Chapter 11: Stance Training, Fist Techniques, and the Secret to Longevity

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, a month had passed.

By now, you had completely stabilized your Qi and Blood Eighth Stage Realm.

The Qi and Blood Wolf Smoke that shot straight into the sky was, with your deliberate restraint, hidden within your body, ready to be unleashed but not yet.

But you were not satisfied.

Your goal was the “Ninth Stage of Qi and Blood – Crimson Gauze Cloaking.”

However, over this past month, no matter how hard you tried to compress your Qi and Blood, attempting to transform that violent Wolf Smoke into a gentle, thin gauze to cover your body, you failed. Although the Qi and Blood within your body was immense, it was like an untamed wild horse, powerful but lacking in flexibility.

You had encountered a Bottleneck again.

This day, in the special combat room.

“Pfft!”

You tried again to compress the Qi and Blood Wolf Smoke into a film, but the Qi and Blood backlashed, your throat sweetened, and a mouthful of rebellious blood sprayed onto the ground.

“Stop, stop, stop! Don’t practice anymore!”

Wu Changhe, who was drinking tea nearby, couldn’t bear to watch any longer. He quickly put down his thermos and walked over, his brows tightly furrowed. “If you keep practicing, your newly reshaped Meridians will burst again!”

You wiped the blood from the corner of your mouth, your expression unwilling. “Teacher, why? My total Qi and Blood volume is clearly sufficient, even exceeding the standard for an ordinary Ninth Stage, so why can’t I condense the ‘Crimson Gauze’?”

Wu Changhe sighed, his eyes becoming somewhat complex. He gestured for you to sit down, and his tone became unprecedentedly serious.

“Li Ang, do you know why in our Federation, it’s hard for ordinary people to rise, while aristocratic Family Disciples can thrive for generations?”

You paused, then tentatively replied, “Because of resources? They have money to buy better medicine and hire better teachers?”

“That’s just the surface,” Wu Changhe shook his head. “The real difference lies in Legacy, in the foundation.”

“Your current Qi and Blood Eighth Stage is like a rough house built overnight with rebar and concrete. Although it looks magnificent and is hard enough, its internal structure is too crude.”

Wu Changhe, with his hands behind his back, began to tell you a Secret about the New Martial Era.

“In the early days of the New Martial Era, myriad races invaded, and the Human Race was in peril. To quickly form combat power, the Federation urgently needed a fast-track method. Thus, the Broadcasting Body Tempering Art came into being. The advantage of this Cultivation Technique is that it’s simple, easy to learn, and progresses quickly. As long as one is Hardworking and Enduring, willing to take medicine, and has some talent, they can Cultivate Qi and Blood and go to the battlefield to kill enemies.”

“But its drawback is also obvious—it only tempers the Physical Body, not the Meridians.”

“The Federation’s Body Tempering Art takes the fast lane, a path where consistent practice and willingness to take medicine yield results.”

“But the Disciples of those great aristocratic families are different. They don’t start practicing martial arts at sixteen. From the age of three, they practice their Family’s inherited Post Stance and force cultivation methods, and soak in gentle Meridian-nourishing medicinal baths. Before they officially Cultivate Qi and Blood at sixteen, their Meridians have already been nourished to be like wide river channels.”

“They first build the channels, then let the water flow. Whereas commoner Martial Artists with ordinary Meridian talent, like you, directly pour a large amount of water into a narrow ditch!”

You were shaken to the core. This was precisely your long-standing confusion. Although the simulator helped you reshape your Physical Body and solved the problem of medicinal toxins, the inherent defect of narrow Meridians and the lack of early nourishment still remained obstacles for you to assault higher Realms.

Wu Changhe continued, “Decades ago, during the most brutal period of the war, to help commoner Martial Artists overcome the hurdle of the Seventh Stage, the Federation once distributed a substance called Ethereal Beast Blood Crystal on a large scale.”

“It was refined from the essence blood of high-level Ethereal Beasts. Held in the mouth, it could continuously provide violent Qi and Blood, forcibly flushing the Meridians. With this external force, many Martial Artists who were stuck for life were able to achieve a Breakthrough.”

“But later, this policy was stopped.”

“Why?” you asked.

“The official statement was: forcibly breaking through with Blood Crystals would deplete ten or even twenty years of life expectancy with each Breakthrough. To protect the lives of the vast number of Martial Artists, and also because the war had eased and high-level Ethereal Beast resources were depleted, the distribution was halted.”

At this point, Wu Changhe suddenly sneered, a hint of sarcasm for the world in his eyes. “But Li Ang, you’re a smart person, use your brain to think.”

He lowered his voice, his gaze flickering. “If this thing was really all bad, if taking one really cut twenty years off your life, why is a single Blood Crystal still being hyped to 800,000 on the black market? And it’s often available but priceless, instantly bought up as soon as it appears?”

