Practicing Willow-Bending Fist

Qin Annian sat cross-legged in his home theater wearing wireless headphones, his full attention fixed on the ultra-high-definition screen.

On the screen.

A martial artist stood with the imposing presence of a mountain, and a voice emanated from the headphones:

"The Willow-Bending Fist emphasizes footwork."

The voice faded.

He began the demonstration.

His body was like willow catkins, moving with the wind.

The movements appeared soft, yet the martial artist's lower stance was incredibly stable, like the roots of a willow tree anchored deep into the earth.

"When the enemy advances, I retreat; when the enemy retreats, I follow."

It was as if one were throwing a punch at a willow catkin, yet the final inch of distance always remained as far as the ends of the earth.

No matter what one did, it was impossible to get close.

"Neither resist nor discard; draw them in and let them strike empty air."

"Keep the enemy perpetually trapped within your own rhythm."

Possessing the consciousness of a grandmaster of fist techniques, Qin Annian quickly grasped the essence of this style.

He could even practice it to an introductory level without the aid of the system panel.

"This fist technique is soft on the outside but hard on the inside, roughly an eight-to-two split."

Crack!

Inside the headphones.

A sound like an air explosion rang out.

"When the fist lands like a falling leaf clinging to clothing, it can suddenly shift into the Willow-Bending Embrace."

An inch-force burst forth.

As his right fist swung downward, his left fist, which had been in a defensive posture, slammed fiercely toward the armpit.

The two forces twisted together, as if snapping off a willow branch.

If this were a person's arm.

A single shift in technique would be enough to cripple an opponent.

Once the video finished playing, Qin Annian took off his headphones and pondered:

"The instructor's explanation in the video is simple and easy to understand, but it's also a bit superficial."

"However."

"Han Xi's recommendation remains the most logical."

"This Willow-Bending Fist is extremely suitable for me."

He practices the Iron Man Stance, so his lower body is exceptionally stable.

When clashing force against force, this is an advantage.

But if he encounters an existence with greater strength than his own, he could easily be crushed in a head-on collision.

With this lower-body foundation, if he also practices the Willow-Bending Fist, he can search for an opportunity to land a killing blow while maneuvering around his opponent.

"I can even deal with a martial artist with 30 Life Development Power without revealing my trump cards."

"Hoo!"

"I can't wait to start!"

He looked at the panel.

[Host: Qin Annian.]

[Assistance Count: 2.]

[Available Technique: Willow-Bending Fist.]

"Two assistance points."

"Let me see how this differs from the Iron Man Stance."

As the thought arose, the text shifted.

[Willow-Bending Fist · Assistance Count (2/2), confirm order?]

"Yes."

In an instant.

Another set of unfamiliar training memories appeared in Qin Annian's mind.

Sky Roc Dojo.

Lin Qingyue, a martial general cultivating with closed eyes above the drifting clouds, suddenly scanned his surroundings.

Golden light surged deep within his pupils, yet they reflected nothing out of the ordinary.

"Haha."

He laughed freely, forming a fist seal with his hands.

"Since you wish to see my fist technique, Senior."

Blinding white light continuously condensed upon Lin Qingyue's fists.

"Hah!"

With a sharp whistle, he soared into the air.

At this moment.

Light traced outlines, as if a Kun fish were leaping from the Northern Abyss.

Boom!

The white light suddenly transformed into black radiance, with a faint black-and-white Taiji diagram slowly spiraling.

The Sky Roc shrieked, striking across the nine heavens.

This punch.

Was enough to shatter an interstellar destroyer head-on!

"I have visualized the evolution of the Kunpeng in my Spirit Sea for a century, creating this fist technique from the true essence of the Sky Roc Dojo."

"I have practiced it for over a hundred years now."

"Please, Senior, offer your guidance!"

However.

Gale winds whistled, but there was no response from beneath the firmament.

Seeing this, Lin Qingyue sighed.

He had thought his opportunity had arrived, that he might receive pointers from some unfathomable senior.

In his memories.

He was also practicing fist techniques.

But.

His attitude while practicing was incredibly carefree.

He did not restrict himself with rigid rules, instead reaching a realm where the fist moved according to his will.

