Republic of China era: Actor? Please call me Martial Arts Master!

Chapter 200 Sighing over life, the Eight Extremes Ancestor regrets the initiation.

The night in Nanjing is filled with the continuous drizzle of plum rain.

In the courtyard of the Song Mansion in the heart of Xuanwu Lake, blood mixed with rainwater flowed gently along the bluestone slabs.

Lu Cheng stood quietly in place, his gray-blue robe still smooth and without a single water stain.

At his feet, Song Peilun's proudest thirty-six Bajishan warriors lay scattered on the ground.

Tendons and bones were broken, and the patient cried out in agony.

Lu Cheng's gaze swept past the mess on the ground and fell upon the heavy security door leading to the underground chamber deep within the courtyard.

However, just as Lu Cheng was about to step towards the door, his eyes flickered slightly.

The spiritual awareness of "seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune" gently stirred within my consciousness.

"well----"

An old sigh pierced through the dense plum rain.

Followed by.

It's the second or third tone.

In the rain, three yellowed oil-paper umbrellas slowly opened from the depths of the courtyard corridor.

Three elderly men dressed in old, dark blue long gowns walked out unhurriedly.

They wore old-fashioned round-toed cloth shoes, the soles of which sank into puddles without splashing a single drop of water.

The raindrops fell three inches above their heads and were quietly slid away by a layer of air.

"Not a single feather can be added, not a single fly can land."

Lu Cheng slowly withdrew his foot.

[Linglongxin] sees the five aggregates, his eyes narrow slightly, and a solemn look flashes deep in his eyes.

These three old men had their vital energy and blood contained to the extreme.

Like three dry wells, seemingly without any ripples, yet unfathomably deep.

"Nanjing is truly a deep pool where hidden talents reside."

Lu Cheng did not draw the [Breaking the Enemy] sword from his waist, but simply put his hands behind his back.

The three old men finally stepped out and stood about three zhang away.

Although they were quite old, their figures were even somewhat hunched.

But with each step, the puddles beneath his feet parted in all directions; this was because his qi and blood had reached an extremely high level of purification, and his inner energy naturally emanated outwards.

The manifestation of overflow.

Especially the head of the major lineage who was walking in the very center.

His every breath seemed to subtly harmonize with the frequency of the thunder and rain.

With each rise and fall of his chest, it was as if an ancient, ferocious beast was lurking within.

"Has he reached the threshold of attaining the elixir of immortality?"

Lu Cheng stopped in his tracks, a golden glint flashing in his eyes.

He naturally recognized the three men's style.

That fierce, unyielding, and indomitable spirit of Bajiquan can only be possessed by the most accomplished masters who have mastered it to its highest level.

These three are clearly the elders from the main lineage of the Bajiquan sect who have been in seclusion and never seen the light of day.

"Master Lu, I've long admired you."

The head of the major clans clasped his hands in a slight fist salute.

A hint of regret lingered in those cloudy yet sharp old eyes.

"These three seniors, instead of enjoying their twilight years in the deep mountains and comprehending the Great Dao, have come to this murky Jinling City, bringing disaster to the country."

Are politicians who bring disaster to the people acting as watchdogs?

Lu Cheng casually raised the ancient sword [Po Lu] at his waist, his tone indifferent, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Upon hearing this, the second branch master on the left blushed and let out a long sigh.

"Master Lu, do you think we old folks want to get involved in this mess?"

The head of the clan shook his head, his gaze sweeping over the luxurious Song Mansion, his eyes filled with the sorrow of the times.

"Brother Lu, you are too young. You don't understand the hardships of this world."

The Grand Master's voice was hoarse.

"These days, even the worst quality flour costs two and a half silver dollars, and a pound of pork with blood in it costs two cents."

"Our martial arts practitioners and their descendants can't even afford a hearty meal of cornmeal porridge. How are they supposed to cultivate their inner strength and pass on the art of martial arts?"

"The powerful ships and cannons of the Western powers are already positioned at our national gates. With a single shot from those steel behemoths, countless lives will be lost within a hundred meters."

"Let alone the Transformation Realm, even old bones like us who have just touched the threshold of the Core Formation Realm are nothing but a pile of rotten flesh in front of those monsters."

The Grand Master stared intently at Lu Cheng.

"Minister Song promised us that as long as the National Martial Arts Academy could stabilize the situation, the government would spare no effort in utilizing all of China's resources, medicinal herbs, and even Western scientific methods to create a true 'Martial Immortal.'"

