Teaching (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

Li Yuan followed instructions, moving to the open space in the backyard to demonstrate the Ape, Bear, and Tiger forms of his fist technique one by one.

Over the past two months, his Ape Form Fist had also reached the Minor Accomplishment stage.

His movements were practiced and his force circulation quite fluid; the agility of the ape, the steadiness of the bear, and the ferocity of the tiger all carried a hint of their true essence.

After finishing a few rounds, Li Yuan's breathing remained steady, with only a light sheen of sweat on his skin.

Yang Chong watched him, then spoke slowly: "The form is there, but the spirit is lacking. Your fist technique is too focused on the perfection of moves and force, missing a sense of natural harmony."

He stood up and walked into the center of the yard: "Watch closely."

Yang Chong did not exert much blood-energy, simply assuming the starting stance of the Ape Form Fist before beginning his demonstration.

With a flow as smooth as moving clouds and flowing water, every gesture made him seem truly transformed into an old ape, stretching its limbs, climbing, and leaping, with a unique sense of power hidden within its agility.

"A fist isn't forced out; it is the natural circulation of blood-energy, a harmony of form and spirit that comes when the conditions are ripe."

"You are too preoccupied with how to exert force, which in turn stagnates the flow of your blood-energy."

"Moving from Stone Skin Realm to Iron Skin is not just about accumulation, but integration. Try to forget the moves, feel the flow of blood-energy beneath your skin, and let your technique follow that current."

Yang Chong pointed out the keys while continuing his demonstration.

Li Yuan was lost in thought; in his previous practice, he had indeed been constantly focused on how to exert force and how to circulate his blood-energy.

He had strived to make every move meet a standard posture, yet he had neglected the state of being in sync with himself.

He reset his stance, attempting to follow his teacher's guidance—no longer forcing control, but instead feeling and guiding the blood-energy within, allowing the fist technique to unfold naturally with the flow.

It felt awkward at first, but after a few repetitions, he slowly began to find a different sensation.

The technique was no longer so rigid, and the feeling of stagnation had indeed lessened significantly.

"Hmm, that's better. Remember this feeling and practice diligently." Yang Chong nodded and sat back down on the stone stool.

He lowered his head again to tinker with the small bowl in his hands, which contained a pitch-black substance that was impossible to identify.

He ground it a few more times with a small wooden pestle, decided it was ready, and pushed the bowl toward Li Yuan.

"Hurry up, eat it."

Li Yuan paused, looking at the lump in the bowl, and asked instinctively: "Teacher, this is...?"

Yang Chong offered no explanation, only urging him: "Don't ask, just eat it."

Li Yuan leaned in and sniffed; there was no distinct odor, only a faint, bitter scent of herbs.

He hesitated for a moment, but ultimately chose to trust Yang Chong.

After all, with Yang Chong's strength, if he truly wanted to harm him, he wouldn't need to go through such trouble.

Li Yuan tilted his head back and swallowed it down.

The Black Paste had no particular taste upon entering his mouth, save for a hint of earthiness and the mild bitterness of herbs.

A moment later, a surge of warmth erupted from his stomach, rapidly flowing toward his limbs.

This warmth was far more intense than the sensation brought by any of the heavy meats he had consumed before.

His entire body's blood-energy seemed to be activated and nourished, his skin swelling slightly, bringing with it an extremely comfortable sensation.

[Skill: Consumption (Minor Accomplishment)]

[Progress: 300/1000 points]

[Progress: 400/1000 points]

It had actually increased by a full one hundred points!

Li Yuan's eyes widened, feeling the changes in his body in disbelief.

The effects of this Black Paste were more potent than anything he had ever eaten; if he could have this regularly...

Yang Chong saw through his thoughts and chuckled, cutting off his train of thought: "No need to ask. From now on, you only need to come here and eat this once a month."

"Remember, you are not to tell anyone about this, including your own family."

This Black Paste was originally prepared for his most valued senior disciple, Cao Chuan, and he had only been willing to give it once every three months.

Cao Chuan had great talent and worked hard; he was the successor in whom Yang Chong had placed his highest hopes.

Unfortunately, he had been severely injured by someone and was still bedridden, with no certainty as to when he might recover.

Of course, giving up on Cao Chuan was impossible; after all, he was an Iron Skin practitioner.

But since his injuries hadn't healed, he would let him rest and use someone else in the meantime.

Yang Chong suddenly remembered a phrase from when he followed the army in his youth—how did it go again?

"Right, this is called a strategic transfer..." The thought crossed his mind.

For the past two months, Yang Chong had been observing Li Yuan in secret.

