nownovels Chapter 8 Ming Jin
Chapter 8 Ming Jin
That night, in the front yard of the martial arts school.
Liang Cheng assumed the Hunyuan stance, his qi and blood surging with each breath. His Mangniu Jin had reached its critical value, and he could feel the internal energy surging like a tide, just one step away from being fully connected.
He calmed his mind, circulated his stance, exerted power from his waist and spine, and rooted himself to the ground. The thousands of boxing stances he had practiced in the past flashed through his mind.
The power and ferocity of the Bengquan (a type of fist strike), the solidity of the Kaozhuang (another type of fist strike), and the agility of the side-stepping.
The body's Qi and blood circulate more and more rapidly.
At one moment, a sudden inspiration struck him, and he threw a punch naturally. Without deliberately exerting force, his entire body crackled and popped like popping beans.
The fist was thrown, and the wind whistled.
Liang Cheng stood with his fists clenched, feeling his strength becoming a unified whole, no longer loose and scattered as before, and beginning to exhibit the "whole" charm of the Wild Bull Force.
【Raging Bull Strength, Minor Success (1/800)】
[Realm Level: Early Stage of Ming Jin]
When the time is right, a breakthrough will naturally follow.
Feeling the newly generated internal energy within him, Liang Cheng punched the wooden stake beside him.
"Bang!"
Wood chips flew everywhere, and the fist imprint was half an inch deep. The power of this punch was more than twice as strong as before. What's even more remarkable is that it was controlled at will, with a touch of softness within the hardness.
Liang Cheng was overjoyed. After two months of arduous training, he finally broke through to the Ming Jin level. However, without the help of the silver-headed shark, he would have had to endure at least another month of hardship to overcome this hurdle.
After calming down, Liang Cheng returned to the dormitory. No one knew that Liang Cheng had undergone a complete transformation and broken through to the Ming Jin level.
The next day during martial arts practice, Liang Cheng casually asked Zhou Hu, "Senior brother, I've heard there's a type of sea fish called 'silver-headed shark' that can replenish qi and blood?"
Zhou Hu glanced at him: "Why are you asking that?"
"I heard fishermen at the dock talking about it the day before yesterday, and I'm a little curious."
"That's not something ordinary people can afford." Zhou Hu shook his head. "Silver-headed sharks live in deep-sea reefs and only grow to one foot in ten years. A one-foot-long one costs at least five hundred taels of silver on the market, and there's no market for it. Most of them are reserved by various martial arts schools and gangs."
Five hundred taels per foot!
Liang Cheng was startled.
The one he swallowed last night must have been worth at least five hundred taels of silver. No wonder Liu Biao risked his life for it. He didn't ask any more questions, but just kept it in mind.
Such an opportunity is rare and hard to come by.
Continue practicing martial arts.
……
One day later, the martial arts school held a small test.
Liang Cheng's strength is now vastly different from what it used to be.
[Minor Success in Hunyuan Zhuang (76/500)]
【Raging Bull Strength, Minor Success (2/800)】
[Introduction to Stone Armor Kung Fu (Fragment) (143/200)]
A ring was set up in the courtyard. Yang Wei sat in the main seat, with Zhou Hu standing beside him. More than ten apprentices took turns competing in order of their entry into the ring. The rules were simple: falling off the ring or admitting defeat meant losing.
Liang Cheng drew a late number in the draw. He quietly watched the first few matches, which were mostly head-on clashes of raw, unyielding energy. Occasionally, there were those who tried to use tricks or underhanded methods, but Zhou Hu directly stopped them.
The small tests only assess hard skills.
Zhao Yuan did not appear. With his current strength, he was the last to appear in the final round. After all, breaking through to the Ming Jin level was like an adult bullying a child.
It was Liang Cheng's turn.
My first opponent is Li Mao.
"Junior Brother Liang, please." Li Mao clasped his hands in a fist salute, his eyes serious. He knew Liang Cheng was not someone to be trifled with.
Liang Cheng returned the greeting: "Please, Senior Brother Li."
Li Mao gave a low shout and charged forward, but Liang Cheng neither dodged nor avoided. His feet were firmly planted on the ground, and his Hunyuan stance was as stable as a rock. He only slightly turned his shoulders and back.
"Bang!"
Li Mao felt as if he had crashed into a solid earthen wall. The recoil made his chest feel tight, and he staggered back three steps. He gritted his teeth and tried to crash into it again, but Liang Cheng remained steadfast.
After ten rounds, Li Mao was exhausted and staggered back to the edge of the ring.
"You flatter me." Liang Cheng reached out and pulled him.
Li Mao smiled wryly: "Junior Brother Liang's defense is truly impossible to exploit."
Zhou Hu observed this and whispered to Yang Wei, "Liang Cheng is playing to his strengths and avoiding his weaknesses. He has old injuries to his waist and knees, so he is not good at strong attacks and is focusing on practicing defense."
