Republic of China Era: Entering the Dao through Divine Strike.

Republic of China Era: Entering the Dao through Divine Strike

Author: Little Fish

Summary:

Reborn in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, facing foreign guns and cannons, Li Xin couldn't figure out how he could resist the invasion crisis or live like a human being.

"Relying on martial arts? As it turns out, it's a dead end."

On his escape, he unexpectedly discovered the true secret of the "divine strike" skill.

It's not about a patriarch descending to earth or a deity possessing you; it's about hypnotizing yourself to make your body secrete various hormones and stimulate the ultimate potential of your cells.

"This isn't superstition; it's science."

Li Xin was surprised to discover that, when facing powerful figures and elites from all corners of the world, he could transform into Nezha, Erlang Shen, and even Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven…

They might even gain access to some of their legendary, unique abilities.

How exactly do you achieve this?

Li Xin could only say, "It all stems from the power of the mind."

"Refine your heart in the mortal world, and cultivate truth through illusion."

"Even if it's fake, it can become real, as long as you believe me."

"I am Li Xin, do you believe me or not?"

……

"The calamity of the decline of the people's hearts is worse than a fierce tiger, and even worse than the struggle for territory among nations."

You can kill my body, but you cannot extinguish my spirit.

Wang Wu, the Great Swordsman, learned swordsmanship from me; Huo Yuanjia joined my martial arts school…

I have a punch that can shatter heaven and earth; I have a punch that can shake the royal court.

I have a punch to support China, I have a punch to shatter the stars.

……

Main text

Chapter One: Divine Strike, Invulnerable to Swords and Spears

"The Great Sage possesses me, shattering the heavens!"

The rough shouts made people's eardrums itch and echoed all around.

In front of the dilapidated mountain god temple.

The pine torches flickered into a sea of ​​fire, and the smoke drifted away with the wind, making people's throats tighten.

Twenty or thirty ragged men, their faces red and necks bulging, roared in unison.

Li Xin suddenly opened his eyes, the firelight making him squint slightly.

Not far in front of him stood a simple altar, with three broken bricks supporting a chipped earthenware bowl, inside which three sticks of incense were lit.

Before the altar, a burly man with a full beard stood shirtless, eyes closed, stomping his feet.

He pointed two fingers to the sky and roared like a frightened ape, the dust beneath his feet rising slightly.

"Invoking a deity?"

Li Xin's gaze swept over the burly man who was gesticulating wildly, then looked at the crowd around him...

Their faces were dark and withered.

Only the eyes gleamed in the firelight.

A sense of absurdity washed over me.

Li Xin shook his head, still feeling a little dizzy; his memories of the 21st century hadn't completely faded...

In his final moments, bullets rained down, and the searing pain seemed to linger in his flesh; he should have been dead by now.

"He's still alive."

The initial surge of elation was quickly suppressed by the biting chill.

That was in a past life.

In this life, he was a poor boy from a farming family in Cangzhou. His parents had died of illness and starvation long ago, and their remains were buried in a mass grave at the entrance of the village.

He was left alone with his elder brother Li Cheng and his younger sister Li Xiaoyue. With a few hard, dry cornbreads in their pockets, they headed to the capital to seek refuge with their uncle, who had not returned home for a long time.

Li Xin's palms were squeezed painfully, and when he turned his head, he saw a pair of big, dark eyes.

She was a little girl with dry, yellow hair like wild grass, her clothes tattered and full of holes, and her exposed arms and legs as thin as reeds...

Her straw sandals were worn through, and her toes were red with cold. She held his hand, which was trembling violently.

"Xiaoyue, don't be afraid!" Li Xin said softly.

The little girl nodded emphatically, her thin neck swaying as if her head would fall off at the slightest pressure.

She was so thin, her bones were just covered by skin...

At six years old, he was shorter than other three- or four-year-old children, and looked as if he could be blown over by the wind.

"The talisman is divinely powerful, and the patriarch bestows the law! Everyone, please step forward to receive the talisman!"

The bearded man roared, his voice echoing against the broken wall.

The men immediately surged forward, pushing and shoving to get ahead.

Seeing his elder brother Li Cheng anxiously pushing forward, Li Xin's brow twitched, and he reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Second brother, what are you doing? Quickly receive the talisman! It will make you invulnerable to swords and spears! The foreign devils' muskets won't be able to penetrate it!" Li Cheng said anxiously, "If we delay any longer, the foreigners will catch up!"

Li Xin's ears twitched slightly, and he nodded.

The older brother was guessing, but he could actually hear it.

The sounds of people and horses from below drifted up on the wind, growing clearer and clearer. And the shouts of "Kill them all!" could be faintly heard.

He understood; it meant to exterminate them all.

The wind carried the crisp sound of horses' hooves crushing dry branches and the soft click of muskets being chambered; the enemy was not far away.

Can drawing talismans make one invulnerable to swords and spears?

Li Xin glanced at the fervor in the eyes of those around him, and swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

Saying this talisman is useless? These people driven mad by despair could beat him to death on the spot and throw him to be fed to wild dogs.

