nownovels Chapter 120 Working Behind Closed Doors: The Mysteries of Transforming Internal Energy!
Chapter 120 Working Behind Closed Doors: The Mysteries of Transforming Internal Energy!
Chapter 121 Working Behind Closed Doors: The Mysteries of Transforming Internal Energy!
The spring rain fell for a long time, drizzling down as if draping the city of Beijing in a hazy veil.
The bluestone pavement on Qianmen Street was washed until it shone, and the carts selling cut cakes by the roadside were covered with oilcloths and sheltered from the rain under the eaves. The red dates stuck on the cut cakes, splashed by the rain, became even more eye-catching red.
In the study of the Lu residence, the window was half-open.
A damp, cool breeze carrying the smell of earth crept in, causing the oil lamp flame on the table to flicker wildly.
Lu Cheng sat in the armchair, not holding a weapon, but holding a very small purple clay teacup.
The tea had long since gone cold, but he didn't drink it.
He is "listening".
It's not with your ears, but with the fur that you've already thoroughly mastered, that you "listen" to the rain.
His current level of skill would probably terrify those martial arts masters if he were to reveal it.
With the sixty years of hidden energy imparted by the system, coupled with the powerful physique nurtured by the "Tiger Bone and Dragon Marrow Soup," the blood and qi within his body were like a live volcano ready to erupt at any moment.
In terms of "quantity", he has long been able to leave ordinary Grandmasters of Transformation Realm far behind.
Even if it were just a matter of pure internal strength, Lu Cheng could slap Yagyu Shizuku into the wall and he wouldn't be able to be pried out.
But----
"It's still just a matter of finding the right window."
Lu Cheng put down his teacup, looked at the rain outside the window, and frowned slightly.
"Explicit strength trains the bones, implicit strength trains the marrow. My bone marrow is now full, and my blood and qi are like mercury. In theory, this is the ultimate state of the human body."
"But this 'transformation of internal energy'—"
He raised his hand and looked at his long, slender fingers.
The boxing manual says: "Not a feather can be added, not even a fly can land."
"It means that the body is so sensitive that even if a fly lands on it, it can instantly dissipate the force by relying on the sensation of the skin, making the fly unable to stand."
"I am now incredibly strong, and my senses have become extremely acute thanks to [Fiery Eyes] and [Avoiding Misfortune]. But my physical body—"
Lu Cheng gave a wry smile.
"It's still too 'realistic'."
"It's like a piece of red-hot iron; it's strong, but it lacks the flexibility and adaptability to different shapes."
He is going to Tianjin.
That was a den of dragons and tigers, ten times more dangerous than this city of Beiping.
Even with brute force alone, and even with six thousand years of accumulated internal strength, it might not be possible to protect everyone.
In particular, the goal is to rescue people, to bring President Liu and the others back intact right under the noses of those ravenous Japanese experts and warlords.
This requires "transformation".
Turn danger into safety, and power into nothingness.
"Reinventing the wheel behind closed doors is ultimately just scratching the surface."
Lu Cheng stood up and straightened his clothes.
"Looks like I'll have to go to Taiping Bridge again."
"Although Grandpa Han's skills have dissipated, his decades of experience and knowledge are a living map and a true guide."
The rain was still falling, and there were few pedestrians on the street.
Lu Cheng didn't call a car. He simply opened an oil-paper umbrella and walked leisurely into the rain.
He walked very steadily.
With each step, the puddles beneath my feet trembled slightly, without splashing even a single drop of mud.
The journey has felt like walking on cotton.
The Ghostly Steps technique has become an integral part of his daily life, almost instinctive.
We arrived at the entrance of the Simin Martial Arts Association.
It's much quieter here than usual.
Although the gate was repaired and the bloodstains on the ground were washed away, the desolate feeling of being weakened was still impossible to hide.
Only the plaque inscribed with "Martial Spirit" still hangs high, exuding a stubbornness.
"Chief Instructor Lu?!"
The disciples on duty at the gate were hunched over, trying to avoid the rain. But when they saw the figure in white, pristine white robes through the rain, they jumped up in fright, straightened their backs, and their eyes were filled with fervent worship.
That night, after the battle, Lu Cheng was like a living Guan Yu in their hearts.
"Um."
Lu Cheng closed the umbrella, shook off the water droplets, and spoke gently.
"How is Old Han's health?"
