Zhang Ling Heng's whistle echoed endlessly in the vast, empty cave.
SHRIEK!!
A mournful, plaintive ape's cry came from within the cave. Far off, on the cave wall, a white figure approached rapidly, moving with extreme agility along the rock face.
Zhou Yuanjue looked closely and saw that the newcomer was an ape covered in white fur.
A White Ape.
This White Ape's figure was much stronger and more robust than that of an ordinary ape. Standing upright, it was nearly two meters tall. Its arms were extremely long and muscular, almost three times the thickness of a normal person's.
Soon, following Zhang Ling Heng's whistle, it arrived before the two of them.
Zhou Yuanjue noticed that the White Ape's eyes were full of spirit, not like those of a mere beast, but like those of a person full of wisdom.
Zhang Ling Heng walked up to the White Ape and extended his hand.
The White Ape obediently lowered its head and gently nuzzled the old, wrinkled palm.
"He is the Ape King of this mountain, possessing great intelligence. He has been my friend for ten years. I named him Dabai. Today, he has come to see me off."
Zhang Ling Heng gently stroked the soft fur on the White Ape's head, his eyes gentle as he spoke.
"See you off?"
Zhou Yuanjue asked, somewhat puzzled.
"I know the doubts in your heart, and I know what you seek, because I have experienced what you are experiencing."
"On the path of Saint Awakening, there are three stages in total: Holy and Bright, Awaken and Guard It, and finally, the reversal of life and death."
"The so-called Holy and Bright is to understand one's own will and path, and to integrate them into one's Martial Dao. It is like dotting the eyes of the dragon you've painted."
"Awaken and Guard It means you must hold fast to your Martial Dao, constantly strengthening your convictions through trials. As the saying goes, 'Understanding the Dao is easy, but guarding it is hard.' Understanding yourself is only the beginning. To unswervingly carry out your Martial Dao to the very end, to truly place it above human instinct—that is what is truly rare."
"As for the final step... a state where the spirit has grown strong, the body's qi and blood have reached their peak, the Fist Technique and will have merged, where the fist is the person, and the person is the fist... I have not yet reached that realm, so I dare not speak of it recklessly."
Zhang Ling Heng gently patted the White Ape's head. The ape seemed to understand his meaning, ran off, and stood at a distance behind him.
"A long life of a hundred years has been enough. Other than Saint Awakening, I have no regrets. It is fate that brought you here. Your spirit, will, and comprehension are all worthy of one who seeks Saint Awakening. Today, I will give you a great gift."
Zhang Ling Heng turned and said to Zhou Yuanjue with a smile. Then, he took some pills and capsules from his Daoist Robe and tossed them into his mouth.
"Watch closely. I will only perform this fist set once."
BANG!!
In the next moment, under an infusion of qi and blood, Zhang Ling Heng's ancient, hundred-year-old body suddenly swelled, and the hairs all over his body stood on end.
Dragon Hiding in the Abyss, Free Will!
Due to his advanced age and muscle atrophy, even after activating the state of Free Will, his physique was only that of an average adult.
However, the light in his clouded eyes was something no ordinary person could ever hope to match.
"Remember, a Fist Technique is never static. So-called schools and stances become shackles at this stage. A person of Saint Awakening can create a school of their own. Their Fist Technique is always alive!"
"Fist Technique is an art, just like painting, music, or any other. It is an expression of the mind, a manifestation of the soul, an extension of emotion. The human body is finite, but the human heart is infinite. Do not foolishly attempt to pour your infinite heart into a finite Fist Technique! That is the most foolish thing you can do! You should let the finite Fist Technique change and pulse in time with your infinite heart."
"A person has a soul, and a fist has a spirit!"
Zhang Ling Heng's voice was as heavy as a great bell, each word like a pearl, possessing the power to pierce metal and stone, to ring out with resounding force.
His emotions were in turmoil, and his body began to move with them.
His body seemed incredibly heavy, his footwork directionless, filled with a sense of hazy confusion.
At the same time, his expression was solemn, his eyes wide, his teeth clenched, his hair bristling with rage.
The White Ape Plum Blossom Hand, a technique characterized by its lightness and agility, was somehow performed with the crushing weight of one who shouldered mountains and rivers.
A nation in crisis, the world turned upside down, the path ahead obscured, swaying in a violent storm!
CRACK!!
Suddenly, he struck, unleashing a crisp explosion of air. His whole body vibrated, the force deep, long, cold, and sharp as it flowed seamlessly from one joint to the next.
This sound was like mountains shattering and great buildings collapsing, like a sudden clap of thunder on a clear day, awakening countless people from their dreams.
From this, the Lion awakened, embarked on its campaign, and began a new era from amidst the ruins.
This sound seemed to be the symbol of that new era!
His Fist Technique did not follow convention. To Zhou Yuanjue, it seemed to have many illogical aspects, but what it expressed was something no Ordinary Fist Technique could ever compare to.
Empathy is an ability all intelligent life possesses, and at this moment, Zhang Ling Heng was wielding that ability to its absolute limit.
His emotions, his will, his Fist Technique—they became vessels for his spirit, deeply influencing every intelligent being around him.
His fists came alive.
A person has a soul, and a fist has a spirit!
Standing close to Zhang Ling Heng, Zhou Yuanjue felt it most profoundly. His own spirit was already exceptionally keen, and through Zhang Ling Heng's Fist Technique, his mind seemed to travel back to that tumultuous era.
Although Zhang Ling Heng's body was old and his Fist Technique was full of openings, standing before him, Zhou Yuanjue felt as if there was no way to attack.
His spirit had been captivated by the man's Fist Technique, his very soul shaken by his heart.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!!
Zhang Ling Heng threw a continuous flurry of punches. The cold, sharp power at his fists vibrated the air, the sounds as dense as rapid gunfire on a battlefield.
His footwork became firm, each step leaving a deep imprint in the solid ground.
At the same time, the anger on his face vanished, replaced by a profound calm. His eyes were like a vast ocean, filled with the resolution of one who looks upon death without fear.
A hail of bullets, advancing without hesitation, a hero marching to his death, to be buried on the battlefield!
Suddenly, his Fist Technique changed again.
His attacks ceased. The whistling wind came to an abrupt halt. The great dragon of Zhang Ling Heng's spine rippled, and he straightened his back, standing tall and proud between heaven and earth. A joyous smile appeared on his face.
Through arduous struggle, victory was finally achieved. For his home, his country, the world, he could finally stand up straight.
His Fist Technique became gentle and slow. There was doubt in it, but also enlightenment, gradually revealing an ethereal realm of the Dao.
Within this Fist Technique, Zhou Yuanjue actually saw an era, a piece of history, the legendary life of Zhang Ling Heng.
Then, he was shocked to discover that within that ethereal realm of the Dao, Zhang Ling Heng's swollen body was rapidly shrinking. Yet his spirit and his eyes, like jade polished over countless years, grew ever more gentle and bright.
Zhou Yuanjue seemed to realize something.
This hundred-year-old man was making a final charge toward Saint Awakening!