He found that this disciple had a steady temperament and showed no arrogance after breaking through to the Stone Skin Realm.

Furthermore, he was loyal and affectionate, helping his fellow disciples whenever he could and providing for his uncle's family, despite their lack of ability.

Whether in terms of talent or temperament, he was an excellent choice.

In the end, Yang Chong decided to place his bet on Li Yuan.

The recipe for this Black Paste was something he had scavenged from the private collection of an enemy he had wiped out many years ago.

The main ingredients required three rare medicinal herbs, each over thirty years old: Blood Essence Grass, Earth Vein Purple Ganoderma, and Stone Milk Poria. These were supplemented by various common herbs used to nourish qi and blood, all boiled into a paste using a special technique.

Among them, Stone Milk Poria was the hardest to come by; it typically grew deep within mountain caves or mineral veins, making it difficult to harvest.

Precisely because of this, the Black Paste could not be produced in large quantities and was extremely precious.

"How do you feel?" Yang Chong asked, watching Li Yuan process the sensation.

"My whole body feels warm, and the growth in my qi and blood is very noticeable..." Li Yuan answered honestly.

"Hmm." Yang Chong stood up and walked to the center of the courtyard, standing still. "Come, use what you just learned from practicing your punches and attack me as you wish. Let me see how you fare in actual combat."

Li Yuan took a deep breath and assumed his stance. Recalling the feeling of his qi and blood flowing naturally, he stepped forward and launched a Tiger Pounce toward Yang Chong.

However, just as his fist reached the midpoint, Yang Chong shook his head slightly. "Your intent is too obvious."

As he spoke, Yang Chong moved after him but arrived first. His left arm extended lightly like an ape's, tapping and guiding Li Yuan's elbow.

Li Yuan immediately felt a subtle force transmit through him; his forward momentum was involuntarily diverted, leaving his center wide open.

Following that, Yang Chong tapped his right hand against Li Yuan's chest. Li Yuan felt a sudden tightness in his chest, and his qi and blood stagnated. He stumbled back several steps before regaining his balance, his face filled with shock.

He hadn't even fully seen how his teacher had moved before he had already lost.

"Teacher, I..." Li Yuan looked at him with admiration.

Yang Chong waved his hand. "You practice your punches in isolation in this courtyard every day; you have too few opportunities for life-and-death combat against formidable opponents.

Martial arts are alive. Your opponent won't just stand there waiting for you to finish your move. Flaws often appear in the very instant you transition your force."

He walked back to the stone bench and sat down. Looking at Li Yuan, he suddenly asked, "Do you know who in our Wuxi County is currently in the Iron Skin Realm? And how many are in the Bone Forging Realm?"

Li Yuan shook his head. "This disciple does not know."

Yang Chong smiled faintly. "It was normal that you didn't know before; you hadn't reached that level yet.

But now that you are in the Stone Skin Realm, you have touched the threshold and are qualified to know these things.

Having a sense of it will help you know who you can provoke and who you should avoid when you walk outside in the future."

He paused, then continued, "In this Wuxi County, the Inner City is dominated by the four great families—Li, Lin, Zhao, and Zhou—as well as the two major martial arts halls, Ink Blade Studio and White Rainbow Spear Hall. All of them have experts at the Bone Forging Realm holding down the fort.

Next are the three major gangs entrenched in the Outer City: the Transport Gang, the Fierce Tiger Gang, and the Green Garment Gang.

Below that are martial artists like us who run small martial arts schools, along with various minor, insignificant gangs and factions."

"Originally, the strongest was the Garrison Commander sent from the prefecture city two years ago. It is said he was an expert at the Organ Refining level, above the Bone Forging Realm.

Unfortunately, due to the tightening of the border wars, he was reassigned. So now, the strongest force on the surface is the head of the Li Family, Li Zhenshan."

Yang Chong's tone grew solemn. "Li Zhenshan is at the Great Completion of the Bone Forging Realm. He practices the Li Family's ancestral Stone Splitting Palm. His Stone Splitting force is incomparably fierce and rigid; currently, there is likely no one in Wuxi County who can contend with him."

Li Yuan understood immediately.

The Li Family, then...

Looking at it this way, the Li Family was likely the strongest.

"These two strongest martial arts halls, one uses blades and the other spears, why aren't there any for unarmed combat?" Li Yuan asked, feeling somewhat puzzled.

"Unarmed combat? Only those without money practice bare-handed techniques. Who among the wealthy wouldn't be out there brandishing blades and spears? The cost alone is different.

Even if some people can't master them, isn't a flashy display better than you foolishly throwing punches?"