Research

By the time Feng Xiu emerged from the practice room, the sky had already darkened.

Feng Shouzhuo followed behind him, gasping for air and drenched in sweat, yet his eyes shone with an unprecedented sense of joy.

Feng Xiu took a Qi Gathering Powder from his waist pouch, swallowed one himself, and handed another to Feng Shouzhuo.

Feng Shouzhuo took it and tossed it straight into his mouth.

"Go back and ponder this carefully," Feng Xiu said. "For the next few days, focus on practicing the Five Force Fist. Don't obsess over the Dragon Snake Martial Seal."

Feng Shouzhuo was stunned. "Why?"

Why?

Feng Xiu smiled. "You don't even know where your Sea of Qi Acupoint or Hundred Meetings Acupoint are. You're relying entirely on raw blood and qi to brute-force your way through, and your control over your force during strikes is clearly lacking."

"The Five Force Fist is a profound martial art that points directly to the core of blood and qi. Studying the meridian pathways will do you more good than practicing any Dragon Snake Martial Seal."

Feng Shouzhuo blinked, then seemed to genuinely consider Feng Xiu's suggestion.

Just as he was about to respond, Feng Xiu spoke again.

"Besides, your foundation was given to you by others." After pondering for a long while, Feng Xiu decided to reveal a few things.

He remained silent for a moment before speaking slowly.

"No one can say for sure if this power can be taken back. Build up your blood and qi core first; even if something happens later, you will still be a legitimate Blood Burning expert."

The moment these words were spoken, Feng Shouzhuo was momentarily dazed, countless thoughts flashing through his mind.

Compared to Uncle Zheng's previous tactfulness, Feng Xiu's words were remarkably blunt.

"Big Brother, what do you mean by that?" Feng Shouzhuo seemed to realize something and quickly pressed for an answer.

Thinking back, both Han Che and Uncle Zheng had always harbored some sort of unspeakable secret regarding him.

Even when faced with his earth-shattering progress of reaching the Blood Burning realm in just six days, they hadn't offered much praise, instead insisting that he solidify his foundation.

During his training with Han Che, it had also been mentioned multiple times that he should not waste this heaven-sent blood and qi.

He had assumed these were just exhortations to practice hard, but hearing it now, it seemed that wasn't the case at all.

"Alright, don't overthink it. Just focus on your cultivation."

Feng Shouzhuo's expression shifted slightly, but he suppressed his thoughts and gave a small nod.

"I understand, Big Brother."

Feng Xiu smiled and patted his shoulder with a hint of encouragement.

Feng Shouzhuo looked thoughtful as he watched Feng Xiu push the door open and leave, his eyes filled with a bewilderment he couldn't quite grasp.

Then, his train of thought stalled; he took a deep breath and continued practicing the Five Force Fist in the room.

In the bedroom.

Feng Xiu sat down on a chair, maintaining his calm and indifferent facade, but instantly sucked in a cold breath.

"Damn, that was brutal!"

The intense pain he had been suppressing for so long surged in his chest, causing Feng Xiu to wince and grit his teeth.

He reached out to rub his chest, and only then did the pain subside slightly.

"The Dragon Snake Martial Seal is truly worthy of being a top-tier mental cultivation method... hiss."

Feng Shouzhuo didn't know the first thing about controlling or exerting force; he was currently at the level of a brawler who could beat a master through sheer chaos, putting his full strength into every strike.

Taking a heavy blow from Feng Shouzhuo head-on had nearly sent Feng Xiu to his grave on the spot.

It was only because his foundation was solid and his vitality was astonishing that he could act like nothing was wrong after being hit.

Otherwise, for anyone else at the Body Refining stage, taking that seal would have been a death sentence.

After recovering slightly, Feng Xiu continued to ruminate on the strike Feng Shouzhuo had unleashed.

The two forces were violent, tyrannical, soft, and treacherous—it was unclear whether it was the Green Snake Seal or the Flood Dragon Seal.

But looking at the output and the destructive power alone, it was absolutely terrifying.

As Feng Xiu thought about it, his heart couldn't help but race, and he picked up the manual for the Dragon Snake Martial Seal to study it carefully once more.

The Dragon Snake Martial Seal had no restrictions on cultivation realm, but it was generally best suited for the Blood Burning stage.

Only when the blood and qi in the body formed a cycle and condensed into force could one unleash the true power of the Dragon Snake Martial Seal.

