Invincibility Begins with Mastery of Fist Techniques-Chapter 39: Apprehension

Gong Shouzhuo couldn’t help but recall what Zhou Yuanjue had once told him.

If he had let go of everything back then, he might still have had a chance to touch that higher realm.

’Did I make the wrong choice back then?’

Gong Shouzhuo couldn’t help but fall into deep thought.

In the stands, Luo Yongli watched as disciples from the Chunlei Martial Arts Academy and numerous medical personnel rushed into the arena. They were performing emergency first aid on Qin Baisheng, who lay on the ground, bleeding uncontrollably. Luo Yongli’s expression was incredibly grim. He turned his head to Zhao Zhengxuan beside him and asked, "Did you see it clearly? Are you sure?"

Zhao Zhengxuan watched as Qin Baisheng was given basic bandages and lifted onto a stretcher. The image of the final clash between the two men reappeared in his mind. He nodded and said in a low voice, "There’s no mistake. Although it was just for an instant, I could feel it even from this distance—a slight tremor in my very soul. It was indeed ’Holy and Bright.’ He has broken through the shackles of a second-class Fist Technique like Red Falcon Fist and forged his own path."

"Holy and Bright... I’ve always heard of this realm. Is it really that miraculous? That powerful?"

Luo Yongli asked doubtfully. As the chairman of the Tianji Group, he had no martial arts training himself. Although he had learned many secrets of the Martial Arts Realm through the Tianji Sword Sect’s channels, knowing about something wasn’t the same as truly understanding it.

"Holy and Bright is the first step on the Saint Awakening Road. Its hallmark is the ability to infuse one’s personal Spirit and will into their Fist Technique, expressing it in a way that affects those around them. Just now, for example, Qin Baisheng was affected by Zhou Yuanjue’s fist’s intent, causing him to hesitate for a moment."

Zhao Zhengxuan explained slowly.

"You mean, a spiritual shock?"

Luo Yongli said.

"Something like that. It’s the most basic application. Even if the shock only lasts for a brief moment, it’s more than enough to be fatal. For an ordinary person, a momentary opening means nothing. But for a top-tier Martial Artist, who has reached the peak of their physical potential, the time it takes to blink is enough to do many things."

Zhao Zhengxuan nodded.

"So, you’re saying this person could be a threat to Shu Wen?"

Luo Yongli asked softly, his eyes narrowing.

"It’s unclear. This kind of thing is hard to judge. Shu Wen is exceptionally talented and can achieve a similar state with the help of the ’Tianji Inner View,’ but it might not compare to a genuine, hard-earned breakthrough in one’s realm."

"On the other hand, our Tianji Swordsmanship is a first-grade Martial Dao. Its concepts, techniques, and Secret Training Techniques form a complete system. First-grade Martial Dao arts are passed down by Saint Awakening Level powerhouses; they are nearly perfect and possess infinite variations. Zhou Yuanjue, however, is using a second-class Fist Technique, Red Falcon Fist, as his foundation. Even if he has forged his own path, his Fist Technique is bound to be incomplete. From this perspective, Shu Wen has a significant advantage."

"Overall, it’s difficult to predict. As long as Shu Wen can withstand this person’s Heart’s Desire Bursting Out, his chances of winning are at least eighty percent. But if he can’t..."

Zhao Zhengxuan trailed off, pausing there.

Luo Yongli fell silent for a moment. He understood what Zhao Zhengxuan meant.

"What do you plan to do? Judging by this man’s actions, he’s likely also here for the great shift happening in the Martial Arts Realm. Right now, in all of Tianlu Prefecture, only Shu Wen is a worthy opponent for him. That means Shu Wen is surely his next target. And if Shu Wen wants to become number one in Tianlu, he can’t avoid him. This fight is inevitable."

Luo Yongli said with a frown.

"Let’s gather detailed data on him. This man appeared out of nowhere. He lives in Wuhai and defeated Yan Hao of the Lanhai Society, yet the Lanhai Society has done nothing. The connections here can’t be that simple."

Zhao Zhengxuan said, shaking his head.

"Any variable that appears must be controlled as much as possible. Amid this great tide in the Martial Arts Realm, Shu Wen cannot lose—at least not before he leaves Tianlu Prefecture. Otherwise, the Tianji Sword Sect’s plan to control Tianlu will fail."

Luo Yongli said in a low, serious voice.

"I know."

Zhao Zhengxuan stared at the mottled bloodstains left in the arena, his thoughts unreadable.

...

...

No matter how much the Tianlu Martial Arts Realm buzzed because of this match, Zhou Yuanjue returned to his villa in Wuhai as quickly as possible and locked himself in the training room.

