Invincible Starts From Dao Fruit-Chapter 176 - 141: Wang Shan! [Vote for Monthly Tickets!]

This afternoon.

Chen Jichuan’s entire body was scrubbed until nine layers of his skin were rubbed off, leaving him bright red all over, and even his stubble was shaved clean, resembling a bald tiger.

Only by dusk,

did he finally escape Mrs. Wang’s torment.

That night.

Chen Jichuan lay on the bed, pondering to himself: "Wang Ji is an Innate Elder of the Taixu Sword Sect, a person of real influence. My pretending to be a savage and joining his tutelage means I’ve technically entered the Taixu Sword Sect."

The Taixu Sword Sect traces its lineage back to the Taixu Emperor.

Though it has fallen into a state of only holding sway over one county now, it was once glorious, and its foundation is far beyond what ordinary sects can compare with.

Entering the Taixu Sword Sect is by no means easy.

One path requires being under the age of ten, coming from a clean background, and paying five hundred taels of silver to join as an outer disciple to learn basic Inner Strength.

The training period lasts three years.

Within three years, if one meets the standards set by the Taixu Sword Sect, they can officially join the sect as a disciple.

If not, they are simply sent back home.

The second route is to join the ’Blood Clothes Army.’

This is Taixu Sword Sect’s most elite force.

Legend has it that thousands of years ago, the Taixu Emperor led armies north and south, driving the barbarians out of Qinling, daring them not to disturb Central Earth again. His soldiers were battle-hardened, soaked in blood from mountains of corpses, renowned for their bravery and strength. As a result, the Taixu Emperor formed the ’Blood Clothes Army,’ gathering all the meritorious generals, fierce warriors, and heroes of the three armies.

Throughout thousands of years.

The Blood Clothes Army has risen and fallen, sometimes wiped out, sometimes degenerating.

Yet, it has always been rebuilt and risen again.

In this era,

the Blood Clothes Army has been entrusted with the most urgent missions, becoming the sharpest sword in the hands of the Taixu Sword Sect.

Every year, recruitment is conducted in the eight cities of Pengshan County.

Additionally, arenas are established, where the ten lowest-ranked centurions of the Blood Clothes Army serve as arena masters. Anyone who can defeat them in battle and hold the arena undefeated can directly become a centurion of the Blood Clothes Army.

The system of merit-based selection ensures that the capable rise while the mediocre fall.

This keeps the Blood Clothes Army in a constant state of strength.

At the foot of Qinling Mountain lies the Li Family Manor, which produced a ’Li Qingshan.’ He overwhelmed all his competitors in the contest, held the arena, and ascended to the position of centurion in the Blood Clothes Army.

Later, due to his numerous military achievements and exceptional talent, he climbed step by step to become a commander of the Blood Clothes Army. He was also accepted as a disciple by the Taixu Sword Sect Master, ’One-Word Electric Sword’ Yang Xiong, and married the Sect Master’s daughter.

He became a legendary figure known throughout Pengshan County.

Inspiring countless clean-backgrounded young men, full of passion, to pursue joining the Blood Clothes Army.

...

Becoming an apprentice.

Joining the army.

These are the two established paths to enter the Taixu Sword Sect.

But for Chen Jichuan,

the requirement of a ’clean background, traceable past’ alone was enough to bar him from entry.

Thus,

he had no choice but to disguise himself as a Qinling savage, mimicking a ’giant strength’ talent, and camouflaging himself as a piece of innate divine strength, a ’raw jade that walks with tigers.’

Deliberately colliding with merchant caravans, deliberately getting captured, and deliberately going berserk near Wang Ji, showcasing his potential.

All these careful preparations merged together.

Led Wang Ji to believe he was a man of ’Wisdom Eye,’ who had found a rare talent, and the man had been laughing joyously for days in a row.

Chen Jichuan thus achieved his goal and smoothly became a disciple of the Taixu Sword Sect.

"Next step."

"I must further showcase my talent during cultivation, gaining the recognition of the Taixu Sword Sect, becoming a core disciple, and obtaining guidance from masters—or even the inheritance left behind by the Taixu Emperor."

Chen Jichuan calculated silently in his heart.

Supreme power.

Shattering the void.

What kind of greatness must that be?

Chen Jichuan could not imagine how powerful the Taixu Emperor must have been to cut through the void with his sword and ascend.