Otherwise, after one or two seals, the blood and qi in the body would be completely drained.

It was just like when he first learned to combine the five forces, only being able to strike six or seven times.

Moreover, in addition to the two external seals, there was also a unique Dragon Snake Breathing Method.

One had to sense the intent of the dragon and snake, using intent to guide the qi, allowing the qi to move according to the will.

"I can hold off on learning the seals, but I can certainly try the breathing method."

Feng Xiu watched, then began to experiment, sitting cross-legged on the bed in the Vajra posture.

Closing his eyes and focusing his mind, he visualized the two energies of the Dragon and Snake from heaven and earth, just as the book described.

"Hoo~"

Simultaneously, he adjusted his breathing rhythm: six counts to exhale, nine to inhale. During the light inhalation, he imagined the Dragon energy entering through the crown of his head.

Before long, thanks to his deep foundation in martial arts, Feng Xiu quickly grasped the trick.

The energy traveled down the Ren meridian to the dantian. As he exhaled, he imagined the Snake energy entering through the Bubbling Spring point on his soles, traveling up the Du meridian to the dantian.

The two energies converged in the dantian, gradually merging into one.

Feng Xiu slowly opened his eyes, a flash of pleasant surprise in his gaze.

"This feeling is indeed far more profound than the Five Force Fist. The Five Force Fist only targets the flow of blood and qi, but the Dragon and Snake truly separates the qi into two distinct energies."

Feng Xiu pondered; in terms of conceptual depth alone, the Dragon Snake Breathing Method was a cut above other martial arts.

Using the Dragon and Snake as the core concept, with hands representing yin and yang, and combined with specific seals and meridian circulation, it could maximize the output of all his blood and qi.

"No wonder Shouzhuo's move was too much even for me to handle. It not only accommodates the five-force integration of the Five Force Fist but also generates two distinct, surging forces."

The more Feng Xiu analyzed it, the more satisfied he felt.

He even developed a sense of arrogance, feeling that once he mastered the Dragon Snake Martial Seal, even the Eastern Army Commander, Li Xuanshuang, would be nothing to fear.

However, as soon as this thought crossed his mind, his excitement was replaced by a cool-headed calm.

The former need not be discussed; the family's strategy for a transition into martial arts was already set, and this was the best method Feng Xiu could conceive to save the family business.

As the chaotic times began to rise, dealing in martial arts trade was far better than stubbornly clinging to the grain business.

"Li Xuanshuang, Su Wantang..."

In his estimation, this was a transcendent combination of a master and a married couple.

Su Wantang could not bring herself to be ruthless toward Shouzhuo, even leaving him such a substantial martial foundation.

This woman truly held Shouzhuo in her heart.

The next day.

After rising, Feng Xiu went to the courtyard to hone his martial arts as usual.

Yesterday's battle with Feng Shouzhuo had yielded him many benefits.

Regardless of how Feng Shouzhuo obtained his current strength, for the time being, Feng Xiu still could not cross a major realm to easily subdue him.

The claw technique system built upon the Vajra Finger Blade could only barely hold him off for a while.

After finishing a set of the Vajra Skill, Feng Xiu exhaled a long breath, picked up the tea that had already gone lukewarm, and took a light sip.

In his mind, he continued to ruminate on the details of yesterday's sparring.

"Following the force-generating method of the five-force integration, and combining it with the preliminary concept of the Tyrant Fist, I should be able to instantly channel blood and qi to my palms."

"With this, I can form a mid-strike variation!"

Feng Xiu's eyes brightened slightly as he pondered carefully.

The sudden burst of blood and qi in the Tyrant Fist surged upward from the dantian in one go.

Although he had not yet formed a true "blood gate," what Feng Xiu needed now was not that, but the impact of a sudden burst of blood and qi!

Feng Xiu pursed his lips, his expression turning slightly serious as he walked toward a decorative boulder beside the corridor.

The rough surface of the boulder had long been polished smooth by craftsmen. Feng Xiu reached out and ran his hand over it.

Beneath his ink-jade fingernails, his fingertips felt the slight chill of the stone. Feng Xiu closed his eyes, lowered his center of gravity, and took a horse stance.

He swung his strong right arm casually, and in an instant, his gaze sharpened.

His right arm shot out rapidly, his five fingers curled into a fist, and his blood and qi tightened like a drawn bow. Midway through the strike, the energy from his dantian surged upward.