"It is not like the ascetic monk when practicing the Iron Man Stance."

"Tenacious, unyielding."

"With nothing in life but the stance."

"Yet, the version of me in these memories practicing the Willow-Bending Fist was not being careless or indifferent."

"It was more like treating the practice as a joy, something to be savored."

"Practicing for a year felt like the passing of a single day from dawn to dusk."

"Endlessly lingering in the mind."

Qin Annian compared the Iron Man Stance and the Willow-Bending Fist, both bolstered by the panel, in meticulous detail.

"The Iron Man Stance represents three years of cultivation."

"While the Willow-Bending Fist only has one year of cultivation."

This was one difference.

"Yet, my gains from these two memories are on par with each other."

The Iron Man Stance had reached the level of pure perfection, even possessing unknown variations, and a mysterious scripture would chant whenever his inner demons surfaced.

"As for the Willow-Bending Fist."

He assumed a stance and performed a brief demonstration.

"It places more emphasis on the transitions between moves."

Qin Annian pondered for a moment, and his movements suddenly shifted.

They were no longer the moves from the demonstration, but had evolved into different variations.

"I can follow my own heart and add my own elements to this fist technique."

Innovation, improvement.

"Viewed horizontally it is a ridge, viewed vertically it is a peak."

"For the same martial art, everyone has their own understanding when practicing it."

"If one can thoroughly transform a martial art into moves that suit them best, that is reaching the realm of simplicity."

Hoo!

He rubbed his throbbing temples.

"As for aptitude."

"In this memory, I am a grandmaster of fist techniques."

Qin Annian finally summarized:

"All in all."

"There is a gap, but it's not large."

"This is a good thing; no need to worry about big data price discrimination."

By the time Qin Annian came out of the home theater, it was midnight.

Only the soft ambient lights were on in the living room.

"Has Han Xi not finished her shift yet?"

Qin Annian recalled the scene he saw at the Security Bureau.

"Let's go do a test first."

"See how much my Life Development Power has increased."

There was no shortage of relevant testing machines in the house.

As the light swept across him.

On the screen.

The numbers appeared:

14.3.

"It increased by this much?"

This number was unexpected.

He chose not to sync the data to his file.

Over the past four days, he had performed the standing meditation three times.

His Life Development Power had increased by 4.5 points.

"The first two times I performed the standing meditation, it was because of special opportunities."

"Each time, I was able to increase it by two points."

"Today's standing meditation was aided by the Secret Medicine Incense in the Practice Room, resulting in a 0.5 point increase."

"With the blessing of three years of standing meditation cultivation, my aptitude for this practice should rank among the top-tier prodigies in the Federation."

When it comes to cultivation talent, even a slight difference creates a strict hierarchy.

For example.

Before he awakened the memories of his past life.

It took him ten years of cultivation to raise his Life Development Power to 9.8.

"If the Secret Medicine Incense is used too often, the body will develop a resistance."

"The auxiliary effect will become worse each time, and the decline will be very significant until it eventually has no effect at all."

When he was at the Civil Affairs Bureau in the afternoon.

Qin Annian had asked Han Xi about some common knowledge regarding cultivation at the prodigy level.

"The solution to this problem is simple."

"Just switch to different secret medicines."

Curiosity stirred in Qin Annian's heart, and he found his charging Personal Terminal, preparing to go online to check the prices of Secret Medicine Incense.

As soon as he activated it.

He discovered a message from a stranger on his terminal.

"I am Zhang Xiaoqian."

"I am giving you a chance to pledge your loyalty to me."

Qin Annian frowned.

"Crazy."

He deleted the message and blocked the number.

Qin Annian logged onto the official website of Lingyun Pharmaceuticals.

"The cheapest secret medicine costs ten thousand Federation Credits per gram?"

Is practicing martial arts really this expensive?

This was the first time Qin Annian had such a thought.

After all.

Since he began his cultivation.

This was his first time relying on external aids.

"If I have them, it's just icing on the cake; if I don't, there's no need to force it."

Qin Annian didn't mind.

His panel couldn't directly raise his cultivation realm.

But it had improved his aptitude and talent in a roundabout way.

"I don't mind taking in all the scenery along this path!"