Mystic Eagle Stance Technique, Perfect Deduction

Upon hearing Feng Zhan's words, everyone from Emerald Cloud Abbey and Heavenly Spring Temple turned their eyes toward Lu Cheng.

But they immediately shook their heads again.

The aptitude of a Human Hero was indeed rare, but if one's innate vitality and blood were depleted, it held no value at all.

Yunhuizi merely smiled.

"Oh? What is going on with Yangcheng County? It actually possesses such fortune. In my view, you might as well search a little more thoroughly. Perhaps you may even uncover a Heavenly Pride."

Only then did he look at Lu Cheng.

"Depleted vitality and blood... it truly is a pity."

"As for ways to make up for it, there are some."

Hearing this, Lu Cheng abruptly raised his head to look at Yunhuizi.

Though he had already prepared himself mentally, if he could replenish his depleted innate vitality and blood, that would naturally be for the best.

Yunhuizi did not keep him in suspense and said leisurely, "The first is the legendary Golden Lotus Heaven-Mending Pill. This pill possesses the power to seize the creations of heaven and earth. No matter what shortcomings one has, it can repair them."

"Yet its ability to repair one's bones is not its only function. Its greater purpose lies in improving one's aptitude. Its value speaks for itself."

"The possibility of obtaining it is practically nonexistent."

"The second is to cultivate techniques capable of repairing one's bones, tendons, and meridians, restoring one's innate vitality and blood."

"As far as I know, there is more than one such technique. Compared to the Heaven-Mending Pill, their difficulty of acquisition is naturally much lower."

As he spoke, he looked into Lu Cheng's eyes and shook his head.

"But if one is merely a Human Hero, it is still harder than ascending to heaven."

After Yunhuizi finished speaking, not another word was heard in the square.

Lu Cheng, meanwhile, bowed deeply to Yunhuizi.

The next day, just as dawn broke.

More than a hundred people stood in neat ranks in the square of the Long Wind Escort Agency.

At the very front, Feng Zhan stood proudly.

"When we speak of fists striking through three joints, on the smaller scale, these 'three joints' refer to the shoulder, elbow, and hand."

"On the larger scale, they refer to the legs and feet, waist and back, and arms."

"Whether great or small, force must be transmitted and layered joint by joint."

As he spoke, he patted a large upright stone mill beside him. Two sharp slaps rang out, proving that it was genuine stone.

Immediately afterward, Feng Zhan brought his fingers together like a blade and fiercely thrust his hand toward the stone mill.

With nothing but a hand of flesh and blood, would striking stone so directly not result in shattered bones and torn tendons?

At once, someone could not help crying out in alarm. Some were even too afraid to watch and turned their heads away.

Yet the anticipated scene did not occur. With only a muffled pfft, half of Feng Zhan's palm plunged straight into the stone mill.

This display greatly shocked the new disciples.

Quite a few stared at Feng Zhan's hand with shining eyes.

Feng Zhan pulled out his hand, dusted the stone powder from it, and pointed at the palm-shaped indentation three inches deep in the mill.

"This is the Small Three Joints Connecting. It concentrates force into a single point, granting it immense penetrating power."

"When it strikes a person, there may be no wound visible on the surface, but in severe cases, it can shatter bones and internal organs."

"And as for the so-called Great Three Joints Connecting... watch carefully!"

As his words fell, Feng Zhan snorted forcefully through his nose, raised his hand high, and brought it down upon the stone mill with a powerful strike.

Bang!

A thunderous sound far heavier than before erupted beneath Feng Zhan's palm.

Immediately afterward, a series of cracking sounds rang out. Visible fissures began spreading across the stone mill.

First, three to five cracks split through it from top to bottom. Then the cracking grew denser, and countless fine fractures branched out from the original fissures.

At last, the entire massive stone mill exploded into fragments across the ground. Even the largest pieces were no bigger than fists.

This palm strike was far more shocking than his earlier hand thrust. The disciples in the square took a long while to recover.

Feng Zhan swept his gaze around and was quite satisfied with everyone's expressions.

He crushed a chunk of stone beneath his foot, using the sharp crack to draw everyone's attention back.

"But these are all methods of wielding force."

"And where does force come from?"

"That is the foundational martial art I will teach you today."

As he spoke, he stepped back three paces, lifted his right foot, and stamped down fiercely.

A ring of air burst outward with a whoosh, blowing away every bit of shattered stone and dust within three feet.

After that, Feng Zhan did not waste words and directly assumed a stance.

His feet spread apart to shoulder width, his knees bent as his body sank, until he nearly appeared to be sitting on a stool.

His hands slowly rose, fingers spread wide, resembling both eagle claws and crane wings.

His waist and hips drew inward, while his spine stretched upward joint by joint. His entire body seemed suspended from a thread hanging from the crown of his head.

"This is the opening stance of the Twelve Forms of the Black Hawk Stance."

Feng Zhan's voice slowly left his mouth.

