Ape Demon Three Styles

Li He browsed the bookshelves.

Just as he was about to pull out a book on Federation martial arts, the corner of his eye happened to catch something at the edge of the shelf.

A manual caught his attention. A claw-like mark was stamped on its spine, bearing an eight-tenths resemblance to the Ape Demon Iron Body Technique he had practiced before.

Li He's heart stirred. As if in a trance, he reached out and pulled the booklet from the shelf.

The cover bore four blood-red characters: Ape Demon Three Styles. On the title page was an illustration of an Ape Demon throwing a punch. A fierce, murderous fist intent seemed to leap from the simple lines right at him.

Li He continued turning the pages.

To his surprise, it was a fist technique of the same origin as the Ape Demon Iron Body Technique! Earth Shaker, Heaven Lifter, Void Breaker—three moves, each building on the last.

Li He's eyes lit up. This was practically a set of close-combat finishing moves made just for him.

He looked toward Uncle-Master Yuan Hong, seated behind the desk.

Yuan Hong had his head bowed, absorbed in an ancient text, and hadn't noticed Li He's movements at all.

But Li He knew the manual hadn't appeared by chance.

He had already searched these shelves from end to end, and there had been no such powerful, hard-hitting fist technique here. Uncle-Master Yuan Hong must have deliberately placed the manual here for him to find.

He bowed deeply to Uncle-Master Yuan Hong.

Then Li He took the manual and went to a vacant corner to read it carefully. When he reached an especially thrilling part, he couldn't help throwing a punch, sending a sharp whistle through the air.

The sound was piercing.

"Kid, if you want to practice martial arts, go to the martial arts hall. Don't practice in the library!"

Li He's fist froze in midair, the whistle cutting off abruptly.

Only then did he realize he'd been too absorbed and had made a commotion in the quiet Scripture Pavilion.

"Sorry, Uncle-Master. I got carried away. I'll head to the Martial Arts Arena now."

He tucked the Ape Demon Three Styles close to his body and hurried out of the Scripture Pavilion.

He didn't return to the Martial Arts Arena.

The Ape Demon Three Styles was powerful and domineering, and practicing it made quite a racket. If he trained in the Martial Arts Arena, he would inevitably draw a crowd and stir up discussion.

Especially since Senior Brother Lin Feng had just warned him that morning not to take on too much. If he saw Li He practicing another new technique, he'd surely give him another earnest lecture.

Li He didn't want to waste time explaining, so he turned and made his way around to the back of the Scripture Pavilion.

There was a secluded clearing there, backed by a high wall. A few old trees with sparse branches stood nearby, and dead leaves and broken stones littered the ground.

Few people came here. It was the perfect place to practice.

"This is the spot."

Li He looked around to make sure no one was there.

He took a deep breath, sank his waist, and settled into a stance. First, he assumed the posture for the Ape Demon Iron Body Technique, keeping his spine straight as a dragon and his shoulders relaxed, elbows lowered. He set his qi and blood surging to warm up.

Once his stance was steady, Li He began practicing the Ape Demon Three Styles.

In less than five minutes, he had grasped the basics.

Whoosh!

His fist tore through the air with a sharp whistle.

[Ape Demon Three Styles: Beginner (0%)]

The fierce wind from his punch made the branches of the tree in front of him tremble slightly.

"Excellent technique!" he praised inwardly.

These three styles were a perfect match for his Ape Demon Iron Body Technique, which he had mastered to a minor level. Every time he exerted his strength, the Iron Bone deep within his muscles and bones hummed in resonance.

He focused and began practicing the moves again and again.

He didn't notice the camera above him, silently pointed in his direction.

[Proficiency +1]

[Proficiency +1]

[Proficiency +1]

Inside the Scripture Pavilion.

Yuan Hong's eyes narrowed slightly. His gaze pierced through the wall and fell on the figure in the clearing behind the pavilion, sweating profusely as his fists whistled through the air.

"Good lad. You've got real talent," Yuan Hong murmured in praise. "The Ape Demon Three Styles are in good hands with you."

At the same time.

In the inner room of the martial arts hall.

"Cough, cough, cough."

Yuan Shan leaned back in his broad chair, coughing violently until an unnatural flush spread across his face. Yuan Lingling stood obediently to one side, holding a bowl of medicine.

"Grandpa, please take your medicine."

Yuan Shan waved a hand, signaling her to wait.

In the corner of the screen, a camera showed the clearing behind the Scripture Pavilion. Li He was practicing the powerful, domineering fist technique again and again, his movements fluid and his presence astonishing!

