Cangsong Body Forging Posture? Spiritual Crane Finger?
Lin Xuankong immediately cupped his hands and said, "Please teach me, Young Lady!"
Recovering from her surprise and embarrassment, Lii Xiaolan finally calmed down and nodded slightly.
Then she moved her body and once again demonstrated the Cangsong Body Forging Posture she had performed earlier. The faint mist in the courtyard had not yet dissipated. As Lii Xiaolan explained and moved, the white mist swirled around her, making her movements exceptionally graceful!
Lin Xuankong held his breath, not daring to miss a single detail, his gaze fixed intently on her every move.
After a moment, Lii Xiaolan's movements shifted from the vigorous and grand Cangsong Body Forging Posture to the agile and sharp Spiritual Crane Finger.
"The key to the Martial Dao lies in capturing the spirit and strength. If you only imitate the form but lack internal strength, it is merely a superficial imitation, making it difficult to handle powerful enemies. You must remember this!"
"The Spiritual Crane uses weakness to counter strength, striking like a crane pecking at grain—winning by surprise. It breaks through ferocity with precision, like a crane shaking water from its wings—a mere touch sends the opponent down, achieving the utmost mystique!"
"This is Specifying the Central Plains,
This is Crane Playing in the Water,
This is White Crane Spreads Its Wings,
This is Scooping the Moon from the Water,
This is Parting the Grass to Find the Snake,
This is Spiritual Crane Kicking and Struggling..."
After a dazzling demonstration of the Spiritual Crane Finger, Lii Xiaolan took a breath and finished the sequence. Looking at Lin Xuankong's obviously overwhelmed expression, a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.
She then joined her fingers and lightly tapped a stone in the courtyard that was more than half a person's height.
With a soft HISS, though she didn't appear to use much force, her fingers pierced the hard, dense stone. After pulling out her fingers, a finger hole several inches deep was suddenly revealed.
Lin Xuankong looked at the hole in the stone, a surprised and envious expression on his face.
Lii Xiaolan was very satisfied with the little old man's expression. Hmph, let you also experience the taste of being struck down.
"When your Pine Skill cultivation reaches the Realm of Integration, your Transcendence Level One will also be at Perfection.
At that time, once the muscles and skin of your arms are fully tempered, you'll be able to activate your Transcendent Qi Blood and use this move, Specifying the Central Plains. Then, you too will possess this 'small power'!
By then, if someone like Boss Zhang Wu of the Black Tiger Gang were hit by your finger, he would undoubtedly die on the spot!"
"Of course, the Realm of Integration is far more profound and difficult to cultivate than the Entry Level Realm!
You may need three to four years,
Or maybe six to seven years to reach it!
In any case, remember to practice two rounds of the Heart Method, one round of the Body Forging Posture, and the Spiritual Crane Finger every day. As long as you aren't lazy, there's hope you'll reach it!"
Lin Xuankong nodded repeatedly after listening to the Young Lady.
Lii Xiaolan then took out a small booklet from her bosom. "I've already transcribed the movements and key principles of the Cangsong Posture and Spiritual Crane Finger for you. Take it and read it! If you have any questions, remember to bring me some freshly baked chive pies when you come to ask me!"
Her tone grew more emphatic when she mentioned the chive pies.
"Also," she continued, "the Early Stage of Transcendence Level One is the most critical time for a Martial Cultivator to build a foundation. For now, you can put aside the business of selling flatcakes. You should practice the Heart Method in the evening, and make time during the day to practice the Pile Technique and Spiritual Crane Finger!"
Having finished speaking, she placed her fair little hands behind her back and walked away gracefully.
Lin Xuankong clutched the booklet and thanked her sincerely. His gaze then fell, somewhat fervently, upon the finger hole in the stone.
Pierced the stone... 'small power'? It felt like the Young Lady had just used a little more force, and her whole arm could have pierced into the stone! This power, even a handgun or AK in my previous life couldn't achieve; it would take at least a Barrett sniper rifle, right? If this finger struck someone, it would probably go through them from head to heel... The key is, once my Pine Skill is cultivated to Integration and I reach Perfection in Transcendence Level One, the Spiritual Crane Finger will have such 'small power.' By then, I could kill even the late-stage Transcendence Level One Boss Zhang Wu with one finger. With my fiftyfold increased Cultivation Speed, it shouldn't take long, right? It shouldn't take six, seven, eight, or nine years as the Young Lady said!
