Twelve Forms Boxing

Tao Ping stood with his hands hanging naturally at his sides, his posture casual and devoid of any defensive stance.

But Chen Yuan dared not show the slightest negligence.

This senior brother usually kept a low profile, yet the mere display of his blood-energy at the Kaishan Martial Hall last time had been enough to intimidate the gatekeeping disciples; he was no ordinary man.

Chen Yuan took a deep breath and suddenly exerted force through his feet—Darting Step!

As his soles ground into the floor, the force rose from the earth, and his entire body shot forward like an arrow released from a bowstring.

This darting step was swift and fierce, covering the three-zhang distance in an instant.

Chen Yuan stepped into Tao Ping's center line, his right fist erupting from the middle—

Half-Step Crushing Fist!

"Crack-pop!"

The tendons and bones of his entire right arm resonated in unison, emitting a series of crisp, explosive sounds like snapping bamboo or a string of firecrackers.

Driven by Clear Force, the fist edge tore through the air with a low, whistling "woo," driving straight toward Tao Ping's heart.

The surrounding disciples collectively gasped.

"Clear Force! It's truly Clear Force!"

"Bones and tendons resonating like thunder... his mastery of Clear Force is not shallow at all!"

A hint of approval flashed in Tao Ping's eyes, yet he remained unhurried.

He withdrew his right foot half a step, tilted his body slightly, and raised his left hand from his waist. His five fingers curled into a void, like a Dragon Probing Claw, hooking onto the wrist of Chen Yuan's crushing fist from below and guiding it aside with a gentle pull—

Dragon Form · Dragon Probing Claw.

Chen Yuan felt as if his heavy, powerful punch had plunged into a whirlpool; his force was diverted by a twisting, coiling strength, and his entire arm slid outward against his will.

His heart skipped a beat, but he did not panic. Leveraging the momentum to spin his body, he drilled his left fist out from his waist—Drill Fist!

"Crack-pop!"

His left arm emitted the same explosive resonance, the fist spiraling upward to strike directly at Tao Ping's throat.

Tao Ping nodded slightly. He raised his right hand, fingers shaped like a tiger's claw, and slapped outward from his chest. The palm held its force within, landing steadily against the face of Chen Yuan's drill fist—

Tiger Form · Fierce Tiger Slaps the Mountain.

"Slap!"

With a crisp sound, Chen Yuan's drill fist was forcefully deflected. The spiraling force vanished like a clay ox entering the sea, swallowed completely by that heavy, domineering palm strike.

Chen Yuan felt a jolt of alarm.

His two heavy strikes—one crushing, one drilling—both fueled by Clear Force, hadn't even brushed the hem of Tao Ping's clothes.

What shocked him even more was that Tao Ping had not used the Five Elements Boxing to neutralize these moves; it wasn't the path of splitting, crushing, drilling, cannon, or horizontal, but a force that was longer, more coiling, and far more unpredictable.

He refused to accept it.

Stepping in with short, rapid strides, Chen Yuan stuck to Tao Ping like a shadow. He overlapped his fists, pulling his left back to gather power, while his right fist twisted and wrapped out from his chest—Horizontal Fist!

"Crack-pop!"

The force arrived before the fist itself.

The horizontal fist carried a twisting, rolling power, sweeping toward Tao Ping's ribs.

Tao Ping lifted his left foot, his posture resembling a Golden Chicken Standing on One Leg. He raised his right knee to block the path of the horizontal fist, while simultaneously shaking his left palm out from his shoulder. His fingers bunched like a chicken's beak, striking rapidly toward the center of Chen Yuan's brow—

Chicken Form · Golden Chicken Shakes Feathers.

"Bang!"

As knee and fist collided, Chen Yuan felt as if he had struck an iron pillar, the vibration numbing his entire arm.

The chicken-beak strike had stopped half an inch from his brow, the force of the wind stinging his forehead.

Chen Yuan hurriedly leaned back and retreated three steps in a rush, barely avoiding the blow.

He steadied himself, his chest rising and falling, a thin layer of sweat already dampening his forehead.

Tao Ping remained standing where he was, his breathing as steady as before, not having moved his feet even an inch.

"Junior brother, is that all?"

Tao Ping stood with his hands behind his back, his tone indifferent. "Though you have attained Clear Force, your technique is too linear. The Five Elements Boxing is a fine thing, but do you truly believe you can conquer the world relying solely on those five moves?"

Chen Yuan was stunned.

Tao Ping did not pursue. Instead, he slowly raised his right hand, fingers spread in a void, palm containing a hidden depth. In the simple act of retracting and releasing, there was an aura that seemed to swallow and exhale the very heavens.

"In the Six Harmonies Mind Boxing, the Five Elements Boxing is the foundation, but above that foundation lie the Twelve Forms."

Before the words had even faded, Tao Ping moved.

He tapped his right foot lightly against the ground, his body winding out like a swimming dragon. His footwork was twisting and serpentine, a stark contrast to the steady, grounded steps he had used before.

