Physical immortality begins with Bajiquan

The study in the inner courtyard.

After Zhang Mingyuan and Li Yiping congratulated Qin Heng and left, only Qin Heng and his apprentice Mo Guangren remained in the room.

"Sit down, Xiao Heng."

Mo Guangren walked behind the desk and slowly sat down. He looked up at Qin Heng with a gentle gaze and gestured for him to sit opposite him.

Qin Heng quickly responded and quietly walked over to sit down opposite him.

Mo Guangren spoke calmly and indifferently, as if he had already seen through his thoughts: "Is there anything you want to ask? Tell me, and I will answer your questions."

Qin Heng hesitated for a moment, then said frankly, "While I am grateful for Master's favor in accepting me as your last disciple, I do have some doubts. I really don't understand why you chose me. In terms of innate talent and aptitude, I am inferior to Seventh Senior Brother Qin Tianbao; and in terms of seniority and dedication to managing the martial arts school, I am not as good as Eldest Senior Brother Zhang Mingyuan. So why did you choose me?"

Mo Guangren picked up the warm celadon teacup on the table, took a sip, and put it down so softly it was almost inaudible.

"Mingyuan has been with me the longest, and he has managed the martial arts school very well. I can rest assured that I will hand over Songxuan Martial Arts School to him after I pass away. Tianbao has top-notch talent and comprehension, but unfortunately, he is too distracted, impatient for quick success, and ruthless. All he cares about is how to climb the ranks."

He looked up at Qin Heng, his tone calm: "You're right. In terms of advantages in the eyes of others, they are indeed far superior to you. But there is one thing that you have that they don't, and that is what I told Hanyan: the pure heart that is most important in martial arts."

"The purpose of practicing martial arts is to strengthen oneself. The purity I'm talking about is never about being without desires." Mo Guangren gently tapped the table. "Purity is the only path to becoming stronger; there is only one: practicing martial arts."

"Tianbao wanted to become stronger, so in addition to his own efforts, he also tried to curry favor with the Huang family. For him, martial arts were just a stepping stone to success and fame. As for Mingyuan, he was too entangled in family affairs and ultimately found it difficult to concentrate on martial arts."

Mo Guangren changed the subject, his gaze returning to Qin Heng. "Only you possess a pure heart devoted to martial arts. Perhaps one day you too will be entangled in worldly affairs, but I believe in you, and you will never lose this sincerity towards martial arts. However, even if you do lose your way in the future, it will not prevent me, Mo Guangren, from passing on my mantle to you today."

Having said that, he slowly rose, walked to the bookshelf at the far end of the study, took out an antique deerskin scroll, and gently handed it to Qin Heng: "I pass this on to you; keep it safe. This is the fundamental diagram of the power of my Bajiquan style. Have you ever heard of it?"

Qin Heng quickly bowed and said respectfully, "This disciple has heard my senior brother mention it before."

He solemnly accepted the scroll and put it into his pocket, feeling a surge of emotion in his heart.

He hadn't fought for it, yet this item had somehow ended up in his hands. Although he could reach the Transformation Realm without this diagram, with its enhancement, he would be much faster, and his practice of fist techniques would also see a significant improvement.

Moreover, this diagram details the essence of power circulation when making a move, which is of great help in breaking down moves and in actual combat.

Hearing that Qin Heng already understood, Mo Guangren nodded to him: "Since you already know, then I won't repeat myself. Come, follow me."

After saying this, the master and disciple moved together to Mo Guangren's training room.

Qin Heng followed Mo Guangren into the training room, where he saw that the equipment was complete, with wooden stakes standing in rows, sandbags hanging from beams, and various weapons neatly displayed on weapon racks.

Mo Guangren turned around, his gaze falling on Qin Heng, his tone questioning: "Little Heng, that day at the martial arts competition, your senior brother and I watched the battles on the reviewing stand. In the first round of testing your strength, you were able to shatter eleven layers of iron sand bricks with a single blow. You must have already mastered the Bajiquan style, right?"

Qin Heng immediately cupped his hands and replied, "Master, you truly have discerning eyes. My skills are not something that can escape your notice. I reached the Great Perfection a few days before the martial arts examination."

"The timing was just right, a stroke of good fortune." Mo Guangren nodded slowly, his expression calm.

Afterwards, he dutifully examined Qin Heng's progress in cultivation and said in a deep voice, "You have only recently reached the Dark Force realm, and the Dark Force is just beginning to emerge. There are still many acupoints in your body that have not been opened. In particular, the Guanyuan, Neiguan, and Tanzhong acupoints are the key to the Dark Force flowing through the whole body. You need to calm down and open them one by one."

