'Another foundation that's difficult to apply.'
Lu Han truly couldn't fit that into his style.
It was extremely hard to imagine something from that foundation being integrated into his own body.
"I managed to turn earth into defense. Water into movement. Fire into attack. If I were to add wood… it would be control. A way to temporarily neutralize the opponent."
That was an excellent idea, one that could make his combat style complete in all aspects.
'But it's still limited by imagination.'
Lu Han let out a faint sigh and reached to his waist, pulling from his leather bag a bottle of water and a piece of already moldy bread.
From the beginning until now, two hours had already passed.
He could already feel his throat dry and his stomach starting to churn.
After taking a sip of water, he stored the bottle and bit into the bread. He had to use force to tear off a piece and chew it.
"Terrible."
The taste was sour.
But…
His taste buds, already accustomed to that kind of food, allowed him to swallow it without much difficulty.
After eating and easing his hunger a little, Lu Han closed his eyes again, seeking to visualize the best way to apply the control of wood.
In his mind, he transformed into a man of bamboo.
His legs became a trunk, with his feet rooted in the earth. His arms turned into flexible branches.
This time, his opponent was a wild wolf. The animal drooled, its eyes filled with hunger. It sniffed the moisture emanating from the trunk, its gaze sharp like an eagle's.
Unable to hold back, the wolf lunged, baring its fangs, ready to sink them into the bark.
But before it could reach its target, a branch moved swiftly downward.
By instinct, the wolf retreated—only to see roots emerging from the ground. Before it could react, its legs were entangled, bound by the roots like living ropes, preventing any movement.
The branch that had missed the first strike repositioned itself and launched a new attack.
Like the crack of a whip, it shot forward and struck the wolf.
At the moment of impact, the imagined world dissipated.
Lu Han opened his eyes.
Now, he had a clear idea of what he intended to do.
He would use his arms like vines to deflect and rebound attacks. His hands to restrain and strike at the right moment. And his feet like roots, ensuring stability.
"Defend like a rock. Move like water. Attack like fire. And control like a vine."
Lu Han had finally structured his combat style to face the statues.
It was an extremely difficult style to execute in a short time.
It would probably take years to fully master.
But Lu Han didn't have that luxury.
His goal was to learn only the basics.
Just enough to carry out his plan and defeat at least two statues.
Defeating all five was not something Lu Han sought—not for lack of ambition, but because he knew his own limits.
"Time to train."
Lu Han interrupted his internal monologue and looked around.
Aside from him, the blond youth, and the supervisor, there was no one else left in the second test hall.
Silence dominated the environment.
All Lu Han could hear was the sound of his own breathing.
Staying in that place was uncomfortable. Any movement would draw the attention of the other two.
He didn't want to stand out.
But he understood very well that, at that moment, he needed to.
Being passive now meant going straight to the third test and dying.
Being noticeable, on the other hand, might attract attention—but it also meant a chance to survive and walk the path of transcendence.
"I can't do things my way. All I can do is keep moving forward, without looking back. Whatever happens… will be the consequence of my pursuit of strength."
The turbulence within Lu Han calmed, like a breeze at dawn.
The moment he was beaten by Zhao Ming's subordinates, his decision had already been made.
He would seek immortality—even if he died trying.
That was his choice.
A path he had chosen to walk on his own.
With a fixed, expressionless, empty gaze reflected in the green board, Lu Han stopped worrying about what would come next.
In his mind, only one objective remained: pass the third test and become an outer disciple, obtaining rewards.
'Let's begin… by feeling the flow.'
Closing his eyes, Lu Han imagined nothing. Thought of nothing.
He simply breathed.
Slow inhales.
Quick inhales.
Gradually, his senses sharpened. The silence deepened until he had the impression of hearing his own blood flowing through his veins.
A strange sensation spread through his body.
It was as if he could control every part of himself with absolute precision.
He could unleash all his strength in a single devastating blow.
He could use his will to raise a defense as firm as earth.
He could move his arms like vines—flexible and unpredictable—and root his feet into the ground, becoming unshakable.
'Water seeps into the earth, creating moisture. The earth uses that moisture to nourish the roots, which give rise to the tree. A tree capable of withstanding intense sun and extreme heat.'
"This is the foundation of my style."
Lu Han opened his eyes, now with a clear understanding of what he needed to do.
Without looking around, he extended his fist into the empty air.
The punch was fast—yet seemingly without force.
Whoosh!
At the last instant, that weak strike gained weight, as if the earth itself condensed around his fist.
Boom!
A loud sound, unnatural for a mortal, echoed through the hall.
Lu Han had executed the first part of his style.
He combined the speed of water with the hardness of earth, creating a powerful strike.
As a consequence, his entire arm trembled. A strong numbness spread through his forearm.
'I managed to take the first step…'
He took a deep breath.
'Now I need to combine water with wood… earth with wood… and wood with fire.'
With the numbness in his arm easing, Lu Han was ready to resume training. But before he could begin, he saw the blond youth step away from the fire monument and walk toward him.
Seeing him approach, Lu Han grew alert, preparing to understand the other's intentions.
The blond youth approached without arrogance. In his eyes, there was only an intense desire for combat.
Seeing what Lu Han had done earlier had given him a new idea of how to apply the foundation of fire.
"Brother," the blond youth greeted him.
"I see you're trying to implement the foundations into your techniques. How about we train together? We could both benefit from it."
After making the proposal, he looked at Lu Han, who placed a hand on his chin, deep in thought.