Chen Yuan's vision blurred. Tao Ping had already closed the distance to his side, his right arm coiling like a dragon's body, his five fingers hooking toward his shoulder-well point like a dragon's claw—

Dragon Form · Dragon Coiling.

Chen Yuan hurriedly dropped his shoulders and sank his elbows, using Horizontal Fist to neutralize the force.

However, Tao Ping's right arm was as slippery as a Spirit Snake Flicking Tongue; the moment his Horizontal Fist touched the sleeve, Tao Ping changed his move—his left hand shot out from under his ribs, fingers pressed together like a snake's head, striking rapidly at the vital point under Chen Yuan's armpit.

Snake Form: Spirit Snake Flicking Tongue.

"Hiss—"

The wind of the strike tore through the air like a venomous snake flicking its tongue.

Chen Yuan was shocked and hurriedly sidestepped to dodge.

Tao Ping did not wait for him to steady himself; his body spun, closing the distance like a Fierce Tiger Pouncing on Prey. Both palms struck out, the power held back within the palms like a tiger's claws descending—

Tiger Form: Fierce Tiger Pouncing on Prey.

"Whoosh—"

The palm wind hit his face, overbearing and heavy.

Chen Yuan gritted his teeth and threw both fists out, meeting the attack head-on with Splitting Fist.

"Bang! Bang!"

As fist and palm collided, Chen Yuan felt his arms shake violently. An irresistible force sent him stumbling back five steps until his back slammed into the courtyard wall with a dull thud.

Before he could even steady his stance, Tao Ping skimmed across the ground like a Swallow Skimming Water, his movement technique light and agile to the extreme—

Swallow Form: Swallow Skimming Water.

Chen Yuan hurriedly threw a punch to intercept, but Tao Ping had already flipped into the air. His body rose like a Sparrowhawk Piercing the Sky, spinning in mid-air, his right palm descending from above like a hawk swooping down on a sparrow—

Sparrowhawk Form: Sparrowhawk Piercing the Sky.

"Slap!"

The palm struck the back of Chen Yuan's fist with heavy, powerful force.

Fortunately, Tao Ping had perfect control; seeing that it was enough, he retracted his power instantly. He remained as calm and composed as before, not a single drop of sweat on his brow, his face not even flushed—clearly, this didn't even count as a warm-up for him.

Chen Yuan panted heavily, his clothes soaked through with sweat.

Is this the Twelve Forms Boxing?

The entanglement of the Dragon Form, the dominance of the Tiger Form, the eeriness of the Snake Form, the agility of the Swallow Form, the swiftness of the Sparrowhawk Form... each form possessed its own unique spirit, unpredictable and ever-changing.

By comparison, his own perfected Five Elements Boxing suddenly seemed thin and straightforward.

Tao Ping withdrew his hands, stepped back three paces, and stood with his hands behind his back.

"Did you understand?"

Chen Yuan stood up from the ground, not bothering to brush the dust off his clothes, and bowed deeply with cupped hands: "Please, Senior Brother, enlighten me."

Tao Ping smiled slightly, a flash of gratification in his eyes.

"Five Elements Boxing is the skeleton, and the Twelve Forms are the flesh and blood. Splitting, Crushing, Drill, Cannon, and Horizontal teach you how to release force; the Twelve Forms teach you how to change. True Xingyi combat lies not in the number of moves, but in the transition of spirit and intent."

He paused, looked at the fellow disciples watching, and said in a clear voice:

"Junior Brother Chen has been in the school for over two months. He first grasped Clear Force, then broke through the Skin Realm, and his Five Elements Boxing has already reached a small level of success.

Just now, I used the Twelve Forms against your Five Elements. It was not to make you feel that Five Elements Boxing is ineffective, but to make you understand that fists are dead, while people are alive.

The changes of the Twelve Forms are already contained within the Five Elements Boxing—the Tiger Form is hidden in the Splitting Fist, the Horse Form in the Crushing Fist, the Dragon Form in the Drill Fist, the Chicken Form in the Cannon Fist, and the Snake Form in the Horizontal Fist.

You must realize this and experience it for yourself."

Upon hearing this, it was as if a bolt of lightning had struck Chen Yuan's mind.

So that was it.

He cupped his hands again and bowed deeply: "Many thanks for your guidance, Senior Brother."

He also recalled what Master Huo had said after teaching them the Five Elements Boxing: once they reached a small level of success, he would teach them the Twelve Forms Boxing. The time had finally come.

Tao Ping waved his hand and laughed: "No need to thank me. How much you can comprehend is your own ability. After today's bout, you should understand where you are still lacking."

A hint of craftiness flashed in his eyes as he lowered his voice: "But then again, those few strikes of Clear Force you used earlier were quite good. That's enough for me to help you ask for a good price."

Chen Yuan shook his head with a bitter smile.

This Senior Brother of his really... never forgets his original intentions.