Getting Started

After introducing the sect rules, Wei Yuan led the few of them around the martial hall. The layout was simple: the front courtyard was for martial training, while the rear courtyard was where Huo Shan and his family lived and received guests; entry was forbidden without an invitation. The hall had a kitchen, and disciples who wanted meat could pay extra to have meals added.

Wei Yuan then took them to collect their training uniforms. The uniforms were dark blue, but they were old and washed nearly white, with many tears mended by patches and stitching.

After changing into their uniforms, the three returned to the front courtyard. Huo Shan sat upright in a grand chair in the courtyard. A disciple beside him brought him a cup of tea. Huo Shan accepted it, lifted the lid, took two sips, and rose to his feet.

"Our Huo Clan comes from the Eight Extremes Lineage. Eight Extremes Fist emphasizes cultivating both within and without. Internally, one trains stake skills to build the foundation; externally, one trains combat techniques to injure enemies. Its chief strengths lie in fierce, forceful short strikes and close-quarters combat. As the saying goes: guide qi with intent, drive force with qi; unite the three bases and six points, inside and out as one. Its momentum is vast and majestic, force erupts in all eight directions, and the entire body becomes an eye!

Eight Extremes Fist seeks to overwhelm opponents in momentum, power, and technique, aiming for swift victory! Even when facing an opponent stronger than yourself, your bearing must not fall beneath theirs. Only then will you not disgrace the mighty name of Eight Extremes."

"But among all martial arts, regardless of the style of fist, qi and blood are the foundation of inner strength. Only when your qi and blood are abundant can you properly unleash force and sustain prolonged combat. The basis of strengthening qi and blood is standing stake training to draw in qi and tempering the muscles and bones. Naturally, nutritional food and medicinal supplements are also important. They can accelerate the generation of qi and blood and effectively replenish what is consumed."

"Today, I will demonstrate the foundational skill of our Eight Extremes Lineage: the Eight Extremes Stake Skill."

"Watch carefully."

Huo Shan kicked off the ground and flew straight onto the Plum Blossom Stakes in the courtyard. His massive body landed upon the stakes as lightly as a feather.

Then he bent his legs slightly into a crouch and sank both arms. With a dull boom, it seemed as though a thousand pounds of weight had crashed onto the stakes, sending dust flying.

He then shifted into a strange posture. His spine curved like a great dragon; his left arm was level with his hip as he stepped forward and raised a hammering fist, while his right fist drew back in a guarded frame. His front foot lightly touched the stake ahead, his rear leg bent at the knee and sank down, half-sitting and half-crouching. His entire stance resembled a savage beast poised to devour its prey, ready to explode at any moment.

"The Eight Extremes Stake Skill emphasizes sinking force. Power comes from the spine! Firmness and softness in harmony."

"Keep a light upward force at the crown of your head and tuck in your chin slightly. Let your body form a cross—sinking without becoming clumsy!"

"Have you all watched closely? You three, come up one at a time and try."

Zhao Feng went first. He imitated his master's stance, but the instant he assumed the posture, he felt aching pain throughout his body. Every muscle felt as though it were being scorched by fire and endlessly torn apart by wild beasts. He gritted his teeth and endured with all his might, but after barely five breaths, he toppled down. He did not even know how he had fallen.

The dark-skinned youth who followed could not even last three breaths before plunging headfirst off the stakes, scraping many bloody marks across his body.

The silent farm boy, however, lasted a full ten breaths, which surprised everyone.

"Not bad." Huo Shan nodded.

"You must diligently practice the stake skill every day, accumulate qi and blood, and break through the gate as soon as possible."

"Master, this breaking through the gate is..." the dark-skinned youth asked.

"The realm of martial masters is initially divided into Bright Force, Hidden Force, and Transforming Force. In terms of proficiency in our Eight Extremes Stake Skill, minor mastery corresponds to Bright Force, major mastery to Hidden Force, and perfection to Transforming Force.

"For you, the first gate is breaking through into Bright Force. Once your qi and blood have grown to a certain level, you may attempt to break through the gate. Only after reaching Bright Force can you be considered my registered disciples, worthy of being called martial masters. It marks the divide between ordinary people and formally stepping onto the path of martial arts."

"May I ask, Master, what is Bright Force?"

"Simply put, Bright Force is when qi and blood break past their peak and circulate freely throughout the body, producing visible force. Power gathers throughout the body and is concentrated into a single burst. One punch can shatter bricks and stones, and five or six ordinary strong men cannot approach you," Huo Shan said.

