Chapter 83: Unity of Waist and Stance, Tea Sword, Incense Lighting Body Technique
Chapter 83: Chapter 83: Unity of Waist and Stance, Tea Sword, Incense Lighting Body Technique
"The toes, ankles, insteps, and calves... all form the cornerstone of waist power!"
"This strength is accumulated and then released explosively. A single move sets the entire body in motion. When Blood Qi envelops the lower body, it can become as firm as a boulder, rooted to the spot and unmoving."
"Therefore, the Waist and Horse Skill focuses on a low center of gravity, while the upper body focuses on winning through striking techniques..."
Zhu Ge read the manual for the Waist and Horse Skill with great care.
This Waist and Horse Skill was not an explosive, wide-ranging martial technique like the Vajra Palm, nor did it excel in speed and agility like the Xu Family Rain Swift Fist.
It was a defensive martial technique!
Simply put, it was about taking a horse stance and then withstanding attacks from the front!
The more stable the stance, the better the upper body could block attacks.
The calves are the body’s second heart.
According to the Waist and Horse Skill manual, and based on Zhu Ge’s own understanding, this book placed great importance on legwork.
The book stated that people with thin calves had weak hearts.
He understood that the core reason for this was blood circulation.
The legs and feet are the farthest parts of the body from the heart. Transporting blood to these extremities is much more difficult than circulating it through the torso.
This was the reason many people suffered from cold hands and feet.
But if the calf muscles were well-developed, they could act like a pump, continuously sending blood to the ends of the legs and feet, and also pumping it from the extremities back to the heart.
This would greatly reduce the heart’s workload.
Thus, the calves were known as the second heart.
The stronger this "second heart" was, the smaller the burden on the actual heart in his chest.
’I’ve learned something new.’
After finishing the manual, Zhu Ge immediately began his training.
WHOOSH...
He took a horse stance as described in the book, settling into the posture and wrapping his calves with Blood Qi.
In an instant, Zhu Ge felt as if his lower body had grown roots.
The soles of his feet gripped the ground, his ankles felt sharp as needles, and the veins on his legs bulged.
A force seemed to appear out of nowhere within his body, compelling him to move as the Waist and Horse Skill instructed.
He twisted his waist and vibrated his torso. His body tilted diagonally to the right, his right shoulder dropped, and he struck out with a claw-hand.
WHOOSH—
The rushing wind rustled the leaves of a tree over ten meters away.
But that wasn’t all. After extending his right shoulder and claw, Zhu Ge’s body pivoted on his waist, spinning in a circle as he simultaneously thrust his left arm out behind him.
With both arms exerting force, his body spun like a top. The Blood Qi was clearly focused on his calves, yet it sent a wave of motion through his entire frame.
The wave began in his legs, rippling upward layer by layer, and by the time it reached his hands, the force was immense.
SWOOSH—
WHOOSH—
After completing the series of moves, Zhu Ge was drenched in sweat, and one stream of his Blood Qi was completely spent.
However, this single set of moves instantly made him feel a difference.
’This is... Body Refinement?’
Zhu Ge narrowed his eyes and looked down at his calves.
He could sense that after just one cycle of the Waist and Horse Skill, his calves had already grown noticeably stronger.
This was very similar to the effect of practicing Body Refinement with the Great Sun Glaze Body!
’It seems that Raincoat Fisherman was truly desperate for a path to defense and close combat.’
A sudden realization dawned on Zhu Ge.
’Perhaps every Dao has its own specialty.’
’The Fishing Dao isn’t suited for close combat, so the Raincoat Fisherman needed to compensate for that weakness.’
’So, couldn’t I do the opposite?’
’Everyone knows the Martial Dao is unbeatable up close, so they’re bound to try and keep their distance from a Martial Artist.’
’If I were to prepare some long-range attacks, wouldn’t they be playing right into my hands?’
The thought startled Zhu Ge, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
’This means a lot of things I’ve subconsciously taken for granted might be false.’
