Chapter 127 - 102: Auctioning the Fist Manual

Chapter 127: Chapter 102: Auctioning the Fist Manual

He had gathered all the necessary information, and his mind and state were now in perfect harmony.

Though the night was deep and all was silent.

There wasn’t a hint of sleepiness in Lu Jing’an’s eyes. Instead, they held a sharp, focused glint.

He shed his outer robe, leaving him in a set of practical training clothes, and stood in the center of the courtyard.

Silvery moonlight spilled across the ground, its cool glow elongating his straight, tall figure.

A cool night breeze brushed against his skin.

But it failed to cool the fire of qi and blood steadily rising within him.

Flowing Cloud Fist.

This was the third Fist Skill of the Six Harmonies Fist.

It was starkly different from the heavy, domineering power of Mountain-Breaking and the fierce, explosive violence of Thunder Shock.

This Fist Skill emphasized movements as fluid as flowing water and drifting clouds, where intent preceded action.

Evade the solid to strike the void, using softness to conquer strength.

Lu Jing’an stood still for a moment.

He slowly began, his movements appearing relaxed but possessing a unique rhythm.

His fists cut through the night, their Power contained, unrevealed. His body moved with the grace of shifting clouds.

As he moved, the tips of his toes touched the ground silently.

His form flickered, as elusive as a passing cloud, leaving no trace behind.

Yet, hidden within this gentleness was a sharp, deadly edge.

At every turn and pivot, his speed would suddenly explode.

Power pulsed like lightning, the transition from supple to rigid completed in a flash.

After just a single run-through, he felt a warm sensation:

Flowing Cloud Fist, Entry Level.

But this was only the beginning.

For the Six Harmonies Fist, mastering the Entry Level of a single Fist Skill was merely the first step.

The true challenge lay in integration.

Mountain-Breaking demanded extreme, unyielding force, while Thunder Shock required swift, explosive bursts. Both pushed the body’s rigidity to its absolute limit.

But the core of the newly acquired Flowing Cloud Fist was resilience.

It demanded that his Tendons and Bones, his very flesh, maintain the potential for explosive power and contraction even while being stretched and twisted to their extremes.

This meant that Lu Jing’an needed to forge a high degree of ’softness’ and ’resilience’ on top of his body’s existing foundation of hardness.

’Only by completely integrating them can the true meaning of the Six Harmonies be revealed.’

With his resolve firm, Lu Jing’an activated the entry again.

This time, the sensation was far clearer, far more profound.

It felt as if countless invisible hands were slowly and firmly stretching and kneading every muscle fiber in Lu Jing’an’s body.

His fascia were plucked like bowstrings, emitting a faint thrumming that only he could perceive.

A tingling numbness spread from deep within his flesh and blood, as if his body were adapting to a whole new structure for generating power.

This sensation was nothing like the tearing pain he’d felt when practicing Mountain-Breaking and Thunder Shock.

Instead, it was a deeper, more pervasive sense of being tempered.

It was as if he himself had become a piece of Hundred-refined Fine Steel, being repeatedly folded and hammered.

Every breath was a cycle of quenching and reforging.

Sweat soon soaked his clothes, and a visible column of white steam rose from his head.

It was starkly visible in the cool moonlight.

Lu Jing’an’s mind was clear of all distractions, completely immersed in the slow, steady metamorphosis of his body.

Lu Jing’an didn’t slowly come to a stop until well past Midnight.

His clothes were drenched, clinging tightly to his skin.

They outlined a physique with smooth lines that now seemed to possess an even greater resilience.

Lu Jing’an exhaled a long, turbid breath. It shot out like an arrow, traveling more than a foot before dispersing.

Inside the bathhouse, the air was thick with steam.

A large cypress tub had already been prepared, filled with a dark brown medicinal soup.

A rich, herbal fragrance mixed with a faint, acrid bitterness filled the air. Several rare medicinal herbs floated on the water’s surface.

This was the Bone-Forger and Tendon-Soothe Soup, which Cui Jieyi had meticulously prepared according to an ancient formula. It was perfect for relieving muscle fatigue and healing latent injuries after intense Cultivation.

Lu Jing’an stepped into the tub, and the scalding Medicinal Power instantly enveloped his body.

He couldn’t help but let out a comfortable sigh.

The Scorching heat and his exhaustion seemed to be drawn out, thread by thread, as the Medicinal Power seeped into him.

Just then, a pair of cool, soft hands came to rest on his tense shoulders.

Orchid knelt behind the tub, the pressure from her fingertips steady and even.

She expertly massaged him, slowly working along the meridians and pressure points of his neck and shoulders.

The coolness of her fingers was the perfect antidote to the burning heat inside Lu Jing’an’s body.

It helped his mind quiet down more quickly.

"Young Master, your training today seems different than usual," Orchid said softly, her hands never ceasing their work.

"Mm, I was practicing a new fist routine. It puts more strain on my Tendons and Bones," Lu Jing’an replied, his eyes closed.

「About thirty minutes later.」

Lu Jing’an rose from the bath and dried himself.

Cui Jieyi was already waiting nearby, holding a soft towel and a special medicinal oil.

Lu Jing’an lay face down on a padded couch as Cui Jieyi warmed the oil in her palms.

She then began to massage him, starting from his broad back and working her way down to his waist and legs.

Her technique was unique. Her Power was penetrating but not harsh.

It Precisely targeted the deep muscle tissues that were tense and even slightly damaged from his intense Cultivation.

This helped his qi and blood circulate faster, breaking up any potential stagnation.

Lu Jing’an’s muscles occasionally twitched with soreness, but mostly he felt the pleasant sensation of blockages being cleared away.

When it was all over, his body was at ease and his qi and blood flowed smoothly.

Sitting alone in a quiet room, Lu Jing’an summoned his system panel.

[Name]: Lu Jing’an

[Attack]: 72

[Defense]: 65

[Agility]: 25

[Spirit]: 65

[Energy Points]: 52

[Cultivation Technique: (Omitted to keep the word count down. Feel free to look it up if you’re curious...)]

[Entries: (Same reason as above. If you want to see them, leave a comment and I can add them in later!)]

’My Attack is up by 10, and Defense is up by 9.

The biggest increase was in Agility—a full 11 points.

That must be from the Body Skill changes brought by the Flowing Cloud Fist.

Spirit didn’t grow much, so it seems this Fist Skill has a relatively low mental toll.’

Lu Jing’an silently made his assessment.

’Now, if I use Peak Strike with my full power,

my Attack Power could instantly break the 200-point mark.

With that kind of burst power, even against a Cultivator a full major realm above me...

if I caught them off guard, I might even have a chance to kill them in a single blow.’