I'll write a manual called the Sunflower Manual, and the entire martial arts world will turn in

Xie An waited in the kitchen in the backyard for a while, and then saw Xie Yu running out, wearing a patched plain dress.

The two left through the back door of Yong Sheng Martial Arts School, walking side by side on the bluestone road.

"elder brother."

Xie Yu excitedly opened a paper package, saying, "These are some fish scraps that Sister Qiulan gave me to take back to nourish my body. I see that my brother works hard practicing martial arts, so I'm going to give them to him to help him recover."

Xie An gently stroked Xie Yu's forehead without saying a word.

Xie Yu noticed the oil paper package Xie An was carrying. "Brother, did you buy medicine and supplements for the martial arts school?"

In Xie Yu's mind, the martial arts school sold medicinal supplements that could accelerate apprenticeships. However, they were extremely expensive. And currently, the family had little money left and was burdened with debt…

Xie An opened the oil paper package slightly. "Instructor Liu praised my talent and specially gave me some meat strips to nourish my body when I get back."

Xie Yu was delighted to hear this and took Xie An's arm, saying, "I knew you could do it, brother. With Instructor Liu's appreciation, you'll have the chance to become a formal apprentice in the front courtyard. Once you've mastered the skills, you can get a job outside, make a living, and even rise above others."

Xie Yu was very excited, as if she herself had become the one who had risen above others.

Looking at his smiling sister, Xie An felt a sense of relief. "Our lives will gradually get better."

As soon as they entered the red-light district, Xie An's eyes darkened.

One-Eyed Dragon, accompanied by five bearded men with knives at their waists, went from house to house collecting incense money, forcing people to sign usurious loan agreements, and also questioning Scarface Liu about his whereabouts.

Driven to desperation, some villagers cried out and begged for help.

"Uncle Eye, I just paid the incense money a few days ago. Why do I need to pay again?"

Humph.

The one-eyed man slung his broadsword over his shoulder and coldly shouted, "The previous incense money was given to Scarface Liu. Now that Scarface Liu has disappeared, your incense money is invalid, and you have to pay a new one. If you can't afford it, just sign a loan agreement. From now on, I'll be in charge of this street. Only what's handed over to me will count."

The whole street was filled with cries and screams.

Xie Yu huddled behind Xie An, clutching Xie An's clothes tightly, his body trembling.

Just as they reached the entrance of the bookstore, One-Eyed Dragon caught up with them, throwing his scabbard to the ground with a loud "thud."

"Isn't this the kid from Moxiang Bookstore? Heh, you're doing pretty well, huh? I heard you even went to Yongsheng Martial Arts School to work as a laborer. I say laborer, but everyone knows what that really means. Scarface Liu just died, and you already have money to pay your tuition to train in martial arts. What a coincidence!"

Having mastered the basics of stance training, Xie An's physique became stronger and more robust. Even when facing a few knife-wielding men with one eye, he was no longer intimidated.

But he still acted as if he was scared. "Master Yan, you've misunderstood. A few days ago, Zhao Hu, Liu Chun, and Xu Zhijie came to visit me. When they heard that I wanted to practice martial arts, they lent me ten taels of silver."

Xie Yu mustered his courage and chimed in, "If Master Yan doesn't believe me, he can go and ask."

"Don't try to scare me with Zhao Hu. That scoundrel was just a laborer at Zhenwei Escort Agency." The one-eyed man sneered, but the suspicion in his eyes had lessened considerably. "Your family's offerings also need to be paid again. Hand it over!"

He kept paying, it was pure extortion... Xie An felt a surge of murderous intent, but he didn't show it.

"Please wait a moment, Master Eye, I'll go get it right away." Xie An pulled Xie Yu into the bookstore in a hurry. Then he went to the cabinet, counted out six hundred copper coins, and handed them to One-Eyed Dragon.

