Xingyi Quan!

Chapter 5: Xingyi Quan!

The Golden-Eyed Eagle dove down, its feathers reflecting a blinding metallic sheen beneath the sunlight!

"Screech!"

Gu Ji drew his bow and nocked an arrow, his clothes whipped high by the violent gale!

A thunderous explosion erupted from within his abdomen. His arms swelled as though inflated, thick veins bulging as blood could faintly be seen coursing through them! Gu Ji poured all the inner strength in his body into the bow and arrow, letting out a furious roar!

"Die!"

Carrying a surging blast of air, the arrow crossed a hundred zhang in an instant. Amid the shrill howl of torn air, it shot toward the Golden-Eyed Eagle!

"Screech!"

The Golden-Eyed Eagle suddenly beat its wings, sending a tangible torrent of air against the arrow!

But it was all futile!

A streak of white air suddenly pierced through the Golden-Eyed Eagle's steel-like feathers, blasting a head-sized hole through its chest and abdomen! Straight through from front to back!

Blood, organs, and shattered feathers were swept high into the sky by the violent airflow, vanishing in an instant!

"Screech!"

With a cry of pain and despair, the Golden-Eyed Eagle crashed heavily onto the street!

"Boom!"

A deafening impact resounded through the clouds!

The entire street seemed to sink several inches. Nearby houses collapsed, as though countless bolts of lightning had exploded at once. Vast amounts of bluestone fragments were blasted into the air and scattered in every direction, whistling through the air like hidden weapons!

"Screech!"

"Screech!"

"Screech!"

The Golden-Eyed Eagle continued rolling about in a death struggle! Its wings swung like two enormous blades, slicing apart the surrounding wooden and stone houses as though they were tofu! Such was the might of a demon beast!

Cold sweat streamed down Gu Yu's face. If he had not arranged for the Hunting Team to evacuate the villagers in advance, and if Gu Ji had not happened to return to the village on leave, Gu Family Village would likely have suffered devastating casualties this time!

"Third Brother, are you all right?" Gu Yu grabbed hold of Gu Ji's swaying body.

Gu Ji was on the verge of collapse, drenched in cold sweat as though he had been washed with water. His bones and meridians creaked under unbearable strain, and he slumped against Gu Yu like a limp noodle.

"The outburst of inner strength was too great. My muscles and bones are strained all over! I'll need at least a week of rest!"

Gu Ji wiped the sweat from his brow and set down the Flying Stone Bow. Watching the Golden-Eyed Eagle struggle and cry out, the scar on his flushed red face twisted slightly!

"A demon beast's vitality truly surpasses ours by far. I blew apart its heart with one arrow, yet it can still struggle!"

Gu Yu sighed. "Good thing you came back on leave this time. Otherwise, the village would have been destroyed by this beast!"

Gu Ji struggled to his feet and performed the Fierce Tiger Returns to the Mountain stance, calming the meridians throughout his body.

"Golden-Eyed Eagles soar above three thousand meters year-round and feed on large beasts. They rarely attack human villages. Something about this incident is probably strange!"

"We'll deal with whatever comes our way." Gu Yu saw that the distant Golden-Eyed Eagle had stopped struggling, dark red blood flowing through the ruins like mercury.

"Regulate your breathing and blood. I'll go deal with this."

With that, he jumped down from the roof and loudly called for the Hunting Team to clean up the aftermath.

Gu Ji nodded. Rather than climbing down, he suddenly dropped onto all fours atop the roof like a tiger! The muscles throughout his body abruptly swelled and contracted, his spine twisting like a dragon. The sound of muscles and bones grinding together like a tiger's roar came from within him!

Gu Shaoshang lay on the bed, carefully listening to the commotion outside. His father, Gu Jiu, looked terrified as he paced uneasily around the room.

"Boom!"

"Screech!"

"Clang!"

The house suddenly shook violently, and the teacup on the table fell to the floor and shattered! Gu Jiu threw himself over Gu Shaoshang as dust rained down from the roof. Father and son were instantly covered in dirt.

"Cough! Cough!"

After a long while, Gu Jiu coughed a few times, got up, opened the window, and looked around.

"Whew! It's all right now. Your Third Uncle shot down that huge bird!"

The white bandages around Gu Shaoshang's upper body had turned gray, leaving him in a thoroughly bedraggled state.

"Father, sit down and rest for a while! You've been taking care of me for two days. Your health matters too. I'm not seriously hurt anymore!"

Gu Jiu waved his hand. "I'll go take a look outside. Get some rest." With that, he closed the door and walked out.

