Turning the Intangible into Tangible, Transformations of Force

"Not bad! The human body held boundless potential. If properly guided and developed, it could erupt with enough strength to split steles and shatter stones."

Yang Erhu's voice was grave as he sighed again. "Sadly, this old man now has strength for only this one strike. In a few more years, I fear even that single strike will be beyond me."

"Because of age?" Hong Yuan asked.

"Yes. Plants wither and flourish; prosperity and decline are the way of all things, so how could people be any different? True Force arose from the physique and from one's blood and vitality. When a person grew old, their strength declined and their blood and vitality waned. How could they still stir up True Force? Even the finest method would be useless." Yang Erhu shook out his palm. It was still numb and prickling with pain, and he could not help but smile bitterly.

Then Yang Erhu eyed Hong Yuan sidelong, anxiety rising in his heart.

"Jade Wutong Immortal Realm" had discovered a prodigy like Hong Yuan, and Yang Erhu had long harbored the thought of taking him as a disciple. Otherwise, why would he have gone to such trouble to bring him back?

Though today's bout with his junior brother had been a spar, it had also been a display of his abilities, meant to entice Hong Yuan.

Who would have thought Hong Yuan would be like a datewood post...

The more Yang Erhu thought about it, the more weary he felt. At his age, he still had to fight a hulking man like his junior brother. Was that easy for him?

"Such an excellent martial inheritance in our sect, yet this old man has no hope of mastering it in his lifetime. My junior brother, at least, still has some chance."

Yang Erhu sighed.

Yang Lie grumbled, "What about me? I want to learn! It's one thing for my father not to teach me, but why won't Uncle and Uncle Wu teach me either? Why?"

"Because your aptitude is lacking, and because you do not work hard enough..." Wu Duxiong sat imposingly on the stone steps to one side and glanced at him blandly. "If you had truly put in the effort, you would have entered Force long ago."

Yang Lie had nothing to say.

He loved martial arts, yet he also loved comfort. Whatever he did, his enthusiasm lasted only three minutes. Perhaps that was precisely why his father refused to teach him the sect's martial arts and instead found another famous master for him.

After a brief moment of thought, Hong Yuan cupped his hands and bowed. "Senior Yang, this junior has an unreasonable request..."

Normally, if someone made an "unreasonable request" of Hong Yuan, he would most likely wave them off and tell them not to bother speaking.

So, to keep others from doing the same to him, Hong Yuan spoke first. "This junior wishes to take you as my master!"

Inside the ancestral hall used for sacrifices at the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall.

Hong Yuan held three incense sticks in his hands and offered them before the altar. With a solemn expression, he bowed to the ancestral master's spirit tablet, listened as Yang Erhu explained the sect rules—roughly, not betraying one's master or ancestors, not harming fellow disciples, and not passing down the sect's techniques without permission. The rules were not overly cumbersome, and he committed them carefully to memory.

"Master!"

"Martial Uncle Wu!"

Hong Yuan had no intention of being coy. Modern people were, by and large, pragmatists. Once he had entered the sect, he immediately bowed to Yang Erhu and Wu Duxiong.

There were only the three of them in the hall. Even Yang Lie was not qualified to enter, for strictly speaking, he was not a disciple of the Tiger-Subduing Sect.

Yes, Hong Yuan had already learned that their sect was called the Tiger-Subduing Sect.

Two spirit tablets stood enshrined in the ancestral hall. One belonged to the founding patriarch, Daoist Dragon Tiger, and the other to their grandmaster, True Person Li.

"Good! Very good!"

Yang Erhu patted Hong Yuan on the shoulder, unable to hide the delight on his face.

"Congratulations, Senior Brother, on gaining such an excellent disciple. The Tiger-Subduing Sect finally has someone to carry on its legacy." Expectation shone in Wu Duxiong's eyes as well.

Yang Erhu grinned from ear to ear. "I've already had the servants prepare a feast. We'll have a grand meal at noon to celebrate, and this afternoon I'll teach you our sect's martial arts."

Such a large martial arts hall naturally had several servants. Otherwise, let alone preparing meals for ten or twenty apprentices and nominal disciples, sweeping and cleaning alone would keep them run off their feet every day.

The banquet consisted of only one table for four. In Yang Erhu's words, this was an affair of their Tiger-Subduing Sect. Why invite outsiders to meddle?

