15 The World Record

In ancient times, when practicing martial arts, people would also train with stone locks to develop their physical strength. 

Wang An walked to the barbell used for strength training. He wanted to test how strong he was. 

He barely felt any resistance when he lifted the 80-kilogram barbell with both hands, so he added another 20 kilograms to make it 100 kilograms. This time, he lifted it smoothly without much strain. 

He continued to add more weight until it became 120 kilograms. He lifted it again and finally felt some strain. 

Li Xinzhu, who had heard the noise, came to the side and saw that Wang An was silently lifting the dumbbell. He watched quietly from the side. 

He increased the weight by 10 kilograms at a time, and though Wang An felt that it was getting more difficult, he had not reached his limit. 

Li Xinzhu's eyes kept getting wider in shock. 

Wang An then increased the weight to 175 kilograms. He took a deep breath and held the barbell tightly with both hands. 

"One, two, three, up!" 

His legs stomped hard on the ground, his arms straightened, and his back tightened like a bowstring. 

Because of the strength, the veins on his face popped out. With great effort, he lifted the barbell once more. 

After holding on for a few seconds, he dropped it on the ground. The floor shook from the impact. 

Sweat dripped down from his forehead onto the wooden floor. 

"Phew, I'm almost at my limit." Wang An let out a long sigh. 

Li Xinzhu, who was at the side, was dumbfounded. His mouth was so wide that an egg could be stuffed in without much difficulty. 

He walked to the side and counted the weight of the barbells one by one. He took out the calculator on his phone and checked it three times. 

"It really is 175 kilograms." He looked at the number on his phone. 

He raised his head and looked at Wang An. He looked at him from head to toe. 

"175 kilograms! Even though I'm a cultured person, all I can say right now is, 'Wow!' Do you know the significance of this number?" 

"I don't. What about it?" Wang An asked as he performed the Bear Swaying from Five Animals Forms. 

"If I remember correctly, the world record for your weight class is 175 kilograms!" 

"Oh, really? You mean I achieved the world record just now?" Wang An smiled. 

His expression was calm, but inwardly, he was shocked. This was not a national record. He could actually tie with the best in the world. Moreover, he felt that he could still lift more. 

"How can I be so strong?!" He was shocked and confused. 

"I don't usually see you doing strength training. Why are you so strong?" Li Xinzhu was also very puzzled. We're both 1.8 meters tall and practice kung fu. You're not as handsome as me, and you don't look as big as me either. How do you have so much strength? 

"Hmm, maybe it's because I eat beef every day? Eating beef increases strength." Wang An said after pondering for a moment. 

"What kind of reason is that? According to what you just said, professional weightlifters don't need to bother with training anymore. They can just eat beef every day." Li Xinzhu was obviously not satisfied with his answer. 

Wang An rubbed his chin and pondered for a while before suddenly clapping his hands. "Yes, I remember now." 

"What is it?" Li Xinzhu hurriedly asked. 

"I do 300 push-ups and 300 squats every night. Although I'm not bald, I've indeed become stronger," Wang An said seriously. 

Li Xinzhu's face turned dark after hearing that. 

"I also do push-ups and squats every day. This kind of strength can't be obtained this way." 

"Maybe it's the timing of your practice, or your posture wasn't quite right. If you don't believe me, you can give it another try." Wang An patted him on the shoulder and then walked away while smiling. 

Li Xinzhu looked at the barbell on the ground. 

"A 175-kilogram barbell. Maybe I can lift it too." He stretched his arms and waist, bent down, grabbed the barbell, and exerted his strength. 

"One, two, three, up!" 

His legs stomped on the ground and his arms tightened. The blood vessels on his neck and forehead bulged. 

All he could do was slightly lift the barbell. 

Li Xinzhu experimented several times and finally gave up. 

"Damn it. I should have known I couldn't do it!" 

"Is he so strong because of Tai Chi? I've never heard of Tai Chi increasing one's strength though. Could it really be that it's because of push-ups and squats? I'm going to do that today." 

Li Xinzhu turned his head and looked at Wang An, who was training at the side, and fell into deep thought. 

"Hey, why are you practicing Tai Chi in the Intention Fist Martial Arts Dojo? Are you looking down on us?!" 

Wang An ignored him, and after practicing for a while, he took a break. During this time, he was also considering the question of his strength suddenly increasing. 

Based on results of his recent training, he deduced that the main reason was because he had practiced the Five Animal Forms. Ever since he started practicing the Five Animal Forms, his appetite had increased significantly alongside his strength. 

'Can I also cultivate the strength of a bear and tiger after practicing the Five Animal Forms?' Wang An thought. 

"In the future, I will practice the Five Animal Forms and check the growth of my strength!" 

As time passed, Wang An became more and more familiar with Tai Chi. 

However, the experience points of Tai Chi were increasing at a slower rate. The experience bar had nearly reached its limit, but he did not know when he could break through to the next level. 

"Perhaps I should ask Chen Xifeng." 

He felt like he was stuck at a particular point, and that all he needed to do was take one small step to cross over. He felt that it would be just like gently poking through a piece of window paper to break through. However, he could not do it on his own. 

Therefore, he made an appointment for Chen Xifeng's Tai Chi class. 

"I can't believe that I need to make an appointment at least a week in advance just to attend his class." 

"What's so good about Tai Chi?" After hearing about Wang An's plan, Li Xinzhu's expression looked a little helpless. 

"You're really talented. If you're willing to concentrate on practicing the Intention Fist, you'll definitely be able to improve quickly. You might even become a master of the Intention Fist." 

"Practicing Tai Chi cured some of my illnesses," Wang An said with a smile. 

"Yes, Tai Chi has a unique way of strengthening the body. But the Intention Fist can also strengthen the body." 

"I know. I've tried it too. By the way, I heard that the scenery of Qingyang Mountain is pretty good." 

"No, no, I won't go there unless I have no choice." Li Xinzhu hurriedly waved his hand and shook his head. 

"You seem to be very reluctant to go there. Why? It's just a mountain." 

"That place is considered Chen Xifeng's private territory," Li Xinzhu said after pondering for a moment. 

"Private territory? What do you mean? Does he own the whole mountain?" 

"Yes, the whole thing is his." Li Xinzhu nodded. 

"He is indeed rich." 

"It's fine if you want to go, but don't expect to learn anything with a measly 1,500-yuan. If you want to ask him for advice, it'll probably cost at least 10,000-yuan."