The Mountain Shaking Fist Is So Easy

"This Martial Skill is also collected in the Martial Repository Pavilion within the palace. In my view, it is a fairly decent fist technique. If Your Highness wishes to learn it, you will still need to put in hard work."

Chen Xuerong set down her chopsticks, picked up a cup of hot tea, and took a light sip to soothe the heat in her mouth.

She put down the teacup, her gaze shifting slightly as she secretly glanced at Zhao Hongming. Seeing no particularly satisfied expression on his face,

she carefully recalled the Martial Skills she currently knew, wondering whether there was a more suitable fist technique.

Zhao Hongming did not refuse outright. Smiling, he said, "Only by enduring the bitterest of bitterness can one become a person above others. This Prince does not have excessive demands. As long as the fist technique is decent, practicing it can serve as exercise and strengthen the body. Miss Chen, please introduce this fist technique to This Prince in detail."

Chen Xuerong breathed a sigh of relief and said calmly, "The first nine levels of this Mountain Shaking Fist place greater emphasis on moves and technique, while the latter nine levels focus on intent and the circulation of qi. Once this fist technique is practiced to the point of mastery, every strike can easily injure or kill."

"However, because this fist technique places too much emphasis on moves and technique, with little in the way of qi usage, it is generally considered unremarkable in the martial world. Still, having looked through it as a whole, I find this Martial Skill quite good. The person who created this fist technique likely intended to give more lowborn martial artists a way out. Even an ordinary person who practiced it would be more than capable of serving as a household guard."

Chen Xuerong's slender, tender fingers, like fresh scallions, curled around her teacup.

As a martial artist in the Aperture Opening Realm, her Qi and Blood were abundant, and she did not fear the cold. Yet holding hot tea like this in winter was exceptionally comfortable.

Zhao Hongming felt that having this Martial Arts Talented Woman by his side was truly worry-free.

Her knowledge was like her chest—lofty beyond reach and deep beyond measure. She was practically a walking Martial Arts index.

It seemed there was no Martial Arts she did not understand.

"Does Miss Chen know this Martial Skill?" Zhao Hongming asked with a smile. "If Miss Chen does, you can teach This Prince directly. If not, This Prince will make another trip to the Martial Repository Pavilion and look through the manuals. If there is anything I do not understand, I can ask Miss Chen afterward."

Chen Xuerong raised her head and smiled confidently. "Only a little."

A little meant an enormous amount.

Zhao Hongming smiled without exposing her modesty. "Then Miss Chen will have to trouble herself again."

Chen Xuerong said, "Generally speaking, Martial Skills are about seeing who strikes faster, who hits more accurately, and who hits more ruthlessly."

"The foundation of Mountain Shaking Fist is strength. Its focus lies in the word 'heavy' and the word 'ruthless.' Those two words are the foundation of Mountain Shaking Fist."

Zhao Hongming asked, "Heavy and ruthless?"

"Yes. When Mountain Shaking Fist is unleashed, it seeks to be as heavy as a thousand jun and as ruthless as wolves and tigers. Therefore, if Your Highness does not possess sufficient strength, you will not grasp the essence of this fist technique. You should increase your strength in daily life."

"Now I will demonstrate all the moves from the first nine levels for Your Highness, so you may first gain a basic understanding."

As soon as she finished speaking, Chen Xuerong rose and walked to the center of the small courtyard.

She took a deep breath, and her eyes suddenly became incomparably sharp. Her entire bearing underwent a tremendous transformation.

A straight, keen aura erupted from her body, mixed even with chilling killing intent.

In an instant, she seemed to transform from a refined young lady into a ferocious beast of the mountains and forests.

The mature, commanding air she had possessed earlier vanished without a trace.

Chen Xuerong assumed the opening stance of Mountain Shaking Fist. "This is the first move of Mountain Shaking Fist, Mountain Shaking Tiger."

She swung her arms and threw punch after punch, like a tiger descending through the forest on the wind.

"This is the second move..."

Chen Xuerong's fists grew faster and faster, until they nearly became layers of afterimages, impossible to follow.

