Physical enlightenment begins with Xingyi Quan

A few more days passed.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated in the backyard of the Xingyi Martial Arts School.

Chen Jianghe stood under the locust tree, having practiced the stance exercise for two hours.

Su Derong leaned against the corridor, fanning himself as he looked around, feeling a mix of emotions.

It took me three years to go from Ming Jin to An Jin, but this junior brother only took a little over a year.

"It's true what they say, comparisons are the thief of joy," Su Derong muttered to himself, fanning himself even faster.

The courtyard gate creaked open, and Li Chengyue staggered in.

The dark blue long gown was tattered, the left sleeve was almost torn off, and the hem was covered with mud and bloodstains.

His hair was disheveled, his face was covered in stubble, and there was a small wound on his right shoulder with the skin and flesh turned outwards. He looked exhausted and reeked of blood.

"Master!" Chen Jianghe quickly stepped forward, about to help him up.

Li Chengyue waved his hand, indicating that it wasn't necessary. He walked to the locust tree and plopped down on the stone bench.

"I'm exhausted..." he muttered, rummaging in his pocket for a while before pulling out something haphazardly wrapped in rags and tossing it to Chen Jianghe.

"then."

Chen Jianghe took it; the cloth bag was heavy and smelled strongly of blood.

Li Chengyue took a swig of wine, wiped his mouth, and said, "Open it."

Chen Jianghe untied it—inside was an animal leg.

Its fur is a mix of dark red and jet-black stripes, its muscles are bulging, and its bones are robust.

The broken edge gleamed with a pale golden luster, and its four claws were as sharp as short daggers.

"A red-striped leopard!" Su Derong gasped. "A fully grown leopard king! Master, you've entered the depths of Black Wind Ridge?"

Li Chengyue hummed in agreement: "This is a gift for becoming a disciple. I chased you for over ten days and finally managed to corner you. We fought, and I sold off the rest of my body parts, leaving only this hind leg. I'll use it to replenish your qi and blood."

Chen Jianghe gripped the leopard's leg, his heart trembling.

The Crimson-Striped Leopard is a rare beast of Black Wind Ridge, and the strength of an adult leopard king is comparable to that of a Transformation Realm expert. My master has been traveling for the past half month, specifically to hunt this beast.

"Thank you, Master."

Li Chengyue waved his hand: "Come on. This leg is enough to make ten pots of meat soup, along with bone-tempering soup, which will greatly solidify your internal strength foundation."

He looked at Chen Jianghe: "How does it feel to have initially mastered the hidden strength?"

Chen Jianghe pondered, "The power is internal, and its release and control are entirely at my command. But I always feel there's a membrane between us, one that I can't break through."

"That's normal." Li Chengyue nodded. "The gap between internal strength and external strength is insurmountable. Many people get stuck at this stage and never see the light of day again."

He got up and stretched, his joints cracking: "Today I'll tell you the difference between hidden strength and neutral strength."

He walked to the open space in the courtyard and waved to Chen Jianghe: "Use the Five Elements Fist to attack me with all your might."

Chen Jianghe felt a chill run down his spine.

"What are you dawdling about?" Li Chengyue frowned. "Afraid of hurting me? You're far from it."

Chen Jianghe no longer hesitated.

With a single step, his right fist cleaved down like an axe!

Five Elements Fist - The Splitting Fist belongs to Metal, sharp and capable of breaking through hardness.

This punch was delivered without reservation, its blade tearing through the air, its hidden power concentrated in one point. If it struck a person, it would surely destroy their heart and sever their meridians.

Su Derong's eyelids twitched at the sight.

Li Chengyue laughed.

Just as the fist was about to strike, he suddenly raised his left hand, his five fingers slightly spread, and lightly met it.

Fist and palm met.

There was no loud noise, no burst of energy.

Chen Jianghe felt as if his fist had struck cotton wool, and his condensed internal force had vanished like a mud ox entering the sea.

A supple force surged up and down my arm, causing my muscles to ache and feel numb, and my blood and qi to stagnate.

He grunted and took three steps back, barely managing to steady himself. His right fist was red and trembling slightly.

"You felt it?" Li Chengyue withdrew his hands and put his back behind his back. "Hidden strength is 'injury.' The power is contained within, penetrating the body and destroying the meridians, specifically targeting the vital organs."

