Chinese martial arts: From being shot and killed by the armed police during a mountain search to bec

Li Cunyi lay on the carpet, his breathing weak but steady.

Chen Hongwu sat by the window, moonlight streaming in through the porthole and casting a quiet shadow on him.

Practicing boxing underwater and fighting sharks are unprecedented experiences.

A shark's attacks have no set moves; they rely entirely on speed and power. Each of its attacks forces its body to react at its fastest speed.

In that extreme state, the pressure of the seawater enveloped his entire body, bones, muscles, and internal organs, making them all one. Every bone, every muscle, and every organ was connected as one.

This is the prototype of neutralizing force. The boxing manual says, "The one who neutralizes force is agile throughout the whole body, with no part of the body that is not relaxed and no part that is not tense."

In his book "The True Meaning of Boxing", Sun Lutang wrote, "When Xingyi Quan is practiced to the point of transforming into internal strength, the whole body becomes empty, without inside or outside, empty and solid everywhere."

The key is not the amount of force, but whether the whole body can function as a unified whole. Muscles, bones, fascia, internal organs, and skin all react at the same moment, interconnected and interdependent.

He just tried it out, and with a slight jerk, all 206 bones, dozens of tendons, and internal organs in his body seemed to become a steel plate. Any exertion from any part of his body could instantly transmit power throughout his entire body.

Chen Hongwu stretched his body, and his fur instantly stood up like porcupine quills, from his back to his thighs, and then from his forearms to his chest, every hair standing straight up.

Previously, the fur stood on end, covering only the torso and limbs. Although the fascia on the face had become much looser, it still couldn't move at will.

But when he tried to pull upwards with all his might, the hairs on his face stood up, and his scalp, forehead, cheeks, chin, and even the fine hairs on his eyelids felt slightly numb.

It's not fully connected yet, but it's like the first crack appearing on a dam; a complete breakthrough is not far off.

"I'm just one opportunity away from reaching the Transformation Realm. It might be tomorrow when I wake up from a good night's sleep, or it might be after a great battle."

Once the hidden force fully penetrates the facial fascia, he can enter the realm of neutralizing force.

At this moment, Chen Hongwu's entire body was in perfect harmony, the only thing missing was the last layer of membrane on his face.

He didn't rush to try; some things can't be rushed. He got up, washed up, changed into clean clothes, lay down on the bed, and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, Chen Hongwu was awakened by the sound of hurried footsteps on the deck.

He opened his eyes and listened for a moment.

Several pairs of feet were walking in the corridor, their voices were low but their tones were tense.

Chen Hongwu got up, dressed, and opened the cabin door. He saw several uniformed ship crew members standing at the end of the corridor, knocking on passengers' cabin doors one by one to check their identities and tickets.

They were accompanied by two Japanese men in gray suits, their faces solemn, their eyes sharp, and their waists bulging as if they were carrying weapons.

Chen Hongwu glanced back at Li Cunyi, who was still lying on the carpet, pale-faced and breathing steadily. However, his injuries were severe, and he wouldn't wake up for a while.

He closed the cabin door behind him and stood in the doorway.

The ship's crew tracked their way to Chen Hongwu's cabin door.

Chen Hongwu didn't wait for them to knock before walking out, closing the door behind him, and standing in the corridor with his back against the door panel.

The lead ship's crew member was a middle-aged man wearing round-framed glasses. He was holding a registration board in his hand. He glanced at Chen Hongwu and said politely, "Sir, this is a routine check. Please show your ticket and identification."

Chen Hongwu took out a boat ticket and a travel permit from his pocket and handed them over.

The shipping staff took it, checked it for a moment, nodded, and handed it back to Chen Hongwu: "Thank you for your cooperation, sorry to bother you."

Then he turned around, intending to leave with his men.

The Japanese man in the black suit behind him suddenly spoke up, saying in broken Chinese, "This one too, we need to check it."

The ship's crew member glanced back at him, looking troubled: "Sir, this passenger's ticket and documents are all in order."

The Japanese shook their heads and insisted, "Even if there's no problem, we must investigate. This is the Black Dragon Society's requirement."

Chen Hongwu stood at the door, looking at him calmly: "What do you want to investigate?"

The Japanese man looked him up and down, then reached for his waist: "Someone reported that this ship is harboring dangerous elements. We need to check all the rooms."

The Japanese man's face darkened: "Get out of my way."

"Get out!" Chen Hongwu blocked the doorway, his brow furrowed.

When the Japanese man met Chen Hongwu's gaze, he was struck dumb, and couldn't help but take a few steps back, his face full of terror.

The ship's crew quickly stepped forward to stop him: "Sir, this is a Swire ship from the UK. Your Black Dragon Society's influence doesn't extend here. This passenger is a first-class VIP, and there's nothing wrong with his ticket and documents."

"If anything goes wrong, we won't be able to explain it to either the company or the British concession."

Several crew members also gathered around, and although they didn't make a move, their attitude was clear.

The Japanese man nodded, his face pale, and then slunk away, his retreating figure conveying a sense of panic.

The ship's crew breathed a sigh of relief, wondering why the Japanese man was suddenly being so agreeable. At the same time, they bowed apologetically to Chen Hongwu, saying, "Sir, I'm sorry to have bothered you."

Chen Hongwu nodded and closed the cabin door.

For the next two or three days, the sea was calm on the ship.

Every morning, Chen Hongwu would practice standing meditation in his cabin, where the sound of thunder would resonate and his blood and qi would circulate.

He never missed a single meal of his daily routine. Late at night, he would climb out of the porthole and dive into the sea to practice his boxing.

I practice boxing during the day and feel the pressure of seawater on my fascia at night.

Each time he went into the water, he could feel the contact between his skin and the water becoming more delicate, and even his internal energy could be condensed more deeply in the water.

However, when he went into the sea, he saw that there were many more Japanese patrolling near the cargo hold, in groups of three or five, with alert eyes, as if they were guarding something.

Chen Hongwu didn't think much of it; as long as they didn't cause trouble, he wouldn't bother with them.

Li Cunyi's injuries showed significant improvement by the evening of the third day.

That evening, Chen Hongwu had just changed his dressing and was about to get up when he heard a low, hoarse cough coming from the sofa.

Li Cunyi slowly opened his eyes, his pupils initially dilated before gradually focusing.

He saw Chen Hongwu's face, paused for a moment, and let out a hoarse voice: "Master Chen...?"

"He's awake." Chen Hongwu handed him a bowl of water.

Li Cunyi took two sips with difficulty, which moistened his chapped lips.

He glanced around the cabin, then looked down at the bandages wrapped around his body, and tried to prop himself up to bow to Chen Hongwu: "Master Chen, did you save me?"

"Hmm." Chen Hongwu nodded.

"I will forever remember your life-saving grace and will surely repay it in the future!"

"Didn't you remind me too?" Chen Hongwu sat opposite him. "Consider it repaying a favor."

Li Cunyi gave a wry smile and did not reply.

Chen Hongwu asked, "How did you end up on the ship? And how did you get beaten up like this, tied to an iron ingot and sunk into the sea?"