Chapter 14: Chapter 14: Dark Force
After Zhao Yuan’s breakthrough to Dark Force, Liang Cheng’s life continued as usual.
Morning training, learning to read, patrol duty, and nightly cultivation.
Tonight, after completing his Stone Armor Skill cultivation, his mind was as calm as still water. He closed his eyes and assumed his Posture Stance to cultivate the Fierce Bull Force, sensing the trajectory of his Qi Blood as it flowed beneath his skin and muscles.
’Bright Force Qi Blood is fierce and powerful. Dark Force must be cultivated from the outside in, training the force to penetrate the body with a blend of hardness and softness.’
Liang Cheng had been in the reef cave holding the Mixed Element Stance for two hours. His Qi Blood surged like a tide within him, but he couldn’t quite grasp the key to making it "penetrate."
’Too tight, and it stagnates. Too loose, and it scatters.’
’Gentleness within strength...’
It was a moment of inspiration. He stopped trying to force control, allowing his Qi Blood to flow naturally. His will became like a light, merely illuminating without controlling.
The next moment, he suddenly raised a hand and pressed it lightly against the stone wall. With a thought, a warm current flowed down his arm and out through his palm.
POOF.
The surface of the stone wall was unscathed, but three inches inside, it had turned to dust.
Dark Force. It had come naturally.
[Mixed Element Stance: Great Success (125/1000)]
[Fierce Bull Force: Great Success (1/2000)]
[Stone Armor Skill (Fragment): Minor Success (703/800)]
In the instant of his breakthrough, Liang Cheng guided his Qi Blood to break through the Du Meridian Three Passes—the tailbone, Jiaji, and Jade Pillow—completing the Minor Circulation.
Liang Cheng slowly opened his eyes. He felt his body brimming with Qi Blood, and even his five senses had sharpened considerably. He reached out and pressed his five fingers against the reef wall.
With a thought, his Inner Breath passed through his body and left a shallow Palm Seal on the stone. Dark Force could now be released externally; a qualitative change had occurred.
After calming himself, he gathered his things and returned to the Martial Arts Hall.
...
For the next few days, the apprentices in the front courtyard were still buzzing about Zhao Yuan’s grand breakthrough, while most of the disciples in the back courtyard crowded around Zhao Yuan, showering him with compliments.
As Liang Cheng passed by, Zhao Yuan was demonstrating the marvels of Dark Force. He struck a piece of tofu wrapped in cotton cloth; the tofu remained intact, but the green brick beneath it shattered.
Everyone gasped in amazement.
Liang Cheng glanced over before turning back to his room, unfazed. Not far away, Zhou Hu frowned but ultimately said nothing.
At least with one more Dark Force expert in the Martial Arts Hall, they would have a better chance of winning the annual Three Towns Martial Arts Hall competition. At the very least, they wouldn’t be outshone by the Zhen Nan Martial Arts Hall.
Over the next few days, Liang Cheng kept to himself, continuing his low-key cultivation.
The reef cave on the desolate beach.
Liang Cheng stood shirtless in the cave, his chest and back covered in a specially prepared medicinal paste. He swung a ten-pound, hardened cowhide bag filled with iron sand mixed with a pound of Cold Iron Sand, and smashed it violently against his own left arm.
CLANG!
It actually produced a crisp sound, like metal striking metal. The layer of "Stone Muscle" beneath his skin tightened inch by inch, channeling the impact force into his muscles.
With each successive blow, the pain suddenly vanished. Beneath his muscles, it felt as though silk threads were winding together, binding tightly, and a roar seemed to echo from within his body.
[Stone Armor Skill (Fragment): Great Success (1/2000)]
[Unlocked: Stone Bone Style]
’I did it.’
Liang Cheng slowly exhaled, his breath condensing into a white mist in the cave.
He clenched his fists, and his knuckles let out a light CRACKLE—not the sound of tendons and bones aligning, but the hard grinding of bone against bone.
The Stone Bone Style trained the density and resilience of one’s bones.
But this was where the Fragment ended. After mastering the Stone Bone Style, he would have to find a way to obtain the rest of the incomplete Cultivation Technique, or he would be unable to continue his Cultivation.
However, cultivating the Stone Bone Style required replacing the sandbag with an iron hammer. The medicinal paste also needed the addition of "Iron Marrow Powder," a mineral more expensive than gold, to temper the bones.
But Iron Marrow Powder was likely impossible to find, not just in the small town, but even in the city.
’I’ll use Cold Iron Sand as a substitute for now. The effect might be halved, but it’s better than my Cultivation stagnating.’
He put away the sandbag and wiped himself clean. His skin looked normal, but it was as tough as leather to the touch. Only by pressing hard could one feel the firm muscle underneath.
He glanced at the few lines of text in his mind, feeling quite satisfied. All his diligent training had not been in vain; it was finally paying off.
[Mixed Element Stance: Great Success (155/1000)]
[Fierce Bull Force: Great Success (36/2000)]
[Stone Armor Skill (Fragment): Great Success (1/2000)]
By the time Liang Cheng returned to the Martial Arts Hall, the sky was already beginning to lighten.
