Chapter 198

Dawn broke with golden light, wisps of smoke rose from chimneys.

Life in Gao Liu County was calm and orderly; most common folk rose with the sun and rested at its setting, undisturbed by the petty or grand affairs of the martial world.

Only in teahouses and taverns did a faint trace of the martial world linger.

Fang Fang Bao Luo had been gone over half a month again; Li Yuan kept his composure, spending most of his time training and reading, visiting only occasionally the blacksmith's backyard to consult Wang Wang Wenyuan on a few matters.

Before the Divine Weapon Valley's relocation, he borrowed a large number of books, flipping through two each day—enough to last him a year or more.

"Huh!"

"Hss!"

In the small courtyard, the morning breeze drifted gently.

Li Yuan performed Xu Tui's Martial Body Posture; the heavy hammer in his hand felt weightless, rising and falling with growing fluidity and natural grace.

"Huh!"

He shook his arms, and the long hammer tore through the air like an ancient elephant trumpeting skyward, stomping and swinging its trunk—sudden gales erupted in the courtyard, shaking the old trees into a rustling roar.

The Six Forms of the Ancient Elephant Hammer draws its meaning from the elephant: its strikes are wild and fierce, like an old elephant swinging its trunk, emphasizing effortless flow, unbroken chains, and layered, cumulative force.

"The Six Forms of the Ancient Elephant Hammer is fully accomplished!"

Li Yuan slowly ended his stance, his gaze blazing bright—as if fire burned within, a visible sign of immense vitality.

With all his martial talents stacking together, his Wu Gong—especially his hammer techniques—had surged forward dramatically.

The Martial Path Battle Hammer was already nearing perfection, and this Six Forms of the Ancient Elephant Hammer, practiced intermittently, was now fully accomplished.

"Bang!"

The heavy hammer struck the ground; Li Yuan pushed forward with bare fists, his steps rising and falling, his palms and fists shifting, his body gliding—bear, tiger, monkey, leopard… all present within his movements.

His motions were not fast, yet they encompassed all forms.

More than a year ago, in the bamboo grove of Bingtang, Han Han Chuijun had demonstrated the fused-form fist technique; now Li Yuan could perform it too.

Though the movements differed due to the distinct forms adopted, the essence of fused forms remained identical.

"Huh!"

After a long while, Li Yuan slowly ended his stance.

His physique had long ceased to be human; even after such intense exertion, only a thin sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead.

oco

"Dinner's ready!"

In the front courtyard, Li Lin called out—it was already noon.

Li Yuan responded, went to the front courtyard for dinner, chatted with his brother and sister-in-law, played with the two little ones, then returned to resume his training.

For the past dozen days, he had lived this way: every day, save for necessary outings, he immersed himself entirely in training.

After transforming his form, his physical strength increased daily; this state entranced him, utterly absorbing.

Soon, night fell.

Li Yuan dined with his brother and sister-in-law, then returned to his room as usual, guiding the fundamental diagram of Linghu Sword Art to continue altering his bones.

"Huh!"

After midnight, Li Yuan wiped the sweat from his body, changed clothes, leaned against the bedhead, and began reading.

"Bai Shen Guan Xiang Fa."

This was a book he borrowed from Wang Wang Wenyuan.

Upon returning to Gao Liu, thanks to his innate talent and bone structure being recognized, the books he borrowed from Wang Wang Wenyuan were vastly different.

Observation methods were not rare, but a systematic, risk-free observation method was exceedingly rare.

This was the optimal observation method paired with Bai Shen Zheng Fa: easy to learn, hard to master, yet supremely safe.

"Balanced and harmonious—yes, I can try it."

After reading through it several times, Li Yuan closed his eyes and sat in meditation, shutting out his senses and directing them inward.

The first step of an observation method is to control one's own perception; even this alone deters most martial artists.

Even Li Yuan had relied on the "Five-Step Spirit Snake Belt" and the "Spirit Fire Lingniu Bone Ring" to pass this step effortlessly.

"Hum~"

Li Yuan focused intensely, following the method's instructions to sketch shapes in his mind.

The second step of an observation method is to use perception to form shapes within the mind.

"It's a bit like drawing—but without hands…"

Li Yuan had tried many times; each attempt to sketch a shape was arduous, mainly because his thoughts scattered—once a stray thought arose, the shape instantly warped.

But he had no shortage of patience; he failed again and again, and kept trying—how long he did not know, until his spirit finally calmed.

? ttkΛn? co

Gradually, he could sketch simple shapes.

"Only outlines—I can't render fine details…"

Sweat beaded on Li Yuan's forehead; he opened his eyes, rested a moment, waited for his spirit to recover, then continued.

Again and again…

After a long while, he felt he had mastered the process, and began to visualize his own figure in his mind.

The third step of Bai Shen Guan Xiang Fa is to visualize one's own form within the mind.

Humans find it hard to form a clear self-image; thus, this step is difficult. In contrast, fierce and monstrous deities, due to their vivid impressions, are easier to visualize.

"Tough…"

Li Yuan tried hard; he understood himself fairly well, but after many attempts, he could only visualize in his mind—a stick figure.

Limbs and torso were there—but nothing more.

"Good that there is progress."

Li Yuan opened his eyes, his face covered in sweat; this visualization was far harder than fighting.

Yet although he had only visualized a stick figure, with all limbs complete, for him it already counted as huge progress.

"Visualization methods can also be applied to forming shapes with internal Qi, controlling internal Qi to outline one's own form..."