They were coerced into killing foreigners along the way, and were constantly chased by Anssar soldiers, forced to hide and flee...

Having fled in panic, we've arrived here to find ourselves surrounded on both sides...

The mountain pass was an ambush point, and pursuers were behind them.

This talisman is their last hope; breaking it will only bring backlash.

"Tie the iron pot up and don't squeeze in." Li Xin bent down and lifted the black iron pot from the basket on his back. His hands slumped down, but he didn't feel too much strain.

With a light tap of the fingers, a buzzing metallic sound echoed in the night, indicating it was a sturdy, fine pot, weighing at least twenty or thirty pounds.

He is twelve years old this year, only up to his older brother's waist, thin and small, people would believe he is eight or nine years old.

But this strength, and the eyesight that allowed him to hear the commotion down the mountain from afar and see everyone's expressions in the dim light, all seemed a bit off.

My sense of smell has also become stronger...

In the night breeze, he could even smell the gunpowder on the foreigners in the distance, as well as the smell of horse manure on the soles of their boots.

That's a good thing. Although I'm very thin, I'm not very weak...

"At a time like this, why are you still worried about iron pots? Can't we buy them after we survive?" Li Cheng said reluctantly.

"Mother said that I should listen to my second brother when I go out." Li Xiaoyue's voice was crisp and clear, with a touch of childishness.

Li Cheng looked dejected, his face contorted in a grimace: "How do we tie it up?"

The sound of horses' hooves from below the mountain grew closer, and the shouts carried by the wind became clearer.

The mountain pass ahead was pitch black, and the muzzles of a dozen or so muskets gleamed coldly in the night.

Without saying a word, Li Xin placed the iron pot over Li Cheng's chest...

He pulled a thick hemp rope from the basket, threaded it through the iron handle on the edge of the pot, and draped it over Li Cheng's right shoulder.

Go around to the back, then through another metal ear, and wrap it back under the armpit.

Finally, it was wrapped around the waist and abdomen twice, tied in a tight knot, and secured completely.

"Go and receive the talisman." Li Xin's lips twitched, revealing a hint of coldness. "This is true invulnerability."

He didn't move; there was no need.

Being too short is seen as a burden by adults.

No one cares whether he lives or dies.

……

"Wearing twelve iron hats on his head and twelve layers of iron armor on his body;

Swords, axes, and guns cannot pierce his skin; his skin is as tough as copper and his bones as strong as a golden bell!

While chanting incantations, the bearded man used a brush dipped in cinnabar to draw talismans on everyone's bodies.

Amidst the flickering firelight, his incantations drifted erratically, sounding particularly eerie in the silent, desolate mountains.

When it was Li Cheng's turn, he glanced at the iron pot on the young man's chest, his lips moved, but he ultimately didn't say anything. He simply moved the iron pot aside and drew a red talisman on the young man's forehead.

After drawing the talisman, the men's demeanor suddenly changed.

The fear in their eyes was replaced by fervor, and they stood tall and proud, as if they had truly become indestructible.

The bearded man raised the black iron rod in his hand and slammed it hard into the ground with a dull thud, causing the pebbles on the ground to jump up.

"Listen to my command!"

"Master Zhao!" the crowd responded in unison, their voices shaking the dust that fell from the broken wall.

"Those foreign devils drink blood and eat flesh, they commit all sorts of evil! They burn our houses, steal our grain, and kill our people!" Master Zhao's voice turned impassioned. "Break through the mountain pass, kill the foreigners, and only then will we have a chance to survive!"

He paused, pointed his black staff at the crowd, and said fiercely, "No turning back or stopping during the charge! Anyone who is cowardly and afraid to fight will have their talisman removed by the patriarch, and I will personally kill them!"

"Follow the order!"

The crowd was in high spirits, roaring in response, their knives, forks, clubs, and spears gleaming in the torchlight.

Holding torches and gripping weapons, they rushed forward with swift steps...

Ahead lies a valley flanked by two ridges, a flat plain stretching out before you.

The mountain walls on both sides are steep and bare, devoid of vegetation.

Fire pits burned on both sides of the mountain pass, casting flickering light and shadow.

It seemed like both sides had a tacit understanding; neither side charged forward, and neither side fired a shot.

Only the wind whipped up the sparks, making a hissing sound in the air.

Li Xin and Xiao Yue were lying in the basket on each other's backs, their eyes looking over Li Cheng's shoulder.

The cool moonlight spilled across the valley, turning everything white with frost...

A dozen or so foreigners with high noses and blue eyes, dressed in dark blue military uniforms and carrying rifles, were pointing and gesturing at them with mocking expressions.

Several others were clutching their stomachs, laughing so hard they were doubled over, as if watching a farce.

A foreigner with a white feather stuck in his hat waved his hand with a dark face, shouting incoherently.

"Quickly finish this battle, charge!"

Zhao, the altar master, roared like thunder, and the thirty-odd men instantly turned red in the eyes and rushed towards the mountain pass like mad dogs.

The shouts of killing shook the heavens.