Transplanting Martial Arts

Trudging through the snow, he made his way to Uncle Shui's residence.

Once inside, Uncle Shui took a yellowed booklet from a drawer. Three striking words were written across its cover: Taishan Fist.

"Though this is an entry-level martial art, there are some things I need to make clear to Mingxi. Martial arts are no roadside tricks. They are arts of killing.

If even the slightest mistake occurs, you may injure yourself at best, or be cut down by an enemy at worst. Do you understand, Mingxi?"

Hearing this, Xie An grew more serious. "I understand."

Only then did Uncle Shui continue. "There has always been a saying in the martial world: 'External training tempers skin, sinews, bones, and flesh; internal training cultivates a single breath.'

A martial artist must begin with external training. Only after passing the five stages of tempering skin, sinews, bones, organs, and blood can one rush the blood and transform force. If one is fortunate enough to refine inner force, one enters the Inner Martial Realm.

Those of external training are martial artists. Those of the Inner Martial Realm may be called martial masters. They can open schools in Qingwu County, take disciples, promote martial arts, and make a name for themselves."

The more Xie An heard, the more excited he became. "Is it difficult to become an Inner Martial Realm master?"

Uncle Shui snorted. "One year for the skin, three years for sinews of bronze, five years for bones of iron, ten years for the five organs, and fifteen years to rush the blood and transform force. That already counts as a fine achievement. Out of ten Blood-Rushing Realm martial artists, having one enter the Inner Martial Realm would be considered good. Even those who cultivate inner force are usually over forty by then."

Uncle Shui looked exceptionally stern, as if he deliberately meant to scare Xie An away.

If Xie An left because of this, that would be for the best.

But...

Why were this brat's eyes shining even brighter?

"Uncle Shui, what lies beyond the Inner Martial Realm?" With Ten Thousand Questions, the martial arts grand model, Xie An could not help but set his sights higher.

Though Uncle Shui felt that Xie An had been acting somewhat strangely today, he was a martial artist himself. Seeing Xie An take an interest still pleased him.

"The Inner Martial Realm has three levels: Manifest Force, Dark Force, and the Transformation Realm. There is an old saying in our trade—ten years of Manifest Force are inferior to three years of Dark Force." Uncle Shui raised his callused hands and explained slowly. "Most martial schools on the market teach no more than Manifest Force in the end. The 'whip force' of Tan Leg, the 'hard bridge-hand' of Hong Fist, the 'drilling power' of Poking Foot... no matter how far you train them, they are only Manifest Force."

After a pause, Uncle Shui's eyes revealed the clarity of an old veteran of the martial world. "A Manifest Force master can split steles and crack stones with his fists, leap over eaves and scale walls with his feet. That is already first-rate skill. But against ghosts and specters... utterly useless."

Xie An nodded. "Then what about Dark Force?"

Uncle Shui slowly inhaled. His chest swelled high, then gradually settled again as he exhaled.

In that simple breath, Xie An actually heard a sound from within Uncle Shui's body, like a stream flowing over stones.

Could Uncle Shui... already be a Dark Force expert?

Uncle Shui explained, "Once you pass Manifest Force and nourish your qi and blood until they overflow, they can flow outward. Then you cultivate a breath of 'living qi' within the dantian. This qi travels through the meridians and passes through the pores, allowing power to be transmitted through objects. In the martial world, this is called Strike the Ox Through the Mountain, or Needle Hidden in Cotton."

"Years ago, the martial artists of Qingwu County's outer city formed the Benevolent Martial Arts Association. Of the experts listed under its name, seventy percent were at Manifest Force. Twenty percent had half-baked Dark Force. As for those who had truly mastered Dark Force, there were fewer than ten in the entire outer city of Qingwu County.

Why so few? Because training Dark Force requires preserving one's yang essence and nourishing that breath in the dantian day and night. How many martial artists can pass such a test? Give up wives, children, and a warm bed? Stay away from wine, women, and gambling... difficult!"

Xie An had previously known only a little about external training. This was his first time hearing about the Inner Martial Realm, and he was immediately enthralled.

"Uncle Shui, what does Dark Force look like when it strikes someone?"

A sharp gleam flashed through Uncle Shui's eyes. "One punch may leave no visible wound, but Dark Force can penetrate the body and shatter all five organs and six bowels. That is why there is an old saying in the martial world: Manifest Force takes money; Dark Force takes lives."

The more Xie An heard, the more interested he became. "Then could a Dark Force expert... deal with ghosts and specters?"

Uncle Shui scrutinized Xie An for a long time before seeming to make some decision. "That is where Dark Force is truly valuable. There is another saying in the martial world—Manifest Force only strikes people; Dark Force can strike ghosts."

