118: Chapter 118 Live Stream of "Target Practice": A Fist Pierces a Five-Center Steel Plate

Strength Verification in Front of Yijin Pavilion

Chen Wu's team just stepped into the first floor of the Yijin Pavilion, and the ley line Qi Energy within the pavilion suddenly fluctuated. On both sides of the pale golden light path, ancient "Martial Trial" totems appeared on the stone walls, perfectly matching the "Legacy Array Pre-test" prompt on Lin Mo's tablet — "Every entrance of the Yijin Pavilion is equipped with a 'Strength Verification'. One must pass the designated martial trial to activate the Legacy Array. Current test: Hard Power Penetration. Target object: 5cm alloy steel plate. Test requirement: Pierce through using ancient martial Qi Energy techniques without shattering the steel plate."

The global live stream barrage exploded instantly. The "Watcher of Huangtu Slope", who had been closely following the changes in combat power, popped up a highlighted message: "A 5cm steel plate? And it's alloy! Teacher Chen just reached the Middle Stage of Brute Force, can he do it?" Nurse Emily in London immediately relayed an analysis from local military experts: "The anti-penetration strength of a standard alloy steel plate is about 1800kg. The Peak fist power of a Martial Artist at the Middle Stage of Brute Force is usually 1500-2000kg. Chen Wu needs precise control of his Hard Power to pierce it without shattering it!" The Technical Department's real-time data popped up on the screen: "Peak Hard Power of Chen Wu's Xingji Fist after Breakthrough: 2200kg (Middle Stage of Brute Force + body tempering pill boost). Theoretical penetration rate 98%, but it requires the 'Hard Power Focusing' technique."

Zhang Hao suddenly pulled a 5cm thick alloy steel plate out of his backpack; it was the "Martial Trial Standard Target" prepared in advance by the Special Incident Response Department. The surface of the steel plate shimmered with a cold, hard metallic luster, and the words "Anti-penetration strength 1850kg" were engraved in the corner. Under the influence of the Yijin Pavilion's ley line Qi Energy, the edges of the steel plate even emitted a faint blue glow — "This is the target material I used to test my Iron Arm Power," Zhang Hao said, patting the steel plate. "Even with my full-strength strike, I could only smash a shallow dent. Chen Wu, you have to do your best!" He tapped his iron arm against the steel plate, producing a crisp "clanging" sound, proving the hardness of the plate.

Chen Wu walked to the steel plate and condensed his Xingji Fist Qi Energy in his palm. The pale golden Qi Energy pellet rotated rapidly in his Dantian, and the Hard Power surged along his meridians toward his fist surface. In the vision of the perception talisman, the Hard Power gradually condensed into a sharp "Qi Energy cone" — this was the "Hard Power Focusing" ability unlocked after reaching the Middle Stage of Brute Force, which could compress the fist power into a range of three centimeters in diameter, increasing penetration power by 40%. "I haven't tried this move since the Breakthrough," Chen Wu's voice carried anticipation. He adjusted his stance facing the steel plate, feet shoulder-width apart, and the Qi Energy from his Dantian flowed through his legs into the ground. "Elder, can you help me check if my stance is correct?"

Li Xuantong's Five Elements Energy suddenly unfurled around Chen Wu, outlining the standard stance of the "Xingyi Crushing Fist": "Sink your shoulders, drop your elbows, and the Qi Energy drive from the Dantian must be fast," the old man pointed lightly at Chen Wu's back. "When focusing the Hard Power, you must make the rotation of the Qi Energy pellet synchronize with the fist power, just like installing a precision navigation system for a cannonball. Only then can you pierce through without shattering it." Zhao Lie also added: "You must use the 'Hard hit, hard advance' of the Baji Fist. Don't hesitate; once the fist power is unleashed, it must be decisive. When I practiced this move, I smashed thirty steel plates!"

