Provincial Examination Approaches

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

Each posture is extremely "heaven-defying."

These postures don't require any specific techniques. The reason is that to strike even one of them, you need to pour in all your strength...

If you've invested all your power into it, focusing solely on maintaining the posture, where would you have the energy to worry about anything else?

Qi Yu had practiced postures before.

There's a simple standard to measure whether a posture has been mastered: whether it becomes more comfortable to hold, rather than an ordeal.

Today, after his uncle Yan's needle therapy to clear his meridians, Qi Yu returned to his room, closed the door, listened to the pattering spring rain outside, took a deep breath, and began practicing the postures from the Hunyuan Contending Force.

However, for each posture, even when he pushed himself to endure and hold it, he could only maintain it for a dozen breaths at most...

After going through all thirty-six postures, he felt as if his muscles and bones were being torn apart, and his body was soaked. Yet, it was clear... he still hadn't touched upon even a sliver of the Hunyuan Contending Force's profound mystery.

Snap.

The young man leaned back and fell directly onto the cold floor in front of the screen.

As night fell...

Qi Yu quietly made his way to the secret room in the study again.

"Uncle Yan, how exactly do you stand this posture technique?"

The disfigured man didn't even look at him, merely snorted, "You still don't get it?"

Qi Yu chuckled, "Uncle, my comprehension can't compare to yours. How about you... guide me again?"

Lu Yan said faintly, "This technique is profound. You must comprehend it yourself. Forcibly instilling it would be harmful rather than beneficial."

Qi Yu scratched his head.

Lu Yan said faintly, "This is just an introductory posture technique from my former sect. If you can't even learn this, what martial arts are you going to learn?"

Qi Yu was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright, Uncle Yan, I'll think about it again."

After the young man had taken a few steps.

Lu Yan said, "Wait."

Qi Yu turned back.

Lu Yan handed over the page of the golden book and said, "Study it day and night. Do not show it to anyone."

"Thank you, Uncle Yan."

After Qi Yu had gone far away.

Lu Yan let out a hum and said, "I don't know it either... figure it out yourself. As for those thirty-six postures, if you can strike them, you'll learn them. Anyway, with me helping you clear your meridians every day, you'll learn it sooner or later."

Even though he said that, his tone didn't carry much confidence.

Qi Yu returned to the residence.

He lay on the couch.

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

Seeing that it was late at night.

He went to the side courtyard and called out, "A Bi."

The young maidservant emerged gracefully. She was wearing a padded jacket, her small face nestled in the fluffy collar, looking gentle and lovely.

As she gracefully walked along the corridor and arrived at the door, Qi Yu suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Ah~" A Bi exclaimed. Before she could react, Qi Yu dragged her into the inner chambers.

A long time later...

The young maidservant nestled in her young master's arms, her cheeks flushed. She already belonged to her young master, body and soul, so she didn't resist. She kept glancing outside like a thief, her eyes filled with the nervousness of a cat that had stolen fish, afraid Madam Liu would find out.

After lying down for a while longer, the young maidservant rustled as she put on her silk socks, skirt, and embroidered shoes. She softly said, "Young Master, this servant is returning now," and tiptoed back to the side room, happily lying down on the couch.

Qi Yu lay on his back, his mood gradually calming down.

After thinking carefully for a long time, a clumsy idea suddenly occurred to him.

"I'll try it tomorrow."

The next day...

While still on the couch, Qi Yu took out the golden book. He scanned the postures one by one.

Soon, he discovered that the ninth posture among the thirty-six postures actually coincided partly with some movements from the [Spirit Serpent Posture], [Five Sons Plum Blossom Post], [Rooster Posture], and [Mystic Tiger Posture]. The others either matched one or two.

His heart stirred, and he quickly got up, got out of bed, hid the golden book in his embrace, washed up simply, and after breakfast, he began to strike that ninth posture.

This time, he had found a starting point: the postures he was already familiar with.

He started with the postures he was familiar with, setting them up one by one. Once he had arranged them according to the four postures, he indeed felt less tired.

He continued to try and set up the unfamiliar stances.

This time... he managed to hold it for over thirty breaths, twice as long as before.

"It works."

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

But no matter how hard he tried, this posture could only be maintained for forty breaths at most; any longer was impossible.

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

Qi Yu muttered.

He began to deconstruct the ninth posture, meticulously noting down each unfamiliar stance that caused his flesh and blood to ache.

