When Bone Seams Burst, Only Then Does One Know Yama Dwells Within the Fist!

By evening, people from the Inspection Bureau came to arrest the carriage firm owner.

"Someone reported that the leader of the violent gang, the Chauffeur's Association, is hiding in the martial arts hall!"

The Patrol Chief leading them raised the carriage firm owner's wanted notice and spoke.

"You've searched the wrong place. This is the Divine Spear Martial Hall. How could we possibly shelter a wanted criminal?"

Huo Yuanhong stood in front of them and said calmly, "Besides, this is a martial arts hall. To prevent secret martial arts from being leaked, we have the privilege of exemption from searches. Gentlemen, please leave."

In the end, these inspectors, who knew not who had sent them, did not dare conduct a reckless search of the martial arts hall and could only leave in frustration.

Huo Yuanhong returned to the Training Room.

Counting the days, tomorrow would be the day of the wagered duel between the carriage firm and the Red Robe Society. He wondered whether the Red Robe Society Leader would still dare to come.

Though only a scant few people remained in the carriage firm, they still possessed that half stalk of Great Medicine, an item so precious that even most direct descendants of aristocratic families were not qualified to use it. Even those aristocratic families that controlled resources could only supply it to a tiny handful of core descendants.

To experts born from gangs, it was even more tempting than piles of gold bars!

Even if one could not use it personally, it could be traded for countless valuable things. If it were offered to those direct descendants of aristocratic families who lacked the qualifications to use Great Medicine, there might even be hope of obtaining an opportunity for advancement!

Therefore, even knowing that Huo Yuanhong might intervene, the Red Robe Society Leader might not be able to resist such temptation. After all, they were only seizing medicine; they did not necessarily have to kill Li Shuxing's disciple.

As it happened, he wanted the half stalk of Great Medicine in the other party's hands as well! It would make up for the deficit caused by his extreme improvement!

Huo Yuanhong knew that after last night, once the Red Robe Society Leader had realized the extent of his strength, he definitely would not continue sending only one force after him.

When the time came, either they would not come at all, or if they did come, they would most likely invite experts from other gangs to lie in ambush. It was even possible that experts at Strength-Unity, on the verge of Dark Force, might appear!

Before the Great Medicine reached his hands, in this final sliver of time, the quickest way to improve his strength was undoubtedly to learn the fighting methods and killing moves suited to the Heart-Mind Unity stage!

Before he had reached the late Heart-Mind Unity stage, the doubled eruption of the Tiger in the Cage and Ape in the Mind had already made him no weaker than someone at mid-stage Intent-Qi Unity!

Now, he had reached the limit of Heart-Mind Unity and truly grasped Fist Intent—Fist Intent originating from the Buzhou Mountain Fundamental Diagram! His combat strength was likely no weaker than that of someone at the peak of Intent-Qi Unity!

And if he further mastered the profound fighting methods and killing techniques of the Divine Spear Martial Hall for this stage, his combat strength would rise again. He would absolutely be able to easily slaughter gang-born experts at the peak of Intent-Qi Unity! Even against Strength-Unity experts taking the final step toward Dark Force, he could put up a fight!

By then, with Old Xu keeping watch, Peak Experts unwilling to make the first move, and the Dark Force and Transformation Strength experts from great families unable to act rashly, those gang experts and martial world experts without Dark Force would no longer be a threat!

Not long afterward, Old Xu entered with the only remaining Transformation Strength master of the martial arts hall.

Old Xu was too old. His qi and blood were nearly dried up. Things had been fine while Li Shuxing was around, but now that Li Shuxing was gone, he had to restrain Mo Wuji, the Martial-Arts-Guild-Second-in-Command, and the Wu Family Patriarch all by himself. He had to remain in peak condition at every moment, calculating every wisp of qi and blood he expended and unable to waste any of it casually.

Thus, it was this Transformation Strength master who would spar with Huo Yuanhong, while Old Xu watched from the side.

