392: Chapter 392 Reeling Force, Spiral Force, Elastic Shaking Force

Early morning.

The skyline was tinged with the pale white of dawn.

This urban jungle of reinforced concrete remained immersed in the tranquility of dawn.

The city's pulse had not yet beaten; only sanitation trucks occasionally drove down the streets, looping music.

"Ah—"

Xiao Sa walked out of the bedroom yawning, eyes sleep-heavy, his hair as messy as a bird's nest.

When his gaze habitually swept across the living room, his entire body instantly froze in place like a wooden stake.

The unfinished yawn in his throat was forcibly swallowed back down by him.

Any lingering sleepiness instantly vanished completely.

By the window at the front of the living room, a figure was currently standing upside down quietly.

That was not the common circus-style acrobatic handstand, but a posture that almost defied common physical sense.

The entire body maintained balance using only a single middle finger probing the floor as a pivot, undulating up and down.

The faint morning light traced the contours of the body, resembling a meticulously carved work of art.

There was not the slightest bit of excess fat, only a layer of bronze skin wrapping around solid, dense muscles.

The torso, from the fingertips to the closed legs, was tensed into a perfect straight line, like a javelin stabbing toward the vault of heaven.

Together with the towering skyscrapers outside the window, it formed a bizarre yet harmonious silhouette.

"P-President?"

Xiao Sa subconsciously rubbed his eyes.

Late last night, the President suddenly rushed over to his place, saying he wanted to personally monitor the movements of Noah Pharmaceuticals.

The two of them kept staring out the window and receiving headset information until past two in the morning before resting.

Xiao Sa originally thought that no matter how powerful the President was, he was still human and would at least sleep until dawn.

After all, this kind of highly tense monitoring mission consumed a tremendous amount of mental energy.

But now… what time was it?

Not only had the President been awake for a long time, but… what was he doing?

Xiao Sa's brain crashed slightly, his gaze locked tightly onto that finger supporting his entire body weight, his Adam's apple rolling up and down.

Doing a Handstand Push-up with a single finger?

This already exceeded his cognitive scope of human physical limits.

If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, beating him to death wouldn't make him believe this was true.

But the scene before his eyes was more impactful than any movie special effects.

He suddenly recalled that scene at the teahouse.

The President had casually treated two armed thugs as arm expanders, tossing them back and forth, with even a trace of boredom on his face.

That was the first time he intuitively felt the President's inhuman power.

And now, he saw the true root of that power.

Clearly having already possessed power surpassing a Mortal.

Yet still, at every dawn when others had not yet awakened, he used the most rigorous and unimaginable methods to polish and temper his physical body.

This self-discipline, which had penetrated into the bone marrow and transformed into instinct, gave Xiao Sa a shock originating from the depths of his Soul compared to that inhuman power itself.

The President at this moment seemed completely unaware that there was an extra person in the living room, still wholeheartedly invested in his training.

That finger in contact with the floor was as stable as if it had taken root in the ground, its knuckles not trembling in the slightest, firmly supporting his formidable physique.

A drop of sweat slid from his temple, dripping along his tight jawline with a barely audible drop.

His upper body was bare, every single muscle in a state of extreme control.

There were no exaggerated bulges, but instead it presented a hardened texture that had been tempered through a thousand trials.

His latissimus dorsi were like folded wings, his abdominal muscles were clearly defined, and every inch was filled with coordinated strength and beauty.

As his arms bent and he sank, his body descended slowly like a hydraulic press, touching the floor.

Then, with a slight exertion of force from the middle finger joint supporting the ground, he pushed his body upward again.

The entire process was smooth and quiet, filled with the composure of controlling everything.

Xiao Sa subconsciously held his breath, not daring to make a single sound.

In his mind, the tenets of the Illuminati involuntarily surfaced:

"Establish order in the chaotic darkness, and use absolute power to protect everything worth protecting."

So this was the origin of "absolute power."

It was not a gift that appeared out of thin air, nor was it some illusory talent.

Rather, it was forged from the most basic exercises, day after day and year after year, through every drop of unknown sweat and every persistence that transcended limits.

An unspeakable warm current surged fiercely from the deepest part of Xiao Sa's heart.

Instantly flowing through his entire body, it dispelled all sleepiness, making him high-spirited and full of motivation.

He was the second member of the Illuminati, the number one person beneath the President.

Placed in those Wuxia novels, wasn't this identity the chief Disciple of a School, an existence above ten thousand people and below only one person?

The President was so powerful and yet so self-disciplined, so what reason did he have to slack off or be lazy?

Following in the footsteps of the strong was not just about following behind and waving flags and shouting.

Rather, it was about trying one's utmost and working hard not to be thrown too far behind.

At the very least, he needed to be able to see the back of the strong.

Xiao Sa immediately made a secret resolution that starting today, he too would begin exercising.

