Full-Level Fierce Person-Chapter 72 Five Beasts
72: 72 Five Beasts
72: 72 Five Beasts
In the afternoon, Fang Zhixing headed to the Iron Casting Hall of the Iron Mountain Sect.
The Iron Mountain Sect had many branches spread across over a dozen counties of Qinghe County, as well as some important towns.
One such branch was located in Qinglin County, precisely the Iron Casting Hall.
As its name implied, the primary business of the Iron Casting Hall was forging a variety of weapons and armor.
Without much delay, Fang Zhixing and Xigou arrived at the entrance of the Iron Casting Hall from the nearby building.
“Incense Master Fang, is that you?”
The gatekeeper recognized him at first glance, nodding and bowing as he came forward to greet him.
Fang Zhixing asked in surprise, “Have you seen me before?”
The gatekeeper replied with a smile, “This is my first time seeing you, but Hall Master Lu specifically instructed us that you might visit today, accompanied by a dog, and told us to keep an eye out and not to neglect the proper etiquettes.”
Understanding, Fang Zhixing quickly said, “Please bother to inform Hall Master Lu.”
However, the gatekeeper waved his hand and said, “Hall Master Lu said that once you arrive, to just directly take you to see him without any need for further announcement.”
Fang Zhixing had no objections.
He then followed the gatekeeper into the branch, where the clanging and banging of metalworking could be heard intermittently.
The air was thick with the heavy smell of burning charcoal.
“This Iron Casting Hall really is like a military factory!” Xigou communicated telepathically.
Fang Zhixing silently nodded in agreement, replying, “The armor that Steward Wen gave me was likely forged by the Iron Casting Hall.”
As they walked, a cart passed by them, loaded with completed armor.
Fang Zhixing took a closer look and was momentarily startled.
He saw that the chest plate of the armor set was particularly large, measuring up to one and a half meters.
Put together, the entire armor set would be at least three meters tall!
Such gigantic armor, was it meant for humans to wear?
Fang Zhixing’s brows furrowed deeply.
“Incense Master Fang, Hall Master Lu’s study is just ahead,” the gatekeeper said with a smile.
Fang Zhixing shifted his focus, energized, and quickened his pace.
The gatekeeper stepped forward to knock on the door and announced their arrival.
“Is that you, Brother Fang?
Please do come in.”
Soon, Lu Anfu’s laughter emerged from the room; his mood seemed exceptionally good, filled with a jovial tone.
Fang Zhixing entered and bowed his hands in greeting, “Hall Master Lu.”
Lu Anfu laughed heartily, “Please, Brother, take a seat.
Someone, bring the good tea.”
They sat opposite each other, sipping tea.
Fang Zhixing took the initiative to say, “Hall Master Lu, there’s rampant speculation outside that you’ve made a fortune.”
Lu Anfu waved his hand and chuckled, “Don’t listen to their nonsense, there’s no such fortune.”
Fang Zhixing, with a look of curiosity, asked, “Honestly, how did you scheme against the Dong Family?
How did they fall for it so easily?”
Lu Anfu fell silent for a while, then leaned forward, lowered his voice, and said, “You and I both have grievances with the Dong Family, so from now on you’re one of us.
I won’t hide anything from you.
To tell you the truth, it wasn’t me who schemed against the Dong Family; it was the Lord County Magistrate!”
Fang Zhixing’s face changed dramatically, and he exclaimed in astonishment, “Is, is that true?”
Lu Anfu clicked his tongue and laughed, “Hard to believe, isn’t it?
The Dong Family is actually related to the Lord County Magistrate by marriage, and yet they were still outmaneuvered by him.
This matter is very complex.
What I can tell you is that the Lord County Magistrate truly has his reasons; he was forced to act.”
Fang Zhixing also leaned in, asking cautiously, “Is the County Magistrate in great need of money?”
Lu Anfu nodded with a sigh, “The current situation is turbulent, bandits are rising everywhere, emergencies are frequent—it’s like a bottomless pit that requires constant recruitment of troops, which leads to ever-increasing expenditures.