In the Flower Girl's basket, the eight-colored petals of the inheritance grass suddenly unfolded toward the steel plate. Dewdrops rolled on the leaf surface, reflecting the trajectory of the Qi Energy focusing on Chen Wu's fist — the tip of the Hard Power cone glowed with a pale black light, the hard and fierce quality of the Baji Energy, while the outer layer was wrapped in pale brown Xingyi soft power, which could cushion the residual fist power after penetration to prevent the steel plate from shattering. The little girl dripped "talisman power dew" onto Chen Wu's fist, and the seven-colored light merged into the Hard Power cone: "Elder Zhou said this is a 'Power Point Enhancer'," she said, her fingertips lightly touching the dewdrop. "It can make the tip of the Hard Power cone more solid, increasing penetration power by another 10%. It's like sharpening a needle point!"

The number of online viewers for the global live stream exceeded 58 billion, and viewers from various countries sent "countdown" barrages. The connection with an Egyptian ancient martial arts expert was established again. In the video, the old man held a piece of ancient Egyptian "Qi Energy Testing Stone": "The 'Qi Energy Penetration Technique' of ancient Egypt is similar to the Hard Power Focusing of the Xingji Fist. The key lies in 'Qi follows the heart and intention'. As long as Mr. Chen Wu believes in his own Qi Energy, he will succeed!" The Brazil Martial Artist Alliance organized an "Online Target Practice Simulation". Tens of millions of viewers used virtual gloves to simulate piercing a steel plate. Although it was just a game, it ignited a global atmosphere of anticipation.

The Live Stream Debut of Hard Power Focusing

Chen Wu took a deep breath, and the rotation speed of the Qi Energy pellet in his Dantian reached its Peak. The pale golden Qi Energy surged along his meridians toward his fist surface, and the Hard Power cone condensed and formed in his palm, the pale black light at the tip becoming brighter and brighter — he punched slowly toward the steel plate. The fist wind carried a "humming" sound of Qi Energy, resonating with the ley line Qi Energy of the Yijin Pavilion. The "Martial Trial" totems on both sides of the light path suddenly lit up, as if adding a blessing to him.

"3, 2, 1!" The global audience's barrage synchronized the countdown. Chen Wu's Xingji Fist suddenly erupted, and the Hard Power cone hit the center of the steel plate precisely — slow-motion footage showed that the moment the pale black fist power tip touched the steel plate, the alloy surface instantly dented without cracking. Immediately after, the pale golden Qi Energy pellet energy was injected along the Hard Power cone. The moment it pierced through the steel plate, the pale brown Xingyi soft power unfolded, spreading the residual fist power evenly to avoid shattering the steel plate.

"Dong —" A dull impact sound echoed in the pavilion. The steel plate was carried backward by the fist power for half a meter and fell heavily to the ground. Lin Mo immediately rushed forward and scanned the steel plate with the tactical tablet — the "Penetration Analysis" on the screen showed: a circular hole with a diameter of three centimeters appeared in the center of the steel plate, the edges were smooth, without any trace of cracking, and the penetration depth was exactly five centimeters, perfectly meeting the "Martial Trial Standard"! "It's done! It pierced through! And it's a perfect penetration!" The boy's cheers echoed in the pavilion. Real-time data popped up on the tablet: "Peak fist power 2300kg, Hard Power focusing accuracy 99%, residual fist power buffer rate 100%, test result: SSS grade!"

The global live stream barrage exploded instantly. Golden "Holy cow" and black "So awesome" intertwined, and the previous worried messages were instantly covered by cheers of "Fan, fan". The "Watcher of Huangtu Slope" sent an exciting video: he was waving his phone at the sky at the foot of the mountain, and the traditional martial arts enthusiasts behind him shouted "Chen Wu is awesome" in unison; Nurse Emily in London organized her hospital colleagues to celebrate using the "Xingji Crushing" they had just learned. Although the movements were immature, they were full of excitement; even the official account of the United Nations "Global traditional martial arts Protection Alliance" sent a congratulatory message: "This is the perfect collision between ancient martial Qi Energy techniques and modern Materials science. Mr. Chen Wu has proven with his strength that the Hard Power of traditional martial arts is not just a legend, but a force that can withstand scientific verification!"