"Your Heart-Mind Unity training is nearly complete. You can begin learning killing moves appropriate for the Heart-Mind Unity stage! Once you master killing moves, your combat prowess will rise by a great margin. You may even be able to kill opponents of a higher realm in reverse!"

"The three great killing moves of Baji Quan: Ground-Shattering Cannon! King of Hell's Three Strikes! Fierce Tiger Climbs the Mountain! Every one of them is aimed at taking lives!"

"An old boxing master once said: 'When bone seams burst, only then does one know Yama dwells within the fist!'"

"Once a killing move is unleashed, it is like Yama descending to pass judgment over life and death!"

"First, the Ground-Shattering Cannon..."

Huo Yuanhong listened intently, watching the demonstration movements of this Transformation Strength master and committing the key points of force generation to memory.

Baji Quan had originally evolved from spear techniques. Fist techniques and elbow techniques were also spear techniques in essence; only their outward forms differed.

The force-generation techniques of these killing moves could still be borrowed in spear techniques. It was equivalent to practicing fist techniques and spear techniques together!

That was also why he had been able to use a Great Spear before despite never having properly trained in spear techniques!

"This Ground-Shattering Cannon is the fist-technique transformation of the soaring thrust in spear techniques. The eighth-generation patriarch once annotated it: 'So-called sky-piercing does not mean a fist can reach the heavens, but that one's heart and intent reach through the nine skies! Tread the netherworld beneath your feet and open heaven's gate with your fist—only then is the true meaning of standing upon the earth and piercing the heavens!'"

"By the normal Training Method, with the bodily control of peak Heart-Mind Unity, strike the Jujube Wood Stake three hundred times a day. One or two months should be enough to master it..."

"While practicing, be sure to soak both fists in Bone-Piercing Grass, safflower, and Earth Dragon, to prevent the tiny blood vessels in your hands from rupturing..."

After this Transformation Strength master finished explaining, Huo Yuanhong began practicing against the Jujube Wood Stake before him, punch after punch.

The first few punches were roughly as powerful as ordinary punches, making the Jujube Wood Stake sway only slightly.

But gradually, as his understanding deepened, as he corrected mistakes again and again, adjusted his posture, and rectified his angles, the Jujube Wood Stake began to sway more and more violently.

From a sway barely visible to the naked eye, to a clearly visible sway, then to violent shaking.

And later, as countless tangled insights surged forth...

A flash of inspiration struck him. He truly comprehended the Ground-Shattering Cannon, adjusting this killing move into the eruption method most suited to himself.

As he threw a punch, the utmost fury of the Tiger in the Cage and Ape in the Mind surged up. Huo Yuanhong finally shattered the shackles upon his mind completely. His Fist Intent grew so powerful it seemed about to solidify into substance, and his entire body seemed to transform into a Chaos Demon Ape breaking free of captivity, yet also like a Yama judging life and death. With the intent of treading the netherworld beneath his feet and opening heaven's gate with his fist, he unleashed a punch!

Bang!

The Jujube Wood Stake was blasted apart and exploded! Like an evil ghost guilty of monstrous crimes, it was smashed to pieces by that punch as explosions rang from his bone seams!

When bone seams burst, only then does one know Yama dwells within the fist!

"Senior Brother Huo, several important figures from the Wu Family have arrived. One of them calls himself Wu Yankun and says he wants to see you."

Near nightfall, a disciple came looking for him.

Hearing the disciple's words, Huo Yuanhong's punching motion paused. He slowly turned his head, his gaze somewhat terrifying, making the disciple delivering the message shudder inwardly and grow afraid.

"Take me there."

Not long afterward, he arrived at the martial arts hall's reception room and saw a man in a suit idly playing with the teacup in his hand.

"You're here."

Wu Yankun appeared to be in his thirties or forties. A careless smile always rested on his face. Seeing Huo Yuanhong enter, he smilingly extended a hand.

"Let's get acquainted. I'm Wu Yankun."

Huo Yuanhong ignored him, simply walking to the grand chair opposite and sitting down.

