Black-Robed Man, First Signs of Chaos

The palm shadow was densely covered in yellow vapor as thick as arms, like flood dragons roaming wildly, like a heavenly king opening his eyes, solemn and majestic.

With one strike, a muffled groan rang out over the plaza.

"What a formidable Li Xuanfeng! This Giant Spirit Palm is truly unmatched in its ferocity!"

Whoosh!

A black-robed figure clutched his severed left arm. His face was hidden beneath a black helmet, and only his voice could be heard, grating like fine steel striking together.

Yet Wang Xuance recognized this man's attire, and his expression changed drastically. His heart pounded wildly, as though he had seen something that should never be seen!

"Hmph, a demonic whelp who has only just entered the Force Aura Realm dares to swagger into White Light City? Then don't even think of leaving. I'll take your life!"

General Li's face was ashen. Sharp light flashed in his eyes, while the corner of his lips curled upward in a mocking sneer.

His words were utterly merciless, as though this black-robed man's appearance was of no consequence at all.

Bzzzz—

Countless strands of golden true qi surged from around General Li, drifting and circling freely in every direction. Under the rising sun, they shone brilliantly.

He seemed like a war god of the heavenly court, towering and peerless, unrivaled beneath the heavens.

The next moment, a burly figure appeared before the black-robed man without warning. A fist blasted forth, compressing the air and scattering countless sparks.

The inch-force strike erupted without mercy, power entering like a collapsing bow, bursting forth like an exploding thunderclap.

Before the black-robed man's terrified gaze, it smashed toward his chest, about to kill him on the spot.

"Li the Barbarian, do you think there is no one left in my Qilian Mountains?"

The people below saw a breeze stir before the black-robed man, and a slender jade-like hand pulled him several yards away.

The other hand formed the Guanyin Fearless Seal, transforming into a jade sword in midair that slashed toward General Li's fist.

Yet the Fearless Sword Seal, sharp enough to cut iron like mud, had barely struck General Li's arm guard and burst forth with sparks before shattering into specks of spiritual light!

"Not good!"

An urgent, panicked cry echoed through the air.

Great Bear Combat Technique!

A sneer appeared on General Li's face. His other fist followed through, and the entire sky seemed to darken by several shades in that instant.

The black-robed man, who had only just fled several yards and escaped death, had no time to react before a blast of Fist Aura shattered him into dense, bloody mist. A fierce gust swept it away, scattering it through the air.

Fierce! Tyrannical! Overwhelming!

Several lotus flowers the size of bowls drifted down from above the plaza.

A woman in white stood upon a lotus, floating in midair. Her spirit-filled eyes fixed fiercely upon General Li as she said "good" three times in succession.

With a turn of her body, she scattered into countless petals. White light shot across the horizon, leaving behind only the roar of rolling waves.

"Li the Barbarian, your White Light City has shown enough might today, and stolen enough glory. You dared to kill a disciple of my Qilian Mountains with a single punch before everyone's eyes. Very good!"

"This lady and your White Light City have always kept to separate waters, never offending one another. Today, I merely sent someone to ask whether someone in your army had sticky fingers and taken what they should not have!"

"But you, without distinguishing black from white, killed a disciple of my mountain on the spot. You have some nerve. I only hope that when we meet next time, you will still be this unyielding!"

Her furious cry continued echoing through the air, hysterical and utterly unrestrained.

General Li, hovering in the air and gazing into the distance, merely frowned faintly. With a sway of his body, he returned to the black stone platform.

Then, with a flicker behind him, the two burly figures who had vanished earlier reappeared. No one could make out their features; they only saw General Li's lips move.

Yet not a sound emerged!

This minor disturbance did not disrupt the lecture. Instead, it added a few more shades of fervor and intensity.

Thousands watched without blinking as General Li displayed his divine might. With only two punches, he had sent his enemy fleeing in miserable defeat, leaving an indelible shock upon those below who had yet to become Martial Practitioners!

"To be born human, one should live like this, so that one's life is not squandered in vain!"

"Alright, that was merely a small conflict. Let us continue the lecture!"

