Tai Chi Fist (Thunder Department), Closing the Gap

The rain poured down in torrents.

Li Changqing stood in the center of the open plaza, the raindrops that had just been scattered by his body-penetrating Blood Essence now falling once more.

He had just unleashed a wave of Gang Jin from a distance, and before his Blood Essence could even circulate back, the torrential rain came down on his head.

The soybean-sized raindrops splattered noisily on the ground, instantly soaking Li Changqing's clothes through.

Every inch of his skin was like a miniature signal receiver, clearly grasping the trajectory of each falling raindrop.

His internal energy flowed, and with a gentle shake.

His skin seemed to be covered in a hydrophobic film; the raindrops, before they could even settle, slid off instantly.

They gathered into a puddle on the ground beneath his feet.

"Legend says that when martial arts are practiced to a profound level, one can achieve 'not a single feather will touch the body, nor an insect land.' Now, I'm not just talking about feathers and insects; I can even instantly shed formless rain. By ancient standards, in terms of control over force, I can be considered a Grandmaster."

Three-Star Martial Artists, compared to the previous two stars, have the most unique characteristic: Blood Essence that penetrates the body.

This penetrating Blood Essence can be transformed into Gang Jin through martial arts, allowing one to strike through objects and injure opponents from a distance.

This is a terrifying improvement.

It's almost like gaining an invisible weapon out of thin air.

An inch longer is an inch stronger.

This advantage, in combat where a hair's breadth can mean a thousand miles, is almost overwhelming.

However, this method of injuring opponents from a distance using Gang Jin consumes a tremendous amount of Blood Essence.

Just now, Li Changqing scattered the rain twice and unleashed a form of Gang Jin from a distance, which nearly depleted half of his internal Blood Essence.

This technique can only be used as a trump card.

At a critical moment, strike from a distance and deliver a fatal blow to the opponent.

"Hoo—" Li Changqing's chest expanded.

The Tai Shang Gan Ying Pian seemed to have little practical use for his breathing technique; the improvement speed wasn't significantly faster.

Li Changqing adjusted his breathing and once again adopted a boxing stance with both hands.

[Tai Chi Soft Strength, Proficiency: 50%]

While the insights were still fresh in his mind, Li Changqing prepared to strike while the iron was hot, aiming to have Tai Chi Soft Strength undergo a transformation as well.

This martial art was a combat technique he had created by combining the Tai Chi Throwing Style with Old Technique Tai Chi.

The Tai Shang Gan Ying Pian should be useful.

Li Changqing began by practicing Tai Chi movements, using the thunder and lightning of heaven and earth to quickly enter a state of Heaven-Man Resonance.

His five senses expanded, his mental energy continuously merging with the surrounding nature.

He stepped forward, his left hand forming a fist like a hammer.

Sleeve-Covering Punch.

His muscles and fascia flowed with his Blood Essence, and his Blood Essence, under the practice of Tai Chi, was divided into Yin and Yang.

Bang!

Each step vibrated!

Li Changqing's feet trod the Big Dipper formation, gusts of wind swirled around him. His post-breakthrough Physique drove his boxing techniques, Utmost Yang and Steel.

Ward-Off and Strike.

His boxing technique changed again, the force he applied not following a rigid pattern. Instead, it followed the circular movements of Tai Chi's energy, integrating into the changes of Yin and Yang.

[Tai Chi Soft Strength, Proficiency: 75%]

Compared to the most crucial Tai Chi cultivation method, this boxing technique used for combat improved much more rapidly.

Li Changqing didn't stop thinking while practicing his boxing techniques. In fact, his brain was working more intensely than his body.

Creation and proficiency were two different things.

He needed to find the focal point of the new boxing technique, just like with Heaven-Man Resonance.

Li Changqing's gaze fell upon the Gang Jin he had just mastered.

He clearly remembered that Sun Sheng was able to draw a knife to cut water precisely because he could project his Blood Essence outwards and unleash his unique Gang Jin.

"Hah!"

Exhaling with a shout, Li Changqing sent a palm strike into the air, incorporating the changes of Tai Chi Soft Strength.

The Gang Jin struck the locust tree, leaving a deep fist imprint, but Li Changqing was completely unsatisfied.

The immense consumption of Blood Essence for this strike was significant, yet its actual utility was even less than his heavy punch that exerted several tons of force.

Not to mention, Li Changqing's core fighting style was grappling!

It was about using the opponent as a projectile.

His punches and kicks were all subservient to his throwing style.

"Externalizing Gang Jin can only be used as a trump card; right now, my Blood Essence doesn't support the normal state of Gang Jin."

Therefore, the use of Gang Jin still needs to be combined with the throwing style.

The core lies in controlling the center of gravity.

He needs to use Gang Jin to disrupt the enemy's stability.

How to do it?

Naturally, by imitating nature.

Tai Chi is about Yin and Yang.

