Becoming an immortal from a canal worker

Late at night.

The wind howled outside the mortuary, like the lamentations of countless wronged souls.

The tattered window paper rustled in the wind, drowning out the faint flickering of the candlelight inside.

Gouwa, clutching the bundle of weapons, huddled in a corner of the hay and fell asleep, still clutching the two taels of silver tightly to his chest.

Chen Ping sat cross-legged beside the altar used to keep the corpses, and by the moonlight and the dim lamplight, he opened the book "Collapse Stone Force" stained with old blood.

The booklet is very thin, with only a dozen or so pages, but each page features a small figure in a different pose.

Chen Ping read very slowly, chewing each word in his mouth before swallowing it.

He looked at it for a full hour before closing the book, closing his eyes, and connecting the pictures in his mind.

"I see."

Chen Ping opened his eyes, a flash of understanding in them, but also a calmer judgment.

This "Crushing Stone Force" is not a method of exerting force or any kind of power, but a complete set of military boxing techniques.

The complete set consists of twelve moves.

From the initial "sinking body and dropping elbow" to the middle "advancing punch" and "horizontal block" to the final killing move "rock-crushing and jade-shattering".

This set of movements emphasizes continuity.

The book clearly states: "The twelve forms are like a continuous river, completed in one breath, with power accumulated in movement and strength released in momentum."

It doesn't make people stand still and exert force mindlessly. Instead, through the rise, fall, and transition of these twelve movements, it continuously mobilizes the muscles and bones of the whole body, like drawing a bow, gradually accumulating strength, and finally unleashing it completely in the killing move.

Only by performing this set of movements completely and accurately can one be considered to have practiced the "Crushing Stone Force" once.

"As expected of the killing techniques used in the military, it trains both the method and the fighting skills."

Having figured this out, Chen Ping stood up and walked to the open space in the center of the mortuary.

He took a deep breath, spread his feet apart, and assumed the first starting stance shown in the book.

Relax your shoulders, drop your elbows, and let your Qi sink to your Dantian.

At that moment, he recalled the actions described in the book.

First move: Advancing punch.

The second move: Turn around and strike with a horizontal elbow.

The third move...

Chen Ping began to move.

His movements were slow, even somewhat clumsy, like a rusty puppet.

After each move, you must stop and think about what the next move will be.

After finally managing to complete the twelve moves with great difficulty, Chen Ping felt extremely uncomfortable all over, and his breathing was disordered.

He immediately looked at the panel.

The panel was silent, with only a few lines of text on it:

[Skill: Transporting (Master)]

……

The "Stone Collapse Force" did not appear.

"As expected, it's not that easy."

Chen Ping shook his head and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

"My movements were too slow, and my strength dissipated long ago. I paused three times in the middle, and my breathing was wrong twice."

The panel's criteria are very strict: only qualified practice will be awarded proficiency.

"Again."

Chen Ping was not discouraged and got into the starting stance again.

This time, he no longer pursued perfection in every single movement, but instead tried to connect the movements seamlessly.

First attempt, failed; I forgot the moves by the seventh step.

The second attempt failed; my steps became disordered.

The third attempt failed; I couldn't catch my breath and got a side stitch.

……

Inside the mortuary, Chen Ping's figure swayed in the dim candlelight.

He was like a tireless machine, repeating this monotonous set of boxing techniques over and over again.

Sweat quickly soaked his clothes and dripped from his hair to the ground.

His muscles, as strong as steel strands, gleamed with a glossy sheen under the sweat.

I don't know how many times I practiced it.

Maybe it's the thirtieth time, maybe it's the fiftieth time.

When Chen Ping used the first move again, he suddenly felt it was going smoothly.

The footwork coordinated with the rotation of the waist, and the fist in the hand slammed out in the same direction.

The second technique is smooth transition.

The third movement involves steady breathing.

……

The ninth move: the power begins to surge within the body.

The tenth move: the whole body heats up, and the spine, like a dragon, faintly crackles.

Now we come to the final twelfth move.

Chen Ping took a sudden step forward, the blue bricks under his feet made a muffled sound, and with the force of this step, he combined his waist and abdomen and his right fist shot out like a cannonball!

"drink!"

A low growl was accompanied by the crisp sound of a fist tearing through the air.

After finishing this set of punches, Chen Ping felt as if he had exhaled all the stale air from his chest, and his whole body felt refreshed. A warm current, unlike anything he had ever experienced, flowed through his limbs and bones.

