"Tiger Form Three Styles: Pounce, Lift, Clip."
Chou Hai continued, "The pounce emphasizes montum. It must seize the heart, captivate the soul. When a starving tiger pounces on sheep, even before it strikes, the ferocity in its eyes is enough to terrify an entire flock."
"What appears to be a simple pounce actually requires training the gaze, the body’s explosive power, and the strength of the arms and palms."
"Lacking any one of these, it’s not a true pounce."
Chou Hai bellowed, his voice like a tiger’s roar.
He leaped, his muscles and bones crackling, and his fist shot out, the air CRACKING from the force.
"Lift. The tiger lifts its body, not just itself, but also to push the enemy. Lift focuses on bodily coordination. If the pounce is hard, then the lift is soft. Combining hardness and softness, one can fight many!"
As Old Chou shouted, he spun sharply, his probing hand forming a claw and lashing out swiftly at the upper, middle, and lower targets.
"Clip. Strike when least expected. A tiger has its tail; humans have legs. Between kicks and sweeps, every step can be lethal."
The sky was cloudless, with only a sun, red as dripping blood, hanging directly overhead.
After demonstrating several tis, Chou Hai saw the apprentices below were all practicing with decent form. He squinted at the sun, waved his hand, and went back to his room for a midday rest.
"Phew, he’s finally gone..."
The chubby boy practicing the Tiger Form Three Styles beside Jiang Shu let out a long sigh of relief. He had gone through the forms three or four tis, and his body was drenched in sweat, his cotton clothes clinging tightly to his skin.
"Martial arts training is so tough! Bro, how are you so good?" the chubby boy asked, his legs trembling slightly. He looked at Jiang Shu with eyes full of admiration.
With his discernnt, he could naturally tell that Jiang Shu, like himself, had yet to reach the realm of Qi Blood Transport.
But at the sa level, Jiang Shu, who had started later, could endure longer and possessed more talent.
His Starving Tiger Sitting in Cave Stance lasted for one whole session, longer than the chubby boy’s two sessions combined!
And when practicing the Tiger Form Three Styles, Jiang Shu looked even more proficient!
"Not really, you’re also quite impressive," Jiang Shu said, finishing his practice and steadying his breath. He wasn’t just being polite. The chubby boy looked to be no older than fourteen or fifteen.
On Xuanxing, that would barely be the age of a middle school graduate. Yet, this chubby boy had already achieved Qi Blood Sensing and could probably enroll directly in a university martial arts program.
Even in this Hungry Tiger Martial Arts School, those who could perform Qi Blood Transport were, without exception, eighteen or nineteen, or even in their twenties.
To achieve Qi Blood Sensing at fourteen or fifteen was certainly not bad.
"Nah, that’s nothing," the chubby boy waved his hands dismissively, leaned in closer, and whispered, "That’s all because of food. My dad said that if you want to learn martial arts, the first step is to eat. Eat a lot, eat fiercely, eat massively—eat until you absolutely can’t eat anymore. Then, you practice stance work to digest."
"I snuck out here this ti behind my dad’s back. I heard the stance techniques of this Hungry Tiger Martial Arts School are miraculously effective. After practicing, you feel an unbearable hunger, like a starving tiger that hasn’t eaten for days. Then, I continue to eat a lot, eat fiercely, eat massively. This way, my martial arts progress will definitely be rapid."
"Bro, my na is Zhou Yang. My family owns several restaurants in the city. If you’re ever short on at, co to our restaurant. I’ll give it to you at cost. Just ntion my na."
"Jiang Shu," he replied, offering only his na and saying no more.
Having spent three months in Pingling County, Jiang Shu knew very well how precious at was.
What restaurant could sell at at cost?
He feared that the mont he stepped into the restaurant, he’d be roped into the Zhou Family’s affairs.
Indeed, different worlds, different human nature.
On Xuanxing, what fourteen or fifteen-year-old would be so scheming?
He himself could travel between Two Realms. at, considered precious in Pingling County, could be easily bought on Xuanxing until he couldn’t eat anymore.
Why should he owe such a huge favor for such a trivial resource?
Although this chubby boy had achieved Qi Blood Sensing, it seed for now he relied on his family’s considerable wealth.
With such a calculating mind, his future in Martial Arts might not be very promising.
The path of Martial Arts is like climbing a high mountain or wading through deep waters. Without great perseverance and imnse spirit, one cannot scale its heights or plumb its depths.
