Eight Extremes Fist and Mountain Crushing Fist

After finishing a bowl of braised pork, Ye Wudao polished off a steamed chicken, a steamed fish, and a pound of beef.

Seeing this appetite, Zhang Hankuang, who was off to the side, clicked his tongue in admiration. "Not bad, not bad! To be able to eat like that—you've got the makings of a martial artist."

Ye Wudao looked at Zhang Hankuang with a hint of embarrassment and chuckled, "You flatter me, Senior!"

Zhang Hankuang shrugged. "What's there to be embarrassed about?"

"Your unreliable master is right; in the early stages of martial arts, you have to eat plenty, especially meat, to keep up with your body's consumption."

"When I first stepped onto the path of martial arts, I didn't eat any less than you."

"It's just that I didn't have food as good as yours back then; I basically relied on steamed buns and rice to fill my stomach."

"If it weren't for the lack of nutrition back then, which delayed my cultivation progress, I'd probably have already ascended to the Houtian Realm by now."

Hu Lianfeng, listening from the side, said with disdain, "You think the Houtian Realm is that easy to reach? You can count the Houtian martial artists in all of Haicheng City on two hands."

"How long have you been stuck at the peak of the Houtian Realm? Don't you have any self-awareness?"

This remark struck a nerve with Zhang Hankuang. He rolled his eyes, lay back on his bed, and snorted, "Hmph! I can't be bothered to talk to you."

Hu Lianfeng shrugged and didn't continue the topic.

Life in Cell No. 1 was incredibly dull, so the two had developed a habit of bickering.

In truth, there was no real enmity between them.

Even though they were always at each other's throats, they never actually came to blows.

Because both he and Zhang Hankuang knew that instead of wasting energy on meaningless fighting in their cell, it was better to save it for killing monsters at the Rift.

It was just a pity that, given his own strength, the chances of shortening his sentence by killing monsters were slim.

Zhang Hankuang still had a slight chance, though he would likely be an old man in his seventies or eighties by the time he got out.

Thinking of this, Zhang Hankuang glared at him, narrowed his eyes, and fell into deep thought.

Ye Wudao, feeling full, lay on his bed and watched the values on his system panel steadily climb.

At the same time, he wondered what technique Hu Lianfeng would teach him later.

Before he knew it, an hour had passed.

"Disciple, get up. Your master is going to teach you fist techniques."

Just as Ye Wudao was drifting off to sleep, Hu Lianfeng walked over to his bedside and said softly.

Ye Wudao scrambled off the bed, looking at Hu Lianfeng with hopeful eyes.

Hu Lianfeng cleared his throat, bent his knees slightly, and assumed a stance, his entire body appearing as solid as a mountain.

"What I am about to teach you is the Eight Extremes Fist!"

"As the saying goes: Taiji governs the world in peace, while Eight Extremes settles the universe through force."

"Since ancient times, the Eight Extremes Fist has been a killing art. It ignores patterns and flashy moves; it focuses on only one thing: how to put someone down as quickly as possible."

"Remember, the essence of the Eight Extremes Fist is in these eight words: collapse, shake, thrust, and strike; move like a taut bow. When the fist goes out, the body must follow. It isn't just your arm striking; it is the power of your entire body."

As his voice faded, Hu Lianfeng began to move.

"Bang... bang... bang..."

Every time he moved, it was like a high-speed car coming to a sudden halt, each punch generating a faint sonic boom.

Between his movements, there wasn't a single wasted motion.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."

"Old Ghost Hu, you've practiced this Eight Extremes Fist quite well!"

"But this kind of entry-level technique is fine for dealing with ordinary people. If you expect him to use this against monsters, you're just sending him to his death."

Off to the side, Zhang Hankuang watched Hu Lianfeng finish the set and sat up on his bed to critique him.

Hu Lianfeng curled his lip. "What do you know? He hasn't even entered the Body Forging Realm yet; the Eight Extremes Fist is the most suitable for him."

"It can forge the body while providing a certain level of self-defense."

Zhang Hankuang sneered, stood up, and said to Ye Wudao, "Kid, since your master refuses to teach you a real killing art, I'll teach you a few moves."

"Watch closely!"

As he spoke, he didn't assume any stance, but suddenly lunged forward.

"Bang..."

Immediately after, he stopped abruptly and threw a punch, producing a violent sound.

"Mountain Crushing Fist? Zhang Hankuang, have you lost your mind?"

"He isn't even in the Body Forging Realm yet, and you're teaching him a Houtian-level technique?"

"With his fragile physique, can he even withstand the crushing force of the Mountain Crushing Fist?"