Zhang Hao picked up the steel plate in disbelief, his fingers passing through the hole, and the smoothness of the edges amazed him: "I've smashed it so many times with my Iron Arm Power, and I could only smash a dent at most, but you pierced it with one punch, and it's so neat!" He suddenly cupped his hands to Chen Wu: "I have to learn more about the Hard Power Focusing of the Xingji Fist from you in the future; it's so practical!" Love used Taiji Power to test the smoothness of the hole, and the pale white Qi Energy flowed along the hole without encountering any obstacles: "This precision is even more standard than holes drilled by modern machine tools. Chen Wu, this 'Qi follows the heart and intention' of yours has reached the 'Transformation Power' Realm of the Taiji Sect!"

The Technical Department's real-time analysis popped up on the screen: "The principle of Hard Power Focusing is 'Qi Energy pellet compression + meridian guidance'. The Qi Energy pellet at the Middle Stage of Brute Force can provide stable energy output, and the combination of hard and soft power of the Xingji Fist can precisely control the trajectory of the fist power," the analysis also included a comparison chart. "The fist power of an ordinary Martial Artist at the Middle Stage of Brute Force is 'scattered', with a penetration power of 1800kg. Chen Wu's 'cone-shaped fist power' is 'focused', with a penetration power of 2300kg, and it can control the scope of destruction — this is the advantage of the Xingji Fist!"

The Team's Strength Interaction Show

Chen Wu's successful target practice ignited the team's enthusiasm. Everyone proposed to conduct a "Strength Interaction Test" to let global audiences experience the charm of ancient martial Qi Energy techniques more intuitively. Zhang Hao was the first to step out, the Mystic Water Energy on his iron arm glowing with a pale blue light: "I'll try to use Iron Arm Power to catch Chen Wu's Xingji shell, so everyone can see how powerful 'Hard Power Defense' is!" He walked ten meters away, holding his iron arm across his chest, and the Mystic Water Energy formed a layer of Qi Energy shield five centimeters thick on his arm.

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Chen Wu condensed a long-range Xingji Bullet, the pale gold Qi Energy bullet spinning in his palm as the Brute Force focused into a five-centimeter diameter area. "Here I come!" He gave Zhang Hao's iron arm a light push, and the Xingji Bullet flew out like a meteor. The moment it hit the Qi Energy shield, the pale blue Mystic Water Energy rippled but was not pierced through—Zhang Hao's body retreated half a step, and only a tiny mark appeared on the Qi Energy shield on his iron arm, which quickly recovered. "How's that? My Mystic Water Iron Arm is pretty good, right!" Zhang Hao's voice was full of pride. The tablet displayed that the Xingji Bullet's 2,300 kg punch force had been 80% deflected by the Mystic Water Energy, and the remaining 20% was offset by the hardness of the iron arm.

Su Chen's Mystic Water Energy suddenly expanded beside the steel plate, the pale blue Qi Energy freezing the steel plate into a block of "Ice Armor Steel Plate." "Let me try 'Mystic Water Freezing Energy + Steel Plate Defense.' Chen Wu, hit it with Xingji Fist and see if you can pierce the ice armor!" His Mystic Water Energy formed a three-centimeter-thick ice shell on the surface of the steel plate. The junction between the ice shell and the steel plate glowed with a pale blue light, its hardness increased by 30% compared to before.

Chen Wu adjusted the focus range of his Brute Force, expanding the diameter to five centimeters and increasing the Peak Brute Force to 2,400 kg. The moment the punch hit the Ice Armor Steel Plate, cracks appeared on the pale blue ice shell first, but it didn't shatter. Immediately after, the steel plate was penetrated, and the cracks in the ice shell quickly repaired themselves under the effect of the Mystic Water Energy. "This is the 'Freezing Energy Defense' of the Mystic Water Energy," Su Chen's voice carried pride. "The ice shell can buffer 30% of the punch force and even self-repair. If we encounter strong enemies in the future, we can use this combo defense!"

