That morning, before the dawn mist had fully cleared, Li Yuan was already at the Martial Arts Hall, practicing the stance technique with a group of people.
Before long, Yang Chong, who had finished breakfast, also came to the front courtyard.
Seeing that Li Yuan and the disciples who had entered alongside him had nearly finished their stance practice, he nodded.
Then he called the dozen or so disciples together.
Yang Chong's gaze swept over everyone in the courtyard, and he said in a steady voice, "You've been at the hall for half a month, and your foundation in the stance technique has begun to take shape.
Today, I'll teach you the Five Animals Technique."
Only with a solid foundation in the lower body could your punches and kicks avoid becoming weak, awkward, and sloppy.
That was why so many disciples who had never practiced martial arts began with stance training.
With an unstable base, you couldn't even put your strength to use. How could you spar with anyone?
Standing among the crowd, Li Yuan looked at Yang Chong, who stood before them with his hands behind his back, and felt a faint sense of anticipation.
He was also curious whether the martial arts of this life differed from what he had seen on television in his previous life.
Standing before a wooden post, Yang Chong continued, "The Five Animals Technique is the fundamental method of our school. It takes its inspiration from the tiger, deer, bear, ape, and crane, tempering the muscles and bones and circulating qi and blood.
"Stance training seeks movement through stillness, while the Five Animals Technique contains stillness within movement. The two complement each other, and only then can you truly step through the doorway to martial arts."
With that, Yang Chong lowered his stance slightly and curled his hands into claws. A fierce aura suddenly rose from him.
"First animal: Tiger Form Fist."
He slowly raised both arms, his back taut as a great bow. The lines of his muscles showed clearly beneath his clothes.
As he moved, heat seemed to rise from his body, and the faint sound of his qi and blood circulating could be heard.
"The Tiger Form is all about raw power. As you practice, imagine yourself the king of the mountain forest, every pounce and punch bearing the force of ten thousand jun.
"Let your qi and blood follow your movements, gather in your arms, and flow through your fists."
"The Five Animals Tiger Form Fist comes down to four words: fierce, scorching, swift, and deadly. Watch closely!"
"First form: Tiger Roars in the Mountain Forest!"
Yang Chong drew a deep breath, his chest swelling, then suddenly drove a punch forward.
The rushing wind of his fist carried a deep, unmistakable tiger's roar that made everyone's eardrums ring.
That punch carried not only force but also the faint sound of a tiger's roar.
"Second form: Vicious Tiger Pounces on Prey!"
He leaned forward and thrust out both clawed hands, like a fierce tiger pouncing on its prey. He moved so fast that afterimages trailed behind him, while his sharp claw winds seemed capable of tearing the air apart, brimming with murderous intent.
"Third form: Tiger Tail Kick!"
As the punch's momentum faded, Yang Chong twisted his waist and hips and lashed out with a lightning-fast whip kick, like a tiger's tail. The angle was tricky, the force heavy and fierce.
"Fourth form: Black Tiger Digs for Heart!"
This form was even more dangerous. A close-range killing move, it concealed the strike and aimed straight for a vital point, making it exceptionally sinister.
"Fifth form: Angry Tiger Pierces the Forest!"
For the final form, Yang Chong hurled his whole body forward, both fists pressed together and thrusting like a drill. It was a piercing attack that focused the strength of his entire body into a single point.
After finishing the five Tiger Form techniques, Yang Chong's qi and blood steamed around him, his killing intent chilling. He seemed like a fierce beast that had just finished a bloody fight.
The courtyard fell silent. The disciples who had never seen anything like this before were stunned by the fierce, ruthless fist technique.
This was on an entirely different level from the Five Animals Stance Technique they had practiced earlier to temper their qi and blood!
This was a killing art, not some fancy performance!
Real martial arts were made for killing!
Li Yuan seemed to understand a little, too.
He thought it over carefully and realized that Yang Chong's movements were quite similar to the illustrations in the Tiger Form Manual.
But his movements were more fluid and natural, and his use of qi and blood was much clearer.
