One Year, Circulation Realm Achieved

After just one session, Li Su fell completely in love with martial arts.

Even for the most rudimentary Arhat Fist, he could not help but burst with an incredible fondness for it.

He would wake up in the morning and head to the main hall with Xuanci for morning lessons.

After finishing lunch, he would begin his chores.

Unlike the lay disciples, monks like them did not need to fetch water or chop wood; their duties were mostly limited to cleaning.

After about two hours of work, the day's tasks were considered complete.

Next came the time for rest.

Before he had learned Arhat Fist, he would naturally run around everywhere, or head over to the Arhat Hall to watch the lay disciples practice their punches.

Once he had learned it, his recreational activities naturally centered on practicing his own fist techniques.

Should one say that Xuanci was truly worthy of his reputation? It was no wonder he could become the Abbot of Shaolin Temple later on; his talent was no exaggeration.

In just three days, the other boy's Arhat Fist had already taken proper shape, flowing with incredible coherence, and one could even see the force behind his strikes.

Not only that, but it was no joke that he was the one everyone looked up to.

Just look.

On the left, Xuannan, the future head of the Bodhidharma Institute.

On the right, Xuanji, also the future head of the Discipline Hall.

Following behind them were Xuanku, Xuanbei, Xuandu, and Xuancheng, respectively.

One was Qiao Feng's master; one forced Murong Bo to use Star Shift and even sensed his rebellious intent; one fought Jumozhi and, though defeated, possessed the greatest talent, only to suffer a deviation and lose his cultivation.

Basically, all the famous members of the "Xuan" generation in Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils were gathered right here.

Therefore, the group of people currently gathered in front of the hall that Li Su was sweeping was essentially the prototype for the future Mahavira Hall.

Among them, Xuanci, Xuannan, Xuanji, and Xuancheng were the most passionate about martial arts—especially Xuancheng, who lived up to his character of practicing until he suffered a deviation and died; after only a few days, he could already perform the Arhat Fist in reverse.

While Xuanku and the other two practiced as well, it was clear they were more diligent with their morning sutra recitations.

Facing this scene, Li Su couldn't help but smile.

Without a doubt, the Shaolin Temple's Scripture Library had already opened its doors to him.

Even if it wasn't accessible now, in twenty or thirty years, he would basically be able to pick and choose from the techniques inside—though it was hard to say how many supreme techniques would still be left by then.

He probably wouldn't have a chance at the Nine Yang Divine Skill, but the Muscle Tendon Change should be within his grasp. Furthermore, if this was the third edition of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, the Muscle Tendon Change was actually two classics in one; besides the Muscle Tendon Change, there was also the Divine Foot Classic.

Therefore, Li Su was not in a hurry—not in the slightest.

His seniority was already established; he just had to wait it out.

As for the pugilistic world, the martial arts scene—let them play on their own.

Unless he transmigrated more than twice, mastered three, five, or six divine skills, and reached the pinnacle of cultivation, he wouldn't even consider venturing out.

Otherwise? Heh, even if the World Fragment felt incredibly real, it was still fake; his foundation remained in the real world.

This was not called being a coward!!!

According to the laws of novels, unless you are the protagonist, the higher your level as an expert, the more likely you are to die.

Wasn't Xiaoyaozi impressive enough? Was Yang Dingtian not a powerhouse? Was Ren Woxing not formidable?

Taoist Mu was someone who arranged a duel with Ximen Chuixue, and the King of Pleasure sounded incredibly imposing just by his name.

Heavenly Blade Song Que, he was a legend, right? Absolutely earth-shattering.

And yet? He appeared with the momentum to sweep the world, scaring even Li Shimin into fleeing, only to be forced back to his mountain by Ning Daoqi, who was summoned by Fan Qinghui. That's right, that chapter was frustrating to read, but it taught us one thing: don't act out, for there is always a higher mountain, and those who show off get struck by lightning.

Moreover, the waters of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils were deeper than usual.

Especially that nest of people from the Xiaoyao Sect—honestly, let alone the 93-year-old Xiaoyaozi, just look at the 96-year-old Tianshan Tonglao. One word: terrifying.