But one thing was certain: his goal in this life was to shatter the void.

...

Night deepened.

Chen Jichuan lay sound asleep like a crouching tiger; each breath, though subtle, faintly carried the sound of roaring tigers.

Outside the door, a shadow appeared.

Silently, it gazed at Chen Jichuan for a long time before turning to leave.

...

So it was.

Chen Jichuan officially entered Wang Ji’s tutelage under the guise of a ’savage.’

Mrs. Wang personally taught him reading, writing, and human etiquette.

Mrs. Wang herself was a remarkable woman who rivaled the men. In her youth, she was a prestigious daughter sought after by many young heroes—not only beautiful but accomplished in both literature and martial arts, skilled in art, chess, and poetry.

With her knowledge and martial prowess, teaching a ’savage’ was more than adequate.

Given Chen Jichuan’s origins in the wilderness and his unruly disposition, she named him ’Shan,’ hoping he could shed his wildness, cultivate gentleness, and perform more good deeds.

She also wished for him not to seek fame and fortune but rather to live a peaceful, blessed life.

Adding the surname ’Wang,’ his name became ’Wang Shan.’

As for the name ’Wang Hu,’ which Wang Ji originally chose for Chen Jichuan, it lasted only a few days before Mrs. Wang forced it to be changed, leaving Wang Ji sighing for many days.

Time passed day by day.

’Wang Shan’ exhibited remarkable intelligence, learning thousands of characters and being able to read books on his own within a year.

Though still a bit dull in handling interpersonal relationships and navigating social situations—his manners often lacked refinement—he had at least moved beyond ignorance, shed his wildness, and could be considered an ’ordinary person.’

By this time.

Mrs. Wang finally permitted Wang Ji to teach ’Wang Shan’ martial arts.

...

"The paths of martial arts in this world number in the thousands, but they can generally be divided into two streams: ’internal’ and ’external.’"

"The ’Inner Strength’ path is represented by our Taixu Sword Sect ancestor, the ’Taixu Emperor,’ and the Taixuan Temple’s ’Taixuan Immortal.’ Their cultivation merged with nature and can shatter the void."

"The ’external skills’ path, on the other hand, is personified by Emperor Yong, the Guu Family Ancestor of Huangtian City, and the Xingyi Sect Founder. Emperor Yong observed various beasts and developed unparalleled martial arts—the ’Xingyi Fist.’ Within it, the twelve forms including ’Dragon, Tiger, Monkey, Horse, Chicken, Hawk, Swallow, Snake, Crocodile, Owl, Eagle, Bear’ each holds transformative power. Mastering even one form is enough to achieve the level of Transforming Strength Grandmaster comparable to that of Inner Strength’s Innate level."

"Most of the fist arts circulating today in Jianghu all derive from one of Xingyi Fist’s twelve forms."

"External skills refine the body."

"Inner Strength refines qi."

"Our Taixu Sword Sect is renowned for qi refining and swordsmanship, but we also house many external skills and fist techniques. You have spent years by the side of tigers and obtained some of a tiger’s spirit unknowingly. Cultivating the ’Tiger Form Fist’ will certainly yield swift progress. Once you reach the level of Transforming Strength, having cleared the fine meridians of your entire body, you can then shift from Tiger Form Fist to cultivating the sect’s numerous sword manuals. If fortune favors you, you may achieve the Innate Golden Core or even transcend the Innate Realm to reach greater heights."

Wang Ji, though lacking strong teaching abilities in martial arts, excelled in recounting historical backgrounds and theories.

Over the past year, Chen Jichuan had heard various snippets about cultivation from the Wang household.

He hadn’t intentionally sought information or dared to use the ’Thousand-mile Eye’ or ’Sharp-Hearing Ear’ recklessly, so his understanding remained fragmented.

It was only upon hearing Wang Ji’s explanation today that he finally grasped the concepts.

"So it turns out,"

"’Emperor Yong’ created Xingyi Fist, following the path of external skills."

"’Taixu Emperor,’ on the other hand, achieved supreme mastery through the path of Inner Strength."

"These two paths coexist in Qinling World, each capable of reaching astonishing heights. Whether it’s internal or external, culminating in supreme rank allows one to shatter the void."

Previously, Chen Jichuan had only obtained scattered snippets of information from Jianghu wanderers and storytellers.

Today, he finally understood basic concepts of this world.