The spread was naturally lavish: roast squab, river shrimp, bamboo shoots, medicinal soup, chicken, duck, fish, and lamb. There was even beef, which the authorities prohibited people from eating privately.

Yang Erhu, Wu Duxiong, and Yang Lie were all martial artists. Hong Yuan had not yet formally begun martial training, but his physique was robust and his appetite was naturally large. The four of them tucked in with abandon, their mouths glistening with grease, all thoroughly satisfied.

However, since martial instruction would begin that afternoon, each of them had only a small cup of wine.

After lunch, they left more than an hour to digest and rest. When the sun had grown slightly warm, the group of four returned to the training ground in the rear courtyard.

Wu Duxiong glared at Yang Lie and snorted. "What are you doing here?"

"I count as half a Tiger-Subduing Sect disciple, don't I? What, I'm not even allowed to watch?" Yang Lie protested.

"Of course you are. Come, come, come!" Wu Duxiong called as he strode over.

Yang Lie sensed his ill intent and had just turned to flee when Wu Duxiong reached out with a large hand, seized his shoulder, and dragged him away. "You want to practice martial arts, right? Come to the front courtyard with me. I'll drill you personally."

"No, Uncle Wu..."

Yang Erhu paid no attention to the commotion caused by Wu Duxiong and Yang Lie. Walking to the center of the training ground, he began speaking at length. "All martial artists in this world pursue one thing: entering Force. To enter Force, one must strengthen the body and nourish the blood. You already knew that, yes?"

Hong Yuan nodded.

Yang Erhu said, "Our Tiger-Subduing Sect has two methods for strengthening the body: movement and stillness. The still method is stance training—the Tiger-Subduing Stance! Watch carefully!"

As he spoke, Yang Erhu planted his feet apart, drew in his chest and straightened his back. His head seemed to support something from above, his gaze blazed as he stared straight ahead, and his arms hung naturally at his sides, fingers slightly spread like claws.

After several breaths, his center of gravity slowly sank. His spine curved like a drawn bow, coiled and ready to spring, like a fierce tiger crouched upon a mountain rock. With every inhalation and exhalation, his rhythm was naturally deep and long.

The instant Hong Yuan saw it, he faced Yang Erhu and assumed the Tiger-Subduing Stance as well.

Yang Erhu neither praised nor corrected him, continuing instead, "The moving exercise is the Rock-Solid Skill. It is bitter work meant to temper the sinews, bones, and strength. The method is not difficult, but for many people, mastering it is the hardest part. At the beginning, stretching the sinews and pulling the bones will leave one in unspeakable misery after a single round without medicine to loosen the tendons and invigorate the channels. Later comes bearing weight to forge strength, climbing high and leaping far. Without enough meat, medicinal meals, and dietary supplements, do not even think about it."

Yang Erhu sighed inwardly.

He had run a martial arts hall for more than ten years and taught batches upon batches of apprentices. Of them, ninety-nine percent had only been required to practice stance work and some basic fist and kicking techniques.

A method like the Rock-Solid Skill, which tempered sinews and bones, needed silver laid beneath every step. How could ordinary people endure it?

While Yang Erhu lamented this, Hong Yuan's heart gave a thump. His dreams of dashing, fragrant, soft and sweet martial heroines had shattered.

Training like this—what martial heroines could there possibly be in those wuxia novels? Wouldn't women who practiced martial arts all turn into muscular women?

Of course, given the limits of his knowledge, he could not rule out the existence of more profound methods.

"Next comes the Guidance Art. The Guidance Art likewise has two methods: external and internal. The external method uses bodily movements to guide the entire body, training every part of it..."

As he spoke, Yang Erhu withdrew from the stance and moved through all manner of strange and peculiar postures. Hong Yuan thought they resembled yoga.

"Use the Guidance Art to train the feet, knees, hips, waist, back, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hands... Move one part, and it draws every part of the body into motion."

"This is the external practice of the Guidance Art."

Yang Erhu did not stop moving. He demonstrated eighteen movements in one breath before exhaling and returning to a standing posture.

"As for the internal practice of the Guidance Art, it can be called the first hurdle before entering Force, and also the hardest. It is no easier than grasping one's blood and vitality; indeed, it takes even more time."

Yang Erhu looked at Hong Yuan, his expression solemn.

Hong Yuan's expression turned serious as well, and he listened intently.

"All people possess blood and vitality, existing in every corner of the body. Yet it is intangible. You know it exists, but you cannot see or touch it. So how can you sense your blood and vitality?"

