31: Chapter 31 Practicing boxing is easy, but finding the right strength is difficult.

Half-Step Crushing Fist is understandable; after all, it looks like a martial art. But what the heck is Herbalism?

Aren't you the Martial Arts Longevity System?

Li Changsheng was very suspicious, and just then, the System's crisp voice rang in his mind again.

[Host, martial longevity is not achieved overnight. In addition to martial arts, longevity requires an understanding of human meridians, herbs, prescriptions, diagnosis, Acupuncture, Tui Na, and other Traditional Chinese Medicine theories and practical operations. One must have a profound understanding of the human body and oneself.]

Hearing the System's explanation, Li Changsheng understood somewhat. Elder Zhang Youdao had also said that medicine and martial arts are inseparable.

Martial artists more or less know about human structure and health preservation. It is said that some high-level Daoist masters are themselves veteran TCM doctors; Zhang Youdao is the best example.

At that moment, two streams of memories flooded into his mind. Having had previous experiences, Li Changsheng did not panic at all and could even continue chatting and laughing with the livestream room.

The memory transmission this time lasted a full ten minutes, and most of the knowledge was about Herbalism.

When the transmission was complete, Li Changsheng felt that he remembered the names, appearances, and even smells of many different types of Chinese herbal medicines. However, he also knew that if he wanted to reach the level of a professional Chinese Herbal Medicine Identifier, he would still need practical experience.

The things gifted by the System were all similar: they gave you the entry ticket, but the hard work depended on yourself.

Compared to Herbalism, Li Changsheng was now more concerned about the Half-Step Crushing Fist.

This was a martial art originating from Hebei. The Crushing Fist was named so because its power was as fierce as a mountain collapsing and the earth splitting when unleashed.

As for the origin of the 'Half-Step,' it came from a generation's Crushing Fist Great Master, Guo Yunshen.

This Great Master, driven by the hot blood of a martial artist, had cut down a bully with a blade and was thrown into prison.

Because he was shackled in leg irons and the cell was cramped and narrow, practicing Crushing Fist was extremely difficult. Therefore, he adapted to the local conditions and practiced according to the length of the leg irons.

Characterized by the front foot taking a step and the back foot following by half a step, he created the Half-Step Crushing Fist based on the original Crushing Fist.

Great Master Guo Yunshen thus earned the illustrious reputation of 'traveling the world with the Half-Step Crushing Fist,' and later passed it on to the legendary Chinese Martial Arts Great Master Sun Lutang.

Flipping through these memories, Li Changsheng's eyes brightened; he had truly picked up a treasure.

“No wonder the System gifted this fist technique. So that's how it is!”

Li Changsheng had felt before that the System's rewards were never random. For instance, the Eight Brocades had the effect of regulating the liver, spleen, and stomach; the Taiji Stance was also a classic internal Stance Training; and the Marrow Cleansing Classic went without saying.

While this Half-Step Crushing Fist seemed exceptionally fierce and was a top-tier domineering art, after carefully reviewing the memories, he realized that it also had the function of nourishing the liver.

It contained basic training methods and fist techniques specifically for exercising the liver.

It advocated that the Liver Qi should be upright and aligned with the Liver Meridian of Foot-Jueyin. Moreover, the movements of the Half-Step Crushing Fist could promote the Qi of the Liver Meridian, thus soothing the liver and regulating Qi, relieving depression, and regulating blood and harmonizing the stomach.

(Not nonsense, really! When I looked up the info, I was also stunned. This fierce fist technique can actually nourish the liver?)

Not caring if he was on stream, Li Changsheng simply began to practice the Half-Step Crushing Fist methodically according to the memories in his mind.

“What kind of fist is the streamer practicing now? It looks all soft and weak?”

“Don't know, it's like Taiji. Why isn't the streamer doing Card Throwing? I came here to see Card Throwing!”

“Exactly! If the streamer doesn't do Card Throwing soon, I'm leaving!”

The viewers in the livestream room started to get a bit indignant; most of them were newcomers.

Newcomers usually have poor patience, and since Li Changsheng was practicing with total disregard for everything else, the popularity of the livestream room soon took another sharp dive.

Eventually, it stabilized at around fifteen hundred. Among them were many new viewers who were patient enough to stay and were curious about Traditional Martial Arts.

On the other hand, the old fans hadn't left at all. The fan stickiness of such niche livestreams is incredibly high, so those old fans started sending Rockets again.