Li Yuan rubbed his temples, his eyes very bright.

Force reaching one chi, Qi flowing through three zhang; internal Qi leaving the body is the mark of an open meridian, and also the mark of a first-rate martial artist in the Jianghu.

Just as back then, Su Su Wanxiong projected force across one zhang, forming Qi-shapes that pierced several zhang without dispersing.

This requires not only powerful internal Qi, but also minute control over that Qi; true Qi shaping, a step further, is even more terrifying.

Forming barriers with true Qi outside the body, capable of resisting blades and swords, and blocking fire and water, is already terrifying enough.

And in legend, those top masters could shape true Qi several li, even dozens of li away from their bodies, springing up to kill; that has already reached the level of myth.

"Visualization methods are of utmost importance."

Recalling Wang Wenyan's words, Li Yuan narrowed his eyes and continued trying to visualize himself.

Gradually, the stick figure outlined in his mind became clearer, even able to twitch its limbs slightly.

But it moved only once before Li Yuan was drenched in sweat, feeling as if he were forcibly mobilizing limbs paralyzed for years.

"Spirit is not strong enough."

Li Yuan wiped away the sweat; after trying like this for a while, he felt utterly exhausted, and soon could not even keep his eyes open.

He fell into a heavy sleep.

Several more days passed before Fang Fang Bao Luo hurriedly returned.

"The sect is summoning us?"

In the small courtyard, Li Yuan slowly settled his stance, somewhat surprised: "With tensions this high, they are still summoning disciples?"

"Ever since news spread that Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing has an owner, many have been hunting us down."

Fang Fang Bao Luo's face was grim: "We must gather, or we will be picked off one by one..."

"Is this Master's... Master's order?"

Li Yuan frowned slightly.

The Divine Weapon Valley has thousands of disciples scattered everywhere; hunting them down is not easy, but if they gather, their target becomes far larger.

"It is Master's order."

Fang Fang Bao Luo's face was grim: "Many key roads leading to Dechang Prefecture are blocked; ordinary disciples cannot get out of Zhe Long Prefecture at all."

"Is that so?"

Li Yuan nodded.

"Junior brother, pack up quickly; I will gather the disciples from nearby counties, then we will meet up."

Fang Fang Bao Luo came and went in a rush, not even drinking a cup of water; under the deep night, he hurriedly departed.

"Hmm, it is time to leave."

Li Yuan had prepared himself long ago and had nothing to pack; after a long sleep, he simply fetched the little rat.

Only then did he go to bid farewell to his brother and sister-in-law.

"Monkey, monkey, monkey! How many times have I said, monkey!"

At dawn, on the training ground of the Weapon Forge, Fatty Sun pointed at the monkey scratching its head and cheeks in the tree, scolding a group of apprentices:

"The monkey is right here; can't you just look?"

On the training ground, dozens of apprentices stood on the Bai Yuan stances, eyes unblinking as they watched the monkey in the tree.

"The body must be relaxed, the spirit must be tense; only when you can stand out a monkey will your Bai Yuan stance be considered entry-level!"

Fatty Sun moved among the crowd, correcting the apprentices' movements, and soon he himself was drenched in sweat.

"Too stupid!"

Wiping a forehead full of sweat, Fatty Sun shook his head: "They are all human; how can the gap be so great?"

He muttered a few words quietly, saw the apprentices tottering, and helplessly waved for everyone to disperse.

"Brat."

Hearing the unmasked cheers, Fatty Sun laughed and cursed, then slowly turned around.

As the current third Shopkeeper of the Weapon Forge, he no longer needed to swing the big ladle; every day, besides instructing apprentices and checking the account books, he just wandered around.

Clang!

Clang-clang!

Inside the forging room, the sound of hammering iron rang out in a chorus.

Fatty Sun carried a teapot and wandered over; before even entering the door, he heard Zhang Ben's powerful, booming voice.

"Iron is dead; are you dead too? Too stupid, too stupid!"

Fatty Sun shrank his neck, about to leave, when he was yanked into the forging room.

"Day after day, no proper form!"

Zhang Ben blew his whiskers and glared, his liver-fire raging: "This batch of weapons is needed urgently; you come help too!"

"Ah?"

Fatty Sun was stunned: "N-no, no, Old Zhang, I, I don't know how..."

"What's so hard about hammering iron?"

Zhang Ben, refusing any refusal, shoved a forging hammer into his hands; forcing a duck onto the roost, Fatty Sun grimaced and, gritting his teeth, began hammering iron.

He had already cultivated the White Ape Strength, and his hammer technique was not bad either, so smithing came naturally to him, but this was a grueling task—how could he possibly endure it?

In no time at all, he was groaning and complaining nonstop.

"Too clumsy and slow."

Watching the newly recruited smiths in the forging room, Zhang Ben shook his head again and again; he knew well that this was the normal level of a smith.

But having seen the speed of Li Yuan's progress, then trying to train these men—the gap was simply too vast.

"That kid…"

Thinking of Li Yuan, Zhang Ben felt a twinge of worry again; he had also heard the news that the Divine Weapon Valley was relocating with its entire sect.

"Head Shopkeeper!"

At that moment, a disciple hurried in, carrying a saber and a sword.

"This is?"

Zhang Ben was startled, and quickly reached out to take them; he carefully ran his hand over the familiar grain on the blade and sword, muttering to himself:

"A famed weapon… that kid really forged it out."