Martial Arts Across the Heavens: Becoming a Martial God Starting from the Big Boss in Tangshan

The system notifications in Chen Wen's mind were almost continuous.

Previously, he had studied the information on his computer and in paper documents, but many parts were like looking at flowers through a fog, knowing what but not why.

After all, he knew very well that he was not a genius.

I was able to master so many skills entirely thanks to the system.

Learning by simply looking at the manuals is quite slow.

Now, someone is personally guiding me!

Especially these four in front of us: the King of Northern Legs, the King of Grappling, the King of Weapons, and the King of Internal Martial Arts!

It can be said that he was guided by the world's top experts.

Chen Wen felt that those obscure formulas and vague diagrams suddenly became clear and thorough, and many obstacles were easily solved!

This speed of improvement was more than a hundred times faster than when he explored it on his own!

He certainly couldn't miss such a tremendous opportunity!

The group became more and more engrossed in their conversation, going into increasingly detailed terms. When they reached the crucial points, gesturing and theoretical discussions alone were no longer enough to satisfy their interest.

Chen Boguang suddenly put down his pen, looked towards the backyard, and suggested:

"All talk and no action is useless!"

"Come on, let's go to my backyard. There are some old equipment there; we can talk while we demonstrate!"

"Okay!" "Let's go!"

Wang Zhe, Tan Jingyao, and Shao Henian responded enthusiastically, and Chen Wen was even more eager to join.

Chen Boguang gave a few instructions to the waiter at the food stall, then led the group into a relatively quiet courtyard at the back.

As night deepened, the noise from the front street could be faintly heard, but the backyard seemed to be a world of its own.

The group entered the backyard and were all somewhat surprised.

Under the awning on one side of the courtyard, knives, spears, and clubs were neatly arranged on the shelves. On the other side stood several sandbags of varying ages, and against the wall stood an old, homemade wooden dummy, along with some simple equipment such as stone locks and barbells.

There was even a wooden dummy.

Although small, it has all the essential parts and is just like a traditional martial arts school's training ground.

"Wow, Old Chen, you've hidden away such a complete set of equipment without a word!"

Shao Henian stepped forward, touched the shaft of a long spear made of white ash wood, and clicked his tongue in amazement.

Chen Boguang smiled, a hint of nostalgia in his smile:

"This was bought when that kid A-Ye was learning from me."

"Although he got busy later and didn't come back often, I kept these things. I would occasionally stretch my muscles and think that if he came back one day and wanted to practice, the things would be ready."

The Ah Ye he mentioned is his apprentice, Hong Ye, who is now a well-known martial arts star in the film and television industry.

"Hong Ye," Shao Henian nodded, "is a good boy, he hasn't forgotten his roots."

"Bringing kung fu to the big screen so that more people can see it is another form of inheritance and promotion."

Mentioning this martial arts genius brought smiles and satisfaction to their faces.

But this feeling didn't last long; the martial artist's inner strength was stirred by the complete set of equipment before him.

"Come on, don't just stand there and watch."

Shao Henian took the lead and walked to the center of the open space, stretched his shoulders, and looked at Chen Wen.

"Chen Wen, you were looking at the Xingyi Quan manual earlier and said there were some parts you didn't understand. Let me go through the basics first, and we'll practice and explain as we go."

Chen Wen nodded immediately, completely focused.

I will definitely try my best.

Shao Henian assumed the Three-Body Stance and immediately launched into a chopping punch.

His movements were graceful and steady, precise and methodical, with his strength contained yet not revealed.

Chen Wen imitated him from the side, and at first glance, his movements were quite similar. He learned the hand and foot positions and body turning very quickly.

But Chen Boguang and Shao Henian noticed the problem after only a few glances.

Chen Wen only imitated the external "form," but the direction of the bones and muscles, the coordination of breathing and force exertion, and especially the charm of "intention preceding the fist," were completely wrong.

It seems he really had no prior experience with Xingyi Quan and memorized the movements entirely by reading materials and his amazing ability to imitate.