"Cough, cough, cough..." After another fit of coughing, Yuan Shan finally took the bowl and sipped the bitter medicine.

"Grandpa, what kind of fist technique is Junior Brother Li He practicing? It doesn't look like what we teach at the martial arts hall," Yuan Lingling asked.

"It's called the Ape Demon Three Styles," Yuan Shan replied, deep puzzlement in his eyes.

He knew this technique all too well.

It was one of his junior brother Yuan Hong's signature techniques. When Yuan Hong was young, he had earned the fearsome reputation of Yuan Three Punches on the Abyss Frontline with this very set of moves.

"Isn't that Grandpa Yuan Hong's technique?" Yuan Lingling asked in surprise. "But doesn't Grandpa Yuan Hong never teach anyone? Back then, even Dad got scolded and kicked out when he tried to learn it."

Yuan Lingling's confusion was the same as Yuan Shan's.

Back then, Yuan Hong had taken part in a battle where almost the entire army had been wiped out. He had returned with a half-ruined body, and from then on, he had shut himself away deep inside the Scripture Pavilion, rejecting all visitors.

Why had he taken such a liking to Li He in particular and passed on his signature technique?

Yuan Shan couldn't make heads or tails of it.

Li He did have good comprehension and a steady temperament, but how many prodigies had Yuan Hong seen? Besides, a fifth-grade constitution hardly made someone a true genius.

"Ah."

After the confusion came a sigh.

Yuan Shan had intended for Li He to take things one step at a time and build a solid foundation first. With his flawed foundation, it was all the more important for him to proceed gradually if he wanted to go far in the future.

He had even specifically told Lin Feng to remind Li He often not to bite off more than he could chew. But Li He had too much of a mind of his own and had found himself an opportunity in the Scripture Pavilion anyway.

"The Ape Demon Martial Way circulates qi and blood in opposition to the White Ape Martial Way. The two don't just complement each other—they also interfere with one another. Ah, it seems he was destined not to inherit my martial way. Such is fate."

Yuan Shan shook his head and stopped paying attention to Li He.

"Grandpa, I actually think Sun Ao is pretty good. He's a little arrogant, but that can be tempered. And he comes from a prominent family. He has talent, knowledge, and resources," Yuan Lingling said.

On the screen, Sun Ao defeated Jin Yongsheng and Shi Lei with a single move. He was beginning to look like the best among the disciples after Lin Feng. And he was unquestionably a First-Rank Martial Artist.

"Sun Ao..."

Yuan Shan fell into deep thought.

The next morning.

The disciples on the Martial Arts Arena didn't begin their morning practice as usual. Led by Senior Brother Lin Feng, they formed neat lines and headed deeper into the martial arts hall.

Every disciple stood in orderly formation, even the usually lax Sun Ao standing ramrod straight. That was because today, Hall Master Yuan Shan was teaching them in person.

Soon, they arrived at an enclosed area specially designed for practicing footwork.

It had everything from traditional Plum Blossom Stakes, Quicksand Pits, and Boulder Beaches to modern Holographic Combat Pods.

Yuan Shan stood at the front of the line. Although his face was pale, his eyes were sharp as an eagle's, and an invisible authority hung over the entire training ground.

His gaze swept across the disciples, lingering briefly on Li He and Sun Ao.

"Today, I will teach you a footwork technique called the Ape Trace Steps!"

As soon as he spoke, Yuan Shan moved.

He tapped one foot lightly against the ground, yet his body seemed weightless as he glided several meters in an instant, landing within the Plum Blossom Stakes.

His movements were light and nimble, each turn smooth and effortless. Like an ape leaping among the branches, his path was unpredictable yet carried a distinct rhythm.

He moved through the formation, weaving and darting about. In no time, he had circled the entire area, leaving streaks of afterimages behind. At last, he sprang onto the highest Plum Blossom Stake, his breathing still as steady as before.

"So fast!"

"So nimble!"

The disciples watched in stunned amazement, cries of admiration rising from the crowd.

"The Ape Trace Steps are one of the ancient martial arts footwork techniques of the Yellow Mountain Martial Arts Hall. Their key lies in agility."

"This technique isn't for covering long distances at speed. It's for close-quarters combat—for dodging and maneuvering, so you can seize the initiative in a fight."

As he explained, Yuan Shan demonstrated the steps again in slow motion, breaking down each detail: shifting his center of gravity, driving power through his ankles, twisting his waist and hips, and coordinating his breathing.