’There’s no reason I’d think of something that no one else has.’
’Everyone knows the Confucian Dao isn’t suited for close-quarters fighting, but my teacher did the exact opposite, specifically seeking out a Body Refining Technique like the Great Sun Glaze Body.’
’Anyone who thought they could rest easy just because they got close to him would surely get swung around and beaten senseless.’
’I’m practicing the Martial Dao now, but later I have to pick up the Confucian Dao again. I’ll cultivate both Confucianism and martial arts.’
Zhu Ge made up his mind.
Then he began practicing the Waist and Horse Skill again.
Although he only had three streams of Blood Qi in his body right now, if he used them well, he could achieve a nearly endless effect.
Because his recovery speed was fast!
And if he were to unleash all his Blood Qi at once, a Spirit Level, mid-grade technique like the Rain Swift Fist could completely tear apart a Demon Beast of the same realm as himself.
But the Rain Swift Fist’s burst damage was too intense. If he couldn’t finish an enemy in three moves, his Blood Qi would be depleted, and Zhu Ge would be forced to fight using other methods.
In addition to the Vajra Palm, Zhu Ge had now also grasped the Waist and Horse Skill, making his arsenal more complete.
However, it wasn’t over yet.
Zhu Ge looked at the other manuals, then picked another one up and began to read.
The *Incense Lighting Body Technique*. It treated the tips of the feet as the flame and the earth as the incense. To "light the incense" required an ethereal body technique. It was a martial body technique that could be used for fighting or for escaping.
The *Tea Swordsmanship*. It used tea as its imagery, viewing the sword as tea leaves floating and sinking in water. There was a swirling power like when pouring tea, and a stillness as the leaves settled when the water grew calm.
The *Thirty-Six Paths of the Giant Pendulum*. This was a legacy from a Forging Master. When executed, the entire body spun like a top, with the left and right hands acting as hammers. It consisted of thirty-six strikes in total, with the thirty-sixth being an explosive finale of considerable power.
These four manuals didn’t seem difficult on the surface, but mastering them to the point where he could break through to the Mountain Shattering Martial Artist realm at any moment, as with the Vajra Palm, was still a monumental task.
Fortunately, after learning them, Zhu Ge didn’t need to practice them all to the point of absolute mastery.
Instead, he would use them to find his own path!
BAM!!
After smashing a large tree to pieces with the Thirty-Six Paths of the Giant Pendulum, Zhu Ge shook his dizzy head and looked down the mountain.
’Get the basics down, then head down the mountain to hunt Demon Beasts!’
’Martial techniques only truly develop through practical application.’
’While I’m hunting Demon Beasts, I can also see if I can subjugate one or two to use as beasts of burden.’
"Time to go down the mountain!"
Zhu Ge immediately hurried down the mountain.
「The sun was high in the sky.」
He had trained from late night until dawn, and then from dawn until noon, yet Zhu Ge wasn’t tired in the slightest.
The endless supply of Blood Qi filling his body left him feeling incredibly energized.
Just as he reached the foot of the mountain, Hua Liusha became active in his mind.
"Brother, are you going hunting?" Hua Liusha asked excitedly.
"Yes," Zhu Ge said with a smile. "Have you finished digesting the souls of those Demon Beasts?"
After he killed the Demon Beasts, Hua Liusha had devoured their souls.
As she was only in the Second Realm, Hua Liusha naturally needed time to digest them.
"Mhm!" Hua Liusha’s voice was full of glee. "It’s just like when I was alive! Swallowing living souls is just like eating a meal. I’m full!"
"Good." Zhu Ge nodded. "I’m heading out to hunt now, so you’ll have more to eat soon."
"You’re the best, Brother..." Hua Liusha praised, then sighed with emotion. "When I was alive, I was always hungry. I never thought..."
"I never thought that after dying and becoming a Ghost, I’d actually be able to eat souls until I’m full..."