One-Eyed Dragon counted the money and then stopped. "Prepare six hundred coins by the sixth day of next month. Not a single one less. Also, if I find out that Scarface Liu's disappearance is related to you, you and your sister can forget about living. And don't think that being a laborer at Yong Sheng Martial Arts School makes you great. In this world... every martial arts school is trying to make money. I've never heard of a laborer ever learning martial arts."

After One-Eyed Dragon and his group left, Xie Yu ran out from the inner room. "Brother, before, the Dragon King Gang had a rule for collecting incense money, so that people wouldn't starve. But lately, they've been raising the incense money and collecting it repeatedly... This is going to drive someone crazy."

A fierce glint flashed in Xie An's eyes. "The Dragon King Gang must be in big trouble. They've started drinking poison to quench their thirst, disregarding the lives of ordinary people. Sooner or later, something terrible will happen. Don't go out recently, especially to places with few people."

Tens of thousands of people live in Wuqiao Town.

Normally, although everyone is oppressed by the Dragon King Gang, they can still make a living, so they don't have any complaints. But if a large number of people lose their way to survive, that would be a different story.

"Okay. I know. I'll go cook first, we'll have a nice meal tonight."

Dinner was very plentiful.

There are meat strips, fish sauce, and white rice.

As Xie An continued practicing his stance training, he noticed a significant increase in his appetite, especially his craving for meat.

Rice and vegetables provide limited energy.

It needs to be a lot of meat.

After dinner, Xie An went to the courtyard and set up his fighting stance.

The image of Liu He's movements from that afternoon flashed through his mind, and he began to practice the six-path stance technique of the second level of the Hunyuan stance, imitating it exactly.

Compared to the first layer of adjusting and loosening the shape, the second style is significantly more difficult.

However, Xie An was physically strong, and with the added strength of the Sunflower Manual, he quickly mastered the basics.

"The core of the second level of mental cultivation is to concentrate the mind and nourish the vital energy. This requires focused intention, coordinated breathing with the internal flow of qi and blood, and the cultivation of a sensation of qi in the dantian..."

Half an hour later, he had mastered the first stance exercise of the second level of mental cultivation.

Xie An achieved a sense of resonance between his breath and his internal energy.

Coordinate breathing with stance training, achieving internal and external synchronization.

The powerful, warm currents along my spine began to flow noticeably, making me feel exceptionally comfortable.

"This Sunflower Manual is indeed a divine skill. According to Liu He, those who complete the eighteen forms of the Hunyuan Stance within a month will have the opportunity to become a registered apprentice in the front courtyard. At my current pace, I can finish it in just two or three days."

"The Dragon King Gang's fangs are getting longer and longer; who knows when they might cause trouble? I need to finish my stance training as soon as possible to hone my skin."

After mastering the first set of stance training, Xie An did not rest and continued to practice the second set.

……

The following day, Xie An went to the backyard of Yongsheng Martial Arts School to practice stances as usual.

Two of the original apprentices have been removed.

He said he couldn't bear the hardship of practicing stances, and since he made no progress in stance training, he gave up the idea of ​​practicing martial arts and went out to make a living as soon as possible.

Da Ya and Ma San, who were previously very enthusiastic towards Xie An, have become noticeably more distant.

Xie An observed this but said nothing, continuing to practice his stance training.

"Everyone, stop for a moment."

Liu He stepped forward, his enthusiasm noticeably higher than before, a stark contrast to his previous listlessness. "A promising talent has emerged from our group of students. Xie An completed the first level of the Hunyuan Stance yesterday, mastering the six stances and finding his footing. This shows that hard work is invaluable, and diligence can compensate for lack of talent. If you are truly determined to learn martial arts, don't give up easily. Raising tuition fees is no easy feat, and this might be your only chance to change your destiny. Even if you don't ultimately succeed, as long as you've given it your all, you'll have no regrets in this life."

Encouraged by Liu He, the laborers, who had previously looked gloomy, turned to look at Xie An, their eyes filled with fervor and envy... and a deep sense of loss.

"Xie An, from now on you don't need to practice with everyone. I will guide you individually. Come with me."

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Xie An followed Liu He into the living room.