"Reporting to the head instructor, Grandmaster has recovered considerably after taking the medicine from Tongrentang. He is currently studying the boxing manual in the back room."
"Lead the way."
The back hall, the warm pavilion.
The room was warm and cozy, with a faint smell of medicine.
Grandpa Han was reclining in a wicker chair, covered with a thick blanket. Although his face was still a little pale, his eyes were much brighter than before.
That's when the knot in one's heart is untied, and then one becomes more open-minded.
"Old Han."
Lu Cheng lifted the curtain and went inside, carrying two bags of ox-tongue pastries he had just bought from Daoxiangcun.
"It wouldn't be right to come empty-handed, so I brought you some chewy grains. They're sugar-free and not too sweet."
"Oh, Brother Lu!"
As soon as Old Master Han saw Lu Cheng, he tried to get up, but Lu Cheng took a few steps over and pressed him down.
"You should rest. Why are you being so polite with me?"
Lu Cheng pulled up a chair and sat down opposite Grandpa Han.
"I've come today because I have some questions to answer."
Old Master Han looked at Lu Cheng, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his old eyes.
"Is it because of—the Tianjin matter?"
Yes and no.
Lu Cheng didn't beat around the bush; he stretched out a hand and laid it flat in front of Old Master Han.
"Old Han, feel it."
Grandpa Han was taken aback. Although he didn't understand why, he still stretched out his withered hands and placed them on Lu Cheng's forearm.
Upon hearing this, the old man's expression changed.
"hiss----"
He gasped, as if he had touched a hot iron in boiling oil, or a giant python writhing in the abyss.
Those veins beneath the arms—where is the flesh and blood? They are clearly the surging Yangtze River, the flowing lead and mercury!
Although Lu Cheng had treated his injuries and adjusted his bones before, it was far less effective than his own personal investigation.
"This vital energy—this strength—"
Grandpa Han stared wide-eyed at Lu Cheng in disbelief.
"Brother, what have you done—did you eat dragon liver and phoenix marrow?"
"It's only been a few days? The internal energy within you is more than twice as strong as before!"
"This is simply—this is simply a human powder keg! And this force—"
Grandpa Han suddenly stopped.
His once cloudy old eyes suddenly flashed with a sharp light as he stared intently at Lu Cheng, a look of "I knew it" on his face.
This internal energy is so pure.
Pure and untouched by worldly concerns, vast, upright, and inexhaustible.
This is not the kind of acquired strength that comes from training your muscles and bones, eating meat and drinking medicine; this is clearly innate strength!
"That old guy is even smarter than me; he's already latched onto this powerful figure."
Old Master Han's heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly remembered the shocking guess that Third Master Li had made while drunk when he came to drink with two bottles of strong liquor a few days ago.
That night, Li Sanye, drunk and bleary-eyed, slapped the table and whispered to him, "Old Han, think about it, this Lu Cheng, in his early twenties, is an opera singer, without a famous teacher or any lineage."
"But his kung fu skills seem to have fallen from the sky. I sparred with him at Fengzeyuan that day; his strength was unfathomable!"
"I reckon—there's definitely a big Buddha standing behind him."
"A supreme master—who had long since retired from worldly affairs yet was able to defy fate—gave him the empowerment."
At the time, Grandpa Han thought that Third Master Li was just drunk and talking nonsense.
But now, touching Lu Cheng's Taoist internal energy, which is both terrifying and extremely pure, one can feel its power.
He believed it.
He believed it completely!
"This aura—it's continuous and subtle, requiring minimal effort. This is authentic Taoist internal energy cultivation."
Grandpa Han roared inwardly, his beard trembling with excitement.
"It can't be wrong, absolutely right."
"Six months ago, the legendary old immortal of Wudang Mountain secretly descended the mountain and passed through Beiping (Beijing). It is said that he was searching for a lost Taoist artifact, and also—to find a suitable disciple to carry on his legacy."
"At that time, the entire upper echelons of the martial arts world in Beiping were alarmed, but unfortunately no one saw the real Buddha."
"I never expected this—"
Grandpa Han looked at Lu Cheng with a complex expression, a mixture of awe and envy.
"So that old immortal had chosen you all along."
"Fifty years of Taoist mastery of pure internal energy—no wonder, no wonder you could spear the chariot, no wonder you could fight Wanyan Lie head-on."
"Brother Lu, you are... the chosen one!"
Old Master Han suppressed the turmoil in his heart and did not reveal the truth.
