Invincibility Begins with Mastery of Fist Techniques-Chapter 192 - 186: The Tour

3:00 PM, at the main gate of the Changhe Martial Arts School.

The school's main gate was made of marble. It stood nine meters high and twenty-seven meters wide, magnificent and imposing.

The four words "Changhe Martial Arts School" at the top of the gate were written with masterful, fluid strokes, yet they possessed a sharp, distinct edge, like the point of a sword. It was said that the old headmaster had personally brushed the characters, which were then enlarged and crafted for the gate.

Zhou Yuanjue and Ning Muqing walked slowly toward the school gate. The students entering and exiting the school were all sturdily built, and among them were many foreigners with blond hair, blue eyes, or dark skin.

There was a guard post at the school gate, but it didn't seem to restrict students from coming and going. The guards weren't old men, either; they were robust young men. Zhou Yuanjue's sharp eyes noticed that one of the guards was leaning back in his chair, seemingly dozing off. In reality, his chest rose and fell with a distinct rhythm—a method of breathing and meditation.

Martial artists possessed abundant vitality and powerful bodies, and their personalities would unconsciously become more outgoing and cheerful, brimming with a kind of light and heat. When a group of martial artists gathered, they exuded a vibrant, flourishing energy.

As they neared the school gate, the dreariness of the approaching autumn seemed to be dispelled by this passionate vitality.

"Hello, Coach Yang? We're at the school gate. Yes, one man and one woman. Okay, I see you."

Ning Muqing was holding her phone. After she spoke a few words, a tall young man walked out of the guard post. He had a square face, bronze skin, and was wearing a loose T-shirt that revealed brawny arms long enough to hang past his knees.

Yang Sheng was a senior coach at the Changhe Martial Arts School's external division. At thirty-two years old, his strength ranked among the top ten coaches in the division, and he had already reached the realm of Mastery of Fist Techniques. He had been one of the first students when the school was founded and was a personal disciple of the old headmaster, which afforded him a high standing in the external division.

Normally, a task like guiding prospective students on a tour was long beneath him. But the two people who had come this time were special. They had come through a connection with a good friend of his, and they also seemed to have powerful backgrounds. It was a request he couldn't easily refuse, which was why he had come in person.

In his heart, he was actually quite dismissive of such matters. It wasn't uncommon for the children of powerful families to seek him out through connections, drawn by the school's fame. They all claimed to be obsessed with the Martial Dao and swore that once enrolled, they would endure hardship, dedicate themselves to Cultivation, and abide by the school's rules. But in reality, these kids had been pampered since birth. Few of them could truly persevere, and some even ended up causing trouble.

However, the Changhe Martial Arts School needed to grow, and some things were unavoidable. Just as established martial arts families and schools would accept a few powerful hobbyists as disciples, it was an essential part of building influence and a network of connections for the school.

After hanging up the phone, he looked at the man and woman in the distance, and his eyes lit up slightly. The woman had a perfect figure and a valiant appearance, but that wasn't what caught his attention. He was focused on her every move.

Although Ning Muqing was deliberately trying to hide it, some habits were hard to change on short notice. An expert could more or less see the traces of training in her.

As for the other man, his skin was fair and seemed untrained, but his broad shoulders indicated an exceptional natural physique. Though he appeared a bit older, with a little training, he would still be much stronger than an ordinary person.

'These two are rather interesting.'

Yang Sheng waved to Ning Muqing and then walked toward the pair.

"My name is Yang Sheng. And you two are?"

Yang Sheng asked as he extended his hand to shake theirs.

"Ning Qing."

"Zhou Hong."

These weren't names they had made up on the spot. They were special identities arranged for them by the Secret Inspection Bureau. Even if the relevant authorities were to check, the records would be flawless.

"Please, follow me. I'll give you a brief tour of the school and tell you a bit about it."

After the introductions, Yang Sheng didn't waste any time and led the two into the school.

