C41 Bone Crushing Hand

Han Rong shivered all over, his face the picture of regret.

Quick to appease, Han Rong pleaded, "I was wrong. Please, forgive me."

The last thing he wanted was another beating.

With a dismissive snort, Han Feng decided to spare him.

Soon after, the ten bouts concluded.

Han Yutong, too, had returned in fresh attire.

Instructor Lin cleared his throat and announced, "The challenge round is upon us. Who dares to step forward?"

The crowd exchanged wary glances. They had witnessed the earlier fights; the ten victors were formidable opponents.

Their odds of a successful challenge were slim, except for...

Han Yutong glared at Han Feng, seething. Internally, Han Feng wondered, "Is she considering challenging me for revenge?"

But Han Feng's assumption was off the mark.

Han Yutong was no fool.

Despite her coerced concession, she recognized that she was no match for Han Feng and that challenging him would mean forfeiting her chance at the Family Trials.

Everyone only got one shot.

Han Yutong targeted the weakest among the ten and swiftly took his place.

Han Rong was nearly ousted, and Han Feng felt a surge of anxiety for him.

Instructor Mu's icy voice cut through the air, "Now that we have our ten, follow me to the Martial Arts Pavilion to select your martial skill."

"Keep in mind, you may only choose one Basic Upper-grade Martial Skill."

"With your current abilities, steer clear of Human Rank Martial Skills; they're beyond your reach for now."

"Per family rules, each of you will also receive a Level 2 Pill!"

"As you enter the Family Trials, you carry the honor of the Han family. Do not bring us shame, or else..."

Instructor Mu's scoffs sent shivers through the group.

Han Rou declared confidently, "Rest assured, we won't let the Han family down!"

Encouraged by her resolve, Han Lin and the rest echoed their assurances.

Unmoved, Instructor Mu commanded coolly, "Come with me."

The Han family's Martial Arts Pavilion spanned three levels, with the first floor dedicated to Basic Upper-grade Martial Skills, offering a diverse selection of nearly a hundred varieties, ranging from Medium to Upper-grade.

Basic Fist and Leg Techniques are so commonplace that even a servant would know them; they're hardly considered treasures, hence their absence from the Martial Arts Pavilion.

The second floor houses the lower-grade Human Rank Martial Skills, while the third floor is dedicated to medium-class Human Rank martial skills. Access to these levels is not granted lightly, as both the lower and medium-class Human Rank Martial Skills are of immense value to the Han family, forming the cornerstone of their legacy.

The high-rank Human Rank martial skills, on the other hand, are under the direct protection of the Family Head and are not stored within the Martial Arts Pavilion.

For many, this visit to the Martial Arts Pavilion was a first, and they gawked with the wide-eyed wonder of country folks hitting the big city, their faces alight with curiosity and excitement.

Instructor Mu's voice cut through the air, cool and detached, "You have the time it takes an incense stick to burn to select a Martial Skill."

At his words, the group snapped to attention, their gazes shifting from curious to concentrated as they set about choosing their Martial Skills.

Instructor Lin, standing next to Instructor Mu, mused aloud, "I'm curious, which Martial Skills will they pick?"

Instructor Mu's response was measured, "Whether it's the Claw Condensation Technique or the Nine Shadow Palms, both are uniformly taught by our Han family. Yet, each individual prioritizes differently, leading to significant disparities in mastery among those with comparable aptitudes."

"Allowing them to choose for themselves this time means they'll likely go for the Martial Skills that intrigue them the most. Interest breeds proficiency, and that can only speed up the learning process."

"With the Family Trials just fifteen days away, I hope they can master an additional Martial Skill to aid them."

Instructor Lin let out a sigh, "It's hard to say whether encouraging them to cultivate an additional Basic Upper-grade Martial Skill is beneficial or detrimental."

"For those struggling to advance to the Human Rank, the advantages might outweigh the drawbacks. But for those who find the progression easier, each additional Martial Skill makes it that much harder to condense their Internal Strength into Attribute Genuine Qi, potentially squandering their breakthrough moment."

Instructor Mu shook his head slightly, "We're in a bind. The City Lord's reward this time is too lavish—a single Human Origin Fruit could significantly enhance a Human Rank warrior's strength."

"A Lower-grade Human Rank Martial Skill could give our family that extra edge we need."

"The reward may seem modest on the surface, but in the long run, it's a strategic move that will significantly increase our lead over other families."

Instructor Lin spoke with a hint of bitterness, "That's the struggle of a low-tier family like ours. For a family with centuries or even a millennium of history, such a reward wouldn't even register on their radar."

At that moment, Han Feng was intently searching for an Upper-grade Martial Skill that suited him.

The martial skill Han Feng sought had to be at least on par with the Claw Condensation Technique.

While the Claw Condensation Technique and Nine Shadow Palms were high-rank martial skills, they weren't at the pinnacle.

Han Feng's eyes soon locked onto a secret tome: the Bone Crushing Hand.

"My father once mentioned that the Han family possesses three supreme Upper-grade Martial Skills, incredibly challenging to master. Even a warrior at the Late Period of Mortal Rank would struggle to achieve the Small Completion Stage."

"Even an Early Period Human-rank Martial Cultivator would need to exert considerable effort to reach Great Perfection or full mastery."

"Yet, for Human-rank Martial Cultivators, Basic Upper-grade Martial Skills are barely useful."

"The weak can't master them to a high degree, and the strong dismiss them outright, causing these three exceptional martial skills to be overlooked."

"The Bone Crushing Hand is one of these three top-tier Basic Upper-grade Martial Skills!"

Han Feng was after an Upper-grade martial skill with formidable power.

He pondered, "The greater one's talent, the more suited they are to master a martial skill, and the quicker the advancement."

"Had my talent not evolved from the fourth to the peak of the third level of Lower-grade, slightly surpassing Han Rou, mastering the Claw Condensation Technique to the Perfection Stage wouldn't have been so straightforward."

"No matter how challenging the Bone Crushing Hand is to cultivate, with my increasing aptitude, should I fear failing to master it?"

With this realization, Han Feng made his choice of Martial Skill to cultivate.

Before long, the hour was up. Instructor Mu had everyone note down their chosen Martial Skill before dismissing the group.

He then distributed a Level 2 Pill to each person and said, "Show me the Martial Skill you've selected."

Han Rou emerged first.

"Nine Claps, not bad. It's a bit more formidable than Nine Shadow Palms. Given your experience with Nine Shadow Palms, you should be able to cut your cultivation time in half to reach the Perfection Stage."

Instructor Mu nodded, clearly pleased.

Before long, a number of people had made their way over.

For the most part, Instructor Mu was quite content with their progress, though there were a few exceptions.

Han Lieh was among them.