A Long Grind to Daoist Monarch-Chapter 111 - 102: Your Life, I’ll Take It

Yang Meng and Bai Qi were separated by a hundred steps, their eyes meeting from afar. As his bone marrow resonated with a tremor, his blood qi seemed to have been squeezed dry and suddenly surged wildly. His face, resembling dried bark, seemed to be smoothed over bit by bit, revealing an odd appearance of vitality.

Crack, crack!

The tendons of his waist and back stretched straight, causing his originally not very tall, average build to grow taller by an inch or so, exuding a towering momentum.

For an ordinary second-level practitioner, facing hard bows and feathered arrows, the momentum would certainly be weaker, cautiously wary.

The fists and kicks of a practitioner are ultimately not as practical as weapons, at least in the levels of Muscle Training and Bone Training it's the case.

Only when one cultivates the Water and Fire Immortal Robe, and the five internal organs condense into a single iron plate, with qi and blood physique reaching an unimaginably non-human level, can they withstand the ferocious charge of horses and spears, cutting through generals under a torrential rain of arrows and capturing flags.

This is also why practitioners of the second level are called "adepts," while those breaking through to the third level are called "experts."

"Relying on a hard bow, thinking you can kill a second-level with first-level skills, truly arrogant beyond measure!

Ninghai Zen's disciples, do they have nine lives that they won't die? I think not!"

Yang Meng grinned, taking a deep breath, streams of air contracting at his nostrils like two little snakes.

With intense inhaling and exhaling, he propelled his strength throughout his limbs, and when he opened his five fingers, his large hand clawed into the not-so-solid stone wall, like grabbing into tofu, instantly tearing it apart.

Using this force, his figure shot out like an arrow released from a bowstring!

Whoosh!

Yang Meng's gaze shifted, his spine suddenly undulated like a large cat arching its back, swaying swiftly away from an arrow shot directly at him.

This rapid reaction could not be said to lack agility!

"In fighting technique, small achievements focus on steps, great achievements focus on shoulders! Didn't Ninghai Zen teach you this principle?"

Yang Meng's face flushed, expelling breath to speak, implicitly exuding a majestic aura akin to a tiger roaring in the mountains and forests.

His eyes, emitting radiant gleams, locked firmly on Bai Qi, eighty paces away, settled on his shoulder. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The shoulder is the joint root of the body, no matter how hidden the exertion of strength is, there are always some traces.

Just like observing footwork movements rather than paying attention to the stance in a sparring match, in life-and-death combat, especially when dealing with archers, you mustn't watch how he draws the bow, as it's too difficult to evade, unless you cultivate the sharp five senses that detect the willow falling before the autumn wind!

You should watch how the shoulders move; as soon as the shoulder loosens and tightens, you know immediately where the arrow will fall!

Yang Meng made his name by commandeering ships to kill water thieves!

The skill of drawing a bow and shooting a person, he is certainly stronger than Bai Qi!

The fierce wind slashed across the face, yet no one answered.

The tall figure standing at a height seemed like a stone statue, expressionless, breathing calm, striving to capture that tiger-like figure scaling the mountain clad in coarse linen.

Subduing stray thoughts, with no distractions, allowed Bai Qi to remain composed in battle, steadily drawing and releasing arrows with both hands.

Bang! Bang! Bang! A round of rapid firing!

Half the ten feathered arrows were already gone!

Yet they hadn't touched even the corner of Yang Meng's clothes!

But he was not discouraged at all.

"Tiger Crane Ten Extremes Hand! Merging the tiger form and crane form, truly formidable!"

Bai Qi's thoughts raced, his understanding now greatly expanded, having some familiarity with the origins of martial arts from various schools and sects.

Among all forms of beasts, in avian shape, the crane form is the fastest.

It emphasizes movement, dodging, leaping, and soaring, with essentials lying in the cultivation of the hefty muscles in the shoulders and back. Once exerted, it flutters like the wings of a flying crane, highly agile and swift. With deep skill, it's even possible to navigate lofty cliffs as if walking on flat ground!

Yet Yang Meng's body technique changes were not limited to this; his ten toes gripped the ground like a giant worm climbing a mountain, force surging upwards, resulting in extremely fierce explosiveness.

Even if arrows were shot swiftly, one step of his foot and his figure could dart seven or eight steps away, showing no fear of shooting while drawing bows!

Tiger and crane dual forms, both fierce and fast!

This person overpowering Old Liang to seize the position of Fishery Guard Commander is not without reason!

In terms of fighting experience, aside from those well-known experts like bears, eagles, tigers, and leopards in Black River County, there are honestly not many who could surpass him!

Fifty steps!

Yang Meng's fierce gaze was almost tangible, piercing into Bai Qi's flesh, with an overwhelming, chilling killing intent like the Black Water River in winter, icy and bone-chilling!

"The last arrow! Which vital spot do you want to hit? Throat? Chest? Or the center of the brow?!"

Crashing, clashing, the boots underfoot rubbed against the ground, and the soft, moist mudflats sank, blasting several pits open in succession!

Yang Meng's leg tendons were like bows, tightly stretched, then bouncing upward, sending the soil rolling outwards!

This is the tiger form hidden within the crane form, appearing to avoid and dodge, but in fact, able to suddenly advance dozens of steps, striking violently and slamming into the enemy!

Practitioners unaware of the internal changes often get killed in one move!

Thirty steps!

The scorching heat emitting from his pores seemed about to slap onto Bai Qi's face.

At this distance, Yang Meng only needed to display the crane form footsteps consecutively, dash abruptly forward, and one palm could crush his head.

"Betting that I don't dare to fight?"

Yang Meng grinned ferociously, a fierce glint dramatically increasing, akin to a tiger pouncing, the stench of blood surging!

The second-level is Mercury Blood Silver Marrow, creating new blood from the bone marrow, replacing old blood time and again, cleansing the sinews, membranes, and skin.

There are various methods for cultivating this process, such as using the medicine of tigers and wolves to stimulate qi and blood and bathing in the essence blood of spirit creatures to absorb its essence.

As the Fishery Guard Commander, Yang Meng followed the master, He Wenbing, and profited a lot, receiving much respect.

The most precious among them is, of course, the three-hundred-year-old tiger bone!

So even at his age, his qi and blood had not decayed much, maintaining roughly seventy to eighty percent.