Fame, fortune, and praise were all superfluous to him—they were even stumbling blocks on his path forward. What he truly cared about was what he could gain from each and every battle to perfect his will and his Fist Technique. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

The battle from tonight was still vivid in his mind. Qin Baisheng’s combat style, Power Release, and techniques all flashed before his eyes.

He had to admit, the style Qin Baisheng cultivated was indeed a perfect counter to Assassination Fist. At the very least, if he had relied solely on the techniques and Power of the Red Falcon Fist, defeating Qin Baisheng would have been ten times more difficult.

"Fist Technique..."

Zhou Yuanjue murmured to himself.

A third-grade Fist Technique only focuses on Outer Cultivation. Although it can build a powerful body and show results in just six months to a year, it does so by squeezing one’s potential and damaging the body. Once a practitioner passes forty, they are plagued by ailments. The moment they reach their peak is also the moment their body is on the verge of collapse.

A second-class Fist Technique cultivates the muscles, bones, and skin on the outside while refining the five viscera and six bowels on the inside. Paired with secret nourishing medicinal formulas, it nurtures from within and strengthens from without, leading to a state of abundant Spirit and energy. It can push the human body to its physical peak, achieving the realm of Mastery of Fist Techniques. However, this is the limit for a second-class Fist Technique.

A first-grade Fist Technique, in addition to internal nurturing and Outer Cultivation, also possesses Secret Training Techniques. The abilities cultivated by these methods have already surpassed the constraints of mere techniques and forms, delving into the deeper mysteries of the Spirit and the human body.

It is said that all first-grade Fist Techniques were created by Saint Awakening Level Martial Artists. Their techniques and underlying concepts are both unpredictable. Those who achieve Great Success in their Cultivation can gain strange abilities and find it easier to innovate upon the Fist Technique’s foundation, forging their own path and entering that ever-mysterious Xuan realm.

For instance, take the Thunderbolt Rushing Palm that Qin Baisheng learned. Its special traits—like the state of Power Release born from uniting Heart Intent and body to simulate Jingzhe, or the incredibly sharp intuition far beyond that of an ordinary person—are all gifts from the Secret Training Techniques of this first-grade Fist Technique.

However, a Fist Technique is ultimately finite. Even a first-grade Fist Technique is merely something created by a predecessor. What is truly infinite is the mind and will.

Now, his Spirit had already broken through the shackles of his Fist Technique, driving it along with him toward a higher realm.

’Holy and Bright, Heart Sealing Heart... Right now, I can only use it for a single instant. My will and my awakening aren’t strong enough, and my Fist Technique isn’t perfect enough.’

’But this battle has given me inspiration.’

Zhou Yuanjue murmured to himself. He stood up, closed his eyes, and slowly assumed a fighting stance.

He was thinking. Without relying on the intimidation of Heart’s Desire Bursting Out, how would he deal with an opponent like Qin Baisheng?

Scenes from the fight flashed through his mind. Qin Baisheng’s movements, Body Technique, and Power Release methods were like a swimming dragon.

And he was the great bird that preyed upon that swimming dragon.

SCREEE!

Countless fist-shadows swept through the space before him, sealing off every corner.

In his mind’s eye, the great bird whose wings blotted out the sun struck continuously with its sharp beak. But these attacks weren’t blind; they were consciously woven into a great net, herding the swimming dragon and forcing it to constantly evade.

Using the frenzied chain of attacks from Hundred Falcons’ Cry to restrict the opponent’s movement, forcing them into a predetermined direction.

And then.

SCREEEE!!

Cloud Blade Hand erupted with a piercing whistle of air, striking out suddenly and without warning.

In his mind’s eye, hounded by the pecking beak, the agile and cunning dragon was struck squarely by the great bird’s sudden, fierce peck, becoming a tasty meal in its mouth.

Use the somewhat rhythmic Hundred Falcons’ Cry to suppress the opponent, forcing them into a specific position. Then, abruptly insert the Power Release of Cloud Blade Hand into the sequence of Hundred Falcons’ Cry. Repeat this several times, and even the most agile opponent will reveal an opening and ultimately be defeated in one fell swoop.

Dragon Chasing Hand!!

Zhou Yuanjue stopped his movements. The swirling airflow in the room came to an abrupt halt.

He slowly opened his eyes. He knew that the new Martial Dao he was creating had just taken another step toward perfection. The divine essence of the great bird in his fists—the one whose wings could beat and transcend the heavens—had been refined yet another degree.

Combat was his nourishment.