Chapter 22: Taiji Fist Technique

  "The ultimate reality, born from the infinite, is the mother of yin and yang. When it moves, it separates; when it is still, it unites. Without excess or deficiency, it adapts to every situation. When movement is swift, response is swift; when movement is slow, response is slow. Although transformations are endless, the principle remains one."

  This Tai Chi Fist Formula has never been understood by Little Leopard.

  His previous life was just a small civil servant, who didn't understand what martial arts were. He learned Tai Chi for two reasons: to stay healthy and to please his superiors. As for the actual martial art of Tai Chi, he was completely clueless. To curry favor with his bosses, he memorized all the key moves by rote, like a four-year-old reciting the Three Character Classic. It was just mindless repetition; he didn't understand the meaning behind the moves at all.

  Upon arriving in this world, he met Wang Tianlei and learned some internal skills of fist methods. He also inadvertently discovered the wonders of Tai Chi Fist, thereby gaining a great advantage. However, this was merely an advantage and did not mean that he truly understood Tai Chi Fist. At most, it was because he possessed inner energy, which allowed the true power of Tai Chi Fist to be unleashed.

  Wang Tianlei's strength is not bad, but at most, he has only reached the second rank of martial arts. A second-rank martial artist, to put it bluntly, has only just touched the threshold of the martial way. The little leopard learned from him and also got limited benefits, which are only two sets of basic internal skills and fist methods. He practiced them vaguely and achieved some small success, but this achievement is only reflected in his strength, belonging to the kind of rustic style, knowing the phenomenon but not the reason. Therefore, he will never understand the profound martial arts principles contained within this fist rhyme.

  But now it's different, he has Lao Xing as his guide. Although this old Xing didn't pass the second round of selection by the Wu family and become an inner disciple, he can still be considered one of the elite disciples of the Wu family. In a prestigious family like the Wu's, the strength of their elite disciples is not something that Wang Tianlei, a half-baked martial artist from a military background, can compare to.

  Wang Tianlei only learned a few sets of fist methods, but no one has ever taught him the theory behind them. The Wu family, on the other hand, has specialized instructors to teach the theory to these elite disciples. It can be said that Old Xing is truly a martial artist who has entered the threshold of the martial arts world.

  The ninety-eighty-one style of the chaotic wind hammer method was an unparalleled martial art that the ancestors of the Wu family had come up with from their experience in iron smelting, although Old Xing only knew the most basic first nine styles. However, these nine styles almost contained all the essence of the chaotic wind hammer method. In fact, probably no one would have thought that when the chaotic wind hammer method was fully mastered and ninety-nine returned to one, merging into the final style of the sky-breaking hammer, it would be this most basic first nine styles.

  Of course, all this is not something that Little Leopard can know now, nor is it something that a craftsman like Old Xing Tou can understand.

  Now, the nine forms of hammering technique have two benefits for Little Leopard. One is his iron-forging skill, as this chaotic and windy hammering technique was condensed from the way of iron forging and refining, after practicing it, he naturally has a huge improvement in his iron-forging skills. The second is his Tai Chi fist technique.

  There are four hammering methods in Tai Chi, including Bān Lán Chuí, Pī Shēn Chuí, Zhǒu Dǐ Chuí, Jī Dì Chuí and Zhǐ Dāng Chuí. Before, Xiao Bào Zi didn't understand martial arts, let alone hammering methods. The greatest benefit of Tai Chi to him was that it allowed him to cultivate his internal energy like other physical exercises, but that's all.

  But now it's different, now, after integrating the Nine Forms of Hammering, his Tai Chi Fist has initially acquired the ability to attack, that is to say, this Tai Chi Fist is no longer limited to physical exercise for him, but can also become a means of offense. Of course, the power is still very small now, but it's enough for Xiao Baozi.