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

"Uncle Yan, look!"

As soon as he entered the secret chamber, Qi Yu demonstrated the ninth stance.

Lu Yan immediately became serious, his throat bobbing as he began to watch intently.

Only a few days?

Has this kid already learned it?

After forty breaths...

Bang.

Qi Yu fell to the ground, then immediately sprang up. Before Lu Yan could ask, he directly explained his cultivation method and then individually demonstrated the five stances.

Lu Yan looked at him strangely and said, "You want to learn five new postures just for these five stances?"

Qi Yu replied, "That's right. Uncle Yan, you are knowledgeable. Perhaps you can find five postures to teach me."

Lu Yan scoffed and instinctively wanted to retort.

If the Hunyuan Contending Force could truly be learned by deconstructing postures, then there would already be a large number of people who had learned it. After all, once one reached a higher rank, they could understand these lower-rank postures just by looking at them. But... that wasn't the case at all.

However, thinking of the kid's perfect Ninth Rank Leather Armor-clad hands, he nodded.

Might as well try, it's better than nothing...

Besides this kid, he had no other options.

Lu Yan, having seen much of the world, pondered for a moment and said, "These five stances can indeed be found in five postures."

Then, he stood up straight.

Qi Yu lit all the candles around the room.

Once the secret chamber was brightly lit, Lu Yan said, "Watch carefully."

"This is the Demon Bear Posture, modeled after the demon bear. Bears possess the power to straighten their necks and can exert force to lift their shoulders and adjust their arms."

Next, he demonstrated another posture, chanting as he did so.

"This is the Strange Swallow Posture. Swallows possess the skill of skimming water, the marvel of soaring, the speed of spreading their wings, and they move silently."

"This is the Demon Alligator Posture. The alligator... has the skill of floating on water and possesses the power to churn the rivers and overturn the seas."

"This is the White Monkey Posture. Monkeys have the ability to leap over mountains and cross streams, as well as the skill of quick, elusive changes."

"This is the Wild Horse Posture. Horses have the power of swift hooves and the courage to charge into danger."

Qi Yu watched intently.

This time, Lu Yan explained each posture thoroughly.

Qi Yu learned diligently.

He just doesn't believe it.

He has a "panel." Whether he directly adds points to each of his postures or gains points through cultivation, he can achieve perfection.

Once all nine postures are perfect, he doesn't believe he can't master this stance.

As long as he can stand firm in one stance, as long as he can get started, then... it will be easy.

Spirit Serpent Martial Hall.

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

Han Yan had been careful and had not crippled Chu Xiao. Furthermore, sparring among martial artists was a common occurrence in the martial world, leaving Song Qinghong with no grounds to seek retribution.

"Xiao'er, the path of a martial artist is not a smooth one. Using this defeat to temper your state of mind is not a bad thing. You lost not because your skills were inferior, but because... your skills were not fully utilized."

"Skills not fully utilized?"

"Precisely. As long as you can see that there is still room for improvement within yourself, then there is still infinite hope. From now on, I will personally give you special training."

"Thank you, Teacher Song." A flicker of light returned to Chu Xiao's eyes.

"Get some good rest."

Song Qinghong gently patted Chu Xiao's shoulder, then slowly walked to the door. Looking at Song Xue, who was standing to the side, he sighed and said, "I only hope Xiao'er can pull himself together soon."

Song Xue nodded, then said, "The Black Bear Martial Hall stirring up trouble this time, I fear their intentions are not good."

Song Qinghong replied, "I just heard Xiao'er's detailed account of the fight. That Han Yan truly has extraordinary talent, he can be called a prodigy. However, the gap between Xiao'er and him isn't actually that large... he was just countered in terms of techniques."

Song Xue said, "The Black Bear Martial Hall's vertical neck technique can make the neck as hard as steel, while our Spirit Serpent Martial Hall's snake fist primarily attacks the throat... In a martial artist's duel, if one move is countered, it's like a mountain collapsing. My junior brother's loss was not unfair. But if he had been prepared beforehand, the outcome might have been very different."

Song Qinghong stated, "Indeed, the Provincial Examination is not far away now... It's not difficult to earn the title of Martial Scholar in the Provincial Examination, but to receive an 'A' grade, one still needs to be ranked. This ranking requires duels.

At that time, Xiao'er will very likely face Han Yan again.

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

For the coming days, I plan to give him special one-on-one training."