Stone Platform Stance Practice

Feng Xiao saw everyone's reactions and nodded in satisfaction. Then his tone shifted:

"However, the meridians in the human body were naturally blocked, shrouded in hidden dust. Only powerful qi and blood could smash through the sluggish obstructions and allow one to fully command these pathways."

"After that, with a Qi and Blood Furnace and a body like flowing fire, even severing a river or cutting down a cliff would be no great feat."

Feng Xiao spoke with longing in his eyes. But when he saw the Laborers beginning to fantasize as well, he cut them off coldly:

"Enough. Stop thinking about all that nonsense. Even I'm only at the Second Meridian... You? If you can pass the First Meridian, your ancestral graves will be smoking with blue smoke."

"The Nine Realms of Meridian Opening are like one mountain after another. How could they be so easily crossed? If your aptitude is lacking, getting stuck at the First Meridian for decades is nothing unusual."

He shook his head dejectedly and looked at the young faces before him. "Though the First Meridian is relatively simple, it would already be a lot if four or five of you twenty-odd people succeeded."

Those words were like a basin of cold water dumped ruthlessly over the Laborers.

Out of all twenty-six people present, fewer than twenty percent could break through?!

"What a brutal success rate."

Xu Yuan was equally startled by that number, but when he thought of the System Panel in his mind, fighting spirit rose within him.

What the hell was there to fear? As long as an opportunity came along, he would give it everything he had. Even if he failed, the trip wouldn't have been in vain!

In this world of supernatural power, he absolutely did not want to live his whole life as a Laborer.

Seeing everyone wounded by reality, Feng Xiao finally felt somewhat better and said in a low voice:

"The first step is to practice stance work and seek out your qi and blood. The second is to temper it. When your meridians are saturated and begin to feel swollen, gather your qi and blood and break through the blockage in one stroke, allowing the meridians to form a complete circulation."

"For the first step, if conditions allow, it's best to buy a bowl of Meridian Nourishing Soup from the front courtyard. This soup will make it easier for you to find the Essence of Qi and Blood, and it can also protect your tendons and meridians from further harm."

"Enough talk. Now, I'll teach you the Stone Platform Stance Practice passed down by the Shangyang Family."

As Feng Xiao spoke, he began demonstrating. He explained the stance movements, breathing essentials, and methods slowly and meticulously.

The Laborers' eyes bulged wide, afraid they might miss even the slightest key detail.

After the time it took to burn a stick of incense, the demonstration was complete.

Feng Xiao had not sweated a single drop. He lifted his eyes toward the crowd. "Did you remember it? Someone come up and demonstrate it once."

The area below fell silent.

This entire set of stance work contained dozens of forms, with countless variations that dazzled the eye. How could anyone possibly remember it after seeing it once?

Going up now and embarrassing themselves would be one thing, but leaving Master Feng with a bad impression would be disastrous. Their margin for error was painfully thin.

Thus, quite a few Laborers looked at one another, their feet rooted in hesitation as they pondered what to do.

Suddenly, a voice rang out. "Master Feng, I'm willing to try!"

It was Xu Yuan.

He had already fallen so low as to become a Laborer. What face did he still need? The skills he learned and held in his hands were what truly mattered.

Besides, this was the perfect chance to test his Golden Finger!

"Good, then it'll be you." Seeing that Xu Yuan had moved the fastest, Feng Xiao motioned for him to come forward. "Begin."

Xu Yuan took a deep breath and began demonstrating according to what he remembered.

But the moment he made his first move, someone could not hold back a laugh.

Feng Xiao immediately interrupted him. "That part is wrong. Doing it that way has no effect."

As he spoke, he pressed Xu Yuan's shoulder. Xu Yuan instantly lost his balance, staggering and nearly falling, which immediately drew a burst of giggles.

Xu Yuan's expression did not change. He quickly adjusted and continued the demonstration, but Feng Xiao soon interrupted again. "Tighten your body, or you won't be able to bring your strength together... You call this stance work? Even a child doing a horse stance would be steadier than you!"

"Your footwork is wrong here."

"What's with your hand? Curling it up like you want to eat chicken claws?"

Once Feng Xiao began teaching, his temper rose with it. His words were far from friendly, and his occasional cutting remarks made the Laborers' faces flush red.

Someone with a weaker mindset might have collapsed onto the ground already. Yet Xu Yuan remained calm, as if not affected in the slightest, correcting himself one point at a time according to Feng Xiao's movements.

What the others did not know was that Xu Yuan was not merely calm. He even wanted to laugh.

Because at that moment, the System Panel had already changed.

[Name: Xu Yuan]
[Skill: Tai Chi Exercise (Minor Accomplishment 1%) Stone Platform Stance Practice (Beginner 1%)]
[Aptitude: 3 (Ordinary)]

"It really recorded the skill."

Xu Yuan was delighted and continued following Feng Xiao's guidance, polishing the details of his stance work.

However, not everyone present was merely watching the fun.

Those with quick minds had already begun practicing along with him.

Watching Xu Yuan's movements grow increasingly standard, Feng Xiao nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad. Go down."

At the end, he added, "Your body is somewhat depleted, though. It's best to use it together with Meridian Nourishing Soup."

Meridian Nourishing Soup?

Xu Yuan's heart stirred. He had heard that the stuff was not cheap. Even the Martial Students in the front courtyard could not afford to use it every day.

After Xu Yuan stepped down, Feng Xiao looked around again. "One more person, then."

Now that they knew they would not be blamed for failing to perform well, the crowd that had long been itching to try all raised their hands.

"You."

Feng Xiao could not be bothered to care who had gone first. He casually picked a sturdier person, carefully helped him complete the demonstration, then chose a maid. Only after three people had gone did he speak again:

"Alright, that's it for today."

"Other than rest days, I'll come teach you once every day at the hour of the snake from now on, until... two months later."

The moment those words fell, the young Laborers were left scrambling, secretly hating themselves for not seizing the chance earlier to step forward and ask for instruction.

Some were dissatisfied as well. Feng Xiao had only taught three people, while there were more than twenty here. How were they supposed to learn?

It was simply far too irresponsible.

Of course, they did not dare say such things aloud.

Seeing their expressions, Feng Xiao knew exactly what they were thinking and could not help but sneer twice.

What a joke?

They were merely a bunch of Laborers, yet they expected him to guide every single one personally?

The only reason a martial instructor had been sent to teach them was because the Shangyang Family's higher-ups feared there might be some pearl lost in the vast sea, and were making a small attempt to find it.

These Laborers had gone hungry from childhood, their qi and blood severely depleted. Aside from a handful with exceptionally fine bones, most would find it difficult to achieve anything through training.

Taking a step back, even if there truly was a genius, that person would still stand out under such circumstances!

Feng Xiao understood this perfectly well. He shook his head and slowly strolled out of the courtyard.