In the next moment, the azure True Qi within the dantian, under his guidance, surged rapidly along the meridians of his arm like an awakened snake, rushing straight to the palm. With a swirl of his body, facing the old locust tree in the courtyard, he brought his right hand’s five fingers together, transforming it into a sharp hand blade, and gently slashed forward. This was not merely muscular exertion, but the instant infusion of that Inner Qi onto the edge of the palm. A sharp and clear sound suddenly resonated in the silent courtyard, as if a piece of cloth had been instantly torn apart. Where the palm’s edge directed, the air seemed forcibly torn open by an invisible sharp blade. Just then, two withered yellow locust leaves drifted down, precisely passing the path before his palm’s edge. The two leaves were split in half without even a pause, the cuts remarkably smooth. Afterward, they gently floated to the ground. The entire courtyard fell utterly silent. The five Sect Leaders who had immersed themselves in the Martial Arts World for a lifetime were now all standing dumbfounded, as if struck by an Immobilization Technique. Their expressions, from shock to amazement, finally solidified into a fanaticism akin to witnessing a miracle. "True Qi extending a few inches outside the body..." Chen Zizhen’s voice was incredibly dry, as if his throat was stuffed with sand. "No, it’s not merely True Qi extending outside the body." Wu Dewang steadied his glasses that almost slipped off, his eyes behind the lenses full of incredulity: "That’s having condensed Qi into a blade, truly achieving ’Qi Refinement as a Knife’..." "It’s my first time witnessing such a feat; even Old Dong never reached this level!" Mentioned Dong Yunchuan was presently standing with his mouth half-open, looking enthralled, without any intention of rebuttal. Ma Jianguo, whose face was usually serene, was also slightly flushed with excitement, his fists unconsciously clenching at his sides. He took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly, striving to maintain an ethereal demeanor. His gaze fixed on Fang Cheng, he murmured to himself: "Our Martial Arts Research Association has finally awaited a true... successor!" Fang Cheng completed his move and stood firmly, his breath steady as usual. As if that astonishing strike just now was merely a casual swipe. A few lines of brand-new information clearly appeared on the display in front of him. [Palm Technique Experience +20] [Palm Technique Level 0 (20/100)] [You have realized a method of applying Qi Gong in actual combat, Skill Experience +30] [Qi Gong Level 2 (160/500)] Fang Cheng’s eyes suddenly swept over. He then furrowed his brow and, still standing, fell into contemplation. Upon seeing this, none of the others stepped forward to interrupt. As experienced practitioners themselves, they knew Fang Cheng was in a profound state of epiphany. Any disturbance might interrupt this valuable experience. A moment later, Fang Cheng suddenly raised his head, his gaze falling on Dong Yunchuan, who was closest to him. Fang Cheng’s tone carried a hint of confusion and inquiry: "I always feel that exerting force is somewhat off." "It seems the True Qi only circulates on the surface of the muscles and cannot truly penetrate out with the force; once it slightly leaves the body, most of the Qi gets wasted." Hearing this, Dong Yunchuan seemed to awaken from a dream. His aged face flushed, and he quickly walked forward, feeling a bit embarrassed by his earlier lapse. "Yes, yes, your feeling is correct!" He collected himself and immediately assumed the role of a mentor: "The key to using True Qi lies in ’intention’; when you unleash the palm, your mind should not just linger on the palm but imagine how it penetrates the target, still having residual strength upon reaching the target." "This is what they call, Qi moves where the intention leads, where the mind goes, the Qi follows!" Dong Yunchuan’s words carried a somewhat mystical tone. Beside him, Professor Wu Dewang smiled, then supplemented in a more modern tone: "Ah Cheng, you could understand it this way: your body is the gun, the Kung Fu you practiced is the bullet, and ’Qi’ is the gunpowder." "How to mobilize the gunpowder so that the bullet shoots out in different ways—whether spinning out or bursting and dispersing—this is the essence of palm technique on the inner strength level that needs to be studied." "What Senior Brother Dong mentioned as ’intention’ is the trigger, simultaneously being the sight." This analogy was easy to understand, and Fang Cheng immediately grasped the crucial point within. He nodded thoughtfully, suddenly feeling an urge to try. Googlᴇ search