The Five Elements Fist Scripture was a path to enlightenment, mirroring the principles of the universe.

A person is a microcosm of the universe. The Five Elements of the world correspond to the five organs within the human body.

The Lungs to Metal, the Heart to Fire, the Liver to Wood, the Kidneys to Water, and the Spleen to Earth.

When Qi and Blood flow through these five organs, they become imbued with the Five Elements Qi and hold the potential for Yin and Yang transformations, granting one unparalleled power.

To put it simply,

the Qi and Blood cultivated through the Five Elements Fist Scripture was five times greater than that of others, and could shift between hard and soft with utter seamlessness.

This was why cultivators of this technique were virtually unrivaled among peers of the same level.

Even without its other qualities, the astounding effect of fivefold Qi and Blood alone was enough to earn the Five Elements Fist Scripture its title as the greatest Method in the world, bar none.

"I will be Water."

Fu Huanlian said,

"Brother Ye, your Sword Intent is sharp, so you shall be Metal. Brother Zheng, you have the life force of Wood, so you can be Wood. Elder Qii, your Palm Force is ferocious, like fire and thunder, so you shall be Fire. Brother Zhu, your strength is powerful and unmatched, you are Earth."

"Time is short. The fiends of the Red Blood Sect could attack at any moment. We will each choose one path to cultivate. We only need to cultivate our respective Five Elements Gang Force, and you can help me unblock my five organs, allowing me to achieve the Breaking Limit."

"Alright!"

Elder Qii was the first to agree. He took out the Cultivation Technique manual and asked:

"What does it mean here where it says, ’All symptoms of wind, such as vertigo and dizziness, are related to the Liver’?"

"That refers to the interaction between Liver Wood and Heart Fire," Fu Huanlian explained.

"Wood is the source that feeds Fire. The Liver is Wood, and it governs the Tendon and Bone and meridians, safeguarding the Heart’s blood. If the Liver cannot be engorged with blood, or blood cannot return to the Liver, then the Tendon and Bone will not move smoothly, and all manner of ’wind’ ailments will arise..."

"Patriarch," Fu Zheng began.

"What does ’an excess of Yin creates cold, an excess of Yang creates heat’ mean?"

"The Five Elements and five organs are the outward manifestations. Ultimately, they all merge into one and give rise to Yin and Yang," Fu Huanlian said after a moment of thought.

"Brother Zheng, those are principles of Yin and Yang Transformation, mainly applied to the finer points of the Fist Technique. For now, you can disregard them." 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"Oh!" Fu Zheng’s expression cleared with understanding.

"I understand."

It was true that the Five Elements Fist Scripture was the most extraordinary art in the world, but without the complementary Five Elements Boxing Technique, its power was ultimately diminished.

However, Fu Huanlian had already broken with all precedent by teaching them the Five Elements Fist Scripture. To hope for the Five Elements Boxing Technique as well would have been far too greedy.

The others then proceeded to ask about the parts of the scripture they found confusing or incomprehensible, and Fu Huanlian answered each of their questions in turn.

Time passed slowly.

「The next day.」

「Dusk.」

"We’re in trouble!"

a swordsman shouted.

"Fiends from the Red Blood Sect have been spotted at the foot of the mountain! There are a lot of them. The Court promised reinforcements in their reply, but... there’s still no sign of them!"

Inside the hall, Fu Huanlian’s expression grew grim.

’If I had any other choice, I wouldn’t take this step. But now, it seems there’s no other way.’

"Brother Zheng!"

She turned, her voice solemn.

"Are you ready?"

Of the four of them, Fu Zheng’s foundation was the weakest. Even with the legacy of the Five Elements Fist Scripture, he was the last to cultivate the Five Elements Gang Force, and his was not very stable.

"I... I’m ready," Fu Zheng hesitated.

"I think so."

"What do you mean, ’you think so’?" Ye Liuyun grew anxious.

"Once we begin, there can be no mistakes! The slightest error, and Huanlian will suffer injuries at best, or die on the spot at worst."

"Liuyun!" Fu Huanlian placed a hand on his shoulder and shook her head gently.

