A Scroll of Infinite Glory

Chapter 90 Fist Techniques and Martial Arts

In Xingyiquan, there is a saying about the Five Elements Fist: Pi, Beng, Zuan, Pao, and Heng. These five fist forms correspond to the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, respectively.

The Drill Fist belongs to the water element, and combined with Liu Jingtang's youthful desire to desperately try to retain someone and block them at every turn, it created the momentum of sealing off the stream and stopping its flow.

After he fully joined Tao Zhu's group, his initial ambition turned into forced suppression. His accumulation and waiting perfectly aligned with the true essence of the Wood element. From the Bengquan (Crushing Fist), he came to understand his own second kind of power.

It is strong internally and restrained externally. It is full of vitality inside, but withered and dead on the outside. When it moves, it is like thunder in the ashes, earth-shattering.

When Liu Jingtang unleashed the power of the Yi Wood Divine Thunder, he was still more than ten meters away from the lamppost.

Guan Luoyang was suddenly alert, his pores tightened, and his body swayed away like a wisp of smoke.

In an instant, the entire lamppost burst forth with hundreds of slender electric branches, as if it had suddenly transformed into a giant tree struck by lightning, with every part of its trunk and branches glowing.

Especially the filaments in those broken light bulbs, which suddenly became extremely bright and almost burned out in an instant.

Crack! Crack!

This was a fleeting moment, a brief flash of light from the streetlight pole, almost too short to appreciate, leaving only a fleeting impression.

But right after that flash, the entire lamppost, from top to bottom, shattered in quick succession. The hollow metal lamppost, several meters high, and even the wires inside, were reduced to fragments scattered all over the ground, not a single piece larger than the palm of a person.

Kong Qingyun had been hit by a similar move before, but back then, what was aimed at him was just Liu Jingtang using his fingers to tense up and exert force to deliver a thunderous strike.

At this moment, when facing Guan Luoyang, Liu Jingtang showed no mercy in every punch.

Amidst the cracking and exploding sounds in mid-air, Guan Luoyang drifted away, his body seemingly surrounded by a mysterious, light blue aura.

Reaching the highest heavens is not only the power he comprehended, but also a new technique he transformed and refined from the remains of the Azure Bird's true form.

With this complete set of techniques, the Azure Bird's vital energy could no longer be as stubborn and rigid as before.

Guan Luoyang's will can guide this vital energy, following the path of the cultivation technique, from the head and spine down to the five internal organs, penetrating inside and out, and spreading to the limbs, circulating in the seemingly nonexistent meridians, building another set of supports in the human body in addition to flesh and bones.

The first and biggest difference brought about by this set of skills is—lightness skill.

Lightness skill!!!

—It seems to be common in any martial arts novel, so common that it's become ubiquitous.

In any story that uses martial arts as its selling point, lightness skill can only serve as a backdrop. However, if you think about it carefully, any story that dares to use martial arts as its theme cannot be without the existence of lightness skill.

Guan Luoyang had never envied the so-called lightness skill before. The various footwork and leaping techniques in the martial arts system of the Four Great Trainings were already fast, powerful, and comprehensive enough, and could still be improved.

But when he was actually able to use his lightness skill, a whole new world unfolded before his eyes, revealing a completely different and leisurely charm that made him exclaim in admiration.

By allowing vital energy to swell slightly outside the body and fall onto a tiny speck of dust near the ground, one can move as quickly as one would by stepping into a pit, or even lightly tread and turn in the air, moving like a flying swan, riding on the tail of a breeze and chasing after it.

Guan Luoyang's body showed almost no obvious burst of speed as he ran, and in the blink of an eye, he had already dodged one after another of the crashing thunderclaps and arrived in front of Liu Jingtang.

The light and graceful movements, like a free-flying bird, unconsciously brought a look of amazement to Liu Jingtang's eyes. The wild desire for freedom in his heart surged again under this visual stimulation, and the subtle electric light covering the surface of his arm doubled in density as he unleashed a punch.

A palm brimming with green energy and a fist bursting with lightning collided in opposite directions.

The last centimeter of space between the palm and the fist was squeezed by the overflowing power of both sides, causing it to explode into waves.

As the cyan, electrified ripples expanded before Liu Jingtang's eyes, his mental vision seemed to rapidly ascend, tumble, and tilt along with the hazy, cyan-winged image on the other person's body.

Just before things were completely reversed, Liu Jingtang clapped his hands together, and the stagnant water that had been sealed off and the lightning that had burst open stirred up a sky full of electric mist.

The uncontrollable field of vision was instantly swept away.

"Just a mere illusion, is that all the power you have?"

