Regarding National Martial Arts...
No, it should be said that for any systematic power system, cherishing one's own broom is the norm.
Not to mention that such great power belongs to one's own extraordinary or near-extraordinary abilities, even in scientific systems that require collective strength, countries still maintain strict secrecy among themselves.
Even though Wu Pifu's Tiger Demon Skill came easily, and the first shelter he established randomly awarded him the complete set of techniques, including nurturing, practicing, and fighting, he was well aware that a complete set of National Martial Arts techniques were the untransmittable secrets of each family, not merely the kind of saying that passes down to sons but not daughters; it was more like whether or not to pass it down to the next generation was uncertain, and if it came to it, they would simply take it to the grave.
At this moment, Lin Heier was prostrating herself, offering to teach the complete Huanglian Shengmu Skill.
Before Wu Pifu could respond, Xu Rongyu beside her had already swallowed several times in succession.
Only the people of this world knew what a complete set of techniques truly meant.
Wu Pifu was naturally moved as well.
Not to mention anything else, Lin Heier's previous cross-sitting strike, if used in a battle between the two, even if he wasn't killed by a single punch, he would likely suffer severe injuries.
Now he realized that this simulated the Danjin technique, which was simply exaggerated.
Mingjin, Anjin, Huajin, Danjin, Gangjin, and the invincible spirit of the gods—there was a huge gap between the six levels of National Martial Arts, almost like a crushing disparity.
In the Anjin stage, one could briefly simulate Danjin, which was not merely a trump card for turning the tide in battle; more importantly, it allowed one to slowly explore the mysteries of Danjin through this simulation, which was its most significant value.
It could be said that just based on this, the Huanglian Shengmu Skill surpassed the Tiger Demon Skill by an unknown number of times.
The three major techniques of the Tiger Demon Skill—nurturing, practicing, and fighting—were actually quite ordinary, and its general outline could only train the Unresting Spirit to a slight degree.
Wu Pifu did not answer immediately; he pondered for a moment before saying, "I don't have absolute confidence. At a height of about fifty meters, even if a catapult-like device can send me up, whether I can hit it or break it is still uncertain. Tomorrow at dawn, I can work with Yamada to create this device, but everything else will depend on fate."
Lin Heier was overjoyed.
She bowed deeply again and said, "Then there is no time to lose; I will now teach Master the techniques of sitting lotus."
The two then went to the side hall, and Xu Rongyu watched with envy, repeatedly exclaiming, "My big brother has truly encountered a great opportunity; this is the Huanglian Shengmu Sutra, a secret-level technique..."
Unfortunately, the two people listening to him were from the Third and Fourth Battles, completely unaware of what he was talking about, truly playing the lute to a cow.
That night, there was no further discussion.
The next morning, as everyone left the main hall, they saw Wu Pifu slightly squatting outside in the courtyard, his legs slightly crossed.
Although it was not Lin Heier's sitting lotus posture, it carried a hint of the Qi of Hunyuan.
The so-called Danjin was actually the gathering of qi in the Dantian, transporting the body's qi and blood to the Dantian to form a unified Hunyuan.
The saying goes, "Once a golden dan is swallowed into the belly, one knows that one's fate is in one's own hands, not in the heavens."
In the context of National Martial Arts, this refers to Danjin, which is indeed the beginning of the human body opening the door to another evolution, from which the body gradually steps into the realm of transcending the physical body and entering the sacred.
"Truly gifted," Lin Heier said beside Wu Pifu as she guided him, seeing him finally sit down cross-legged.
She couldn't help but murmur this phrase.
At this moment, the others also came out.
Yamada couldn't help but say, "This is quite different from your Guanyin sitting lotus posture yesterday."
Lin Heier's pretty face flushed, and she immediately retorted angrily, "What nonsense! That's called sitting lotus, not Guanyin sitting... Pah! Truly barbaric!"
Yamada scratched her head and asked, "Is there any difference?"
Lin Heier naturally refused to say more to Yamada.
Xu Rongyu pulled Yamada aside and said, "This Guanyin sitting lotus is a term used for men and women... How can it be applied to martial arts? Moreover, when martial arts reach a high level, it requires resemblance in spirit rather than in form."
Yamada still didn't understand.
He was a veteran of the Third Battle, with a head full of scientific warfare knowledge, and curiously asked, "Do you understand standardization? The error of each screw cannot exceed one nanometer. If their movements are even different, how can you tell me this is the same martial art? I think this girl is just fooling Wu Pifu."
Lin Heier, holding herself as a master, was both embarrassed and angry at this moment but said nothing.
Xu Rongyu, who wasn't even a Mingjin martial artist, had only heard some martial principles from his father, so he could only say that it required resemblance in spirit rather than in form, but he didn't know why, and naturally couldn't explain it at this moment.
Instead, Wu Pifu, while squatting and gathering qi, surprisingly had the energy to speak, "Because everyone's body structure has subtle differences, National Martial Arts initially requires rote learning, but when practiced to a high level, it needs to be adjusted according to one's own subtle structural differences. I'm a man, so it's naturally impossible for me to sit in the deep squat lotus posture; thus, my sitting lotus technique takes this form."
Upon hearing this, Yamada understood, as there was also biotechnological enhancement used for human combat power development during the Third Battle, and each person's parameters for biotechnical enhancement varied due to genetics, height, bloodline, aptitude, and so on.
Lin Heier was amazed as she circled around Wu Pifu, sighing again, "Truly gifted! Your qi and blood are so rich that you don't seem human; even while gathering qi in the Dantian, you can still speak without hindrance..."
Wu Pifu merely smiled without explaining.
