Andrew Warren also nodded, looking thoughtful.

His weak legs and empty stomach were all an act.

In reality, Andrew Warren felt full of energy and could practice the Great Spear Fist another ten times.

Does practicing boxing not consume vital energy?

What other secrets does the strongest body hold?

“All right, today I’ve already taught you the Great Spear Fist. Whether you can use it to cultivate Bright Jin depends on yourselves.”

Eric Clark looked at everyone, smiling, and said, “The day after tomorrow is the appointment test for Nanping City and all its subordinate counties.

Your ranking in the test will naturally determine your future prospects.

The top ten can stay directly at the Nanping yamen as constables, and the top three will receive special rewards from the yamen.

If you want the reward, if you want to be in the top ten, you’ll have to work twice as hard and earn it with your own skills!”

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent, but their faces showed eagerness to try.

Andrew Warren’s direct breakthrough to Bright Jin today had inspired his colleagues, making them think that if Andrew Warren could do it, so could they.

Now, each of them was holding back their energy, planning to go back and practice the Great Spear Fist immediately, hoping to achieve Bright Jin as soon as possible and earn a good ranking in the appointment test!

“Dismissed!”

Seeing everyone’s fighting spirit ignited, Eric Clark’s smile grew wider. He waved his hand, letting everyone disperse.

At this moment, Andrew Warren raised his hand and signaled to Eric Clark, saying, “Second Grandpa, the last move of the Great Spear Fist is called the Stone-Crushing Spear. If you practice it long enough, can you really shatter stone with internal force?”

“Stone-Crushing Spear?”

Eric Clark was taken aback.

The other candidate constables were also very interested in this question and all held their breath, looking at Eric Clark.

Suddenly, Eric Clark stood upright, like a straight spear. Then he twisted his waist, driving over a hundred muscles in his body to exert force, and punched the stone pier beside him!

Boom!

With a resounding thud, cracks instantly appeared all over the stone pier!

“Is this the kind of stone-shattering you mean?”

Eric Clark withdrew his hand, quite satisfied with his punch, nodding to himself. Then he said to Andrew Warren, “When you use the Great Spear Fist, if every punch can mobilize over a hundred muscles to contract at once, you can cause damage like this.

Or, if you master the second level, Dark Jin, you can achieve the same effect.”

Andrew Warren looked at the stone pier covered in cracks, recalling the scene he’d seen earlier of a figure shattering a mountain with a single punch, and couldn’t help but ask, “Then what kind of martial arts cultivation would it take to shatter a whole mountain to dust with one punch?”

“Shatter a mountain with a punch?”

A glimmer flashed in Eric Clark’s cloudy eyes, then dimmed. “I’ve practiced boxing for decades and have never heard of any martial artist who could shatter a mountain with a punch.

Maybe there were such people in the past.

Taoists or Buddhist monks might have such abilities.

But for us martial artists, can we really reach their level?”

Chapter 3: Vital Energy

Nanping City, Vegetable Garden Street.

Two figures bid each other farewell at a crossroads.

“Andrew Warren, I’m off!”

A frail, pale-faced youth waved at Andrew Warren with a smile.

Andrew Warren nodded, also beaming, “All right, hurry home!”

The youth responded and turned to leave.

His figure grew more and more distant, eventually disappearing at the end of the road.

Watching the back of this childhood friend whom the original host had played with since childhood, the smile on Andrew Warren’s face slowly faded, his expression turning cold.

When he had just recovered from his immersion in boxing practice, he could clearly recall the looks on his colleagues’ faces.

Everyone else’s faces showed either envy or jealousy—normal human emotions.

Only this childhood friend had a twisted smile and eyes so cold it was frightening, as if he wished he could eat Andrew Warren alive!

When Andrew Warren woke up, his friend Emily Thompson instantly changed his expression, acting as if he was genuinely happy for him.

If Andrew Warren hadn’t been observant, he might have been fooled by that expression.

Emily Thompson is not someone to get close to.

Anyway, there are no interests entangled between them, so it’s best to gradually cut ties and let go in the future.

Having made up his mind, Andrew Warren turned and headed home.

Nanping City is divided into four districts: east, west, south, and north. The northern district, where Andrew Warren lives, has always been home to commoners and servants.

Here, houses are stacked together, streets are crowded, and vegetable vendors and butchers are everywhere.

The air is filled with the mixed smells of vegetables, animal manure, and fresh blood, making one dizzy.

After several years in this world, Andrew Warren had gotten used to this environment. He walked through it calmly, turned a few alleys, and entered a dilapidated house deep in a narrow lane.

“Mr. Grant, I’m back!”

After entering, Andrew Warren called out.

An old man poked half his body out of the smoky woodshed, his wrinkled face full of loving smiles. “Young master, you’re back?

Just wait a bit longer, lunch will be ready soon.”

Andrew Warren nodded in response and went to the backyard.

The original host’s grandfather was once a head constable, a rank above regular constables.

The family had been well-off for a while, but unfortunately, the original host’s father was useless—drinking, gambling, and whoring away the family fortune, and soon died.

At least he left behind a spot for the yamen constable exam, and a loyal old servant—Mr. Grant.

Mr. Grant and the original host were as close as father and son, depending on each other for survival.