Alone and Infinite

Qi Hu shouted loudly, channeling his inner energy to unleash a powerful palm strike, yelling at the same time:

"Young man, if you think highly of me, Qi Hu, then go all out!"

"hiss--------!"

The sound of airflow, like a whale sucking in water, echoed in the martial arts hall.

'Boom! '

My heart pounded like a drum, and my blood seemed to boil. In an instant, everything around me seemed to slow down.

Qi Hu's hands resembled claws but were not quite; the veins on the back of his hands were prominently bulging, and his sleeves were pressed up to his arms by the wind, revealing his strong arm muscles.

Sunlight streamed through the skylight overhead, seemingly fixing the tiny dust particles in place.

"call----"

With a heavy stomp of his left foot on the bluestone slab, a crisp 'crack' sound was heard, and cracks appeared on the bluestone slab.

The power originated from his feet and traveled up his spine. This was the first time Li Xia had thrown a punch using the correct method of generating force.

Complete Focus - Breathing!

The fist grew larger and larger in Qi Hu's eyes until it filled his entire field of vision.

Am I...am I going to die? The shadow of death instantly loomed over my heart.

But the fist grazed his cheek and stopped near his ear. The wind from the punch stung his face, and his ears were filled with a booming sound.

Qi Hu stood frozen in place, his body stiff, and the once noisy martial arts school fell silent.

The disciples stared wide-eyed, their mouths agape.

What just happened?

In what seemed like an instant, the young man appeared directly beside Senior Brother Qi Hu, as if in a still frame.

And that huge inhalation sound, is that something a human could make?

"You...you all, look at the floor!"

A disciple pointed tremblingly at the ground where Li Xia had just stepped.

"Hiss—" The gasps of the crowd were unusually synchronized, and the sound was much louder than Li Xia's breathing just now.

Good heavens! This is a top-quality bluestone slab; it would be difficult to even smash it with a hammer, yet it cracked with just one step?

Many young disciples couldn't help but swallow hard, their gazes towards Li Xia now seeming almost divine.

Li Xia slowly withdrew his fist; the punch had left a faint stinging pain in his arm and left leg.

Upon checking his health points, which had decreased by about 3%, Li Xia had a sudden realization.

That punch just now exceeded the limits of the body. Even in the original work, the Pillars and Tanjuro of the Demon Slayer Corps underwent extremely arduous training to hone their bodies in order to unleash the power of the breathing techniques.

Even so, there is still an upper limit.

However, I am different. Ordinary humans have an upper limit, but I do not. As long as I have enough attribute points, I can keep getting stronger!

Qi Hu finally came to his senses. His body seemed to have lost all strength, and he staggered back a few steps, a side effect of the excessive secretion of adrenaline.

His gaze seemed to radiate light, burning with a fiery intensity, as devout as a believer seeking enlightenment, respectfully inquiring:

"How can I train to be like you?"

Before Li Xia could answer, she heard a strong voice coming from the doorway:

"Next life!"

Looking in the direction of the sound, I saw that someone had appeared on the sidelines at some point, with his hands behind his back.

"master?!"

————————————————————————

1. Monthly pass 2. Recommendation vote

There will probably be one or two more chapters before the urban portion ends. There won't be as many urban scenes later on, mainly because we need to lay the groundwork for some things this time.

We also need to explain some things clearly.

Chapter 25 The End of Skill

If you didn't know his age, it would be hard to believe that the man in front of you is already seventy years old.

Li Xia looked at Qi Guanjun sitting in front of her. His hair was still black and shiny, with only a few gray hairs visible at his temples.

The outline of his muscles was faintly visible beneath his T-shirt.

"Young man drinking tea"

Qi Guanjun pushed a cup of tea over, his gaze peaceful. Only at this moment did he act like an old man who had experienced seventy years of ups and downs.

"I saw that punch just now. Young man, you haven't practiced martial arts, have you?"

"Yes, I haven't practiced it."

Li Xia picked up the small teacup and took a sip.

"When I saw that coin outside, I thought it was some senior coming to see me and playing a little joke on me. But when I went inside and saw the fist, I knew I was wrong."

Young man, you're on the wrong path, you've gone astray. To be able to generate power with just a breath is truly a genius!

Did they go the wrong way? A prodigy?

"Using qi to generate power is the essence of boxing, but martial arts practitioners emphasize cultivating internal qi, and this qi must not be dissipated. Although your method is fierce and your progress is rapid."

However, once one cultivates to a high level, it may deplete one's vital essence and shorten one's lifespan. For you to achieve this at such a young age demonstrates your exceptional intelligence and extraordinary comprehension.

Li Xia slowly raised his head. "Awesome! Is this what a master is like?"

Breathing techniques are indeed like that; once the Demon Slayer Mark is activated, death is even faster. The Demon Slayer Corps strengthens their physique through medical treatment, hot springs, and rigorous training, but even so, those who activate the Demon Slayer Mark still don't live past 25.

But I am different. The temple is a magical place with infinite possibilities.

"I know everything the old man said, so I came here to—"

"Learn martial arts?"

Li Xia paused for a moment and then nodded:

"Yes"

"it is good"

Qi Guanjun poured Li Xia another cup of tea, and couldn't help but laugh when he saw the expression on Li Xia's face.