Recalling what he had learned while studying the manual these past few days and comparing it with Yang Chong's demonstration, he gained a fresh insight.
"Second animal: Deer Form Fist."
Yang Chong changed his stance. His steps were light and nimble, and he stretched his arms forward like antlers. As he turned and shifted, he seemed to become a graceful deer darting through the forest, airy and swift.
"The Deer Form is all about lightness and agility. As you practice, imagine yourself stepping across the grass and skimming over the water.
"Gather your qi and blood in your legs to strengthen your footwork and agility."
Li Yuan noticed that Yang Chong's calf muscles trembled at a particular frequency as he practiced the Deer Form Fist. It was clearly a special way of exerting force through the circulation of qi and blood.
Next, Yang Chong demonstrated the Bear, Ape, and Crane forms in turn.
Each form had its own unique method of circulating qi and blood, as well as its own requirements for the intent behind the movements.
As he demonstrated, Yang Chong explained the key points of each form and the mistakes that were easy to make.
Every disciple in the courtyard listened intently, afraid of missing even a single word.
"That is the Five Animals Technique."
Everyone held their breath. Clearly, this was their first time witnessing true martial arts.
Seeing the young students' reactions, Yang Chong smiled faintly and continued:
"People have limited energy. Try to swallow too much, and you'll choke.
"If you want to truly master the art, then after learning the basics, you must choose one animal to specialize in, according to your own inclination!
"Use the other four forms only to supplement your understanding. Never divide your effort evenly among them, or you'll accomplish nothing."
"Even I spent most of my life on it and never brought all five animals of the Five Animals Technique to perfection." Yang Chong shook his head.
He was clearly using himself as an example to warn them against aiming too high.
"The path of cultivation has its own realms," Yang Chong said in an even voice, sounding nothing like someone who had just performed so many moves.
"What you face now, as you temper your qi and blood, is the first great threshold—the Skin Refining Realm."
Li Yuan's heart stirred. This was exactly what he had been hoping to learn about.
"The Skin Refining Realm has three stages. The first is Ox Skin Realm." Yang Chong pointed at his own arm. "At this stage, your skin becomes as tough as oxhide. Ordinary punches and kicks can't hurt you, and blades without enough force can leave only white marks."
A number of disciples in the courtyard looked eager.
Ox Skin Realm was precisely the standard the Martial Arts Hall set for its formal disciples.
Once they reached Ox Skin Realm, not only would their tuition be greatly reduced, but their standing would rise considerably.
"The second stage is Stone Skin Realm," Yang Chong continued. "The skin grows even tougher, hard as stone. If an ordinary person strikes you with their fists or feet, they might hurt themselves instead.
"At this level, you can already be considered a skilled fighter in the county town.
"Whether you take a post escorting caravans or serve as the head guard for a wealthy household, you'll be more than qualified."
"The third stage is Iron Skin Realm." Yang Chong accepted a cup of tea from a disciple and took a sip. "Your skin becomes hard as iron, impervious to blades. When your qi and blood are surging, you can even withstand a heavy blow from a blunt weapon.
"In Wuxi County, many of the hall masters who run martial arts schools and the leaders who run gangs have reached this realm."
Li Yuan couldn't help marveling inwardly.
Once you reached Iron Skin Realm, as long as the world remained peaceful, you were essentially guaranteed a life free of hunger and want.
Take him, for example: three months' tuition had cost him fifteen taels of silver. With more than a dozen students in the same intake, the total was at least a hundred or two hundred taels.
Some of that money had to go toward training formal disciples, of course, but it was still enough to leave the hall rolling in silver.
"Master, what comes after Iron Skin Realm?" one young disciple couldn't help asking.
Yang Chong glanced at him and said calmly, "After Iron Skin Realm comes Bone Forging Realm.
"Skin Refining strengthens the outside; Bone Forging strengthens the inside.
"At this stage, your bones become as hard as steel and your strength increases greatly. Every punch and kick carries the power to smash monuments and crack stones."
He paused, his voice touched with a hint of emotion. "Cough, back when I was fighting in the wars, I had reached Bone Forging Realm."
Before you continue