Physical immortality begins with Bajiquan

In the afternoon, at the martial arts training ground.

The disciples were practicing in pairs, the sounds of fists clashing and shouts rising and falling. Everyone was giving it their all, hoping to make a name for themselves in martial arts and achieve great success.

On the other side, however, the training ground was completely out of place, devoid of any sense of tension.

Thirteen or fourteen disciples, none of whom had even grasped the basics of Ming Jin, were crammed onto the stakes. Their stances varied, some were precise, while others were crooked and awkward.

Below the stake, there were seven disciples, being led by their senior brother to practice the eight major moves of Bajiquan.

After Qin Heng finished practicing Bajiquan several times, his whole body was steaming with heat, his muscles and bones were resonating, and he slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, which turned into white mist and dissipated into the air.

He stopped and stood still, looking down at the stake.

Senior disciple Zhang Mingyuan was running around alone, unable to spare any attention, constantly correcting the punches and postures of his seven disciples.

Qin Heng's gaze swept across the crowd, landing on Wu Geng, Ji Silang, and Li Xiaona, who were being sent by Guo Man before he left. He felt a slight stirring in his heart and stepped over.

"Senior Brother," he said softly, his voice low, "I'll take care of these three."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Mingyuan paused, turned around, and saw Qin Heng. Remembering Qin Heng's relationship with Wu Geng and the others, he nodded slightly.

"Alright, Junior Brother Qin Heng, then I'll trouble you to take care of things. But don't neglect your own affairs either; the martial arts exam is approaching, so you should seize the time to hone your skills!"

Qin Heng nodded slightly and walked towards Wu Geng, Ji Silang, and Li Xiaona.

"Senior Brother Qin Heng!"

When the three of them saw him coming, their eyes were full of eagerness. Ever since Guo Man left, Qin Heng had become their only support in the martial arts school.

Although the eldest brother would teach them, he had too many people to teach, and only Qin Heng would set aside a small amount of time each day to patiently correct their moves and explain the secrets of exerting force.

"Show me the eight moves you just practiced again," Qin Heng said calmly, his hands behind his back.

Wu Geng, Ji Silang, and Li Xiaona dared not slack off and immediately began practicing in turn.

Wu Geng practiced the Yama Three-Point Hand technique. He was dull and his movements were stiff and uncoordinated. He could not strike continuously and could only use his fingertips to poke awkwardly. His waist and hips did not move at all, and his energy flow was completely broken.

Ji Silang used the Overlord's Hard Reins technique, which was impatient and reckless. He only knew how to twist and pull with brute force, but he did not understand the secrets of grasping and pulling back, twisting and wrapping the waist and hips to generate power. His footwork was chaotic and unsteady, and he had no skill in grappling.

Li Xiaona used the Yellow Oriole Double Claw technique. She was timid and couldn't let go of her guard. She only adopted a stance and didn't use any explosive attacks. Her claws were loose and lacked locking power. Her shoulders and back were tense, and her hands and feet were disjointed and uncoordinated.

Qin Heng stood aside and quietly watched the three of them practice. He didn't blame them, even though he had taught them many times, they still couldn't get the hang of it.

He slowly stepped forward, pressed down on Wu Geng's stiff waist and hips, and said in a deep voice: "The Three Points of the King of Hell, one step at a time, the energy must be continuous. The three moves of point, pull, and collapse are a combination of attack and defense, all relying on the power generated by the waist and hips."

As soon as he finished speaking, he stood firmly beside Wu Geng, his feet planted firmly, his waist and hips slightly turned, his steps followed his body forward, his fingertips pointed, his wrists flicked, and his fists snapped – the three moves were executed in one smooth, clean and efficient motion, without a trace of superfluous posture.

"If you only use your fingertips to poke, without moving your waist or stepping forward, all your energy will be lost, and all your attacks will be ineffective."

Then he turned to point out that Ji Silang's mistake was that he only knew how to use brute force to pull the reins and did not know how to use his waist and hips to twist and wrap them back. In just a few words, he explained the secret of exerting force.

Finally, he walked up to Li Xiaona and saw that she was still hunched over, her claws loose and without any form. He corrected her, saying, "The 'Yellow Oriole Double Claw' technique requires the strength of a closed embrace and lock, not just empty posture. Sink your shoulders and drop your elbows, let your waist and stance follow, and combine the explosive and springy movements."