Yang Erhu stared at Hong Yuan and slowly uttered two words. "Imagination!"

"In other words, meditation. For instance..." Yang Erhu raised his arm. Suddenly, the muscles in it tightened and veins bulged. He said, "When you look at your hand—of course, it can be any part of your body...you must possess unwavering faith and will in your heart. Believe that blood and vitality flow within it, and that this blood and vitality can be touched by you..."

"Your will is your hand. Use that invisible 'hand' to push your blood and vitality. If it has no direction, give it one. If it has no form, imagine a form for it!"

Isn't that just hypnotizing yourself?

Hong Yuan mused inwardly.

"This step is exceedingly difficult. Many martial artists may possess the method, yet after practicing for decades, they still cannot grasp it. Only through countless meditations and the tempering of one's mind and nature over years and months can there be the slightest chance of success."

"And once you 'see' or 'touch' your blood and vitality, you can try using breathing methods to command it, twisting it into one strand, turning the intangible into tangible, and entering the stage of True Force."

At this point, Yang Erhu suddenly smiled. "Does it sound difficult? Are you having second thoughts? And even after enduring such agonizing cultivation to produce True Force, you may not become particularly powerful. With talent like yours—great strength and quick reactions—even if I fought you, I might not necessarily win!"

Hong Yuan smiled. "Rest assured, Master. A few minor obstacles cannot frighten me!"

Right, Deep Blue? Add points!

With a thought, Hong Yuan saw several rows of tiny words floating before his eyes and felt completely at ease.

Seeing his firm resolve, Yang Erhu was quite gratified. "Good. Today, first memorize the stance work and Guidance Art. Tomorrow, I'll teach you the breathing method and our Tiger-Subduing Sect's combat technique, the Tiger-Subduing Fist!"

"Master, what did you mean earlier by the 'transformations of force' after entering Force?" Hong Yuan changed the subject.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Yang Erhu paced to the datewood post he had split with one palm at noon and said, "This concerns the cultivation of True Force. There are roughly three levels."

"The first level is when one has just entered True Force. At this stage, though one has grasped one's blood and vitality, True Force is violent and difficult to control. Once a punch is thrown, it is like floodwaters bursting through opened gates—once released, it cannot be stopped. Thus, one often has strength for only a single strike. After that strike, one's blood and vitality are completely drained. In mild cases, half an hour of rest will restore them; in severe cases, one collapses unconscious, and may even injure one's internal organs."

Hong Yuan immediately thought of how Yang Erhu had seemed somewhat drained after throwing that palm strike, only recovering two or three breaths later.

"After cultivating at the first level for a long time, one can gradually control the gate and avoid pouring everything out in a single strike. Then one gains the strength for two strikes, three strikes, even more than ten! Though they cannot compare to the power of releasing everything at once, True Force is violent by nature. Killing someone does not require one's full strength in the first place."

"As for the second level, it is the ability to release and withdraw at will. As the name implies, at this level Force moves as readily as one's fingers. This old man barely reached this level in the past, but now I can no longer maintain it!"

Yang Erhu's tone was full of wistful sighs.

"The third level is minute mastery: control over Force refined to the smallest detail. Only at this level can one be called a true great master. One could travel the world alone, and even the martial factions would have to show respect. Aristocratic clans, noble princes, and eminent families of merit would likewise treat such people as honored guests."

"People of this caliber are already grandmaster-level figures, fully capable of founding their own sects."

"The reason they possess such prestige is that they have played the transformations of Force to the hilt. Martial artists who have entered Force may be able to face dozens or even hundreds of ordinary people...but if they encounter heavily armored soldiers, they can barely contend with eight or ten. Double that number, and they must flee for their lives. Otherwise, even if they are not killed by the encirclement, they will be exhausted to death."

"But grandmasters at the level of minute mastery could kill even heavily armored soldiers as easily as ordinary people. Once Force undergoes transformation in their hands, they can unleash all kinds of inconceivable forces: Spiral Force, Flying-Floss Force, Silk-Winding Force, Bone-Penetrating Force, Air-Piercing Force..."

Yang Erhu touched the datewood post again and said, "Take this wooden post. I can only split its surface with one palm. But a grandmaster who has cultivated Air-Piercing Force could strike it once without damaging the surface, while its interior would be shaken into cotton fluff. Tell me, what use would armor be against someone like that?"