  "Whoa——!" Slowly, he retracted his Tai Chi frame, and the little leopard's entire body seemed as if it had just been soaked in water. He carefully savored the feeling of unity between body and mind that he had experienced during his Tai Chi practice, especially when he was practicing the hammering technique. A hint of excitement appeared on his face.

  "So that's how it is, the Tai Chi hammer method has evolved from ordinary hammer methods. In that case, some of the fist and foot techniques in Tai Chi actually have powerful attacking power too, it's just that my understanding of the intent behind the fists isn't deep enough yet. Given time, if I can fully master the entire Tai Chi fist, then my strength will definitely progress rapidly!"

  Just thinking about it, he couldn't help but feel happy. "I wonder when Old Xing will come back, he said he would teach me the Bone Tempering Fist technique. The Wu family is indeed a great household, someone of Old Xing's level can actually cultivate the Bone Tempering Fist, although he said his Bone Tempering Fist is not good enough. But it's still better than nothing! Moreover, the Skin Tempering Fist he taught me is much more advanced than the Bear Demon Fist. Unfortunately, my body has already reached its limit at this age, and now I can't even use it!" He thought to himself, looking at his wet clothes all over his body, and couldn't help but laugh. "Forget it, don't think so much, just take a shower and go to sleep early!"

  "I don't know what Old Xing is thinking, those guys didn't even meet the standards and he still took them in!" Little Leopard walked into the apprentices' resting room, thinking to himself as he went.

  He was the first to knock down that wooden stake with a hammer, so he was also the first to move into this room specially for apprentices.

  This place is much better than where he lived before, four people in one room, each person has their own bed, the four of them share a table. He lived alone here for more than two months, and seeing the progress of other apprentices, he thought that at least within a year, this room would still belong to him alone.

  But unexpectedly, Lao Xing returned more than two months after leaving and surprisingly accepted seven new apprentices. Although these seven apprentices were the most outstanding among their peers, they still didn't meet Lao Xing's previous requirements, which made Xiao Bao very puzzled. What happened next was even stranger.

  When there are outsiders around, Old Xing treats him and others equally, even being very strict with him, occasionally picking on him. However, in private, he often seeks him out to ask about his cultivation progress and provides responsible guidance.

  This made the little leopard feel somewhat uneasy.

  "Has he gotten into some kind of trouble and wants to sever ties with me, that's why he's acting like this?!"

  Only in this way can we explain why Lao Xing's attitude towards himself is different from that of others. However, Lao Xing has already become a number one or two figure in the entire Qingyang Village's Wu family iron shop. In Qingyang Village, there are not many people who can find trouble with him. Is it Lin Daguai?

  That's not right, Lin Daguang is nominally the head of Wujia Hardware Store, but he can only be responsible for sales, and he can't manage things in the backyard. Recently, he has also been worried, just like Old Xing.

  "Are these two guys in trouble at the same time?!"

  This issue has been entangled in his heart since Old Xing and Lin Daguai returned, but he is also a relatively open-minded person. He couldn't figure it out and didn't force himself to think about it, so he just muttered to himself a few times and stopped thinking about it.

  After walking a few steps, he arrived at the door of the room. He pushed open the door and found that all three people who lived with him were fast asleep.

  The little leopard quietly walked in and carried out a wooden bucket from inside, then went to the well in the center of the yard and started washing up.

  He used to practice Tai Chi in the house, but after three more people moved in, he had to find another place and chose a secluded spot behind my ironwork shop.

  These days, he has gained some insight into the subtleties of Tai Chi from his chaotic and disheveled state, feeling particularly carefree and exhilarated. Even taking a bath feels especially refreshing, and if not for fear of disturbing others in the still of night, he would have even wanted to let out a hearty song.

  "Boom!"

  Just as the little leopard was washing most comfortably, a loud noise burst in his ear, and the little leopard suddenly shuddered, looked up, let out a strange cry, threw away the bucket, and ran away.

  "Save me! Save me! Murder! Murder!"

  A shrill cry pierced the sky, breaking the silence of the entire Qingyang Village.