Broken Mountain Fist

"Damn, heard the news? Two-Scar, Wolf Stronghold's Fourth Chief, got taken out."

"I'd heard earlier that his right-hand man Jackal had died. Yesterday, another thug died with him—Black Cat. Yeah, the one who stomped in the heads of Old Dai's two children last time! Good death. He got what he deserved. Heaven has eyes."

"Seems it was the Golden Leopard Gang that recently arrived in Snakehead Ravine. They've snatched up seven or eight tenths of Wolf Stronghold's pawnshop business. Wolf Stronghold suffered heavy casualties in several clashes. Sigh, no matter which gang takes over, it's still us common folk who suffer."

"Who cares! Two-Scar, Black Cat, and Jackal were truly vile! They strutted about our village throwing their weight around every day. They deserved to die! What a delight!"

Duan Xuan hurried past several people at the village entrance.

Hearing them discuss Two-Scar's death, he couldn't help feeling pleased as well.

When he had hidden the body yesterday, he had intended for Two-Scar's corpse to be discovered.

Only then would Wolf Stronghold be unable to focus entirely on exploiting and squeezing villagers like them dry.

Part of their attention would be directed toward resisting the rising Golden Leopard Gang, while another part would go toward finding the murderer.

In his view, though Two-Scar was the Fourth Chief, Wolf Stronghold was nowhere near what it had once been.

Perhaps those bandits were nothing but a rabble of chickens and dogs, each flying off when disaster struck, with no one caring about Two-Scar at all.

Last night alone, Duan Xuan had gained seven taels of silver, while his Hunting and Trap values had increased by five and twelve points respectively.

He gave the silver to his mother, telling her not to spend it yet. Once this storm had passed, the family could properly have some meat.

Today, he was still the first to arrive at the martial arts hall. By the time the other disciples arrived, Duan Xuan had already practiced the Broken Mountain Collision Method three times.

After a month of tempering his blood and qi, his blood and qi had finally surpassed that of an ordinary adult by a little.

His withered, frostbitten body had also filled out a little as his blood and qi grew abundant.

The most obvious change was his height—he had grown a full two centimeters.

"Well, if it isn't Senior Brother Duan? You came this early?" Lin Hu, the burly dark-skinned man, approached with a strangely mocking tone, extending a hand to shake Duan Xuan's.

The instant their hands clasped, he was prepared to exert all his strength and crush Duan Xuan's bones.

After all, he had already entered the Bright Force realm. He could not be mentioned in the same breath as ordinary people who had yet to enter Bright Force.

Aside from transforming blood and qi into force and releasing it outward, their strength, endurance, and speed were all greatly enhanced.

"Master's here!" Zhang Chen's timely shout stopped Lin Hu's hand before it could seize Duan Xuan's.

A flicker of disgust passed through Lin Hu's eyes, but he merely laughed. "Eldest Senior Brother, train well. If there's anything you don't understand about fist techniques, feel free to ask this junior brother anytime. We are fellow disciples, and we're family."

With that, he swaggered away in arrogant strides.

Duan Xuan cupped his fist toward Zhang Chen. Zhang Chen gave a chuckle and stood beside him like a great bear.

At that moment, Zhao Hui and Zhao Dazhong, the sister and brother, strolled out from the small courtyard, while Chen Feng happened to arrive in the front yard as well.

"What I will teach you today is the Broken Mountain Fist. First, you must understand one thing: the Broken Mountain Fist is not merely a fist technique. It is an art of killing."

"An art of killing!" Duan Xuan felt those three words echo through his chest.

"Martial arts techniques were born for combat and slaughter. If a technique cannot be tied to the words 'art of killing,' then it is likely nothing but flowery posturing. The signature technique of our Broken Mountain Martial Arts Hall is likewise an art of killing! Rely on surging blood and qi to drive the force within and without your body, gathering it into one fist. Meet a mountain, split the mountain; meet water, split the water; shatter every technique under heaven! That is why I usually have you practice the Stake Method more. It is not merely to improve your blood and qi. The Stake Method itself serves the martial art, laying down a solid foundation for it. With your foundation firm and your technique at your side, the means to kill will come as naturally as water flowing into a channel! Our Broken Mountain Fist has six moves and eighteen forms in total. Today, I will teach the three of you the first move, the Opening Mountain Form, along with its three accompanying forms."

"Zhang Chen, come here."

Zhang Chen's eye twitched. He answered, "Yes, Master," then scurried over dejectedly.

"The Opening Mountain Form embodies the initial intent of splitting a mountain—cleaving open obstructions and breaking through shackles. It tempers the force of the basic straight punch and stabilizes your foundation; it is the root of power generation for the entire fist technique. It emphasizes a head-on assault, pushing forward to smash through obstacles."

As he spoke, Chen Feng planted his feet in a square horse stance, lowered his waist and sank his hips, drew in his chest and raised his back, and tightened every sinew and bone in his body.

His right fist shot straight out from his waist. His shoulder did not rise, his elbow did not drift, and the force rooted itself from the soles of his feet.

It traveled through his waist and spine to the edge of his fist. His fist was level as it struck directly forward.

In Duan Xuan's eyes, this punch was still not as fast as the strike Chen Feng had displayed against the wooden stake on the day he became his disciple.

Yet Zhang Chen's face changed sharply, and he hurriedly crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Chen Feng drew back his force to just one-tenth.

Smack—

Fist met fist. Though it looked like an ordinary, casual punch, Zhang Chen's huge body was driven back three or five steps.

Pain covered his usually smiling face.