"Only true martial immortals who have attained the elixir of immortality can take the enemy general's head from among thousands of troops and completely overturn the course of the war in the future battle of the Celestial Empire."

"For this greater cause, we old bones are willing to bear eternal infamy and serve as dogs for politicians."

o

Hearing this heart-wrenching confession, Lu Cheng felt no anger.

His exquisite mind illuminated the five aggregates, and he felt only a wave of sorrow.

This was the limitation of martial artists in the old days.

They have integrity and courage.

But faced with the overwhelming power of industrial civilization, their backbone was bent by reality.

Ultimately, they could only pin their hopes on the vague "deification" plan, and were even willing to submit to traitors like Song Peilun.

"Master Lu, we respect you for spreading your teachings throughout the North."

The three masters on the right stepped forward, their eyes filled with reluctance.

"We know you are a prodigy, having achieved such skill at just over twenty years old."

"But legend has it that your extraordinary martial arts skills came from the initiation ceremony given to you by the old immortal on Mount Wudang before his death."

"Trying to grow something by relying on external forces will only leave you with a fragile foundation. Your path in this life is already blocked; there is absolutely no chance of you reaching the true realm of the Martial Immortal who has attained the Core Formation."

The Grand Master continued.

"Brother Lu, stop now."

"If you are willing to surrender and let us three old bones seal your internal energy, I promise you, even if it costs me my old life, I will personally plead with Minister Song to spare your life and let you live out the rest of your days in Jiangnan."

The wind seemed to stand still at that moment.

Lu Cheng was stunned for a long time as he listened to the three ancestors' earnest "persuasion" to surrender.

Then.

"Pfft."

Lu Cheng couldn't help but laugh out loud.

He reached out and gently rubbed his temples, looking somewhat helpless.

"Who exactly spread this rumor?"

Lu Cheng shook his head and sighed.

"Divine intervention?"

"The spirit and vitality of me, Lu, were forged in life-and-death battles, and were gleaned from the sour steamed buns, the soy milk, and the incense smoke of the common people in Beijing."

"How come in your mouths it's become a drifting duckweed relying on external forces?"

Lu Cheng lowered his hand, his smile vanished instantly, replaced by an aura of domineering grandmaster.

"Three seniors."

"I respected you as the backbone of the national martial arts tradition and did not wish to be your enemy. Originally, there was no need for this trouble tonight."

"Now it seems this is troublesome."

Lu Cheng slowly drew the [Breaking the Enemy] sword from his waist and casually stuck it into the muddy ground beside him.

"To use weapons against the seniors of Bajiquan is an insult to Bajiquan."

"Since you think my foundation is unstable and that the world can only create martial immortals by relying on the powerful and wealthy."

"Then today, I, Lu, will use these fists to wake you up, you bunch of people who are pretending to be asleep."

"you----"

"You arrogant brat!"

When the three patriarchs saw that Lu Cheng had actually abandoned his sword and was going to fight three against one, their initial regret instantly turned into thunderous rage.

"Since you remain obstinate, then I will act on behalf of Heaven today and seal away this false elixir that you received through initiation."

"boom."

Not a single unnecessary word was spoken.

Three plumes of blood-red smoke, almost tangible, rose dramatically from above the heads of the three Eight Extremes Ancestors.

The rainwater instantly evaporated into white steam within three feet of them.

"kill."

The second and third meridian masters, one on the left and one on the right, resemble two ferocious tigers descending the mountain, their footsteps shattering the bluestone slabs inch by inch.

The two simultaneously unleashed the most dangerous fighting techniques in Bajiquan.

"The King of Hell's Three-Point Technique!"

"A tiger stubbornly climbs the mountain!"

The force of the punches was deafening, and the sonic booms that tore through the air were deafening.

These two elderly men, at the peak of their martial arts prowess, brought the "hardness, ferocity, and explosiveness" of Bajiquan to its extreme.

Before the fist even landed, the piercing aura already made Lu Cheng's long robe flutter loudly.

Faced with such a formidable attack, Lu Cheng did not retreat but advanced.

"Good timing."

Lu Cheng took a deep breath, and the great dragon of his spine let out a deafening roar.

His left hand suddenly sank, his five fingers clenching into a fist.

Facing the Second Master's "fierce tiger climbing the mountain," it crashed down with an even more unreasonable and domineering attitude.

