Chapter 64: Where the Heart Is, There Lies the Way
The spar ended.
Bang rolled his shoulders, his joints popping satisfyingly. He sighed with contentment.
"This old man hasn't exercised this vigorously in a long time. Today really loosened up my muscles and bones. My shoulders don't ache anymore."
He stretched his limbs as he walked towards Saitama.
King, however, remained rooted to the spot. His mind replayed the scenes of their Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist exchange over and over again.
I feel like it can still be improved somewhere...
Having perfect control over every ounce of his power, King began to feel a slight dissonance after repeatedly using the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist.
It wasn't that the technique itself was flawed, but he vaguely sensed that this martial art could be combined with his own strengths to create something entirely new.
In this moment, King truly understood just how terrifyingly broken the passive skill [Precision Control] was.
In other words, he could learn any martial arts technique displayed by an opponent with a single glance and replicate it perfectly.
Following his intuition, King slowly lowered his center of gravity and began to move his hands.
Bang, who had only taken two steps, suddenly narrowed his eyes. Sensing a unique flow of power in the air, he turned around quickly.
He saw King standing exactly where he had left him, eyes closed, but his hands were performing movements Bang knew all too well.
Two fists clenched tight, tracing arcs like flowing water in the air, exuding the profound mysteries of martial arts.
Along with the movement of his fists, King's footwork shifted in harmony, echoing the flow of his strikes.
This is the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist...
Bang was puzzled. Why was King practicing the technique again? Was he consolidating what he had learned?
In the next second, he seemed to notice something. His pupils constricted as an astonishing thought formed in his mind.
Could it be... King is improving the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist?!
In Bang's eyes, although King appeared to be using the technique, there were subtle differences from the original version, and these differences were gradually expanding.
As his hands moved, King began to incorporate elements unique to himself. Scorching vitality surged into his fists like a tsunami, turning the faint blue traces of the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist into a deep crimson.
Bang watched, stunned. The shock in his heart was beyond words. His eyes held not just amazement, but also a deep complexity and anticipation.
Truly worthy of the Strongest Man on Earth, King... Such talent is something even this old man cannot hope to reach...
He was almost certain that King had never touched the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist before today.
Yet, not only did he learn and apply it in combat within such a short time, but now he was even improving upon it. What peerless genius!
King didn't notice Bang's whirlwind of emotions. His eyes were closed, immersed in his own world.
The flowing force and the domineering vitality merged within his fists. Faint blue and deep crimson converged; softness and ferocity fused in this moment.
[Ding! Congratulations Host for comprehending a new skill: Imperial Fist.]
[Imperial Fist (King's Fist): A unique martial art fusing the force of flowing water with the power of vitality. Can unleash continuous, high-power strikes in a short time. When met with resistance, the flowing water force triggers double damage. Each use places a certain load on the muscles. Exclusive to the Host.]
Hm? I comprehended a new skill?!
King was jolted out of his trance by the sudden system notification.
Only then did he realize that the technique he was currently performing was no longer the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist, but something entirely new.
His fists flickered with faint golden light, swaying in the air. The shadow of the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist could still be seen in their trajectory, but they were vastly different.
King quickly scanned the skill description provided by the system and couldn't help but roast the name internally.
"Imperial Fist"... sounds a bit chuunibyou.
Despite the cringe name, getting a new skill directly was satisfying.
Now, let's test the power of this move.
King flickered and appeared in front of a small hill several hundred meters away.
Just as he was about to punch, a spark of inspiration flashed in his mind.
Can [Imperial Fist] and [Sekizo (Evening Elephant)] be combined for a long-range strike?
If so, this would be a bold innovation for King and another boost to his combat power.
With that thought, King set his sights on a small mountain a full three kilometers away. He slowly raised his fist.
Faint golden light shimmered on his knuckles as he punched out fiercely.
A golden light flashed through the void. The distant mountain emitted a thunderous roar as a violent air cannon smashed into its surface.
In the very next instant, the power of the [Imperial Fist] manifested almost simultaneously with the air cannon, triggering a secondary attack that surged into the mountain's interior.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!
Boundless power erupted from within. The entire mountain shattered instantly into a shower of gravel. The earth shook, and in a blink, the hill was reduced to a pile of rubble.
King was shocked by the power of this strike.
It's this powerful even from nearly five kilometers away? What if I hit someone at close range?
Undoubtedly, the comprehension and integration of the [Imperial Fist] had taken the already potent [Sekizo] to the next level.
King exhaled a long breath and returned to his normal stance.
He felt a stinging pain in his right hand, which had just unleashed the attack. Clearly, the muscles had torn slightly under the strain of such a rapid, powerful strike.
But in the next second, [Extreme Regeneration] activated, and the minor side effect vanished without a trace.
Seeing King finish, Bang walked over and patted his shoulder with gratification.
"As expected, heroes come from the youth. Mr. King, your attainments in martial arts are far higher than mine. To think I wanted to take you as a disciple earlier... it seems laughable now."
Hearing Bang's words, King shook his head and pointed to his heart.
"My martial arts attainment isn't profound. I simply follow the guidance of my heart. For a martial artist, the most important thing is the heart. Where the heart is, there lies the Way."
With that, he turned and walked toward Saitama.
Bang stood rooted to the spot. After a long while, he finally moved, clasping his hands behind his back like an old man, but his eyes shone with brilliance.
For a martial artist, the most important thing is the heart...
"Where the heart is, there lies the Way." truly profound wisdom, King.
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