Three Martial Arts

Seeing Li He immediately drop into a horse stance without a word, his posture steady and his breathing unruffled, Wang Zhengyang's eyes flashed with approval.

He gave the other three old men a look.

"Come on, let's not sit around either. Time to loosen up." The slightly plump Master Zhou was the first to rise. He stretched lazily, then walked to an open patch of ground not far from Li He.

"Mm, I could use a stretch myself." Master Yin also got up and headed to the other side.

Master Sun, who had been drinking tea, set down his cup and rose, taking up a position beneath an old pine tree by the courtyard wall.

Wang Zhengyang strolled to one side. His gaze appeared casual, but it remained fixed on Li He in his horse stance, observing every subtle change in him.

Master Zhou spread into a stance. His movements were slow, and as he practiced, he seemed to be talking to himself. "When practicing boxing, you have to understand it thoroughly! Take my Cloud Hand Eighteen Forms. The key is softness. Your shoulders must be soft, your elbows must be soft, and your wrists must be soft too. Soft, but never slack; grounded, but never stiff. Look, the opening move goes like this..."

He did not move quickly, but his explanations were exceptionally clear. His movements matched his words, each one demonstrated in slow motion with perfect clarity.

Li He kept his body locked in the horse stance, but his eyes were involuntarily drawn to Master Zhou's movements.

After Master Zhou finished a complete set.

[Cloud Hand Eighteen Forms: Beginner (0%)]

A line of pale blue text appeared in the lower-right corner of Li He's vision!

It worked. The system had successfully recorded it!

As long as it was successfully recorded, he could keep practicing it with the system's help.

"Good, Old Zhou is right." Master Yin's voice sounded from the other side. "But practicing fist techniques alone isn't enough. Movement and footwork are the foundation. My Wild Goose Eight Steps emphasize lightness, agility, speed, and change. Watch this first step..."

As Master Yin spoke, he moved. His body unfolded like a flying goose skimming the ground, his footwork light and nimble, his turns fluid and free, stirring gusts of wind.

[Wild Goose Eight Steps: Beginner (0%)]

The system captured it again!

Li He struggled to maintain the stability of his horse stance, but his heartbeat accelerated despite himself.

He knew this was an opportunity, but also a test. An invisible test of whether he could absorb this precious knowledge while his body was pushed to its limits.

Master Zhou and Master Yin did not stop their demonstrations or explanations. One took over when the other finished, displaying the foundational portions of their respective arts without holding anything back.

[Proficiency +1]

[Cloud Hand Eighteen Forms: Beginner (0%)→(1%)]

[Proficiency +1]

[Wild Goose Eight Steps: Beginner (0%)→(1%)]

Time passed second by second.

Li He gritted his teeth and held on. His body began to tremble uncontrollably. His legs felt as though they had been filled with lead, and every tiny shudder brought piercing soreness.

"Hmm?" Master Sun, who had been standing beneath the pine tree, walked to a spot not far from him and assumed a stance. "When your muscles and bones ache, your blood and qi churn, and your mind becomes unsettled, that is a trial every stance practitioner must undergo. At such times, breathe like a turtle and guard like a crane, embrace the origin and hold to one. If the mind is disturbed, the qi will scatter, and the stance will be ruined..."

As Master Sun spoke, he began to demonstrate.

[Turtle-Crane Health Stance: Beginner (0%)]

Li He immediately focused his mind and began circulating the Turtle-Crane Health Stance. Enduring the intense pain, he adjusted his breathing and sank his awareness into his dantian, imagining himself as a massive rock rooted deep in the earth.

[Proficiency +1]

[Turtle-Crane Health Stance: Beginner (0%)→(1%)]

A current of heat surged from his dantian and flowed into his numb legs. The trembling of Li He's body visibly eased.

The old men in the courtyard were immediately shaken. Their eyes showed varying degrees of admiration and emotion.

Master Sun in particular was beyond astonished when he saw Li He actually use the Turtle-Crane Health Stance.

