Tang Tang was undoubtedly a smart girl.
She knew exactly what she could and couldn't do.
She fully supported her younger brother's endeavors and managed the household with frugality.
One could say she was quite a clever young woman.
However, she was inevitably limited by her own experiences.
In Tang Tang's eyes, Zhou Bing, a young woman, having meals at another man's house, clearly indicated that she was unmarried.
She would never have imagined that the situation could be so complicated.
"Three fiancés? Abilities? A curse on husbands?"
After hearing this, Tang Tang sat dumbfounded on the stool: "Is this martial arts? Isn't this just a scam?"
Looking at the distraught Tang Tang and then at Tang Wen, whom she had just "warned," Zhou Bing couldn't help but find it amusing: truly siblings.
In fact, over the years, she had somewhat gotten used to it.
At worst, she would just live a lonely life.
Perhaps it wouldn't be long before she died on some mission, saving herself from a lonely old age.
"Glug, glug, glug," Tang Tang poured herself a bowl of wine.
She raised the bowl and clinked it with Zhou Bing's: "The heavens envy talent, the heavens envy talent!"
She was getting tipsy, drinking bowl after bowl.
In the end, Zhou Bing didn't leave. Tang Tang, sticking to her original plan, arranged for the slightly drunk Zhou Bing to sleep on her brother's bed.
Then, she sent her brother to sleep in the unused inner room.
In the morning, Captain Zhou woke up and noticed something unusual: the bedding had a faint masculine scent. Tang Wen's?
No way.
Hadn't she made herself clear enough to the siblings?
Did they not believe her?
"Bing, you're awake? Did you sleep well last night? Was it cold? I drank too much and forgot to give you my bed," Tang Tang said as she got dressed.
Zhou Bing also got up, putting on the clothes she had warmed on the kang. It had to be said, it felt quite nice.
Much better than struggling alone.
But as she got off the kang and looked back at the bedding, she couldn't help but feel a bit strange.
For breakfast, Zhou Bing and Tang Wen didn't eat at home.
The two set off for the inner city's Guard Barracks.
Tang Tang waved them off at the door. Once they entered the city, she took Tang Wen's medical clinic ID and headed towards the inner city.
She walked briskly, muttering to herself: "I need to find out, how can there be such strange abilities? It clearly defies logic. Has no one ever questioned it?"
Tang Tang believed that Zhou Bing had lost three "fiancés," but she couldn't believe that such strange abilities existed in the world.
On the way, Zhou Bing felt uneasy. She had slept in Tang Wen's bed for a night.
And now he was walking beside her, and he would return to that bed to sleep tonight.
Just thinking about it made her skin inexplicably warm.
Huff! Zhou Bing, don't let your imagination run wild. Have some self-respect.
She shook her head, coughed, and skillfully put on a cold demeanor: "Tang Wen, starting today, you'll begin practicing the Stance. Practice for a month first."
"Alright! Thank you for your guidance, Captain Zhou," Tang Wen replied excitedly, completely unaware of her inner turmoil.
"It's my duty."
When they arrived at the barracks, Tang Wen opened the door for Zhou Bing.
The warm sunlight happened to fall on his profile.
Zhou Bing suddenly froze: jet-black hair like ebony, eyes as bright as lacquer, a straight nose with a faint fuzz underneath, and lips like flower petals.
Huff!
Zhou Bing forced herself to look away: Zhou Bing! Have some self-respect, Zhou Bing! He's still a child! You'll only harm him!
She didn't look back, striding forward with her long legs, "swish, swish, swish," and entered the room.
After having breakfast in the camp, Zhou Bing led Tang Wen to a training room.
This was a shared space for both the first and second hunting teams.
Stone dumbbells, wooden racks, benches, and other training equipment were all available.
Zhou Bing began to explain the Earth Fire Stance to Tang Wen.
"The Earth Fire Stance, with your legs rooted to the ground, the force surges like flames, reaching every part of your body. When standing in the horse stance, you need to be lively, truly standing like a horse. As the saying goes, 'Earth fire as the root, waist like a galloping horse, enter stillness through visualization, and the divine will be upon you!'"
Zhou Bing spoke clearly, word by word: "Entering stillness is the shortcut in stance training. If you want to break through from a Martial Apprentice to a Martial Master, besides enduring and building strength, as long as you visualize and enter stillness in the Earth Fire Stance, you can quickly break through. Even learning fist techniques, like the Mountain-Cracking Cannon Fist, will be twice as effective."
Tang Wen listened with excitement.
A month ago, he had successfully entered stillness in the Life-Nurturing Stance under Commander Zhao's guidance.
The Life-Nurturing Stance had then transformed into the Visualization Meditation Stance.
Later, he visualized the silver wolf to enter stillness every day, and his experience initially grew rapidly.