Liu Jingtang shouted at Guan Luoyang, but when he glanced around, he suddenly realized that his field of vision had indeed increased, and he seemed to be at about the same height as the streetlights in the distance.

With his back and waist dangling and his feet off the ground, he was caught off guard and sent flying by Guan Luoyang's palm strike.

Boom!!

Liu Jingtang's back slammed into the top of the entrance on the first floor of the Tao Zhu Building.

There used to be a scrolling text display screen there, but he smashed it in the middle, leaving it in pieces with sparks flying everywhere.

Reaching the highest heavens has two effects: first, a mental shock, disrupting the opponent's senses of space, distance, and direction; second, a real-world disturbance, specifically targeting gravity.

Guan Luoyang was already able to reduce the gravity he experienced, and now he can influence the weight of his enemies within a certain range.

No matter how well Liu Jingtang practiced his stance training and footwork, or how steadily he controlled his center of gravity, a change in gravity would cause his foundation to crumble and his entire body to be swept away.

He fell to the ground, coughing up a mouthful of blood. A hole was punched through the chest and abdomen of his trench coat; even the bulletproof material couldn't withstand that blow.

There was an unusual heat in his palm, like a branding iron, deeply imprinted on his skin.

After comprehending the two forces, Liu Jingtang's true spiritual energy became extremely abundant. After circulating and strengthening between his flesh and nerves, it allowed his physical strength to rise to a level that was in no way inferior to that of mechanical limbs.

Fortunately, this blow didn't shatter his internal organs.

However, due to the effects of his injuries, the mental disturbance he had just experienced surged up again. The ground in front of Liu Jingtang began to sway from side to side, and the streetlights on both sides of the road appeared to be near and far, completely disrupting his sense of direction and distance.

Only the figure of Guan Luoyang arrived as quickly as ever, so quickly that it was silent.

Enveloped in azure energy, Guan Luoyang's fist aimed straight for Liu Jingtang's head.

This attack seemed destined to succeed, but Liu Jingtang, who was already swaying and could barely stand, somehow managed to dodge the punch as if by magic.

The light contained shadows, the fist's shadow hidden within the light and the wind, a clever technique enough to intercept the stream, combined with the thunderous sound of a giant tree collapsing, striking Guan Luoyang.

BOOM!!!

This scene was remarkably similar to the one just a second earlier, except the targets had been switched; this time, it was Guan Luoyang who was sent flying.

Ten meters away, Guan Luoyang landed, his shoes gliding half a step across the ground. His left hand was across his stomach, and a scorched fist mark was left on his forearm, his skin slightly red.

He actually blocked Liu Jingtang's punch, but the force of the punch still penetrated his internal organs, and now his stomach felt unusually warm.

With his mastery of the four training methods and his keen understanding of the body's details, Guan Luoyang could clearly tell that the person had been beaten and was bleeding from the stomach.

He flipped his left hand, pressed down with his five fingers to stop the bleeding, and looked at Liu Jingtang with surprise and confusion.

Liu Jingtang now had his eyes closed, his left hand moving as if stroking and pressing, his right hand in a fist in front, his arm slightly bent. His whole demeanor was like that of someone holding a spear amidst a waterfall in the deep mountains, unpredictable as the shadows, and moving like thunder.

Just now, this person closed his eyes, dodged and fought back, and delivered that unpredictable punch.

One theory suggests that when a person relinquishes their sight, their other senses become more sensitive. However, Guan Luoyang's mental trauma was a comprehensive sensory disturbance; even if you were to gouge out his eyes, it wouldn't make a difference, let alone close them.

There must be another reason why Liu Jingtang was able to retaliate so accurately.

Light from different directions shone down in a mixed manner.

In the area in front of the entrance on the first floor of the Tao Zhu Building, the dust motes trembled slightly in the light, no longer floating aimlessly, but restrained and pulled by an extremely subtle force.

Guan Luoyang focused his vision, and the scenery he saw seemed to magnify and become clearer. He immediately noticed that a faint "field" had formed within five meters of Liu Jingtang.

The source of this "field" is his mechanical limbs.

"So that's how it is."

Guan Luoyang's eyes flickered slightly, and he murmured, "Modifying martial artists, modification, martial artists, being both martial artists and adept at modification..."

If he wasn't mistaken, Liu Jingtang, after discovering that his physical senses were unreliable, entrusted his heart directly to his mechanical limbs.

It uses the subtle electrical currents emanating from its mechanical hands and feet to create a magnetic field, replacing its own senses.

"Hello!"

Guan Luoyang raised his voice, "These are your own creations, right? Did you leave any notes?"

