n

n

nEven though doubts were spreading in his mind like parasites, Zhao Luo still never gave up.

n

"Bang!

"

nAnother failure.

n

"ERROR 404!

"

nZhao Luo shouted with arms pointing upwards in the dark space.

nThis was his 404th time failing in punching the surface of the mountain without resulting in a sound.

nThat is, he fell short while dissipating his strength at the last second.

n

"I have failed hundreds of times but I will keep on going at it again and again. Even if I fail a thousand times, I will NOT GIVE UP!

"

nZhao Luo said with a resolute tone and focused eyes.

n'There is no way, I drop out of this.'

nHe wanted nothing more than to curse at the one who had come up with this weird-ass method but Zhao Luo didn't know who the founder was.

n

"Again.

"

nWhile telling himself that he can complete the first step, Zhao Luo went on to punch the mountain again.

nEven after this turn, Zhao Luo kept on trying hundreds of times which soon turned to thousands and the thousands went on to tens of thousands turns of FAILURE.

n---- ---- ---- ----

nTurn Number 33333.

n'Last punch.'

nZhao Luo thought as he threw his left fist at the surface hoping to achieve his 100th punch flawlessly.

nHis 100th punch came close to the surface and touched it.

n'...'

nA deep smile appeared on his face.

nThat bright smile on his handsome face showed how much this success meant to him.

nThis success which came after tens of thousands of failures.

n'Thud!'

nZhao Luo fell right on the spot and started to recover.

nHis arms looked swollen like a pair of balloons.

nWith bloated arms, Zhao Luo could feel intense pain rising from them.

nBefore he had been stressed as the thought of failure, again and again, kept him anxious which caused an intense adrenaline rush in his brain over the 33333 turns.

nThis completely kept his pain sensors shut but now as the adrenaline levels dropped down back to normal Zhao Luo was flooded with this pain.

n

"Gah.

"

nEven while groaning as he felt the pain, Zhao Luo still smiled widely.

nThe nine apparitions came towards him and looked at him with thoughtless eyes.

n

"They have already recovered.

"

nZhao Luo said as he inspected them.

nHis apparitions had completed their 100 punches perfectly a few turns earlier than Zhao Luo and were already brimming with energy.

n

"I can absorb them and then continue to the second step or absorb them after the second step is finished.

"

nZhao Luo wondered but then shook his head.

n

"If I don't assimilate them, then the first step of the calming fist plane won't be truly completed.

"

nThus Zhao Luo knew how he will be proceeding.

n

"ABSORB!

"

nZhao Luo said and then all the apparitions were absorbed by him as they seeped inside him through his mouth.

n

"Assimilate!

"

nThe assimilation process went along side by side with Zhao Luo's recovery.

nAfter a few minutes, Zhao Luo breathed out.

n

"Huff.

"

n

"Crack.

"

n

"Crack.

"

nZhao Luo tightened his fists and felt some minuscule changes that he couldn't explain.

n

"It's like my arms aren't here.

"

nZhao Luo said as even though his hands were clearly in his vision, they felt so light that Zhao Luo was having doubts.

nGetting up from his position, Zhao Luo took a boxing stance and threw hundreds of punches in the empty space.

n'Shoo.'

n'Shwaa.'

n'Woosh.'

n'Fwoosh.'

nEach time he would dissipate the strength of his fists exactly at the moment before he would reach the maximum range of his punch.

nOnly the sound of his fists cutting through the space would be left.

nAfter doing the same thing more than a million times, he could do this as easily as eating his apparitions.

n

"Good!

"

nZhao Luo felt amazing.

n

"It's time for the second step.

"

nZhao Luo closed his eyes and thought of ten stages.

nEach stage was a 100 feet big pool with water filling it.

n'Sursursur.'

nThe ten pool stages appeared in front of him and Zhao Luo opened his eyes to look at them.

n

"This would do.

"

nSaying this Zhao Luo jumped towards the edge of the stage and looked at the water in the pool.

n

"Let's try with a slow punch first.

"

nZhao Luo raised his arm and then lowered his body while pulling his elbow inwards.

n

"Fuh.

"

nExhaling and calming his mind, Zhao Luo released his slow fist to strike the water surface.

nRight before his fist could touch the water surface, Zhao Luo had dissipated all of his strength since he was already a master of this little trick.

n'Thap.'

nRipple~

nAs the sound came out of the point of contact a ripple was also formed where Zhao Luo's punch had landed and then the ripple traveled to the other end of the 100 feet long pool.

n'Ripple~'

nTraveling to the other end, and hitting the end of the stage's boundaries, the ripple traveled back.

nThe ripple completed this cycle 99 times.

n

"Hmm.

"

nZhao Luo scratched his head.

nHe went over the feeling that he could sense through his fist right when it had touched the water surface.

n

"It's like the water sucks in my fist right when my strength vanishes. If only I can cushion it before touching it then there won't be any ripples producing there.

"

nZhao Luo mumbled.

n

"Summon.

"

nZhao Luo's apparitions formed around him.

n

"Try it.

"

nZhao Luo told them and each of the apparitions jumped on a different pool stage.

nZhao Luo already knew how he had to produce.

nUnknowingly he had mastered a particular Dao.

n

"Dao of Control.

"

nBut Zhao Luo didn't know this.

nHe proceeded to hit the water in the pool.

n'Thap.'

nThe first punch which was even perfectly executed, caused yet another light splashing sound.

nFollowing it, the ripple started traveling from there to the other end.

n.

n.

n

"73.

"

nZhao Luo mumbled the number of times the ripples had completed a loop this time before dying down.

n

"I see. 10 more punches should be enough for me to adjust myself to this.

"

nZhao Luo said to himself as he continued to punch the water surface.

n