If she weren't in a weakened state, who in this world would dare claim to be her opponent?

When Li Qiushui dared to confront her head-on, Tonglao had already had one leg broken and a finger snapped; she was a bona fide disabled person, yet even then, they fought to a draw. If she had been in her prime, two words: no chance.

Therefore, Li Su watched with a smile as the group of "Xuan" generation monks practiced their punches, while he focused intently on his cleaning.

By the time he finished, everyone had basically left.

After all, it was only Arhat Fist; practicing for one hour a day was already considered very diligent.

Eighteen forms—it sounded like a lot.

In reality, once you mastered it, you could run through the whole set in ten minutes. In one hour, the least diligent, like Xuanku and the others, practiced it eight times, while the most extreme, Xuancheng, practiced it twelve times straight without stopping.

Hmm, for that level of dedication to martial arts, the fact that you only lost your cultivation is impressive, little monk.

Once they had all left, Li Su put away his tools and began to practice alone in the courtyard.

He had been practicing Arhat Fist for nearly ten days now, yet he still moved very slowly.

Compared to the fist techniques themselves, Li Su was undoubtedly more concerned with his stance; a single set of the fist technique took him at least the time it took for a stick of incense to burn.

His slow and steady movements were inexplicably imbued with a hint of profound rhythm.

Compared to those eighteen styles of strikes, the stance work was executed by him to perfection.

After stopping, a stream of heat immediately surged up, wandering throughout his entire body.

Exhaling a long breath, Li Su was drenched in sweat, his face revealing immense satisfaction.

After resting for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, his body had fully recovered, and he began to practice his punches once again.

Until nightfall, for a full two hours, Li Su performed the Arhat Fist eight times.

Perfect!

Feeling the heat, which seemed to have grown a tiny bit more than yesterday, Li Su smiled as he withdrew his energy. After stripping off his clothes to wash up with water, he returned to the monks' quarters.

One day, two days.

Ten days, half a month.

Although every day was filled with repetitive tasks, Li Su did not find it boring in the slightest.

He had always been a bit of a homebody; outside of work, he basically stayed at home. Approaching thirty, let alone children, he didn't even have a girlfriend.

If it were just chanting sutras and sweeping the floor, he probably wouldn't have been able to endure it, but with the Arhat Fist, he had become completely engrossed.

Spring departed and autumn arrived; a year passed in the blink of an eye.

During this period, things were relatively peaceful, and there wasn't much news from the pugilistic world. However, Xuanci had somehow heard that the Gusu Murong family had produced another genius—at a young age, his martial arts were already quite formidable, having defeated a famous expert in the world with just two moves.

As expected of the world-renowned Gusu Murong; their reputation was well-deserved.

Watching Xuanci's expression, which clearly showed a desire to meet him and exchange insights, Li Su felt the urge to cover his face.

The Murong of this era was definitely that Murong Bo, who was obsessed with restoring his kingdom and sabotaging his own son.

You will meet him, and after you turn thirty, for the next few decades, every time you remember it, you will want to slap yourself and wish you could tear the man limb from limb.

The fact that Xuanci would end up with Ye Erniang, and the whole "leader of the pack" affair, would surely become the ghost haunting his heart.

Cultivating Buddhist dharma was far more brutal than the Daoist path.

One wrong step, and it would be eternal damnation.

Recalling Xuanci's carefree personality at this moment, his cold and heartless demeanor during his time as Abbot, and his final act of severing his own heart meridians, it wasn't hard to imagine what kind of evil seeds Murong Bo had planted in his heart. It was fortunate this wasn't a novel by Huang Da, or he would have surely been treated as the catalyst for a "Demonic Seed of the Dao Heart."

Li Su shook his head and continued to sweep the floor with peace of mind.

Compared to the news from the pugilistic world, he had recently felt a vague sensation that his Arhat Fist was nearing completion, close to the point where his qi would traverse the Six Meridians.

The so-called Six Meridians were nothing else.

They were the Twelve Standard Meridians.

Starting from the three yang meridians of the hands and feet, and ending at the three yin meridians of the hands and feet.

