Chapter 66: An Invitation-Only Class
After giving Chen Chuan some pointers, Cheng Zitong said, “Since you’re practicing the All-Encompassing Force, you don’t have any specialization, so it won’t manifest as clearly. From what little I know about your refined force, you need to strengthen your foundation.
“So, aside from training, you need medicine. In the past, all ingredients with such effects were really valuable and rare. Fortunately, that’s no longer a problem in this day and age. The only difference is in the price between different types of medicine. I’ll prepare them for you.”
He then took out a card from his briefcase and pushed it to Chen Chuan.
“You got your pay from the two missions. I’ve opened an account for you and deposited the money there. You can take it out whenever you want. If your medicine costs more than what is covered by the university, I’ll deduct it from this account. If there’s no longer enough, I’ll let you know.”
Chen Chuan took the card and thanked Cheng Zitong. “Thank you, Mr. Cheng.”
“While you’ve mastered the basics of your refined force, remember to not use it often. It creates a burden on your body. Even though you can recover with medicine, there’s no need for you to do that unless you’re in danger,” Cheng Zitong reminded him.
Chen Chuan had his second self, so he did not need to worry about the physical burden that refined force caused. Still, he told Cheng Zitong that he would keep it in mind.
“Aside from that, there’s one more thing you need to pay attention to. While your mutated tissue has been restricted, you need to observe it for a few days and see whether its growth has slowed down because of this. This is important. You should be able to know within a few days.”
“I’ll pay attention to it. If there are any changes, I’ll tell you,” Chen Chuan promised.
Cheng Zitong relaxed and said, “Don’t be too nervous. Even if it grows again, it will go through another slow period. You can relax a little. Now that you’ve mastered the basics, I feel relieved too. By the way, it’s been a little over two months since you joined the university, but you haven’t gone to any public lectures or invitation-only classes, have you?
“You should go to one or two of them before your mid-term, even if it’s just for show. While it’s not a major problem to not attend any of the lectures or classes, some people might use it to criticize you in the future.”
“Then, I’ll go to one over the next few days,” Chen Chuan said.
Once Cheng Zitong had given all his instructions, he left satisfied.
Chen Chuan took out his alarm clock to figure out the increase in the maximum amount of time he could overlap with his second self. His successful mastery of the All-Encompassing Force had also spurred the growth of his second self, just as he expected.
The time had increased by more than seven minutes! If he added it to his previous maximum time, then the total was more than fifteen minutes.
After successfully picking up the basics, he needed to work on getting into real fights to grow his strength. This should increase his overlap time as well.
Chen Chuan left his room. When he came back, he had two invitations to invitation-only classes.
He had been pressed for time before and did not have a single moment to spare, except for completing the required missions and getting rest. Once he mastered the basics of the All-Encompassing Force and Cheng Zitong reminded him about it, it was important that he went to some classes.
The invitation-only classes were not open to just first-class students. Second-class students could also attend them. It all depended on the lecturer’s will. Most of the time, the first-class students received an invitation a day before the class was to be held.
Chen Chuan had two invitation cards. One of them was for the class the day after, while the other one was for this afternoon. It was from Xu Wei from the Grappling Department, so Chen Chuan decided to go to it.
Before he went to the class, he saw a note on the card and raised an eyebrow.
He had wanted to visit Luo Kaiyuan and Feng Xiaoqi and have lunch with them, but they were not around. Wei Dong was gone too, though he was most likely training with his mentor. So, after Chen Chuan had lunch by himself, he went back to his dorm room to wash up and headed to the hall where the class was.
This was the first time he walked around in a relaxed manner on campus after he joined the university, so he observed the scenery.
It was November, and most of the maple leaves had turned red. Their leaves were a mix of gold and red. Occasionally, a leaf fell. The autumn atmosphere had settled in like a thick blanket.
After walking for around fifteen minutes, Chen Chuan reached the designated hall. It was a semicircle and had a stage elevated at the front.
Chen Chuan had arrived quite early, so there were still around twenty minutes before the start of the class. He went to a middle seat that was near the aisle and sat down.
Soon, other students came in. Most of them were girls, but that was not strange. After all, the Weapons Department and Grappling Department had the highest number of female students.
Just then, a girl with boxing tape wrap, a pixie cut, and a white martial arts uniform walked in. She was fit and had light footsteps. The students immediately began whispering once she showed up.
“Look. Isn’t that Guan Xinyin?”
