He stood up and shrugged off his outer robe, revealing an undershirt and smooth lines of muscle beneath.
Seeing this, Lin Zheyu hurried to his feet and followed along.
"It isn't fitting to brandish blades in the inner city, so I'll teach you the Wild Bull Fist."
"It's an exceptionally widespread art, well suited for someone like you who came to martial arts late. The fist technique packs decent power, but while it's easy to learn, it's hard to master."
"Trained to an advanced stage, it tempers the inside and strengthens the outside, hardening your bones, and can carry you all the way to the peak of the Viscera Tempering Realm."
"The Wild Bull Fist consists of eight basic forms and one hundred and twenty-eight variations. I'll run through it once so you can get familiar with it."
Liang Song adopted a stance as he spoke.
Lin Zheyu noticed that once Liang Song grew serious, his limp was entirely gone, as if he had never been injured at all.
"Wild Bull Fist, Wild Bull Fist—it is an art born from the wild bull itself."
"The core essence of the technique lies in the word 'wild.' When you train, you must imagine yourself as a wild bull. Your punches must drive forward relentlessly, without the slightest fear."
With his feet spread slightly and his body sinking low, Liang Song settled into his stance. An invisible aura rolled off him, permeating the yard.
"This is the first form: Wild Bull Charge!"
Liang Song's right foot stomped down hard, the muscles in his legs suddenly surging with power.
A tremendous force surged up from his legs, channelled through the pivot of his waist, and carried into both arms.
His upper body tilted slightly forward, and his fists shot out like a pair of horns, bearing terrifying, unstoppable might.
In that single instant, every muscle in his body erupted. Force poured into his arms and forged a devastating strike that slammed into the wooden post in the courtyard.
The timber gave a sharp crack as hairline fissures split across its surface.
"So strong!"
Seeing the formidable power behind Liang Song's blow, Lin Zheyu couldn't help but click his tongue in awe.
"Wild Bull Fist, Wild Bull Fist—the spirit of the wild bull runs through every breath of it."
"Never let there be a shred of hesitation in your strike!"
Liang Song's voice rang out as he continued demonstrating for Lin Zheyu.
"This strike is the Wild Bull Horn Thrust. The center of gravity rests in the waist, and the strength of the core is..."
"This strike is the Wild Bull Tail Whip..."
...
Watching Master Liang's demonstration, Lin Zheyu's eyes shone brightly. This was real martial arts!
The sheer force erupting from every punch and every form filled him with yearning.
Before long, Liang Song finished running through the forms once.
He came to a halt and asked, "How does it feel?"
"Incredible!"
Excitement surged through Lin Zheyu. He clasped his fists, bowed, and said, "Master, please teach me!"
"No need for so much ceremony. You scholars are always clinging to tedious etiquette."
"First, follow along with me from beginning to end once. Let me see how sharp your comprehension is."
Liang Song broke down the Wild Bull Fist form by form, explaining each movement slowly to Lin Zheyu.
Under Liang Song's guidance, Lin Zheyu learned with absolute focus.
Martial arts proved far harder than he had imagined. It required mastering the exertion techniques of different muscle groups throughout the body and the proper training methods, followed by relentless practice to grow stronger.
Lin Zheyu lost himself in the Wild Bull Fist, and before he knew it, hours had slipped by.
"Very good. Your comprehension isn't bad at all," Liang Song praised.
Lin Zheyu caught on quickly, grasping the nuances with just a bit of guidance, which made teaching him relatively effortless.
On top of that, his willpower was extraordinarily unyielding.
Over four hours of training, even with multiple breaks in between, had thoroughly drained Lin Zheyu's stamina, yet he gritted his teeth and persevered the entire time.
"Run through the Wild Bull Fist from start to finish. I'll point out where you're falling short," Liang Song said.
"Yes!" Lin Zheyu replied.
After more than four hours of learning and drilling, his clothes were completely soaked in sweat.
The intense physical exertion, coupled with the buildup of lactic acid, left his entire body aching fiercely.
Yet Lin Zheyu didn't hesitate in the slightest, launching into the routine once more.
Almost there!
Lin Zheyu could feel he was nearing his physical limit!
Once he reached that boundary, holding on for another minute or so to break past it would earn him one unit of Origin Power.
[Heaven Rewards Diligence]
Name: Lin Zheyu
Origin Power: 2
Skills:
Wild Bull Fist (Uninitiated 3%)
Lin Zheyu checked the data in his mind, feeling an immense rush of excitement.
Just as he had thought, martial arts could indeed be recorded in the skill column.
Fueled by this surge of exhilaration, Lin Zheyu dropped into the Wild Bull Fist stance.
He stomped hard, the muscles in his legs abruptly tightening, channelling power through his waist and into both arms.
Tilting his upper body slightly, his fists surged forward with immense force, striking out like two horns.
The first form: Wild Bull Charge!
As his fists blasted forward, a sudden, sharp pain flared across Lin Zheyu's waist, legs, and arms.
"Hiss—a cramp!"
The Lin Zheyu who had looked so imposing a moment ago was now sitting on the ground without a shred of dignity.
His limbs twisted in odd angles as he tried desperately to ease the cramping.
"Haha..."
Standing nearby, Liang Song couldn't help but burst into laughter.
This kid was on the verge of collapse from exhaustion and still insisted on pushing himself.
When overexerted, unleashing the explosive power of the Wild Bull Fist was almost guaranteed to bring on full-body cramps.
"Take a rest. Your body is right at its limit," Liang Song said.
Stepping forward, Liang Song knelt beside Lin Zheyu and worked his hands over the cramped muscles, kneading and pressing with practiced skill. In moments, the pain eased away.
"Thank you, Master."
Lin Zheyu stood up to stretch his tendons and bones, loosening his tight muscles and intending to carry on in a bit.
He was right at his physical limit; he couldn't give up now.
As long as he broke through that limit, he would gain another unit of Origin Power.
Lin Zheyu listened as Liang Song shared basic fundamentals of the martial path while continuing to relax his body.
Before long, he felt his muscles had loosened up sufficiently.
Chapter 6