The God of the Human Realm!

Chapter 13 Transforming the Illusory into the Real, Changes in Force

"Indeed! The human body has limitless potential. If it can be guided and developed, it can unleash tremendous power capable of splitting stone and shattering monuments."

Yang Erhu's voice was deep and solemn, and he sighed again: "Unfortunately, this is all the strength I have left for this old man. In a few years, I'm afraid I won't even be able to deliver this one blow."

"Because of age?" Hong Yuan asked.

“Yes, just as plants wither and flourish, and prosper and decline, so too does this apply to humans. True strength comes from the body and from the blood and qi. When people get old, their physical strength declines and their blood and qi weaken, so how can they stimulate true strength? Even the best methods are useless.” Yang Erhu shook his palms, which were still a little numb and tingly, and couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

Immediately, Yang Erhu glanced at Hong Yuan sideways, feeling a growing sense of unease.

The trip to 'Biwu Wonderland' revealed the exceptionally talented Hong Yuan. Yang Erhu had long harbored the idea of ​​taking him as a disciple; otherwise, why would he have gone to the trouble of bringing him back?
Although today's event was a sparring match with my junior brother, it also served as a performance to showcase my strength, all in an attempt to entice Hong Yuan to take notice.

Unexpectedly, Hong Yuan was just like that jujube wood stake...

Thinking about Yang Erhu made me feel exhausted. He's already so old, and he still has to fight a strong man like his junior brother. Is it easy for him?

"It's a pity that I have no hope of mastering such a fine martial arts tradition in my lifetime, but my junior brother has a better chance."

Yang Erhu sighed.

Yang Lie muttered, "I want to learn! It's one thing if my dad won't teach me, but my uncle and Uncle Wu won't teach me either. Why should they?"

“Because you lack talent, because you haven’t worked hard enough…” Wu Duxiong sat on the stone steps to the side with an air of superiority, glancing at him indifferently: “If you had put in enough effort, you would have already entered the realm of mastery by now.”

Yang Lie had nothing to say.

He was fond of martial arts, but also preferred a comfortable life. He only had a short attention span for anything. Perhaps that's why his father didn't teach him the school's martial arts, but instead chose another famous teacher for him.

Hong Yuan hesitated for a moment, then bowed and said, "Senior Yang, I have a favor to ask..."

If someone makes an unreasonable request to Hung Yuen, he will usually wave his hand to interrupt them and tell them not to speak.

So, to prevent others from doing the same to him, Hong Yuan spoke first: "This junior wishes to become your disciple, senior!"

……

Inside the ancestral hall of the Yang Family Martial Arts School, used for sacrificial rites.

Hong Yuan held three incense sticks and offered them to the incense table. He solemnly bowed to the ancestral tablet and listened to Yang Erhu explain the rules of the sect. The rules were roughly that one must not deceive one's master or ancestors, kill fellow disciples, or pass on the sect's techniques without permission. They were not too complicated, and he carefully noted them down.

"Master!"

"Martial Uncle!"

Hong Yuan didn't have anything to be pretentious about. Modern people are basically pragmatic. After entering the door, he bowed to Yang Erhu and Wu Duxiong.

There were only three people in the offering hall. Even Yang Lie wasn't qualified to enter, since strictly speaking, he wasn't considered a disciple of the 'Tiger Subduing Sect'.

Yes, Hong Yuan already knew that their sect was called the 'Tiger Subduing Sect'.

Inside the ancestral hall are two memorial tablets, one for the patriarch "Dragon and Tiger Taoist" and the other for the grandmaster "Master Li".

"Okay! Okay!"

Yang Erhu patted Hong Yuan on the shoulder, his face beaming with undisguised joy.

"Congratulations, Senior Brother, on gaining such a fine disciple. The Fuhu Sect finally has a successor." Wu Duxiong's eyes also revealed his expectation.

Yang Erhu grinned from ear to ear: "I've already had the servants prepare a feast. We'll have a big celebration at noon, and then I'll teach you the martial arts of our sect this afternoon."

This huge martial arts school must have a few servants, otherwise, let alone preparing meals for a dozen or twenty apprentices and nominal disciples, the cleaning and sweeping alone would keep them busy every day.