When Yin and Yang clash, thunder is born.

Boom!

At the same time, thunder rumbled in the sky at just the right moment.

Li Changqing's eyes were tightly shut, and the mental power from countless visualizations of Overlord Lifts Cauldron came into play.

His memories reshaped, and dazzling lightning struck down from the heavens. The instant it hit the lightning rod, a golden-red firelight erupted.

In his mind, the Yin-Yang fish formed by the Tai Shang Gan Ying Pian began to spin again.

As expected, this martial art could also be activated!

Profound insights surged into his heart, and three thousand thunders roared in his mind.

He had found the direction for his transformation.

Tai Chi, Thunderclap!

Within his Dantian, Blood Essence transformed into Yin and Yang, the twin fish diagram slowly twirling, and then Yin and Yang collided.

A violent impact, like a meteor hitting Earth, was transmitted throughout Li Changqing's body by his Blood Essence.

In the Embracing the Core and Returning Strength state, a Martial Artist's greatest strength lies in how tightly their Blood Essence embraces the core in the Dantian; the tighter it is, the stronger the explosive power.

Now, Li Changqing's core was as tightly bound as lead and mercury. Simultaneously, by borrowing the concept of Tai Chi's Yin and Yang, he transformed his Blood Essence into Yin and Yang through his cultivation method. Through their collision, he gained even greater explosive power.

His body instantly shot out from its original position, leaping forward a full thirty-six steps.

Li Changqing stood in place. His Dantian collided with Yin and Yang again, and his body vanished once more, appearing in the distance like a phantom.

In his movements, whether standing, sitting, walking, or lying down, one still and one moving, he covered thirty-six steps.

His body was like lightning.

Li Changqing stopped in place. He hooked his left foot and directly lifted the straw doll he had placed in the grass a few nights ago.

He had added weights to the doll, bringing its total weight to nearly a ton. Back then, he could barely lift it, even with the aid of his Artistic Conception.

But now.

Li Changqing opened his eyes, lightning flashing in his pupils, the image of thunder striking the sky still echoing in his mind.

He extended his left arm, the force seemingly not great, placing it lightly on the surface of the doll.

Gang Jin surged.

Hummm—

The doll trembled violently but didn't move an inch, not even swaying as if struck.

However, where its base touched the ground, the intense vibration stirred ripples in the puddles on the surface.

Li Changqing slowly stepped forward, facing the nearly ton-heavy doll with its tumbler-like internal structure.

Hoo—

He gently blew a breath.

This force wouldn't even be enough to knock over a wooden board, yet the nearly ton-heavy doll toppled straight backward.

Bang!

A loud crashing sound echoed.

The doll's weight smashed the small stones on the lawn, and the earth was deeply indented.

Clearly, the doll's weight had not changed at all.

The reason for this unbelievable phenomenon was simple.

The martial art he had just used had disrupted the doll's center of gravity.

An enemy that loses its center of gravity would be like this doll, at the mercy of others.

They might even be unable to stand steady due to their own flailing attempts to regain balance.

By stimulating thunder with the sense of Yin and Yang, and using the special properties of Gang Jin, it was driven into the target's body, thereby disrupting its center of gravity.

This was the martial art Li Changqing had just created, to be used in conjunction with his Tai Chi cultivation method.

At this moment, Li Changqing could confidently say that he was now capable of killing his yesterday-self with a single punch.

"It's successful." Only then did a brilliant smile appear on his face.

Li Changqing examined his internal body.

The Tai Chi Soft Strength had vanished, replaced by an entirely new martial art.

[Tai Chi Fist (Thunder Department), Proficiency: 15%]

Standing in the pouring rain, he was in an excellent mood.

His strength had leaped forward, and he was one step closer to the championship and the Seedling Plan.

He looked at the fountain in the park's pond, its water rippling with the falling raindrops.

Li Changqing's heart stirred.

He walked to the edge of the pond, thought for a moment, and unleashed a palm strike towards the flowing water from a distance.

Embracing the Core and Returning Strength, Blood Essence differentiated into yin and yang, then instantly collided again.

Vigorous Blood Essence surged out of his body.

Boom!

Gang Jin erupted!

"Drawing a Knife to Cut Water!"

Li Changqing's pupils flickered.

The flowing water was instantly blocked by the Gang Jin. Under the effect of the thunderous force, the Blood Essence he unleashed dissipated instantly, unable to linger for several seconds like Sun Sheng.

However, the resonance power of the Thunder Department's fist technique spread with the water flow.

This power successfully cut off the flowing water.

But after just a tenth of a second, the pond water rejoined, flowing gently once more.

A smile curved Li Changqing's lips.

Though the Drawing a Knife to Cut Water technique only lasted for less than a tenth of a second, it still represented that.

The gap between him and Sun Sheng was no longer an insurmountable chasm.

With the Youth Cup still over twenty days away.

There was enough time!