Tao Ping let his hands hang naturally at his sides, standing there casually with not the slightest hint of a defensive stance.
But Chen Yuan didn't dare let his guard down for a moment.
This senior brother usually kept a low profile, but last time at Kaishan Martial Hall, he had revealed just a trace of his blood and qi and intimidated the disciples guarding the gate. He was no ordinary man.
He drew a deep breath, then suddenly drove off the ground—Darting Step!
His foot ground against the earth, power rising from the ground as he shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.
The Darting Step was swift and fierce. The three-zhang gap vanished in an instant.
Chen Yuan's lead foot stepped into Tao Ping's center gate, and his right fist shot straight down the middle—
Half-Step Crushing Fist!
"Crack!"
The bones and sinews throughout his right arm rang out together, a rapid string of crisp explosions like bamboo bursting or firecrackers going off in unison.
Driven by Clear Force, his fist cut through the air with a muffled whistle and drove straight toward Tao Ping's chest.
The watching senior and junior brothers all sucked in a sharp breath.
"Clear Force! It really is Clear Force!"
"His bones and sinews are ringing like thunder... His Clear Force is no shallow skill!"
A note of approval flashed through Tao Ping's eyes, but he remained unhurried.
He eased his right foot half a step back and turned his body slightly. His left hand rose from his waist, fingers loosely curled like a dragon probing with its claw. He met Chen Yuan's wrist from below and gently guided it aside—
Dragon Form · Dragon Probing Claw.
Chen Yuan felt as if his powerful punch had struck a whirlpool. A force that twisted and coiled dragged his power off course, and his whole arm slid outward against his will.
His heart tightened, but he didn't panic. He spun with the momentum, his left fist boring up from his waist—
Drill Fist!
"Crack!"
His left arm's bones and sinews exploded with sound as well. His fist spiraled upward, striking straight for Tao Ping's throat.
Tao Ping gave a slight nod. He raised his right hand, fingers shaped like a tiger's claw, and swept it outward from his chest. His palm held its power in reserve as it landed squarely on the face of Chen Yuan's Drill Fist—
Tiger Form · Fierce Tiger Slaps the Mountain.
"Smack!"
With a sharp crack, Chen Yuan's Drill Fist was slapped aside. Its spiraling force sank into the sea like a clay ox, swallowed whole by the heavy, domineering force of Tao Ping's palm.
Chen Yuan's heart tightened.
He had thrown two heavy punches, one a Crushing Fist and the other a Drill Fist, both driven by Clear Force, yet he hadn't even touched the hem of Tao Ping's clothes.
More unsettling still, Tao Ping hadn't used Five Elements Boxing to counter those two moves. That wasn't the path of Splitting, Crushing, Drilling, Cannon, and Horizontal Fists. His force was more sustained, more coiling, and far more elusive.
Chen Yuan refused to believe it.
He stamped out a rapid series of short steps, sticking to Tao Ping like a shadow. His fists crossed; his left fist drew back to gather power as his right twisted and rolled outward from his chest—
Horizontal Fist!
"Crack!"
His fist hadn't reached its target, but its force had already arrived.
Wrapped in a twisting, rolling force, his Horizontal Fist swept toward Tao Ping's waist and ribs.
Tao Ping lifted his left foot slightly, his body balanced like a golden rooster standing on one leg. He raised his right knee to block the path of Chen Yuan's Horizontal Fist, while his left palm snapped out from his shoulder, fingers together like a pecking chicken's beak, stabbing toward Chen Yuan's brow—
Chicken Form · Golden Chicken Shakes Feathers.
"Thud!"
Knee and fist collided. Chen Yuan felt as if his Horizontal Fist had struck an iron pillar, numbing his entire arm with the shock.
Meanwhile, the chicken-beak strike had stopped half an inch from his brow, its gust of force stinging his forehead.
Chen Yuan hurriedly leaned back and retreated three steps, barely evading it.
Once he regained his footing, his chest heaved faintly, and a thin sheen of sweat had already appeared on his forehead.
Tao Ping still stood where he had started, his breathing as steady as before. He hadn't even shifted his feet.
"Junior brother, is that all?"
Tao Ping stood with his hands behind his back, his tone calm. "You've mastered Clear Force, but your fighting style is too direct. Five Elements Boxing is a fine art, but do you think you can conquer the world with just Splitting, Crushing, Drilling, Cannon, and Horizontal Fists?"
Chen Yuan froze at his words.
Tao Ping didn't press the attack. Instead, he slowly raised his right hand, fingers spread loosely, his palm holding its power within. As he drew it in and sent it out, it carried an air of swallowing and releasing the heavens and earth.
"In Six Harmonies Mind Boxing, Five Elements Boxing is the foundation. But beyond the foundation, there are the Twelve Forms."
Before the words had even faded, Tao Ping moved.
He lightly tapped the ground with his right foot and flowed forward like a swimming dragon, his body winding and twisting in a manner entirely unlike the steady footwork he had used before.