Since that expert is unwilling to show himself, and even Lu Cheng himself is unwilling to mention it, then this is a top secret in the martial arts world. Revealing it would only make things worse.
He took a deep breath, his eyes filled with even greater respect.
"Brother Lu, your foundation is too solid. So solid that even I can't understand it."
Looking at Old Master Han's ever-changing expression, Lu Cheng didn't know what the old man was implying, but he was too lazy to explain. He just sighed and followed the conversation.
"That's enough power."
Lu Cheng withdrew his hand, saying helplessly.
"But I always feel that something is 'overflowing' out."
"I want to take it in, but I can't. I want to dissolve it, but I can't."
"It's like a full tank of water; the slightest sway and it spills out."
"Old Han, you've been there, and you've also touched the threshold of the Transformation Realm."
"I want to ask—"
Lu Cheng's eyes became extremely serious, filled with a thirst for knowledge.
"What exactly does it feel like to transform hidden energy into real energy?"
'
"Feel?"
Grandpa Han leaned back in his rattan chair and squinted his eyes.
Now that he knew Lu Cheng's "background," he taught him without reservation.
a long time.
He spoke slowly, his voice somewhat unsteady.
"Brother Lu, do you know what a bird is?"
"bird?"
"Yes, just the most common kind of sparrow."
Grandpa Han stretched out his hand, palm up, and gently supported it.
"The legendary master Yang Luchan once possessed a unique skill called 'The Bird Cannot Fly.'"
He was holding a sparrow in his hand, but no matter how much the sparrow flapped its wings, it just couldn't fly.
Why?
Lu Cheng pondered for a moment: "Because sparrows need leverage to take off; they need to push off with their feet."
"That's right."
Grandpa Han nodded.
"For a sparrow to fly, it needs a push-off from the soles of its feet."
"And Master Yang's hands were like a ball of cotton without substance, or like a pool of water."
"The sparrow pushed off with its foot, and his palm sank, shrank, and dissolved."
"That force of pushing off was instantly and completely dissipated, as if I had pushed off into thin air."
"6
"If it can't get any leverage, it naturally can't fly."
Grandpa Han looked at Lu Cheng with intense eyes.
"This is the power of transformation."
It's not about how strong you are, or how tough your skin is.
"But it lies in — sensitivity."
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"Your entire body, every limb, every bone, even every hair on your body, must become your eyes and your ears."
"When an external force comes, it is known even before it touches the skin and flesh, through the pores."
"It melts upon contact, and vanishes upon melting."
"This is a state of being where the body has been 'emptied' through training."
null?
Lu Cheng's heart suddenly stirred.
His body is too "solid" right now.
It was as solid as an iron ingot, as solid as a rock.
Want to practice empty space?
"Then what should I do?" Lu Cheng pressed.
Grandpa Han smiled and pointed to the rain outside the window.
"Brother Lu, your kung fu is too powerful and too fierce."
"That's the skill of killing, the skill of being able to defeat ten thousand men on the battlefield."
"But to reach the pinnacle of skill, you must learn—to become a cripple."
"A useless person?"
"right."
Grandpa Han pulled a thin booklet from under his pillow and handed it to Lu Cheng.
"This is a stance exercise in our Xingyi school, specifically used for cleansing the marrow," called the "Three Talents Stance."
1
"This thing doesn't train strength or fighting techniques."
"It only trains one thing—relaxation."
"Relax to the very bone, relax to the very soul."
"Go back and completely 'forget' all about that amazing kung fu."
"Imagine yourself as a child just learning martial arts, or an old man on his deathbed."
"Stand there, listen to the wind, listen to the rain, listen to the sound of your own pores opening and closing."
"When will you be able to feel the raindrops falling on your body, no longer just hitting your skin, but melting into your body?"
Grandpa Han had deep, penetrating eyes.
"Then you've mastered the Transformation Realm."
Lu Cheng took the booklet.
It's very thin, just a few pages, with a few simple standing postures drawn on it.
Lu Cheng took the booklet and felt its weight.
Just as I was about to get up to thank him, I saw that Old Master Han seemed to want to say something but stopped.
"Brother Lu, wait a minute."
Grandpa Han suddenly called out to him.
"Although this 'Three Talents Stance' is the orthodox path, with your natural talent and the foundation bestowed upon you by the 'Old Immortal,' even if you practice step by step, you might succeed, but I'm afraid you won't be able to keep up with the rapid pace of the training in Tianjin."
