Strike With Great Force

Among those who came here to learn martial arts, some had a genuine passion for it, like Wang An. Others did not have the discipline to stay with it long and eventually gave up.

Wang An walked to a corner where there was a fist strength tester. There was only one of those in the dojo.

Although the main focus of this dojo was on Intention Fist, it also taught some techniques of free combat and boxing. They had acquired various exercise equipment, including this fist strength tester.

At first, some of the students at the dojo would occasionally test their strength when they had free time, but this enthusiasm faded after a few days.

Wang An had also tried it a few days ago. Normally, an average person's punch would max out at their body weight. For instance, if someone weighed 70 kilograms, the force behind a full-power punch would be approximately 60–70 kilograms.

Ordinary people rarely exceeded this limit because they lacked specialized training and didn't know how to utilize proper punching techniques.

Professional boxers, on the other hand, could generate punching forces that were double or even higher than their body weight.

Seeing that nobody was paying attention, Wang An walked up to the fist strength tester. Without using any specific technique, he relied solely on muscular strength. Then, he threw a punch. With a resounding bang, the numbers on the display kept jumping until they settled at 196 kilograms.

His current weight was close to 90 kilograms, so this strength was quite impressive.

He took a deep breath, lowered his waist, and pushed off the ground. His feet seemed to adhere to the floor like suction cups. The power traveled from his legs to his waist, along his spine, to his arms, coiling into a single force, which he projected from his palm.

Tai Chi Force!

With another bang, the display showed a number, 345!

The number happened to be a straight sequence.

To be honest, the number exceeded Wang An's expectations. This single palm strike had generated nearly 700 kilograms of force. It was enough to send an adult man flying several meters.

'Tai Chi Force does indeed have the effect of increasing the power of an attack. There's still a gap from reaching 500 kgf in a single punch.'

[Mission: Set a small goal. Strike with a force of 500 kgf in a single punch.]

The notification appeared again.

"Another mission?"

Wang An hadn't expected to trigger another mission on a whim.

After that, Wang An practiced Crushing Fist for a while. It was not appropriate to practice Tai Chi in an Intention Fist Dojo.

Compared to Tai Chi, Intention Fist was easier to learn. It was more forceful and had a powerful presence, which made it more dynamic than Tai Chi.

After a while, Li Xinzhu came out of the office. He looked upset.

"What happened? Why do you look so upset?" Wang An asked.

"One of my seniors had an accident in the nearby Hecheng City," Li Xinzhu said.

"An accident? Is it serious?"

"It's very serious. He has already passed away. Two other seniors have gone to Hecheng to handle the situation, and I'm planning to go as well," Li Xinzhu said solemnly.

"My condolences. Don't be too sad." Wang An patted him on the shoulder.

"I became a student here a bit later, but my seniors treated me very well, especially the third senior. We had dinner together a few days ago, went out for drinks, and even visited the Red Romance. Today, I suddenly received the news that he passed away because of a heart attack. How can that be possible? He was a physically active and lively person!"

"Wait a moment… what did he die of?" Wang An asked. His face changed.

"The doctors there diagnosed it as a heart attack but said they need to perform an autopsy."

"Heart attack? What a coincidence!"

Wang An couldn't help but think of the director of the Eight Trigram Fist Dojo he saw in the Tai Chi exchange group. He was the one who had several mistresses. He had also died from a heart attack, though he did not live in Hecheng City.

"I'll be leaving." Wang An turned to leave.

"Wait! Aren't you forgetting something?" Li Xinzhu grabbed his arm.

"What? Oh, you mean the massage thing? Another time… I don't really like those places."

"What massage? I mean the King crab!"

Wang An looked at Li Xinzhu's sad face.

"You really are... a weirdo! Another time, then."

"Keep your word."

"I promise."

Li Xinzhu glanced at the numbers on the fist strength tester. He thought he was seeing things. He blinked twice and looked again.

"You did this? Not bad. Your leg technique isn't bad, either."

Wang An smiled and didn't say anything. He waved his hand and left.

"The numbers... wait a minute! Could he have generated this with his fists?" Li Xinzhu turned to look at Wang An, who had already left through the gate.

"This strength is much greater than that of a boxing champion's punch! Impossible! It's impossible!" Li Xinzhu muttered to himself.

After leaving the dojo, Wang An rode his bike back home.

After practicing the Five Animal Forms in his courtyard for a while, he started setting up the bricks.

This exercise was more challenging than before. Balancing bricks on such a narrow surface required precise control of the force because even a slight tilt could cause the bricks to fall.

It tested his control over not only his feet and ankles but also his legs, waist, and even the strength throughout his entire body. It also relied on his visual perception, the timing of his foot placements, and the application of force.

Over the past few days, practicing Tai Chi in water had improved both the strength and agility of his legs. This had a positive effect on walking on bricks, and the two practices complemented each other.

Unknowingly, night fell, and another day came to an end.

At night, Wang An set aside some time to reflect on the past few months of his life. It was a habit he had developed during his previous job. New Year's Day was just around the corner, and another year was about to pass.

Looking back on the past few months, he had acquired skills and knowledge he had never encountered or even considered before: Tai Chi, Five Animal Forms, Intention Fist, and more. He felt that these few months had been the most exciting and fulfilling period of his life.

Through his efforts in the past few months, he had gained a healthy body, a renewed sense of purpose, and profound personal growth. It was almost like a rebirth from the inside out.

In the previous years, he had been racing against time in the hopes of making a name for himself, buying a house here, and bringing his grandparents along. It was a beautiful dream, but reality was harsh.

Following his previous path, he would face frequent overtime work, an irregular lifestyle, a deteriorating body, and various injuries and illnesses that came with it. He was aging prematurely.

If he were to get married and have children, the pressure would have been even greater. He would not dare to take sick leave. Perhaps he would not even have been able to finish paying off his mortgage before he was gone.