With longing in his heart, Lin Xuankong recalled the Young Lady's previous demonstration of the Finger Technique and Pile Technique. For any parts he missed, he carefully reviewed the beautifully illustrated booklet she had drawn.
After a stick of incense's time, Lin Xuankong put the booklet in his bosom and assumed the first stance of the Cangsong Body Forging Posture.
The first move, Cangsong Breaks the Sky, required him to be grounded on his right leg in a half-squat, his left leg extended straight out and upwards. His arms were bent, one forward and one back, and his internal Transcendent Qi Blood had to circulate along a peculiar path...
The Young Lady performed these moves effortlessly and with great aesthetic beauty, but they were actually extremely difficult to mimic accurately and consumed a vast amount of Qi Blood and stamina.
Lin Xuankong had already advanced to Transcendence Level One. His flesh had undergone Metamorphosis, granting him strength far superior to a normal person. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to hold the first move for even half a stick of incense's time!
After more than an Hour, Lin Xuankong, having managed to mimic the twelve moves with about seventy to eighty percent accuracy, finally completed the set.
By this time, he was drenched in sweat; even the cotton-padded jacket he wore in the early spring was soaked through. It was clear how much stamina and Qi Blood these twelve stances of the Pile Technique had consumed in that Hour or so.
He sat next to the Old Willow Tree in the courtyard and rested for a while. After his Transcendent Qi Blood had nourished all his muscles and his stamina had recovered slightly, he began to practice the Spiritual Crane Finger.
However, since it was his first time practicing the Spiritual Crane Finger, compared to Lii Xiaolan's fluid and seamless Spiritual Crane Finger, Lin Xuankong's execution—stopping after each move—was clearly far less polished. The difference between them was like comparing raw, hairy pork to a delicious red-cooked lion's head.
However, Lin Xuankong was not discouraged at all.
During his practice, he carefully sensed each movement, constantly recalling the Young Lady's demonstration or reviewing the booklet. Gradually, his sharp perception caught many flaws and errors in his own movements, and a torrent of new insights flooded his mind!
[Pine Crane Longevity Technique: Initial Glimpse 2/80]
After a while, as Lin Xuankong rested by the Old Willow Tree, a look of joy appeared on his face. With so many new insights, he felt that once his body had fully recovered after a day's rest, his performance of the Cangsong Posture and Spiritual Crane Finger tomorrow would show significant improvement!
「On the second floor of the old wooden building.」
Lii Xiaolan looked at Lin Xuankong, who was resting by the Old Willow Tree.
Although he's considered a genius, he's really a martial arts fanatic, just knowing to cultivate endlessly! Sigh, he hasn't even had breakfast yet. Though I've never let him touch me, I am still your wife; doesn't he know I can get hungry! Martial Cultivation isn't achieved in a day. He reached the Entry Level in a month, does he think he can reach Integration in just one month too?
GURGLE GURGLE.
She frowned and rubbed her grumbling little stomach.
Then she looked at the one hundred silver taels on the table.
The one hundred silver taels the Young Mistress had lent her seemed like a lot, but it would only be enough to prepare thirty portions of the Nine Revolutions Qi Strengthening Soup, a tonic for greatly replenishing Qi Blood.
If she used it for her own cultivation, it would last about twenty-odd days. However, he had just entered the Early Stage of Transcendence Level One, the most crucial period for laying a foundation in Martial Cultivation. She had to help him greatly replenish his Qi Blood. If two people used it, the supply would only last for a little over ten days!
Moreover, borrowed silver always had to be repaid. She needed to find ways to earn more money; relying solely on embroidery and selling flatcakes definitely wouldn't be enough.
With her strength, hunting Demons outside the city would undoubtedly be a faster way to earn money!
However, to hunt Demons outside the city and earn silver, she had to prepare Exorcism Armor. In the entire Great Marsh Prefecture, besides the officials, only the Huang Family, Feng Family, Guo Family, as well as the Black Tiger Gang, Yin Talisman Sect, and Spirit Snake Gang possessed Exorcism Armor!
How could she obtain Exorcism Armor? Lii Xiaolan furrowed her delicate brows, lost in thought...
After a moment, Lin Xuankong's voice came from downstairs, "Food is ready!"
This martial arts fanatic finally remembered to eat!