First Test of Skill

Back in the small courtyard, Ye Chen was stirred by Xu Jing's domineering fist technique and immediately felt the urge to cultivate the Vajra Fist.

But after practicing the fist forms several times, he kept feeling that something was off.

"If I guessed right, Senior Sister Xu Jing cultivates the Human-grade Top-tier Martial Skill, the Demon Subduing Divine Fist. It is unmatched in might. Though the Vajra Fist I cultivate is inferior to the Demon Subduing Divine Fist, it is also a fierce, forceful fist art of the same lineage. Yet when she uses it, that is what true ferocity and power look like. Mine lacks that flavor. What exactly is the problem?"

Standing in the middle of the courtyard, Ye Chen frowned in thought, replaying the scene of Xu Jing practicing her fist technique over and over in his mind.

That was it. Senior Sister Xu Jing's shout could carry for a mile, full of force because of her powerful body. My comprehension may be strong, but my physical body is still weak. In the end, I cannot learn a fierce and forceful fist art.

Having found the crux of the matter, Ye Chen let out a breath. Not being able to learn was not frightening; failing to find the root cause was.

What Ye Chen needed to do first was practice the Horse Stance Post. Only with a stable Horse Stance could he deliver powerful punches. Otherwise, if he clashed with someone and his footing was unstable, that would be making a colossal joke of himself.

In the Horse Stance Post, the feet were placed slightly wider than shoulder-width apart in a half-squat. Because the posture resembled riding a horse and was as solid as a stake, it was called the Horse Stance. A good Horse Stance strengthened the kidneys and waist, reinforced the tendons and replenished energy, regulated one's essence, qi, and spirit, stabilized the lower body, improved balance, made one harder to knock down, and enhanced the body's reactions. The Horse Stance was one of the foundational skills before practicing Martial Arts. As the saying went, "Practice fists without practicing fundamentals, and you will end up with nothing in old age." It meant that merely learning the moves and routines from fist manuals without actually training every muscle in the body through weight and endurance training would ultimately leave one with nothing but flashy, useless techniques.

With his thighs and calves forming a ninety-degree angle, Ye Chen stared straight ahead. Rising and falling with his breath, he rapidly and rhythmically threw punches from the Horse Stance.

Huo! Huo! Huo! Huo...

His fists were like cannonballs, the whistling wind of their force unceasing. Before long, he had thrown more than three hundred punches.

About a quarter-hour later, Ye Chen focused his mind on his lower abdomen for another quarter-hour according to the memories in his mind.

Then he did it again at night, except he gradually increased the speed of his punches, striving to make a breakthrough every time without interruption.

Half a month later, Ye Chen stopped practicing Horse Stance punches and focused solely on the Four-Level Horse Stance Technique, standing still for half a shichen.

Once he found that effortless, Ye Chen clenched his fists and bent his elbows into the Double Peaks Piercing Ears Stance—his fist centers facing forward, the backs of his fists near his ears, pulling back with all his strength. At the same time, he assumed the Four-Level Horse Stance, sank his waist and thrust out his chest. After maintaining this for one shichen, he focused his mind on his lower abdomen for a quarter-hour.

When a full month had passed, Ye Chen's body had undergone tremendous changes. He could nearly exert the strength of a thousand jin, moved like the wind, and could make his Internal Energy travel along his back. His vigor was abundant. Most noticeably, his appetite had grown. At every meal, he could eat three large bowls of rice and a roast chicken. He slept deeply, and by the later stages, his Internal Energy surged with fullness and could move at his will, as though he possessed inexhaustible strength.

But that was not the key. Now Ye Chen had truly achieved "his heart and hands answering each other, everything falling readily to hand." When fighting others, he could maintain his peak condition at all times.

That day, after finishing his Horse Stance, Ye Chen frowned. "My physical condition has improved, but my bodily strength is still lacking. Senior Sister Xu Jing's strength is at least several times mine. When she unleashes the Demon Subduing Divine Fist, it is invincible and unstoppable, her Momentum immense and her force heavy."

Looking around the courtyard, Ye Chen's eyes lit up as he fixed his gaze on a hundred-jin boulder in the corner.

Weightlifting could undoubtedly increase one's arm strength, but it could easily damage the muscles, making it particularly unwise. Running while carrying a boulder was different. As one's center of gravity shifted and the pressure transferred, it could readily train every bone and muscle in the body, while clearly tempering one's endurance as well.

