The Provincial Examination Approached

The golden book of Hunyuan Contending Force contained a total of thirty-six postures.

Every single posture defied the heavens to the utmost.

These postures required no special method. Just trying to assume any one of them demanded that you pour in all your strength...

If you invested every ounce of your strength, merely trying to maintain the posture, where would you have the energy to care about anything else?

Qi Yu had practiced postures before.

There was a simple standard for measuring whether a posture had been mastered: whether standing in it became more comfortable the longer you stood, rather than turning into torment.

Today, after Uncle Yan had used silver needles to clear his meridians, Qi Yu returned to his room, shut the door, listened to the spring rain pattering outside the window, drew a deep breath, and began practicing the postures in Hunyuan Contending Force.

However, every posture—even when he strained himself to endure and hold it—could be maintained for no more than a dozen breaths...

After going through all thirty-six postures, he felt as though every tendon and bone in his body had been torn apart. He was drenched in sweat, yet evidently... he still had not touched even a fraction of the profundity of Hunyuan Contending Force.

Smack.

The youth fell backward, landing directly on the cold floor before the screen.

Night fell...

Qi Yu quietly returned to the secret chamber in the study.

"Uncle Yan, how exactly is this posture supposed to be held?"

The disfigured man did not even look at him. He merely snorted. "You still haven't learned it?"

Qi Yu smiled. "Uncle, how could my comprehension compare with yours? Why don't you... give me some more pointers?"

Lu Yan said flatly, "This method is profound. You must comprehend it yourself. Forcing it into you would do you harm and bring you no benefit."

Qi Yu scratched his head.

Lu Yan said flatly, "This is merely the introductory posture method from my former sect. If you can't even learn this, what are you studying martial arts for?"

Qi Yu fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "All right, Uncle Yan. I'll think about it some more."

After the youth had walked a few steps, Lu Yan said, "Wait."

Qi Yu turned back.

Lu Yan handed out that page of the golden book. "Study it day and night. You must not show it to anyone."

"Thank you, Uncle Yan."

Only after Qi Yu had gone far away did Lu Yan grunt, "I can't do it either... Figure it out yourself. There are only thirty-six postures. If you can assume them, you can learn them. Besides, with me clearing your meridians every day, you'll master it sooner or later."

Though he said this, there was little confidence in his voice.

Qi Yu returned to the residence.

He lay on the couch.

The more he thought about it, the more restless he became.

When he saw that it was deep into the night, he went to the side courtyard and called, "A Bi."

The little maid came out with graceful steps. She wore a padded jacket, her small face nestled in its fluffy collar, looking gentle and sweet.

After lightly crossing the corridor and reaching the door, Qi Yu suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Ah~" A Bi cried out in surprise. Before she could react, Qi Yu dragged her into the inner residence.

After a long while...

The little maid nestled in the young master's arms, her cheeks flushed bright red. Her body and heart already belonged entirely to him, so she did not resist. She merely kept glancing outside like a thief, her eyes filled with the nervousness of a cat that had just stolen a morsel, terrified that Madam Liu might discover them.

After lying there a while longer, the little maid once again rustled into her silk socks and skirt, slipped her small feet into embroidered shoes, and softly said, "Young master, I'm going back now." Then she tiptoed back to the side room and happily lay down on the couch.

Qi Yu stared up at the ceiling as his mood gradually settled.

After thinking carefully for a long time, a clumsy idea suddenly emerged in his mind.

"I'll try it tomorrow."

The next day...

Qi Yu was still on the couch when he took out that page of the golden book and scanned the postures one by one.

Soon, he discovered that the ninth of the thirty-six postures actually shared some movements with Spirit Serpent Posture, Five Sons Plum Blossom Post, Rooster Posture, and Mystic Tiger Posture. The rest shared movements with either one or two of them.

His thoughts stirred. He quickly got up, climbed out of bed, hid the golden book against his chest, washed up simply, and ate breakfast. Then he began assuming the ninth posture.

This time, he had found a breakthrough: the postures he already knew.

He started with the postures familiar to him, assuming them one by one. After arranging himself into the stances that secretly matched the four postures, he truly did not feel as exhausted.

He continued trying to assume the unfamiliar postures.

This time... he held it for more than thirty breaths, twice as long as before.

"It works."

Qi Yu's heart leaped with joy, and he continued trying.

Yet no matter how desperately he pushed himself, he could maintain the posture for at most forty breaths. Any longer was impossible.

"Since this clumsy method doesn't work, I'll try an even clumsier one."

Qi Yu muttered to himself.

He began breaking down the ninth posture, separately recording every unfamiliar movement that made his flesh and blood grow sore.

He broke it down into five movements in total. After finishing, he went to the secret chamber.

"Uncle Yan, look!"

