Twelve Movements

Seeing Yi Yun be the first to follow his instructions, Zhang Yuxian nodded in satisfaction.

The others, however, didn't think the same way. Zhao Tiezhu watched Yi Yun eat wood and sneered inwardly, 'Is wood really that easy to eat?'

'Let's see if you don't get bloated to death, you show-off.'

When people encounter famine, they eat roots and bark, but no one has ever heard of anyone eating wood, especially not raw, hard wood.

Besides termites and borers, very few animals in the world can eat wood directly. The fibrous material in wood cannot be digested by the stomach and intestines at all.

"Go, dig up some Guanyin Soil!"

Zhang Yuxian commanded. Guanyin Soil is actually talcum powder. Why is it called Guanyin Soil? It's probably because during times of famine, people relied on Guanyin Bodhisattva for salvation. This talcum powder could fill their stomachs, so it was naturally named after Guanyin.

But in reality, Guanyin Soil is a poison that passes through the intestines. Eating a little is fine, but eating too much leads to indigestion, inability to excrete, and eventually death by bloating.

The Lian Clan happened to have this substance. Some might wonder why people would eat Guanyin Soil if they knew it could kill them?

One reason is that people in some areas are ignorant and believe that as long as they are sincere and chant for Guanyin's salvation, they won't die.

The second reason is that Guanyin Soil tastes much better than bark and roots. Both in appearance and texture, it resembles flour. When people are extremely hungry, they cannot resist this temptation and accidentally eat a little too much, leading to death by bloating.

The Guanyin Soil was dug up and piled into a large heap.

This Guanyin Soil was all moved by the villagers. Yi Yun and the others were cultivating, while the villagers of the Lian Clan watched from the side.

Seeing that the people from the Warrior Reserve Camp were about to eat Guanyin Soil, the villagers of the Lian Clan felt their hearts pound. Eating a little Guanyin Soil was acceptable, but eating such a large pile was unimaginable.

"Begin."

Zhang Yuxian said calmly. Yi Yun didn't hesitate and ate a large mouthful of Guanyin Soil. It didn't have a particularly strong taste, just a bit slippery.

Guanyin Soil was at least easier to swallow than wood.

The members of the Warrior Reserve Camp, seeing themselves being outdone by a "waste" like Yi Yun, how could they be convinced?

They all braced themselves and started eating.

They thought, 'Zhang Yuxian wouldn't harm us. These things are unpleasant, but for the sake of training, we can just endure it!'

However, the moment this thought crossed their minds, Zhang Yuxian's words shattered their illusions, "The Elephant Swallowing Art is not so easily learned. Many people swallowed Guanyin Soil and then tried to learn the Elephant Swallowing Art, but failed. In the end, they still died of bloating."

"What!?"

Upon hearing Zhang Yuxian's words, the Warrior Reserve Camp members, who had just mustered their courage, all deflated like punctured balloons, becoming completely dejected.

If they ate this wood and Guanyin Soil and couldn't learn the Elephant Swallowing Art, they would still die!

They thought learning this technique would only be difficult, not life-threatening, but the reality proved them wrong!

Seeing the expressions on Zhao Tiezhu and the others' faces, Zhang Yuxian glanced at them with disdain. "Do you really think practicing martial arts is like attending a banquet, where you can learn peerless martial arts just by eating and laughing?"

"For a martial practitioner to cultivate, they must have the awareness of facing death at all times! Even members of the Brocade Dragon Guard die during their usual training! How can you break through realms without pushing your body to its limits!?"

"The path of martial arts involves entering secret realms, encountering deadly feuds, competing for treasures, overcoming inner demons, entering closed-door cultivation, and enduring heavenly tribulations! Which of these doesn't involve death? This is just the beginning for you. If you don't even have the courage to eat Guanyin Soil, then don't bother practicing martial arts. Just live out your lives in the wilderness and die!"

Zhang Yuxian no longer forced them. He didn't even specify how much Guanyin Soil and wood was appropriate for beginners learning the Elephant Swallowing Art.

Eating more or less depended entirely on one's personal courage.

The members of the Warrior Reserve Camp looked at each other, unconsciously slowing down their eating pace.

As for Yi Yun, he merely paused, remained silent for a moment, and then continued eating at a steady pace, completely unfazed.

Zhang Yuxian noticed Yi Yun and nodded again. That kind of courage alone was not easy to come by.

As for Zhao Tiezhu and the others, they naturally noticed Yi Yun fearlessly eating wood and Guanyin Soil. Zhao Tiezhu whispered maliciously, "This little brat is showing off now. He'll be bloated to death later!"

"Don't bother with an idiot, Brother Zhao. We're beginners now, so let's eat a little less. Half a pound... no, three taels should be enough..."

