"Let's start with basic martial arts," Liu Chang suggested. "No qi techniques, no spiritual energy enhancement. Just fundamentals."

That seemed reasonable enough. I'd been in plenty of fights since arriving in this world, but most of them had relied heavily on my various techniques and abilities. Pure hand-to-hand combat? That was something I'd been avoiding thinking about for a while now.

I moved forward first, throwing a straightforward punch toward Liu Chang's midsection. It wasn't fancy, but it was fast and had decent power behind it.

Liu Chang shifted slightly to the left, my fist passing harmlessly through the space where his body had been a split second before. Before I could recover, his hand shot out and grabbed my extended wrist, using my own momentum against me as he stepped into my guard.

"Too linear," he said conversationally, even as he drove his free elbow toward my ribs.

I managed to twist away from the worst of the impact, but his elbow still connected with my side hard enough to make me grunt. The hit didn't cause serious damage, but it definitely got my attention. I tried to break free from his grip on my wrist, but his fingers were like iron bands.

"And you're telegraphing your intentions," Liu Chang continued, as if we were having a casual chat instead of trying to beat each other up. "I could see that punch coming from the moment you shifted your weight."

He released my wrist and stepped back, giving me space to reset. I rubbed my side where his elbow had connected, already feeling a dull ache spreading through the muscle.

"Again," he said simply.

This time I tried to be more unpredictable, feinting with my left hand before launching a kick toward his knee. Liu Chang didn't even bother trying to dodge. Instead, he caught my ankle with one hand and simply lifted, sending me hopping backward on one foot as I tried to maintain my balance.

"Better," he nodded approvingly. "But your footwork isn't perfect, and at this stage of your cultivation, the basics need to be perfect. You're thinking like someone who learned to fight from books instead of practice."

Before I could process what he meant by that, he pushed my captured leg sideways while simultaneously sweeping my supporting ankle with his foot. I went down hard, landing flat on my back with enough force to drive the air from my lungs.

"Your center of gravity is a little too high," Liu Chang explained, offering me a hand up.

I accepted his help getting back to my feet, feeling a mix of frustration and recognition.

This was going exactly as badly as I'd expected it would, but that was also exactly what I'd come here for. I needed to understand my weaknesses, and Liu Chang was showing me clearly where I stood in terms of pure martial skill.

This wasn't discouraging; it was educational.

"Let me show you what I mean," Liu Chang said. "Attack me again, but this time really try to hurt me. Don't hold back."

I hesitated for a moment, then decided to take him at his word. If he wanted me to go all out, then I would. I launched myself forward, throwing a combination of punches and kicks with as much speed and power as I could manage without using qi enhancement.

Liu Chang moved like water, flowing around my attacks with an ease that was almost insulting. Every punch passed harmlessly through empty air. Every kick found nothing but space. And all the while, he was studying me with those calm, analytical eyes.

"You're strong," he observed, effortlessly avoiding a hook punch that should have taken his head off. "Faster than most people at your cultivation level too. But you fight like you're trying to solve a math problem instead of responding to your opponent."

To demonstrate his point, he suddenly stopped dodging and stepped directly into my guard. Before I could react, his hands were on my shoulders, and he was pivoting at the waist. The world spun around me as he executed what could only be described as a perfect judo throw, sending me sailing through the air to land heavily on the training ground's padded surface.

I lay there for a moment, staring up at the ceiling and trying to figure out what had just happened. One second I'd been throwing what felt like a decent combination, and the next I was flat on my back again.

"The problem," Liu Chang said, walking over to stand beside me, "is that you've never really had to learn proper martial arts. You grew up in a village where the biggest threat was probably a drunk farmer with a pitchfork. That's not your fault, but it is a weakness you need to address."

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I sat up slowly, working out a new kink in my back. "Yeah, I'm starting to see that."

"Clan children grow up learning to fight from the moment they can walk," Liu Chang continued, his tone matter-of-fact rather than condescending. "They have private tutors, training partners, access to martial arts manuals that go back hundreds of generations. By the time they start cultivating, the fundamentals are already second nature."

He extended a hand to help me up again, which I gratefully accepted. "You're incredibly powerful, Ke Yin. Your cultivation techniques are impressive, your strategic thinking is solid, and you've got more tricks up your sleeve than most cultivators ten times your age. But if you ever find yourself in a situation where you can't use those techniques, where it comes down to pure martial skill... you'll be helpless."

I nodded, brushing dust off my robes. "You're absolutely right. I've been relying on my abilities to cover for that weakness, but it's not sustainable long-term."