[Half-Step Crushing Fist]!

"Bang."

The fists clashed together, like two steel-cast mountains colliding.

The Second Master felt a violent surge of internal energy tear through his protective aura with overwhelming force, rushing down his arm and into his internal organs.

"How could such powerful internal energy be restless?"

The second sect leader was shocked and let out a muffled groan. He was forced back three steps, each step leaving a deep pit in the ground.

At the same time, the Three Masters' "Three Points of Yama" was already poised to strike Lu Cheng's throat, heart, and groin like a venomous snake.

In the blink of an eye.

Lu Cheng's right hand made a move that left everyone present speechless.

His right hand was not clenched into a fist, but rather the five fingers were slightly spread, with the palm facing inward, as if holding an invisible sphere.

Just as the Three Meridians Master's killing move was about to touch his body, Lu Cheng's right hand drew a semicircle with fluid grace.

Tai Chi, Cloud Hands!

It was on the steamship on his return journey that Lu Cheng comprehended the true meaning of Tai Chi, combining the fragments of the Tai Chi manual with the complete teachings of Master Yang Chengfu.

"Buzz—"

The Three Meridians Master's finger strike, powerful enough to shatter metal and stone, felt as if it had struck a bottomless ball of cotton the moment it landed in Lu Cheng's right palm.

Lu Cheng slightly rotated his palm, perfectly activating the Tai Chi techniques of "listening to the opponent's force" and "neutralizing the opponent's force".

"Use their strength against them."

Lu Cheng took advantage of the situation and pulled the Three Meridians Master's violent internal force, which was actually deflected and grazed Lu Cheng's robe before hitting empty air.

Not only that, Lu Cheng flipped his right palm and lightly struck the chest of the Three Meridians Master with a Tai Chi [Ban Lan Chui].

It appears weak and powerless, but in reality it contains an overwhelming force.

"puff."

The three masters were struck as if by lightning, spitting out a mouthful of blood as they were sent flying backward.

"Left hand: Bajiquan; Right hand: Taijiquan? Yin and Yang intertwine, water and fire unite in one furnace!"

The clan leader, who had been standing guard on the sidelines, now had his old eyes filled with utter horror.

"Such absolute control over Qi, such a martial arts realm of perfect harmony between Yin and Yang—how could this possibly be obtained through initiation?"

The head of the clan was somewhat doubtful and began to question the veracity of the rumors.

"Junior brothers, do not hold back. This boy has already shown his strength and has formed the Eight Extremes Dragon Slaying Formation."

The sect leader roared, his previous appreciation for talent completely gone.

He knew that if he could not suppress Lu Cheng here today, the main branch of their Bajiquan sect would be completely disgraced.

There will never be another chance to fulfill the promises made by Song Peilun.

Everything—for China!

"Boom!"

The three old monsters at the peak of the Transformation Realm surrounded Lu Cheng in a triangular formation.

The master of the major lineage who was halfway to the Core Formation stage was even more fully unleashed.

The three of them were connected by their energy, as if they had transformed into a six-armed Asura.

"Heart-to-heart elbow."

"Standing Cannon Reaching the Sky".

A barrage of fists and elbow strikes, accompanied by pale, tearing air waves, swept towards Lu Cheng, relentlessly attacking him.

Such a force would crush not only flesh and blood, but even a Western armored chariot into a pile of rubble.

iron.

Lu Cheng was at the heart of the formation, and the pressure suddenly increased.

The "Exquisite Heart" is running wildly.

His left hand was as fierce as thunder, while his right hand was as gentle as spring water.

Surrounded by three top masters, it was like a small boat navigating through turbulent waves.

The dull, resounding impacts of punches echoed through the courtyard of the Song Mansion, creating a dense drumbeat.

"Bang bang bang bang."

Blood and sweat mingled with the rain and splashed everywhere.

However, as the fight progressed, the three patriarchs of the Bajiquan sect became increasingly alarmed.

The more he fought, the more he felt a chill run down his spine and up to the top of his head.

They clearly felt that Lu Cheng's fist not only contained the smooth and flawless "Dan Jin" (energy), but also carried a terrifying sense of oppression that made their souls tremble.

With each punch Lu Cheng threw, the wind seemed to carry the roar of a white tiger made of Geng metal, or the angry judgment of a red-robed Zhong Kui.

Like a tiger, like a god, its power is unstoppable!

