Jiang Liu summarized the key point of this battle as "ruthlessness." Not only must you be ruthless towards the enemy, but you must also be ruthless towards yourself. The saying goes, "The weak fear the strong, the strong fear the ruthless, and the ruthless fear the reckless," and the same applies to combat. To defeat someone, first strike their courage. In the face of the enemy, if you can suppress their courage, you've already gained half the chance of victory. In a battle between masters, the line is drawn, and overwhelming momentum is paramount. Forcing the enemy to dodge repeatedly already gives you a significant advantage, naturally increasing your chances of victory.
Having understood his shortcomings, Jiang Liu felt much clearer-headed. He clasped his hands in a fist salute to Liao Junhua and the other man, then strode out of the Shandong Martial Arts Academy. As for Yong Xiaohu and the deceased Shaolin lay disciple, the Military Commission would naturally handle those matters.
That day, Jiang Liu did not return to Beijing, but went to the Laoshan Neijia Boxing School. Unfortunately, he did not see Wang Chao, but only Zhao Xinglong.
After receiving guidance from Wang Chao, Zhao Xinglong's Bajiquan skills became increasingly refined, and he also mastered the body-refining and marrow-cleansing method using the "hum ha" sounds. Jiang Liu met him at the seaside, where he was practicing his strength in the sea while holding a large iron ball.
"Wang Chao has already reached a high level! Practicing boxing underwater and training strength in the water is indeed a superior training method."
It was sunset, and the golden rays of the setting sun bathed the sea in a golden glow, like a blanket of gold. The beach in front of Laoshan Mountain is beautiful, where mountains meet the sea. Although Qingdao has developed rapidly, this area has not been damaged and still retains its rustic and natural charm.
Zhao Xinglong had clearly finished practicing his boxing. He walked wearily ashore, holding a ball larger than a basketball in his hand.
He saw Jiang Liu and Yan Qing approaching slowly from afar. He glanced at Yan Qing, then stared at Jiang Liu, his brows furrowing deeply.
"You're looking for me?"
Jiang Liu shook his head and turned to leave. To him, Zhao Xinglong's strength was too weak; he didn't even have the heart to spar.
“You’re a trained fighter too, how about we spar?” Zhao Xinglong said. Recently, he had been practicing boxing in the seawater under Wang Chao’s guidance, and his skills had improved rapidly. After Wang Chao left, no one at the Laoshan Martial Arts School could match him, and he was already itching for a fight.
"Oh!" Jiang Liu stopped and turned around with a smile. "Fine, I'll stand here. If you let me move an inch, I'll admit defeat. If you can't, I'll take the ball from your arms!"
"Great words are never truly meaningful!"
Zhao Xinglong threw the large lead ball onto the beach, where it sank directly into the sand; its weight was definitely not light. If Jiang Liu was not mistaken, this large ball was the same lead-mercury ball that Wang Chao used to practice at the Tianxinghu residential area in S Province.
"Then I won't be polite!"
Zhao Xinglong was indeed ruthless, immediately unleashing the Iron Mountain Lean of Bajiquan. He took a step forward, his body slamming in like a mountain crashing down. The speed was both fast and fierce, and his stomp created a huge crater in the soft sand.
Jiang Liu didn't intend to hurt him; he used the pushing hands technique from Tai Chi. In an instant, Zhao Xinglong's feet left the ground, and he flew into the air like a cannonball, landing straight down more than ten meters away, creating a large crater in the sand.
From Yan Qing's perspective, it was as if Jiang Liu had simply pushed Zhao Xinglong's hand, making him fly into the air—easier than throwing a basketball.
"It seems your kung fu skills aren't quite up to par yet!"
Jiang Liu grabbed the large lead ball in the sand with one hand, and the lead ball weighing hundreds of kilograms was held in his hand with his fingers like eagle claws, without any effort.