"This is a Bright Force strike. This is the first form of the Opening Mountain Form—Break Ground. There are no flashy routines and no superfluous variations. Yet with your feet rooted below, it spurs forth an unstoppable momentum and forcibly blasts out a punch. It tempers the root force in your body, solidifying the power throughout you and preventing it from becoming hollow and weak. The primary purpose of this punch is probing. Once you throw it, you test how much force your opponent possesses. If they are weaker than you, this punch may very well open their centerline directly, letting you slash fiercely inward afterward..."

His gaze abruptly sharpened as he fixed it on Zhang Chen again.

Zhang Chen's scalp prickled. The brawny man hurriedly assumed a stance.

Master is using Bright Force cultivation, and I'm Bright Force too. Should I avoid his edge?

Zhang Chen took the initiative and attacked. Chen Feng set his stance again.

The first form, Break Ground, collided head-on with Zhang Chen's punch.

Zhang Chen only felt that, despite being in the same realm, his physical strength was far inferior to his master's. The impact numbed his hand.

But at the instant he threw his punch, Chen Feng's feet remained planted in the stake stance.

His waist suddenly twisted, borrowing the twisting force of his waist and hips and layering it with the heavy force in his legs. His fists alternated as they fired out in a chain of straight punches.

His punching speed visibly increased, each layer of force stacking atop the last.

Moreover, his control of the punching rhythm was impeccable.

The forward fist blocked; the rear fist struck heavily. The blood and qi of his whole body turned into fierce force, bursting forth in short explosions.

A continuous string of cracking sounds rang out.

Though Zhang Chen was also at Bright Force, the first punch had scattered his stance somewhat, and from then on he was completely on the defensive.

Duan Xuan softly sucked in a breath. This fist technique was so powerful—utterly unreasonable.

Just when he thought the two forms had ended, Chen Feng shouted, "Opening Mountain Form, final form—Break Wall!"

"No way, Master, there's more?" Zhang Chen had been left numb all over by those two forms. The muscles throughout his body felt as though they had been beaten soft.

Chen Feng did not answer. He merely assumed a stance to gather force.

His movements sank dramatically, his speed slowed as well, and he clearly seemed to be drawing his stance in.

The next instant, his legs drove against the ground. Blood and qi from his entire body gathered atop his right fist, and the trajectory of his fist was no longer straight.

Instead, it blasted out bearing a downward, crushing force.

Everyone present seemed to hear the faint sound of air bursting.

Then Zhang Chen's entire body left the ground, and he fell backward.

In one smooth flow—punching, drawing in the fist, withdrawing the fist—Chen Feng straightened his posture and exhaled. "If the first form of the Opening Mountain Form is used to probe, then once you discover that your opponent's strength or force is inferior to yours, the second form, Split Stone, follows immediately. The fist winds stack together; with the Broken Mountain Stake Method generating force beneath your feet, the force is layered again. If your opponent has a powerful body, excellent defense, or strength above yours, there is no need to panic. Use the opening chain attacks to seek an opening and find your opponent's weakness. And after those two forms, the Broken Mountain Stake Method is not meant to break. Instead, you must shift and move with the Forward Step from the Broken Mountain Method, then use the third form, Break Wall. This form is the distilled essence of all the power in your first move. Concentrate your force into one fist or both fists, then unleash it with explosive speed. Even a Transforming Force expert at the same level can have their protective qi shattered!"

Duan Xuan listened with his blood boiling. Zhao Hui and Zhao Dazhong beside him nodded repeatedly as well.

Clearly, they had been stunned by Chen Feng's one move and three forms.

Chen Feng then demonstrated twice at slow speed before leaving with his hands behind his back.

"The three forms of the Opening Mountain Form are not unusual on their own, but when linked together and combined with a martial artist's force, they become killing moves. There must be no hesitation as you shift between movements, not the slightest shred of doubt. Press forward with indomitable spirit, and never give up. Once you have mastered the moves and forms, you may mix and match them. But since this is your first exposure, first follow the steps and gradually familiarize yourselves with the routine. Once you reach Bright Force, I will teach you the second move. When you achieve perfection in Bright Force before entering Dark Force, you will learn the third move. The remaining three moves are for Dark Force and above. Practice diligently. If you have questions, ask your Senior Brother Zhang Chen anytime!"

He heavily patted Zhang Chen on the shoulder.

Zhang Chen's face was full of bitterness. He was just short of dropping to his knees to beg for mercy and cry, "Master, spare me!"

After Chen Feng left, Zhao Hui and Zhao Dazhong found a place to practice against each other.

Duan Xuan stood where he was, carefully recalling the movements from before. Yet after performing them several times in succession, it was as though there had been no effect at all.

"Junior Brother, your Stake Method is practiced well, but you turn too little blood and qi into force. That's not how you throw a punch. Come, come. Let Senior Brother give you some pointers. Don't worry, I'll only use thirty percent of my strength!"

They practiced from morning until noon. After a brief lunch, the two continued sparring until evening.

Duan Xuan was so exhausted that he could not straighten his waist. His legs and feet were so sore and weak that they felt about to snap.

Only then did Zhang Chen let out a breath. "That felt great!"

"Junior Brother, train well." Giving Duan Xuan a coarse grain pancake, Zhang Chen happily headed home.

Duan Xuan shook his head. Though he had been used as a sandbag all day—

[Human effort is rewarded; Heaven's Way makes amends]

[Trap: Mastery (6/300)]

[Hunting: Lesser Mastery (10/100)]

[Broken Mountain Stake Method: Beginner (155/300)]

[Broken Mountain Fist: Beginner (3/300)]