Mo Guangren's expression turned serious, and his tone shifted abruptly: "Now that you have entered the Dark Force realm, today I will tell you how to break through to the Transformation Force realm!"

He walked slowly to the center of the training room, his gaze deep and thoughtful, and began to speak slowly: "My Bajiquan can develop three kinds of strength: Ming (manifest), An (hidden), and Hua (transformation). Among them, Hua Jin (transformation strength) is the most difficult to develop. When the body generates strong strength and the fist strikes with a sound, it is unparalleled in its power and ferocity, capable of splitting rocks and shattering bricks. This is Ming Jin. Once you have mastered this level, you can establish yourself in the county town and make a stable living."

"When the strength transforms from hard to soft and is contained within the body, without revealing its sharpness, it can still concentrate the strength into a single point, penetrating the body and injuring the internal organs. This is called hidden strength. You have just entered this realm, and you are already extraordinary. If you were placed in a prominent family in the city or a gang in the martial arts world, you could secure a place for yourself and be respected by others."

At this point, Mo Guangren's gaze deepened, and his tone became more solemn: "The Transformation of Strength is the fusion of the hardness of Manifest Strength and the softness of Hidden Strength, like water and milk blending together, forming a unified whole, combining strength and gentleness, and controlling the flow of energy at will. The mystery of Transformation of Strength far surpasses that of Hidden Strength. Mastering Transformation of Strength makes one a top expert in this county town, and even the town's powerful families and top gangs will vie to treat them with respect and do their utmost to win them over."

Before he could finish speaking, Mo Guangren took a deep breath, his gaze suddenly sharpening, and he shouted, "Watch closely!"

Without moving his body, he slightly lowered his wrist and gently shook the hundred-pound blue stone lock a few feet away.

The punch was thrown silently, without any fierce power, yet it sent chills down Qin Heng's spine and made the surrounding air freeze.

"Bang!"

A loud bang was heard, but the bluestone lock did not shake and its exterior remained intact.

Just as Qin Heng was wondering, the stone lock suddenly exploded from the inside out, shattering into pieces that scattered all over the ground.

The dust of stone swept in, but as soon as it reached Mo Guangren, it was blocked by an invisible force of energy, and could not get close to him.

Qin Heng's pupils shrank, his heart filled with shock, and he blurted out, "Such methods can truly kill people from a distance."

Seeing Qin Heng standing there dumbfounded, Mo Guangren suddenly laughed loudly and turned to Qin Heng: "You're already stunned? My Bajiquan is only considered a mid-level martial art. If it were a high-level martial art, its techniques would truly be unbelievable."

Qin Heng suddenly snapped out of his daze and quickly stepped forward: "Master, what is superior martial arts?"

Mo Guangren stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the sky outside the courtyard, a hint of longing in his eyes: "Superior martial arts are profound and far more powerful than ordinary fist techniques, and they also involve internal cultivation methods. I myself have no chance to receive such a inheritance. If ordinary people do not have family heritage, the only way to get a chance to learn the secrets of internal cultivation is to pass the martial arts examination and enter the imperial court, or to join a sect."

Should one enter the imperial court or join a sect?

Qin Heng felt a surge of excitement. With the destiny of "Heaven rewards diligence" in his hands, he was not without a chance.

Mo Guangren withdrew his gaze, looked at Qin Heng, and said gently, "Alright, these are all things for later, there's no need to rush. The results of the martial arts examination were announced today, and the officials will probably be at your home soon to deliver the good news. Go back early today to be with your sister; it hasn't been easy for her to raise you all by herself."

As soon as he finished speaking, Mo Guangren took out a silver note from his sleeve and handed it to Qin Heng. It was exactly three hundred taels.

"Take this silver; consider it a congratulatory gift from your teacher to celebrate your passing the imperial martial arts examination."

Qin Heng panicked immediately and waved his hands hastily, "No! Master, I am already extremely grateful that you accepted me as your last disciple today and taught me the sect's secret techniques. How can I accept so much silver from you? I cannot accept it!"

"I'll accept it." Mo Guangren's expression was gentle, but his tone left no room for refusal. "Since you are my last disciple, I will treat you as my own son. Don't treat me like a distant relative. If I don't treat you well, what kind of last disciple am I? Just accept it without hesitation!"

Seeing that his master was determined, Qin Heng stopped refusing, his eyes slightly reddening, and solemnly bowed to accept the silver note.