Permanent Martial Arts Chapter 4 - Returning Home

“Brother, please don’t push yourself too hard.”

“Relax, I’ll be fine.”

Lin Feng gave Lin Qian’s shoulder a reassuring pat before walking toward the ring with steady steps. A heavy silence fell over the martial arts club. To the onlookers, the Lin Feng entering the arena no longer carried his habitual aura of frailty and sickness.

Du Qiang also sensed a vague shift in the atmosphere, yet his self-assurance remained unshaken. As a Grade Three martial artist with a physical condition nearing that of a professional, he believed crushing a weakling like Lin Feng would be effortless.

“Very well. Lin Feng, keep your eyes open. Wild Bovine’s Tread!”

He unleashed the opening technique of the Wild Bovine’s Might. Du Qiang possessed genuine talent; in a brief window of time, he had mastered the mechanics of the style. He executed the move with a fluid ease that suggested long-term familiarity.

To Lin Feng, however, Du Qiang’s Wild Bovine’s Tread was a hollow imitation. It possessed the external shape but lacked the internal soul. It was nothing more than a shallow mimicry.

Lin Feng’s eyelids fluttered shut. He focused on the surging agitation within his frame. The restlessness intensified rapidly, eventually detonating inside him like a violent volcanic eruption.

.

When Lin Feng’s eyes snapped open, they were saturated with the primal savagery of a dire beast. He threw a punch with instinctive grace. It was the exact same move: Wild Bovine’s Tread.

In that moment, Lin Feng appeared to have truly morphed into a Wild Bovine. As he executed the Wild Bovine’s Tread, Du Qiang felt as though a literal, monstrous beast was stomping down upon him with crushing force.

.

Du Qiang’s features twisted into a mask of pure shock. It felt as if a high-speed train had slammed into his body. The impact shattered his arm instantly, sending a sickening crunch through the air. His body was launched backward, hitting the floor of the ring with a heavy thud before he lost consciousness immediately.

With just a single strike, Du Qiang had been neutralized!

The martial arts club was plunged into an unprecedented hush. The members stared in disbelief, unable to reconcile the figure on the ring with the sickly, fragile Lin Feng they thought they knew.

“Brother, are you hurt?”

“Lin Feng, are you alright?”

The two campus goddesses, Lin Qian and Qu Chen, rushed onto the stage to check on him. While Lin Qian’s concern was expected, even the most unobservant spectator could see that Qu Chen’s feelings for Lin Feng went beyond mere friendship.

This sight left many club members feeling dejected, while others burned with envy. Looking at the unconscious Vice President Du Qiang sprawled on the mats, it was clear who the victim really was.

Du Qiang was the one in serious trouble!

“Quickly! Get Senior Du Qiang to the hospital!”

Someone finally snapped out of the shock and coordinated his transport to the campus clinic. The club event was clearly over; with such a severe injury, no one had the heart to continue.

.

Lei Sheng, the professional martial artist who had remained indifferent until now, seemed to realize something significant. He looked up sharply, staring intently at Lin Feng. “Did you just manifest the Wild Bovine’s True Intent?”

“Wild Bovine’s True Intent? I’m not entirely sure. For a split second, I felt as though I had actually become a Wild Bovine...”

Lin Feng couldn’t confirm if it was the True Intent or not. He only knew that for a fleeting moment, his mind had been consumed by a wild, predatory instinct. Even now, a lingering sense of unease remained.

“It was definitely the Wild Bovine’s True Intent. I am impressed you grasped it. That explains the power of your punch.”

Lei Sheng nodded slowly and handed Lin Feng a card. “Take my name card. You have remarkable potential for Cultivation. If you ever wish to advance, come find me at the Wind Source Club.”

Lin Feng accepted the card, and Lei Sheng departed. Shortly after, Lin Feng was escorted back to his apartment by his sister.

Once he was alone, Lin Feng checked his status screen. As expected, the skill section had updated.

“Skills: Basic Fist Technique (Proficient, improvable through practice), Wild Bovine’s Might (Mastered, comprehended Wild Bovine’s True Intent).”

He meditated on that sensation. He could still feel the echoes of that ferocity, particularly when he attempted the Wild Bovine’s Might again in his room. While he had unlocked the True Intent, he lacked perfect control over it. There was a dangerous edge to it, a feeling that he might lose himself in the rage.

“Is this a consequence of the genetic fusion?”

Lin Feng speculated that his rapid comprehension of the Wild Bovine’s True Intent stemmed from the Wild Bovine genes now part of his DNA. While others struggled for years to grasp the essence of the beast, he was, in a biological sense, the beast itself. Naturally, the True Intent came easily to him.

