Free Web NovelChapter 1472: Chapter 756: Lonely Fist
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Regarding Qing Shui’s thoughts and norms, there are apparent differences. Qing Hu finds them somewhat peculiar, yet seemingly sensible. Every time he converses with Qing Shui, it seems to lighten his burden, and thus, Qing Hu feels slightly more at ease.
"Tomorrow is the competition, Qingshui Pavilion, are you willing to participate?" Qing Shui was already up, around dawn. After his morning shower, he entered the Qing Family’s courtyard and performed some simple stretching exercises. On this day, the morning air was the freshest. What Qing Shui wanted to do was practice a simple breathing technique, cultivating Qi within himself through deep breathing.
The ancient enhancement technique emphasizes the refinement of the body and bones. Every day, Qing Shui would practice the "Lonely Fist", making himself accustomed to the coordination of body muscles, enhancing his strength to the highest level. In a state of perfect coordination, not to mention using 100% of his striking power, it was even possible to amplify the strike to 200% or higher.
The silence in the courtyard was broken by the roar of surrounding beasts, but upon seeing Qing Shui, they quickly quieted down, returning to their usual obedient stance.
"Ghostly Steps!" As Qing Shui flew across the courtyard, shadows flashed by. Qing Shui knew that this "Ghost Steps" was derived from the essence of all evasion techniques. When someone’s opponent is much stronger, it can even be used for avoidance and escape; this fact alone speaks volumes about how unfathomable this technique is.
Not only that, but he also had "Lonely Fist" in his repertoire! Qing Shui couldn’t help but feel that "Ghostly Steps" and "Lonely Fist" complement each other perfectly, almost a flawless combination. The two skills he obtained from the "ancient enhancement technique" can actually complement each other to a certain degree... This discovery made Qing Shui pause. Could the other skills gained from his breakthroughs also complement each other? Unfortunately, despite the long time, he has not broken through to the fourth-level. For the skills he has already mastered, the hidden weapon techniques, "Lonely Fist" and "Ghostly Steps," he has cultivated them to such a state that it will be hard to improve them further in the near future.
However, Qing Shui knows that the path of cultivation is like moving against the current! Once a certain level is reached, not only is it difficult to break through, but stagnation for too long can actually lead to regression.
The essence of the "Lonely Fast Fist" lies in the words "lonely" and "fast." One must train to such a level that a strike is so swift and agile that it can transform into two, two into four, and so on. As for the "Ghostly Steps," its essence lies in the word "ghost." One must cultivate this technique to a stage where it is as unpredictable as a shadow, even as illusionary as a ghost.
Additionally, Qing Shui now masters swordsmanship. Through the three mantras—fast, accurate, decisive—considering the essence of the basic sword skill mastered through Iaido. Agility to the lightning-like degree, accuracy pertains to how one wields the sword, and decisiveness is related to the spirit state. The essence of the sword can be summed up as: "If I do not draw the sword, that is good; but when I do, I must strike to win the victory, primarily dealing with any possible retaliation."
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The morning after he completed his routine, Qing Shui could hear the voices of shopkeepers, the hiss of children on the street, and the melodious sounds of birds chirping.
As he entered his residence, he smelled a delicious aroma. Qing Shui looked at the table and saw Qing Yi smiling at him. On the table were two plates of vegetables and two plates of wild boar meat, the aroma so enticing it sparked his appetite.
"Shui’er, hurry up, eat your meal, and let’s go watch the competition together. Observing others’ battles will only benefit your cultivation, not just cultivation." Qing Yi urged Qing Shui to eat as she explained the benefits to him.
"Yes, I planned to watch today’s annual maternal competition early, so I believe today will be interesting." Qing Shui said with a smile. Looking at Qing Shui’s elegant presence, people would be surprised to find his table manners somewhat lacking. With a greedy appetite, he devoured everything as fast as a fighter. Qing Yi could only watch him with a shocked expression.
In his eyes, he didn’t care what people thought of him. Qing Shui was very clear that power is everything. If you are strong enough, no matter what job you do or how rough you are, people will start to emulate you. If you are weak, no matter how elegant you appear, people will still see you as effeminate.
"Eat slower, dear, no one will take the food away from you." Qing Yi hurriedly said, her eyes full of laughter.
"Mother, who is going to maintain order and be the host of this year’s competition?" Qing Shui suddenly thought of a question.
"This year’s judges will include the Qing Family, Lan Family, Feng Family, Tong Family, and people from Baili City." Qing Yi gladly replied. It seems this has been the tradition in the past as well.
As Qing Shui rushed to the courtyard, he found it was a sea of people everywhere. It seemed everyone from the surrounding area had come! However, this was not surprising, as the society of the Nine Continent World is cultivation-oriented.
Despite people being everywhere in the area, not a soul was visible on the spacious stage. In the rear area of the arena, representatives from various clans were all seated on chairs in front of tables.
