9: Chapter 9 includes the Rock Stance Exercise.

The morning sun of Chen hour pierced through the thin mist, spilling onto the bluestone martial arts field of the Panshi Martial Arts Hall, adding a touch of warmth to the slightly cool morning.

Lin Qing had also arrived at the martial arts field on time.

At this time, almost all the Disciples in the field had arrived. They were all dressed in gray training uniforms, standing in groups of twos and threes, stretching their limbs and adjusting their breath, preparing for the unified Stance Training practice.

Just as Lin Qing took his place in the back row, he saw Zhao Lei walking over, raising a hand to beckon him.

"Lin Qing, come here."

Lin Qing immediately stepped forward and bowed to Zhao Lei in greeting:

"Senior Brother Zhao."

Zhao Lei nodded slightly and stepped aside to reveal a young man standing next to him, who looked to be about the same age as Lin Qing.

The youth was slightly chubby with a round face, and his eyes glinted with a certain liveliness as he curiously sized up Lin Qing.

Zhao Lei spoke to Lin Qing:

"This is Wang Yuan. Like you, he entered the hall yesterday, but since he arrived in the afternoon, you didn't see him."

He then turned to Wang Yuan and said:

"This is Lin Qing; he came yesterday morning."

The two nodded to each other. Then Zhao Lei led them to a slightly more open corner and said to them:

"Both of you are practicing the Panshi Stake Technique for the first time. Today, I will teach you the essentials of the Stance Training together. Listen carefully and do not be distracted."

Seeing their serious expressions, Zhao Lei said no more and began the teaching directly:

"The Panshi Stake Technique is the foundational Cultivation Technique of our martial arts hall..."

He demonstrated while he spoke. His movements were slow, and he explained every posture in extreme detail—from the placement of hands and feet to the body's points of exertion, and then to the rhythm of breathing—leaving nothing out. From time to time, he corrected the key points of their postures and reminded them of details prone to error, fearing they might fail to grasp the method as beginners and practice the technique incorrectly.

Lin Qing fixed his eyes on Zhao Lei's movements, firmly memorizing every line of the mantra in his ears while silently deducing in his heart, committing the entire set of Stance Training postures and breathing methods to memory.

Just as Zhao Lei finished explaining the complete essentials of the Panshi Stake Technique, Lin Qing felt a sensation and opened his System panel.

[Host: Lin Qing]

Realm: Mortal (Breakthrough Time: ∞)

Fused Cultivation Techniques: Clear Mind Health Cultivation Art (Expand)

Recorded Cultivation Techniques: Pure Harmony Nourishing Essence Technique (30/90), Meridian-Soothing Mind-Calming Technique (0/90), Spleen Strengthening Health Preservation Technique (0/90), Panshi Stake Technique (0/1000)

The recording of the technique did not come as a surprise to Lin Qing, but looking at the number one thousand at the end, he couldn't help but feel a bit panicked.

Zhao Lei looked at their decent movements and nodded with satisfaction: "These are the basic essentials. The Stance Training values persistence; you must practice diligently every day to gain anything. Now, go to the back of the line and practice with the group. If there's something you don't remember clearly, watching the Senior Brothers practice will make it easier to recall."

After saying that, Zhao Lei turned and left for other parts of the martial arts field.

A complete practice of the Panshi Stake Technique took about half an hour, and the group would rest for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea after each session. The Disciples would either regulate their breathing on the spot or gather in small groups to chat.

Wang Yuan finished his Stance Training, rubbed his aching legs, and immediately leaned toward Lin Qing, striking up a conversation with familiar ease:

"Lin Qing, you learned this Stance Training too fast! I saw your posture just now; it was much more standard than mine. I've been practicing for half the day, and I still feel awkward all over."

Lin Qing caught his breath and smiled faintly:

"Not at all! I was just watching the Senior Brothers in front. You and I are about the same; I also feel awkward in some places."

"Sigh, don't mention it. Lin Qing, which direction do you live in? Since we entered the martial arts hall at the same time, we can interact more in private and learn from each other."

Lin Qing thought to himself that this guy was really familiar, asking where someone lived right off the bat. However, since the other party asked, there was no need to hide it intentionally; if someone really had other intentions, they could find out even if he didn't say. So he replied:

"I live in Laojing Alley over by Yongning Street. What about you, Wang Yuan?" He asked back politely.

Wang Yuan leaned his head in and whispered:

"I live at the Flowing Cloud Martial Arts Hall. The master of the Flowing Cloud Martial Arts Hall is my father."

These words made Lin Qing pause in surprise. No, buddy, are you okay? So he asked:

"Flowing Cloud Martial Arts Hall? Then why did you come to the Panshi Martial Arts Hall to learn?"

The Flowing Cloud Martial Arts Hall was also very famous in the city, ranked among the four major martial arts halls in the county alongside the Panshi Martial Arts Hall. As the son of the hall master, Wang Yuan could clearly receive more earnest instruction at his own home; why would he run to the Panshi Martial Arts Hall?

Hearing this, Wang Yuan's face turned slightly red as he said sheepishly:

"My father personally taught me the Flowing Cloud Pile Style for three months, but my progress after starting was extremely slow. My father said I might not be suited for the agile path of the Flowing Cloud Martial Arts Hall, so he sent me to the Panshi Martial Arts Hall to try it out."

Lin Qing looked at him seriously for a moment. He somewhat agreed with Wang's father; Wang Yuan was the type with a large skeletal frame, so perhaps coming to the Panshi Martial Arts Hall was indeed a better choice.

But Lin Qing still had doubts in his heart and couldn't help but ask:

"But the Stance Trainings of different martial arts halls are their foundation. By accepting you into the Panshi Martial Arts Hall, isn't Hall Master Shi worried that the core Stance Training might be leaked?"

If they easily accepted children from other martial arts halls, wouldn't there be a great risk of leaking the secrets of the Cultivation Techniques?

Hearing this, Wang Yuan looked at Lin Qing as if he were an idiot. He lowered his voice and whispered:

"The Stance Training isn't just taught to one or two people with instructions not to spread it. Over the years, which martial arts hall hasn't had hundreds or thousands of people come to learn? It's impossible to keep it secret. In fact, the Stance Trainings of all the major martial arts halls can be bought on the black market."

Lin Qing's spirits lifted; this was good news for him. Once he ground the Panshi Stake Technique to Perfection, he wouldn't have to practice it himself every day. At that time, practicing the Stance Trainings of other martial arts halls might be a good choice.

It turned out that Cultivation Techniques in the Jianghu, especially those widely taught for many Disciples to practice, were not as precious as Lin Qing had imagined.

Wang Yuan was indeed a social butterfly. Seeing that Lin Qing was willing to listen to him, he talked incessantly about the interesting anecdotes of various martial arts halls in the city, not feeling like a stranger at all despite being a newcomer.

Lin Qing listened quietly, responding occasionally with a word or two. While resting his body, he committed the information shared by Wang Yuan to heart.

After a few more rounds of practice, the unified morning cultivation ended. After eating the high-energy lunch provided by the martial arts hall, the afternoon was generally for free arrangement.

Some people needed to go earn money, some continued to practice the Stance Training at the hall in the afternoon, and some would practice fist-and-foot or weapon skills.

Lin Qing, however, returned home to continue practicing the Pure Harmony Nourishing Essence Technique. Regarding the System panel, there were still some things he hadn't fully figured out.