"Once you have tempered your qi and blood to a sufficient degree, I will teach you Eight Extremes Fist."

"Master, is breaking through the gate difficult?" the silent youth finally spoke.

"Of course. The risk of failure is great, and each subsequent attempt becomes more difficult. For example, during the Bright Force stage, only around thirty percent of disciples succeed on their first attempt. If the first attempt fails, the second becomes twice as difficult. If the third attempt still fails, success is virtually impossible. Furthermore, every failed attempt causes severe bodily damage and requires large amounts of medicine to recuperate from. Breaking through at the Hidden Force stage is even more difficult."

At Huo Shan's words, unease appeared on the dark-skinned youth's and the silent youth's faces. Their families had poured everything they had into sending them here to learn martial arts. If they failed to break through the gate, it would be a devastating disaster for them.

Zhao Feng remained calm. He possessed a proficiency panel. As long as the panel could record the stake skill and display its progress, he would have no problem as long as he kept training diligently.

"Whether you succeed in breaking through the gate is closely tied to your natural physique. The better your physique, the higher your chances. Of course, wealth also plays a major role. Spending more silver on nourishing food and medicinal supplements to strengthen your qi and blood can increase your odds."

Hearing their master say this, all three looked somewhat grim. They had not expected the success rate for breaking through the gate to be so low. More importantly, none of them knew how good their natural physiques were. And with their poor family circumstances, where could they get silver for meat and medicinal supplements?

"Wei Yuan, correct the stake skill postures of these three," Huo Shan said before heading into the rear courtyard.

The three stepped onto the Plum Blossom Stakes together without prompting and continued their stake training.

After Zhao Feng recalled Huo Shan's posture and assumed the stance, that tearing, burning agony once again flooded his entire body.

His face instantly turned pale. His teeth clattered as he clenched them, his features twisting in pain. He desperately maintained the Eight Extremes Stake Skill posture.

This time, he still fell headfirst after only a few breaths. The other two did not fare much better.

Wei Yuan had long grown accustomed to this. When the three climbed onto the stakes again, he helped adjust their postures before leaving.

Again and again, the three climbed onto the stakes. Again and again, they fell.

As time passed, Zhao Feng no longer remembered how many times he had climbed up. His body and muscles no longer felt like his own. The pain had numbed him. Just as he gritted his teeth and endured with all his strength, on the verge of passing out—

A flash of white light streaked through his mind.

[Eight Extremes Fist Stake Skill: Beginner (1/500)]

The moment Zhao Feng saw that line, the heavy weight in his heart lifted. Since the panel had recorded it, that meant he had already gotten started. As long as he trained diligently, he could reach minor mastery—and that meant breaking through into Bright Force.

The only uncertainty was whether he could complete his first attempt to break through the gate within three months. Otherwise, he would have to pay the tuition fee once more.

By the time he left the martial hall, it was already dark. Zhao Feng dragged his exhausted body to a wagon inn and spent ten copper coins to sleep on a communal bed for twenty people, enduring the foul stench of sweat and feet throughout the night.

The next day, he found a broker and asked him to find a place for him in the outer city. The stink of that communal bed had left a lingering dread in his heart, and he did not want to experience it again. But things did not go as he wished. He slept at wagon inns for several days before finally finding a relatively satisfactory place to stay.

In Peaceful Town, within Li the Landowner's residence.

"Master, why do you now think Huang Biao was murdered rather than ran away?" the old steward asked.

"Think about it carefully. In a year of disaster like this, where could he possibly run to? It was only a dozen or so taels of silver—not enough to make him flee. He could live comfortably collecting debts for others. If he ran for those dozen taels, what would he do after spending them all? Beg for food?" Li the Landowner shook his head.

"So he was probably harmed by someone."

At first, he had assumed Huang Biao had run away. Now that he thought it over, something felt wrong.

"You are right, Master. But bandits are everywhere now, and quite a few refugees have come down from the north. It is possible that refugees or bandits acted on a sudden impulse," the old steward said.

Li the Landowner nodded. It was not that he truly cared about Huang Biao. Huang Biao had simply been useful, and they were somewhat related besides.

Moreover, losing more than a dozen taels of silver for nothing pained him. More importantly, there were those promissory notes. They could have squeezed out quite a bit of profit. With the notes gone, those mud-legged peasants had gotten off for free, which left him deeply displeased.

"Bring me the list of people in those villages who had grudges against Huang Biao," Li the Landowner said.