Stance Mastery Becomes Instinct! A Visit to Elder Lu Brings His First Real Combat Test

That day, within Cloud Perch Courtyard.

Liu Yunche stood in the courtyard with his feet shoulder-width apart, shoulders lowered and elbows dropped, chest tucked and back raised, holding the Nurturing Origin Stance with absolute steadiness.

His entire focus was immersed in the inner breath circulating through his body.

Although his stance art had become stable after the Nurturing Origin Stance reached major mastery, a faint trace of sluggishness still remained when the inner breath in his dantian flowed through his meridians. His legs grew sore, swollen, and numb, while his waist and spine felt taut and heavy. Standing for long periods left him utterly exhausted.

He maintained his stance without the slightest movement, yet his breathing grew increasingly long and steady. Every inhale and exhale harmonized with the stance art.

Finally, at that moment, an unprecedented warm current erupted from his dantian and instantly swept through his entire body.

His taut, rigid sinews and bones suddenly shuddered, and all the sluggishness and stifled oppression that had built up over time vanished completely.

The invisible barrier within him burst apart with a crash. The inner breath in his dantian became warm and lucid as it coursed through his limbs and bones.

Warmth suffused the sinews, bones, and meridians throughout his body. Beneath his skin, waves of gentle itching spread, while his qi and blood became completely active and unobstructed.

His stance was as steady as a boulder. The texture of his flesh grew increasingly compact and resilient, without the slightest trace of superficial weakness. His aura was restrained and profound, his entire body forming a seamless whole.

When he slowly withdrew his stance, Liu Yunche's aura returned to calm. The Nurturing Origin Stance had already crossed from major mastery into the realm of perfection.

With his stance art perfected, Liu Yunche's Skin Tempering progress would rise dramatically.

At the perfected level, he no longer needed to assume a specific stance, nor did he need to use physical force to drive the circulation of his inner breath.

Whether walking, sitting, lying down, or standing, his inner breath would circulate through his body on its own. This was called martial arts entering the body—also known as instinct.

Only by cultivating a stance art to perfection could one reach such a realm.

From then on, Liu Yunche could save time to cultivate Eight Steps Chasing Cicada or the Thunderclap Saber Art.

"Phew..." Liu Yunche slowly exhaled. He straightened up and walked toward the pavilion, his attention remaining fixed on his inner breath with every step.

Sure enough, as Liu Yunche walked, his inner breath circulated by itself and tempered the texture of his skin. The soreness and exhaustion he usually felt after practicing his stance had vanished without a trace, and his steps were light yet steady.

He murmured to himself, "The bottleneck between major mastery and perfection truly was no small matter. I thought ten days would be enough, but it dragged on until today—five full days longer than expected."

After arriving at the pavilion and sitting down, Liu Yunche relaxed properly, poured himself a cup of tea, and enjoyed this rare moment of rest.

He gazed at the ancient tree branches stretching over the courtyard wall. Their leaves were lush and verdant, and his mood could not help but brighten.

"It has already been half a month since I transferred to the Martial Academy, yet I haven't gone there even once. It is time I paid it a visit."

Liu Wangzhou had arranged his transfer to the Martial Academy through his connection with one of its elders. Whether by reason or sentiment, he ought to pay the man a visit.

The following morning, dawn had only just broken. The breeze still carried a trace of chill as it swept through the streets and alleys.

This time, Liu Yunche did not take a carriage. He wanted to take a proper look at the city's scenery. In the sixteen years since coming into this world, he had mostly traveled by carriage and rarely walked.

Since he was in a rare good mood today, he decided to walk to the Martial Academy.

Though it was still early, scattered townsfolk had already emerged for work. Some were laborers with coarse cloth draped over their shoulders and shabby, plain clothing, most of them making a living unloading cargo at the docks.

There were also youths dressed in short training clothes hurrying toward martial halls.

The breakfast stalls along the street had long since prepared their goods. Steaming coarse-flour buns sat on the tables as the proprietors called out to attract customers.

