Three days later.

"Ducking low to dodge is a common technique to counter a swinging punch. When the enemy attacks, quickly squat down and seize the opportunity to counterattack, targeting his groin and abdomen. Don't fear the swinging punch; those who start with it are often brainless and impulsive."

At the martial training ground, the academy's martial instructor explained while demonstrating the moves.

A wooden puppet swung its right fist across, and the martial instructor swiftly ducked, evading the attack, then countered with punches to the puppet's abdomen. With a few strikes, he knocked the wooden puppet down.

The students watched in a circle, but most of them seemed uninterested and lacked enthusiasm.

The academy offered various courses, and this session focused on basic fist and kick techniques. Using fists and kicks required effort and was far less impressive than the cool and stylish Moon Blade attack, so the young students were mostly distracted.

"The next class is the Moonlight Gu usage assessment. How's your practice going?"

"Not bad, I can release three Moon Blades, but rarely hit all. Usually, two hit the straw doll puppet."

"Yeah, same here. I've even bought a straw doll puppet just to practice."

...

The young students whispered among themselves, their minds already on the upcoming assessment.

They had been practicing diligently for this assessment, and now they were eager and full of anticipation.

The students' chatter reached the instructor's ears, and he turned around sharply, shouting, "No talking in class, keep quiet and pay attention!"

He was a Rank Two Gu Master, with a muscular build and a bare, robust upper body covered in scars on his bronze skin. His commanding shout immediately silenced all the young students.

The martial training ground fell silent.

"Basic fist and kick techniques are of utmost importance, especially in the early stages of a Gu Master's cultivation. They are more crucial than anything else. Focus your attention!"

After a round of scolding, the martial instructor summoned another wooden puppet.

This light yellow wooden puppet stood two meters tall, its wooden feet clattering on the stone tiles. It spread its arms and clumsily charged at the instructor.

The instructor dodged its attack, then suddenly embraced its waist, forcefully pushing it forward, toppling the tall wooden puppet to the ground. He then swiftly mounted the puppet's waist, raising his fists to strike its head rapidly.

The wooden puppet resisted for a moment before its head was shattered by the instructor's rain of punches, leaving it paralyzed on the ground, motionless.

The martial instructor stood up, his breathing still calm and steady, and explained to the students, "In close combat against a tall enemy, don't be afraid. Disrupting the opponent's balance is a wise tactic, like I just did—grabbing the enemy's waist, controlling their hips, and pushing forward. Then, mount them and deliver fierce punches. Those without defensive intent will collapse instantly."

The students nodded repeatedly, but most of their eyes showed a dismissive attitude.

The instructor saw it all and smiled bitterly in his heart.

It was always like this in past years; young minds were naturally drawn to flashy and glamorous things. Without personal experience, the young students found it hard to understand the importance of basic fist and kick techniques.

In fact, especially for early-stage Gu Masters, basic fist and kick techniques, though seemingly unimpressive, were more important than Moon Blade attacks.

"...Remember, in close combat, don't just focus on the enemy's eyes; pay attention to their shoulders. Whether they punch or kick, the shoulders move first..."

"...Speed is crucial in close combat. Here, speed doesn't refer to the speed of your strikes but the speed of your footwork..."

"...Distance is the best defense..."

"...Keep your legs flexible to unleash power more easily..."

"...When moving and punching, maintain a triangular stance. Otherwise, if your lower body loses control, you'll fall instead of your opponent..."

The martial instructor demonstrated while patiently explaining. These were valuable experiences accumulated through blood and tears from long-term battles.

Unfortunately, the students outside the field didn't realize this.

They gradually began whispering again, still focused on the upcoming Moon Blade assessment.

"This martial instructor is practical, but his teaching method has issues," Fang Yuan observed quietly in the crowd, nodding and shaking his head.

The instructor taught without any structure, purely based on interest, teaching whatever came to mind. As a result, the teachings were disorganized, excessive, and complex. Many students initially listened attentively but gradually lost interest and shifted their focus elsewhere.

Only Fang Yuan listened meticulously. For others, it was learning; for him, it was revisiting. His combat experience far exceeded that of the martial instructor, but listening to others was also a form of cultivation validation.

Gu Master's combat methods typically divided into melee and long-range.

Moon Blade attacks were long-range, but strictly speaking, they were mid-to-long range, as their effective range was only ten meters.

