Martial Arts Masters

Huo Xuan glanced back at Zhang Wu, who waved him inside with a flick of his hand.

The young acolyte led Huo Xuan to the main hall—a towering structure over ten meters high and at least twenty meters wide, its facade supported by nine crimson-lacquered pillars. The massive doors were shut, exuding an aura of solemn grandeur.

"Abbot, Huo Xuan has arrived," the acolyte announced toward the hall.

A clear, resonant male voice replied from within: "Let him enter."

The acolyte pushed open the doors and gestured to Huo Xuan. "Go ahead."

Nodding, Huo Xuan stepped over the half-meter-high threshold and entered. His eyes immediately found Hua Buyi seated cross-legged to one side, eyes closed in silent meditation. Around the hall sat three others: two men and a woman.

The woman's age was indeterminate—she could pass for her twenties at a glance, but upon closer inspection, appeared at least thirty or forty. Dressed in a violet martial arts uniform with her hair in a high ponytail, her delicate features were fixed on Huo Xuan.

Her gaze, though neither sharp nor piercing, carried a jade-like serenity that seemed to press against his very soul.

To her left sat an emaciated old man wearing nothing but a sweat-stained undershirt, black cloth pants, and traditional layered-soled shoes—the very image of a rustic villager. Yet his eyes burned like spectral flames in the dim hall, glowing with an eerie blue light.

The third figure, draped in a flowing Taoist robe, was rotund with ears nearly touching his shoulders. He beamed at Huo Xuan, though his slit-like eyes emitted a chilling gleam that stirred unease.

After a quick scan, Huo Xuan bowed his head and called out: "Master, I'm here."

Hua Buyi slowly opened his eyes. "Huo Xuan, these three individuals are among the pinnacle masters of Chinese martial arts today." He gestured to the woman. "This is Liu Zhenru, residing in the U.S. She has mastered ancient and modern qinggong (lightness skills) and hidden weapons, achieving the Dan Jin (Elixir Realm). Her epithet is 'Zhenru Immortal.'"

Huo Xuan started. Dan Jin? Even Master is only at the Hua Jin (Transformation Realm)! He hastily saluted. "Greetings, Elder Liu."

Liu Zhenru acknowledged him with a slight nod.

Hua Buyi then indicated the gaunt old man. "This is Lu Yunxiang, a mainland combat specialist versed in Xingyi, Taiji, Wing Chun, Bagua, and more. Undefeated for thirty years, he's another Dan Jin master—known as 'Invincible Lu.'"

Huo Xuan hastily paid his respects to the gaunt old man, who merely snorted in response, offering no further acknowledgment.

Hua Buyi then introduced the third figure: "This is the Abbot of Yuxu Temple. His Tai Chi mastery is peerless, and his fist strength unrivaled in this world. He is known as the 'King of Tai Chi.'"

After bowing to the three martial arts luminaries, Huo Xuan wondered inwardly: Why has Master invited all three? Does he expect me to apprentice under each of them?

As if reading his thoughts, Hua Buyi added, "Once Huo Xuan completes his training, the three of you will owe me nothing further."

The gaunt old man's eyes flickered. "Master Hua, you could have demanded far greater favors. Isn't this a waste of your leverage?"

The woman, Liu Zhenru, also spoke up: "Master Hua, you've gathered three strangers with no prior connection to teach a single disciple. What is your aim? To forge the world's greatest martial artist?"

Hua Buyi smiled faintly. "Is that so impossible?"

The Abbot of Yuxu Temple chuckled. "Should this boy prove talentless, the three of us might waste a decade—or even our remaining years—on him."

"No need for concern," Hua Buyi replied. "His aptitude will be evident at a glance." Turning to Huo Xuan, he asked, "A month and a half ago, I taught you the Hunyuan Stance. How has your practice progressed?"

Huo Xuan answered promptly: "I've achieved whole-body force integration, but not yet manifested 'bright force.'"

Hua Buyi laughed. "You'll never manifest bright force through stance alone. Very well—demonstrate for us."

Huo Xuan planted his feet firmly, his posture steady as an ancient pine rooted between heaven and earth. Wherever his focus directed, his qi and blood surged like roaring tides.

Every master present—including Hua Buyi—pricked up their ears, discerning the flow of Huo Xuan's vitality. Astonishment flashed across their faces.

Liu Zhenru remarked, "To refine the Hunyuan Stance to this level in just over a month marks him as exceptional. More astonishing, he's already attempting to command his entire qi-blood system."

The Abbot of Yuxu Temple nodded. "For us martial artists, all skill lies in harnessing qi and blood. Who'd have guessed this boy possesses such innate talent? Master Hua, your vision is unmatched—you've uncovered a treasure."

Hua Buyi smiled. "Even I didn't anticipate his progress. Like you, I'm surprised." He then turned to the gaunt old man. "Elder Lu, what say you?"

Lu Yunxiang nodded slowly. "In my youth, I was hailed as a prodigy by grandmasters of Chinese martial arts. Yet compared to your disciple, I paled in comparison. I too practiced the Hunyuan Stance back then—it took me over half a year to achieve his current level, and I was far from touching the realm of blood and qi control."

