KOF: Rise of the King of Fighters

"Since we can't cultivate powerful and forceful martial arts, is it possible to do the opposite and use softness to overcome hardness?"

Tai Chi.

This martial art does exist in this world. The old man would practice it in the courtyard whenever he had free time. According to Tang Fulu, the Wudang Mountain sect used to be called Wudang, and Tai Chi originated from Wudang. However, the old man said that true Tai Chi has long been lost, and it requires strong physical skills as a foundation. Only those who have mastered both internal and external cultivation can truly master it.

Yan Yue thought about her severely unbalanced academic performance. Sigh, never mind, let's try a different approach.

Yan Yue arrived at the Heavenly Pool on the back mountain, where he and his fellow disciples would bathe in the summer.

Yan Yue slowly walked into the Heavenly Pool, leaving only her upper body on the water. Ripples began to spread across the surface of her consciousness, while the golden flames remained calm.

Yan Yue closed his eyes and concentrated, as if all the noise around him was shut out, leaving only the Nian Qi flowing slowly within his body, like a mountain stream, gentle yet resilient.

"Use your breath to sense the flow of water. Follow the flow of water with your hands."

He slowly raised his hands. Although he was blind, he had already visualized scenes of water flowing around rocks in his mind. His fingertips trembled slightly, seemingly tracing invisible paths in the air, each movement containing a subtle control and guidance of power.

He took a deep breath, his body slowly sinking into the water. Suddenly, he moved, his movements light and fluid, like a stream flowing around a rock. Though lacking any overt sharpness, he possessed an irresistible power. Each punch was accompanied by a subtle whistling sound, like ripples gently lapping against the shore—seemingly gentle… yet undeniably powerless…

Yan Yue found himself very uncomfortable in the water. Although he could sense the water flow through his mental energy, his body still encountered resistance from the water pressure when moving freely. This gave him a headache, as he realized his body couldn't keep up with the speed of his thoughts. The current problem was that his strength was still insufficient, and his meridians hadn't fully recovered, resulting in his hands and feet being less agile.

However, Yan Yue was not discouraged; on the contrary, he was very happy. He realized that powerful perception was of great help in the study of martial arts. He began to think about how to use this perception to create unique moves.

After some thought, Yan Yue finally got inspiration by combining the "Flowing Water Shattering Rock Fist": "To break through the body of stubborn rock with the force of flowing water." This idea excited him greatly, because he understood that this might be an important direction for his future martial arts training.

Ordinary people would think that even a child could say this, but Yan Yue has an exceptionally strong mental perception, coupled with the foundation of the Qi cultivation technique, so Yan Yue has never been an ordinary person.

The most powerful moves are often the simplest ones you start with.

Now, Yan Yue knows that he needs to practice and hone his skills constantly to turn this new move into reality. By integrating his inner energy, he will surely be able to master this magical martial art.

……

Yan Yue had a very fulfilling month. Every morning, he would devote himself wholeheartedly to martial arts training. Through constant practice and refinement, his skills in wielding his weapons in the water had improved significantly.

In the afternoon, he would have Shun'ei and Tomorrow-kun become his sparring partners. Their fights were full of passion and challenge, as Yan Yue decided to spar with his two junior brothers without using Nen, in order to gain some practical experience. This restriction did not weaken their competition; on the contrary, it inspired even more fighting spirit and creativity.

Of course, Yan Yue spent most of her time getting beaten up...

Meanwhile, Shun'ei and Toki-kun also gained valuable experience from their fight with Yan Yue. Shun'ei was already able to use one of his phantom claws to attack with the Eight Extremes Holy Fist. Toki-kun's unique Eight Extremes Fist technique had also made some progress, and his grandfather named it "Eight Extremes Sleeping Fist".

The night before setting off for Shicheng, Hebei, Yan Yue cooked a big meal, and everyone toasted to cheer each other on for the upcoming training. That night, after helping her grandfather and fellow disciples pack their luggage, Yan Yue tried to go to the Heavenly Pool on the back mountain again...

The night was as dark as ink, the moonlight as pure as water, and a thin veil of silver enveloped the Heavenly Pool. Yan Yue stood in the water, removing the blindfold, closing his eyes in concentration, an indescribable peace and resilience surrounding him. He slowly spread his arms, as if merging with the boundless night and the tranquil pool. With the flow of his thoughts, delicate ripples spread from his feet, resonating with the surrounding natural energy.

