Broken Mountain Stake Method

"Master, there's an unexpected delight this year—five new junior brothers joined us all at once," Zhang Chen said, clasping his hands in congratulations.

Broken Mountain Martial Arts Hall stood in a remote place, its storefront small. More importantly, Chen Feng was not well known.

No one on the entire street had even heard of Chen Feng.

Therefore, Broken Mountain Martial Arts Hall had only barely managed to make ends meet, with no real improvement.

People did not know Chen Feng either. They all guessed that he had once been a greenwood hero who had retired here in his old age.

There were over thirty disciples in this courtyard. In other martial arts halls, that would not even amount to half their number.

After all, Yellow Snake County was a place supported by dozens of surrounding villages. The land was vast and the population sparse.

On average, every martial arts hall had nearly a hundred people. The larger, top-tier halls had two or three hundred.

The daily expense of feeding them alone was something a small martial arts hall could scarcely imagine.

Chen Feng's face remained calm throughout, giving Duan Xuan the sense that beneath the ordinary lay endless mystery.

Even in that calmness, there was an edge of sharpness.

Chen Feng did not refuse. He personally tested the four newcomers' muscles and bones.

He discovered that the dark, sturdy youth named Lin Hu possessed a Grade A Bone Structure.

Grade A Bone Structure was something seen only once in decades. Duan Xuan himself had a lower Grade A Bone Structure.

That alone had made the master of Scale Python Martial Academy personally step forward and take him in as a closed-door disciple.

Yet Lin Hu had a middle Grade A Bone Structure, making Chen Feng's eyes shine brightly.

Liu Mingze, who was thin but as tall as Zhang Chen at one meter ninety, also had a Grade A Bone Structure, though his was lower Grade A.

The third disciple was a female disciple dressed as a man. At first glance, her features looked resolute and carried a hint of heroic bearing, but the lack of an Adam's apple gave her away.

She had no name, only saying that she was called Zhao Bastard.

Unfortunately, both she and her younger brother Zhao Hui had lower Grade B Bone Structures.

They were nowhere near as astonishing as the first two.

Even so, Chen Feng was somewhat intoxicated by joy.

"Good, good, good! Heaven is helping me! Heaven is helping me indeed!

"I never imagined that Broken Mountain Martial Arts Hall would one day encounter disciples with Grade A Bone Structures, something seen only once in decades.

"It seems Broken Mountain Martial Arts Hall is finally about to rise!"

After they had changed into their clothes and come out, Duan Xuan and the other five stood on the training ground.

Chen Feng stood with his hands behind his back, unable to hide his delighted expression no matter how hard he tried.

If other martial arts halls learned that two disciples with Grade A Bone Structures had appeared at Broken Mountain Martial Arts Hall, their eyes would turn red with envy.

They would be sour enough to rival vinegar.

"The Dao can be spoken of, and martial study too has its Dao. We practice martial arts not merely to strengthen our bodies.

"Rather, we seek to survive in these chaotic times. Of the three hundred and sixty trades, only martial arts are the most extraordinary.

"When you yourself are strong, you can become like an iron spear.

"Standing firm amid the torrent of these troubled times, you will not be swept away.

"And if you wish to sink your roots deep and stand steady, a person must be ruthless, and martial arts must be fierce and domineering!

"Let all the schemes and plots, all the myriad troubles in this world understand one thing: before absolute strength, everything is futile.

"This is the sole principle running through the ultimate art of Broken Mountain Martial Arts Hall—the Broken Mountain Fist.

"With a single thought, shatter mountains. With a single thought, sever rivers. With a single thought, make heaven and earth collapse."

Chen Feng's words carried immense force, roaring into their hearts and setting their blood boiling. Duan Xuan felt his qi and blood surging within him.

Even if a massive gray bear stood before him now, he would dare to throw a ferocious punch.

"Remember this: martial arts are techniques for killing, not flashy fists and embroidered kicks.

"And our Broken Mountain Fist emphasizes fierce, domineering force.

"From now on, whenever you encounter an enemy, throw a punch. If one punch does not kill them, throw two. If two punches do not kill them, throw countless punches.

"Until the other side no longer has any ability to fight back, or even any life left.

"The Broken Mountain Fist breaks not only what you can see, but also the demons and obstacles within your hearts. Do you understand?"

"We understand, Master!" the five shouted in unison.

"Then how does one break through Ming Force, Dark Force, and even Hua Force in martial practice?

"It is actually very simple. As long as your qi and blood are abundant enough to nourish the parts required by different realms, you can break through.

"For instance, the first threshold you now face is Ming Force.

"It requires you, amid vigorous qi and blood, to turn the invisible power within your body into tangible strength.