Chen Yuan's vision blurred. Tao Ping had already closed in at his side, his right arm coiling around him like a dragon's body, five fingers curling like dragon claws as they hooked toward his Jianjing Point—
Dragon Form · Dragon Coiling.
Chen Yuan hurriedly lowered his shoulder and dropped his elbow, using his Horizontal Fist to neutralize the force.
But Tao Ping's right arm slipped like a spirit snake, slick and impossible to catch. The instant Chen Yuan's Horizontal Fist touched his sleeve, Tao Ping changed moves. His left hand shot out from beneath his ribs, fingers pressed together like a snake's head, stabbing toward a vital point beneath Chen Yuan's arm.
Snake Form · Spirit Snake Flicking Tongue.
"Hiss—"
The force of his fingers sliced through the air like a venomous snake flicking its tongue.
Chen Yuan was horrified and hurriedly twisted aside.
Tao Ping didn't wait for him to steady himself. He turned and closed in like a fierce tiger pouncing on its prey, sending both palms out at once, their power held in reserve as they crashed down like tiger claws—
Tiger Form · Fierce Tiger Pouncing on Prey.
"Whoosh—"
The force of his palms rushed into Chen Yuan's face, heavy and domineering.
Gritting his teeth, Chen Yuan threw out both fists, meeting the attack with Splitting Fist.
"Thud! Thud!"
Fist and palm collided. Chen Yuan felt both arms shudder violently, and an irresistible force sent him stumbling back five steps until his back slammed into the courtyard wall with a dull thud.
He had barely steadied himself when Tao Ping skimmed in close to the ground like a swallow skimming water, his movement incredibly light—
Swallow Form · Swallow Skimming Water.
Chen Yuan hurriedly threw a punch to intercept him, but Tao Ping had already turned and leapt upward, his body soaring like a sparrowhawk piercing the sky. He turned once in midair, then struck down with his right palm like a sparrowhawk pouncing on a sparrow—
Sparrowhawk Form · Sparrowhawk Piercing the Sky.
"Smack!"
His palm struck the face of Chen Yuan's fist, its force heavy and powerful.
Fortunately, Tao Ping controlled his strength perfectly. The moment he decided that was enough, he withdrew it, still as relaxed as if nothing had happened. He hadn't broken a sweat or even flushed; this clearly didn't count as a warm-up.
Chen Yuan panted, drenched in sweat from head to toe.
So this was the Twelve Forms Boxing?
The Dragon Form's coils, the Tiger Form's dominance, the Snake Form's strangeness, the Swallow Form's lightness, the Sparrowhawk Form's ferocity... Each form had its own spirit, shifting in ways impossible to predict.
By comparison, his Five Elements Boxing, which he had practiced to perfection, seemed crude and one-dimensional.
Tao Ping lowered his hands, stepped back three paces, and stood with his hands behind his back.
"Do you understand now?"
Chen Yuan got up from the ground, not even bothering to brush off the dust on his clothes. He clasped his hands and bowed deeply. "Please instruct me, senior brother."
Tao Ping smiled faintly, a trace of satisfaction in his eyes.
"Five Elements Boxing is the skeleton; the Twelve Forms are the flesh and blood. Splitting, Crushing, Drilling, Cannon, and Horizontal Fists teach you how to generate power. The Twelve Forms teach you how to adapt. The true art of Xingyi fighting isn't in the number of moves, but in the transformation of spirit and intent."
He paused and looked toward the watching senior and junior brothers, then called out:
"Junior Brother Chen has been in the sect for a little over two months. He comprehended Clear Force first, then broke through the Skin Realm, and has already made some progress in Five Elements Boxing.
"I just pitted the Twelve Forms against the Five Elements not to make you think Five Elements Boxing is inadequate, but to help you understand that the fists are dead, while people are alive.
"The Twelve Forms are already hidden within Five Elements Boxing. The Tiger Form is concealed in Splitting Fist, the Horse Form in Crushing Fist, the Dragon Form in Drilling Fist, the Chicken Form in Cannon Fist, and the Snake Form in Horizontal Fist.
"You have to comprehend and experience it for yourself."
At Tao Ping's words, a bolt of lightning seemed to flash through Chen Yuan's mind.
So that's it.
He clasped his hands again and bowed deeply. "Thank you for your instruction, senior brother."
He also remembered what Master Huo had said after teaching them Five Elements Boxing: once they'd mastered the basics, he would teach them the Twelve Forms. Now the time had come.
Tao Ping waved his hand with a smile. "No need to thank me. How much you can understand depends on your own ability. After today's bout, you should know where you're still lacking."
A sly glint flashed through his eyes as he lowered his voice. "But speaking of which, those few strikes of Clear Force you threw just now were pretty good. They're enough for me to ask for a better price on your behalf."
Chen Yuan gave a wry smile and shook his head.
This senior brother really was... true to his original purpose.
Before you continue