Subduing the Dragon and Taming the Tiger (Happy New Year's Eve)

"What spirit!"

Lu Huaiqing praised softly, he hadn't expected Yu Tunzhou to give such an answer.

You're absolutely right.

If Heavenly Dao does not grant it, then let Human Dao take its place!

"But how can Human Dao replace the Way of Heavenly Dao? The answer is: martial artists use their power to break the law."

"If you want to learn martial arts, you must understand one thing."

Lu Huaiqing raised his fist, striking the ground with a resounding thud:

"A martial artist does not seek the mercy of gods or Buddhas, nor does he ask the heavens and earth to open their eyes. Even if millions oppose him, he will go forth; even if the heavens and earth abandon him, he will not abandon himself!"

He stepped forward, boldly adopting an ancient boxing stance. Without moving his body, the veins on his hands were already coiled like dragons.

Yu Tunzhou felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and the hairs on his body stood on end, as if the hands of the person in front of him were each pressing down on a writhing dragon or snake trying to break free!

"I originally intended to pass on my own unique boxing style to you, but after seeing you practice just now, I realized you've already grasped some of the True Intention of the art, so I've changed my mind."

As he spoke, Lu Huaiqing had already begun his boxing stance.

With a raised arm, the wind in and around the courtyard suddenly ceased.

The little fox, who was in the distance plotting to bite through the rope and escape, was suddenly frightened and lay down on the ground. It whimpered for a moment before hurriedly covering its mouth with its paw, too afraid to breathe.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew through the courtyard.

A faint, almost imperceptible roar, like that of a dragon, swept across a hundred feet of land.

Therefore, within a hundred feet, all insect chirping ceased, and all sounds were silent.

In the courtyard.

Lu Huaiqing spread his arms wide, as if pressing down on an invisible trapped dragon. Each punch he threw was as if he were carrying a mountain, fierce and unparalleled. His fists resembled dragon heads, and each punch could generate a sound of air explosion within a zhang (approximately 3.3 meters), accompanied by the roar of a dragon.

Similar in form, similar in meaning, similar in spirit.

Suddenly, he slightly turned his wrist, a movement that was both gentle and firm, seemingly a light and casual flick, yet capable of suppressing the ferocity of a raging lion or tiger.

The next moment, he pounced forward fiercely, his figure as fierce as a mountain king, domineering and incomparable, with the roar of a tiger and the cry of a dragon, the dragon and tiger as one, combining strength and gentleness!

Yu Tunzhou to the side, had never seen such a fist technique before. It far exceeded the scope of martial arts and skills; it was not just a technique, but also touched upon the "Tao"!

His eyes were piercing, and he had already released his Primordial Spirit perception, taking in every single detail within a ten-foot radius around him.

In his Primordial Spirit perception, the Inner Qi beside Lu Huaiqing had already taken form, a dragon and a tiger, accompanying him, moving with his fist, and fiercely pouncing forward.

The Inner Qi is formless, yet it is as clear as a painting in the perception of the Primordial Spirit.

Suddenly, the dragon and tiger seemed to raise their eyes and glance at him, a fierce aura striking his mind. Yu Tunzhou staggered back several steps, his Primordial Spirit startled.

At that moment, Lu Huaiqing finished a set of fist techniques and exhaled slowly, saying:

"This set of boxing techniques is called ' Subduing the Dragon and Taming the Tiger.' I learned it from a disrobed monk when I was traveling the martial arts world in my early years. I think it's extremely suitable for your style of boxing."

"Next, you will practice this set of boxing techniques with me. Before you start practicing, you must remember that this boxing style is based on the principle of subduing the Fuhu and the momentum of descending the dragon. When the dragon and tiger merge, you will have mastered the True Intention."

At this point, Lu Huaiqing looked at Yu Tunzhou and smiled:

"There is one more thing you must remember. Before you enter the External Scenery, while releasing your Primordial Spirit outwards may have many benefits, it also exposes your weakest points to the outside world."

"I only used the Spirit Form contained within my Inner Qi to easily frighten you. If I wanted to hurt you, it would be effortless."

"When you were learning boxing from me, you used your Primordial Spirit senses without any problems, but you need to be careful in combat."

Recalling the last scene, Yu Tunzhou nodded solemnly and then asked:

"Senior Lu, what is meant by the Spirit Form contained within Inner Qi?"

Lu Huaiqing didn't answer, but only pointed to the ancient tree in the distance:

"Now, circulate your Inner Qi to its fullest extent and punch that tree. See how far your Inner Qi travels from your body and how powerful it is."

Yu Tunzhou focused his energy on his Dantian. Since it was a full-force punch, he channeled his inner strength into the Great Spirit Courtyard and delivered his punch towards a large tree about ten feet away.

During this time, Lu Huaiqing heard a sound like a roaring river coming from inside Yu Tunzhou's body, and he raised an eyebrow slightly.

The next moment, an invisible fist gust of wind slammed into the ancient tree. It initially took shape, but it dispersed as it went further away, eventually leaving only a shallow fist imprint on the trunk.

Yu Tunzhou looked at Lu Huaiqing, waiting for him to answer his questions.

He currently has a sufficient amount of internal Inner Qi, but no matter how much he accumulates Inner Qi, once it leaves his body by a foot, Inner Qi will become scattered and unformed, like a pile of firewood that has lost its binding rope and falls to the ground.