He shifted his move, turning the fist into a palm, and his right hand turned crimson in an instant.

He then pulled his fingers together like an awl, and his dark-green fingertips carved a cold light through the air.

Bang~

Gravel sprayed from the massive boulder in front of him, and a hole resembling a fist-shaped crater burst open in the hard stone.

His entire right arm and palm were embedded in the hole, sinking deep past his wrist.

"Rip~"

The corners of Feng Xiu's mouth curled upward. He curled his five fingers, pulled inward, and then yanked backward with force.

With that tear, the hole in the stone suddenly widened!

"Not bad, not bad. A piercing hand strike—if this were flesh and blood, I fear no one could withstand it."

With his trump card of claw techniques showing initial success, Feng Xiu's expression was one of extreme satisfaction.

"This move, let's call it Bone-Breaking," he pondered after a moment of thought.

[Martial Killing Move: Vajra Bone-Breaking]

On the panel, a brand-new light screen displayed a new line of text.

Unlike the previous entries that recorded martial arts or increased his four-dimensional stats, the font on this light screen was thick and heavy.

Feng Xiu was somewhat dazed; just by glancing at it, he could perceive the multitude of martial concepts and ideas infused within the characters.

"It can even do this?"

"In other words, if I create a Tyrant Fist in the future, it will also be reflected on the panel?"

Feng Xiu felt quite amazed, but upon reflection, he felt it was only natural.

Self-created moves did not truly appear out of thin air; back when he was sparring with Han Che and the others, he had already begun the process.

Because Feng Xiu was afraid he wouldn't be able to hold back his strength, he had integrated some grappling and enemy-locking concepts into the Five Force Fist, which originally focused on tempering the muscles, bones, and skin while combining offense and defense.

At the time, he had wondered why the Technique Record didn't include grappling if it could record martial arts.

Looking at it now, grappling was merely a technique and would not be recorded separately.

In the killing move Bone-Breaking, the qi and blood of the Tyrant Fist surged from the dantian, followed by a punch and a claw strike.

In essence, if this move were not aimed at lethality, one could also employ grappling techniques while punching, merging the two together.

"Speaking of which, if I create more and more moves in the future, won't the font just keep getting smaller?"

After dismissing these thoughts, Feng Xiu returned to the practice room.

There were still some materials left over from Feng Shouzhuo's breakthrough two days ago, and early that morning, Feng Xiu had arranged for Uncle Zheng to prepare the medicinal bath for the Bone Refining Claw.

However, he had barely taken two steps.

With a creak, a door pushed open, and a radiant-looking Feng Shouzhuo stepped out.

He took a deep breath facing the rising sun, then walked to an open area, preparing to set his stance.

Suddenly sensing a gaze upon him, Feng Shouzhuo turned his head.

"Big Brother?"

Feng Xiu smiled, his look of appreciation fading into one of slight encouragement as he said:

"Practice well."

"The morning glow is of immense benefit to martial cultivation."

"Yes, Big Brother."

Feng Shouzhuo also nodded with a smile.

While Uncle Zheng and Han Che remained indifferent toward his own genius, he held his Big Brother in the highest regard.

Even though he had broken through to Blood Burning, his vitality overflowing and his spirit greatly improved, he still felt a sense of helplessness regarding the internal conflict of whether to get up or not, typical of someone who usually didn't wake up until the sun was high in the sky.

Although he no longer dawdled and had gotten up early without the need for maidservants, Feng Shouzhuo had considered himself early enough.

Yet, he hadn't expected Feng Xiu to be even earlier than him.

Judging by his appearance, he must have been practicing for quite a while.

"Big Brother, I want to take over family affairs," Feng Shouzhuo said, steadying his mind and speaking solemnly to Feng Xiu.

He had originally only intended to mention it casually, but with his martial temperament, he spoke directly without hesitation.

"Hm?"

"Why bring this up now?" Feng Xiu smiled.

Feng Shouzhuo scratched his head and chuckled, "I just feel like I can't stay idle forever."

"When your cultivation realm stabilizes, I will hand over some of my work to you; it is too early to discuss this now."

Seeing that Feng Xiu had not refused, Feng Shouzhuo smiled, pushed aside his distracting thoughts, raised his fists in a salute, and began to practice as if no one else were around.

Off to the side, Feng Xiu watched for a good while longer.

Even though there were some subtle inconsistencies in Feng Shouzhuo's movements, he did not interrupt him.