You were stunned. “Who’s buying?”

“Who else? Of course, those aristocratic families!” Wu Changhe said with disdain. “The truth is—Blood Crystals do have side effects, but with modern medical technology and the Secret nourishing methods of the aristocratic families, those side effects are completely controllable!”

“From Qi and Blood Seventh Stage to Eighth Stage is the biggest watershed on the path of martial arts. Once past this stage, with Qi and Blood flowing freely, commoners with sufficient Comprehension Ability can compete on the same starting line as aristocratic Family Disciples.”

“This is what those big figures fear the most.”

“During wartime, they needed cannon fodder, so they distributed Blood Crystals for free. But now that the war has slowed, the pie is only so big. If everyone can easily break through the Seventh Stage, where is the advantage for aristocratic Family Disciples?”

“The so-called resource depletion and health risks are nothing more than an invisible lock.

They aren’t locking up Blood Crystals, but the hopes of commoner Martial Artists to advance.”

You felt a chill run down your spine. So, this was the truth.

Wu Changhe turned around, looking at you with burning eyes. “So, Li Ang, you are an anomaly. Even more, a miracle.”

“Without Blood Crystals, without Family support, and even with this set of rules layered to restrict you, you relied on a ruthless determination to forcefully train this mediocre body to the Qi and Blood Wolf Smoke stage!”

“You not only broke the limits of your Physical Body, you also broke the cage they set for you.”

At this point, he paused, his tone softening slightly. “But you also paid a price. Your Qi and Blood is too violent, which is why you cannot condense the Crimson Gauze.”

“To go further, you need to calm down. You need to make up for the lesson that aristocratic Family Disciples learn from a young age—Post Stance and force cultivation.”

You suddenly understood, then stood up and bowed respectfully. “Please, Teacher, teach me!”

“I originally thought that once you cultivated the Qi and Blood Wolf Smoke, you had passed the most difficult hurdle.”

Wu Changhe looked at your still restless Qi and Blood, shaking his head with a bitter smile. “But I didn’t expect that what made you would also break you. Your Qi and Blood accumulation is too profound and too violent, which has become an obstacle to your further advancement.”

“It’s like an untamed wild horse; no matter how powerful it is, it’s useless without a bridle. Forcibly compressing them to condense the Crimson Gauze will only blow up your Meridians.”

“Originally, I wouldn’t easily teach this Post Stance to exam candidates. Because practicing Post Stance is too slow; as the saying goes, ‘Three years of Post Stance shows no mountain, but once force is unleashed, ghosts and gods are startled.’ For students eager to participate in the College Entrance Examination, the cost-effectiveness is too low, far less practical than practicing the Body Tempering Art a few more times.”

“But you are different. Your strength has already overflowed; what you lack now is not advancement, but settling down.”

Wu Changhe assumed a stance, his expression proud. “Your Qi and Blood is now abundant, it’s a good time to go back and polish your foundation.”

“Watch closely! This Post Stance is called the Coiled Dragon Post Stance, combined with a set of Eight Extremes Fist. One still, one dynamic, balancing rigidity and flexibility, it will perfectly suppress your violent Wolf Smoke!”

With that, Wu Changhe spread his feet, his toes gripping the ground, his spine undulating like a great Dragon. His entire being seemed to transform into an ancient pine rooted on a cliff, or a Coiled Dragon waiting to soar.

A steady, profound Aura, as if connected to the earth, emanated from him.

“The essence of Post Stance lies in locking. Locking the restless mind, locking the surging Qi and Blood, allowing every bit of strength to settle into the bone marrow, to nourish your internal organs.”

You watched intently. Although the “Tireless Teacher” talent was primarily for teaching, at this moment it also greatly enhanced your ability to analyze your teacher’s movements. You keenly captured the frequency of Wu Changhe’s muscle tremors and the rhythm of his breathing.

“Now, watch the fist art!”

Wu Changhe’s body suddenly moved, transitioning from extreme stillness to extreme motion.

“In literature, Tai Chi brings peace to the world; in martial arts, Eight Extremes Fist establishes order! Eight Extremes Fist emphasizes collapse, shake, thrust, and strike! Force originates from the heels, is governed by the waist, and erupts from the spine!”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

He performed a set of incomparably fierce fist arts in the combat room. With each punch, the air exploded. That was not the brute force of Qi and Blood, but a highly penetrating internal force!

“Obvious Force injures skin and flesh, hidden force injures internal organs. Your current strength is great, but it’s only direct. Only by understanding internal force can you make your strength vibrant, and turn that Wolf Smoke into a soft, pliable silk!”

Having finished the demonstration, Wu Changhe concluded his practice and stood, exhaling like an arrow.

“Did you remember it?”

“Yes,” you nodded, having already disassembled the movements of the Coiled Dragon Post Stance and Eight Extremes Fist countless times in your mind.