Take your archer battalion, for example.
It didn’t exist before, and now suddenly there are three hundred additional archers, just providing for them is a massive expense.
Unfortunately, at this critical juncture, a batch of silver earmarked for salaries was stolen by river thieves, which naturally left the Lord County Magistrate with a severe headache.”
But those rich families in the city were like iron roosters, utterly unwilling to donate money and provide sponsorship.
With no other choice, Lord County Magistrate had to employ a little cunning and ordered me to set up a trap, to heavily extort a sum from those wealth holders.”
Fang Zhixing suddenly realized the truth.
Indeed, everything Luo Peiyun had done was to make money!
Well, never mind all this confusing mess for now.
Fang Zhixing had not forgotten the main issue and solemnly said, “Hall Master Lu, can you now give me the subsequent cultivation techniques of the Iron Mountain Skill?”
He could hardly wait.
From Songlin Temple to Qinglin County, his every action was for the purpose of obtaining the follow-up cultivation techniques of the Iron Mountain Skill.
Although the process had been full of twists and turns, at this moment, he was finally about to get his wish.
“Of course!”
Lu Anfu nodded and asked, “Which category would you like?”
“Huh??”
Fang Zhixing was stunned, not understanding, and hesitated, “What did you mean by ‘category,’ Hall Master?”
Lu Anfu blinked in surprise and said, “You don’t know?
That’s understandable, considering you trained with Cheng Tianen and, given his nature, he might not have been willing to share too much with you.”
Fang Zhixing quickly lowered his stance and asked for guidance, “Please enlighten me.”
Lu Anfu nodded and explained in detail, “The first three realms of martial arts training are Power Transmission, Great Python, and Five Beasts.”
“The Power Transmission Realm is about twisting the body’s strength into a single force.”
“The Great Python Realm is a further enhancement of the Power Transmission Realm.”
“However, both the Power Transmission Realm and the Great Python Realm are about laying the foundation, using rather crude methods to solidify the body and enhance the strength of the flesh.”
“Once you reach the Five Beasts Realm, you use more refined methods to enhance our physique and build our strength.”
While talking, Lu Anfu raised his right hand and spread out his five fingers.
He explained in detail, “The physical strength of a martial artist, after countless predecessors’ deductions, has been summarized into four categories and five stages.”
“The first category is resistance to hits, that is, defense.”
“The second is toughness, the third is agility, and the fourth is strength!”
“Defense, toughness, agility, strength!”
“If we want to refine our bodies in detail, we start with these four categories, strengthening each in turn, with no particular order, you can pick any one to enhance.”
“For instance, you might choose to increase your strength first, and as your strength increases, then your agility, toughness, and defense will follow suit and improve.”
“When strength reaches perfection, you move to enhance the other three points and so forth, until all four categories have reached perfection.”
“By this time, you have gone through four stages of cultivation.
The last stage is ‘balance’ cultivation.”
“That is, you must integrate and penetrate these four aspects, make your body natural and coordinated, and eliminate all the defense flaws to make it as perfect as possible.”
“These are the four categories and five stages!”
Lu Anfu stood up, walked over to a bookshelf, and spread out a painting.
Fang Zhixing saw ten different animals drawn on the canvas, arranged in two rows, each corresponding to one another.
Lu Anfu pointed at the animals on the painting and slowly said, “Each of the five stages of cultivation has different focal points.
To facilitate understanding and memory, they are usually represented by certain animals, with five different animals for both men and women.”
Five stages: Defense, toughness, agility, strength, balance;
Men: Mysterious Turtle, Spiritual Ape, Shadow Leopard, Giant Bear, Fierce Tiger;
Women: Sand Scorpion, Heaven Python, Spiritual Crane, White Whale, Delicate Lioness.
“Five animals, five stages, this is the Five Beasts Realm!”
“If you complete one, you are in the ‘One Beast Realm’, two makes the ‘Two Beasts Realm’, and so on for the Three Beasts Realm, Four Beasts Realm, and the Five Beasts Realm.”
