33: Chapter 33 Three Points of Resentment

Their fight was quite intense, competing under Chinese Kickboxing rules: best of three rounds, with two minutes of net fighting time per round and a one-minute break in between.

Don't think this time is short; it's actually very physically demanding. This so-called net fighting time excludes clinching, pauses, and other redundant time.

Every minute feels incredibly long during an intense struggle.

Their strengths were evenly matched, and after completing five full rounds, they were both drenched in sweat.

"Do you feel there's any difference between this and Traditional Martial Arts?" Zhang Youdao asked with a chuckle.

"This..." Li Changsheng hesitated for a moment, then decided to tell the truth. "This isn't the kind of martial arts I want."

This was the truth. The two had indeed fought intensely just now; if an ordinary person fought them, they would surely be knocked down in a few moves.

Yet, this still wasn't what he wanted. Although it looked very technical, for some reason, he just didn't like it.

"I understand. It's normal not to like it. It's true that Chinese Kickboxing isn't very ornamental; it can't compare to Karate or Taekwondo, and it's even less flashy than Traditional Martial Arts or martial arts performances. But it is indeed a fighting technique that ordinary people can use in a legal environment today."

Hearing Li Changsheng's words, Zhang Youdao continued with a smile.

"I know what you want to learn, kid. A martial artist must first Cultivate Three Parts of Malevolence in their heart. I've lived a long time and seen many people. You look refined and scholarly, but I know you've cultivated exactly those Three Parts of Malevolence."

Li Changsheng remained silent as he listened to the old man's assessment of him.

"A person like you just doesn't fit into this era. If it were a few decades ago, you might have had a chance to show your skills. You were born at the wrong time.

With those Three Parts of Malevolence in your heart, you're unwilling to be a Beast of Burden for All Living Beings; instead, you want to be a Dragon-elephant of All Buddhas!"

Elder Zhang stared intently at Li Changsheng, a deep look in his somewhat cloudy eyes.

"I..."

"Say no more. Just watch for now. I'll take you somewhere else this afternoon."

The old man waved his hand and walked toward the edge of the ring.

Seeing this, Li Changsheng opened his mouth but said nothing more. The old man was a keen judge of character.

Since his Rebirth, he felt as if the world was a cage, and the city was like a steel cage, constantly binding him.

The old man's teaching lasted for a full two hours, and Li Changsheng watched for the entire duration.

He did learn some characteristics of Chinese Kickboxing during that time, but because he hadn't been practicing martial arts for long, this understanding was only temporary.

After eating at the gym, Li Changsheng followed the old man and got into a taxi. He didn't ask where they were going; he just followed.

After a while, perhaps feeling it was too quiet, the old man spoke up leisurely.

"I remember you wanted to ask about fist techniques. Is there anything you want to learn, or something you're already learning?"

"I've been learning the Half-Step Crushing Fist recently, but I haven't been able to grasp the essentials."

Li Changsheng quickly replied.

Zhang Youdao nodded, a look of nostalgia appearing on his face as he sighed, "Half-Step Crushing Fist... I haven't heard that name in a long time."

They were silent for the rest of the trip.

Li Changsheng thought the old man was taking him to another gym, but they ended up back at the park from that morning.

"Confused?"

Li Changsheng shook his head, though the confusion on his face was unmistakable.

"There aren't as many taboos in teaching martial arts nowadays, and we're just discussing it together. There's no need for much formality. Go ahead and perform a set of Half-Step Crushing Fist first."

Li Changsheng did as he was told, performing the Half-Step Crushing Fist demonstration in a very methodical way that perfectly matched the technical guidelines.

After finishing the set, Li Changsheng looked at Zhang Youdao.

"How many months have you been learning?"

The old man's question caught Li Changsheng off guard, but he still replied, "It's been a few months."

There was no other way; it was a gift from the System, a quick mastery, and he couldn't just say that.

"Do you feel like you can't exert strength throughout your body, or that you can never hit the right spot?"

"Yes!"

Hearing this, Li Changsheng's eyes lit up. It seemed the old man really understood the Half-Step Crushing Fist.

"Then that's it. You've only practiced the form. There's no spirit, and even less intent. Naturally, the force cannot be formed."