The banquet was only for four people at one table. In Yang Erhu's words, this was a matter for his Fuhu Sect, so why invite outsiders to disturb it?
The feast was lavish, with roasted pigeon, river shrimp, bamboo shoots, medicinal soup, and plenty of chicken, duck, fish, and mutton. There was even beef, which the government prohibited from being eaten privately.

Yang Erhu, Wu Duxiong, and Yang Lie were all martial artists. Hong Yuan had not formally learned martial arts yet, but he was strong and had a big appetite. The four of them ate heartily, their mouths greasy, and they were all very satisfied.

Because of the afternoon martial arts class, each person only had a small cup of alcohol.

After lunch, they allowed more than an hour to digest and rest. When the sun was slightly warm, the four of them went to the training ground in the backyard again.

Wu Duxiong glared at Yang Lie and snorted, "What are you doing here?"

"Am I not even a half-disciple of the Fuhu Sect? What, can't I even take a look?" Yang Lie said indignantly.

"Of course, come on over!" Wu Duxiong called out as he walked over.

Yang Lie sensed the former's ill intentions and was about to run away when Wu Duxiong reached out and grabbed Yang Lie's shoulder, dragging and pulling him outside: "You want to learn martial arts, right? Come with me to the front yard, and I'll personally train you."

"No, Uncle Wu..."

Yang Erhu ignored the commotion caused by Wu Duxiong and Yang Lie, and walked to the center of the training ground to talk eloquently: "All martial artists in the world seek to 'enter the realm of internal strength'. To enter the realm of internal strength, one must strengthen the body and nourish the blood. You already know this, right?"

Hong Yuan nodded.

Yang Erhu said, "My Fuhu Sect's body-strengthening methods are divided into two types: dynamic and static. The static one is stance training, the Fuhu stance! Watch carefully!"

As he spoke, Yang Erhu stood with his feet shoulder-width apart, chest slightly tucked in and back straight, head held high as if supporting something, eyes blazing as he stared straight ahead, arms hanging naturally at his sides, fingers slightly spread like claws. After a few breaths, his center of gravity slowly lowered, his spine arched like a bow, poised to strike, like a tiger crouching on a mountain cliff, his breaths flowing with a natural, long rhythm.

Upon seeing this, Hong Yuan immediately faced him and assumed the "Tiger-Taming Stance" as well.

Yang Erhu didn't comment on whether it was good or bad or correct him, but continued, "The exercise is called 'Rock-Solid Exercise,' which is a hard-earned skill for strengthening muscles and bones. The method is not difficult, but mastering it is the most difficult for many people. If the initial 'stretching and loosening of muscles and bones' is not accompanied by medicine to relax muscles and promote blood circulation, one session can be unbearable. Later, you have to carry heavy loads and do things like climbing and long jumps. Without enough meat, medicinal food supplements are out of the question."

Yang Erhu sighed inwardly.

He ran a martial arts school for over a decade, teaching batches of apprentices, 99% of whom he only required to practice stance training and some basic fist and foot techniques.

The "Rock Skill" is a method of strengthening muscles and bones, and every step requires money to pave the way. How can ordinary people endure it?
As Yang Erhu sighed, Hong Yuan's heart sank. His dream of those heroic, fragrant, and gentle female knights-errant was shattered.

With this kind of training method, where are the chivalrous heroines in martial arts novels? Women who practice martial arts will all turn into muscular women, won't they?

Of course, given our limited perspective, we cannot rule out the possibility that there are even more profound methods.

"Next is the guiding technique, which also has two methods: external and internal. The external method uses physical movements to guide the whole body, exercising every part of it..."

As they were talking, Yang Erhu withdrew from the stance training and began to assume all sorts of strange postures, which Hong Yuan thought resembled yoga practice.

"Use guiding techniques to exercise your feet, knees, hips, waist, back, shoulders, elbows, wrists, and hands... Every step you take will move your entire body."

"This is the external training method of guiding exercises."

Yang Erhu continued demonstrating eighteen movements in one go without stopping, before finally exhaling and regaining his footing.

"As for the internal training method of guiding the body, it can be said to be the first and most difficult hurdle before entering the stage of strength. It is no easier than grasping the qi and blood, and even takes more time."

Yang Erhu looked at Hong Yuan and said with a solemn expression.

Hong Yuan also adopted a serious expression and listened attentively.

"Everyone has Qi and blood, which exist in every part of the body, but these are all intangible. You know they exist, but you can't see or touch them, so how can you sense Qi and blood?"