He continued to practice while saying to Yamada, "We can start making the throwing device now. There are only two requirements: first, throw me towards that distorted humanoid figure; second, the height of the throw must not be lower than that of the distorted humanoid. As for the accuracy and such, I'll handle that myself."
Yamada was indifferent and turned to walk towards the storeroom, while the others busied themselves.
Xu Shilan went to make breakfast, Xu Rongyu checked the torches, oil, and patrolled the several buildings of the charity house.
As for Yamada and the others, even Xu Rongyu, who was originally just a meat ticket, was now willingly putting in effort.
On the other side, Wu Pifu was wholeheartedly practicing the sitting lotus technique, feeling more and more the boundless mysteries within it.
Understanding the mysteries of Danjin at the Anjin stage was simply indescribable.
The most crucial part was having a guide!
Although Wu Pifu had obtained the complete version of the Tiger Demon Skill's three techniques from the main brain, including nurturing, practicing, and fighting, it was merely information fed into his mind, lacking some detailed understanding.
This actually required a master or a guide.
Practicing blindly like him, especially with such dangerous weapons, not only did he not perish but also reached the Anjin level.
One could say he was either foolishly fortunate or truly gifted.
Now, with Lin Heier's dedicated guidance, even if it was just about the explanation of the sitting lotus technique, it allowed him to systematically organize the entire National Martial Arts system, laying a deep foundation for his future achievements.
Throughout that day, the paper figures disappeared without a trace, but everyone's mood was heavy.
By nightfall, faint ghostly cries began to echo again, but this time the cries were much fewer than before, indicating that the paper figures were about to consume all the ghosts of this charity house.
Everyone spent the night in trepidation.
The next day, Yamada continued to make his throwing device, while the others went about their tasks.
By dusk, everyone suddenly heard the sound of hooves and screams coming from afar.
Xu Rongyu, who was helping Yamada tighten the vines to create a catapult-like device, immediately jumped up and shouted, "Wu Big Brother, save me! Wu Big Brother, save me!"
Wu Pifu was currently flipping a kitchen knife under Lin Heier's guidance.
"Punches like guns, claws like knives; the principles of fist techniques are actually similar to those of knives, guns, and sticks."
While Lin Heier pointed out the techniques of the knife to Wu Pifu, she said, "I have seen three grandmasters. Mr. Sun Lutang, the Tiger Head Protector, has the broadest knowledge and the highest martial arts; Mr. Du Xinwu, the Northern and Southern Hero, has the most eclectic skills and the most peculiar martial arts.
Although he is younger than me, he is a master of Huajin. The last one is Mr. Li Shuwen, the God Fist, who has the most refined skills and the most ferocious martial arts. I once asked the three of them what the outcome would be if they fought against each other.
Their answers were the same: Mr. Li Shuwen would be injured, while the other two would die, because Mr. Li Shuwen combines the principles of fist techniques with weapons, making a ten-meter-long spear invincible."
"And what you have learned is the Tiger Form in Xingyi, but it has variations; the moves are fierce, giving off a sense of a mad tiger. In this case, it is best for you to practice claw and knife together, seeking excellence within excellence. Coupled with your extraordinary physical gifts, your future achievements are limitless..."
At that moment, Xu Rongyu's cries also reached them.
The two looked over simultaneously, and at the same time, they heard the sounds of hooves, cries, and occasional gunshots coming from outside the charity house.
Xu Rongyu shouted while rushing over, then directly knelt on the ground, loudly pleading, "Please, Wu Big Brother, save my father!"
"So soon!?" Wu Pifu knew the situation was urgent.
He immediately ran towards the charity house courtyard, grabbing two torches and rushing outside.
Lin Heier followed closely behind, then Xu Rongyu, while Yamada and Xu Shilan stayed to guard the charity house.
The sound of hooves grew louder, accompanied by gunshots.
Without a doubt, this was Xu Rongyu's father, Xu Zhenshan's, team, the largest band of outlaws in the Xuanhua region and beyond.
As they ran, Xu Rongyu anxiously said, "I came to Xuanhua Prefecture on my father's orders to meet the Master Sister of the Red Lantern Society. After I set out, my father also led a team to set off, aiming to join forces with the Master Sister to support the righteous and eliminate the foreign devils. Therefore, the news of my kidnapping doesn't even need to reach the mountain hollow; my father can learn about it halfway. If he hurries, he can arrive within three days."
Today marked the third day since Wu Pifu and the others arrived in this dream world, and now it was dusk, so it was indeed possible that the newcomers were Xu Zhenshan's team.
The three ran forward, but after running for seven or eight minutes, all they saw were roads, forests, and a vague horizon ahead.
Wu Pifu suddenly stopped, then looked up and roared to the sky, his voice like thunder and a howl.
In an instant, the scene before them became clear; less than a hundred meters ahead, hundreds of horses were thrashing about, and over a hundred people were howling like ghosts.
More than a dozen paper figures were flying among these people, and any bandit that came into contact with them either fell dead on the spot or gradually turned into paper figures.
Among the howling bandits, a middle-aged strong man was surrounded by four paper figures, each using paper scissors, paper mallets, paper forks, and paper hoes to restrain his limbs, beginning to turn him into paper from his extremities.
As Wu Pifu's roar echoed, the remaining bandits seemed to finally see their surroundings, each howling even more tragically, those missing arms and legs trying to run towards Wu Pifu and the others.
"Father!" Xu Rongyu's eyes turned bloodshot as he shouted and was about to rush forward.
That middle-aged strong man was Xu Zhenshan, and it seemed he had just awakened from some kind of illusion.
However, before he could do anything, the four paper figures began to float him deeper into the forest.
The three were about to chase, but in the next second, the scene before them turned into a vast blur.
They could see nothing at all.
(End of Chapter)