"When standing, sink your qi into the dantian and focus your intent upon the gushing spring. The upper body must be loose, the lower body taut. Root the waist and legs, and spread the shoulders and back."

"The opening stance is the foundation. It is the first barrier to generating force and Refining Strength. The posture itself is not difficult; what it tests is your perseverance. Once you can hold it firmly for one hour, you will be considered to have entered the door."

"Now, you have one quarter of an hour to practice this first form."

"You may ask any questions within this quarter hour. Once it passes, I will begin teaching the second form. Those who cannot keep up can figure it out for themselves!"

After speaking, he did not rise. He simply maintained his stance.

Quite a few disciples immediately copied Feng Zhan and began holding the posture.

But moments later, the sounds of bodies thudding to the ground came one after another throughout the square.

This stance looked simple, yet merely bending their legs was enough to make these disciples struggle.

Lu Cheng, however, did not move. He stared intently at Feng Zhan without blinking.

After watching for quite some time, he finally half-closed his eyes and sank his consciousness into his Consciousness Sea.

Within the Consciousness Sea, the pillar of light known as [Heavenly Mandate] still pierced through heaven and earth.

Its light flickered unpredictably. Within it, a black phantom continuously shifted, yet could not condense into form no matter what.

This indicated that [Heavenly Mandate] had reacted to the stance training Feng Zhan was teaching, but a single opening stance was not enough for it to deduce and learn.

Lu Cheng sighed, helplessly opened his eyes, and began assuming the stance like Feng Zhan.

Yet after bending his knees only two-thirds of the way down, his legs could no longer control their strength, forcing him to straighten up.

No matter how Lu Cheng gritted his teeth and persevered afterward, he could not achieve the same posture as Feng Zhan.

He forcibly resisted the stiffness and barely squatted down, but the muscles and tendons in his legs felt as though they were being viciously clamped by enormous pincers.

The moment his legs went numb, he lost control and fell backward.

After two such attempts, Lu Cheng simply stopped insisting on forming a perfect stance.

Instead, he casually put on the posture and waited for Feng Zhan to begin teaching the next form.

It was not that Lu Cheng was lazy or giving up.

The truth was that trying again and again like this would only yield twice the effort for half the result. Not only was there no efficiency to speak of, it would also leave him completely exhausted.

He might as well save his strength until he had learned the entire Mystic Eagle Stance Technique, then practice according to the perfect method deduced by [Heavenly Mandate].

For the following stance forms, Lu Cheng likewise merely went through the motions, treating them as warm-up exercises.

Only after Feng Zhan had demonstrated all twelve forms of the stance training did the golden pillar of light in his Consciousness Sea suddenly blaze with brilliance.

[Heavenly Mandate: Ten Thousand Laws Converge]

[Feng Zhan has taught you the Twelve Forms of the Mystic Eagle Stance Technique. You have learned them]

The golden light that reached through heaven and earth gradually receded.

The black human figure finally condensed into form, and the instant it appeared, it began demonstrating the twelve forms of the Mystic Eagle Stance.

[The Twelve Forms of the Mystic Eagle Stance have been mastered. Would you like to perform a deduction?]

"Deduce!"

As Lu Cheng's thought descended, the black figure immediately began moving again.

It practiced the Mystic Eagle Stance Technique over and over. Each repetition differed slightly from the last.

Only after more than a dozen repetitions did the figure's movements cease changing.

[Twelve Forms of the Mystic Eagle Stance]

[Grade: Low-Grade Human Tier]

[Realm: Not Initiated (0/200)]

[The foundational stance training of the Low-Grade Human Tier technique Mystic Eagle Technique. Once practiced to Minor Mastery, it allows one to control the body, unite all force, and generate strength]

Insights flowed through his mind like running water.

They were the methods of exerting force and the crucial points of attention for this perfect Mystic Eagle Stance.

Lu Cheng opened his eyes and took a deep breath.

Unable to wait any longer, he spread into the stance and began practicing the Mystic Eagle Stance, comparing his movements with those of the black figure in his Consciousness Sea.

This time, although his legs still ached with fatigue, the sensation of his muscles and tendons knotting together never appeared again.

More than half an hour passed. Lu Cheng was drenched in sweat, and it felt as though water could be wrung from every inch of his clothes.

All the other disciples had long been unable to endure and stopped to rest. Only he continued practicing.

[Heavenly Mandate] had already helped Lu Cheng deduce the most perfect method of cultivation.

Others had to endure that suffering and gradually grope their way toward the proper techniques.

Lu Cheng, however, could directly find the method of exerting force best suited to himself.

With such an ability, he ought to work even harder.

Only when the sun set and Fatty and the others returned for the second time to urge him to eat did Lu Cheng finally stop practicing.

By then, the proficiency of his Mystic Eagle Stance had already advanced by leaps and bounds.

[Twelve Forms of the Mystic Eagle Stance]

[Grade: Low-Grade Human Tier]

[Realm: Initiated (13/200)]