Physical immortality begins with Bajiquan

Chapter 71 Testing the Waters

A strong wind rushed towards him, but Qin Heng's expression remained unchanged, and he did not retreat even half a step. The internal energy within him was automatically activated, without needing to be consciously mobilized, and had already spread throughout his body.

Just as the snake's claws were about to touch his throat, at the critical moment!

Qin Heng's lower body was as if nailed into a bluestone slab. He lowered his waist and sat on his horse, and suddenly raised and flipped his left arm, striking out with the "Facing the Wind and Rising Sun Hand".

Yang palm flips outward, the edge of the palm like a knife, carrying a fierce chopping force, and slashes hard to meet the snake claw's approach!

"Snapped!"

With a crisp sound, Qin Heng's palm struck Sun Dazhu's wrist joint with pinpoint accuracy. Sun Dazhu felt a numbness in his wrist, and the cunning attack of the snake was deflected. The tip of his claw grazed Qin Heng's neck by a mere inch, without even touching a hair.

"Buzz"

An invisible aura quietly emanated from Qin Heng.

The remaining force from Sun Dazhu's claws struck, but vanished instantly like a mud ox entering the sea, without even a ripple on Qin Heng's clothes.

A few locust blossoms, swept up by the force of the energy, landed right between the two. The upper half of one blossom was cleaved away by the claw-like wind, while the lower half strangely stopped three inches away from Qin Heng's shoulder, trembling slightly, neither rising nor falling.

"Young Qin! Take this move from me again!"

The bluestone slab beneath Sun Dazhu's feet shattered with a loud crack! Instead of retreating, he advanced, his figure like a serpent emerging from its hole, suddenly closing in. His claws crossed, and he instantly unleashed the "Golden Serpent Coiling Arm" technique, the tips of his claws sticking to Qin Heng's forearm, wrapping, coiling, locking, and pinning in one fluid motion, determined to completely lock down the tendons and veins of his entire arm.

Qin Heng's arm sank slightly, his waist twisted and rolled violently, and his muscles and bones suddenly exploded with a series of dense cracking sounds as he unleashed the "Yellow Oriole Double Claws". With a shake of his shoulder and back, a powerful force burst forth through his arm.

With a muffled thud, Sun Dazhu felt a sudden numbness in his palm, and the energy binding his body was instantly shattered and dissipated. He involuntarily released his grip.

He took a snake-like step, his body swaying as he circled around to Qin Heng's left side. With his claws sharpened, he unleashed the "Viper Drills Rib" technique, a cunning move aimed directly at Qin Heng's vulnerable ribs.

Qin Heng lowered his stance, his feet firmly planted on the ground, and suddenly stretched his arms out to the sides. A powerful force surged from his arms, slamming shut like two heavy iron doors, forcefully blocking Sun Dazhu's claw-like attack.

The shockwaves collided, causing their clothes to flutter wildly. Sun Dazhu felt a heavy, mountain-like force strike him, causing him to momentarily pause.

It was this moment of stillness!

Qin Heng seized the opportunity, his figure suddenly lunging forward, closing in on the center with a fierce, direct attack. His move, "A single strike to meet the enemy head-on without regard for the others," unleashed a flurry of punches and...

With a simultaneous attack from the elbow and shoulder, like a tiger descending a mountain, it charged straight at Sun Dazhu's center.

Sun Dazhu's expression changed slightly. He had practiced boxing for half his life and knew the basics of Bajiquan like the back of his hand, but he hadn't expected Qin Heng's "Three Unreserved Stances at the Door" to be so fierce and domineering. He dared not hold back any longer, gathering all his strength in his palms, lowering his body, and striking out with both palms to meet the attack head-on.

Just as their palms were about to collide, Qin Heng's fist suddenly changed!

Sink your hips, twist your waist, and straighten your spine!

The power of the whole body rises from the soles of the feet, passes through the waist and hips, runs through the spine, and reaches the tip of the fist!

Bajiquan's "Standing Ground Cannon"!

A punch shot skyward, carrying an overwhelming force, and slammed into Sun Dazhu's palms!

"Bang--!"

A deafening explosion rang out.

The two forces collided with a deafening roar, sending surging shockwaves sweeping in all directions, stirring up dust and tiny locust petals. The bluestone slabs beneath their feet could not withstand the weight, and spiderweb-like cracks instantly spread out from the two of them, scattering fragments of stone everywhere.

