nagpurpolice Chapter 12 First Trial of Martial Arts
Chapter 12 First Trial of Martial Arts
The Taoist Academy's curriculum is well-organized and tightly structured.
The mornings are usually theoretical classes, with different elders taking turns to teach a wide range of knowledge, such as "The Origin of the Dao", "Introduction to Herbs", "The Record of the Customs of the Nine Provinces", and even "An Explanation of Basic Formations".
The afternoons are dedicated to practical classes, where students practice the "Qi-Inducing Technique" and "Body-Forging Boxing" at the Dharma Practice Square.
After a few days, the differences between the disciples began to emerge.
With the foundation laid by Yi Jin Fa Sui, Lu Ming's comprehension of the Qi-guiding technique and his speed of absorbing spiritual energy far surpassed that of ordinary people.
The vortex of spiritual energy gathering around him was not astonishing, but it was exceptionally stable and long-lasting.
When practicing "Body Strengthening Boxing", his movements were fluid and natural, and he could faintly resonate with the surrounding environment.
It was as if he wasn't practicing boxing, but rather performing some kind of natural rhythm, which drew many approving glances from Elder Wu.
Qin Feiyu displayed astonishing passion and talent in martial arts.
When he practices "Body Strengthening Boxing", he is like a different person. His eyes are sharp, his fists whistle, and the sound of his blood surging can be faintly heard.
In just a few days, he had mastered the Eighteen Forms of Body Tempering Fist to perfection, and even began to study the variations in the power exertion techniques, making progress far ahead of others.
Hu Zhen's progress was steady, and her cultivation of the Qi-guiding technique proceeded step by step. Although her speed was not the fastest, her foundation was solid.
Body-strengthening boxing is still a challenge for her, but she is very resilient. She practices extra every day after class, often working up a sweat but never giving up.
That afternoon, Elder Wu announced the first small test—to examine the results of his training in the Body Forging Fist.
The method is simple: two people form a group and engage in friendly sparring using the moves of Body Tempering Fist, stopping when the point is reached.
The performance area suddenly became lively.
The boys were eager and excited.
Qin Feiyu was the first to jump out. He looked around and his gaze fell on Nangong Yu, who always had an arrogant air about him.
Nangong Yu excelled in Qi cultivation, and Qin Feiyu keenly noticed that his opponent also seemed unusually skilled in practicing Body Tempering Fist, unlike a beginner at all, which aroused his competitive spirit.
"Brother Nangong, please enlighten me!" Qin Feiyu clasped his hands in greeting, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit.
Nangong Yu frowned slightly. He was proud of his status and did not want to fight Qin Feiyu, but he could not refuse in front of everyone.
He could only say curtly, "Please."
The two stood still in the center of the field.
With Elder Wu's command, Qin Feiyu pounced like a cheetah, his fist striking straight at the center of the body. It was the most basic punch in the Body Tempering Fist, but when he used it, it carried an indomitable momentum!
Nangong Yu remained calm and dodged to the side, while simultaneously striking Qin Feiyu's wrist with a graceful, cloud-sweeping hand motion.
However, Qin Feiyu changed his move very quickly, turning his punch into a "mountain collapse" halfway through, sinking his shoulder and dropping his elbow, and slamming it into Nangong Yu's chest.
Nangong Yu crossed his arms to block.
"Bang!"
With a muffled thud, Qin Feiyu was thrown back several steps by the recoil, his arm went numb, and a look of astonishment flashed across his face.
His body, which had undergone the Yi Jing and marrow cleansing, and his martial arts skills, which he was so proud of, were surprisingly weak in a pure physical collision!
Qin Feiyu continued to charge forward, unleashing a series of Body Tempering Fist moves with fluid grace. Chop, Collapse, Drill, Cannon, and Horizontal—the five mother fist techniques were all at his fingertips.
Although it lacked spiritual power, it possessed an imposing aura.