Rising with yang, falling with yin.

After a year of cultivation, not only had Li Su's body begun to grow rapidly, but his strength had also increased significantly; every gesture he made carried immense power. If he wished, he could shatter a foot-thick bluestone with a single palm.

Not only that, but as he cultivated, Li Su felt a stream of qi being born within his body, surging and constantly circulating throughout his entire frame along with his stance work.

Up to this point, he was only a tiny bit away—just a tiny bit more, and as long as he pushed a little further, his internal qi should be able to break through, creating a cycle and forming a Circulation Realm.

Li Su was no stranger to this term.

It had been introduced in reality; the circulation of qi essentially meant that one's internal martial arts had achieved success.

By operating in this manner, even if one did not practice other martial arts, simply maintaining this circulation would result in sixty years of internal energy upon reaching the age of sixty.

This was not just a number, but a complete transformation.

Sixty years of internal energy could crush tendons and break bones.

One hundred and twenty years of internal energy could turn solid rock into powder.

One hundred and eighty years of internal energy could shatter iron with bare hands.

Two hundred and forty years of internal energy could collapse mountains and split stones.

By the time they reached three hundred and sixty years, Murong Tianxiu and Dharma King Tianlun were basically at that level.

The realm of a Grandmaster.

Therefore, although it took Li Su a full year to achieve the Circulation Realm, and compared to top-tier techniques, this was only the beginning, the Arhat Fist had already reached great completion. He was not disappointed in the slightest; on the contrary, he was incredibly happy.

He would be staying in the world of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils for at least forty or fifty years, which meant that once he left, he would inevitably possess sixty years of internal energy.

No joke, someone entering a world and coming back would at most gain twenty or thirty years of internal energy; to reach the sixty-year mark, one would need at least two trips.

After Xuanci and the others had all left, Li Su put everything away and quietly began to practice his punches.

Still not fast—no, it should be said that he had never been fast. Li Su threw punch after punch, practicing with extreme focus.

Although the Circulation Realm of the Arhat Fist was its limit, he had a feeling that once he truly achieved it, the effects might be more than just that.

Even though it was said to be an introductory skill of the Shaolin Temple, and recently Xuanci and the others had begun preparing to learn more advanced martial arts, Li Su had a feeling that a perfected Arhat Fist would bring about unexpected changes.

One punch, another punch, and yet another.

He was incredibly earnest, and according to the instructions of Jin Da, while practicing his strikes, Li Su was also silently reciting sutras in his heart.

It was nothing else but the Diamond Sutra, recited silently for a year!

"Thus have I heard: at one time, the Buddha was staying in the Jetavana Monastery of Sravasti, together with a great assembly of twelve hundred and fifty monks. At that time, when it was time to eat, the World-Honored One put on his robe, took up his bowl, and entered the great city of Sravasti to beg for food. After begging from door to door in the city, he returned to his original place. Having finished his meal, he put away his robe and bowl, washed his feet, and sat down upon his seat."

Believe it or not, while it felt awkward at first to recite the sutra while practicing the Arhat Fist, as he continued, a sense of seamless harmony began to emerge.

Just as Li Su felt the rhythm of the Diamond Sutra seemingly merging with the Arhat Fist, he fell silent. His body shuddered, and the moment he withdrew his stance, a surge of energy far exceeding anything he had felt before erupted from the soles of his feet, rushing through his entire body in an instant.

Unlike before, the magnitude of this energy was immense and relentless, crashing against him like a vast, surging ocean.

Whoosh!

It was as if the tide had risen, wave after wave howling upward, growing ever more intense.

Boom!

With a full-body tremor, every pore on Li Su's body opened wide, and jet-black sweat gushed out.

Tendon-Changing and Marrow-Cleansing!!!

His pupils widened abruptly, and an expression of uncontrollable astonishment appeared on his face. Although he knew there would be changes, he had not expected them to be so fierce and so miraculous.

It took a full ten seconds or more for the energy to subside.

However, this time it did not slowly dissipate or vanish into the soles of his feet; instead, it spontaneously traveled throughout his entire body, circulating continuously.

Circulation Realm!!!