Seeing the technique Zhang Hankuang had used, Hu Lianfeng's expression turned to one of shock.

Afterward, he hurriedly said to Ye Wudao, "You must never learn this fist technique; it is not something a beginner in the martial path should study."

Zhang Hankuang snorted coldly, "What Houtian Realm or not? When I first started learning martial arts, this Mountain Crushing Fist was exactly what I learned."

He looked at Ye Wudao and said, "Kid, don't let the fact that this Mountain Crushing Fist only has one move fool you."

"It is far stronger than the Eight Extremes Fist your master taught you."

"Those who crush mountains do not win through finesse, but by breaking through with raw power. When the fist is thrown, it is like a collapsing mountain; it seeks no variation, only an unstoppable forward momentum."

"This set of Mountain Crushing Fist has only one move. But when practiced to the extreme, it is more effective than all those flashy, showy techniques."

"In the early stages of the martial path, you don't need to learn too much. If one punch can kill a man, that is enough."

Hearing this, Hu Lianfeng snorted coldly, "Hmph! Fallacy!"

"The early stages of the martial path are about laying a solid foundation. Your Mountain Crushing Fist only focuses on offense; it is a desperate, suicidal style."

"My Eight Extremes Fist includes both offense and defense, and it trains your stance as well. It belongs to comprehensive development!"

Zhang Hankuang replied with equal disdain, "Hmph! What is the use of comprehensive development?"

"If you encounter a powerful opponent and cannot kill them, they will kill you."

"When your life is gone, what is there to talk about regarding comprehensive development?"

Ye Wudao stood by the bed, watching the two argue endlessly over the fist techniques.

The corner of his mouth twitched as he looked at the system panel.

The system had already recorded both sets of fist techniques.

At the same time, an additional column had appeared in the system panel.

Below the [Cultivation Method] column, a new [Martial Skill] column had been added.

[Martial Skill: Eight Extremes Fist (Not Initiated) (0/1000), Mountain Crushing Fist (Not Initiated) (0/10000)]

Looking at the proficiency required for the two fist techniques in the martial skill column, Ye Wudao pursed his lips.

Zhang Hankuang was indeed correct; the Mountain Crushing Fist was more formidable than the Eight Extremes Fist, clearly a grade higher.

Initiating the Eight Extremes Fist required only 1,000 points of cultivation proficiency, while the Mountain Crushing Fist required 10,000 points.

A tenfold difference—the strength of the two martial skills was clear at a glance.

"What are you two bickering about?"

"Hu Lianfeng is right; learning the Eight Extremes Fist when first entering the martial path is correct, as it balances Body Tempering and comprehensive development."

"Zhang Hankuang is also right; although the Mountain Crushing Fist is a Houtian technique, it can be practiced during the Body Tempering Realm and possesses a certain lethality."

"If you want to practice, then practice both!"

Just then, Elder Qin in Bed No. 1 spoke up.

This time, he was not lying down, but sitting up.

As soon as he spoke, Hu Lianfeng and Zhang Hankuang immediately shut their mouths.

Elder Qin glanced at Ye Wudao and said, "I will give you half an hour to familiarize yourself with these two fist techniques."

After finishing, he paused and looked at Hu Lianfeng, saying, "After half an hour, we enter the Rift."

"As for this kid, keep an eye on him yourself."

Hu Lianfeng nodded hurriedly, "Understood, Elder Qin!"

After responding to Elder Qin, he looked at Ye Wudao and said in a deep voice, "Did you understand the fist technique I demonstrated earlier?"

Ye Wudao nodded, "I understood it!"

Hu Lianfeng raised an eyebrow and asked again, "And the Mountain Crushing Fist that One-Eyed Dragon taught you?"

Ye Wudao nodded again, "I understood that as well!"

He had come to terms with it; once a cultivation method began to circulate on its own, it could not be paused.

Rather than hiding and concealing it, it was better to reveal it and let the three men in Cell No. 1 believe he was a martial arts genius.

In this way, Hu Lianfeng might not dare to do anything to him.

He glanced at Elder Qin in Bed No. 1; he could clearly feel that Elder Qin's attitude toward him seemed to have changed.

Perhaps it was because he had initiated the Northern Dark Divine Art in just one hour that Elder Qin had taken notice of him.

If he let Elder Qin believe he was a martial arts genius, perhaps if Hu Lianfeng tried to make a move on him later, Elder Qin might help him out.

Hu Lianfeng looked at Ye Wudao with some surprise and said softly, "I didn't expect it, but you actually have some talent for the martial path."

"It seems my luck, old Hu, isn't too bad after all!"