The True Intent of a technique was vital, capable of multiplying a practitioner's combat power several times over. However, Lin Feng realized he had to manage the side effects. He couldn't allow the Wild Bovine’s violent impulses to dominate him, or he risked turning into a mindless monster.

Genetic fusion offered immense power, but it demanded an iron will to suppress the foreign genetic instincts.

Lin Feng decided on a plan. He would dedicate himself to practicing Wild Bovine’s Might to acclimatize his mind to the aggression, eventually taming the beastly remnants within his blood.

...

The following day was the weekend. Since Lin Feng and Lin Qian had no lectures, they typically returned to the family home.

Lin Qian arrived at Lin Feng’s apartment early that morning. The events of the previous day had left her reeling. Knowing her brother’s history with his mysterious illness, she was deeply anxious despite his victory.

“Brother, are you certain you’re feeling okay?”

“I’m perfectly fine. I wouldn't have been able to take down Du Qiang otherwise, would I?”

Lin Feng smiled. Since using the genetic fusion device and integrating the Wild Bovine’s DNA, he felt an inexhaustible reservoir of vitality. His outlook on life had become significantly more optimistic.

“I didn’t get a chance to ask yesterday, but how exactly did you beat Du Qiang?”

Lin Qian’s curiosity was piqued, though her primary concern had been his health the day before.

Lin Feng hesitated. He knew he had to explain his sudden change to his family eventually, but he had to keep the genetic fusion device a secret. He chose a vague explanation. “I’ve made some breakthroughs in my martial arts practice lately, but I have some questions myself. I want to have a full medical exam once we get home.”

“Yes, absolutely. We need to do a thorough checkup to ensure your health isn't at risk.”

Lin Qian was eager to get started, and they left the campus together. A high-end black sedan was waiting for them outside, sent by their parents to bring them home for the weekend.

As the car pulled away, Lin Feng watched the passing scenery and tried to steady his nerves. Deep down, he was apprehensive. He didn't yet know if the genetic fusion had truly cured his terminal condition.

Before long, the car entered an exclusive villa district and pulled up to a grand residence. The siblings stepped out and headed inside.

“Dad, Mom.”

Inside, they were met by a refined middle-aged man in gold-rimmed glasses. This was Lin Xiong, their father.

Lin Xiong was a self-made titan of industry, having built the Lin Corporation into a dominant force in Central Sea. He was a true king of the business world.

Their mother, Luo Xiuting, was a renowned fashion designer who had eventually merged her own successful firm into the Lin Corporation, where she served as the lead consultant.

Despite their immense wealth, which had kept Lin Feng alive against all odds, the family was grounded. Every weekend, the parents cleared their schedules to be with their son, knowing his time was likely limited.

“Dad, Mom, please call Dr. Liu. Third brother needs a checkup immediately!”

Lin Qian blurted out the moment they entered.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen to Lin Feng?”

Panic flared in Lin Xiong and Luo Xiuting. They were always on high alert regarding their son’s condition. They had even installed a state-of-the-art medical suite in the villa with a dedicated physician on standby.

After Lin Qian recounted the fight at the club, the parents shared a look of stunned worry.

“Feng’er, when did you learn to fight like that? Could this be a symptom of your illness? I’m calling Dr. Liu to the medical room right now.”

The atmosphere grew tense with concern.

“Dad, Mom, I really feel great. It’s probably nothing. By the way, is big brother home?”

“Your brother is tied up with company business. Running a corporation that size is a heavy burden,” Lin Xiong answered distractedly.

The Lin family consisted of three sons and one daughter. The eldest, Lin Yong, was the designated heir to the family business. The second son, Lin Hai, was a Lieutenant Colonel in the military, a rising star and the family’s pride. Lin Qian, the youngest, showed great promise in martial arts and was expected to reach professional status soon.

Lin Feng was the outlier, burdened by his illness since childhood. Though he was the most protected and loved, his future had always been a dark cloud over the family. His parents only wanted him to find some happiness in his remaining years.

Dr. Liu arrived promptly. After a brief preliminary assessment, he looked puzzled. “We need to move Young Master Feng to the medical suite for a comprehensive scan.”

The family gathered in the medical room, which housed equipment worth hundreds of millions. Only the Lin family’s fortune could afford such a private facility.

Lin Feng felt his heart racing. Despite the new strength flowing through his veins from the Wild Bovine genes, the shadow of his lifelong illness still loomed large.

As the diagnostic machines hummed and the tests were completed, Dr. Liu’s expression darkened into one of extreme gravity. Watching him, the rest of the Lin family held their breath in fear.