He paused, then said solemnly, "And neutralizing force is about 'controlling others'."

What does "controlling others" mean?

Li Chengyue extended his right hand, fingers loosely clenched, palm facing upward: "The hidden force is like an iron nail, piercing through the body. Neutralizing force—"

With a flick of the wrist.

A few fallen, withered leaves in the courtyard were suddenly drawn together by an invisible force, gathered in the palm of the hand, and spun into a ball, spinning faster and faster without dispersing.

My palm trembled slightly.

The leaf head burst open, and hundreds of withered leaves shot out like arrows, "plop plop plop" embedding themselves into the earthen wall three zhang away, penetrating half an inch into the wall, arranging themselves into a perfectly round pattern.

"Like flowing water, it penetrates everywhere and is indestructible. It can be both strong and gentle, and it can gather and disperse."

Li Chengyue looked at Chen Jianghe: "Your punch just now, with its hidden force concentrated in one point, was indeed powerful. But in my eyes, it was full of flaws."

He lightly touched his arms, shoulders, waist, and hips: "Once your force is released, it is like an arrow released from a bow, with no further changes. I only need to neutralize your force at the moment it is about to be released, or deflect it, and you will collapse without a fight."

Chen Jianghe was visibly awe-inspiring.

"Please give me some guidance, Master."

Li Chengyue pressed on his Jianjing acupoint: "Relax and feel it carefully."

A warm and vast energy penetrated into his body, circulating through all his meridians.

Wherever it goes, the flow of qi and blood is as smooth as ever, and it gradually grows stronger.

"The essence of neutralizing force lies in 'listening to force'," Li Chengyue said, withdrawing his hand. "It's not about listening with your ears, but about 'listening' with your skin, pores, and the muscles and bones throughout your body. You can observe the flow of your opponent's qi and blood, the accumulation and release of their power, and the changes in their center of gravity as if you were observing the lines on your palm."

He pointed to his eyes: "In a martial arts contest, seven parts are 'seeing' and three parts are 'fighting'."

Chen Jianghe seemed to understand something.

Li Chengyue looked at him and suddenly sighed, "Jiang He, your talent... is not bad."

Chen Jianghe understood the weight in the tone.

"But no matter how talented you are, it's not enough in this world." Li Chengyue changed the subject, his tone sharp. "In chaotic times, gangs fight, warlords vie for supremacy, cults run rampant... even a master of the Transformation Realm can perish in a single day."

He ripped open his shirt, revealing a scar on his shoulder: "This wound was left by the Crimson Leopard King. That beast made a desperate attack, tearing out my heart with its claws. If I had been even a fraction slower, I wouldn't be back today."

Chen Jianghe was startled.

"Remember," Li Chengyue stared at him, enunciating each word clearly, "in chaotic times, only your own strength matters. Money, power, favors, promises... all can vanish overnight. Only these fists, this skill, are what you can truly rely on."

His voice was low, each word like a hammer blow: "If you really want to establish yourself in this world and protect the people you care about, you have to train like crazy, train to the point of exhaustion."

Chen Jianghe took a deep breath: "Disciple understands."

"Understanding is not enough; you have to do it."

Li Chengyue turned around and took something out of his pocket.

It is a palm-sized black iron plate with the ancient seal script character "形意" engraved on the front and a simple landscape pattern on the back.

"This is a token of the Xingyi School," Li Chengyue said slowly. "Our Xingyi Quan lineage has a long and rich history. This martial arts school in Yilin County is just a branch within a branch, with incomplete inheritance and limited resources. The true 'Xingyi School' is in Fuzhou."

He paused, a hint of reminiscence in his voice: "There are rules in the sect that if a disciple of a martial arts school in any region breaks through to the Transformation Realm before the age of twenty, he can take this token to the main sect to become an inner disciple and receive the true skill."

Chen Jianghe's pupils contracted slightly.

Li Chengyue continued, "Back then, I was lucky enough to reach the Transformation Realm before I was twenty years old, which allowed me to enter the sect and learn the later 'Twelve Forms Fist'. Unfortunately, later... well, let's not talk about the past."

Chen Jianghe said in a deep voice, "This disciple will do his utmost."