Hiss!

Xie An sucked in a cold breath. At last, he knew how to restrain ghosts and specters.

But Uncle Shui's next words disappointed him again.

"There is naturally some exaggeration in martial-world sayings. Dark Force can only deal with certain ghosts that possess people. How do such ghosts cause trouble after possessing someone? Through a breath of Yin-Baleful Essence, which lurks within another person's body. When Manifest Force strikes it, it is like a hammer hitting a steel plate. The noise may be loud, but it cannot scatter that Yin-Baleful Essence inside.

Dark Force is different. It enters through the body and is especially effective at destroying that mass of Yin-Baleful Essence within."

Xie An hurriedly asked, "What about ghosts that have not possessed anyone?"

Uncle Shui shook his head and sighed. "Even Dark Force experts have no way to deal with those. Generally speaking, once you cultivate Dark Force, you will have some ability to protect yourself when traveling the martial world and encountering ordinary ghosts and specters. But if you encounter a powerful ghost, or one that has not possessed anyone... you are still utterly helpless. Even so, among the enormous population of Qingwu County's outer city, there are fewer than ten people who have cultivated Dark Force. Most have already passed their sixtieth birthdays. Difficult, difficult, difficult."

Xie An still wanted to ask about the Transformation Realm, but Uncle Shui handed him the booklet. "Mingxi, take this back and have a look first. If you find martial arts too tiring or difficult, there is no need to force yourself."

Taking the booklet, Xie An bade him farewell and hurried back to the main room of the western courtyard. He instructed Qiu Lan to prepare more ginseng chicken soup that evening, then sat cross-legged on the bed and opened the booklet.

Taishan Fist originated from the Shattered Rock Hammer Method used by stonecutters among the common folk of Great Qian. It was later revised and consolidated by the martial master Zhao Tieshan, who transformed hammer techniques into fist techniques.

This fist art did not emphasize complex moves. It focused only on borrowing the power of the earth, issuing unified force, and bringing down overwhelming momentum.

It had three levels in total: Mountain-Suppressing Stance, Mountain-Taming Fist, and Five Mountains Collapse.

The first level was stance training. Only the latter two were actual fist techniques.

Xie An carefully read the mental-art formula for the first level, Mountain-Suppressing Stance:

Both feet plant firm at the mountain's root, ten toes grip earth like growing roots.

Knees lock like twin thousand-pound gates, hips sit like a nine-tiered violet-gold basin.

Waist and spine stand tall as a pillar to heaven, shoulders sink as the shoulder well draws the earth gate.

Tongue touches palate to receive heavenly dew, breath secretly follows the sound of tides.

"What an imposing formula... This does not seem like an ordinary entry-level martial art."

He continued reading the detailed training method.

Mountain-Suppressing Stance had extremely strict and complex requirements for its posture. It even contained a full three hundred variations.

How long would it take to practice all that?

He had never heard of a stance art with three hundred variations...

"Uncle Shui must have deliberately given me the most difficult entry-level martial art, hoping I would retreat in the face of difficulty. After all, neither Uncle Shui nor Father believes I can master martial arts. They gave up expecting anything from me long ago..."

The stance training alone was already this complicated, so Xie An lost interest in reading further.

Ten Thousand Questions!

"Break down and analyze the Taishan Fist, then fully transplant it into me."

[Identifying martial art]

[Identification successful: Taishan Fist]

[Deconstructing...]

[Severely insufficient computing power!]

Xie An suddenly felt dizzy, then spat out a mouthful of blood.

What the hell... You cannot even break down an entry-level martial art?

And you call yourself Ten Thousand Questions.

Your little brother Thousand Questions is better than you.

After silently grumbling, Xie An began to ponder.

Should he try finding a simpler entry-level martial art?

Xie An felt the method might work. Just as he was about to leave and search for a simpler martial art, inspiration suddenly struck him.

No.

My line of thinking is wrong.

Taishan Fist has three levels in total.

Since I cannot transplant all three levels at once, can I transplant the first level first?

If even the first level cannot be transplanted, then I can have Ten Thousand Questions identify the flaws and make adjustments... gradually refine the goal.

Try transplanting the first level first.

With that thought, Xie An adjusted his command.

"Break down the first level of Taishan Fist and transplant it into me."

[Deconstructing...]

This time was different.

Hundreds of variations of Mountain-Suppressing Stance clearly emerged in Xie An's mind. They flickered and separated from one another, eventually turning into countless tiny movements that rearranged and recombined...

It felt as though code were frantically jumping through his mind.

[Deconstruction successful...]

[Transplanting...]