Zhao Lie proposed a "Brute Force Clash," his Baji Energy condensing into a pale black Qi ball in his palm: "Chen Wu, let's punch at the same time and see whose Brute Force is stronger!" The two stood on either side of the steel plate and punched towards the center simultaneously—the pale black Baji Energy collided with the pale gold Xingji Fist on both sides of the steel plate. With a loud "bang," the steel plate was sandwiched between the two punch forces, but instead of deforming, it glowed with a pale gold light as the Leyline Qi Energy repaired the minor damage to the steel plate.

"It's a draw!" Li Xuantong's voice was full of excitement. His Five Elements Energy scan showed that the Peaks of both punch forces were 2,300 kg, perfectly canceling each other out. "Zhao Lie's Baji Energy is fierce, and Chen Wu's Xingji Fist is precise; each has its own merits!" In the global live stream bullet chat, the Baji Sect fans and Xingji Fist fans stopped arguing and instead spammed golden comments of "Brute Force Twin Heroes." The previous sectarian opposition had turned into harmonious exchange through their interaction of strength.

The Flower Girl's inheritance grass suddenly bloomed in the center of the testing ground, its eight-colored petals forming the character for "Martial." Dewdrops rolled on the leaves, reflecting the Qi Energy fluctuations of everyone in the team—Chen Wu's Xingji Fist, Zhang Hao's Iron Arm Power, Su Chen's Mystic Water Energy, Zhao Lie's Baji Energy, Li Xuantong's Five Elements Energy, and Love's Taiji Power intertwined in the pavilion into a rainbow-colored band of Qi Energy, echoing the bullet chat Qi Energy of the global audience. The young girl sprinkled "talisman power dew" onto the light band, the seven-colored glow making the Qi Energy more solid. "Elder Zhou said this is 'Team Qi Energy Resonance'," she tapped the light band with her fingertip. "As long as everyone's Qi Energy is synchronized, we can break through together even if we encounter a defense harder than a five-centimeter steel plate!"

Section 4: Activation of the Legacy Array and New Challenges

When the team's strength interaction ended, the "Martial Trial" totems on the first floor of Yijin Pavilion suddenly all lit up. Pale gold Leyline Qi Energy flowed along the totems, converging at the end of the light path into a massive "Legacy Array" entrance, resonating with Chen Wu's Qi Energy core. Lin Mo's tablet showed that the "Brute Force Penetration Test" had passed, and the first layer of the Legacy Array, "Metal Element Defense," had been activated. It required the team to use "Hard and Soft Energy Cooperation" to crack it. The "Metal Element Qi Energy" inside the array was 10% harder than the five-centimeter steel plate and could automatically repair damage.

"The Technical Department has analyzed the method to crack the Legacy Array!" Lin Mo's fingertips flew across the keyboard. The 3D model on the tablet showed that the Metal Element Defense of the Legacy Array consisted of 12 "Metal Element Nodes," each requiring "Brute Force Breakthrough + Soft Energy Control" to shut down. "Chen Wu's Xingji Fist is responsible for breaking through the nodes, Su Chen's Mystic Water Energy is responsible for freezing the nodes to prevent repair, Zhang Hao and Zhao Lie are responsible for blocking the Qi Energy attacks within the array, and Elder Li and Love are responsible for stabilizing the Leyline Qi Energy. If we divide the work and cooperate, we can definitely crack it!"