Several members of the Warrior Reserve Camp carefully measured their portions, eating bit by bit, like greedy children who have a piece of delicious cake but are reluctant to finish it in one go.

"Brother Zhao, don't bite off more than you can chew. Let's take it step by step. This time, we brothers will be steady and show Master Zhang our martial arts talent! How can we be inferior to a mere child!"

The men of the Warrior Reserve Camp were all holding a grudge. Zhang Yuxian had looked down on them before, implying that he had no choice but to recruit them as fillers because he couldn't find anyone else.

They accepted that. But Zhang Yuxian, of all people, highly praised Yi Yun, this sickly boy. How could they accept that!

They had originally thought that practicing martial arts with Zhang Yuxian would involve lifting stone rollers, which was their strong suit. They could show off and easily crush Yi Yun, making it incredibly satisfying.

But no one expected the training content to be eating trees!

It was like thunder from a clear sky!

"It's just eating trees and Guanyin Soil, what am I afraid of? Come on, brothers, eat! Surpassing this little chick Yi Yun will be as easy as playing a game."

The more Zhao Tiezhu thought about it, the angrier he became. While the other men were hesitant to eat, he was determined to eat more. He refused to believe he couldn't learn the Elephant Swallowing Art.

At this moment, Yi Yun had already steadily consumed over two jin of Guanyin Soil. The Guanyin Soil was expanding in his stomach, making it feel like he had swallowed lead ingots that were weighing him down.

Yi Yun's stomach began to ache.

This pain was not obvious at first, but it would intensify later, eventually causing him to die of pain.

Just then, a voice suddenly sounded in Yi Yun's ear, "Follow me and perform these twelve movements."

Yi Yun looked up and saw Zhang Yuxian standing in front of everyone, his gaze fixed on him with a smile of encouragement.

Then, Zhang Yuxian moved.

It was hard to describe Zhang Yuxian's movements. His figure seemed to suddenly blur, as if he were standing in another dimension, cut off from the outside world.

He demonstrated one move after another. Each movement was incredibly strange, yet when linked together, they gave a sense of flowing grace.

Zhang Yuxian's speed seemed both fast and slow, imbued with an indescribable charm.

These movements clearly fell within people's sight, yet they were elusive, like phantoms in an illusion.

A dream...

Yi Yun's mind suddenly conjured this thought. Watching Zhang Yuxian's movements felt like being in a dream.

When people dream, many things they see and words they speak feel very real and clear.

You might even be eloquent in your dreams, effortlessly composing beautiful poetry.

You yourself might feel your literary talent in the dream is extraordinary, yet you can't recall what you wrote or said.

Upon waking, it's all forgotten.

Yi Yun had this strange thought now as he watched Zhang Yuxian's movements.

Is this "Elephant Swallowing Art" truly just a basic cultivation technique? Why does it feel more profound than "Dragon Marrow Tiger Bones Fist"?

Yi Yun found it hard to imagine.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yuxian had stopped. Although he couldn't recall many of the movements clearly, Yi Yun still knew that Zhang Yuxian had performed the entire set of movements three times!

"Alright, these are the twelve movements of the Elephant Swallowing Art. Practice them, and once you can perform these movements, you will have achieved initial success in the Elephant Swallowing Art. Digesting some Guanyin Soil will be no problem at all."

Wha... What?

Hearing Zhang Yuxian's words, Zhao Tiezhu and the others exchanged wide-eyed glances!

What had Zhang Yuxian just done?

They just felt their vision blur, Zhang Yuxian's body flickered, leaving a trail of afterimages, and then he was standing back in his original spot.

Some even wondered if they had just seen things, experiencing double vision.

They hadn't understood what was happening at all. How could they possibly replicate Zhang Yuxian's movements?

"Is there a problem?"

Seeing the grim expressions on the faces of many in the Warrior Reserve Camp, Zhang Yuxian asked.

"Th... There is a problem..." Zhao Tiezhu swallowed hard and asked with difficulty, "If... If we can't learn your... your movements, then what... what about the Guanyin Soil and wood we ate?"

Zhao Tiezhu felt he had almost no hope. Such complex movements, which he couldn't even comprehend, he feared he wouldn't be able to learn them in these three days, no matter what!

"Hm?" Zhang Yuxian frowned, seemingly too lazy to bother with Zhao Tiezhu's idiotic question. He said impatiently, "When you go to the toilet, use your finger or a bamboo stick to scrape it out. Maybe you won't die. Remember not to drink water."

After Zhang Yuxian said this, Zhao Tiezhu and the others felt as if they had swallowed a pound of feces that had been fermenting in their stomachs for days.

Their expressions were priceless.