[Yao Xin Who Loves Eating Ice Bean Sprouts gifted the streamer a Rocket!]

[Refined Baihui Point gifted the streamer a Rocket!]

Li Changsheng was unaware of this. At this moment, his whole mind was immersed in the Half-Step Crushing Fist, performing the set with fluid grace.

Without the slightest hesitation, Li Changsheng achieved the ultimate level in terms of 'form,' perfectly and standardly replicating the basic movements of the Half-Step Crushing Fist.

If it were the very beginning, Li Changsheng certainly wouldn't have been able to do this. After all, memory is memory and the body is the body; otherwise, one would need to practice hard every time.

But with the solid Foundation laid by the Eight Brocades and the Taiji Stance, taking up these fist techniques made Li Changsheng feel like a fish in water.

However, it was normal for the audience to think it looked soft, because Crushing Fist is a process from slow to fast. It’s like a spring; when storing power, it’s as soft as a harmless rabbit, but the moment it is released, it is as swift and fierce as a tiger descending a mountain.

After finishing a set, even though the movements seemed perfect, Li Changsheng was a bit confused.

“Why do I feel like this fist technique has no power? What’s going on with me not being able to exert strength?”

Although the movements were perfect, there was no sense of explosive power. If the Half-Step Crushing Fist was only this much, it would be a disgrace to its reputation for conquering the world.

It is said that Crushing Fist is an extremely fierce style, and the Half-Step Crushing Fist is a refinement of it. How could it be like this?

Deeply perplexed, Li Changsheng practiced it again, but he still didn't have that feeling of power surging out. Instead, he felt like he couldn't exert strength anywhere.

Clearly the movements were correct, but he just couldn't find the power.

“Although performing the Half-Step Crushing Fist is more powerful than my usual strikes, this isn't right. Something is very wrong. The power isn't being fully utilized; there should be more power that hasn't exploded out yet.”

As his moving Taiji Stance gradually yielded results and his Eight Brocades reached a high level, Li Changsheng's perception of his body's strength was very clear.

“I haven't been able to bring out any of the final Crushing Power of the Half-Step Crushing Fist at all, let alone other types of power.”

He opened his panel and looked; sure enough, the numerical values hadn't changed at all.

“Is it because my way of practicing is wrong, or the number of times is too few? Or does this kind of fist technique not provide much benefit to the body?”

After thinking for a moment, Li Changsheng shook his head. Martial arts definitely benefit the body; otherwise, people wouldn't say that practicing martial arts strengthens the body.

“It looks like I'll have to ask Elder Zhang tomorrow.”

Then, Li Changsheng performed a light-speed sign-off.

“What's with the streamer? Did he run away? Or did he pull the plug?”

“Damn, streamer, I was counting on you to help me fall asleep!”

The viewers in the livestream room began to condemn him one after another.

Meanwhile, at Jiang Tingting's house, she was holding a tablet in front of the old man. Seeing the livestream screen go black instantly, she felt a bit awkward.

“Grandpa, you saw it just now. What exactly was this streamer practicing? It looked like a set of fist techniques.”

The reason Jiang Tingting sought out her grandfather was that she wanted to understand more.

As she had been following Li Changsheng recently, she began to develop a great interest in Traditional Martial Arts and wanted to get to the bottom of many things.

“Half-Step Crushing Fist, the unique skill of the Great Master Guo. However, this kid is clearly not yet proficient in his Cultivation. He has only practiced the form. I reckon he's only been learning for a few months.”

Jiang Wenwu shook his head. Half-Step Crushing Fist was considered a martial art of the Central Plains, so he naturally knew a bit about it.

“This kid doesn't yet understand what the Half-Step Crushing Fist truly is. To achieve a state where spirit and form are one and the power is unified, it takes at least ten years of hard work.”

“Ah? Does it take that long? I thought the streamer practiced it very methodically and looked quite standard.”

Hearing this, Jiang Tingting was a bit surprised. She had seen the streamer learn the Eight Brocades and Taiji Stance quite quickly before, and that Plucking Flowers and Flying Leaves was also progressing rapidly every day.

Jiang Wenwu chuckled and couldn't help but glance at the young girl, saying with a light smile, “In our martial arts circles, there's a saying: 'It's easy to practice the fist, but hard to find the power.' This kid is young and in no hurry; let him slowly simmer.”