Zhao Xinglong stood up from the sand, looking at the skill of holding the shot put upside down, and gritted his teeth, saying, "Your skill is already superb. This is the training shot put of Wang Chao, the head of the Laoshan Neijia Boxing School. You can take it, he will come to you for it back later!"
"I believe we will meet soon!" Jiang Liu played with the lead-mercury ball, the mercury inside surging like a great river as it spun at high speed. As the lead ball spun between his fingers, Zhao Xinglong's eyes were filled with disbelief.
"Who are you?"
"Who I am is unimportant! I'll just borrow the ball for a bit... Romance, tonight I'll practice my boxing in the sea, you get ready, we're going back to the capital tomorrow!"
After saying that, he walked towards the sea and did not stop until the seawater submerged his head and he disappeared into the sea.
"Who is he?" Zhao Xinglong asked, looking at the beautiful woman. Since the two of them came together, they must be a group.
Yan Qing looked in the direction where Jiang Liu had disappeared and said, "His name is Jiang Liu..."
"Jiang Liu?!"
...
Upon entering the water, Jiang Liu, though prepared, still frowned slightly. Endless seawater rushed into his ears and nose, pressing against every pore of his body.
Having mastered body tempering, he was naturally unafraid of the water pressure in the shallow sea. Sensing the changes in water pressure, Jiang Liu actually headed towards the deep sea.
The effects of mastering the Pure Yang Technique were evident in this seawater; holding one's breath for ten minutes with a breath of pure Yang energy in one's chest was a simple matter.
Jiang Liu held the large ball of lead and mercury, while Wang's feet were firmly planted on the seabed. Then, they began to practice Tai Chi.
They practiced all the different setups until their lungs felt like they were about to burst, then they rose to the surface to catch their breath.
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Tortoise and Snake Coil
The sun broke through the sea level, and a red sun rose slowly, spreading light and heat across the world.
Yan Qing stood on the beach early, waiting for Jiang Liu to appear. Then, a figure appeared between the sea and the sky, like an immortal riding the waves.
Amidst the rising sun, the vast ocean, and the surging waves, a lone figure emerges, seemingly a celestial being. Upon closer approach, it becomes apparent that only the feet remain submerged in the water, as if the person were truly walking on the waves.
"Walking on water up to the knees, that's the skill of the peak of the Transformation Realm!" A male voice suddenly appeared behind her; it was Zhao Xinglong.
Jiang Liu threw the large lead-mercury ball at Zhao Xinglong's feet. He shook his whole body, like a "golden rooster shaking its feathers" or an "old bear shaking its lice." The seawater on his body was instantly shaken off, and wisps of white mist could be seen rising from his body, as if he were ascending to heaven.
A dozen seconds later, my clothes and hair were completely dry.
"The ball is back to you! Romance, let's go!"
Zhao Xinglong stared blankly at Jiang Liu and said, "Master Jiang, why don't you stay here for a few more days? Master Wang Chao specifically instructed that he will rush back as soon as his business in Hong Kong is over!"
Jiang Liu waved his hand and said, "We will meet again if we are destined to! I believe it will be soon."
Without lingering in Qingdao, Jiang Liu and his companion flew back to Beijing.
On the plane, Jiang Liu kept his eyes closed in deep thought, carefully reviewing the Chinese martial arts he had mastered. He had practiced his boxing all night in the deep sea, using the pressure of the seawater to push his potential to the limit, and had already reached the threshold of the Dantian stage. He had also made breakthroughs in the hard and rounded power of Tai Chi. Clearly, it was precisely because he had grasped the hard and rounded power that the Chinese martial arts had reached such a high level of mastery.
Jiang Liu (Qi Refiner)
[Cultivation Level: Second Stage of Refining Essence into Qi (Curse, Qi Imprisonment)]
【Taoist Method: Thunder Method (Entering the Inner Chamber): Using thunder and lightning talismans to perform the Nine Heavens Thunder Orthodox Method, it has many flaws, but it can suppress all evil spirits and break all evil.