Have you ever read any martial arts novels?

"Of course, which one are you referring to?"

Lao She, "The Broken Soul Spear"

Li Xia recalled that Lao She had also written martial arts novels.

"The last master craftsman practiced the Soul-Severing Spear technique one last time in the empty courtyard, then declared to the night sky that he would not pass it on, that he would not pass it on."

Qi Guanjun picked up his teacup as if he were holding a glass of strong liquor:

"But why should these things, passed down from generation to generation, be cut off?"

In the past, Chinese martial arts were clearly divided into various schools and styles, but now... the hardships of learning martial arts are too much for most people to bear.

Master Qi sat up straight and said in a firm and resolute voice:

"If someone is willing to learn seriously, I will teach them!"

Li Xia's eyes lit up. He took a deep breath and demonstrated what it means to "strike while the iron is hot" and "push the iron further."

"Master Qi, do you know any other styles or schools of martial arts? I'm willing to pay tuition!"

Qi Guanjun's smile froze, and the old man looked up, suddenly bursting into laughter out of anger.

"Fine, I'd like to see how many skills this prodigy can actually learn!"

"Watch closely, this is Hung Kuen."

Withdraw your hands to protect your chest! Step on the "Two-Character Peg Yang Horse" stance, exhale the turbid air, and let out a "ha!" sound!

The right fist hooks inward from the outside, while the left fist presses out and simultaneously pulls upward!

"The foundation of Xingyi Quan is Zhan Zhuang (standing meditation)! If you don't do Zhan Zhuang well, all your boxing practice will be in vain."

"Sink your Qi to your Dantian! Feel the power rising from the Yongquan acupoint on the soles of your feet, passing through your legs and waist, and then transmitting to your hands, forming a complete and continuous power transmission path."

"The spirit of Bajiquan is 'loyalty, courage, selflessness, and courage in the face of danger.' Learning martial arts begins with cultivating the spirit! If you don't have this spirit, don't learn it!"

"Using softness to overcome hardness, waiting for movement with stillness, transforming straightness with roundness, overcoming the large with the small, and overcoming the strong with the weak—this is Tai Chi!"

[Your time in the real world has reached its limit. Your Excellency, Agent, please return to the Hall of Transcendence.]

[In the process of breaking away]

Welcome back, Your Majesty, the First Generation Traveler.

In the same sparsely furnished room, Li Xia slowly opened her eyes.

His eyes held an undisguised excitement.

The gains over these two months have been greater than he had imagined.

First, his strength, dexterity, spirit, and physique all increased by 1 point, bringing his attribute boost to an astonishing 9 points, more than from a single dungeon run!

Another aspect is the achievement of skills.

After the boxing techniques taught by those old masters were all formalized into skills, the hall actually prompted itself that these boxing techniques could be combined.

After the merger, it becomes a completely new skill.

【The Ultimate Skill】LV1 (Beginner's Guide 30%)

[Skill Type: Skill-based Passive Ability]

[Effect 1: The Ultimate Skill: Refined techniques allow for more efficient and flexible power generation.]

[Increases maximum power by 0-30% and dexterity by 0-20% during combat; may result in higher damage when dealing damage.]

Passive skills have no cost.

[Skill Effect 2 'Strength': You have mastered the application of various strengths, some of which can even penetrate armor and muscles, reaching the internal organs.]

When 'Strength' is triggered, the attack damage tier increases by 1, and the damage dealt is increased by 20%-40% (depending on the target body part).

The trigger probability of skill 2 is approximately 10%.

[Skill Effect 3: Endless Life: Breathing allows Qi to circulate within the body, creating a continuous cycle of life]

[Spirit +1, slightly increases resistance to some abnormal statuses; Physique +1, increases breathing-related abilities by 10%, reduces stamina consumption by 10%]

[Introduction: My body is unfettered, my path is boundless!]

As Li Xiaguang looked at the long skill descriptions, a sense of satisfaction welled up in his heart.

Wow, that's impressive! All my time has been worthwhile, especially considering this skill is only at the very basic beginner level.

Li Xia didn't even dare to imagine how powerful someone could become if their level were higher.

More importantly, its essence is actually some techniques for exerting force. Even if one's body is strengthened, as long as the body structure remains unchanged and one does not turn into a monster or a tentacle monster, one can still achieve the same results.

These skills can always be used, which is why Li Xia has been pursuing these kinds of skill-based abilities.

Only what you learn through practice truly belongs to you!

Moreover, these bonuses remain even when you wield a weapon!

And most importantly, this skill actually provides a certain bonus to breathing techniques.

Those who inherit the orthodox boxing style all have a set of vocalization methods that are used in conjunction with the boxing style. By making sounds, they can make the breath vibrate the internal organs, thereby achieving the purpose of exercising the internal organs.

However, the Demon Slayer Corps, who use those breathing techniques, only trains their physical bodies, not their internal organs. Simply strengthening the lungs can lead to a disconnect.

Furthermore, those masters studied and pondered how to sustain a single breath for longer, and to do so, they lowered their breathing rate and tried to maintain inner peace.

The sense of crisis and convulsive force generated during oxygen deprivation were also utilized as a way to exert force.

This precisely reduces oxidation reactions, which is why those highly skilled martial arts masters seem to have frozen in time.