"The fact that you can admit that puts you ahead of most cultivators," Liu Chang said with approval. "Too many people let their pride get in the way of acknowledging their shortcomings."

The truth was, I'd been unconsciously avoiding this weakness for months by relying on my runes and plant manipulation techniques. Every fight I'd been in, I'd used superior mobility and range to avoid prolonged martial arts exchanges.

When enemies got close, I'd teleport away with Blink Step. When they tried to corner me, I'd use vines to create distance or explosive seeds to force them back. I'd become so good at controlling the flow of combat with my qi techniques that I'd never really been forced to test my hand-to-hand skills against a truly skilled opponent.

The last time I did have a martial arts exchange was with Zhang Ruiyang in the Starhaven Realm, and he had absolutely dominated me. I'd only won that fight because I'd been able to use my runes to level the playing field.

Back on Earth, I was a typical college student, more interested in video games and hanging out with friends than learning self defence. Sure, I watched boxing and some UFC events, but I had never expected to wake up in a world where physical combat was less of a choice and more of a daily reality.

Which meant in terms of pure marital arts skill; I was far behind.

To put it in perspective, Liu Chang was essentially a black belt level hand-to-hand combatant. He'd been training since childhood, learning from masters who'd perfected their techniques over centuries. His movements were fluid, efficient, and backed by years of muscle memory.

I, on the other hand, was maybe at a blue belt level from the basic instruction I'd received at the sect. That meant I could probably defeat most untrained people without too much trouble even without relying on qi, but against someone with Liu Chang's level of skill? I didn't have a prayer unless I used superior qi techniques to level the playing field.

"Master," Azure said quietly in my mind, "a martial arts focused world might be an excellent choice for future world-walking training. Surely, there must be countless realms where hand-to-hand combat has been refined to supernatural levels."

He had a point. If the Genesis Seed ever produced a fruit that led to one of those worlds, it might be worth spending some time there just to shore up this particular weakness. It was the only way to not only catch up but surpass prodigies that have trained their whole lives.

"Hand to hand combat is definitely something to work on after the tournament," I said aloud. "Right now, I need to focus on the competition ahead. A day or two of martial arts won't make much difference."

"Understandable," Liu Chang nodded. "But don't let it slide indefinitely. The higher your cultivation gets, the more likely you are to face opponents who have mastered both spiritual and martial techniques."

"Trust me, it's on my list," I replied. "Right after surviving the next week."

I paused, studying Liu Chang's physique with new appreciation. The way he'd handled me in pure martial combat, combined with his obvious physical strength and the effortless manner in which he'd thrown me around, suggested something beyond just good training.

"You're also a body cultivator, aren't you?" I asked, the pieces clicking together in my mind. "That would explain why your physical capabilities seem so far beyond what I'd expect even without the use of qi."

Liu Chang smiled and nodded. "Guilty as charged. The Immutable Titan Scripture isn't just about spiritual cultivation; it's a dual-path method that strengthens both the body and the spirit simultaneously. Most people focus on one aspect or the other, but the true power comes from balancing both."

That made perfect sense.

Body cultivation was notoriously difficult and time-consuming, requiring specialized techniques and often painful training regimens. But the benefits were substantial: enhanced physical strength, improved durability, and martial capabilities that went far beyond what normal spiritual cultivation could provide.

"No wonder I felt like I was fighting someone from a completely different weight class," I laughed. "It wasn't just skill disparity; it was like a lightweight trying to wrestle a heavyweight."

Su Yue chuckled from her observation position. "Don't feel too bad about it. Liu Chang's been training in body cultivation since he was a child. His family's techniques have been refined over generations specifically for that dual-path approach."

"Still," I said, stretching out muscles that were already starting to ache, "it's good to know what I'm up against. And it makes me even more curious to see how my spiritual techniques stack up against your defenses."

Liu Chang smiled at that. "Fair enough. So, ready to move on to techniques?"

"Yeah," I said, settling into a combat stance and feeling my spiritual energy begin to circulate properly. "Let's go."

Techniques and abilities were where I actually had some confidence, but I had a feeling even they wouldn't be enough against a dual cultivator.

Liu Chang shifted his stance as well, his spiritual pressure radiating outward like a physical weight. The stone-like quality of his skin became more pronounced as he activated his Immutable Titan Scripture, and I could see the formation arrays built into the training ground responding to the increased energy levels.

"Remember," Su Yue called out from her position on the bench, "try not to destroy my boyfriend's nice training ground!"

"I'll do my best," I replied, though I was already planning my opening move.

Time to test just how good Liu Chang's legendary defense really was.

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