cry. An icy clap of thunder seemed to explode by Chen Gu's ears. Liu Shichan launched an attack from all directions simultaneously, as if she had multiplied into countless versions of herself, all striking at Chen Gu at once.
Feints and real attacks blurred together, illusion and reality intertwined.
This was the pinnacle of Liu Shichan's combat skills. In fact, this was her first time using it in actual combat. When she practiced it alone at home, this technique wasn't always successful; she only managed it about sixty percent of the time.
Today, Chen Gu was a worthy opponent, giving her the chance to unleash her potential.
However, when Chen Gu witnessed this, he visibly relaxed.
If Liu Shichan had fought him head-on with straightforward power, or with a furious barrage like at the beginning, Chen Gu would have struggled, given his fresh grasp of the combat art.
But when Liu Shichan employed such "fancy" techniques, he found them easiest to handle. Griffin Wester possessed a vast reservoir of combat experience, all of which Chen Gu could "borrow."
As a combat master, Chen Gu saw through the feints and true intentions of Liu Shichan's technique in an instant. His initial move, "Immortal Points the Way," executed with fingers extended like a sword, suddenly transformed mid-motion into the "Dragon Claw Hand," lashing out dangerously towards one of the besieging figures.
The moment Chen Gu made his move, Liu Shichan inwardly cried out in alarm. How could he so easily see through my ultimate technique?
She retreated in a panic, but Chen Gu, with physical attributes triple that of an ordinary person, was far from average. With a RIP— Liu Shichan stumbled back, the white sock on her left calf torn open by Chen Gu's grab.