novel-fire.net Instinctively, he looked around, his gaze sweeping over the rockery, the stone table, the thick tree trunk, and even a few of his elders. That look was like a beast searching for prey to test the sharpness of its claws. The few elders he glanced at felt a cold chill on the back of their necks. Fang Cheng took a deep breath, suppressing the impulse within him, not proceeding to test the power of palm technique with True Qi. The series of displays just now were already shocking enough for everyone. If he really took out the rockery and stone table, causing heart problems for these elders, it would be hard to handle. "Come, come, everyone sit, sit." Ma Jianguo was the first to react, smiling and inviting everyone to sit back down by the stone table. He then personally picked up the teapot to refill everyone’s teacups with hot tea. A gentle breeze rustled the locust tree leaves, casting mottled and swaying shadows on the stone table. The fragrance of tea mingled with the smell of earth and jasmine in the yard. The atmosphere gradually calmed down from the previous shock, turning into enthusiastic and harmonious discussion. At this moment, the elders’ gaze toward Fang Cheng had completely changed. If before there was admiration and respect. Now, it was a desire to impart all their treasured experiences and insights. Everyone’s eyes were filled with heavy anticipation. Looking at Fang Cheng, it was like seeing the hope for the future of the entire traditional Martial Arts world. In their eyes, Fang Cheng was like a second Li Guizhen, a ray of light for this group of old-fashioned martial artists who had been exploring in the dark all their lives. "Ah Cheng, you just started learning the palm technique. It’s normal that the Qi Force can’t fully penetrate." Ma Jianguo sipped his tea, speaking slowly and gently: "The main reason for this is that you’re used to using fists." "Fists symbolize bravery, palms symbolize skill. Fists emphasize force concentrated at a single point, lethal with one strike, utilizing force in a direct and fierce manner." "However, palm techniques have much richer variations—pat, press, penetrate, chop, sweep, lift—each corresponding to different force techniques and Qi Force effects." He set down his teacup and continued his explanation: "Using palm techniques to exert the power of True Qi isn’t simply about channeling Qi to the palm, as that is inefficient and True Qi tends to dissipate." "I’ll teach you a method: before channeling Qi, you can first learn to control force, and once you’ve mastered this, True Qi will naturally follow the force to the extremities, making it easier to be released." "The Tai Chi Boxing’s forces include Silk Wrapping Strength, Spiral Force, Bounce and Shake Strength, and so on. In summary, the marvel of controlling force lies in ’smoothness’ and ’penetration.’" "’Smoothness’ is like a river flowing unobstructed. ’Penetration’ is like the sun and moon illuminating the darkness." "You’ve got a strong foundation and a relaxed body, already grasping the essence of ’smoothness.’ Now you need to practice ’penetrating’ force." "Ah Cheng, remember a line from Tai Chi Boxing’s manual: ’Extreme softness leads to extreme hardness.’" Ma Jianguo earnestly instructed: "Only by completely relaxing your body and concentrating your mind can your Qi Force penetrate without obstruction, truly achieving mental control with vast power." Fang Cheng listened quietly, nodding repeatedly, committing these golden words to memory. Ma Jianguo chuckled as he spoke: "These were actually told to me by my father back in the day; I’m just skimming the surface." "The real secrets must be slowly comprehended in actual combat. But with your insight, I believe you’ll soon master it completely." "Hey, enough with the talking!" Dong Yunchuan glanced up at the sun already overhead: "It’s almost noon, today you’ll try my cooking skills. Ah Cheng, you’re in for a treat." With those words, he enthusiastically rolled up his sleeves and strode towards the kitchen. The gathering instantly shifted from serious martial arts discussion to a lively family meal. "Old Dong is going to show off again." Wu Dewang shook his head with a smile, saying to everyone: "We shouldn’t just sit idle, let’s lend a hand." Zhang Haixiang grabbed a big rooster from the carriage outside the yard and shouted: "I’ll slaughter the chicken!" Chen Zizhen rolled up his sleeves and carried a bucket towards the other side of the pool: "I’ll take care of these fish." Seeing this, Fang Cheng also stood up with a smile, his gaze resting on the busy figures in the courtyard. It was as if he was seeing the scene when he first joined the Martial Arts Research Association.