"This—this is the materialization of fist intent?" The Second Master's arms went numb, and a chill ran through him.

The Grand Master was filled with disbelief; his back was soaked with cold sweat during the frenzied exchange of blows.

In ancient Chinese martial arts texts and legends, the artistic conception of martial arts is extremely difficult to cultivate.

Internal strength is easy to cultivate, but the essence of boxing is difficult to attain.

The essence of boxing is divided into three realms.

The first level is to understand one's own mind and see oneself clearly.

The fist moves with the heart, discerning the true self and not being misled by external techniques.

The second level is about looking up and down at heaven and earth.

Borrowing the power of heaven and earth, achieving harmony between man and nature, a punch is delivered with the force of nature.

And this third level is called — Fist of Salvation!

This third realm has been reached by only a handful of martial saints over the past few hundred years.

It emphasizes thoroughly integrating the joys and sorrows of all people, and the rise and fall of the nation into the very essence of its fist techniques.

The punch was not thrown to kill, but to carve out a righteous path in this cannibalistic world!

"He's only in his early twenties, how could he have already reached the terrifying level of 'fist-to-save all living beings'?!" The Grand Master roared hysterically in his heart.

Amidst the intertwined shadows of fists, the three patriarchs seemed to be dragged into a grand illusion by Lu Cheng's fist intent.

In Lu Cheng's domineering yet inclusive fist style, they seemed to see the lone courage of those who fought to the death against the Japanese warships at the Tianjin docks.

I saw those three heart-wrenching lines from "Beating the Drum and Cursing Cao Cao" on the Temple of Heaven Square.

I saw bowls of hot porridge being distributed to poor people on Qianmen Street in the freezing cold!

This is not the superficial energy and blood that one can obtain through initiation.

This is clearly the boundless ambition that Lu Cheng, after truly struggling and enduring the hardships of the mortal world, and using his own blood and bones to shoulder the backbone of the Beiping martial arts community, could only condense.

Lu Cheng's punches carried an indomitable and fierce spirit.

He wasn't boxing out of a desire to win.

He intended to use his fists to smash their so-called "compromise for the greater good," and to shatter the cannibalistic dreams of the privileged class.

"Bang."

Lu Cheng's head-on strike, the "Mountain-Pulling Strike," caused the three meridian masters' blood and qi to churn, their faces turning ashen.

Faced with this grand and selfless spirit of "fist to save all living beings," the three ancient monsters, who had been around for centuries, actually felt an extreme sense of shame and fear.

Their fists are a mixture of power struggles, compromises, interests, and groveling.

But Lu Cheng's fist contained the fate of all living beings!

How can we fight like this? They're not even in the same league!

"Boy, you are indeed a prodigy. If you were given another ten years, those so-called martial arts prodigies of the Central Plains wouldn't even be worthy of carrying your shoes."

The Grand Master launched a furious attack while gritting his teeth and roaring.

"But today, you are alone and cannot stand firm; your vital energy will eventually run out."

"Yeah?"

Amidst the flurry of fist strikes, Lu Cheng suddenly let out a soft laugh.

He swiftly used the [Ghostly Shadow Step], and in a fraction of a second, he escaped the encirclement of the three.

Lu Cheng tilted his head slightly, looking at the rolling thunderclouds in the night sky.

He took a deep breath.

This breath sucked away all the rain and air within a radius of several feet.

His chest bulged high, and the jade-colored "fake pill" in his dantian emitted a booming sound as if it were real.

It was on the stage of the waterside pavilion that he comprehended the supreme sonic technique from "The Case of Chen Shimei".

[The Lion's Roar!]

"break."

A single word burst from Lu Cheng's throat.

This is no longer an ordinary sound wave, but a soul judgment that combines the Qi of a half-step cultivator and the righteous Qi of Zhong Kui.

"Boom!"

With a furious roar from Lu Cheng, a terrifying sonic wave, mixed with the power of a half-step Core Formation cultivator, exploded like a tangible tornado in the courtyard.

The already broken artificial hills and shattered stone carvings around them turned to dust under the onslaught of this sound wave.

"Not good, protect the spirit platform." The Grand Master's expression changed drastically.

The three patriarchs felt a sharp pain in their eardrums, and it was as if a million bronze bells were ringing in their minds at the same time.

The sonic attack, which struck straight to their soul and courage, caused a fatal stagnation in their blood circulation!