As soon as he entered the secret chamber, Qi Yu assumed the ninth posture.

Lu Yan immediately grew solemn. His Adam's apple bobbed as he began watching seriously.

How many days had it been?

Had this boy already learned it?

After forty breaths...

Bang.

Qi Yu suddenly collapsed, then sprang back up. Without waiting for Lu Yan to ask, he directly explained his method of practice, then separately performed the five movements.

Lu Yan looked at him strangely. "You intend to separately learn five more postures for the sake of these five movements?"

Qi Yu said, "That's right. Uncle Yan, you're widely experienced. Perhaps you can find five postures to teach me."

Lu Yan let out an "heh," instinctively wanting to refute him.

If Hunyuan Contending Force could truly be learned by breaking it down through other postures, there would have been a great many people who had mastered it long ago. After all, once someone reached the higher ranks, they could understand these low-rank postures at a glance. But... that simply wasn't how it worked.

However, when he thought of the youth's hands clad in the perfect Ninth Rank Leather Armor, he still nodded.

A dying horse was treated as a living one...

Besides this boy, he had no other choice.

Lu Yan had seen plenty in his life. After thinking briefly, he said, "These five movements can indeed be matched with five postures."

With that, he rose and stood straight.

Qi Yu lit all the candles around the secret chamber.

Only after the chamber was brightly lit did Lu Yan say, "Watch closely."

"This is called Demon Bear Posture, modeled after the demon bear. Bears possess the strength to raise their necks and the power to wrench their shoulders and adjust their arms."

Immediately afterward, he assumed another posture, chanting as he did so.

"This is called Strange Swallow Posture. Swallows possess the finesse to skim the water, the marvel of flight, the speed of spreading their wings, and the ability to turn without a sound."

"This is called Demon Alligator Posture. The alligator... possesses the skill to float upon water, as well as the power to overturn rivers and seas."

"This is called White Monkey Posture. Monkeys can leap over mountains and ravines, and possess the nimble skill of sudden, elusive changes."

"This is called Wild Horse Posture. Horses possess the power of swift hooves, as well as the courage to charge through peril."

Qi Yu watched carefully.

This time, Lu Yan thoroughly explained every posture to him.

Qi Yu studied with utmost seriousness.

He refused to believe it.

He had a "panel." Every posture he practiced could reach perfection, whether he added points directly or gained them through cultivation.

Once all nine postures reached perfection, he refused to believe he could not assume this one posture.

As long as he stabilized one posture—as long as he could enter the doorway—then... everything would become easy.

Spirit Serpent Martial Hall.

Chu Xiao lay on a soft couch, his eyes hollow and lifeless, like a stagnant pool utterly devoid of vitality.

Han Yan had shown great restraint and had not crippled Chu Xiao. Moreover, sparring between fellow martial artists was an ordinary occurrence in the martial world, leaving Song Qinghong no grounds whatsoever to make an issue of it.

"Xiao'er, the martial artist's path is not a smooth road. Using this defeat to temper your character isn't necessarily a bad thing. You lost not because your skills were inferior, but because... you had yet to exhaust everything your skills could offer."

"My skills had yet to exhaust everything they could offer?"

"That's right. As long as you can see that you still have room to improve, then infinite hope remains. From now on, I'll personally put you through special training."

"Thank you, Teacher Song." Some light returned to Chu Xiao's eyes.

"Get a good rest."

Song Qinghong gently patted Chu Xiao's shoulder, then slowly walked outside. Looking toward Song Xue at the side, he sighed. "I only hope Xiao'er can pull himself together soon."

Song Xue nodded, then said, "The Black Bear Martial Hall picked this fight. I'm afraid they came with ill intentions."

Song Qinghong said, "I just heard Xiao'er describe the battle in detail. Han Yan truly possesses extraordinary talent and can be called a prodigy. However, the gap between Xiao'er and him actually isn't that great... he was merely countered in terms of technique."

Song Xue said, "The Black Bear Martial Hall's neck-raising method can make the neck as hard as steel, while our Spirit Serpent Martial Hall's snake fist focuses on attacking the throat... When martial artists clash, being restrained in a single move can cause one's defeat to collapse like a landslide. Junior Brother's loss was not unjust. But had he taken precautions in advance, the result might have been entirely different."

Song Qinghong said, "Indeed. There isn't much time left before the martial Provincial Examination... Winning the Martial Scholar degree in the Provincial Examination won't be difficult, but if one wishes to receive the top grade, there still has to be a ranking. And that ranking will require combat.

By then, Xiao'er is very likely to face Han Yan again.

Our Spirit Serpent Martial Hall must restore its prestige in the Provincial Examination. This is also an opportunity for Xiao'er to regain his confidence and rise again.

In the days ahead, I intend to give him special training alone."