Physical immortality begins with Bajiquan

The next day, on Datong Street, in the backyard of Cui's Pharmacy.

Qin Heng and Cui Ran had just finished their sparring match, both slightly out of breath, and stopped and stood still.

Cui Ran looked at him with admiration in his eyes. Bajiquan is inherently fierce and difficult to learn, with complex moves and tricky power exertion. Ordinary people might not even be able to reach the threshold of minor mastery even after years of immersion.

Yet Qin Heng was able to achieve a minor level of mastery in such a short time, which is truly remarkable given his high level of comprehension.

Even if he fails to reach the Dark Force level a second time, he will still be considered a top expert among those with the Explicit Force level.

Although the master family wouldn't think much of such a person, keeping him in their own shop would be just right, and it would be worth trying to win him over.

Thinking of this, Cui Ran smiled gently and walked slowly to Qin Heng's side. "Xiao Heng, have you received any financial assistance so far?"

"not yet."

Qin Heng stood there with his hands at his sides, shaking his head.

As far as he knew, there were probably very few disciples in the entire Songxuan Martial Arts Academy who could receive financial aid.

Those who can afford to provide assistance are all influential figures in Heyang County; those with shallow financial resources simply cannot afford such assistance.

Generally speaking, only disciples with better aptitude are likely to receive financial aid.

After all, who would be foolish enough to specifically fund a disciple with mediocre talent instead of choosing to fund a disciple who has the potential to go further and is more likely to bring returns to their own faction in the future?

"Then my Cui family is willing to sponsor you." Cui Ran gently patted Qin Heng's shoulder. "Although this is only a branch family and we can't compare to the main family's wealth, we can still provide five taels of silver in monthly salary, three taels of blood-nourishing powder, and fifteen catties of meat. What do you say, Xiao Heng? Are you willing?"

Even though I only spent a few days with Qin Heng, putting aside his outstanding martial arts aptitude, his courage and responsibility in not running away from danger and daring to fight are enough to warrant this assistance.

Upon hearing this, Qin Heng felt a flicker of surprise.

Sponsor me? Is Manager Cui really that bold? In the current situation, he's still willing to invest such a considerable amount of resources in someone like me with only average or below-average potential.

However, since someone was willing to give it to him, he naturally dared to accept it.

"Thank you for your guidance, Manager. I am honored!" Qin Heng took a step back, faced Cui Ran, and solemnly clasped his hands in greeting.

Cui Ran smiled and waved his hand, "Alright! From now on, Xiao Heng, you don't need to call me 'Master Manager' anymore. Just call me Uncle Cui!" He paused, then continued, "I'll get the silver for you right now, including the six taels you were owed for escorting the caravan last time. As for the remaining blood-nourishing powder and meat, I'll have someone deliver them to your residence before tonight. Before the martial arts exam, I'll practice with you whenever I have time. Just focus on practicing your martial arts."

Upon hearing this, Qin Heng once again solemnly clasped his hands and bowed, then followed Cui Ran and walked together toward the front hall.

After Qin Heng left, Cui Yingying immediately walked over with a displeased expression and grabbed Cui Ran's arm:

"Father, you're giving him way too much! With a little more, you could support a weaker master of internal energy. Why waste so many resources on him?"

Cui Ran simply stroked his beard and smiled, showing no intention of changing his mind.

Seeing this, Cui Yingying became even more indignant, her brows furrowing even more, her tone tinged with grievance and anxiety:

"Father—you always say I'm extravagant, wasting money on things that look good but aren't useful. But in my opinion, this is the waste! If our branch can't bring in a real master of internal strength to support us in the family's branch assessment later this year, won't we still be at the bottom? Are we going to have to take the lowest share every year?"

Upon hearing this, Cui Ran continued stroking his beard, remaining silent for a long while before finally murmuring in a low voice:

"Silly child, how could your father not know? But while choosing someone based on their strength, how can we not first consider our own resources and whether we can truly afford to support a master of internal strength? Looking at the current situation in the county, it's already difficult enough for us to maintain our existing foundation and share."

He raised his head and looked into the distance, his expression showing a hint of weariness and helplessness: "Father has done everything he could. The rest is up to fate."

......

In the afternoon, Qin Heng returned to Songxuan Martial Arts Hall.

He had only been practicing on the stakes for a short while when Guo Man called him over and invited him to the training ground to spar.

Although he was reluctant to go, he eventually agreed, remembering that Guo Man used to spar with him and teach him moves.

Apart from Qin Heng, Guo Man is the most hardworking and diligent person in the martial arts school. He has accumulated a lot of experience in the Ming Jin realm and his strength and martial arts skills are extremely solid.

This time, when he was sparring with him again, Qin Heng planned to go all out from the start.

After the two stood in the center of the training ground, they simultaneously assumed the starting stance of Bajiquan from Songxuan Martial Arts School.

Seeing this, the surrounding disciples also gathered around. Hou Xiaomei, Li Shoutian, Chu Erniu, Wu Geng, and a few others who were familiar with each other squeezed to the front, all with their eyes wide open and holding their breath, waiting to watch the competition.

"Junior brother, be careful!"

Guo Man took the initiative, lowered his waist and exhaled, and threw a powerful punch straight at Qin Heng's chest. The fist was wrapped with a strong force and smashed down with a sound of wind breaking. Before the fist even arrived, the force of the punch, like a mountain collapsing, had already made Qin Heng's breath catch in his throat for a moment.

This time he didn't hold back; with Qin Heng's current strength, he would need to go all out to defeat him.

Qin Heng neither dodged nor evaded, his gaze fixed on the opponent's incoming fist. He quickly raised his left arm to form a shield and directly met the attack head-on.

Bajiquan is all about toughness; if you're tough, I'll be even tougher!

With a muffled thud, the impact of their fists and arms sent dust flying from their feet, and each of them took a half step back.

Dry!

After a fierce clash, Qin Heng's fighting spirit was completely ignited.

Instead of retreating, he advanced, stomping his foot and moving like an arrow. His right fist was clenched tightly, and he launched a powerful punch straight at Guo Man's face. The punch was fierce and carried an indomitable spirit. He was determined to make a difference once he made a move!

not good!

Seeing this, Guo Man hurriedly raised his arm to block. Their fists collided, and with a soft "crack," he felt a sharp pain in his arm, as if his bones were about to break.

Before he could recover, Qin Heng's left elbow swept out, a horizontal elbow strike from Bajiquan, slamming into his ribs.

Guo Man hurriedly turned to the side, barely avoiding a vital spot, but his shoulder was still struck by the tip of an elbow, and a tingling numbness instantly spread across half of his body.

The two were locked in a fierce battle, their fists, elbows, shoulders, and knees colliding in turn, each contact producing a dull thud that made the eardrums of those around them vibrate.

Guo Man, relying on his abundant blood and energy, launched a fierce attack with all his might, aiming for vital points with every move. However, Qin Heng's boxing style was faster and more varied, with each move precisely blocking the point where Guo Man's strength was at its peak. Moreover, he could always launch a sharp counterattack in the gaps between Guo Man's moves.

Hou Xiaomei, watching from the sidelines, gripped her clothes tighter and tighter, while Chu Erniu stared wide-eyed, exclaiming, "My goodness, Qin Heng is ruthless!"

After exchanging more than ten blows, Guo Man gradually became impatient, and the veins on his forehead bulged. He had entered the academy more than two years earlier than Qin Heng and had already achieved the Great Perfection of Ming Jin. If he could not win quickly against Qin Heng, who had only recently entered the Ming Jin realm, where would he put his face as the senior brother?

Next, he will unleash his most ruthless moves to seize the initiative.