Time passed second by second. Sweat had already soaked through Li He's undershirt.

His face had turned somewhat pale, and his body shook even more violently.

But whenever he thought of the powerful figures at the martial arts competition, he clenched his teeth tightly. His knees remained stubbornly bent at that standard angle.

[Proficiency +1]

[Proficiency +1]

[Proficiency +1]

[Proficiency +1]

[Proficiency +1]

[Turtle-Crane Health Stance: Beginner (49%)→(50%)]

In this exhausted state, the Turtle-Crane Health Stance proficiency shot up rapidly. In only a short while, it had reached halfway.

"Alright, stand up." Wang Zhengyang's calm voice rang out.

The moment Li He relaxed, his body lost balance. His legs gave way, and he was about to collapse when he suddenly stepped forward, forcibly supporting his falling body.

Master Yin, who had been about to step in and help him, stopped where he was. "Not bad, kid. You didn't go down!" he praised.

Wang Zhengyang walked over. Seeing Li He drenched in sweat, utterly exhausted yet bright-eyed, a genuinely gentle smile appeared on his face. "Your natural physique is lacking, but your perseverance is rare, and your comprehension is exceptional. To initially grasp the Turtle-Crane Health Stance in such a short time is no small feat!"

The four old men exchanged glances, each seeing the delight in the others' eyes.

They also saw the complexity in those eyes.

Ancient Martial Arts had lain dormant for many years, yet it had finally found an uncut jade.

Wang Zhengyang said, "Child, let me ask you one more time. Ancient Martial Arts are slow to show results, the path is narrow, and in this day and age, they may even seem outdated. Do you truly wish to learn from us?"

The other three masters fixed their gazes on him. There was anticipation in their eyes, concern as well, and a trace of nervousness as they waited for his answer.

"Of course! Please teach me, seniors!" Li He replied with absolute conviction. He gave Wang Zhengyang and the others a deep, respectful bow.

The solemnity on Wang Zhengyang's face dissolved into a relieved smile. "Good. Then starting tomorrow, come to this little courtyard. Cloud Hands will train your intent, Wild Goose Walk will train your body, and Turtle-Crane will train your qi. Build your foundation, temper your character, and then this old man will personally teach you Silk-Reeling Power!"

When Li He returned home.

It was already late at night.

As he pushed open the door, the light inside was dim. Li He immediately sensed that something was wrong.

Normally, at this hour, his mother, Zhang Xiujuan, would have already cleared the dishes and would be sitting beneath the light, scrolling on her phone or watching television.

But today, only one dim lamp was lit in the living room. Several dishes that had long gone cold sat on the table, while Zhang Xiujuan sat beside it in a daze, clutching her phone tightly.

"Mom, I'm back." Li He set down his backpack and called softly.

Zhang Xiujuan abruptly came back to herself. Seeing her son, tears instantly welled up in her eyes. "Hehe, your... your father..."

Li He's heart tightened. He quickly walked over to her side. "Mom, what happened? Did something happen to Dad?"

"Your father... he didn't send a message today." Zhang Xiujuan's voice trembled badly.

Li He's heart sank.

His father worked in a mine, where the conditions were extremely dangerous.

To keep the family from worrying, every day at exactly six in the evening, no matter how busy or tired he was, he would use the mine's public phone to send his mother a short voice message to let her know he was safe.

It had become an unshakable habit in their household, and the greatest comfort of his mother's day.

"He didn't send a message?" Li He kept his voice as steady as possible. "Mom, don't panic. Could the signal at the mine be bad? Or maybe he was too busy today and got delayed? Dad has always been careful."

"No." Tears streamed down Zhang Xiujuan's face. "No matter how busy or tired he was before, he always found a way to send a message. It's already seven-thirty today, and there's been no word at all. I called the mine's duty phone, but I couldn't get through either!" The more she spoke, the more afraid she became, until her body began trembling uncontrollably.

Even the duty phone could not be reached?

Li He's heart leaped into his throat. Deep in a mine, even the smallest incident could be fatal.