Chapter 256: Steady Progress

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Trembling, swaying—Matt was on the verge of giving up.

He gritted his teeth, forcing out a question, "How many minutes?"

Nick glanced at his watch again. "Fifteen seconds since you last asked me."

"What!" Matt was utterly shocked and lost control for a moment, causing him to sit back, his knees buckling as he toppled over.

Thud.

Matt landed on the ground with a defeated expression, his eyes glazed over, as if his soul had wandered off to who knows where.

Initially, Matt thought that holding a horse stance would be easy, no different from doing squats. Fifty or a hundred squats were nothing to him. But after just two minutes, every muscle in his body was screaming in protest.

Time seemed to drag on forever.

No, each second felt like an eternity.

Unbelievable! Completely unbelievable! He couldn't even last three minutes! How was he supposed to endure thirty? Matt found himself questioning his very existence.

However, when Matt looked up, he saw Anson holding his horse stance firmly and steadily. Even though they had started at the same time, Anson's expression and posture looked as relaxed as if only three seconds had passed, his face calm and composed.

Seeing this, Matt thought Anson could probably hold this for three hours, not just thirty minutes.

Matt stopped his grumbling and started observing instead. Though he hadn't studied martial arts, he was familiar with fitness, and he could tell from Anson's posture that there was a different way of exerting force.

"Ah!" Matt exclaimed suddenly.

"Is there a technique to the horse stance? Anson, is there a particular way to exert force?"

"Ah, look at me, acting like I've discovered something groundbreaking, like Columbus finding the New World. How could I be so shocked at something so obvious? My intelligence must be declining," Matt remarked, half-joking.

This scene brought a smile to Anson's lips.

Despite being a top-tier actor, Matt had no airs about him. Even with strangers he met for the first time, he exuded warmth and familiarity, easily closing the distance between them without it feeling forced—everything about him was natural and straightforward.

Here, Anson had no intention of belittling any actresses, but he had to admit, spending time with Matt was genuinely enjoyable. So, he didn't hold back, sharing his experience with Matt and even personally guiding him to ensure Matt fully understood before stepping back to let Matt practice on his own.

The horse stance, though it appeared simple, required the activation of new muscles. To avoid straining himself, Matt had to engage unseen muscle groups to achieve the desired training effect.

Before long, his muscles began to burn.

Matt could almost feel ants crawling through his muscles, the burning sensation spreading gradually along the muscle fibers. His tense nerves trembled slightly beyond his control. He didn't have the energy to ask Nick about the time, nor the strength to even care about how slowly it was passing—he was 100% focused.

At this moment, the determination in Matt's bones became evident. His eyes showed the intensity reminiscent of Jason Bourne from "The Bourne Identity."

Teeth clashed together, and despite his best efforts to keep his jaw clenched, he could still feel the force radiating through his jaw, small noises echoing in his mouth.

For a moment, Matt couldn't tell if it was the airflow or if he had actually broken a tooth.

Thirty minutes might sound trivial, but once you actually try it, you realize just how brutal a task it truly is.

In the truest sense, you could feel your soul burning with energy.

And then.

Matt could no longer hold on and fell back a second time, landing heavily on the ground. Sweat poured down his face, and the muscles in his calves, knees, and abdomen trembled uncontrollably. Strangely enough, even the muscles in his arms began to quiver slightly, leaving Matt puzzled. The horse stance didn't seem to involve the arms, did it?

Exhaling deeply, Matt looked at Nick. "How much time?"

Before Nick could respond, Matt changed his mind. "Never mind, don't tell me. I'm sure it hasn't been thirty minutes. I doubt it's even been ten."

After saying this, Matt snuck a glance at Nick out of the corner of his eye.

Nick didn't say anything, just nodded in confirmation, validating Matt's suspicion. Even ten minutes was proving to be extraordinarily difficult, and the task was far more challenging than expected.

Matt felt utterly defeated—

Even though he had suspected it, actually hearing Nick confirm it made it hard to contain his frustration.

He turned to look at Anson, who still appeared calm and composed. If it weren't for the slight sheen of sweat on Anson's forehead, Matt would have believed he was simply sitting in a chair.

Matt tried to muster the strength to stand up again, determined to prove he could do it, but after looking at his legs, which felt like noodles, he decided to stay seated.

"Two months? You really only trained for two months?" Matt couldn't hold back his curiosity. After receiving a confirming nod from Anson, Matt pressed further, "You didn't just practice the horse stance for two months, did you? You must have learned other things too."

"Of course," Anson's answer brought a smile to Matt's face. "But all of it was basic training, not just the horse stance. And it wasn't much different from the horse stance either."

Matt's expression completely collapsed, his jaw dropping in disbelief.

Nick noticed that Anson's breathing was steady and deep. Understanding the essence of the situation, he remarked, "Looking at it another way, he spent two months on the basics and just now, he had you in the palm of his hand."

Matt: …

"He didn't have me in the palm of his hand," Matt protested.

Nick didn't budge, giving Matt a cold, unyielding look.

Matt opened his mouth to say something, but in the end, he stayed silent.

Seeing this, a smile appeared in Anson's eyes. "If you want, you can leave at any time, even now."

From Anson's perspective, given Matt's status and experience in the industry, he could easily find a professional teacher if he genuinely wanted to learn martial arts.

There was no reason for Matt to stay here.

Moreover, since Matt had arrived, the "Ye Martial Arts School" hadn't formally welcomed him. Instead, there had been a series of tests, leaving the big star with little reason to remain.

Matt tilted his head, thinking for a moment. "I could, but…" He paused, "But I choose to stay."

"Why?"

"I don't know, maybe after spending so much time in Hollywood, where people always flatter and praise me, and I rarely hear the truth, it's refreshing to be somewhere where someone treats me like an ordinary person and is willing to be honest. It feels more genuine."

"Oh, so the prince is traveling incognito."

With this exchange, Anson's teasing landed lightly, and Matt, expecting to feel uncomfortable, instead found himself smiling.

Among Hollywood's many top-tier actors, Matt had always been known for his low-key, down-to-earth nature. His family and personal life were kept far from the spotlight. Whether in work or life, Matt was never flashy, nor did he harbor grand ambitions or desires for his career.

Paychecks? Awards? Honors? Fame?

Of course, Matt wouldn't turn these things down or pretend he wasn't interested; but at the same time, he wouldn't change who he was to achieve them.

Even though this was Anson and Matt's first meeting, Anson could unexpectedly sense sincerity in Matt's words and believed what he was saying.

Anson said, "That's why the school has us practice the horse stance."