No sooner said than done. Ye Chen ran to the corner, exerted strength with both arms, easily lifted the boulder, turned, and sprinted out of the courtyard.

Clear Wind Mountain had more than ten subsidiary peaks and covered dozens of li. Aside from the stretches above the mountainside, which were filled with continuous buildings, the rest was uninhabited. Of course, numerous Flowing Cloud Sect disciples guarded the mountain at its foot, forbidding outsiders from entering.

On the mountain path, a figure carried a boulder while striding as swiftly as flying. Anyone observant could see that there was no fluctuation of Internal Energy around him. In other words, he was not using Internal Energy to assist himself at all, relying entirely on physical strength for his training.

"Look, isn't that Ye Chen?"

"Yeah! Has that kid gone mad? Why isn't he properly cultivating his Martial Arts?"

The Flowing Cloud Sect had three thousand Outer Sect Disciples and five hundred Inner Sect Disciples. Most people did not quietly remain in their own courtyards. Like Ye Chen, they enjoyed going to secluded places to cultivate their unique Martial Arts. Some also sought like-minded companions to train with, so they could spar with one another in their spare time.

Ye Chen kept his eyes forward and paid no heed to their chatter.

But some trouble could not be avoided.

A figure darted out sideways and blocked Ye Chen's path. It was a burly youth of fourteen or fifteen.

Ye Chen stopped. "Wang Gang, what can I do for you?"

The burly youth was named Wang Gang. Like Ye Chen, he was an Outer Sect Disciple, but his cultivation was far above Ye Chen's. He had already reached the early Qi Cultivation Realm Seventh Layer and excelled in body-tempering arts, possessing tremendous strength. The two had clashed before—or more precisely, Ye Chen had been taught a lesson by him and had spent half a month bedridden.

Wang Gang curled his lips into a smile. "Training yourself to death like this won't work. Like last time, I used only thirty percent of my strength to beat you into a dead dog."

Ye Chen sneered. It would have been one thing if the other party had not come looking for him, but now that Wang Gang had delivered himself to his door, Ye Chen naturally would not let him off. Half a year ago, he had merely contradicted Wang Gang once and been punched, breaking two ribs. Fortunately, the Ye Family did not lack money and had plenty of healing medicines, allowing him to recover within half a month.

"Is that so? Then how do you think I should train?" Ye Chen tossed aside the boulder.

"Words without action are just empty posturing. Let me teach you!" Wang Gang lunged forward. In a few strides, he appeared before Ye Chen. His palm, much larger than an ordinary person's, came chopping down like an iron slab, the sound of it tearing through the air deep and thunderous.

Facing the powerful palm strike, Ye Chen neither dodged nor evaded. He raised his left hand in the Vajra Supporting Pagoda Stance and met it head-on, actually choosing to clash with force against force.

Bang!

It sounded as if wood and stone had collided. Ye Chen did not budge, but Wang Gang's footing was jolted unsteady, leaving his defenses wide open.

"How is this possible? His Internal Energy is clearly inferior to mine. How could he block my Monument Breaking Palm? This is a living ghost story."

Wang Gang immediately sensed that something was wrong. Ignoring the opening he had exposed, he changed his right hand from a fist into a palm and slashed sideways.

Yet Ye Chen had anticipated it. Before Wang Gang could launch his second attack, Ye Chen's right fist, carrying a domineering Momentum, had already crashed into Wang Gang's chest.

Vajra Fist, Fifth Form: Vajra Pestle!

With a crack, Wang Gang spat blood and flew backward with both feet leaving the ground. He rolled violently across the earth several times before stopping, his entire body limp and dispirited.

Everyone was stunned. Wang Gang, who had always been known for his ferocity, had actually lost to Ye Chen in a frontal clash—and so miserably at that. He truly looked like a dead dog.

Only Ye Chen knew what had happened. Wang Gang's strength and Internal Energy were both greater than his, but in actual combat, the other man's weakness in Martial Arts was immediately exposed. Take that downward chop just now: its power was indeed great, but rather than directly resisting it, Ye Chen had pressed downward first to bleed off part of its force, then rebounded with all his strength, throwing Wang Gang's footing off balance. As for the apparent head-on clash, that was merely an illusion created by speed and could not be taken seriously.