Lu Huaiqing then reconfirmed the distance between the Yu Tunzhou and the ancient tree.

That shouldn't be the case...

The distance had exceeded one zhang, approaching two zhang. In his expectations, Yu Tunzhou's punch would be considered a success if it could make the branches and leaves on the tree sway. However, it actually left a fist imprint that was neither deep nor shallow.

Is the [Spark Instruction] passed down by the Human Emperor really this domineering?

Speaking of which, the fact that this kid devoured Martial Fortune last night was definitely not the work of the [Spark Instruction].

Suppressing his curiosity, Lu Huaiqing did not intend to investigate further; he only taught martial arts.

He slowly explained, "If Inner Qi is not cultivated into Spirit Form, it will dissipate if it leaves the body by one zhang. The so-called Spirit Form is divided into two types: one is the Primordial Spirit Form Refinement, and the other is the Martial Arts Form Refinement."

"In this day and age, the classification of martial arts is rather superficial, corresponding to different realms. The lowest level is mere fist and footwork, which cannot be called martial arts at all, corresponding to the Qi Ingestion Realm."

"Then comes the Chain Forming Martial Arts, corresponding to the Chain Forming Realm. Martial arts at this realm can cultivate Martial Intention, Fist Intent, and sword intent, all of which fall into this category."

"Subduing the Dragon and Taming the Tiger is the Chain Forming Fist Art. If you can master the convergence of the Dragon and Tiger, you can also achieve the cultivation of Inner Qi Spirit Form."

Yu Tunzhou eagerly asked, " In the Qi Ingestion Realm, how far can Inner Qi travel from the body at most?"

Lu Huaiqing pondered for a moment and said, "Generally speaking, the upper limit of Inner Qi leaving the body will not exceed the range that the Qi Ingestion Method can influence. Therefore, even the top-tier Qi Ingestion Method can only reach about three or four zhang."

What is the scope of influence of the Qi Ingestion Method?

Yu Tunzhou's eyes lit up. His [Spark Instruction] had not yet been fully developed. Once he reached the eleventh level, the vortex would double in size, reaching over six zhang!

In a fight, the longer the distance, the stronger the advantage; those of the same level will inevitably have the upper hand!

Lu Huaiqing assumed a boxing stance again and said, "This time, I will punch slower. Use your Primordial Spirit to observe every detail of my body and perform a set of Subduing the Dragon and Taming the Tiger with me."

Yu Tunzhou nodded, and following suit, assumed the boxing stance.

In the courtyard, one person teaches boxing, and another practices boxing.

After Yu Tunzhou had demonstrated the entire set of boxing techniques, Lu Huaiqing nodded:

"Your stance is set; now it's time to practice your punches. Subduing the Dragon and Taming the Tiger isn't exactly a profound martial art, and you've already mastered the 'body like a great elixir' technique. The best way to practice isn't to figure it out on your own, but to practice with a partner."

Sparring?

Yu Tunzhou paused for a moment.

The next moment, Lu Huaiqing assumed a boxing stance again, expressionless, and calmly said:

"I will suppress my strength to a level similar to yours."

"Yu Tunzhou, remember this: it was I, Lu Huaiqing, who begged you to practice martial arts with me. I, Lu Huaiqing, have never begged anyone for anything in my life. The reason I begged you is because I hope that you Yu Tunzhou, can inherit the purest aspect of me Lu Huaiqing, as a martial artist."

"So, if you can't do as I wish..."

Lu Huaiqing took a step forward, the stride small but the aura astonishing, unleashing a torrent of his Subduing the Dragon and Taming the Tiger Fist Intent.

Yu Tunzhou's gaze burned with fervor, and he felt his whole body trembling. It wasn't fear, but a burning, throbbing excitement welling up from his very bones, as if he too was anticipating the battle to come.

This punch came incredibly fast, heading straight for the center.

Yu Tunzhou did not dodge. He held his hands horizontally and took the punch head-on. Assessing Lu Huaiqing's strength, he was sent flying several meters away by the punch. He then used his feet to move very slightly to dissipate the force.

This strength...

He looked into Lu Huaiqing's eyes and slowly exhaled.

Although the other party didn't say the last half of the sentence, he could guess what it was.

It's nothing more than death.

Yu Tunzhou took a step forward, adopting the same stance as the Subduing the Dragon and Taming the Tiger Fist, his Fist Intent flowing freely.

The next moment.

The two fists collided.

The force of the punch stirred up dust within a ten-foot radius.

Yu Tunzhou slid backward for a full ten feet before regaining his balance, his arm half numb.

"Having only the stance but not channeling your power into a cohesive force is insufficient to defeat an enemy."

Lu Huaiqing's voice was calm, yet it was like a bucket of cold water being poured over him.

"Watch me!"

Lu Huaiqing lowered his waist and sat on his horse, like a fierce tiger crouching in the mountains, as immovable as a mountain. This was the first move of the twelve forms of Subduing the Dragon and Taming the Tiger and tigers, and also the foundation of the boxing style, Tiger Occupies the Mountain Gate!

He then took a step forward, and his fist technique suddenly changed, now in its second form – Hidden Dragon Ascends from the Abyss.

His movements were so swift, like a trapped dragon ascending to heaven, all his strength concentrated in this one punch.

Raising his hand is like pressing down on a mountain; dropping his fist is like stomping on the ground!