Grandpa Wang's tobacco pipe made a dull thud in the pavilion. The old man pulled out the "Yijin Pavilion Legacy Record" left by his grandfather. The yellowed pages glowed pale blue under the holographic light, and one page was marked with cinnabar for "Metal Element Defense": "Metal Element Energy is hard but brittle; one must use Brute Force to break its hardness and Soft Energy to restrain its brittleness. In 1953, your great-grandfather cooperated with the Xingyi Sect Sect Head to crack it using 'Yijin Energy + Five Elements Energy.' Today, your Xingji Fist + Mystic Water Energy is even more perfect than back then!" A bronze fragment engraved with the words "Metal Breaker" suddenly flew out of the camphor wood chest. Pale gold Qi Energy spread along the bronze piece, drawing a "Metal Element Energy Cracking" trajectory in Chen Wu's palm, perfectly matching the model on the tablet.

The Section Chief of the Special Incident Response Department sent a message via holographic projection: "Special forces from 12 countries worldwide have completed the final perimeter security of Yijin Pavilion." She projected real-time footage into the pavilion. "The remnants of the Snake-Headed Hydra have been completely cleared. You can focus on cracking the Legacy Array; the Technical Department will provide real-time data analysis support!" The tablet showed that the remains of the "Qi Energy Bomb" left by Snake Queen had been properly handled, and the purity of the Leyline Qi Energy inside Yijin Pavilion was stable at 98%, which would not affect the team's technique performance.

In the global live stream bullet chat, viewers spontaneously organized an "Online Array Cracking Support Team." Some marked the locations of the 12 Metal Element Nodes based on the Legacy Array model; some analyzed the repair patterns of the Metal Element Energy and suggested Su Chen's Mystic Water Energy freeze them every 10 seconds; others organized the team's optimal attack sequence to ensure a seamless connection of hard and soft energy. The comment from "Watcher of Huangtu Slope" was pushed to the top: "Teacher Chen, I can see the light of the Legacy Array from the foot of the mountain. Keep it up! We are all cheering for you!"

As Chen Wu's team walked to the entrance of the Legacy Array, the pale gold Metal Element Energy flowed within the array like a layer of hard armor. Chen Wu clenched his fist, the Qi Energy core in his Dantian spinning again as the Brute Force-focused Qi Energy cone glowed in his palm. Zhang Hao's iron arm was held across his chest, the Mystic Water Energy defense shield activated. Su Chen's Mystic Water Energy condensed in his palm, ready to freeze a node at any moment. Zhao Lie, Li Xuantong, and Love also took up battle stances, waiting for the command to break the array. The global live stream cameras focused on them as 58 billion viewers watched intently, anticipating the moment the Legacy Array would be cracked.

"Act according to plan, pay attention to cooperation!" Chen Wu's voice was firm as he charged toward the first Metal Element Node, his Xingji Fist's Brute Force Cone accurately hitting the node. A crack appeared in the pale gold Metal Element Energy, and Su Chen's Mystic Water Energy immediately followed up, freezing the crack. Zhang Hao and Zhao Lie blocked the incoming Qi Energy attacks from within the array, their iron arms and Baji Energy intertwining into a defensive wall. Li Xuantong and Love's Qi Energy stabilized the Leyline, preventing the energy fluctuations of the Legacy Array from affecting the cracking process.

In the global live stream bullet chat, a final row of neat text scrolled across: "Brute Force pierces steel to show strength, the team breaks the Metal Array with one heart; traditional martial arts heat up in Yijin Pavilion, the path of Legacy moves forward again!" This message was simultaneously lit up by 58 billion viewers, like a river of light passing through the pavilion, illuminating the path to cracking the Legacy Array and the ultimate journey for Chen Wu's team to obtain the Muscle Tendon Change Classic.

Chen Wu knew that cracking the Legacy Array would not be smooth sailing. The Metal Element Defense was only the beginning, with the tests of the other four elements—Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—to follow. But he was no longer worried—because he had the strength of the Middle Stage of Brute Force, the new ability of Brute Force focusing, a team with tacit cooperation, and the support of 58 billion Martial Artists worldwide. As long as they worked together with one heart, there was no array they couldn't break, and no Muscle Tendon Change Classic they couldn't obtain. The Legacy of traditional martial arts would finally bloom with new brilliance in Yijin Pavilion.