Truly a tiless truth.
Jiang Shu closed his eyes, ignoring whatever else the chubby boy was saying. He recalled Chou Hai’s every move from that day and resud his stance, crouching like a tiger, breathing like a tiger.
The Tiger Form Three Styles were still too profound for him at the mont.
After practicing them a few tis, he identified nurous problems with his own execution.
His gaze wasn’t fierce enough to be intimidating. His pounce lacked explosive power, and the strength in his arms and palms needed more tempering.
During the lift, he had used too much force and nearly twisted his waist.
It was clear his body coordination was also lacking; he couldn’t be firm, let alone flexible.
As for the final clip, his performance was even worse.
Perhaps after achieving Qi Blood Transport, practicing the Tiger Form Three Styles would allow him to grasp its deeper intricacies.
Seeing Jiang Shu truly close his eyes and enter a stance, Zhou Yang, the chubby boy, pouted. He then turned to another new apprentice and said, "Martial arts practice is so hard! Bro, how are you so good..."
The chubby boy’s words caused no ripple in Jiang Shu’s heart.
He stood in his stance, breathed, and practiced his punches.
After persisting for an hour, he finally stopped. He returned to his padded jacket, closed his eyes, and rested briefly.
He always rembered this was Pingling County, not the safe Xuanxing.
He had to ensure his Qi Blood was abundant, so that with every punch and kick, he could perform at his best at any mont.
Moreover, he had important matters to attend to tonight.
「Until dusk」
Old Chou didn’t reappear, and the apprentices gradually left the courtyard one by one.
"Brother Jiang, you must visit the restaurant when you have a chance!"
After greeting Jiang Shu, Zhou Yang, the chubby boy, patted the large, simple-looking apprentice surnad Han. "Brother Han, let’s go! Today, I’ll take you to the restaurant. Once you’re familiar with it, you can go by yourself. Just ntion my na!"
"Young Master Zhou, I... I think I’d better not. I might not be able to afford it even at cost..."
"Hey, Brother Han, so what if you can’t afford it at cost? You can run a tab! Think about it. You’ve joined the martial arts school now. If you don’t have enough at for nourishnt, won’t it take a long ti to achieve Qi Blood Transport? But if you go to our restaurant now and eat at, you might reach the Qi Blood Transport realm ahead of schedule. Once you can transport your Qi Blood and circulate it through your body, step by step, when you truly beco a Skin Grinding Realm Martial Artist, will you still care about the money for that bit of at?"
"That... seems to make sense..."
"Of course, it does!"
The voices of the chubby boy and the large, simple apprentice grew more distant.
Jiang Shu closed his eyes, stood in his stance, and breathed.
A panel slowly materialized before him.
Jiang Shu—
Horse Stance: small success (565/1000)
Starving Tiger Sitting in Cave Stance: entry-level (35/1000)
Starving Tiger Breathing thod: entry-level (35/1000)
Tiger Form Three Styles: entry-level (12/1000)
Two Realms Shuttle Countdown: 00:40
"There must be more miraculous aspects to the Martial Arts of this world," he thought. "Stance work and breathing thods are probably just the basics."
With the panel, he knew his cultivation realm better than the other apprentices.
The Starving Tiger Sitting in Cave Stance was indeed more profound than the Horse Stance; even at the entry-level, he could achieve Qi Blood Sensing.
Based on the proficiency progression, entry-level ant Qi Blood Sensing, small success ant Qi Blood Transport, Great Success ant a full-body Qi Blood circulation, and Perfection would lead to the Skin Grinding Realm.
But how does one cultivate the realms above the Skin Grinding Realm?
What kind of wonders do those higher realms hold?
Jiang Shu looked up at the sky.
Dark clouds enveloped the city as the setting sun dipped behind the mountains.
The distant sky seed shrouded in a layer of mist, indistinct.
A chill wind blew past. He put on his padded jacket, gathered his li powder and stun baton, and left the inner city.
「Outer city.」
「Hour of You.」
The residential houses along the streets had mostly closed their doors. In the alleys, only so restaurants and gambling dens remained lit.
Under these dim lights, Jiang Shu removed his wig, stepped on his own shadow, and walked towards Bicao Lane, one step at a ti, slow yet resolute.
At this mont, the moon was dark, the wind high—a perfect night for murder.
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