Free Web NovelChapter 336: Chapter 137: Conflict
Using his agility, he quickly secured a prime spot near Steward Zheng, close enough to both hear the lecture clearly and see the fine details of the Steward’s demonstrations.
When Steward Zheng glanced over and saw Yang Jing squeezing his way to the front, a faint smile touched his lips.
He remembered this young disciple. During the past few lectures, the boy had always quietly positioned himself nearby, listening intently to the explanations of Martial Dao techniques without ever showing a sign of slacking.
In the Steward’s eyes, the boy appeared honest and steady, with a calm look about him. In truth, however, he had a quick and clever mind. He knew how to seek out the right steward for guidance, unlike some disciples who just blindly followed the crowd.
Before long, twenty to thirty disciples had gathered around Steward Zheng. There were both men and women, including outer sect disciples in green robes and a few Inner Sect Disciples in white robes.
They stood in small groups, all eyes fixed on Steward Zheng, eagerly awaiting his lecture on martial arts.
Steward Zheng raised a hand, signaling for silence. Once the surrounding chatter died down, he began to speak, his voice calm and clear. "Today, the Peak Master has already imparted profound insights regarding Inner Qi. I am sure you have all gained something from it."
"Next, I will explain three fundamental martial arts: the Mountain-Breaking Blade, the Mountain-Shattering Fist, and the Wind-Splitting Palm. All of them are suitable for your current stage of cultivation. Listen carefully and observe closely."
As soon as he finished speaking, Steward Zheng began to explain the three martial arts one by one, starting with the Mountain-Breaking Blade.
He didn’t demonstrate the stances right away. Instead, he started with the core principles of the blade art, calmly analyzing the method for condensing one’s blade intent before meticulously breaking down the force-generation techniques for each move.
From the opening form to the closing stance, every detail was explained with extreme clarity. He would occasionally raise his hand to demonstrate, his fingers tensed as if gripping a hilt. Though he held no actual weapon, his movements exuded the sharp aura of a blade.
Though Yang Jing had never practiced any blade techniques, he listened with exceptional focus. His eyes were glued to Steward Zheng’s movements, and he committed every word of the lecture to memory.
He knew that this was the Martial Dao experience of a Qi Eating Realm expert, accumulated over many years. ’Even if I don’t practice the Mountain-Breaking Blade,’ he thought, ’the principles of force generation and the Martial Dao insights it contains can still inform my own fist training.’ Listening to the explanation gave him a sense of sudden clarity; he had benefited immensely.
After finishing his lecture on the Mountain-Breaking Blade, Steward Zheng moved on to the Mountain-Shattering Fist.
The moment the steward began, Yang Jing’s focus sharpened. He subconsciously straightened his back and even softened his breathing, afraid he might miss a single crucial detail.
Steward Zheng began with the profound and heavy nature of the Mountain-Shattering Fist’s intent. He focused on breaking down how to smoothly integrate Inner Strength into the Punching Techniques, how to chain stances together to maximize power, and even pointed out several common mistakes disciples made. His explanation was meticulous.
He then gave a brief explanation of the Wind-Splitting Palm. This technique prioritized speed and agility, a stark contrast to the heavy, powerful nature of the Mountain-Shattering Fist. Steward Zheng quickly demonstrated a few core moves before moving on without much elaboration.
While explaining the Mountain-Shattering Fist, Steward Zheng kept a close watch on the expressions of the disciples around him.
When he saw Yang Jing’s eyes filled with concentration and saw him subconsciously nodding along from time to time, he guessed that this young disciple must be practicing the Mountain-Shattering Fist.
An idea came to him. He decided to spend a little more time on the Mountain-Shattering Fist. He added a few advanced force-generation techniques and, drawing from his own experience, shared his insights on how to refine one’s proficiency with the punching techniques. His lecture on it was far more detailed than for the other two arts.
After he had finished explaining all three martial arts, Steward Zheng looked around at the surrounding disciples. "Did you all understand the content of my lecture?" he asked. "If you have any questions, now is the time to ask."
The words had barely left his mouth when Yang Jing stepped forward, cupped his fists, and bowed respectfully. He then began to ask, one by one, the questions that had accumulated during his recent practice of the Mountain-Shattering Fist.
They were all specific, precise questions about the finer points of linking Punching Techniques and circulating Inner Strength.
Upon hearing the questions, a flicker of approval showed in Steward Zheng’s eyes. He patiently answered each one. His explanations were clear and logical, and he even demonstrated with his hands, giving physical form to the abstruse force-generation techniques. For Yang Jing, it was as if a light had suddenly switched on; the confusion that had plagued him for so long vanished completely.
After Yang Jing expressed his thanks, several other disciples came forward with their own questions, most of which concerned difficulties in practicing the Mountain-Breaking Blade and the Mountain-Shattering Fist. Steward Zheng answered each of them with the same patience.
When all the questions had been answered, Steward Zheng said slowly, "This concludes today’s lecture. Go back and reflect carefully on what you have learned. Only through diligent practice will you be able to truly internalize it."
With that, his gaze rested on Yang Jing for a moment before he turned and walked away from the plaza. His figure soon disappeared into the mountain forest in the distance.
Yang Jing remained where he was, his heart filled with joy.
He had gained a great deal from the lecture. Having resolved several key points of confusion in his practice of the Mountain-Shattering Fist, he felt a sense of exhilaration and was eager to find a place to test out his new knowledge.
Composing himself, he also turned and left Lingxi Plaza. His steps were light as he mentally mapped out his next training session.
As he passed the edge of the plaza, Yang Jing caught sight of Jia Yuliang and Zhao Hongxiang from his courtyard standing together by the stone steps not far away. The two seemed to be enjoying their conversation.
Jia Yuliang wore an enthusiastic smile, and Zhao Hongxiang nodded along from time to time with a hint of smugness. They were clearly hitting it off.