Hearing unanimous praise from all three masters, Hua Buyi knew his plan had succeeded. "Gentlemen, I've said all there is to say. I leave Huo Xuan in your hands. Please forge him the sturdiest foundation possible."

Lu Yunxiang snorted. "Hua Buyi, your audacity knows no bounds. Only you would dare conscript three masters to lay the groundwork for a fledgling. The world has never seen such extravagance."

Hua Buyi smiled. "I studied medicine before martial arts, halving my results with double the effort—a lasting regret. Only upon reflection did I realize: martial arts first, medicine second. That's the path to efficiency."

"A martial artist's understanding of the body far surpasses ordinary people's. Especially masters like you three, who've refined qi-blood control to perfection—you could master medicine almost effortlessly. Moreover, my Shennong Sect's Great Luo Divine Needles and Nine Medical Forces stem entirely from martial foundations."

Liu Zhenru, an expert in hidden weapons, couldn't resist asking: "Master Hua, if one masters all Nine Medical Forces to unification, what destructive power would that hold?"

"I've only unified seven forces," Hua Buyi admitted. "A single unresisted strike could kill any one of you. As for the unified nine? The Shennong Sect calls it 'Divine Finger'—it can slay or revive with a touch."

The three masters stiffened slightly. The Abbot of Yuxu Temple murmured, "If I'm not mistaken, this 'Divine Finger' must belong to the divine ability (shentong) tier. Beyond Dan Jin lies Shentong Jin, but few in history have touched that realm—only a handful."

Hua Buyi nodded. "The Shennong Sect once produced a master who unified all nine forces. He indeed reached the Shentong domain."

As four of humanity's pinnacle practitioners, their discussion grew fervent. Lu Yunxiang pondered aloud: "Legends say Shentong practitioners gain miraculous abilities—divine vision, divine hearing, mind-reading, knowledge of past lives, bodily transcendence. Master Hua, do you believe this?"

After a pause, Hua Buyi replied, "The universe holds infinite wonders. All things are possible—we must advance courageously."

The others nodded solemnly in agreement.

Engrossed, the four seemed to forget Huo Xuan entirely, conversing for hours until Hua Buyi finally stood. "I'll return in three months. Gentlemen, farewell." Without even acknowledging Huo Xuan, he exited the hall and descended the mountain with Zhang Wu.

Alone in the cavernous hall with three legendary masters, Huo Xuan's scalp prickled. Forcing a smile, he bowed deeply. "Esteemed seniors, I'm at your service."

To his surprise, the three masters ignored him entirely. Liu Zhenru proposed, "Since Master Hua will return every three months, why don't we take turns teaching? Three months each?"

The other two agreed. Thus, Liu Zhenru stayed while the others departed—leaving Huo Xuan alone in the vast hall with this preternaturally skilled and beautiful woman to begin his training.

Day 1

Liu Zhenru handed Huo Xuan an axe and sent him into the mountains to chop wooden stakes: each roughly 10 cm in diameter, 1 meter long, with a flat cross-section. The grueling task took him five full days to complete—81 stakes in total.

However, the blunt axe left jagged, splintered surfaces riddled with sharp protrusions. Soon, he'd taste the consequences of his shoddy workmanship.

Day 6

Liu Zhenru ordered him to plant all 81 stakes in a specific pattern, half-meter exposed above ground. Then came the real trial: traversing them sequentially using a specialized breathing technique she taught.

On his first attempt, he fell six times, emerging bruised and bloody—the splinters gashing his skin mercilessly.

Fortunately, Huo Xuan's inner vision allowed him to observe and adjust his breathing. Within three days, he could navigate the stakes flawlessly without a single fall.

Liu Zhenru immediately escalated the challenge: "Now, articulate this complex syllable with each step."

Strangely, every time he uttered the syllable, his blood and qi would stagnate mid-flow, disrupting his movement—and sending him tumbling down nine times out of ten.

Thus began his grueling routine: thousands of stake crossings daily. Through relentless inner observation, he gradually overcame the syllables' interference, his movements growing fluid. Simultaneously, he noticed an astonishing pattern—the faster he moved, the more rhythmically his blood and qi circulated.

Eighty-one stakes. Eighty-one steps. Each step demanded a unique motion, a distinct syllable, and a corresponding blood-qi flow pattern.

For fifteen straight days, Huo Xuan drilled this stake-walking. Through constant micro-adjustments via inner vision, his blood-qi gradually synchronized into a precise cadence. By attuning to this rhythm, he finally grasped the threshold of blood-qi manipulation—harnessing breath and motion to direct its flow.

Beyond stake-walking, Huo Xuan maintained his nightly Hunyuan Stance practice, further refining his blood-qi awareness. Each evening, Liu Zhenru applied a bluish medicinal paste, massaging it into his skin without fail.

Under her hands, exhaustion melted away; his body flooded with warmth, lulling him into deep, restorative sleep.