"Yesterday afternoon I taught you the six stances of the second level. How many stances have you mastered?"

Faced with Liu He's questioning, Xie An pondered for a moment.

Actually, he had already finished practicing all six stances last night...

But he said, "I am dull-witted and have barely mastered two styles."

Even so, Liu He's eyes still shone brightly. "Good, good, good! This speed is already extremely fast. It's even faster than those genius apprentices in the front courtyard who are exempt from tuition fees. Today I'll teach you the remaining techniques..."

As lunchtime approached, Liu He warmly treated Xie An to a special meal.

A large bowl of braised pork belly, and fish soup.

Xie An pondered whether he should secretly leave some for Xie Yu.

Liu He said, "Don't worry, Qiulan and I are from the same village. I'll have Qiulan take extra care of your youngest sister, so her meals won't be bad."

Xie An sincerely bowed and said, "Thank you, Instructor Liu."

Liu He laughed and said, "Don't be so polite. If you really want to thank me, then go ahead and do your best. I'm counting on you to make me look good."

"Yes."

Three days passed in a flash.

Following Liu He's example, Xie An ate meat at every meal, and he clearly felt that his body was becoming more and more robust, and his strength had also increased considerably.

That night, after having dinner at home, Xie An went to the courtyard to practice the third level of the Hunyuan Stance, Hunyuan Unity.

Yesterday, Xie An told Liu He that he had finished practicing the second level of stance training, and Liu He taught him the six-path stance training of the third level in detail.

This is the most difficult and crucial layer of the Hunyuan Zhuang (Primordial Unity Stance).

It emphasizes the unity of form, energy, and spirit, allowing one to feel as if the whole body is a sphere, suitable for both movement and stillness, laying the foundation for unleashing power.

Even those geniuses in the front yard of Yong Sheng Martial Arts School who were exempt from tuition fees would need three to five days to master the third move.

However, with the blessing of the Sunflower Manual, Xie An spent a full two hours mastering the first stage of stance training.

Form, energy, spirit... the initial state of unity of the three is emerging.

This state became addictive for Xie An.

He practiced extra until dawn the next day.

The six stances on the third level were all practiced.

The Hunyuan Stance is now completely perfect!

Form, energy, and spirit are completely unified.

Breathing changes accordingly.

When inhaling, slightly contract your lower abdomen and lift your diaphragm; when exhaling, relax your lower abdomen and return your breath to your lower abdomen (dantian).

With each inhale and exhale, the sore muscles melt away like ice, transforming into a deep, refreshing relaxation.

A person is like jade that has been bathed in warm water, outwardly calm but inwardly radiant, their mind gradually becoming clear and serene.

Bang!

Xie An suddenly threw a punch, which produced a sharp and piercing sound as it cut through the air.

It feels like all the strength in your body is concentrated in one punch.

He walked to the old locust tree in the courtyard and punched the trunk, which was so thick that it would take one person to hug it.

Splash!

The tree suddenly shook violently, and leaves flew everywhere.

"I feel completely different..."

Xie An found two large millstones, estimated to weigh at least four hundred jin each. With a burst of strength, he lifted the millstones above his head. He held them there for several breaths before putting them down.

"Indeed, stance training is the foundation of martial arts. It aims to coordinate the body, ensure accurate movements, and master the techniques and direction of power generation..."

"It's like a swordsman wielding a knife; if his body is uncoordinated and his movements are inaccurate, he can easily cut himself..."

"Although I haven't trained my skin yet, my mastery of stance training has given me the skills to generate power, and the heat and energy left over from the Sunflower Manual within my body has an outlet. Now, one punch from me is enough to kill a martial artist who has just entered the skin training stage."

Xie An looked at his fist and felt the immense power of martial arts for the first time.

His eyes gleamed with a sharp, intelligent light, and he had a remarkably clear vision of the future.

Eh?

Just then, Xie An sensed movement on the control panel...

Could it be that Chen Lutang has finished his business and returned to practice the Sunflower Manual?