Purification Mantra (Entering the Inner Chamber): Cleanse the body with the sun and refine the form with the moon, so that the physical body reaches the acquired state;
Maoshan Corpse Refining Technique (Advanced Level): Copper-armored Corpse, with copper skin and iron bones, possessing strength of a thousand catties;
Maoshan Talismans (Comprehensive Understanding): Great General Corpse-Suppressing Talisman, Zhang Tianshi's General Talisman for Suppressing All Evil Spirits, Qilin Talisman, Thunder and Lightning Talisman
Martial Arts: Body Refinement (Acquired Realm): Pure Yang Skill, Bajiquan "Hum Ha" Sounds
[Boxing Style: National Martial Arts (Great Completion): Primarily Tai Chi, supplemented by Bagua, Xingyi, Bajiquan, and other boxing styles. At the peak of Huajin (Transformation of Energy), not even a feather can be added, not even a fly can land, and one can walk on water no higher than the knee;]
Special moves: Hard and rounded force, spiraling and winding force
[Body Techniques: Stepping on the Dipper and Spreading the Qi (Mastered), Qilin Step (Completed)]
[Equipment: Peach wood sword, Soul-Destroying Nail, three Profound Essence Pills, one Blood Qi Pill, one Rejuvenating Pill, one Soul Nourishing Pill]
On the plane, Yan Qing looked at Jiang Liu beside her, hesitant to speak. This man, or rather, this boy, seemed to have nothing in his eyes except for his martial arts. Her best friend Chen Ke had joined the National Security Bureau and partnered with Duan Guochao, while she had joined the Central Military Commission. Both of them had their first partners being martial arts fanatics devoid of emotions and desires.
In the course of more than a day, Jiang Liu's formidable martial prowess completely won over the woman.
"You seem to have something to say to me?" Jiang Liu opened his eyes, looked at the sea of clouds below the plane, and said.
“No!” Yan Qing shook her head, then added, “Major General Zhou Liang has already prepared what you wanted. However, there are no medicinal herbs like ginseng; those are extremely rare. There is a pigeon-egg diamond, a three-eyed dzi bead, and a copy of the ‘Wudang Turtle and Snake Sword Manual Secrets,’ the authentic version…”
"Hmm..." Jiang Liu looked at Yan Qing, which made her feel uneasy, and then she said, "Didn't Jiang Hai contact you before he took the plane? It seemed like he was going to cause me trouble!"
“He’s my friend! I just asked casually when I heard that you and I were partners…” Yan Qing’s face was a little pale.
Jiang Liu laughed and said, "My hearing is still very good. It's normal for martial arts practitioners to spar. Tell him I'm going to see him tonight, and... tell him to bring his sword!"
You're not going to kill him, are you?!
"I'm not a pervert, why would I kill someone? But... how about crippling his kung fu?" Jiang Liu revealed a cruel smile.
Yan Qing's heart skipped a beat, and her smile froze on her face.
"Haha, just kidding! Looks like you care about him quite a bit! Boyfriend?" Jiang Liu smiled slightly, his previous murderous aura instantly dissipating, transforming him into an innocent and harmless person.
"He's my brother!"
"Brother?! That's interesting!"
After getting off the plane, Yan Qing was picked up by a military vehicle, while Jiang Liu took the diamonds, dzi beads, and secret manuals he had obtained and went to the Yiquan Gym.
None of the instructors were here today, and Jiang Liu didn't notify anyone. He greeted a few master martial arts instructors and then focused on reading "The Secret Manual of Wudang Turtle and Snake Sword" in the backyard.
The Thirteen Postures of Swordsmanship—drawing, guiding, parrying, striking, thrusting, pointing, collapsing, stirring, washing, pressing, and chopping—form the foundation of swordsmanship and the techniques for wielding the sword. The *Secret Manual of Wudang Tortoise and Snake Swordsmanship* discusses the dynamic and static principles of the tortoise and snake. Although the entire text focuses on the sword, its application to fist techniques is also similar.