Yang Erhu stared at Hong Yuan and slowly uttered two words: "Imagine!"

“That is, meditation, for example…” Yang Erhu raised his arm, his arm suddenly tensed, veins bulging, and he said, “When you look at your hand, or of course, any part of your body… you must have a firm belief and will in your heart, believing that qi and blood flow within it, and that this qi and blood is something you can touch…”

"Your will is your hand. Use this invisible 'hand' to drive the flow of qi and blood. It has no direction, so give it a direction; it has no form, so imagine a form for it!"

'Isn't this just self-hypnosis?'

Hong Yuan thought to himself.

"This step is extremely difficult. Many martial artists, even if they have the methods, cannot grasp it even after decades of practice. It requires countless meditations and years of tempering one's mind and character before there is even a slight chance of success."

"Once you 'see' or 'touch' your Qi and blood, you can try to use breathing techniques to control your Qi and blood, twist them into one, turn the illusory into the real, and enter the stage of true strength."

Yang Erhu suddenly smiled as he finished speaking: "Do you feel the difficulty? Have you given up? Even if you cultivate your true strength after such arduous training, you may not be that powerful. Someone as talented as you, with great strength and quick reflexes, might not be able to beat me in a fight!"

Hong Yuan smiled and said, "Don't worry, Master, a few difficulties won't scare me!"

Right, Deep Blue, add some points!

Hong Yuan had a thought, and seeing the rows of tiny characters floating in front of him, he felt quite relieved.

Seeing his firm resolve, Yang Erhu was quite pleased: "Good, today you will first memorize the stance training and guiding techniques. Tomorrow I will teach you the breathing method and the fighting technique of the Fuhu Sect, 'Fuhu Fist'!"

"Master, what did you mean by the 'changes in strength' that you mentioned before after entering a state of mastery?" Hong Yuan changed the subject.

With his hands behind his back, Yang Erhu strolled to the jujube wood stake that he had cracked with a single palm strike at noon and said, "This is about the cultivation of true strength, which has about three levels."

"The first level is the initial stage of true strength. Although this level has grasped the qi and blood, the true strength is violent and difficult to control. Once a punch is thrown, it is like opening a floodgate and it is unstoppable. Therefore, it often only has the power of one strike. After one strike, one's own qi and blood are completely depleted. In mild cases, one can recover after resting for half an hour. In severe cases, one will be paralyzed and faint, or even suffer internal injuries."

Hong Yuan immediately recalled how Yang Erhu had shown signs of exhaustion after striking out with his palm, only recovering after two or three breaths.

"With prolonged cultivation at the first level, one can gradually control the gate, preventing the force from being completely released in one strike. With the power of two, three, or even ten strikes, although it cannot compare to the power of a completely released strike, the true energy is still violent, and killing does not require the full strength."

"As for the second level, it is about controlling the force at will. As the name suggests, once you reach this level, your strength is as easy to control as your own limbs. I used to barely reach this level, but now I can't maintain it anymore!"

Yang Erhu spoke in a hesitant tone.

"The third level is the subtlety, which is the exquisite control of force. Only when you reach this level can you be called a true master. You can travel the world alone. Even gangs in the martial arts world will give you face. Aristocratic families, nobles, and high-ranking officials will also treat such a person as an honored guest."

“These people are already grandmasters, enough to establish their own sects.”

"The reason they have such prestige is because these people have mastered the art of manipulating force. A martial artist who has reached the level of mastery might be able to fight against dozens or even hundreds of ordinary people... but if they encounter heavily armored soldiers, they can barely hold their own against ten or eight, but if there are twice as many, they will have to run away. Otherwise, even if they are not surrounded and killed, they will be exhausted to death."

"And for grandmasters at the microscopic level, even if they encounter heavily armored soldiers, killing them is as easy as killing ordinary people. This is because, after the force changes in their hands, they can unleash all sorts of incredible forces: spiral force, flying catkin force, silk-wrapping force, bone-penetrating force, and force from a distance..."

Yang Erhu touched the jujube wood stake again and said, "For example, this stake, I can only crack the surface with one palm, but a master who has mastered the art of telekinesis can strike it down without damaging the surface, but the inside will be shattered into cotton wool. What use is armor to soldiers when they encounter such a person?"

……

(End of this chapter)