Weapons were an extension of fist techniques. Baji Fist and Form-Intention Fist, for instance, incorporated spear techniques, while Supreme Ultimate Fist contained hammer techniques, whip techniques, and so on.
The Form-Intention Fist master Wang Xiangzhai had once written in his work On the Relationship Between Fist and Weapons: "Master the fist, and weapons follow; do not practice only saber and spear."
This meant that once someone learned and mastered fist techniques, weapon skills would naturally come easily. Practicing only saber and spear meant neglecting the fundamentals for the superficial, making it impossible to attain superior martial arts.
Chen Jue's martial arts were already exceptionally advanced, and he had a particular knack for the hammer techniques within Supreme Ultimate Fist. In his hands, the Eight-Style Cloak Hammer Technique came almost as naturally as if he needed no teacher. With guidance from Li Xiang, the former head instructor, it automatically advanced to Level 1 after only a short practice session.
After the breakthrough, the Eight-Style Cloak Hammer Technique flowed more smoothly than when he had first picked it up. The siphon effect triggered by the breakthrough was also very weak, merely stimulating the digestion of the food in his stomach without increasing his attributes. This surprised Chen Jue somewhat.
He surmised that weapon-related skills were probably all roughly like this, unlike fist techniques and stance training, which worked specifically on the body and could increase his attributes with practically every breakthrough.
After practicing the hammer technique for a little while, Chen Jue saw Li Wei come out of the villa carrying tea and pastries, so he put down the pair of War-Drum Urn-Gold Hammers to take a break. He sat with the two Transforming Strength grandmasters at a stone table in the courtyard, drinking tea, eating pastries, and discussing martial arts.