"I see that you two are past the optimal age for starting martial arts. What made you decide to come and study at our school?"

Yang Sheng asked.

"We heard that the Changhe Martial Arts School is filled with masters. We've just been practicing on our own until now, so we thought we'd come to learn properly. Why? Does the Changhe Martial Arts School have an age limit?"

Ning Muqing said lightly.

"Not at all. The school has countless martial arts enthusiasts, including many foreigners who come here drawn by our reputation. Some are in their thirties or forties, and we've even accepted students in their fifties and sixties. The old headmaster once told us that the heart of a warrior knows no age. Even if one is a withered old man, bedridden and sick, as long as his heart holds a sharp blade that can sever the self's descent into depravity, then that too can be called 'Martial.'"

Yang Sheng said.

"Then that's that, isn't it? We're exactly those kinds of people."

Ning Muqing said.

Yang Sheng listened without comment. Every second-generation rich kid who came here said the same thing.

The hardships of the Martial Dao couldn't be overcome with mere words.

"It looks like you may have trained before. If you do decide to enroll, a dedicated coach will test your abilities and place you in a class appropriate for your skill level."

"However, while you can test out of Martial Dao classes, there are some courses you can't skip."

As Yang Sheng continued his explanation, the group soon arrived next to a teaching building.

"To establish a heart for Heaven and Earth, to establish a destiny for the common people..."

The sound of resonant chanting drifted out from the building.

Hearing such a sound in a martial arts school felt somewhat out of place.

"They have to read the Scriptures of the Saints and Sages in a martial arts school?"

Ning Muqing said with some surprise.

"Of course. The old headmaster used to say that the essence of the Martial Dao is to strengthen the body, break through one's limits, cultivate an unyielding will and Spirit, and find a higher meaning beyond ordinary life. It is absolutely not just about being aggressive and pugnacious."

"This is one of the courses I mentioned that you can't skip. It's not so bad for you, though. At your age, you can only join the adult classes, which just require you to memorize and be able to write out the designated books and corresponding legal statutes from memory."

"If you were in the full-time professional program, there would be dedicated cultural subjects, and you'd have to be thoroughly familiar with the relevant laws. All of this is strictly tested, and failing could lead to expulsion."

"The old headmaster had a very deliberate purpose for this rule. Otherwise, you'd have people who learn formidable skills but have no culture and don't understand the law. A common brute running around causing trouble not only brings problems for the school but also for themselves. It's better to expel such a person early on. For them, walking the path of the Martial Dao would only harm others and themselves."

"To be honest with you, many of our graduates go on to university and choose to major in law. A few have even passed the bar exam. They all say it's because the school taught them well."

Yang Sheng said with a hint of pride.

"Reading the Scriptures of the Saints and Sages and memorizing legal statutes?"

Zhou Yuanjue and Ning Muqing were both a little stunned. They hadn't expected a martial arts school to place such importance on these things.

Yang Sheng also explained that if a student failed their cultural assessments, the coaches would intensify their training regimens. For many students, that was a hellish experience—just hearing about it was enough to make them shudder. So, they would rather spend more time studying than be tortured by the coaches.

Furthermore, for students in the full-time professional program, if their cultural course grades were at the top of the class, the school offered tangible rewards and resources, such as specially-concocted medicinal wines and ointments—things that money couldn't buy. Therefore, many students were willing to put in the hard work.

This helped Zhou Yuanjue understand why the Changhe Martial Arts School had such a good reputation locally. It must be thanks to these cultural classes.

The Changhe Martial Arts School didn't just want to transmit the techniques of the Martial Dao to its students; it wanted to truly educate them into becoming well-rounded individuals and pass on the Fire Seed of the Martial Dao.

A school shouldn't just be a cold factory for teaching knowledge; it should make students truly understand how to be a good person and grasp the meaning and goals of life. In this regard, although the Changhe Martial Arts School was a martial arts school, it did a better job than many conventional schools.

It didn't just teach skills; it nurtured character.