All around, the previously dormant forest creatures seemed to be drawn by this strange power, poking their heads out and curiously gathering around. Squirrels leaped down from the treetops, landing lightly on the large rocks by the pond, their eyes wide as they watched Yan Yue's every subtle movement; rabbits also quietly approached, their erect ears twitching slightly, as if trying to catch the barely perceptible rhythm in the air.

The moonlight grew ever brighter, gently bathing Yan Yue in a soft glow. As his inner energy flowed slowly within him, the entire Heavenly Pool seemed to be enveloped by a warm and mysterious power. Yan Yue's movements became increasingly fluid; each punch was accompanied by a subtle yet clearly audible sound of airflow, like a spring breeze rustling through willow branches, gentle and full of life.

The surrounding vegetation seemed to sense the call of this power, and began to grow vigorously at a visible speed. Tender green buds quickly broke through the soil, vines twined around tree trunks and climbed upwards, and flowers bloomed in profusion on the branches, emitting a refreshing fragrance that mingled with the water vapor from Tianchi Lake, creating a vibrant scene.

Suddenly, his inner energy surged like a rushing river, but under his exquisite control, it transformed into a gentle stream that flowed around him tenderly yet firmly.

Yan Yue slowly opened his eyes, his gaze flashing with unprecedented determination and understanding, his golden pupils emitting a dim glow in the night. He took a deep breath, raised his hands slightly, as if guiding invisible water, tapped his fingertips, and then suddenly swung them out, mimicking the natural power of water flowing through stone.

In an instant, Yan Yue transformed into a streak of white light and rushed toward the rocks on the shore. The air seemed to be torn apart by an invisible hand as the force of his fist struck, carrying an irresistible blend of gentleness and resilience.

"Water breaks rocks!"

As Yan Yue unleashed her punch, imbued with the rhythm of flowing water, the moment the fist struck the rock, there was no expected roar or explosion, only a barely audible soft sound.

(The inspiration and name of this move were derived by Yan Yue from the film and television themes of her previous life.)

Fine cracks began to slowly appear on the rock, spreading silently like the lines of time. Finally, with a soft "crack," the rock slowly crumbled under this gentle yet powerful force, turning into countless tiny pebbles scattered around the pool.

Yan Yue swayed slightly, clearly indicating that this attack had also exhausted him. He breathed heavily, fine beads of sweat glistening in the moonlight on his forehead. He slowly withdrew his fist, closed his eyes, and felt the flow of his internal energy, gradually returning to calm.

Yan Yue leaned against the shore, her body slightly tired from the all-out attack, yet she couldn't hide her satisfaction and joy. The small animals seemed to sense Yan Yue's weakness and gathered around her.

A snow-white crane gracefully landed beside Yan Yue, its long neck gently outstretched, its warm, jade-like beak lightly touching the back of his hand, its eyes filled with concern. Then, several squirrels hopped onto Yan Yue's shoulders, their fluffy tails brushing against his cheeks as if offering comfort. A bold wild rabbit even stealthily approached, its soft, moist nose gently touching Yan Yue's palm, conveying warmth and strength…

"The Flowing Water Shattering Rock Fist... did it really create a fist technique that uses softness to overcome hardness...?" Tang Fulu slowly walked out of the woods, looking at the boy who was already fast asleep, and a gratified smile appeared on his face. Thinking back to when he first met Yan Yue, he was just a crippled blind man, but now the twelve-year-old boy had become self-taught, and he couldn't help but feel happy.

At this moment, two more small heads peeked out from behind Tang Fulu.

"So Senior Brother's cultivation level is this high?" The scene just now shocked Shunying for a whole year. "Gentle yet powerful strength."

"Senior brother is indeed a very gentle person; even the animals can feel it," Mingtianjun exclaimed, his tone filled with admiration.

"Then carry your senior brother back, help him wash up, and we'll go down the mountain on time tomorrow!" Tang Fulu loudly and solemnly ordered the two little devils in front of him.

"Yes!"

Under the moonlight, Shunying and Mingtianjun carefully helped Yanyue up. Although Yanyue's body was tired, she seemed particularly stable with their support.