"Calm down. I trust Brother Zheng."

"I can do it!" Fu Zheng gritted his teeth.

"Patriarch, I can do it!"

"Alright then." Fu Huanlian took a deep breath.

"Time waits for no one. We begin now."

"Fu Chun!"

"Here!"

A young man strode forward.

"While we are performing the cultivation, you are to take your men and guard the main entrance. Under no circumstances are you to let anyone from the Red Blood Sect get through."

"Rest assured, Patriarch." Fu Chun dropped to one knee, his voice low and firm.

"They’ll get in over my dead body!"

The place they chose for the ritual was a side hall of Yanyun Temple, built against the mountainside. The rear of the hall backed directly onto the towering mountain, flanked on both sides by sheer cliffs. It was a location that was easy to defend and difficult to assault.

Even if the fiends from the Red Blood Sect arrived, they only needed to hold the main gate to ensure the safety of those inside.

With a hundred people defending such a strategic position, not even a Limit-Breaking Grandmaster could hope to break through easily.

*

*

*

In the center of the great hall, five figures sat cross-legged on the floor.

"Patriarch Fu." Elder Qii’s expression was uncharacteristically solemn, and he used a more formal title to show his respect.

"You must be certain. Once you take this step, there is no turning back."

...

Fu Huanlian glanced toward the crowd of martial artists guarding the main gate. A flicker of emotion crossed her eyes before she gently shook her head.

"Let’s begin."

"Alright!"

Boss Qii shouted,

"Patriarch Fu, you are truly a worthy descendant of Fu Xuan. I am deeply impressed."

"Here it comes!"

BOOM!

The moment he spoke, a Gang Force as scorching as fire erupted from his body. Following the motion of his palm, it struck Fu Huanlian from a distance, the Gang Force Entering the Body and surging straight toward her heart.

Zhu Ju was next. He raised his hand, and the very earth seemed to tremble as a current of Earth Element Gang Force slowly emerged, surging forward to envelop her.

Ye Liuyun and Fu Zheng followed suit.

Fu Zheng was clearly struggling; his body trembled slightly and sweat beaded on his forehead, but his energy flow showed no signs of instability.

Five Gui Cang Grandmasters, five different types of Gang Force, all guided by the Five Elements Fist Scripture Secret Technique, surged into Fu Huanlian’s five organs like five drills boring down mercilessly.

BOOM!

It was earth-shattering.

Though there was no sound, the bodies of the Grandmasters all trembled violently. The Five Elements Gang Force transformed, and Fu Huanlian’s long hair whipped into the air as her entire body was enveloped by the swirling energy.

A profound and mysterious change was taking place within her.

Lines silently etched themselves onto her face, and her lustrous black hair withered and turned pale at a visible rate. In order to achieve the Breaking Limit, her very lifespan was being rapidly consumed.

「Meanwhile.」

SCREECH!

A piercing whistle tore through the air from a distance, and an arrow as thick as a child’s arm came streaking toward the hall.

It was followed by a volley that blotted out the sky.

"Block them!"

BANG!

The side hall’s doors were wrenched from their hinges and used as a shield against the incoming arrows, while others brandished their weapons, creating a defensive web of flashing blades.

"Kill!"

Under the cover of night, a horde of Red Blood Sect disciples charged the side hall, their war cries splitting the air.

The traps laid by the martial artists now sprang into action. Burning oil, caltrops, and rolling boulders slowed the enemy’s charge.

Even those who managed to break through found themselves powerless against the skilled martial artists defending the pass.

The narrow passageway left no room for overly elaborate techniques, forcing even masters to engage in brutal, face-to-face combat.

If too many people rushed over at once...

"Use hidden weapons!"

With a great roar, a volley of assorted hidden weapons whistled through the air, and the charging Red Blood Sect disciples fell in droves.

The assault stalled abruptly.

...

However, the Red Blood Sect’s numbers were far greater than anyone had anticipated. As wave after wave of attacks were repelled, the ranks of the Martial World Guests defending the hall began to thin.

