Chapter Eight: The Reason for Becoming a Guardian

Within the Lan family estate, in the courtyard outside the training hall, the morning sunlight poured down. Here, rows upon rows of wooden stakes stood upright—counted carefully, there must be no fewer than a thousand. Their lengths varied, and their spacing was entirely irregular.

Lan Qing turned to Xia Yan and said, "This is the array of stakes used to practice basic footwork. It appears simple, but in truth, scientific principles are applied here. Electronic circuits are built in, allowing the stakes to tilt and even rotate as needed."

"From today onward, your footwork skills will be honed right here," Lan Qing instructed.

"Yes, Master," Xia Yan replied.

"Footwork does not consist of specific moves. The most vital aspects are the techniques for generating force and the degree of evasion," Lan Qing continued. "For example, if a mutant attacks you, you might only shift slightly, allowing its blow to graze your body, and then counterattack. This is a world apart from dodging as much distance as possible."

Xia Yan considered this thoughtfully. Previously, when evading mutant attacks, he had always sought to dodge to the utmost, rolling or leaping away as far as possible.

But if he allowed the attack to merely brush past him, what would happen?

In that instant, he could change his moves, striking directly at the mutant’s exposed weakness, delivering a counterblow strong enough to inflict serious harm. If he could master such agility, his strength would increase immeasurably.

So, through that morning, guided by Lan Qing, Xia Yan began his footwork training.

Afternoon arrived.

"In the afternoon, we will focus on hand techniques," Lan Qing told Xia Yan. "Hand technique training starts from the basics; you must first practice the fundamental boxing forms."

"Fundamental boxing forms?" Xia Yan asked, curious.

"The basics are meant to make your movements more precise and solid. The fundamental boxing forms are not complex—just a few dozen moves—but you must practice them diligently. Only with a firm grasp of the basics can you advance to higher martial arts," Lan Qing explained.

Lan Qing demonstrated the forms, and Xia Yan followed along. With each movement, Lan Qing corrected and explained the underlying reasoning.

Through such training, the days began to pass.

Each morning, Xia Yan practiced agility; in the afternoons, he refined his hand techniques; and at night, he worked on breathing and internal cultivation.

Thanks to his naturally robust physique, his progress was much faster than ordinary people. In just a month, he met Lan Qing's initial requirements.

That day, after finishing a set of fundamental boxing forms, Xia Yan’s movements were flawless—each action flowed seamlessly into the next, imbued with natural grace.

"Excellent, your foundational forms are nearly perfect," Lan Qing affirmed, nodding to indicate Xia Yan had mastered them.

"Now, we begin advanced hand techniques," Lan Qing said with a smile. "Starting today, every three days we will train in a new martial art. Today, we will learn the Eighteen Arhat Fists."

Lan Qing performed the Eighteen Arhat Fists—a set of eighteen bold, sweeping movements, executed with a sense of completeness and power.

Xia Yan nodded silently, learning from his master. His solid foundation meant every move was precise; a little guidance allowed him to grasp the subtleties at once, making his progress swift.

"Xia Yan, remember this: when training this set, do not memorize the moves mechanically. Instead, seek to understand the intent behind them," Lan Qing instructed. "Each time you throw a punch, ask yourself why the creator of this style chose this approach, and what meaning lies in the transition to the next move. Every step holds its own intent—if you can perceive the creator's purpose, you have truly entered the path."

Xia Yan pondered the reasoning and continued to practice the Eighteen Arhat Fists in this manner.

He understood clearly that only through such training could he walk his own martial path. What he would possess in the future would not simply be inherited from his master, but the result of his own comprehension.

"Our school is called the Thousand Sect School, as naturally we have nearly a thousand martial arts. Only by understanding the intent of them all can one truly achieve mastery," Lan Qing said.

"Impressive, but incredibly difficult," Xia Yan said with a wry smile. "Master, the Eighteen Arhat Fists you taught are considered a simple introductory technique, yet even so, it’s hard to grasp the intent behind it. To comprehend the intent of a thousand such arts—isn’t that nearly impossible?"

"Of course—without perseverance and determination, how could one ever reach such heights?" Lan Qing replied with a smile.

Xia Yan followed Lan Qing in practicing martial techniques. Every three days, he switched to a new martial art—sometimes palm techniques, sometimes boxing, sometimes wielding a blade or sword, sometimes a staff, a spear, a whip, or even strange weapons.

All eighteen types of weapons were covered, each with its own unique method.

These martial arts were not like the fantastical ones in wuxia novels, with their endless variations. They prioritized practical moves and techniques, accessible to ordinary people.

After another month had passed.

One day, Xia Yan raced through the array of wooden stakes, moving with agility, each step landing precisely on the adjacent stake. Despite their varying lengths and distances, he crossed nearly a thousand stakes from end to end in moments.

