Chen Tie followed Mo Hong deep into the inner courtyard. They pushed open a heavy iron door, revealing an empty room.
Under the faint lamplight, a staircase leading downward was visible in the center of the room. Mo Hong picked up a torch from the side, lit it, and descended the stairs.
Chen Tie followed behind. Judging by how far they had traveled, they should have been a hundred feet underground by now. The air was not stuffy; clearly, there was dedicated ventilation.
He had never expected the martial arts hall's inner courtyard to contain an underground space like this.
They reached a small platform. In the darkness, Chen Tie faintly heard unidentified roars that seemed to come from either side of the platform.
Chen Tie's steps slowed half a beat.
Without turning his head, Mo Hong spoke.
"Stay close."
Chen Tie reined in his curiosity and followed Mo Hong to the left, walking a short distance.
Suddenly, a pair of amber eyes lit up in the darkness, and a vicious, baleful presence rushed toward him.
There was a ferocious beast!
Chen Tie was startled. Blood and Qi surged throughout his body as he prepared to strike at any moment.
"Don't panic. This is one of the martial arts hall's treasures!"
Chuckling, Mo Hong used the torch to light the oil lamps around them, driving away all the darkness.
The space measured three hundred feet on each side. A large, round iron cage stood in the middle, holding a giant striped tiger.
Over ten feet long, the giant tiger had a powerful, taut body. Its coat gleamed like ink-black satin, and the contours of its muscles lay beneath its skin, concealing immense strength. Low growls rolled from deep within its throat.
Its amber, slit-pupiled eyes swept over the two of them. Chen Tie noticed its pupils contract slightly when its gaze passed over Mo Hong, as though it was somewhat afraid.
"This is the secret to perfecting the Fierce Tiger Fist!"
"So-called Fierce Tiger Fist greater mastery merely imitates its form. Only by comprehending the tiger's nature can you grasp its true intent."
Mo Hong spoke with a smug expression.
Chen Tie's gaze sharpened, as though he had understood something.
"Master Mo, do you mean for your disciple to observe the tiger's movements here and comprehend the true intent of the Fierce Tiger Fist?"
"Not quite. Observation is only the first step. Simply watching won't do."
"For the second step, you must enter the cage and face the giant tiger directly. Only when you can withstand its charge will you have achieved something."
Chen Tie's scalp prickled.
The round iron cage had a radius of less than sixty feet. Facing a giant tiger in a space like that, he would be lucky to survive, let alone comprehend its true intent.
"Master Mo, no wonder the Fierce Tiger Fist is hard to learn. Wouldn't sending a weaker disciple inside just be serving this beast a meal?"
Chen Tie was speechless. With the oppressive pressure of its vast blood and Qi, this giant tiger had at least the strength of flesh refining greater mastery.
Mo Hong laughed and scolded him. "You brat, would your master lie to you?"
"That giant tiger is chained up, so its range of movement is limited. As long as you stay close to the cage's bars, it can't reach you."
Chen Tie looked carefully. An iron chain was fastened around the giant tiger's neck, its other end extending underground.
"For the next few days, concentrate on observing the giant tiger. If the beast stops moving, poke it with a stick!"
Mo Hong handed him a long pole and left.
Perhaps because it had seen Mo Hong leave, the giant tiger slowly rose to its feet. Its spine arched, each long black hair bristling slightly. The bulging muscles across its shoulders and back swelled as it mustered all its hidden strength.
It lunged at Chen Tie. The iron chain snapped taut with an ear-piercing clatter, and the giant tiger dropped back down unwillingly. It still swiped its massive claws at Chen Tie, pulling the chain taut once more, as though it could no longer bear the force.
Deafening roars erupted from its jaws. Even through the iron cage, its overbearing ferocity, before which all beasts bowed, spread outward with the vast, untamed presence of a king of beasts.
Chen Tie's heart tightened. In the past, his practice of the Fierce Tiger Fist had consisted entirely of imitating its techniques and movements-pouncing, bursting, sweeping, and ramming. He had learned only its form, not its spirit. Only now, seeing a real tiger with his own eyes, did he fully perceive the shallowness of his fist art.
