Scattered Hand

A moment later.

After finishing a large bowl of rice and two taels of cooked meat, Wu Ming said goodbye to Chen Gui, who was sitting opposite him, and stood up, picking up his sinew spear and leaving.

This young martial artist, who entered the Seven Martial Alliance Outer Hall with him, truly came from a prominent family. His family was in the medicinal materials business, and it seemed to be quite a large-scale operation. At the very least, they were generous with their spending. While Wu Ming ate two taels of cooked meat, Chen Gui casually ordered half a jin of more expensive lean meat. His speech and demeanor were entirely different from those of the common folk.

People from such prominent families usually had access to all sorts of weapons, martial arts manuals, and sparring partners. Wu Ming wondered why Chen Gui had come to the Seven Martial Alliance to join an outer hall. However, Wu Ming didn't pry too deeply. He merely steered the conversation subtly, gathering some information about the city and its surroundings from Chen Gui.

After the meal, Wu Ming returned to the Martial Academy alone.

He still went to a corner, picked up his sinew spear, gathered his energy, and began to practice.

He wanted to reach the "Scattered Hand" standard as soon as possible.

For a Blood Forging martial artist, reaching Scattered Hand was considered the foundation for practical combat. Otherwise, possessing a body full of strength was only useful for bullying ordinary people. They might not even be able to deal with fierce beasts like bears and tigers, let alone fight demons.

Hoo, hoo, hoo.

As the spear trembled, it emitted a buzzing sound. However, within the Martial Academy, the sounds of various training exercises were incredibly noisy, like the incessant clanging of blacksmiths forging metal. Wu Ming's spear-shaking sound blended in, barely noticeable.

After practicing for an unknown amount of time, when his arms felt tired and weak, Wu Ming took a deep breath and stopped. He could feel himself becoming more and more proficient in the basic skill of shaking the spear, with most of the flaws being smoothed out.

"In terms of channeling and releasing force, there are basically no more problems. The next step is perseverance. I need to practice this move until it's perfectly smooth, until I can unleash this 'Quivering Spear Force' at any moment without needing a fixed stance. Only then will I have grasped the essence."

Wu Ming's thoughts were very clear.

The Falling Leaf Spear Technique did not provide a specific description of the "essence" of the spear-shaking stance. It only mentioned that it was a feeling that could not be described in words and needed to be experienced personally, practiced until it became smooth and natural.

Based on Wu Ming's practice over the past two days, his understanding was that this so-called essence was to train the actions of channeling and releasing force into pure "muscle memory." Previously, he could channel and release force flawlessly by relying on his microscopic perception and control over the details of his entire body. What he needed to do next was to gradually reduce this reliance on perception and control.

This would allow his body to no longer need conscious control, and with a single thought, he could perfectly channel his strength.

With a clear direction, the subsequent cultivation process became simpler.

Over the next few days, Wu Ming traveled back and forth between Wu Village and Jingye City. Every morning he woke up early and returned in the evening, spending the entire day at the Seven Martial Alliance Outer Hall's Martial Academy, practicing the spear-shaking and force channeling in a secluded corner where no one paid attention.

This continued until the ninth day. Wu Ming stood there, holding the long spear with both hands, his stance steady. He channeled his energy without consciously controlling his body's rhythm. His gaze was not fixed on the spear tip but cast into the distance, sweeping over the men practicing in the courtyard. He saw some entering the courtyard and others leaving.

Newcomers and departures were a common sight at the Outer Hall's Martial Academy. Most young martial artists who joined the Seven Martial Alliance Outer Hall would purchase a Martial Token and train there for two to three months. After reaching the Scattered Hand standard, they would leave and start taking on tasks.

"Clumsy!"

"When wielding a saber from horseback, the emphasis is not on the saber in your hand, but on your body. You should be like riding a galloping horse – legs tight, waist relaxed. With every saber strike, you must channel the full force of your body, not just swing with your arms!"

Not far away, the scolding and admonishment of a Martial Academy Martial Master could be heard.

All sorts of sounds mixed together, creating a cacophony. But under Wu Ming's microscopic perception, he could distinguish the sounds he wanted to hear. The admonishments, the saber swings, the spear shakes – all were clear and distinct.

At some point, Wu Ming's attention had completely shifted to the bustling outside world.

Although not a single thought was controlling his body, his body still maintained the posture and movements of shaking the spear. His muscles bulged like a python, and the spear in his hand vibrated with a humming sound, like the roar of dragons and tigers.

It felt like a long time had passed, or perhaps just an instant, when Wu Ming's consciousness suddenly returned to his body.

"It's done!"

Wu Ming sensed that he hadn't consciously controlled his body, yet his body still perfectly channeled the force from his legs to his waist, then to his arms, and finally unleashed it from the spear.

At this moment, with a mere thought, he instantly stopped shaking the spear. The spear shaft vibrated and quickly came to a halt.

Then, Wu Ming's mind shifted, and the spear in his hand suddenly thrust forward, executing several consecutive thrusts.

He hadn't practiced any specific spear techniques, and these thrusts weren't any particular moves. They were just random forward thrusts. Yet, despite the lack of technique, each thrust erupted with a clear humming sound, channeling force that penetrated the spear!

"This is Scattered Hand."

Wu Ming's mind was as clear as a mirror. He then swung the spear horizontally and followed with a downward chop. These moves were crude and lacked any aesthetic appeal, but with every swing or chop, the spear contained a fierce internal force.

If an ordinary person stood before him, even if they wore thick leather armor that could block an unsharpened spearhead, the immense force unleashed by this sweep would be enough to send a person weighing over a hundred pounds flying.

This is what is called Scattered Hand.

Although one had not mastered sufficiently refined techniques, and the explosive power was difficult to deliver with precise strikes, the force within each move was substantial. Even a Second Blood Forging expert with tough skin and wearing thick armor would not emerge unscathed if they took a direct hit; they would certainly be injured.

"The difference between Scattered Hand and Proficient lies in the refinement and agility of the techniques. The difference in force and power is not that significant. This gap is very apparent when facing other martial artists, but when facing demons, the difference is very small."

Wu Ming recalled the descriptions in the Falling Leaf Spear Technique.

Compared to Scattered Hand, Proficient involved mastering a complete and refined set of techniques. The difference was significant when fighting against people. After all, facing a Proficient opponent with a similar physique, a Scattered Hand practitioner would easily find flaws in their crude moves due to the Proficient level of skill. Within a few moves, they could exploit these flaws, break through the defenses, and resolve the situation.

However, when dealing with demons, the finesse of the techniques often made little difference; the actual lethality was more important.

But, if one could bypass the Proficient stage and reach the third realm, "Oneness," then it would be an entirely different domain.