Mirror World, martial arena.

Gu Shaoshang crossed his arms over his chest and looked speechlessly at Ye Baobao, who was a zhang away. Wearing a tiger-head cap, Ye Baobao waved his chubby little arms and staggered toward him. Then he stretched out his hand, curled his fingers, and flicked them.

Watching Ye Baobao turn into light and disperse, Gu Shaoshang fell into thought.

Myriad Heavens Projection Mirror: Activated (damaged, currently Fragmentary Supreme-grade)

Mirror Master: Gu Shaoshang

Source Power: 12 points

Main World Projection: 1, Gu Ji. Can be challenged. Remaining attempts: 1

Myriad Heavens Projections: 2. Teng Qingshan, challenged. Remaining attempts: 0. Ye Baobao, challenged. Remaining attempts: 0

Myriad Heavens Projection Pool: Select activation (varied Source Power cost), random activation (minimum 1 point of Source Power per attempt)

Myriad Heavens Warehouse: Fragmentary "Yoga Technique," Fragmentary "Horse Stance," Fragmentary "Firearm Mastery," Fragmentary "Flying Dagger Technique," one-star "Xingyi Quan," Ye Baobao's milk bottle...

Gu Shaoshang let out a soft breath, a smile curling across his lips. "It's been two months. I've finally gathered the 12 points of Source Power needed for Xingyi Quan."

"Manifest Xingyi Quan!"

A streak of purple light rose from the mirror's surface and shot straight into Gu Shaoshang's mind!

Manifesting Xingyi Quan... Source Power: 12 points... Manifesting... Manifestation complete!

"Boom!"

Gu Shaoshang's mind trembled as a flood of information emerged.

Xingyi Quan!

Xingyi Three Body Form!

Xingyi Five Elements Fist! Splitting, Crushing, Drilling, Cannon, Crossing.

Xingyi Twelve Forms: Dragon, Tiger, Monkey, Horse, Rooster, Sparrowhawk, Swallow, Snake, Alligator, Tuo, Eagle, Bear.

Tiger Form Divine Connection Technique!

A vast amount of information poured in.

Gu Shaoshang felt as though he had entered a dream. In that dream, a young man codenamed "Wolf," named Teng Qingshan, had trained diligently in Xingyi Quan ever since becoming the disciple of Xingyi Quan master Teng Bolei...

His fist techniques rapidly advanced through life-and-death struggles...

He advanced to the Grandmaster Realm and practiced the Tiger Form Divine Connection Technique...

Scene after scene, Teng Qingshan's training in Xingyi Quan flashed continuously through Gu Shaoshang's mind like a movie.

In that brief time, Gu Shaoshang absorbed and mastered all of Teng Qingshan's lifetime of experience with Xingyi Quan!

"Xingyi Quan!"

Gu Shaoshang exhaled deeply and slowly assumed the Three Body Form.

He rounded his chest and straightened his back, his palms shaped like tiger claws, the centers of his feet hollow as though he were walking through mud. Starting from the Three Body Form, he shifted at times into the Five Elements Fist and the Twelve Forms, all the essential principles of the fist art flowing through him.

Gu Shaoshang's small body shifted and turned across the open space of ten zhang, smooth and fluid as drifting clouds and flowing water! The longer he fought, the more exhilarated he became! Every muscle and tendon in his body was completely under his control!

After a long while, Gu Shaoshang slowly ended the routine in the Three Body Form!

"Whew!"

Gu Shaoshang opened his status panel.

Gu Shaoshang (Mirror Master): Age: ten

Cultivation: Foundation Establishment, first stage. Integrated Strength perfected! Evaluation: Fragmentary ordinary

Source Power: 0 points

Techniques: Basic Fist and Foot Techniques (Level 5), Basic Saber Technique (Level 3), Tiger Roar Fist (Level 1), Xingyi Quan (Level 3)

Item: one Broken Wood Saber

Combat Power: 8

"Huh? It actually displays levels like a game? Was it because I hadn't met the requirements for them to be shown before?"

Gu Shaoshang was surprised to see levels displayed just like in a game. Fragmentary skills had a maximum of ten levels, while one-star skills had a maximum of fifteen. An ordinary person would need ten years just to master one Fragmentary skill, while improving a one-star skill was even more terrifyingly difficult.

"My combat power has actually more than doubled! And I've only just gone through Xingyi Quan once! Grandmaster Realm experience truly is extraordinary!"

Gu Shaoshang could not help but feel shaken.