People like Fan Buchou and Yun Youbai, once they die, are gone. But Liu Jingtang, though not a good person, clearly possesses the courage to innovate and develop his boxing style from a long and rich history.

This is a new flower born from a culture passed down through generations. As a fellow martial artist, Guan Luoyang couldn't help but feel a sense of cherishing it.

"Are you worried that the skill will be lost if I die?"

As soon as Liu Jingtang opened his mouth, another trickle of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth. His injuries were far more severe than Guan Luoyang's, and the longer he delayed, the worse they became. Yet, he slowly said, "Then I can tell you, only I know these moves, and I will never teach them to anyone else while I'm alive. Who knows, though, after I'm gone. So, you'd better keep trying!"

"Ha! Don't worry, even if these moves are truly lost, it's just a pity when we look back on them later. But today, there will definitely be one more corpse here."

Guan Luoyang had already devised his strategy. Surrounded by azure energy, he leaped away using his lightness skill.

Although Liu Jingtang had his eyes closed, he could feel the opponent rushing towards him at high speed. Just as he was about to make a move, the opponent's direction suddenly changed.

It grazed the boundary of his micro-electromagnetic field, almost as if it were spinning around him at high speed, not a fraction more or less.

The airflow was driven by Guan Luoyang's body, and the afterimage swirled into a whirlwind centered on Liu Jingtang.

The pale blue whirlwind slowly contracted, and suddenly palm prints and fist shadows appeared from within the wind wall, striking from different angles, dazzling and overwhelming.

Surrounded, Liu Jingtang closed his eyes and unleashed all his skills.

In Xingyiquan, besides the Five Elements Fist, there are also twelve other forms: Dragon, Tiger, Monkey, Horse, Alligator, Chicken, Hawk, and Swallow.

Based on his own two stances, Liu Jingtang demonstrated the twelve forms of Xingyi Quan with a sense of order amidst chaos, displaying remarkable skill and delivering a thoroughly enjoyable performance.

The power of intention propels the mechanical limbs, which in turn affect the entire body. Each part of the body has a punch that can be delivered.

He sensed that the attacks coming from all directions were becoming increasingly dense, but the force of the punches and kicks was becoming lighter and lighter. It was clear that Guan Luoyang was gradually gathering his strength and speeding up his pace, about to deliver a decisive blow.

Thus, as the twelve forms of Xingyi repeatedly turn and rotate, the Yi Wood Divine Thunder and the Sealed Stream also converge, press against each other, and rotate.

The more violent the cyan whirlwind, the more stable the mechanical boxer inside became.

When stillness and movement are both near their limits, they collide suddenly.

The whirlwind shattered it!

Guan Luoyang was struck on one shoulder by the Yi Wood Divine Lightning, his whole body went numb, and he staggered forward. He braced himself with one hand and rolled forward several times before finally kneeling down.

His right arm trembled, and a drop of blood slid down the edge of his palm.

I heard a heavy thud behind me.

Liu Jingtang, who had been sent flying high into the air, crashed to the ground some distance away. A whip-like hand swept off his mechanical arm and struck his side, completely destroying his heart and lungs.

"what……"

The battered mechanical boxer let out his last faint breath, trying to turn his head and etch the image of the enemy who killed him in the last moment before his consciousness faded.

But as his heavy eyelids trembled, he was drawn to the light in the sky and involuntarily raised his one arm.

The enormous moon in the sky, mercilessly yet lovingly bestows its light upon all people.

With its bionic skin badly damaged and its one arm broken, this last move was all it wanted was to possess the bright moon for a single second.

Oh, the bright and ancient moon, how free and pure it is!

despair!

In less than a second, his hand had fallen to his sides.

On the thirtieth floor of the high-rise building, Kong Qingyun walked to the huge gap and, under the enormous bright moon, witnessed the victory or defeat of this battle.

Seeing the traitor's death, he felt only joy, but a hint of sorrow involuntarily crept into his eyes.

Liu Jingtang asked him who he was. In fact, even if Kong Qingyun, who had changed his appearance and name, took off his mask, he would not recognize him.

Those heroes who were worthy of being remembered in the Dai family Xingyi Quan school back then either became villains who aided and abetted evil, like Liu Jingtang, or they have long been buried under the yellow earth.

Back then, he was still young and just an ordinary, nameless disciple among many others.

The night sky and moonlight always seem to evoke a sense of melancholy in people.

But Guan Luoyang endured the pain and stood up from his half-kneeling position, feeling that in the warm moonlight, his fighting spirit was still burning.

He's taken that big step, but there are countless smaller steps to come, and much more to come.

(End of this chapter)