SWOOSH!

A black shadow shot forward like a bolt of lightning.

The figure simply waved a hand, deflecting the incoming hidden weapons, then flashed forward, continuing its charge.

"Black Impermanence, Du Zai!"

Fu Chun roared.

"Look out!"

This wasn’t his first attempt to break through, but the previous two had been mere probes; he had retreated after facing the slightest resistance.

This time... seemed different.

CRACK!

Someone cut the rope of a trap rigged to a pillar, sending dozens of sharp bamboo stakes shooting toward the approaching figure.

Two more defenders, disregarding their own safety, charged out with a roar to meet Black Impermanence.

BANG!

THWACK!

The bamboo stakes shattered, and the men were sent flying.

Black Impermanence continued his charge, his expression grave. He did not retreat, even in the face of danger.

’Something’s not right!’

’Something is very, very wrong!’

’The martial artists defending this hall have been fighting for so long and have suffered heavy casualties, yet Fu Huanlian and the others haven’t shown their faces. That’s completely out of character for them.’

’They’re defending this place to the death. There must be something unusual happening inside.’

’The Red Blood Sect has the numbers and the power. If we just keep up the pressure, we can definitely wear them all down and kill them.’

’But... I can’t risk it!’

’I have to get inside and see for myself.’

BANG!

Fu Chun’s desperate, self-sacrificing blow only managed to make Black Impermanence pause for a heartbeat before Fu Chun himself was blasted away.

"Fu Huanlian!"

"Come out!"

Black Impermanence roared, and the formidable Qi and Blood of a Limit-Breaking Grandmaster erupted into an unmatched Gang Force as he charged toward the hall.

SWOOSH!

A figure appeared before him.

A palm thrust out!

The Palm Force billowed.

BOOM!

The already battered wall nearly disintegrated on the spot, revealing Zhu Ju’s figure, as steady and immovable as a mountain.

"This Gang Force..."

Black Impermanence landed as lightly as a feather, his expression changing dramatically.

"Five Elements Fist Gang!"

"Indeed," Zhu Ju nodded. With a single step, he appeared before his opponent, unleashing a flurry of innumerable palm shadows.

Iron Tree Silver Flower!

"A magnificent Palm Technique!"

Black Impermanence’s eyes lit up as he met the attack head-on with a palm strike of his own.

The two men exchanged blows at a blinding speed, a direct clash of force against force. Powerful Qi roiled between them, and for a moment, they seemed to be evenly matched.

The Earth Element Gang Force of the Five Elements Fist could connect its user to the ground, allowing them to draw upon the earth’s energy for a seemingly endless supply of stamina, so long as their feet touched the soil.

Of course, that was only in theory.

In practice, the power that could be borrowed by the Five Elements Fist Gang was extremely limited. As time wore on, Zhu Ju began to lose ground, retreating step by step. But then, his expression suddenly relaxed.

"Brother Zhu, I am ready."

Fu Huanlian stepped slowly out of the darkness.

As she emerged, an immense pressure, as if heaven and earth themselves were collapsing, descended upon the battlefield.

Her hair was now streaked with white, and clear wrinkles lined her face. She looked as though she had aged twenty years in an instant, but the aura radiating from her was suffocatingly terrifying.

Black Impermanence’s jaw clenched. "..."

"The Breaking Limit!"

"Indeed." Fu Huanlian lowered her eyes.

"This is the Breaking Limit."

SWOOSH!

The Fury of the Fire Element enhanced her Body Technique; the Metal Element Sharpness augmented her Fist Momentum.

BANG!

Their fists collided.

This time, it was Black Impermanence who was sent flying.

Watching this, Zhu Ju felt no amazement, only a sense of regret as he shook his head.

’If she’d had just a few more years, she could have reached the Breaking Limit smoothly. In another ten, she could have vied for the peak of this world, standing shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Dugu Wuwang.’

’But now...’

’Although she’s achieved the Breaking Limit, she has no possibility of ever advancing further. And she has lost twenty years of her life.’

’What a pity!’

’What a waste!’

’And yet... how admirable.’