However, Nangong Yu was completely at ease. No matter how Qin Feiyu changed his moves, he could parry them all, and each time he parried, he forced Qin Feiyu to retreat repeatedly.
The surrounding disciples were dumbfounded. They never expected that these two people, who had only been training for a short time, would have such strength in martial arts!
Although Qin Feiyu was constantly suppressed, they could still see that Qin Feiyu's progress in martial arts surpassed that of most people.
Finally, Nangong Yu seemed to have lost his patience and sent Qin Feiyu flying and crashing to the ground with a palm strike from a distance.
Although Qin Feiyu was in a sorry state, he was not injured.
Qin Feiyu's face turned pale and then red.
"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother Nangong!"
"Excellent! Qin Feiyu, you have a profound understanding of the Body Tempering Fist, and have grasped its essence! Your talent in martial arts is remarkable!"
Elder Wu praised Qin Feiyu loudly, making no attempt to hide his admiration for him.
"Nangong Yu comes from a family of cultivators and has been cultivating since childhood, so you don't need to be discouraged," Elder Wu said, offering words of comfort.
Qin Feiyu chuckled.
This quiz allowed many disciples who previously focused solely on Taoist cultivation to experience firsthand the power and allure of martial arts.
In the evening, after a day of cultivation, Lu Ming and his two companions returned to Chuming Garden together.
The setting sun dyed the sea of clouds golden red, and the distant, floating fairy mountains appeared even more mysterious and magnificent in the twilight.
"Look over there!" Hu Zhen suddenly pointed to a distant mountain peak that was entirely green, with a waterfall hanging like an inverted Milky Way.
"I heard from a senior sister that it's called 'Hundred Herbs Peak,' a place dedicated to cultivating spiritual herbs and researching alchemy. There's also a 'Hundred Herbs Spiritual Spring' at the summit, said to have miraculous effects, even reviving the dead and healing broken bones!"
"And that one, the one with the flames, is that 'Weapon Refining Peak'?"
Qin Feiyu pointed to another mountain peak from which the faint sound of metal clashing could be heard, his eyes shining.
"I definitely need to go and see for myself someday, to see if I can forge a divine weapon!"
Lu Ming looked in the direction they were pointing and saw a cluster of peaks, some with sword energy soaring into the sky, some shrouded in auspicious clouds, and some shrouded in mist, making them difficult to see clearly.
Each mountain peak exudes a unique and powerful aura, silently narrating the profound and extensive heritage of the Taoist Academy.
"Five years from now, I wonder which mountain peak we will be assigned to? Will we meet Xuanji and Qingping again?" Lu Ming was filled with anticipation.
He knew that only through hard work could he earn the right to choose his future.
Just as they were passing through a bamboo grove, they suddenly heard a faint "whooshing" sound.
Following the sound, they saw a small, snow-white animal with a tuft of golden fur on its forehead, pitifully curled up by the bamboo grove.
Its front paws seemed to be entangled in some kind of thorny vine, and as it struggled, specks of blood were already stained on its snow-white fur.
"It's a little snow fox!" Hu Zhen, being kind-hearted, immediately ran over and carefully helped it untangle the vines.
The little snow fox seemed to understand human nature; it didn't struggle, but just looked at Hu Zhen with its big, wet eyes.
After untangling the vines, the little snow fox affectionately rubbed against Hu Zhen's hand, then transformed into a streak of white light and nimbly darted into the depths of the bamboo forest, disappearing from sight.
"It seems to be a spirit beast raised by one of the senior brothers or sisters, which accidentally escaped," Lu Ming said with a smile.
Hu Zhen looked in the direction where the little snow fox had disappeared, her eyes filled with affection: "It's so cute."
Back in the courtyard, Lu Ming sat cross-legged as usual to consolidate his gains from the day's cultivation.
The moonlight, like water, bathed the courtyard.
He focused his mind on his body, guiding the spiritual energy, which was much stronger than when he first arrived, to slowly circulate in his meridians, feeling the wonderful sensation of his body merging with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.