Just then, the long-silent panel in front of me finally displayed a new line of text:

[Learn Martial Arts: Crushing Stone Force (Beginner)]

[Current Progress: Crushing Stone Force (1/100)]

The panel is incredibly simple.

Chen Ping pondered for a moment and then understood.

"Moving things around is a life skill, a passive bonus, so it's effective. But martial arts..." Chen Ping clenched his fist, feeling the incredibly clear muscle memory in his mind, "...directly instills the key points and experience into my brain."

At this moment, his understanding of "Crushing Stone Force" is in a very peculiar state; he has just entered the realm of it.

The so-called "beginner" is simply "relentless practice".

The moves are fixed, the breathing is fixed, and the footwork is fixed.

He had to operate these twelve forms like a precise gear, working them seamlessly, in order to unleash that explosive force.

They are inflexible, and you could even say they are rigid.

But in Chen Ping's view, that was enough.

Rigidity implies stability; when starting out, stability should be the priority.

"continue."

Chen Ping didn't rest; while the feeling was still there, he got into position again.

This time, his movements were a fraction faster and more steady than before.

The wind howled as the fists moved.

After completing a set of twelve movements, finish the movement and exhale.

[Stone Crushing Technique Proficiency +1]

Another set.

[Stone Crushing Technique Proficiency +1]

……

Time flew by during the monotonous practice of boxing.

Chen Ping was immersed in the thrill of gradually becoming stronger, and he was tireless.

Each complete practice session deepened his understanding of the boxing technique, and the "power trajectory" in his mind became clearer and more profound.

After an unknown amount of time, the wind outside the window gradually stopped, and the eastern sky began to lighten with the first hint of dawn.

Chen Ping finished his last round of punches.

He maintained the twelfth move, "Crushing Stones and Splitting Jade," looking as if he had just been pulled out of the water, with the ground beneath his feet already soaked with sweat.

But he didn't feel tired; on the contrary, he felt more excited than ever before.

[Current Progress: Crushing Stone Force (15/100)]

Overnight, he practiced the complete boxing technique more than a dozen times, successfully mastering the basics and making progress.

Chen Ping slowly finished his practice, feeling the lingering energy within his body.

He walked to a supporting pillar of the mortuary. The pillar was made of old elm wood, as hard as iron; it was dead and would not move.

Chen Ping took a deep breath, adjusted his breathing, assumed the stance for the "Crushing Stone Force," and focused his energy in his dantian, preparing for a full two breaths.

Then, following the "power trajectory" in his mind, he threw a punch.

"collapse!"

A muffled thud.

The pillar trembled violently, and a cloud of dust fell from it.

Chen Ping moved his fist away.

A clear fist print was left on the hard elm wood pillar.

The wood grain around the fist imprint showed a kind of explosive-like fine cracks.

Its power is astonishing.

But when Chen Ping looked at the fist mark, there was no joy on his face; instead, his brows were furrowed.

"no."

He shook his head.

"This boxing technique can only be used to practice on wooden stakes; it's not yet suitable for actual combat."

too slow.

That's too rigid.

Just now, it took him almost two breaths to adjust his breathing, get into position, and find the "trajectory of force" for that punch.

In actual combat, how many times could someone die in two breaths?

If that pockmarked leader had stood there and let him hit him, that punch could have seriously injured him.

But living people are not wooden stakes.

In real combat, things change in an instant.

If the opponent moves even slightly, or kicks him while he's gathering his strength, his "rock-crushing power" will immediately revert to its original form, turning into a weak and feeble punch.

"In the beginner stage, you only learn how to generate force, but you can't yet generate force while moving, let alone deal with the variables in actual combat."

Chen Ping understood.

The current "Stone Collapse" is like a "ultimate move" that can only be triggered under specific conditions.

If it's a sneak attack or a sudden blow, it might have a fatal effect.

But in a direct confrontation, his haphazard street killing techniques are far more effective.

"We still need to practice."

Chen Ping withdrew his gaze, his eyes regaining their usual cold indifference.

"You have to practice until you reach at least a 'minor level' or even a 'mastery' before you can turn this power into your body's instinct, so that every move you make is at your own discretion. That's what makes it a true killing technique."

Right now, he's still just a wolf cub who's just learned to grind his teeth; he's far from being a true beast.

Chen Ping turned his head, glanced at Gouwa who was still fast asleep in the haystack, walked over and kicked his butt.

"stand up."

Chen Ping's voice was hoarse and cold:

"It's dawn, time to get to work."