Shao Henian frowned slightly and immediately reminded him:

"Watch closely, Xingyi Quan emphasizes intention over form, but if the form is incorrect, the intention will be difficult to achieve!"

He stood up again, stepped forward with his left foot, and simultaneously punched out with his right fist.

The movement seemed simple and unadorned, but the moment his foot touched the ground...

Boom!

A muffled thud suddenly erupted in the courtyard, and the ground seemed to tremble slightly.

It is deep, short, and has a peculiar penetrating power.

Immediately afterwards, the fist that was thrown out also produced a short, sharp sound of wind breaking through the air.

With each punch and step, a sound rang out, steady and rhythmic, like a pile driver at work on a construction site.

Chen Boguang, standing nearby, explained to Chen Wen, who was watching intently:

"Listen carefully, this isn't the sound of stomping."

"This is a shift in the center of gravity. The power of the entire leg is 'pressed' into the ground through the sole of the foot, while the ground reaction force is transmitted through the legs, waist, and back to the fist and then punched out."

"This is called 'the message comes entirely from the back foot', which is a manifestation of whole-body strength. If you deliberately stomp, you'll just feel floaty and won't produce this kind of sound."

Although he mainly studied Xingyiquan, he understood its basic principles very well.

It's even clearer that Shao Henian, at his age, can still maintain such a high level of skill. It seems that even though he says he's retiring from the martial arts world, he hasn't truly let go.

Just like him, if it weren't for that car accident back then, would he have been content to be a cook?

Chen Boguang looked at his old friend silently, his face full of sighs.

Shao Henian seemed to be under the influence of alcohol, or perhaps his passion had been rekindled, and he became more and more excited as the fight progressed.

While continuing to demonstrate the five elements of the fist—splitting, drilling, collapsing, cannoning, and horizontal—he explained, his voice coming intermittently amidst the sounds of punches and kicks:

"During the Republic of China era, many Xingyi masters emerged, such as Guo Yunshen, Shang Yunxiang, Han Muxia, and Huang Feihong. Even those who practice martial arts today have more or less practiced Xingyi Quan."

"Xingyiquan is based on the Five Elements Fist: Pi, Zuan, Beng, Pao, and Heng, which are five moves and five kinds of power."

"Among them, the Bengquan (崩拳) is the simplest and most direct, but also the most difficult to master, and it has the most famous reputation."

"The stance is the Three-Body Stance, which trains intention and maintains stability and balance. The Five Elements Stance trains strength, which involves the transformation of five basic types of strength."

"Further up, there are the Twelve Forms, which imitate the forms and characteristics of twelve animals, and train the variations in moves and body techniques."

"Dragon, Tiger, Monkey, Horse, Alligator, Rooster, Swallow, Hawk, Snake, Bird Terrace, Eagle, Bear!"

He spoke slowly and clearly, but his hands and feet never stopped as he eloquently explained the basic concepts, historical origins, and core principles of Xingyi Quan.

Every word was accompanied by a real demonstration of fist and foot techniques.

Chen Wen's eyes were fixed on Shao Henian, his ears listening intently to every word and his eyes watching every subtle movement.

How the feet grind the ground, how the knees bend and straighten, how the waist and hips twist, how the shoulders and back open and close, how the fist suddenly accelerates at the last inch...

[Ding! Intensive observation and listening to a demonstration of the core theories and standards of Xingyi Quan has significantly improved your Xingyi Quan skills!]

[Ding! You have grasped the key to generating 'whole force' and your related close-combat power generation techniques have been corrected!]

[Ding! You have gained some understanding of the "Three-Body Stance" stance, and your lower body stability has been subtly improved!]

System notifications kept popping up, but Chen Wen ignored them completely.

He was already immersed in the ancient and powerful fist techniques and the concise and profound explanations, feeling a surge of passion coursing through his body!

He immediately stepped forward again, cupped his hands in a respectful bow, and said:

"Master Shao, please give me your guidance!"