General Li shook out his robe and sat cross-legged, his gaze sweeping over the crowd below as though searching for something.

But after looking around once without result, he did not linger any longer...

"After opening three Martial Apertures, gather three strands of Essence of Blood and Qi into a single strand of true qi!"

He brought his thumb and finger together, and a streak of golden vapor shot out, striking directly against the black stone platform.

With a crisp clang, a finger hole nearly a foot deep appeared before everyone.

Hisss!!!

How had they ever seen anything like this? Flesh and blood could actually pierce stone and leave a hole—it was truly enough to startle heaven and move ghosts and gods.

"This is true qi!"

"As long as you become a Martial Practitioner and step into the Fetal Breath Realm, you may generate your first strand of true qi!"

"When you gather one hundred strands of true qi, you may advance into the Force Aura Realm. Once a Martial Practitioner reaches that level, they may stand in the air by sheer force of their body, and their lifespan will increase by sixty years!"

"As for the four realms after that—Mystic Bone, Dipper Pivot, High Origin, and Dao Extension—they are far too distant for you all, so I will not speak much of them here!"

"This time, I will focus on explaining how to break through and become a Martial Practitioner!"

"To break through and become a Martial Practitioner, you must open your Martial Apertures!"

"To open your Martial Apertures, you must have a martial art that is not weak!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone immediately seemed to have entered a fog, lost among clouds and mist, unable to make head or tail of it.

"Martial arts?"

"What martial arts? General, could you explain in greater detail?"

Several bold men shouted at the top of their lungs, seemingly afraid they had not heard clearly and would miss their chance to become Martial Practitioners.

"I believe you all know that there are only three paths to learning martial arts!"

"Martial halls, great lineages, and the army!"

"The reason lies in the hidden tricks behind these three paths. Most of you were brought in through recruitment!"

"As for how you first entered the martial path, perhaps your lineage was once prosperous and left behind boxing manuals or stance methods, or perhaps you received guidance from an expert. There are all sorts of ways to step onto the martial path!"

"But you simply cannot go far along the martial path. Without guidance from a famous master and without superior martial arts, you will never successfully become Martial Practitioners in your entire lives!"

"The reason for this lies in lacking a martial art capable of opening Martial Apertures!"

"Most of you may have stepped onto the martial path through a fist technique or a basic stance art, but these martial arts cannot open Martial Apertures!"

"And martial arts capable of opening Martial Apertures are never spread outside. They can only be found in martial halls, great lineages, or the army!"

"In the army, so long as you pass the trials successfully, after one hundred days, when you advance through the Three-Knock Blood Pass, you may have a chance to obtain a martial art capable of opening Martial Apertures!"

"Of course, that depends on whether you have the ability to seize that opportunity!"

The entire lecture continued until the Golden Crow set and the sky darkened before it finally ended.

On the way back to the barracks, Wang Xuance's face remained expressionless, revealing neither joy nor anger. Yet within him, stormy waves had already risen, and they could not settle for a long time.

That black-robed man looked exactly like the one he had hammered to death with three punches. The beautiful woman had likely been searching for the thing hidden inside his chest lining.

It seems that, for now, remaining in the city is the safest and most secure choice!

Until I reach the Martial Practitioner realm, I will not leave the city!

Touching the silk scroll within his inner lining, Wang Xuance's expression shifted between light and dark.

Strength—I must have strength!

Martial Aperture cultivation... I wonder whether my Dragon Elephant Grand Stance can open Martial Apertures. What a pity that I cannot directly cultivate this stance art right now!

Forget it. Once I push the Crane Form Grand Stance to great mastery, I will know whether it can open Martial Apertures!

For this period, I will devote myself to the Crane Form Grand Stance. With silver spent on medicinal soups as well, two months will be enough!

Wang Xuance nodded inwardly. Fortunately, he had obtained quite a bit of silver during this outing.

Having settled his cultivation plan, he took advantage of the bright moonlight and leisurely assumed his fist stance.

Crane Form Grand Stance: it drew upon the crane's gait—white feathers, red beak, slender legs, and graceful agility.

Thus, the Crane Form Grand Stance had six forms in total!