The Taixu Sword Sect follows the path of Inner Strength, inherited from the ’Taixu Emperor,’ and is renowned for its sword techniques.

Huangtian City and the Xingyi Sect, however, follow the external path, inheriting from ’Emperor Yong,’ specializing in Xingyi Fist, with a particular expertise in spear techniques.

"I cultivate the ’Sword Map,’ so naturally, the Taixu Sword Sect suits me better."

"As for external skills, though the Taixu Sword Sect may not rival Huangtian City or the Xingyi Sect, it provides Innate-level cultivation techniques that can complement the limitation of my sole possession of ’Chen’s 72 Skills.’"

Wang Ji outlined a path for him—external skills transitioning to internal skills.

This was a common route taken by many martial artists.

External skills strengthen the body. At the level of dark strength, one may lack the explosive force of internal skills martial artists, but their grasp of power and muscle control far exceeds those on the same tier of internal skills, enabling prolonged battles.

It’s difficult to declare superiority between the two.

But starting with external skills, continuing if talented, or switching to internal skills for those less naturally gifted, both prove effective strategies.

In Wang Ji’s eyes, Chen Jichuan had already acquired the tiger’s spirit. Not cultivating ’Tiger Form Fist’ would be against the natural order.

"As your master, I am not proficient in external skills and have only cursory knowledge of ’Tiger Form Fist.’"

"But your Second Senior Brother ’Ma Zhengsong’ specializes in this discipline. I will first introduce you to the basics and set you on the path. Should you encounter further challenges in cultivation, seek instruction from your Second Senior Brother."

Wang Ji, an Innate-level practitioner, had some familiarity with external skills. Initiating disciples into the craft was not difficult, but progressing to the level of dark strength posed challenges for him.

His second disciple, Ma Zhengsong, however, possessed mastery of tiger-style techniques and excelled at wielding a saber. He was somewhat recognized in Jianghu as the ’Downhill Tiger,’ known for his fierce tiger fists and sharp saber skills.

Of course,

nicknames like ’Downhill Tiger’ were hardly unique in Central Earth’s Seven States. Though there might not be a thousand such names, there were at least eighty or ninety.

Meeting face to face was fine; losing against someone sharing the name would be just awkward.

"The key to Tiger Form Fist lies in its emphasis on bone and courage."

"The liver qi flows smoothly with the guidance of the head; with feet steady, the palms and claws strike simultaneously; elbows rise, palms flip, hips drop like hammers; feet lead, hands follow in harmony, merging into one."

"It emphasizes the waist as the core, drawing power from the Dantian. Though you’ve captured some essence of the tiger’s spirit previously, it’s all through self-taught methods. Against real opponents, you must refine your foundation, striving for perfection without negligence."

...

Starting from this day onward,

Wang Ji officially began teaching Chen Jichuan martial arts.

Starting with ’Tiger Form Fist.’

This type of fist arts numbered in the thousands within Jianghu, but those collected by the Taixu Sword Sect were either the finest gems circulating among Jianghu practitioners or were original creations by the sect’s external skills masters. Additionally, they were accompanied by insights from generations of predecessors.

For unaffiliated martial artists in Jianghu, it was akin to a dream-come-true treasure trove.

For Chen Jichuan,

these fist techniques were equally invaluable.

He revealed no hesitation in showcasing his ’martial arts talent.’

Starting with ’Tiger Form Fist,’ he quickly grasped its essence, familiarizing himself with its various moves and routines.

Though Tiger Form Fist originated from studying the tiger’s movements, behaviors, and combat methods, it had already evolved, refined, and surpassed its origins over successive generations of masters.

No longer confined by its animalistic roots.

After all,

Mastering Tiger Form Fist to the level of dark strength would allow one to fight tigers head-on. Cultivating it to the Transforming Strength level would make killing tigers as easy as drinking water.

Simple mimicry could never achieve such feats.

Transforming it into one’s own and innovating beyond the basics were keys to progression.

Month after month.

Year after year.

In merely four years, Chen Jichuan had cultivated ’Tiger Form Fist’ to the peak of dark strength.

Thereafter, he simultaneously studied Dragon, Leopard, Snake, and Crane forms.

Two more years passed.

He imbued the essence of all four forms.

By then, his mastery over five forms had reached completion, and he was only a step away from achieving Transforming Strength.

...

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