Verdant Grain Academy was located west of the city center. The academy was divided into the Literary Academy and the Martial Academy, both situated on the same grounds.

Ever since gaining the Divine Movement Gift, Liu Yunche's steps had become much faster than before. It took him only half an hour to reach the academy.

Outside the academy, spirited young men entered one after another. Most wore splendid clothing and had servants following behind them.

A minority wore plain, unadorned clothes, their eyes filled with determination and their steps firm. At a glance, one could tell they came from humble origins.

Liu Yunche stepped inside. As he passed through the gate, the guards on either side glanced at the identity token hanging from his waist before withdrawing their gazes.

Once inside the academy, lush greenery lined both sides of the road. Birds occasionally fluttered past, their chirps crisp and clear.

After crossing the forest path, Liu Yunche saw a vast square paved with white jade slabs.

The youths gathered in groups of two or three. Some exchanged insights on martial practice, while others chatted freely about amusing tales concerning the city's cultured scholars and refined gentlemen.

As Liu Yunche entered the square, he spotted several people who had followed Liu Yu that day talking off to one side.

"Have you heard? Zheng Shen got beaten up," one of them said quietly.

At those words, Liu Yunche's brows lifted slightly. He stood silently nearby, pretending to admire the scenery while actually listening in.

"So that was it. No wonder Zheng Shen hasn't come out these past few days," another said in realization.

"What happened?"

"That brat's conduct was improper. He must have provoked someone he should not have."

Someone asked curiously, "Wouldn't they be afraid of retaliation from the Zheng Clan?"

"The Zheng Clan?" one person scoffed. "They only have one Bone Tempering Realm martial artist. There are plenty of clans like that in Verdant Grain County."

"That is true. Whether they can retaliate will depend on whether the Zheng Clan has the ability."

"Not long ago, Zheng Shen and that Zhang Clan lady could still be seen at Wenjing Pavilion..."

One person picked up the thread. "If so, wouldn't the Zhang Clan lady have been all alone these days?"

The few of them exchanged smiles. They truly were birds of a feather flocking together. As the conversation gradually drifted away from Zheng Shen, Liu Yunche quietly left.

"Wenjing Pavilion... Before he was poisoned, he often went there too, yet he had rarely seen Zheng Shen there."

That thought flashed through Liu Yunche's mind, making him increasingly certain.

After crossing White Jade Square and heading farther inside, he came upon a fork in the road.

The path to the Martial Academy lay to the left, broad and clean, far superior to the right-side road leading to the Literary Academy, which was covered in fine gravel.

The Great Gan Dynasty valued martial arts over literature, and this was reflected in every aspect of life.

Liu Yunche arrived at the Martial Academy, where the atmosphere of martial practice was thick. Towers, pavilions, verandas, and terraces sprawled across vast grounds, with buildings everywhere.

He headed toward the courtyards on the western side. This area consisted entirely of elders' residences. Far from the training grounds, it was quite peaceful.

Taking out the gift he had prepared in advance, Liu Yunche came to a door and gently knocked the ring handle.

A moment later, the door opened slightly. A servant poked his head out. Seeing a richly dressed young man standing outside, he cautiously asked, "Whom does this young master seek?"

Liu Yunche cupped his hands, smiling as he held the gift. "I am Liu Wangzhou's son, Liu Yunche. I have come specifically to visit Elder Lu."

"Very well, young master. Please wait a moment." With that, the servant shut the door.

After quite some time, the door opened again. The servant greeted him with a smile. "Please come in, young master."

Liu Yunche entered the courtyard. Artificial hills and greenery decorated both sides, while the central path was laid with finely cut stone slabs.

He climbed the steps and entered the central courtyard. Aside from the servant, no one else was in sight.

The servant explained from the side, "Master enjoys peace and quiet. Apart from several direct disciples, few people visit him normally. I alone attend to him."

