7: Chapter 7, just tell me if there's a bonus.

Chen Mo took a deep breath and began to guide his strength according to the power-generating technique Instructor Liu had taught him.

"Advance only, never retreat, fierce as a hammer."

"Unleash all brute force in one punch!"

As he recited the incredibly cheesy mantra, Chen Mo's right arm suddenly swelled, but this time, it didn't burst his school uniform.

Seeing this, Instructor Liu instinctively leaped backward, but his reason told him that this kid Chen Mo was going all out again!

Without a moment's hesitation, Instructor Liu pushed the vertical sandbag over just before Chen Mo threw his punch, to prevent Chen Mo from swinging at empty air again.

Bang!

Sand and dust flew everywhere. Instructor Liu, who was standing behind the sandbag, was sent flying high into the air, finally embedding himself into the ceiling with a thud.

The sandbag exploded into a mist, and the surrounding floor was compressed and deformed by the wind pressure of that punch, eventually shattering as it couldn't withstand the force.

"Pfft!"

Instructor Liu spat out a mouthful of blood, looking down at his ribs—of which at least six were broken—with a wry, helpless smile.

"Chen Mo, remember to call an ambulance for me..."

After saying this, Instructor Liu hung there on the ceiling and passed out.

Chen Mo didn't notice that Instructor Liu had been sent flying by his punch through the sandbag; he was busy rubbing his own shoulder.

"Instructor Liu, I have to say, having a sandbag to absorb the force really makes it not hurt at all."

"Eh?"

"Instructor Liu, where are you?"

"Instructor Liu, when did you fly up there?"

"Isn't it said that only a Fourth-rank Martial Artist can initially control their Qi and blood to achieve flight?"

Chen Mo squinted, and it took quite a while before he noticed that Instructor Liu didn't seem to have flown up there voluntarily...

Two hours later, Chen Mo looked somewhat guilty at Principal Liu Zhifeng, who stood before him.

"From now on, I will personally be responsible for your combat training for the next two months."

Principal Liu Zhifeng, Instructor Liu's great-uncle, was also an Ascetic Martial Artist from the front lines of the Abyssal Rift who had since retired.

Legend had it that Principal Liu was originally a Fourth-rank Martial Artist, but he had suffered severe injuries that caused his cultivation level to drop, and now he only had the combat strength of a mid-Second-rank.

"I want to see just how much strength you have, kid, to be able to punch my nephew into the ICU."

Principal Liu put on a suit of alloy armor and tapped his chest forcefully as he spoke.

"Do you see the sandbags over there?"

Principal Liu Zhifeng pointed to the vertical sandbags that were being continuously brought in and asked.

"From now on, you have to destroy one hundred and fifty sandbags for me every day before you can leave. I'll cover your food and drink."

"Really?"

Chen Mo clumsily wrapped his hand wraps. Principal Liu had instructed him upon entering to protect himself first, so he wouldn't injure his fists and delay future training.

"Nonsense, even if you are a growing boy, how much can you eat? Your principal can still afford to feed you."

That very evening, Principal Liu Zhifeng would deeply regret saying those words about covering his food and drink.

"Come, from today on, the principal will be your sparring partner. I don't believe my Second-rank alloy armor can't withstand a punch from a kid who hasn't even entered the ranks!"

Chen Mo didn't stand on ceremony. He took a deep breath, found the power-generating method for the Hammer Fist, and swung his arm down naturally from above.

At first, Principal Liu Zhifeng hadn't taken Instructor Liu's words seriously, thinking to himself, how strong could a kid really be?

But now, Principal Liu Zhifeng's eyes widened. Feeling the wind pressure that was like Mount Tai pressing down, he felt immense regret.

He knew very well that even with the Second-rank alloy armor on his body, taking such a punch would result in his internal organs rupturing and his death!

Without a moment's hesitation, Principal Liu Zhifeng stomped his feet and watched as the brand-new sandbag was smashed into a gray mist by Chen Mo's Hammer Fist.

"Holy crap..."