"In other words, strength that can be seen and touched."

After saying this, Chen Feng had Zhang Chen carry over a large black stone.

Duan Xuan stared intently at the stone. The next moment, Chen Feng struck fiercely. Bang!

That incomparably hard black stone instantly shattered into four pieces.

This time, however, he clearly felt that Chen Feng's speed was not as fast as the punch he had thrown when they first met.

"So this means Master is displaying the strength of Ming Force," Duan Xuan murmured, then asked, "Master, how are we supposed to accumulate qi and blood?"

"Martial cultivation emphasizes three words: eat, kill, train!

"What you eat is meat. Meat can generate qi and blood. You must also consume more expensive medicines—Blood-Qi Powder, Blood-Qi Pills, and the like.

"They contain qi-and-blood essence several times, ten times, or even dozens of times greater than meat.

"By consuming them slowly through proper methods, you can avoid bursting apart and dying while gaining unimaginable amounts of qi and blood.

"The second method is killing—stimulating the body's potential in real combat.

"Integrate the moves you normally train into one whole, tempering the five viscera and six bowels, the eight extraordinary meridians.

"Because martial arts methods are all created around qi and blood.

"Only qi and blood can drive every move and stance; they are not merely those attractive but useless flowery forms performed for show.

"Thus, in battle, qi and blood drive the martial art, while the martial art continuously tempers qi and blood, making it stronger and more stable.

"The third method is also the least effective of the three methods for increasing qi and blood.

"That is training. Martial arts methods are divided into two kinds: techniques and stance methods.

"Techniques are the moves and stances you can see. They are killing arts, or something else.

"Stance methods gather qi and blood, allowing you to better adapt to techniques.

"Open your eyes wide and watch carefully!"

The moment his words fell, Chen Feng assumed an ancient stance. He sank into a horse stance, standing rooted in place like a pine.

His left foot steadied his entire body. His right foot crashed down with a boom, sending a ring of earth-colored ripples through the ground.

Then his left fist thrust forward like a demon-drilling awl that broke through obstacles. His right fist guarded his chest like a spear poised to strike.

With one fist left and one fist right, paired with his crouching stance, there was not the slightest intent to defend. Every fist had transformed into an attacking posture.

Yet from any angle, this stance was flawless. Chen Feng's whole body was not taut, but he still gave the impression of an ancient pagoda crashing down upon the earth.

"Strength rises from the ground. The Mountain-Breaking Stance speaks of strength that could pull up mountains, qi that could cover the world.

"You must borrow the power of the earth itself to strengthen yourselves, strengthen your hearts, and break open the obstacles in your minds.

"Feel the courage to press forward without hesitation. Only then can you gather qi and blood."

After speaking, Chen Feng continued repeating the stance.

In an instant, everyone could feel qi and blood accumulating around Chen Feng.

No, it was not from Chen Feng himself. It was the power from the ground pouring into his body.

It continuously transformed into qi and blood, circling around his body.

Broken Mountain, Broken Mountain—if one wished to break a mountain, one first had to be as resilient as a mountain, even surpassing a mountain in solidity.

Only then could one forcibly break open another mountain!

"Come, give it a try!"

Duan Xuan, Lin Hu, and the others began imitating Chen Feng's earlier movements.

Their left feet pressed into the ground, their right feet slammed down heavily, then they threw out their left fists, with their right fists following.

This posture looked utterly ordinary, but to truly achieve the effect of gathering qi and blood, one had to be incomparably focused.

The five tried several times, yet only Lin Hu managed to resemble it by thirty percent and grasp a thread of its essence.

Soon, his body began to heat up. A faint ripple rose from the ground to his heels, and his frozen feet swiftly warmed.

Chen Feng praised him repeatedly. Before long, the thin, tall Liu Mingze, who had a lower Grade A Bone Structure, also rooted his feet into the ground.

He successfully drew the so-called power of the earth into his body.

Like Lin Hu, he tensed both arms and leaned his body forward as that wave of heat surged into the soles of his feet.

"Not bad, not bad. A Grade A Bone Structure.

"Combined with your naturally strong qi and blood, you have grasped the mysteries of the Mountain-Breaking Stance with the greatest speed!"

Chen Feng waited for another incense stick's worth of time. Zhao Bastard and Zhao Hui, the siblings who both had Grade B Bone Structures, also began to understand.

Because their qi and blood were fairly decent, they gradually grasped the key points of the Mountain-Breaking Stance as well.

Sect Master Sheng's qi and blood were not as strong as Lin Hu's and Liu Mingze's, but it still successfully condensed.

Duan Xuan's bone structure was better than theirs, yet he could not sense anything unusual no matter what he did.