Although he was still very weak now, incomparable to even a single finger of the President.

But when it came to exercising, what one truly compared against was not others, but yesterday's self.

As long as he persevered, becoming even a fraction stronger every day than before.

One day, he too could become a truly strong person, qualified to share the President's pressure rather than hiding forever under protection.

Just as Xiao Sa's heart surged with emotion and he secretly made a military pledge to himself.

Fang Cheng had already finished the final set of single-finger Handstand Push-ups.

With a twist of his waist and abdomen, his body flipped nimbly in the air, and his feet landed silently on the floor like feathers.

"Awake?"

Fang Cheng steadied himself, raised his head, and looked at Xiao Sa, who was stunned in place and gazing blankly at him.

Not knowing what he was actually thinking at this moment, he just gave a bland greeting.

"Er—"

Xiao Sa gave a start, snapped out of his reverie, and couldn't help asking cautiously:

"President, are you doing your morning exercise?"

"Mhm."

Fang Cheng's tone was very relaxed, as if he had just done a few simple warm-up exercises.

Then, recalling something, he deliberately asked:

"How is the Great Sun Burning Body Art I taught you coming along?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Sa quickly straightened his back and answered respectfully:

"Reporting to the President, I've always been practicing it, and I dare not stop a single day!"

As he spoke, seemingly eager to display the results of his Cultivation, he immediately sat cross-legged, preparing to practice it on the spot for Fang Cheng to see.

"No rush."

Fang Cheng waved his hand, stopped him, and then instructed: "Go order breakfast first, order a bit more, I'm a bit hungry."

As he spoke, his gaze swept across this exquisitely decorated apartment used for monitoring the target.

Then, he raised his head to look outside the window.

The location of the house had arguably prime visibility, almost able to overlook the entire commercial street.

Not far away, the silver-gray building of the Noah Corporation stood quietly, its glass curtain wall shimmering faintly in the morning light.

Located in the bustling downtown area, outside the window were rows upon rows of office buildings; the rent surely wouldn't be cheap.

Fang Cheng's heart stirred, and he asked casually:

"A-Ren, is the money still enough?"

"It's enough."

Seeing Fang Cheng ask, Xiao Sa seized this opportunity to carefully explain the situation:

"President, of the two hundred thousand operational funds you handed to me, one hundred ninety-five thousand three hundred yuan is still left, mainly spent on buying a new phone and setting up a data plan."

"I'm currently working at the Yuanchen Group, the salary is very high, and I don't lack money to spend. Moreover, the rent for this house is paid by the Red Tiger Gang; it counts as their provided support for the mission."

He finished speaking in one breath, afraid that the President would think he was embezzling or spending funds recklessly.

Fang Cheng nodded slightly, his tone gentle:

"Funds are for you to get things done, not for you to save. Spend when you should in the future, don't be tied hand and foot over such trivial matters."

"Yes, President."

Xiao Sa nodded hard, his heart feeling warm and cozy.

He solemnly gave an acknowledgment, immediately turned around and ran back to the bedroom, picked up his phone, and began calling a nearby breakfast shop.

In one breath, he ordered enough portions for five or six strong men to eat, fearing it wouldn't even be enough between the President's teeth.

When he returned to the living room, he found that Fang Cheng had started a new round of exercise.

This time, there was no visual impact brought by the previous extreme strength.

Instead, it changed to a completely different style; the movements were leisurely, as if he were practicing a set of Palm Techniques never seen before.

Every single move and form was expansive and powerful, exuding a rounded and effortless charm.

Xiao Sa didn't dare to disturb him, quietly went to finish washing up, and then found a corner in the living room to sit cross-legged.

He closed his eyes, following the steps taught by Fang Cheng to adjust his breathing and empty his mind.

Slowly, his consciousness sank into a boundless darkness.

In the center of this dark world, he gradually visualized a bright ball of light.

That ball of light was like a rising morning sun, still very distant at first.

As his will concentrated, the ball of light seemed to be summoned, getting closer and closer, brighter and brighter.

What was even more wondrous was that although the light was scorching, when Xiao Sa gazed at it, he didn't feel the slightest glare.

Instead, there was a sense of kinship originating from the depths of his Soul, nourishing his spirit and moistening his physical body.

He felt as if his eyes had been cleansed by this light, becoming even brighter.

Along with his entire body being warm and cozy, as if countless tiny warm currents were slowly flowing through his limbs and bones.

This was the introductory phenomenon of the Great Sun Burning Body Art.

Xiao Sa was immersed in this wonderful feeling, somewhat forgetting himself entirely.

Fang Cheng glanced at Xiao Sa, who had successfully entered the Meditation state, feeling quite satisfied in his heart.

Afterwards, he focused all his attention on his own practice.

He was not simply practicing the newly unlocked "Palm Technique" skill.