Zhang Youdao shook his head.

"Do you know the circumstances the founder of the Half-Step Crushing Fist was in when he created this martial art?"

"Huh?"

Li Changsheng was a bit dazed but still nodded.

"Elder Guo Yunshen created this supreme skill while in a death row cell back then."

"Then you must experience Elder Guo Yunshen's state of mind from back then. Your current mindset is peaceful; how can the punches you throw have any power?"

Zhang Youdao hit the nail on the head: "You need to imagine the Concept of 'The Great Dao is like the blue sky, but I alone cannot escape.' Of course, I don't blame you. You've been practicing health-preserving techniques for too long, so your mindset is naturally peaceful. If you want to change it, you must slowly experience it."

Come to think of it, Li Changsheng did feel that after practicing the Eight Brocades and the Taiji Stance for so long, his mindset had become much more peaceful, giving him a somewhat indifferent and ethereal feeling.

"Also, remember one thing: practicing the fist is easy, but finding the force is hard. If you want to develop the force within the fist technique, you must practice relentlessly. The Concept is one aspect, but hard practice is even more important."

This lecture lasted for a full two or three hours, and Zhang Youdao really broke everything down in his explanation.

For example, Li Changsheng's previous problem was that he was too conventional.

The Half-Step Crushing Fist emphasizes a feeling of being fast, slow, and ruthless. When slow, it must be unbiased, like an Iron Ox Plowing the Field—slow and heavy.

But when fast, it must be swift and violent, like an arrow leaving the string. As soon as the intent moves and the body shakes, you advance; there must not be the slightest hint of hesitation.

However, Li Changsheng's movements were very peaceful. They looked fine on the surface, but they were actually full of flaws.

Li Changsheng felt a bit embarrassed by Zhang Youdao's lecture, but he secretly noted down all these key points.

It wasn't until nearly five in the afternoon that the two finally bid each other farewell.

Walking toward his residential area, his steps were much lighter.

"With the old man's guidance, I finally feel like I have a grasp on things."

The rest was nothing but practice, and practice was one of Li Changsheng's strengths.

—

Days passed one by one. Aside from his usual daily livestreams, Li Changsheng spent every day in hard practice.

To master the Half-Step Crushing Fist as quickly as possible, Li Changsheng even deliberately shortened his practice time for Plucking Flowers and Flying Leaves.

This was mainly because progress had become extremely slow after Plucking Flowers and Flying Leaves reached Level 4.

During this period, aside from occasionally going to Boss Cao's to get ingredients for the Bazhen Soup and going for runs, he spent his time practicing behind closed doors.

Fortunately, the effects of the Bazhen Soup were strong enough. He originally thought half a month would be enough, but Li Changsheng ended up using a full month's worth.

Bam!

Watching the sandbag fly back, Li Changsheng let out a soft breath. These two weeks of practice hadn't been in vain.

His Half-Step Crushing Fist had finally reached Level 2, marking a small achievement.

This so-called Level 2 was actually Li Changsheng's own self-assessment.

The Half-Step Crushing Fist is derived from the Crushing Fist of the Xingyi Five Elements Fist; before this stage, Li Changsheng's fighting style had been too rigid.

But with his deepening understanding and Zhang Youdao's frequent guidance, Li Changsheng finally understood the importance of combining footwork and fist techniques in the Crushing Fist.

This is precisely why it's said that Xingyi Fist is easy to learn but hard to practice, and easy to learn but hard to master.

"I've now mastered the Crushing Force, Pressing Force, Wrapping Force, Pouncing Force, Shaking Force, and Stepping Force within the Crushing Fist. However, I still have no clue about the Mixed Force the old man mentioned for the next step."

Holding the swaying sandbag, Li Changsheng frowned.

The Half-Step Crushing Fist seems like just a small branch of the Xingyi Five Elements, but in practice, it's very, very difficult to master.

This was only because he had the System; for an ordinary person, it would take at least ten years to start seeing results.

At the same time, the Eight Brocades and the Taiji Stance had built an excellent Foundation for learning the Crushing Fist.

The most important basic skill of the Crushing Fist is the Floating Cloud Stance. Although it's slightly different from Taiji Stake Training, they lead to the same goal, allowing him to practice much faster.