Practicing the Fist

Zhao Hu was quite satisfied with Li Xiao's attitude. Though he came from a poor hunter's family, his disposition was sound—neither arrogant nor impatient. He was someone worth befriending.

He then said, "Every realm of the Martial Dao differs greatly, even if they are only separated by a single realm."

"Take the Skin Refining Realm and the Muscle Refining Realm. They seem to differ by only one word, but in truth, they are as far apart as heaven and earth."

Zhao Hu pointed at the Stone Locks in the corner of the Martial Arts Training Ground.

"A First-Turn Martial Master in the Skin Refining Realm can lift a three-hundred-pound Stone Lock.

"But once you reach the Muscle Refining Realm, lifting a five-hundred-pound Stone Lock is child's play. The force of a punch can even break a tree trunk as thick as a bowl."

He paused before continuing, "Back when Second Master was still in the Skin Refining Realm, he was severely injured by a Martial Master in the Muscle Refining Realm. It took him a full half year to recover.

"Later, when Second Senior Brother broke through into the Muscle Refining Realm and met that man again, he knocked him flat with ease.

"That is the gap between realms. It cannot be bridged by sheer ruthlessness alone."

Li Xiao felt a chill run through his heart. So the gulf between each realm was this vast.

"Then what about the Muscle Refining Realm and the Bone Refining Realm?"

"Even harder." Zhao Hu's gaze turned grave. "A Martial Master in the Bone Refining Realm can use Qi and Blood to nourish their bones, making them harder than iron.

"Someone once witnessed a Bone Refining Realm Martial Master being rammed by a Horse Team. He withstood it head-on without a scratch, then shattered a horse's bones with a backhanded punch.

"That kind of strength is already beyond human capability."

Li Xiao nodded silently.

"But don't lose heart, either." Zhao Hu patted his shoulder. "You eat one bite at a time, and walk one step at a time.

"The Master of the Hall often says that no matter how good one's talent is, one must still study diligently and train hard.

"You come from a hunter's family, so you understand the meaning of endurance better than most. As long as you are willing to put in the hard work, one day you will rise higher."

"Mm." Li Xiao nodded heavily. The confusion in his heart dispersed, leaving behind only a clear goal.

Seeing Li Xiao's gaze grow ever firmer, Zhao Hu smiled.

"All talk and no practice is a false display. I'll demonstrate the complete form of the Iron Wire Fist for you. Watch carefully."

With that, he walked to the center of the Martial Arts Training Ground, lowered his waist into a horse stance, and assumed the opening posture.

Both arms slowly rose as though drawn by iron wires. His shoulder joints gave soft cracking sounds, and his previously relaxed muscles instantly tightened, as if covered by an invisible suit of armor.

"Raise the stance as if drawing a bow; strength is born from the veins of the earth."

Zhao Hu gave a low shout and extended his left fist forward. The fist wind was heavy and steady, carrying a pulling force, as though he meant to clutch even the distant air in his hand;

His right fist followed close behind, sweeping along the inner side of his forearm. Its path was like coiling iron wire, hard yet supple.

His footwork shifted without pause. Each step left a faint mark upon the Blue Stone Slab.

At times, his fists opened and closed in broad, sweeping motions, like a Fierce Tiger descending the mountain, carrying the whistle of tearing wind;

At other times, they drew in like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, twisting and shifting within a mere inch of space, murder lurking beneath the surface.

Li Xiao watched without blinking. Zhao Hu's arms flowed from one move to the next, his muscles bulging.

They truly possessed the resilience of coiling iron wire—sometimes hard as steel, with the sharp hiss of fists scraping through the air audible to the ear.

At other times, they were supple as whips, his wrists turning to shed invisible force.

After completing the entire set, Zhao Hu was neither flushed nor out of breath. Only a thin sheen of sweat appeared at his temples, while a faint current of force seemed to envelop his body.

"This is the basic form of the Iron Wire Fist. There are twelve moves in all."

Zhao Hu withdrew his stance and stood still, his voice calm. "Every move must be practiced until it sinks into your bones, until your muscles form a memory and every strike follows its proper pattern.

"For now, practice the first three moves. Get the Stance Training and the force behind your punches right first. Do not be greedy for too much, nor seek speed."

Li Xiao stepped forward and bowed. "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother."

Whether to Record martial art Iron Wire Fist

The Panel Prompt sounded in Li Xiao's mind.