Sun Dazhu's body jolted violently, his feet carving two deep furrows in the bluestone slab. He stumbled back five steps before barely managing to regain his balance. His face was slightly pale, his palms tingled, and his blood was churning uncontrollably.

Qin Heng was also thrown back by the immense force, sliding more than three feet backward, the blue bricks beneath his feet instantly shattering into dust. But he stood upright, his breathing slightly labored, yet still steady.

Sun Dazhu slowly withdrew his palms, looking at Qin Heng opposite him, the shock in his eyes gradually turning into deep admiration. He took a deep breath, suppressing his surging blood, and laughed heartily: "Good lad! Your master is quite lucky! Taking such a promising talent as his last disciple, I bet he'll be secretly delighted for the rest of his life!"

Mo Guangren walked over slowly, his eyes no longer showing their usual indifference, but filled with relief and shock. He never expected that his closed-door disciple, who clearly only had below-average talent, would successfully enter the Transformation Realm on his first attempt. This was simply unbelievable, completely overturning his preconceived notions about talent and physical attributes!

Mo Guangren looked at Qin Heng and asked in a deep voice, "Little Heng, when did you break through to the Transformation Realm?"

Qin Heng bowed slightly and clasped his hands in a fist salute, then honestly replied, "Master, a few days ago I took the Azure Veined Ganoderma you gave me. After taking it, I immediately felt my blood and qi flowing freely throughout my body. While practicing standing meditation at night, I had a feeling in my heart, so I tried to break through the barrier once. I didn't expect to step into the Transformation Realm in just one go."

Is it really that simple?

Upon hearing this, Sun Dazhu's eyes twitched, his face filled with disbelief. He subconsciously grinned, looking as if he didn't believe it at all.

Mo Guangren's expression also changed slightly, his eyebrows twitched slightly, and although he maintained a calm demeanor, his heart was already churning with turmoil.

Countless people spend half their lives practicing, only to be stuck at the threshold of internal strength with no hope of ever reaching it, let alone external strength.

But Qin Heng was different. He had passed all three major martial arts hurdles—Ming Jin, An Jin, and Hua Jin—on his first attempt. Now, with the help of a Qingwenzhi mushroom, he easily stepped into the Hua Jin realm.

Upon realizing this, the two of them simultaneously had the same thought: Could this kid be someone born with extraordinary luck? Only someone with inferior aptitude could break through realms all the way up.

"It's not impossible." Mo Guangren quickly suppressed his shock, pondered for a moment, and then offered an explanation for Qin Heng: "It must be because you've practiced your stance training very diligently and have a calm and composed temperament, so your foundation has long been solid. It just so happens that the Qingwenzhi medicinal power nourished your qi and blood, combining internal and external strength, which allowed you to break through the shackles of the Huajin level in one fell swoop. It can be considered a natural outcome."

Mo Guangren abruptly changed the subject, his expression turning serious as he looked at Qin Heng: "Do you know why I insisted on stopping you from fighting Fang Yu just now?"

Before Qin Heng could answer, he slowly said, "In a dozen days or so, the garrison headquarters will host a victory banquet to celebrate the bandit suppression. Both of us will have to attend. This banquet is called a victory celebration, but it actually hides a secret. The Ming family, one of the five great families, was wiped out. Now, the garrison headquarters, together with the Huang family, has devoured most of the Ming family's assets, almost completely digesting them."

He paused, his tone growing increasingly serious: "This is a turbulent time. The situation in Heyang is currently turbulent, with various factions harboring their own agendas, making it difficult to distinguish friend from foe. You have just embarked on the path of cultivation, and your foundation is not yet firmly established. You must not rashly reveal your strength at this time. In the coming days, focus on quiet cultivation and steadily consolidate your foundation. There is no need to rush into competing with others."

"The celebration banquet will be a gathering of renowned martial artists, and there will inevitably be scenes of sparring and competition. You will have your chance to show off your skills then. Perhaps, you can even do your master a small favor."

Upon hearing this, Qin Heng bowed respectfully and said, "This disciple understands and will certainly focus on consolidating my strength and follow Master's teachings."

Mo Guangren nodded slightly after hearing this, and said no more. His gaze drifted to the distance outside the courtyard, roughly in the direction of the inner city. There was a hint of contemplation in his eyes, and he had his own plans in mind.