Having said that, he extended both claws simultaneously, blocking and closing forward. As he slumped down and fell from his horse, his claws locked together, generating a dense, explosive force. The entire set of movements was smooth and clean. As he finished, heat slowly rose from his body, and a layer of dense white steam faintly condensed on the top of his head.

While others practice boxing with heavy breathing and drenched in sweat, he breathes deeply and slowly, each strand of strength contained within his muscles and bones, and even the force of his punches is contained within an inch, not leaking out at all.

Zhang Mingyuan, who was not far away, was correcting his disciples' postures one by one when he caught a glimpse of this scene out of the corner of his eye, and his hands suddenly stopped moving.

This...this is a sign of hidden strength!

He was already close to the perfection of the Dark Force cultivation, so he naturally knew best what this state meant.

Only by entering the realm of hidden strength can one achieve the ability to condense one's qi and blood without leakage and to control one's strength at will. This is something that disciples of the visible strength realm cannot achieve.

Zhang Mingyuan was suddenly jolted, filled with disbelief.

But how long has Qin Heng been here? Half a year? His cultivation speed, which is only of average to below-average aptitude, has reached the level expected of someone with average to above-average aptitude!

He immediately put down his disciples and walked over quickly.

"Junior Brother Qin Heng! When did you break through to the Dark Force realm?"

The moment those words were spoken, the surroundings fell into a deathly silence.

The dozen or so disciples who were setting up their stances froze in place, completely unaware that their stances had become crooked. The disciples who were practicing their boxing also stopped, their eyes wide open, staring intently at Qin Heng.

Wu Geng and the other two stared at Qin Heng in disbelief, their eyes filled with barely suppressed joy and excitement.

Qin Heng withdrew his hand, his expression calm, looked up at Zhang Mingyuan, and replied frankly, "Senior Brother, it was last night."

"Last night?"

Zhang Mingyuan slapped his forehead, both amused and exasperated: "I happened to be away yesterday, and I never expected to be given such a shock by you today!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the crowd around, who had finally confirmed the matter, burst into gasps of surprise.

"Huh? Senior Brother Qin Heng really succeeded in breaking through the barrier and reached the level of Internal Strength!"

"Yeah! He's only been in the academy for a short time, and he's already broken through to the Dark Force realm?! Wasn't he supposed to have below-average talent?"

"Brother Qin Heng really went all out this time, achieving the Dark Force level before the martial arts exam! He really hit the mark!"

"Let's go, junior brother, I'll take you to the inner courtyard to see Master." Zhang Mingyuan suppressed his shock and surprise, reached out and grabbed Qin Heng's arm, and led him towards the inner courtyard without saying another word.

As the two walked, Qin Heng finally couldn't help but ask a question that had always been on his mind: "Senior Brother, there's something I've wanted to ask you for a long time."

Zhang Mingyuan paused slightly, turned his head to look at him, and said with a hint of gentleness in his eyes, "Go on."

"Now that I've reached the Inner Strength level, I can see that your cultivation, Senior Brother, is almost at the peak of Inner Strength, far exceeding the threshold for the martial arts examination. So why didn't you register for the exam this time?" Qin Heng's tone carried a hint of doubt. "With your strength, Senior Brother, you should have a very good chance of passing the martial arts examination, right?"

Zhang Mingyuan smiled upon hearing this, looking down at the bluestone slabs beneath his feet. His tone carried a hint of relief, but also a trace of unspeakable helplessness:

"Some people are born to be supporting characters, destined to only be foils."

"My second brother passed the martial arts examination a few years ago and is now studying at the Prefectural Martial Arts Academy. He is aiming for the future of becoming a martial arts graduate and is the hope for our family to bring glory to our ancestors." He paused, looked up at the gate of the martial arts academy, and said, "With his passing, I am the only one left in my family who can help manage the family business. And now that things are not peaceful in Heyang City, it is even more difficult for me to leave."

He withdrew his gaze, patted Qin Heng on the shoulder, and said in a calm but firm tone: "Everyone can fly higher and go farther, but I can't."