During Xia Yan’s second round of practice, suddenly the stakes began shifting—some tilted, some rolled, each at a different time and in unpredictable patterns, impossible to memorize.

Now, it was a true test of footwork skill.

Xia Yan navigated the array, his steps firm and steady; regardless of how the stakes changed, he always found his footing. With each round, he moved faster.

This time, he managed to run with minimal movement, without falling.

Finishing the circuit, Xia Yan’s face lit up with excitement—his agility had reached a small level of mastery, an initial glimpse of true skill.

Lan Qing watched from the side, nodding silently.

If an ordinary person possessed such talent, Lan Qing would have been utterly astonished; but Xia Yan was no ordinary man—his physical development had surpassed twenty-two percent, marking him as an exceptional talent.

Lan Qing then brought Xia Yan to an indoor chamber known as the Mechanism Room.

"You’ve mastered the basics of footwork. Next, you must train evasion skills—the smaller your movements, the less energy you expend, and the more your combat ability grows," Lan Qing explained. "Practice evasion in this Mechanism Room. When you can pass through unscathed, your agility will be truly accomplished."

The Mechanism Room was quickly sealed shut. Xia Yan stood inside, and suddenly, a barrage of steel balls shot toward him.

Some were fast, some slow, all flying in from every direction.

Xia Yan gritted his teeth and began to dodge.

After three seconds, a steel ball struck him; once hit, he fell into a vicious cycle, with countless balls hitting his body.

Days passed this way. It had now been six months since Xia Yan arrived at the Lan family estate.

That day, Gong Kui contacted Xia Yan, asking him to come to the Ability Training Institute in Fuxiang City—she had something important to discuss face to face.

Xia Yan did not refuse, greeted his master Lan Qing, and then set out for the institute in Baihui City, using a flying vehicle to reach Fuxiang City.

At that moment, in Gong Kui’s office, she awaited Xia Yan’s arrival.

"If there are three conditions overall, the first condition, Xia Yan, you already stand a chance of fulfilling!" Gong Kui frowned. "At first, it seemed utterly hopeless, yet you managed to break through every obstacle and surprise me!"

That time, death seemed inevitable—Gong Kui had believed that Lan Xin and Xia Yan would perish there. Yet, Xia Yan pulled off an ingenious maneuver and forced the Shadow Leopard to retreat.

Thus, the impossible became possible.

Originally, even after becoming a disciple, Xia Yan would not have gained Lan Qing’s approval—the timing was simply insufficient. But because he had saved Lan Xin, Lan Qing was compelled to make an exception, and so Xia Yan became a disciple of the Thousand Sect School.

It all seemed like coincidence, but Gong Kui knew the truth: without a desperate courage, none of it would have happened.

The first condition was within reach. There remained half a year to lift his skills to at least match Tang Yun’s, or even surpass them.

Half a year—perhaps just enough.

Now, it was time to execute the second condition.

Xia Yan knocked on the door, which was opened by Gong Kui, her face beaming.

"Xia Yan, it’s been half a year since we last met," Gong Kui’s smile was as gentle as ever, never domineering.

"Half a year already, Miss Gong Kui," Xia Yan replied with a smile. "I suppose you’ve summoned me for a reason?"

"Xia Yan, if you wish to surpass Director Ai You in half a year, there is another prerequisite," Gong Kui said earnestly. "You must increase your physical development to over thirty percent."

Xia Yan’s expression changed—physical development over thirty percent?

How difficult could that be!

Six months ago, Xia Yan’s physical development was at twenty-two percent; now, he had barely reached twenty-four percent, perhaps even less. In other words, he needed to increase by six percentage points in the next six months.

Even if he slipped into unconsciousness again, and with another six months, the limit would be five percentage points—still short of thirty percent.

But losing consciousness seemed unlikely; in the past six months, Xia Yan had not shown any signs of it.

"How can that be achieved?" Xia Yan wondered aloud.

"Xia Yan, your brain development matches your physical development, so you only need to focus on improving one," Gong Kui smiled. "For most ability users, methods to increase brain development exist, but are also elusive!"

Xia Yan reflected. Before he became an ability user, he had asked Tao Lu how to quickly enhance brain development. Tao Lu’s answer was that there was no way.

But there was always a possibility—that was to fight mutants and demons. Only through intense battles could brain development hope to increase.

"Miss Gong Kui, you mean I should engage in frequent battles?" Xia Yan asked.

"Exactly. However, ordinary ability users lack the qualification to hunt Level 3 or even Level 4 mutants," Gong Kui explained. "Therefore, Xia Yan, you must become a Guardian. Only with this status can you battle mutants."

"Guardian," Xia Yan nodded. "I understand."