"My old bones are worn out, so I'm not afraid to say things that might be embarrassing."
Grandpa Han took a deep breath, a self-deprecating yet nostalgic smile appearing on his face.
To be honest—
"My half-baked martial arts skills actually came from what I 'ate'."
"Did you eat it?" Lu Cheng was surprised.
"Hmm. People in the martial arts world say that I, Han Jinyong, am a master of Huajin, but I know myself that my Huajin is not pure."
A look of reminiscence appeared in Grandpa Han's eyes.
"When I was young, the martial arts world in Beiping was not so desolate; all kinds of schools and sects flourished."
"One year, our martial arts troupe in Beiping organized a 'winter hunt,' venturing into the old forests of Changbai Mountain for training."
"That year, the snow was heavy, and I got separated from the group and fell into an ice hole."
"I thought I was doomed, but who knew that deep inside that icy cave, I would find a red ginseng that looked like a human figure," along with a translucent white snow frog.
"That is the legendary—the Great Elixir of Heaven and Earth."
Grandpa Han licked his chapped lips.
"I didn't care about anything else at the time. In order to survive, I swallowed it whole."
"Swallowing it felt like my stomach was on fire."
"With the help of that medicine, I practiced boxing in the ice cave for three whole months. When I came out, inexplicably, my internal energy had flowed freely, and I had even reached the membrane of transforming internal energy."
At this point, Old Master Han looked at Lu Cheng, his expression becoming extremely serious.
"So, Brother Lu."
"My mastery of internal energy was achieved through a fortuitous encounter, through external force. The insights gained from it are actually abstract, like castles in the air."
"What I can teach you is just the basics, the framework."
"If we're really talking about understanding 'transformation of internal energy' and 'divine intent,' I'm far inferior to those grandmasters who cultivated themselves step by step."
"If I force myself to teach you, I'm afraid I'll mislead this unparalleled gem of a person and lead you astray."
Lu Cheng was deeply moved by what he heard.
This old man is truly open and honest, and he genuinely considers him one of his own.
If it were anyone else, they wouldn't utter a single word about revealing their own shortcomings, even if they were buried in their grave.
"What I can teach you is only the basics. To truly understand this, you need a real guide."
Lu Cheng was startled and quickly asked, "Elder Han, what do you mean?"
A glint flashed in Old Master Han's eyes, and he lowered his voice.
"Shang Yunxiang, Senior Brother Shang!"
"He is a true martial arts fanatic, and the one in Xingyi Quan who has mastered 'Jin' (internal strength) the most. His title 'Iron-Foot Buddha' isn't based on brute force, but on his integrated and neutralizing power, which is rooted to the ground."
"After chasing down Yagyu Seiun that day, he went to a Taoist temple in the western mountains to recuperate and study martial arts in seclusion."
"I'll write a letter right away. With my reputation and the fact that you risked your life for our Simin Martial Arts Club, he'll definitely see you."
As he spoke, Grandpa Han struggled to get up and find paper and pen.
"Brother Lu, go back and wait for my news."
"As soon as the letter arrives, I'll send someone to fetch you. If you can venture into this dangerous place of Tianjin with Senior Brother Shang's guidance, your chances of success will increase by thirty percent!"
Looking at the old man in front of him who was willing to expose his own shortcomings for his sake, Lu Cheng felt a surge of warmth in his heart.
He bowed deeply and said solemnly, "I will never forget Elder Han's kindness. I will now return and await good news."
The rain had stopped by the time I left the Simin Martial Arts Club.
The air was humid, carrying the fragrance of earth.
Lu Cheng didn't take a car, but instead slowly walked back, still holding the oil-paper umbrella.
He walked very slowly.
It's slower than when we arrived.
He's trying to "loosen up".
Relax your tense shoulders, relax your slightly furrowed brows, and even relax the hidden energy that's ready to erupt at any moment.
He made himself appear like an ordinary scholar, a passerby with no strength whatsoever.
A horse-drawn carriage sped past on the street, its wheels splashing up a puddle of mud.
Based on his past instincts, Lu Cheng only needed to flick his internal energy to send the mud and water flying.
But this time he didn't move.
He let the mud splatter onto his moon-white long robe, leaving behind patches of stains.
He looked down and, instead of getting angry, he smiled.
"Now that's more like a human being."
""