Hearing this, Liu Yunche gave the servant another look. Within this courtyard, the servant treated people respectfully. Yet once outside, there were probably no shortage of people eager to curry favor with him.

Led by the servant, the two passed through a corridor and arrived at the rear courtyard.

In one corner of the courtyard stood a green pine tree. Its gnarled branches coiled around one another, vigorous as dragons.

A tall, lean old man dressed in a brown training outfit was practicing martial arts.

The old man's fist and footwork were slow, quite similar to the Tai Chi Fist and Eight Brocades Liu Yunche had known in his previous life.

Liu Yunche and the servant stood quietly to the side, waiting for Elder Lu to finish.

After the time it took to burn an incense stick, Elder Lu slowly concluded his practice and exhaled. His breath was white, long, and forceful, showing that his lungs and viscera had been thoroughly tempered and his cultivation was deep.

Then a series of crackling sounds spread from within Elder Lu's body. It was the sound of his sinews and bones ringing in unison.

Liu Yunche murmured, "So this is a Bone Tempering Realm martial artist... His sinews and bones ring together. I heard that with each breath, they can even produce the Tiger-Leopard Thunder Sound."

"What did you see?" A vigorous, powerful voice sounded—it was Elder Lu.

Liu Yunche did not shrink back. After pondering briefly, he slowly said, "This seems to be a method for nourishing the body and training the lungs?"

"Wangzhou told me that you were naturally intelligent and exceptionally perceptive. I did not believe him at first. Now that I see you, you truly do possess some talent and comprehension."

Elder Lu nodded, sat on a stone stool, and beckoned to Liu Yunche. "Come sit and speak."

Carrying the gift, Liu Yunche went to the stone table and sat down, handing the gift to Elder Lu in passing.

"This is my first time visiting, Elder Lu. Please accept it."

Elder Lu glanced at it and signaled for the servant to take it away. He pointed at Liu Yunche, a trace of a smile appearing on his lean yet hale face. "You look exactly like your father."

"Your father and I share a deep friendship. Just this once—there will not be a next time."

"A deep friendship?" Liu Yunche was puzzled. Over all these years, he had never seen this Elder Lu visit their home.

However, he did not reveal any of those thoughts.

Yet Elder Lu was an old hand who had seen through the ways of the world. With a single glance, he saw what Liu Yunche was thinking. He took a shallow sip of tea and said unhurriedly,

"Your father and I met in the army. That was more than twenty years ago."

Liu Yunche had thought Elder Lu was about to tell him their story, but Elder Lu gave a chuckle instead, a sly glint like that of an old child appearing in his eyes.

Then he abruptly changed the subject. "However, since your father did not tell you, I shall not wag my tongue either."

A vein on Liu Yunche's forehead twitched almost imperceptibly, and helplessness rose in his heart.

After pausing briefly, Elder Lu turned serious.

"Your father told me you intend to take part in the hunt organized by the Martial Academy?"

Liu Yunche nodded. "Senior Brother Jiang Xu told me that the trip would be greatly beneficial to martial artists like us, so I plan to participate."

Elder Lu was surprised. "That boy Jiang Xu? You know him too?"

"We have met a few times."

"Fine, no matter what. If you want to go, you must first obtain my approval. Given my friendship with your father, I cannot simply let you go."

Liu Yunche listened quietly, waiting for what came next.

"He can keep his composure," Elder Lu thought, secretly nodding. "Lend me a hand and let me see your strength."

"I will suppress my realm. You and I will fight at the same level."

"Very well." Liu Yunche cupped his hands in agreement. "This junior cultivates saber arts. I ask Elder Lu for guidance."

Since beginning his cultivation, he had never exchanged blows with anyone. Now that a Bone Tempering Realm martial artist was willing to offer him guidance, he naturally would not refuse.

"Come, then."

The two moved to an open area in the courtyard and faced one another. Liu Yunche stood with saber in hand, while Elder Lu held a fist behind his back.