"Yes."

Host: Li Xiao

Already Recorded: Herbal Compendium Basic Archery Technique (240/1000 Proficient) Iron Wire Fist (0/100 Entry Level)

Special skill: Herbal Mastery

"Haha, it's nothing. This is what a Senior Brother ought to do. Memorize these moves as quickly as you can. I'll demonstrate them once more. It's fine if you can't remember them all."

Zhao Hu laughed heartily, looking very forthright.

Then, he demonstrated the Iron Wire Fist again. He performed the first three moves more slowly, doing his best to let Li Xiao see them clearly.

Though it was said to have twelve moves, each one actually concealed variations. Like coiling iron wire, ring linked to ring, it contained no few patterns.

"Have you remembered the first three moves?"

Li Xiao nodded.

"Good. There's no need to rush into practicing the remaining nine moves. Bite off more than you can chew, and you won't digest it."

Zhao Hu continued.

"Demonstrate the first three moves for me. Let me see how much you remembered."

He then stepped back several paces, preparing to watch this Junior Brother perform.

Li Xiao drew a deep breath, walked to the center of the Martial Arts Training Ground, and tried his best to recall Zhao Hu's movements from earlier.

He steadied himself, lowered his waist, and assumed the opening stance. But the moment he raised his hands, his shoulders felt stiff and his arms refused to obey him. He was worlds apart from Zhao Hu's smooth, natural form.

First move, Iron Chain Crossing the River.

He silently recited it in his heart, slowly crossing Both arms in a block. But his Waist and abdomen failed to follow through with force, leaving his whole body slightly crooked, like a scarecrow swaying in the wind.

Zhao Hu watched from the side without making a sound. He merely nodded faintly, understanding in his eyes—beginners were all like this. They had to be polished bit by bit.

Li Xiao gritted his teeth and continued with the second move, Silk Wrapping Wrist.

As his wrists turned, he applied force in entirely the wrong place. Not only did he fail to display the resilient strength of "silk wrapping," he nearly twisted his own wrist.

Heat rose to his face, but he did not stop. He forced himself to continue.

By the third move, Iron Bridge Cross, his arms had already begun to ache. The arms he raised trembled faintly, and the stance beneath his feet had grown unsteady.

"That's about enough. Stop here for now."

Zhao Hu was just about to tell him to stop when he saw that Li Xiao seemed not to hear him. With a turn of his arm, he actually assumed the opening posture of the fourth move, Golden Thread Through Willow.

Zhao Hu froze.

He had merely skimmed over this fourth move earlier and had not explained it in detail at all. How had this Junior Brother...

Li Xiao relied on his hazy memories and stumbled through the remaining moves.

At times his footwork fell into disorder; at times his fists struck empty air. The transitions between moves were incomparably stiff, like forcing a pile of scattered parts together.

Cold sweat poured from his forehead, and his breathing grew heavy. He was clearly forcing himself to endure.

Yet strangely, despite being unfamiliar with them to the extreme, he truly linked all nine remaining moves together.

When he withdrew from the final move, Iron Net Blocking River, his feet staggered and he nearly fell. Bracing himself on his knees, he gasped for breath. Every bone in his body felt as though it had come apart, while waves of soreness surged through his arms and Waist and abdomen.

"You..."

Zhao Hu stepped forward, surprise on his face. "I only demonstrated the last nine moves once, and you remembered them?"

Li Xiao took quite a while to recover before shaking his head. "I don't remember them very clearly. I was just blindly gesturing through a lot of it."

But Zhao Hu smiled and patted his shoulder.

"To blindly gesture your way through all twelve moves in sequence is still a skill of yours."

Approval filled his Eyes. "Your memory and comprehension are much better than I expected.

"Though your moves are crude and your force is all wrong, it is already good enough that you can set up the form."

He paused, then added, "But you saw it yourself. Remembering the moves alone is useless. Force, rhythm, the circulation of Qi and Blood—every last one requires hard work.

"From now on, first practice the first three moves until they are solid. Do not be greedy for more again. Understand?"

"Mm, I understand."

Li Xiao nodded, though inwardly he let out a breath of relief.

Iron Wire Fist experience +1

Zhao Hu waved a hand. "All right, keep practicing for now. If there's anything you don't understand, come find me anytime.

"When you are tired from training, you can go to the rear courtyard and collect a bowl of medicinal soup."

"Yes, thank you, Senior Brother."