99: Chapter 96 Eight Extremes Plus Pi Gua, Fearless of Gods and Ghosts

"Daoist Priest Chen is quite decent, but unfortunately, it wasn't satisfying."

Li Changsheng walked along at a leisurely pace, his breathing steady and even, showing no signs at all of having just engaged in a fierce fight.

He had held back just now; if he had unleashed his full power with Baji Quan and Pigua Zhang, that man would have died from the very first punch, and there would have been no need for a second or third strike.

After all, he had employed techniques like the Dragging Saber and the Returning Horse Spear; having gone to such lengths, it would be a joke if he couldn't take down his enemy in one strike.

The Baji Small Frame integrates Tongbei and Baji Quan into one, complementing each other's strengths and weaknesses.

Baji Pigua Quan, also known as Pigua Zhang, excels at defeating enemies at medium to long range. It emphasizes extending one's reach to strike from afar, focusing on long-range strikes when distant and whipping strikes when close, capable of being retracted or released, long or short.

Just now, it was close-range whipping strikes; every punch was like that whip-hand technique Chen Shixing had used earlier, each punch heavier than the last.

Even without the foundation of Internal Martial Arts that Li Changsheng possessed, if an ordinary person trained for a few years and unleashed this move, and the first one or two punches landed solidly, the opponent wouldn't even be able to lift their head, let alone attempt a counterattack.

I remember a movie by Wu Jing that showcased this move, where it beat the opponent back step by step, leaving them unable to counter. Of course, that was a movie; reality would only be more brutal.

Then there's the one shown by Brother Zhang Zhen in a movie; that was closer to reality. When the martial arts skills are up to par, it's almost an instant takedown, without any sloppiness.

By nightfall, dragging his heavy body back to the summit of Wudang Mountain, Chen Shixing pretended to be calm while dealing with the Senior Brothers he encountered along the way.

As soon as he returned to his room, he stumbled and collapsed, hissing in pain as he gripped the edge of his bed.

He unbuttoned his clothes to take a look, and his brows immediately knit together.

He saw that his body, though not overly bulky but covered in lean, tough muscle, was now covered in numerous bruises, large and small, scattered around his joints and major muscle groups.

"This Li Changsheng's fighting style is too fierce; I misjudged him."

Chen Shixing felt a wave of helplessness; he had brought this upon himself.

A few days ago, he had indeed cooperated with a production crew to film a test video and had conducted a sparring session with the foreigners who came with them. He had performed quite well, defeating the opponent in ten moves.

Wudang Taiji actually has a sense of balance and calmness, carrying a touch of Confucian character, so ten moves were just right—it saved Face for the opponent while securing the substance of respect for Wudang.

Hmm, everything had been going in a good direction, after all, they had shown relevant documents from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The fact that they could come to film was a result of an exchange of interests between nations; he didn't care about that. His cooperation was because his Revered Master had specifically instructed him to just go through the motions and not reveal the real goods.

And he had indeed done just that; playing Taiji, he stayed neutral.

But he never expected that after the test, the other side would say:

"This person's martial arts are no good; they aren't as impressive as that Mr. Li from yesterday."

Indeed, foreigners are just that blunt.

Li Changsheng's test data was better than yours, and on top of that, he put their strongest fighter, Peterman, in the hospital after just a few moves—I heard he still hasn't been discharged—so you are not as good as him.

Upon hearing this, Chen Shixing kept a straight Face at the time, but he made a mental note of it.

After clarifying the situation with the other party, he sent the recording crew away and retreated to the Daoist temple for a few days of quiet cultivation.

How does that saying go again?

If you endure for a moment, the more you think about it, the angrier you get; if you take a step back, the more you think about it, the more you feel cheated.

Just like that, after enduring for a few days, he went down the mountain without telling his Revered Master. All that talk about acting under the Revered Master's orders was nonsense.

He just wanted to have a fight with this Li Changsheng in secret.

And the result...

"Sigh, I never thought that after all these years of cultivation, I, Chen Shixing, would end up having my state of mind disturbed by worldly fame."

Over these many years, Chen Shixing had indeed initially been cultivating with a heart of pure practice, studying diligently without daring to slack off in the slightest.

Besides practicing martial arts, he also quietly studied the Daoist Canon and was even able to learn various other subjects, which shows just how much of a Genius he was.

However, as his status rose, he received more and more attention.

This is the arena of fame and profit; when you are in it, if you don't have an unwavering heart, falling into its trap is only a matter of time.

Once you become famous, fame is not only a benefit but also a shackle.

"It's fortunate that I realized it early; this fight has served as a wake-up call."

Chen Shixing sighed and laboriously dug out some bottles and jars from a cabinet nearby, pulling out ointment to apply to his injuries.

These bruises were all from those few Pigua Zhang strikes; having trained Taiji to his level, he had already achieved the ability to disperse force throughout his entire body.

His hands were his whole body, his legs were his whole body; forces were channeled layer by layer into every part of his body. Even just managing this was already quite impressive.

If he didn't possess this skill of dispersing force, his hands would likely have been ruined.

He rolled up his sleeves to take a look; his arms were already swollen, and the middle section had turned a bruised, dark blue color, with veins standing out clearly.

"It seems to be broken..."

The fight with Chen Shixing had yielded some gains. Early in the morning, Li Changsheng was constantly practicing Baji Quan and Xingyi, even temporarily setting aside his Vajra Longevity exercises.

"The posture of the final Pigua Zhang move, the Returning Horse Spear, and the state of being ready to strike at a moment's notice—there seemed to be a faintly different feeling to it."

Li Changsheng silently recalled yesterday's sensation, that feeling of being on the verge of eruption, ready to strike at any moment.

"In that instant, my essence, energy, and spirit were highly concentrated, seemingly reaching some kind of peak, but it didn't fully penetrate. I always feel like there's a membrane separating it. Could it be that achieving this penetration is what is meant by Dark Power?"

"I remember the old man saying that he couldn't easily unleash Dark Power. It seems that releasing Dark Power is a high consumption of essence, energy, and spirit, thereby achieving a lethal strike with maximized power?"

After thinking about it, Li Changsheng shook his head. "That might be right, or it might be wrong. Dark Power is a manifestation of force; it shouldn't just be a lethal strike—it could be both."

The pinnacle of Visible Power is to strike unintentionally, and the prerequisite for achieving this is that the tendons and bones must be relaxed, and the skin and hair must be sensitive, reaching a bodily reaction of external strength with internal relaxation.

But this still seems to only stay on the surface; this still doesn't count as what Dark Power is.

"Perhaps I can find some inspiration from those books. Oh, that's right."

Li Changsheng suddenly thought of Chen Shixing from yesterday.

"This Daoist Priest Chen's martial arts are also just one step away from Dark Power. He is a Disciple of the current Wudang Daoist Priest Zhong, and among his generation, he is a leading figure, with the strongest ability. To be able to cultivate such an expert, this Daoist Priest Zhong might have already achieved Dark Power."

But just thinking about the fact that he had injured the man's Disciple only yesterday, and then turning around to ask him for advice—after a brief thought, he figured it probably wouldn't work.

As the saying goes, "Methods are not taught to six ears, and the Dao is not taught to unworthy people."

Although it is no longer an era where people jealously guard their secrets, why would someone share the principles of Wudang Taiji's Dark Power with an outsider like him, especially when it involves the core of their martial arts?

Moreover, one can get a glimpse of this from the old man's attitude: Dark Power should not be used lightly.

"Forget it, let me first look at the works of those Revered Masters; perhaps they will mention it in their books."