Chương 7: Astonishing Progress, the Terrifying Foundation of the Cang Family

Master Huang's explanation was like the sun breaking through the clouds, making Cang Lian's mind suddenly clear.

He said no more, walked straight to the middle of the flat ground, took a deep breath, and assumed the stance of a rounded stake.

This time, it's completely different from yesterday.

He turned his feet slightly outward, bent his knees, and his body sank down naturally as if mercury had spilled onto the ground.

Almost the instant the stance was formed, that wonderful feeling from yesterday—the feeling of being in a stable position—clearly returned.

It was as if invisible roots were sprouting from the soles of his feet, deeply penetrating the soil. From the depths of the earth, there seemed to be a warm and profound power flowing into his body through these roots.

That invisible force instantly flowed through his ankles, knees, and hips, climbing up his spine and connecting his shoulders, elbows, wrists, and other joints into a unified whole.

Old Huang, watching from the side, was completely mesmerized. He couldn't help but step forward and exclaim in a low voice, "Young Master, you... you are truly a martial arts prodigy! I've seen too many people in my life who finally manage to get a feel for the stance one day, only to wake up completely disoriented after a night's sleep and have to spend ages trying to figure it out again. But you, you've found it all in just one night! This talent is truly... incredible!"

"You flatter me, Elder Huang. Perhaps it was just good luck." Cang Lian opened his eyes, his expression calm, but he was also somewhat surprised.

The proficiency level on this panel seems to have an incredible effect: once you get it, you get it forever!

With a firm stance, he could command the power that connected his entire body with a single thought, allowing it to flow freely.

He couldn't help but ask, "Master Huang, now that this stance has been completed and the joints have been initially opened, and the force feels connected as one, can it be considered... the beginning of integrated power?"

"Yes!" Old Huang nodded without hesitation, his face full of admiration.

"Young Master, you understand so quickly! To put it simply, stance training is the process of cultivating 'whole-body power.'

From the initial static stance of being rooted to the ground, to the dynamic stance of walking, sitting, and lying down; from only knowing how to use the localized power of the arms and legs, to knowing how to use the power of the waist and hips to drive the whole-body power, until finally, no matter when or where, you can mobilize the power of the entire body at will and generate whole-body power—that is the mastery of whole-body power!"

Seeing that Cang Lian was listening attentively, Old Huang smiled and used a more colloquial analogy: "To put it simply, you have to treat your body as a whole. When fighting, you can't just let your arms fight while the other organs watch from the sidelines, right? You have to make your whole body, from your heels to the tips of your hair, twist together as one, and exert force together. That's what it means to have strength!"

"I understand!" Cang Lian nodded, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

Master Huang's words transformed his understanding of "whole-body strength" from a vague concept into a tangible and perceptible goal.

He looked at his hands and could almost see the immense power that rose from his feet and flowed to his extremities.

Cang Lian calmed his mind and continued practicing the standing meditation.

As time passed, his understanding of Hunyuan Zhuang became more refined, and his physical memory of it became more profound.

At the same time, a panel that only he could "see" was appearing before his eyes.

【Hun Yuan Zhuang: 5/100 (Beginner)】 【Hun Yuan Zhuang: 9/100 (Beginner)】 【Hun Yuan Zhuang: 12/100 (Beginner)】 Deeper within his body, the Heaven and Earth Pearl between his brows was constantly absorbing the scorching sunlight, transforming it into pure solar essence, like a gentle stream, nourishing every inch of his bones and every muscle.

During the standing meditation, the muscle soreness that should have occurred did not come. Instead, he could clearly feel his physique strengthening little by little at a perceptible speed.

The feeling was like watching a sapling grow and sprout with your own eyes, so clear and captivating!

This time, he stood there for a full fifteen minutes.

When Cang Lian finished her practice, even Elder Huang, who had been silently observing from the side, couldn't help but step forward, his face full of disbelief:

"Young Master, you... you're amazing! I've been wandering the martial world for decades, and I've seen beginners manage to stand in a stance on their second day, but I've never seen anyone stand longer than on the first day! Most people stagger when they first start practicing, but you..."

Upon hearing this, Cang Lian quickly composed himself and suppressed his sense of ease.

He knew he could keep standing there.

With the "blessing" of the sun's essence, he was confident that he could stand here for a whole day and night without feeling tired at all.

But he couldn't act too outrageously, or he would be courting death.

He immediately let out a long sigh, pretending to be struggling to hold on, and put away the stance. While rubbing his legs, he said, "My whole body aches, but... I can bear it better."

"Oh?" Old Huang's eyes revealed even greater admiration.

"That young master truly possesses great perseverance! The ability to endure hardship is the most basic and also the best quality for martial arts practitioners!"

"However, a quarter of an hour is about my limit," Cang Lian said calmly, taking over the conversation.

"I need to go back and rest. I'll come back to see you tomorrow."

"Alright, young master! Please rest well. It's your first time practicing, so don't be too strenuous. You need to balance work and rest," Elder Huang instructed with concern.

"Once you've passed the beginner stage and no longer feel sore all over the next day, you can increase your training time."

"Hmm!" Cang Lian nodded, then casually asked, as if he had just remembered something, "Elder Huang, I heard you say before that highly skilled martial artists can really... catch bullets?"

Upon hearing this, Old Huang's spirits lifted, he straightened his back, and his eyes shone brightly:

"That's for sure! Like the legendary Master Zhang, whose qi and blood are as yang as the sun, he could evaporate an entire pond from a distance using the 'Pure Yang Limitless Skill'! To catch a bullet, he only needs to release a little bit of his qi to form a protective shield. If he really wanted to use it, he could exhale as an arrow, and it could probably pierce even a small-caliber cannonball, let alone a bullet!"

"Drying up a pond from a distance?!" Cang Lian took a deep breath, his mind reeling from the description. An unprecedented longing and excitement surged within him.

"If that's really true, I won't be sleepy at all while practicing!"

"By the way!" Old Huang seemed to get excited, lowering his voice again, "Let alone that legendary figure, even our young master Cang Xiong, it's said, has reached the 'Qi and Blood Furnace' level. When he circulates his energy, his internal qi and blood surge like magma, and if he puts his palm on a water glass, he can make the water boil in a moment! I heard that he once caught seven pistol bullets in front of everyone at a banquet hosted by the Japanese!"

Cang Lian's heart skipped a beat!

majestic!

That martial arts genius recognized by the Cang family never expected that his martial arts cultivation had reached such an unbelievable level!

Is this Dan Jin or Gang Jin?

If Cang Xiong is this terrifying, then how far has Cang Hong, who is rumored to have even more outstanding martial arts talent than him, actually gone?

This person lived more than twenty years longer than Cang Xiong!

Upon thinking of this, Cang Lian felt a tightness in her heart, as if she were being gripped by an invisible hand, making it difficult to even breathe.

He subconsciously turned his head and glanced at the silent figure under the distant pillar—Gu Guolong.

The Cang family's resources might be even more terrifying than he imagined!

Let alone avenging his mother Han Yu, it's questionable whether he can even break free of this cage and survive!

"The pinnacle of martial arts is truly something to aspire to! I will strive for it!"

Cang Lian took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in her heart, and put on a resolute expression.