“Yes. She’s Mr. Guan’s daughter and a first-class student. I heard that she’s one of the best female students here. She’s really strong and pretty. She’s only here because it’s Mr. Xu’s class today. Otherwise, a first-class student with a mentor like her wouldn’t show up.”
“So what if she’s a first-class student? Look at the tall boy sitting over there. He’s also a first-class student.”
“Oh, yeah, you’re right.”
After Chen Chuan mastered the basics of the basic breathing technique, his senses became much sharper, and with the refined force, they became even sharper. He knew that the students were talking about him, but paid them no mind.
But soon, he felt a pair of eyes fixed on him and looked over to meet a pair of bright, clear eyes. Guan Xinyin was staring at him. He gave her a polite nod.
Guan Xinyin returned the nod as a silent greeting between two first-class students.
Students continued filing in, and when it was almost time, a young, male lecturer in his early thirties came in. He had to be Xu Wei. His knuckles were huge and gave off the impression of great strength. He also had sharp eyes. When he looked at anyone, it was as if he was piercing them with his eyes.
Xu Wei first scanned the hall. When he saw Chen Chuan, his eyes paused on him for a moment, then he looked away. He introduced himself and began the lecture.
The main focus of the class was on how to combine grappling with other fighting styles. Xu Wei used simple words and spoke concisely. His descriptions were apt, and everyone immediately understood what he meant.
But theory was boring, so it was difficult for the students to gain a deep understanding of what he said and for his words to sink into their brains after just hearing them once. So, he asked a few students to go on stage for a demonstration. Everything went by smoothly, and soon, half of the class was done.
Then, Xu Wei said, “Joint locks and Sanshou is the most widely used combination. Martial artists usually strike first, then subdue their opponent. But when it comes to chokes, combining them with takedowns is the most effective strategy in a tournament. That’s why I’ve invited Qiu Xin of the Takedown Department. He’s a graduate of Martial Valor University and is here today as my special assistant.”
He started clapping, and the other students clapped as well. Soon, a tall, built man stepped onto the stage. He appeared to be in his twenties. His legs were like hammers, yet he moved without making a sound. It was as if he was a bouncy ball floating on water.
Qiu Xin bowed to the students. “I’m honored to be able to work with Mr. Xu in this class. I’m not a lecturer and am not used to giving lessons. That’s why I’ll need a student to work with me to give a clear demonstration.”
“Let me. I’ll work with you, Mr. Qiu,” a clear voice said. Guan Xinyin stood up.
Qiu Xin observed her for a bit before shaking his head. Then, as if unintentionally, his eyes landed on Chen Chuan, and he asked, “Would you mind working with me?”
Chen Chuan gave him a look and said, “Sure.”
He got up from his seat and walked down the aisle to the stage with the other students watching.
Guan Xinyin sat down.
“Mr. Qiu, how would you like me to help you?” Chen Chuan asked once he arrived in front of Qiu Xin.
“It’s just a simple demonstration. The average student might not be able to protect themselves well, but I’m sure that you’ll be fine,” Qiu Xin reassured him.
Chen Chuan pondered over his words and said, “If that’s the case, I have some questions about practicing takedowns and my technique. Will it be okay if I ask about it later?”
“Of course it’s okay,” Qiu Xin said happily.
After the brief conversation, Xu Wei stepped back a little and let them have the stage. The students watched with great interest. A large number of them were freshmen and had never seen a first-class student’s real strength.
Qiu Xin stepped forward and held Chen Chuan’s shoulder and waist. “Don’t move. Stay like that. I’ll demonstrate how to perform a spinning body throw. Be sure to protect yourself.”
Chen Chuan watched him calmly.
Suddenly, Qiu Xin’s eyes turned cold. He grabbed Chen Chuan and sent a wave of refined force into him. While keeping his hand on Chen Chuan’s shoulder, he moved behind him, lifted him up, and threw him down.
The stage trembled. The students were shocked, and quite a number of them cried out in shock. Guan Xinyin scowled.
Qiu Xin looked shocked and anxious. He ran over to Xu Wei. “Mr. Xu Wei, I think I used too much strength. Please call the medical staff.”
But Xu Wei’s expression was rather strange. He stayed silent, and so did the students in the audience.
Qiu Xin looked around. After realizing something, he took a step back.
Behind him, Chen Chuan stood up slowly and adjusted his cuffs. “I think you used too little strength, Mr. Qiu.”