Chen Feng shook his head. "Your qi and blood have declined too severely. Even with a Grade A Bone Structure—

"—it will still be hard for you to sense the key points of the Mountain-Breaking Stance.

"Alas...

"Remember this: what the Mountain-Breaking Stance must break open is the heart that has been shackled by the mortal world.

"You must possess an unstoppable, never-say-die bearing. That is what it means to break mountains.

"Can you understand what I am saying? If you lack the momentum to smash through bamboo like splitting dead wood, you will find it difficult to control the qi and blood granted to us by the earth."

Listening to Chen Feng's words, Duan Xuan merely nodded silently.

"Master, what is Ming Force? I heard you say just now that martial practice has three thresholds.

"When exactly can we break through those three thresholds?" Lin Hu asked in his raspy, broken-gong voice.

"Do not speak of the three thresholds yet. At present, you must use the Mountain-Breaking Stance to fill your entire body with qi and blood.

"When your qi and blood become sufficient to a certain peak, your body will be the first to feel it.

"That will be the moment you break through the threshold.

"And each time you break through a threshold, you will be reborn and transformed.

"Especially the third threshold—the realm of Hua Force!

"Furthermore, provided your qi and blood has not been damaged, the better your bone structure, the higher your upper limit.

"That also means the fewer obstacles you will face in breaking through thresholds, and the greater your chances!

"Without exaggeration, an ordinary disciple with a Grade C Bone Structure has less than a twenty percent chance of breaking through the first threshold and reaching Ming Force.

"For those with Grade B Bone Structures, it is thirty to forty percent.

"But lower Grade A disciples directly have a sixty to eighty percent chance!"

Smug smiles appeared on both Lin Hu's and Liu Mingze's faces.

Zhao Huazhong and Zhao Hui were dejected, though they still held hope in their hearts.

Duan Xuan, however, was neither disappointed nor doubtful of whether he could succeed. He simply listened quietly.

The world was this cruel. Other than success, he had no choice.

"Alright, it is still too early to tell you these things. Focus on cultivating the Mountain-Breaking Stance and lay your foundation firmly.

"Then I will teach you the first move of the Broken Mountain Fist.

"Lin Hu, Liu Mingze, if either of you has something you do not understand, come ask me at any time!"

"Yes, Master!"

Because of their bone structures, Chen Feng openly began showing favoritism. Yet no one felt it was unfair.

Duan Xuan glanced at Zhang Chen. That warm-hearted senior brother said with a cheerful smile, "Junior Brother Duan Xuan, don't lose heart. Train well—you can do it.

"If there is anything you do not understand, you can come ask your senior brother!"

Duan Xuan thanked him, found a relatively quiet place, and immediately assumed the stance.

Time passed second by second. Lin Hu, Zhao Bastard, and the other three all gained different insights.

The qi and blood condensed in their bodies also grew greater and greater.

Duan Xuan, by contrast, gritted his teeth and stood in the open space, still trying to break open the obstacle in his heart.

He had not gained the slightest thing.

By evening, Lin Hu and the others joked with the other disciples as they headed to the dining hall for dinner.

As they passed in front of Duan Xuan, none of them even looked at him.

Duan Xuan did not live in the dormitory, so there was no dinner for him at night. His stomach rumbled loudly.

Yet he still refused to leave with the disciples who were heading home.

The mountain I must break stands before my eyes. I will break it open.

No, what I will break is not merely a mountain.

I will break the shackles of this world, break the injustice of this world. With the Broken Mountain Fist, I will break through every obstacle!

"Junior Brother Duan Xuan?" Zhang Chen held a steamed bun as he looked at Duan Xuan, who was so exhausted that a trace of white foam clung to the corner of his mouth.

He was drenched in sweat, his body already turning sour and rank.

Muscles—no, he had no muscles. It was the soft tendons running through his body that trembled violently.

His calves and thin body had shriveled together, making Zhang Chen unable to bear the sight.

Yet Duan Xuan was not interrupted. His eyes remained shut.

He continued trying to establish resonance with the earth, trying to find that feeling of pressing forward without hesitation and never admitting defeat.

His body—every muscle, every fascia, every organ—was telling him that he could not go on.

Duan Xuan answered from the depths of his heart with only one word.

"Break!"

His vision went black; he was on the verge of passing out, yet his legs seemed rooted deep in the ground.

He actually forced himself to stand back up.

[The way of man rewards diligence; the way of heaven makes up for what is lacking]

[Broken Mountain Stake Method: Beginner (1/300)]

"You've comprehended the Mountain-Breaking Stance, Junior Brother. Congratulations!"