“Teacher…” You suddenly thought of something, hesitated, and then asked, “You just said that forcibly breaking through would shorten one’s lifespan. Then I took so many medicines before, and forcibly broke through so many times, my lifespan…”

This was a concern you had always harbored. Although the simulator reshaped your Physical Body, you weren’t sure if something as fundamental as “shortened lifespan,” which involved the Origin of life, had also been repaired.

Wu Changhe glanced at you, seemingly seeing through your worries.

He walked to the window, looking at the distant sky, his tone carrying a hint of longing. “The path of martial arts is inherently Heaven-Defying, changing one’s fate. Shortened lifespan? In front of true powerhouses, that’s nothing.”

“Li Ang, do you know what lies beyond the Origin Opening Realm?”

“It’s the Soaring Realm,” you replied.

“Exactly. A great Roc rises with the wind in a day, Soaring ninety thousand li! The Soaring Realm is a Realm that truly transcends the mortal Physical Body.”

Wu Changhe turned around, his eyes gleaming with fanaticism. “Once you Break through to the Soaring Realm, you can draw in the Origin Qi of heaven and earth to irrigate your body, reshape your Physical Body, and achieve what the ancients called the Innate Fetal Breathing Realm!”

“By then, no matter how many hidden injuries you’ve suffered before, how many potent medicines you’ve taken, how much potential you’ve overdrawn… all will be cleansed and healed by the Origin Qi of heaven and earth! You will gain a lifespan of two hundred years and possess an immaculate Origin Power Body!”

“So, don’t be afraid of a shortened lifespan! As long as you run fast enough, as long as you can rush to the Soaring Realm before your lifespan runs out, all the sacrifices will become your badges of ascension!”

These words, like a resounding bell, dispelled the last lingering gloom in your heart.

Yes.

What is there to fear?

Since you chose the path of martial arts, just brave the wind and rain. As long as you become a Grandmaster, everything can be started anew!

“Thank you, Teacher, for clarifying!” You bowed deeply.

In the days that followed, your Cultivation life became even more focused.

During the day, you followed Wu Changhe at school to practice Eight Extremes Fist, clumsily comprehending the transmission of force amidst the fierce fist wind. Even with your talent bonus, the change in force from “dead to alive” still felt obscure and difficult to grasp.

At night, you returned to the Teachers Apartment, standing in the Coiled Dragon Post Stance all night.

The “Hardworking and Enduring” talent once again proved invaluable. While ordinary people would shake their legs and go crazy from boredom after half an hour of Post Stance, you stood for an entire night.

However, reality was cruel.

Some things truly cannot be smoothed over in a short time by simply dedicating time. Even within aristocratic families with mountains of resources, constant medicinal baths from a young age, and guidance from famous teachers, Prodigies who could Cultivate hidden force before the age of twenty were as rare as Phoenix feathers and Qilin horns.

In fact, in the New Martial Era, Post Stance and internal force were more like a luxurious retro practice.

Many aristocratic Family Disciples actually looked down on these slow-acting, old Cultivation Techniques from the bottom of their hearts. In their view, these things simply couldn’t compare to the simple yet effective Broadcasting Body Tempering Art. The latter’s one year of practice was equivalent to the former’s ten years, and since one could break through all the way to the Soaring Realm or even higher without practicing Post Stance, why waste precious youth standing in a Post Stance?

Therefore, the vast majority of aristocratic Disciples, as well as commoner New Martial Geniuses, would choose to give up after trying for a few years and finding that it had minimal effect on their actual combat power.

A month later.

Inside the training room of the Teachers Apartment.

You slowly concluded your practice, exhaling a mouthful of turbid Qi. When you tried to circulate your Qi and Blood again, the violent Wolf Smoke was still like an untamed wild horse. Although it was slightly calmer than before, the Realm of Crimson Gauze Cloaking, which was like mercury flowing smoothly and clinging to the skin, was still far out of reach.

You looked at your hands and gave a bitter smile.

“Teacher was right, Post Stance won’t show results without ten or eight years of practice. At best, I’ve only just touched the threshold, only learned how to stand.”

You still couldn’t grasp how to tame this violent Qi and Blood into a gentle Crimson Gauze. The feeling of powerlessness, where it would rebound no matter how you compressed it, made you realize your shortcomings.

However, you were not without any gains.

Although your Qi and Blood Realm hadn’t broken through, after a month of practicing the Coiled Dragon Post Stance, you became infatuated with the feeling of entering tranquility.

Every time you stood in Post Stance late at night, your mind seemed to sink into a deep sea, the external noise all receding, and even the impatience that had arisen from being too eager for quick results during this period was smoothed out. Your Mental Energy became more concentrated than ever, and your internal organs received a hint of nourishment in that faint rhythm.

“Post Stance for Health, it truly lives up to its reputation.”

You took a deep breath, your eyes once again becoming firm.