In the end, Chen Xuerong used nine breaths to perform all of the first nine levels of Mountain Shaking Fist, leaving Zhao Hongming greatly amazed.

Her punches were executed flawlessly, giving off a pleasing, direct visual impact.

Moreover, her fist wind was fierce. Beneath those seemingly ordinary moves, nearly every strike aimed for a person's vital points.

Chen Xuerong withdrew her fists and exhaled a breath of turbid air. "Your Highness, this is Mountain Shaking Fist. If you can remember it, you may try it yourself. I can assist you from the side."

Zhao Hongming immediately itched to give it a try. "Then This Prince will give it a try."

As a "health-preserving" Cultivation Technique, the Eight Desolations Eternal Youth Technique focused on developing the potential of its practitioner's body.

After Zhao Hongming continued breaking through, his physical qualities had steadily improved.

Now, not only was his strength vastly different from before, even his memory had improved greatly.

Although he still could not achieve perfect recall after a single glance, he was already far stronger than before.

Zhao Hongming closed his eyes and continuously recalled every move Chen Xuerong had just demonstrated.

He would first imitate their form.

After running through all the moves once, Zhao Hongming stepped forward and assumed the opening stance of Mountain Shaking Fist. He paused for a moment, recalled it once more, then performed the next move.

Like a teacher, Chen Xuerong stood in the courtyard with her hands folded behind her back, beside Zhao Hongming.

By her exacting standards, although Zhao Hongming's punches were slow, they were exceptionally precise. He had completely learned the form of her fist technique.

His Highness is so clever. I only need to perform it once, and he can imitate seventy or eighty percent of it.

Zhao Hongming kept recalling the fist moves and practicing them in the small courtyard.

Whenever he found slight deviations in certain moves, Chen Xuerong would walk directly over and personally correct his posture.

"Your Highness, this fist technique should be done like this."

Because they stood so close, Zhao Hongming could even smell the faint floral fragrance of Chen Xuerong's sachet.

After spending this period of time together, neither of them felt any resistance. They even felt that things ought to be this way, making it all seem exceedingly natural.

Zhao Hongming withdrew his gaze. "All right."

Under Chen Xuerong's close personal instruction, coupled with Heaven's Reward's enhancement,

Zhao Hongming improved at a visible pace, growing increasingly proficient in Mountain Shaking Fist.

During a brief pause to catch his breath, his mind stirred, summoning Heaven's Reward's Martial Arts Panel.

Name: Zhao Hongming

Cultivation Technique: Eight Desolations Eternal Youth Technique—Aperture Opening Sixth Grade (1001/4000)

Martial Skill: Heaven and Earth Severing Slash—Seventh Level (700/700), Eight Desolations Secret Travel (2100/X), Mountain Shaking Fist—Not Yet Initiated (14/10)

Martial Arts That Can Break Through: Mountain Shaking Fist

Today's Cultivation Time: 3 hours

Physique: Good

Talent Enhancement: 1.8

Hmm?

He only needed 10 points to break through?

This Mountain Shaking Fist was so easy.

Zhao Hongming hesitated no longer. His consciousness sank inward, and he broke through directly.

The instant he decided to break through, a mysterious power blessed his body. It gave him memories of practicing Mountain Shaking Fist tens of millions of times, and the muscles and posture of his body changed involuntarily, affecting the posture of his strikes.

Chen Xuerong, standing nearby, immediately noticed subtle changes in the Mountain Shaking Fist he performed. It became even more aligned with the spirit recorded in the fist manual.

For a moment, she found it difficult to believe. She had not expected that merely through simple imitation, Zhao Hongming had already mastered the first level of Mountain Shaking Fist to the point of entering the hall and reaching the chamber.

With such talent and ability, he was no weaker than she was—indeed, he was only stronger.

How could such a prince remain so obscure within the Imperial Palace?

Some readers have been confusing Daliang and Great Wei, so let me clarify: Daliang is the capital city of Wei Country. It should have been mentioned twice earlier...