Jiang Liu was so engrossed in watching that he didn't realize it was getting dark.
At this moment, there were seven or eight people standing outside the courtyard, none other than Wang Lianyun, Bai Xianyong, and other instructors and boxers.
In the backyard, Jiang Liu sat cross-legged on the ground, breathing heavily and intermittently. What was even stranger was his unusual posture; an ordinary person simply couldn't do that.
This cross-legged posture was created by Jiang Liu by combining the concepts of movement and stillness of the tortoise and snake in the "Secret Manual of Wudang Tortoise and Snake Swordsmanship". It is called "Tortoise and Snake Coiling"!
At this moment, the seven or eight instructors outside the courtyard were also whispering among themselves. Chen Tianlei seemed to recognize the boxing stance and confirmed, "This is the Turtle and Snake Coil. There is a saying that it is called the Turtle and Snake Coil. If you face the Big Dipper, you can cultivate the true martial divine power!"
"Embracing the elixir?!" The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, then all looked at Jiang Liu.
"We've just stepped through the threshold; the road ahead is still long!" Jiang Liu said slowly as he put away the tortoise-snake coil.
"A martial arts grandmaster in his teens! We've lived for decades and it's all been for nothing..."
Seeing the eager looks from the crowd, Jiang Liu didn't hold back and took out the "Turtle and Snake Plate" frame to point out the details.
"This stance cannot be practiced for long periods by those below the Transformation Realm, as it will harm the body! All the body's center of gravity is concentrated at a single point, three inches below the lower abdomen at the dantian. If practiced incorrectly, it will lead to qi deviation and the dantian will be destroyed by the blood and qi. However, if practiced correctly, this sitting posture not only concentrates the body's center of gravity, but also gathers and shrinks the qi, strength, spirit, and even the soul into that single point at the dantian. At the Transformation Realm, one can unleash the power of the Embracing Dan Sitting Posture..."
Jiang Liu emphasized again: "Be very careful, your kung fu is good, but you can't force it! Alright, I should go now, you can try it at your own pace!"
Refusing everyone's attempts to persuade him to stay, Jiang Liu left the Yiquan school. In just a few days, with guidance from Zhou Binglin, a battle with Yong Xiaohu, a night of practicing boxing at the bottom of the deep sea, and after studying the "Secret Manual of Wudang Turtle and Snake Swordsmanship," Jiang Liu finally touched the threshold of the Dantian stage.
Their physical potential has been completely exhausted, and the acquired realm of martial artists in the Journey to the West world is equivalent to the Great Perfection of Marrow Cleansing realm in the Dragon and Snake world.
Beyond the Dan Jin realm, Jiang Liu could only explore on his own!
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Speed and Passion (Part 1)
Jiang Liu looked up and around. It was completely dark by then, but the night view on the road was magnificent.
Bright lights and bustling traffic.
"When Qi and blood are unified and controlled at will, that is Dan Jin. Now, my martial arts should be equivalent to the strength of a post-natal martial artist in the Journey to the West world. This is just the beginning! The road ahead is long and arduous, but we will start anew. Starting anew, the mountains are like the sea, and the setting sun is like blood."
Jiang Liu stood on the street corner, watching the hurried crowds, recalling memories of his past life, feeling a mix of melancholy and helplessness. The dangers of the demonic world of Journey to the West weighed heavily on his heart like a mountain!
"Everything is for the sake of living! I haven't seen enough of the wonders of this world, and even God can't take my life away..."
At that moment, a bright red Maserati Ghibli stopped in front of Jiang Liu. Upon closer inspection, it was Yan Qing.
As soon as they sat down, Yan Qing said, "Do you know? Duan Guochao is dead!"
"Oh! Dead."