But after a few days, the experience became [Visualization Meditation Stance (1000/1000)] and never moved again.
Now he understood that although he could visualize and enter stillness, the Life-Nurturing Stance alone wasn't enough. It had to be combined with the Earth Fire Stance to be effective.
He listened even more attentively.
Zhou Bing continued, "Entering stillness is difficult. Among the hundreds of Martial Apprentices who graduated from the martial arts school with me, only a dozen or so could enter stillness within three years. Even now, it's no more than fifty. The others never broke through the threshold of being a Martial Apprentice to become a Martial Practitioner."
After her explanation, she demonstrated herself: "At the beginning, visualize in your mind, and the object you outline should be the one you're most familiar with. For example, what I visualize is a wooden scabbard I've played with since childhood."
She stood in the horse stance, her waist gently swaying, her ponytail rising and falling like ripples on a lake stirred by a breeze.
Tang Wen didn't think much, watching her posture, feeling the rhythm of her breathing, and became somewhat entranced.
Involuntarily, he imitated her, squatting down, and naturally visualized the silver wolf in his mind.
In less than three minutes, just as Zhou Bing opened her eyes and stood up to say something.
Tang Wen's body began to slightly rise and fall.
What?
Successful in entering stillness on the first try?
Zhou Bing held her breath, her heart surging like a tsunami.
She had taken three months to enter stillness successfully and was called a genius by her martial arts school instructor.
It was said that the Queen, when she first learned martial arts, entered stillness in one day, a peerless genius.
But Tang Wen, he entered stillness on his first try!
Didn't that mean his talent surpassed even the Queen's?
Was that possible?
Half an hour later, Tang Wen slowly opened his eyes.
[Visualization Meditation Stance → Earth Fire Stance (Stillness), Proficient (1/3000)]
"You, could it be?"
"Captain, I've successfully entered stillness."
Seeing the shock in her big eyes, Tang Wen explained, "I've successfully entered stillness before. Commander Zhao guided me to visualize the silver wolf to enter stillness, and I practiced for a long time."
In fact, when he broke through in the Eight Section Brocade, his spiritual power surged, and he entered stillness successfully in just a few hours.
He hadn't practiced for long at all.
Zhou Bing's expression softened: "So that's how it is. That's good then!"
Her voice suddenly rose a few notches: "You visualized the Silver Wolf? The Mutated Beast Silver Wolf?"
"Uh, yes."
"Then you must be able to withstand the roar of the Silver Wolf?"
Tang Wen nodded. He had practiced precisely to withstand the Silver Wolf's roar.
Zhou Bing smiled, like the first bloom of spring flowers: "I've struck gold! I've struck gold! The other two commanders will be green with envy. No wonder Commander Zhao insisted on recruiting you, even leaving An Lei aside."
Through her words, Tang Wen gradually understood.
The Silver Wolf pack and the camp had a long-standing feud. In recent years, they had come every year to prey on humans.
Humans had Martial Arts, while Mutated Beasts had innate abilities. The Silver Wolf's innate ability, apart from its formidable physique, was its most troublesome sonic attack.
Every time they roared, not only the guards, who were Martial Apprentices, but even the Martial Practitioner-level team leaders couldn't withstand it.
Dozens of team leaders had already died at the hands of the Silver Wolves.
To this end, General Zhou and others had repeatedly captured Silver Wolves for research, trying to find a way to resist their roars.
Later, they discovered that besides rigorous training and improving strength, there was another method: find a Martial Apprentice who had not yet Entered Stillness and have them visualize the Silver Wolf to Enter Stillness.
Visualization was a way to train mental strength. Visualizing ordinary objects could make mental strength purer and stronger.
But visualizing a ferocious, living Silver Wolf—once Entering Stillness was successful, one would naturally integrate the Silver Wolf's aura into oneself. When facing its roar again, one would no longer fear it.
However, this was only theoretically possible; in practice, it was almost impossible.
Because a Martial Apprentice who had not Entered Stillness couldn't get close enough to observe the Silver Wolf. With just one roar, if the Martial Apprentice didn't wet their pants, it would be considered a testament to their strong will.
For two years, no one had succeeded.
Until Tang Wen, who first had strong mental strength, then went to observe and visualize, finally succeeded in one go.
"Gurgle, gurgle"
His stomach growled, and Tang Wen's face stiffened. I need to eat, I need to eat quickly!
[Body: 4.0→5.5]
[Mind: 4.08→6.08]
Zhou Bing didn't know how Tang Wen had succeeded, but she advised, "No matter what, success is good. While the state is still there, consolidate it a few more times now!"
"Growl, growl"
Hunger struck, and Tang Wen's face turned pale.
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(End of Chapter)