"You've got character."

Wu Yankun smiled and did not seem to mind. He said leisurely, "Your kung fu is quite good. At merely nineteen, not only did you survive the assassination attempt by five peak Heart-Mind Unity killers, you even went and killed the Blood Axe Society boss to take revenge. Though Li Shuxing secretly nurtured you from childhood, you can barely be considered someone of note..."

"Since you survived, consider it passing my test. As long as you betray Li Shuxing and smear his reputation, you can work under me. All past grievances will be wiped clean, and even your future descendants can become members of my aristocratic family."

Wu Yankun spoke leisurely, as though joining an aristocratic family and allowing one's descendants to become members of one were matters of supreme glory, an immense favor granted by him.

"All past grievances wiped clean?"

Huo Yuanhong wore a smile, but there was not a trace of amusement in his eyes. There was only darkness as deep as a bottomless pool.

His seated upper body leaned forward slightly as he looked at Wu Yankun.

"How about you call your whole family over and let me kill them too? As long as they don't die, all grievances will be wiped clean?"

Huo Yuanhong said this with a beaming smile. He was clearly smiling, yet the disciple serving tea and water beside them felt his scalp prickle and did not dare look over.

"There are no eternal friends in this world, nor eternal enemies..."

Wu Yankun said slowly, "You did not die, and neither did your father, so there was no loss at all. What I can offer is for you to escape the bottom rung from now on, become a member of my Never-Falling Aristocratic Family, and enjoy glory and wealth for the rest of your days. All you need to do is smear Li Shuxing's reputation."

"Old Six is dead."

Huo Yuanhong stared at Wu Yankun and spoke.

"Old Six?"

Wu Yankun froze, looking somewhat bewildered.

"Who is Old Six?"

Judging from his reaction, Wu Yankun truly did not know such a person existed. Only after someone beside him leaned close and whispered several words into his ear did he reveal a look of astonishment.

"Just a chauffeur? A gang leader?"

"You refuse to work for me over a commoner like that?"

Wu Yankun found it extremely difficult to understand.

He was only a commoner. There were as many as one wanted. If one died, one died.

It was like the Martial Persons of common birth under his command. Who knew how many had died over the years? He had never cared.

Before the eternal generations of an aristocratic family, these people did not even count as sacrifices. They were not even worthy of being called chess pieces. They were merely an insignificant string of numbers. If they died, they died. What was there to care about?

What was more, he had personally condescended to come here, proactively extending an olive branch and offering an opportunity to join a great aristocratic family...

Logically speaking, for such a precious opportunity, even murdering one's master would not count for much. He had already been merciful, merely asking the man before him to step forward and smear Li Shuxing's name.

Yet now, over a commoner, he would directly abandon an opportunity countless people fought desperately to obtain?

"Young Master Wu, you have stood high above for too long. You've forgotten that I'm also a commoner—a commoner just like Old Six."

Huo Yuanhong looked at Wu Yankun and said calmly.

"You are Li Shuxing's disciple. How can you be the same as those people?" Wu Yankun said indifferently. "With your talent, you will certainly reach Transformation Strength in the future. You can possess immense power and enjoy glory and wealth for most of your life. Why care about a chauffeur?"

"Come. My advisers have already drafted the words for smearing Li Shuxing's reputation. You only need to go to every corner of the Celestial Empire and read them aloud..."

At this point, seeing Huo Yuanhong looking at him with a smile that was not a smile, Wu Yankun understood what Huo Yuanhong meant.

"So, you are determined to oppose me?"

"What do you think?"

Huo Yuanhong looked at Wu Yankun with a face full of smiles, like a madman looking at a dead man.

When Old Six died, when the carriage firm was slaughtered, when his father nearly died, when he saw those young people looking at him with hope in their eyes while he could do nothing...

He had already gone mad.

"Then what do you intend to do?"

Wu Yankun smiled as well, his face full of smiles.

Huo Yuanhong likewise smiled broadly.

"Kill you."