Principal Liu Zhifeng was covered in cold sweat. Could this punch directly destroy a heavy truck?

"Satisfying!"

Chen Mo hadn't noticed the sweating Principal Liu Zhifeng at all; he only felt that being able to throw a punch with full force was truly exhilarating.

"Principal! Where's the next sandbag!"

"I want to try the ultimate technique, Variegated Hammer!"

"Ah, yes, yes, coming."

Principal Liu Zhifeng was stunned for a moment, then quickly ran to the side to bring over a weighted, thickened, and reinforced sandbag.

It seemed he had completely mastered the knack of the Hammer Fist, as a vortex-like force gathered at the knuckles of Chen Mo's fists.

Chen Mo's arms swelled once again, and this time, it directly shredded his shirt.

"Hammer Fist! Variegated Hammer!"

Boom!

A deafening roar erupted along with a nearly violent shockwave, and the gale blew Principal Liu Zhifeng across the floor, where he rolled several times before stopping.

When the wind dissipated, there was no sign of the sandbag left, only an incomplete base remaining on the ground.

The surrounding wooden floor had long since shattered into pieces, exposing the concrete underneath.

"Forget it, I'll repair it after this kid graduates..."

Principal Liu Zhifeng muttered to himself; even if this floor were repaired, it would likely just be ruined again.

"Principal Liu, let's continue. I feel like I've found the true sense of power for the Hammer Fist."

Chen Mo clenched his fists; this was the first time he had experienced the joy of throwing a punch with full force.

"Take it easy, kid, don't train yourself into a wreck!"

Principal Liu Zhifeng was truly scared now, and he even admired his nephew's courage for daring to take the initiative to teach a monster martial arts.

He was no longer worried about whether Chen Mo would be eliminated in the City-level Joint Exam; instead, he was worried about the opponents who would encounter Chen Mo in the City-level Joint Exam.

They were somewhat pitiful.

"By the way, kid, I suggest you don't participate in the regular martial arts exam, but rather take the route of the competition-based Joint Exam."

After destroying more than forty sandbags, Chen Mo's stamina had finally been somewhat depleted, and he was now sitting on the ground recovering his strength.

Principal Liu Zhifeng took this opportunity to voice his thoughts.

"If you get into the top five in the City-level Joint Exam, you can participate in the Provincial Joint Examination. If you get into the top ten in the Provincial Joint Examination, you can participate in the National Joint Examination."

"As long as you can achieve a top-100 ranking in the National Joint Examination, you will be able to enter the National Martial Arts University without any obstacles."

"Do you want to consider it?"

Chen Mo sat on the ground panting for a while; only after his stamina had recovered a bit did he turn back to answer Principal Liu Zhifeng's question.

"Is there prize money?"

"What kind of question is that? Between prize money and the National Martial Arts University, which is more important?"

Principal Liu Zhifeng frowned. Why couldn't this kid distinguish between what was important and what was urgent?

That was the National Martial Arts University, the top institution that everyone in the entire Great Xia yearned for.

As long as one could successfully graduate from the National Martial Arts University, if they didn't go to the front lines, they would at least receive the treatment of a section-level official in a local region.

"But there is definitely prize money. First place in the City-level Joint Exam is rewarded with 500,000, the Provincial Joint Examination is one million, and the National Joint Examination is five million."

"By the way, what do you need so much money for? The resources that martial artists need to consume aren't things that can be bought with money."

Principal Liu Zhifeng really couldn't understand. Money was still somewhat useful for ordinary people and Ascetic Martial Artists below the Third-rank, but it wasn't of much use to Ascetic Martial Artists above the Third-rank or Talent-based Martial Artists.

"I want to build a new Orphanage so that my younger brothers and sisters can all walk the path of martial arts."

Chen Mo raised his head, and the faces of Director Gu Sanding and his younger brothers and sisters flashed through his mind.

Of course, Chen Mo's goal was not limited to this. He still had chain tasks that hadn't been completed; he figured he would probably only be able to complete all the tasks after winning the championship of the National Joint Examination, right?