Spring had arrived, and all things were coming back to life.
Deep in the dense woods, a figure lay quietly among the branches, his fierce eyes narrowed as he stared unblinkingly at a clearing nearby.
"Squeak, squeak, squeak..."
"Gah, gah!"
Within his sight, two wild macaques tumbled and fought on the ground, trading blows, one baring its teeth and the other glaring furiously, neither able to gain the upper hand.
The surrounding trees were crowded with monkeys squatting or sitting on the branches, screeching and egging them on like spectators beside a fighting ring. With the weather warming, the mountain troops had grown lively, foraging, seeking mates, and rushing back and forth in dark masses.
Lian Youming reclined on a branch, studying the monkeys' expressions and bearing, observing their every movement.
The martial arts of the world were divided into northern and southern schools, internal and external styles, with the three major traditions of Wudang, Emei, and Shaolin, as well as more than three hundred and sixty boxing styles, including Taiji, Xingyi, and Bagua.
Yet the vast majority of these were animal-form fist styles.
The human body was born stiff, clumsy, and frail. By imitating the movements of beasts, people made up for their own deficiencies, turning clumsiness into dexterity and stiffness into agility, drawing intent from form and transforming intent into spirit. Those who attained both form and spirit were accomplished practitioners who had grasped the full essence.
Among these, the most capable was Monkey Form.
Across the Northern and Southern Martial Arts World and its many schools and sects, there were simply too many who had made a name for themselves on the Martial Way through Monkey-Form Fist.
Even the three major traditions of Wudang, Emei, and Shaolin, and the Three Great Neijiaquan of Taiji, Xingyi, and Bagua,