He gathered his thoughts and carefully observed the giant tiger's movements.
When the giant tiger lay low, its waist and back sank slightly, its four limbs planted firmly against the ground. It looked relaxed and languid, but in truth, every tendon and bone concealed gathering strength, leaving not a single opening.
It paced back and forth, raising its head and swaying its tail. A light sweep of its tail sent a strong gust skimming across the ground and stirring up dust. Its movements were casual and natural, yet immensely powerful and covered a broad area.
Whenever the giant tiger fixed its eyes on Chen Tie ahead, its gaze became sharp as a blade. Its body leaned slightly forward, its shoulder blades spread, and it poised itself to strike. An instantaneous pounce could tear through the barrier of wind, swift and savage. Though restrained by the iron chain, its ruthless dominance still shook the mind.
What shook Chen Tie most was the giant tiger's manner of fighting at close quarters. When hunting an enemy, it never confined itself to fixed movements. If a pounce and swipe failed, it changed moves instantly; if a bite missed, it immediately lowered its body and rammed. It moved as it willed, feints and true strikes giving rise to each other, countless variations hidden within its fierce power.
Blood and Qi surged throughout Chen Tie's body, and the Fierce Tiger force within him flowed slowly. He dimly sensed an understanding, yet could not quite grasp it.
The giant tiger clearly possessed a measure of intelligence. Seeing that it truly could not reach Chen Tie, it immediately narrowed its eyes and adopted an indifferent air.
Left with no choice, Chen Tie picked up the pole and jabbed at it. He inadvertently poked the thing between its legs, making the giant tiger roar all the more.
After observing it repeatedly, Chen Tie drew a deep breath and immediately began practicing the Fierce Tiger Fist, over and over, as time slipped by unnoticed.
He stopped only when his body had grown somewhat sore and weak.
"Looks like you've gained something, brat."
Mo Hong had returned to the basement at some point, and his gaze held appreciation as he looked at Chen Tie.
"That's enough for today. It's getting late."
Only upon leaving the basement did Chen Tie realize with a start that evening had already arrived.
He checked his proficiency as usual, and a gleam flashed through his eyes.
[Fierce Tiger Fist greater mastery (51/300)] [Fierce Tiger Stance Art greater mastery (71/300)]
"It increased by eight points. It actually doubled!"
"At this rate, wouldn't I reach perfection in a month?"
If he reached the bone forging realm, he would at least have more than enough strength to protect himself in Duchang City.
Chen Tie calmed himself, something on his mind.
"Master Mo, just how strong is someone who has truly comprehended Martial Dao True Intent?"
Mo Hong paused in his steps, the corners of his mouth lifting. "Not all that strong. At the very least, taking on three opponents of the same realm shouldn't be much of a problem."
Then Mo Hong changed tack. "But not every martial art can produce Martial Dao True Intent. Some martial arts have such low underlying conceptions that Martial Dao True Intent simply doesn't exist for them."
"Among the twenty-five martial arts halls in the outer district, fewer than three can produce Martial Dao True Intent. But we mustn't let our guard down. In a life-and-death struggle, a higher realm doesn't guarantee victory."
Chen Tie respectfully cupped his hands. "Thank you for your guidance, Master Mo."
Although Mo Hong thought more highly of Zhang Long, and most of the martial arts hall's resources went to him as well.
The help he had given Chen Tie was real, and Zhang Long was also taking care of things like supporting him in his old age and taking punches for him.
"Master Mo, since the Fierce Tiger Fist requires observing a fierce tiger, does that mean the White Crane Fist involves fighting white cranes?"
Mo Hong's expression darkened, irritation welling up. "You blockheaded brat!"
"How strong is a white crane? How many punches from you could it withstand?"
"For the White Crane Fist, you only need to raise a few white cranes. Just watch them often in your daily life and observe their movements."
Realization dawned on Chen Tie. No wonder the White Crane Martial Arts Hall had so many people. Tigers had to be fought in the mountains, while they only needed to raise their own white cranes.
Still, keeping white cranes in his little courtyard was impractical. It seemed he would have to visit the White Crane Martial Arts Hall when he had time.