For melee Gu Masters, the martial instructor was the best example. They usually chose Gu insects that enhanced their own abilities for cultivation. These Gu insects granted them strength, agility, reflexes, endurance, and more beyond ordinary people.

Like this martial instructor, his entire skin was bronze-colored. This wasn't his natural skin tone but the effect of a Copper Skin Gu.

The Copper Skin Gu greatly increased a Gu Master's skin defense, allowing them to endure more damage.

"A single Moon Blade consumes ten percent of True Essence. How many times can a Gu Master use it in battle? Very few, especially for beginners, who can't form effective strikes. It can only serve as a trump card, more intimidating than lethal. For Rank One Gu Masters, the truly useful skill is fist and kick techniques. Fist and kick attacks are more enduring and reliable. Unfortunately, without personal experience, they don't understand this."

Fang Yuan glanced indifferently at his peers around him, a faint cold smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

The basic fist and kick techniques class finally ended. After a short break, the academy elder arrived late, to the students' eager anticipation.

With a wave of his hand, he pointed to a row of straw doll puppets under the bamboo wall and got straight to the point, "Alright, today is the day to check your progress. Form groups of five, come up one by one, and use Moon Blade for three attacks."

Swish, swish, swish.

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The first group of students stepped forward, Moon Blades flying through the air.

After three rounds, only nine Moon Blades hit the straw doll puppets.

The academy elder shook his head slightly, somewhat dissatisfied. The hit rate was too low, and crucially, two of the five students only managed to release two Moon Blades successfully.

"You need to practice more, especially you and you," the elder reprimanded slightly, waving his hand, "Next group."

The two reprimanded students walked off dejectedly. One of them, a girl, had reddened eyes, feeling a bit wronged.

She only had Grade C aptitude and was reluctant to use Primordial Stones to quickly restore True Essence, so her practice over the past three days was limited, resulting in her unfamiliarity with releasing Moon Blades.

Gu Masters needed money to refine Gu, raise Gu, and practice using Gu insects. But where could she get so much money?

Although her parents supported her, every family had its own difficulties. Financial constraints were a common predicament for Gu Masters.

"Anyway, there's no hope of winning first place, so why not give up and save the Primordial Stones?" she thought, feeling at ease.

Many shared her sentiment.

Due to a lack of practice, many students performed poorly.

The academy elder's frown deepened.

Fang Yuan watched, shaking his head internally, "These people are truly pitiful and pathetic, giving up opportunities for progress for a few Primordial Stones. Primordial Stones are meant to be used; why become a Gu Master if you're hoarding them like a miser?"

In other words, those who were short-sighted often quibbled over trivial matters, missing the bigger picture. Those with lofty ambitions usually displayed a generous and magnanimous demeanor, capable of sacrifice and abandonment.

"Finally, it's my turn." At this moment, Gu Yue Mo Bei stepped onto the field with a confident smile on his horse-like face.

He was robust, exuding a fierce aura. After taking his stance, he released three Moon Blades, all hitting their mark. Two struck the puppet's chest, and one landed on its left arm, slicing off a few green grass fragments.

Such performance naturally drew a wave of admiration from the young students.

"Well done." The elder's frown slightly eased.

Another group came up, including Gu Yue Chi Cheng.

Gu Yue Chi Cheng was short, with a face full of freckles and a slightly nervous expression.

He released three consecutive Moon Blades, all hitting the puppet's chest, leaving three intersecting scars. The scars faded from deep to shallow, and after a few breaths, the straw doll puppet's self-healing restored it to its original state.

However, this performance matched Gu Yue Mo Bei's, earning the elder's praise as well.

Chi Cheng walked off with his head held high, casting a provocative glance at Mo Bei.

"Hmph!" Below, Gu Yue Mo Bei snorted coldly but didn't glare back at Chi Cheng; instead, he looked at Gu Yue Fang Zheng, who had yet to take the stage.

He knew clearly that the real threats were only Gu Yue Chi Cheng and Gu Yue Fang Zheng.

The former, like him, had Grade B aptitude and a constant supply of Primordial Stones. The latter had Grade A aptitude, and although he might not have as many Primordial Stones, his aptitude allowed for faster True Essence recovery, enabling extensive practice in a short time.

Now that Gu Yue Chi Cheng's results were out, matching his own, only Gu Yue Fang Zheng remained.

In the final few groups, Gu Yue Fang Zheng finally took the stage.