Yang Wei nodded: "Knowing how to conceal one's talents shows he's a smart person."
In martial arts, survival is the most important thing!
After several rounds, Liang Cheng adopted a defensive strategy instead of an offensive one. His opponents, unable to break through his fierce attacks, would often exhaust themselves and give up. Occasionally, when there were opponents with strong strength, Liang Cheng would use a clever move at the last moment to knock them off the stage.
They played steadily and made it all the way to the final round.
The opponent was Zhao Yuan.
The apprentices below the stage held their breath; none of them had expected that Liang Cheng, whose physical constitution was damaged, could actually reach this point.
Zhao Yuan's eyes were cold as he whispered, "Junior Brother Liang, you've been hiding it well. It seems Senior Brother Zhou's private tutoring has been quite effective."
Liang Cheng remained calm and unconcerned: "Senior Brother Zhao, please."
The gong sounds.
Zhao Yuan charged forward with lightning speed, his fists fierce and displaying his full Ming Jin cultivation. He intended to finish the battle quickly and establish his authority in front of everyone.
Liang Cheng remained steadfast, his foundation as a minor master of the Hunyuan stance now fully revealed. Despite Zhao Yuan's punches and shoulder strikes, he remained rooted to the spot, deflecting the force with minimal effort.
Bang bang bang!
The sounds of collisions continued, and Zhao Yuan was increasingly alarmed as he fought. Liang Cheng's defense was even more solid than he had imagined, and his own Ming Jin power could not budge it in the slightest.
Ten moves, twenty moves, thirty moves...
Sweat beaded on Zhao Yuan's forehead, and his breathing grew heavier. He became agitated and began to forcefully increase his strength to launch a fierce attack. Although his punches were powerful, they had lost their rhythm and structure.
Liang Cheng remained steadfast, his eyes clear. He was waiting, and finally, Zhao Yuan's full-force ramming attack missed, causing him to falter slightly.
It's now!
Liang Cheng made a move.
He twisted his waist and hips violently, and the power he had been accumulating for a long time suddenly exploded, unleashing the Raging Bull Force - Crushing Fist!
This punch was fast, accurate, and powerful.
Zhao Yuan hastily blocked, only to feel a powerful force penetrate his arm. He groaned, staggered back five steps, and then lost his footing, falling off the stage.
The entire room fell silent.
Liang Cheng withdrew his fist and clasped his hands in a gesture of respect: "You flatter me."
Zhao Yuan sat on the ground, his face filled with disbelief. He had actually lost?
A glint flashed in Zhou Hu's eyes: "Master, Liang Cheng's punch just now was powerful and penetrating, already showing signs of mastery."
Yang Wei had already seen it and nodded slowly: "Not only that, his foundation in Hunyuan Zhuang is solid, and he has already reached the minor completion stage. It is rare for someone with old injuries to enter the Ming Jin stage in two months."
but……"
Yang Wei didn't continue speaking, but stood up and his voice echoed throughout the room: "In this mini-exam, Liang Cheng is first."
The apprentices then came to their senses and began to discuss among themselves. No one had expected that the quiet fisherman boy would be the one to ultimately win.
Yang Wei looked at Liang Cheng: "Come with me."
Then Zhao Yuan was asked to go over there as well. Zhou Hu followed Yang Wei into the backyard first. Zhao Yuan gave Liang Cheng a deep look, and the two remained silent.
As Liang Cheng and Zhao Yuan stepped into the backyard, the front yard fell into an instant silence, which was then followed by an explosion.
"Is he really going to go into the backyard?" Li Mao's voice was a little dry.
"Why?!" an apprentice growled, his eyes red with rage. "Just two months ago, he was a porter!"
The apprentices' faces were a mix of red and blue. A few who were proud of their privileged backgrounds found it hardest to accept the outcome. The poor boy they used to look down on had suddenly risen to prominence.
"If he can do it, what are we lacking?" a short, stocky apprentice pounded the wall and roared. "Starting tomorrow, extra training!"
These words ignited the crowd.
Envy and jealousy burned like a wicked fire, turning into ruthlessness. Without anyone to direct them, a series of heavier impacts and sparring sounds rang out in the front yard, but the punches and kicks lost their rhythm, leaving only defiance.
Li Mao remained silent, walked towards the wooden stake, and smashed it with all his might.
"Bang!"
With a muffled thud, his palm went numb, but he gritted his teeth and persevered, then struck again. Seeing this, the apprentices around him practiced even harder.
As the moonlight faded, many figures were still swaying and breathing heavily. In the communal sleeping area, some tossed and turned, unable to sleep, while others lay awake in the darkness.
When Liang Cheng entered the backyard, it was like a stone thrown into stagnant water. The ripples ignited a fire in everyone's heart, burning fiercely.
If Liang can go to Chengdu, why can't I?