Instead, he was preparing to deeply explore how to "channel energy" on the basis of Palm Techniques, hoping to use this to elevate his actual combat capability to another level.

In the context of traditional martial arts, "energy" was an abstruse and core concept.

It was not purely brute muscular force, but an energy flow rich in penetration and explosive power, emitted through overall bodily coordination after long-term training and mental guidance.

Different martial arts Schools, especially internal boxing styles, had expositions with different paths leading to the same destination regarding the understanding and application of "energy."

To sum it up, it was often closely linked with the legendary "Qi."

In the Tai Chi taught by Ma Jianguo, there were three highly representative energy-channeling methods: Silk-Reeling Energy, Spiral Energy, and Elastic Shaking Energy.

What Fang Cheng practiced first was the Silk-Reeling Energy.

His arms slowly swept and moved, his entire person seeming to sink into a water vat, his movements continuous without interruption; wherever his will reached, an invisible airflow slowly coiled along with the palm momentum.

The air seemed to become viscous, pulled and stirred by his palms, forming countless invisible, pliable threads.

In Fang Cheng's perception, the True Qi inside his body was no longer simply attached to the palm, but rather like a constantly extending spider web, emerging from the Dantian and diffusing outward along the Meridians.

Then, along with the flipping of his wrists and the twirling of his fingers, wisps of it penetrated outward through the skin.

Fang Cheng had an intuitive feeling that if an object touched his fingers at this moment, this Silk-Reeling Energy would instantly attach itself to it, wrapping around it layer by layer.

Combined with grappling techniques or claw skills, it was enough to lock down an opponent's joints the instant of contact, and could even slice through their fascia silently like the sharpest steel wire.

Suddenly, Fang Cheng's movements changed abruptly, his five fingers closing together and straightening.

That viscous, entwining feeling vanished instantly, replaced by an extreme sharpness and penetration.

As True Qi was infused, his fingertips became incomparably hard, like sharp steel awls, thrusting straight forward.

At the same time, the muscles of his entire arm carried a subtle, high-speed rotation.

Before the palm arrived, a drill-like gale had already torn open the air, emitting a soft "chi-chi" sound!

This was precisely the application of Spiral Energy.

True Qi was highly compressed, forming a high-speed rotating vortex at the tips of his fingers, drilling fiercely forward along with the palm momentum.

This kind of energy specialized in breaking all kinds of external hard qigong and solid defenses, its penetrative power far surpassing simple palm strikes.

The method of executing the move was very similar to the Spear-hand in Karate.

In the Baguazhang taught by Dong Yunchuan, there were also similar energy-channeling methods; the two could mutually verify each other, allowing one to comprehend other things by analogy.

Immediately afterward, Fang Cheng's figure changed once more, his entire person resembling a fully drawn strong bow.

His whole body's muscles completed contraction in a single instant, and erupted fiercely the next moment.

His arm seemed to transform into a whipping long whip, and every time he struck out with a palm, it whipped a crisp "pop" out of the air.

The sound was not loud, but extremely explosive, filled with astonishing penetrative power.

This was the Elastic Shaking Energy.

It was no longer simply arm strength, but Fang Cheng's entire body's tendons, bones, muscles, and even internal organs completing the coordinated action of gathering and releasing power in a single instant, condensing all strength onto a single point and springing forth fiercely.

This kind of strength was just like the wing-shaking and elastic shaking in White Crane Fist, and also bore a striking resemblance to the lethal pounce of a feline after curling its body and arching its back, capable of erupting with the most terrifying lethality within a square inch.

Not only could it be used for close-combat attacks, but it could also instantly exert force during defense to neutralize an enemy's sudden impact.

Even when jumping, it allowed the body to gain even stronger explosive force.

Fang Cheng recalled when Wu Dewang practiced White Crane Fist, he would emit the sound of a crane to assist in exerting energy.

Vaguely feeling that if he combined this unique energy with the "Tiger-Leopard Thunder Sound," he might be able to erupt with even more astonishing effects.

Along with the repeated drilling and Fusion of these three types of energy, Fang Cheng could clearly feel that the consumption rate of True Qi inside his body was noticeably reduced compared to when he simply used True Qi previously.

The method taught by Ma Jianguo was indeed correct, and the metaphors used by Dong Yunchuan and Wu Dewang during their guidance were also extremely vivid, accurately explaining the key points of mastering Qi energy thoroughly.

However, currently the limit of True Qi leaving the body was still around five centimeters, which was not yet enough to support him in conducting a true long-range attack.

But Fang Cheng was not discouraged.

His progress could already be called miraculous.

As long as he persevered, with the improvement of skill proficiency, these various limitations would eventually be broken one by one.

Time quietly slipped away amidst the focused practice, and the techniques of the body's breath and Palm Technique operating in coordination constantly improved through mutual verification.

(End of Chapter)