A few apprentices were sweeping the front courtyard. When they saw Liang Cheng, they all lowered their heads and made way for him.
Most of the disciples in the back courtyard were still at their morning training. Zhao Yuan was practicing his punches in the courtyard, his fists whistling through the air, creating a faint sound of Wind and Thunder. A few junior brothers had gathered to watch and cheer.
Liang Cheng bypassed the crowd, showing no interest in the spectacle, and continued toward the West Wing.
"Junior Brother Liang."
Zhou Hu’s voice came from behind him.
Liang Cheng turned and bowed. "Senior Brother Zhou."
"We leave for the year-end competition in three days," Zhou Hu lowered his voice. "Master has an old grudge with Martial Arts Hall Master Wu of the Zhen Nan Martial Arts Hall. In this competition, they will definitely try to provoke us. You need to stay level-headed and not act rashly."
"Understood."
"Also," Zhou Hu paused, "Zhao Yuan’s arrogance has grown since his breakthrough to Dark Force. If he gets into a conflict, you need to hold him back."
Liang Cheng was taken aback. "Senior Brother, you think I can stop him?"
Zhou Hu gave him a long, deep look. "You know what you’re capable of."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Liang Cheng stood rooted to the spot. ’It seems I can’t hide it from Zhou Hu.’ He glanced at the dust being kicked up by Zhao Yuan’s punches and couldn’t help but shake his head.
...
「Three days later, at dawn.」
Nine disciples of the Yangwei Martial Arts Hall gathered in the front courtyard.
Yang Wei wore a black robe with Zhou Hu close behind him. Zhao Yuan stood at the head of the disciples, dressed in splendid blue Martial Attire, radiating confidence.
Liang Cheng, still in his green tunic and black belt, stood in the middle of the group, completely inconspicuous.
"We are heading to Juying Mountain Villa for a gathering of the six martial arts halls from the Three Towns. A special envoy from the City Lord’s Mansion will be in attendance, and many great clans and merchants will also be there to watch."
Yang Wei’s voice was grave. "Remember the rules. Winning or losing is secondary; you must not disgrace the Martial Arts Hall. If anyone engages in private duels or uses dirty tricks, they will be expelled from the school without mercy!"
"Yes, sir!" the disciples answered in unison.
Carriages were already waiting outside the gate. The nine of them split into three carriages: Yang Wei and Zhou Hu took one, Zhao Yuan and two of his close junior brothers took another, and Liang Cheng squeezed into the last one with the remaining four.
The wheels began to turn, carrying them out of the small town.
The atmosphere in the carriage was somber.
In the carriage with Liang Cheng was Li Cheng, who had been at the Martial Arts Hall for a long time and was the best source of gossip.
"Junior Brothers, I heard the Zhen Nan Martial Arts Hall also produced a Dark Force Disciple this year. He’s only seventeen, named Wu Xiao, and he’s Martial Arts Hall Master Wu’s own nephew."
"Senior Brother Zhao will definitely have to face him," Li Cheng said in a hushed voice. "In our Martial Arts Hall, only Eldest Senior Brother and Senior Brother Zhao are at the Dark Force level. If Senior Brother Zhao slips up, Eldest Senior Brother will have to step in. I’m worried about the third match."
The faces of the others turned grim. Someone asked for Liang Cheng’s opinion, but he simply said, "Master has his own arrangements."
After speaking, Liang Cheng closed his eyes to rest. The others, finding the conversation had died, also fell silent.
After traveling for half a day, they arrived at Juying Mountain Villa in the afternoon.
The villa was built against a mountain, with green tiles and white walls, giving it an impressive air. Disciples from two other martial arts halls were already waiting at the entrance. They turned to look as the Yangwei Martial Arts Hall’s carriages arrived.
Yang Wei had just stepped out of his carriage when a group of people emerged from the villa.
The man in the lead was a burly, red-faced fellow dressed in dark red Martial Attire with a golden ribbon tied around his waist. It was none other than Wu Tianxiong, the master of the Zhen Nan Martial Arts Hall.
"Martial Arts Hall Master Yang, long time no see." Wu Tianxiong’s laugh was loud, but it was a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
Yang Wei cupped his fist. "Martial Arts Hall Master Wu."
"You’ve brought some decent people this year," Wu Tianxiong said, his gaze sweeping over the Yangwei Martial Arts Hall disciples and lingering on Zhao Yuan for a moment. "I hear you have a seventeen-year-old who reached Dark Force? Quite impressive."
Zhao Yuan puffed out his chest, his face full of pride.
But then Wu Tianxiong’s tone shifted. "What a pity. Back in the day, your senior brother, Chen Han, also reached Dark Force at seventeen. And what was the result? He suffered a Qigong Deviation while trying to break through to Transformation Force and ended up with crippled legs."
"Martial Arts Hall Master Yang, you should learn from that lesson. You can’t be too eager for quick success when teaching your disciples."
Hearing this, Yang Wei’s expression darkened. Zhou Hu took half a step forward and said coldly, "Martial Arts Hall Master Wu, that’s ancient history. Why bring it up again?"
"History?" Wu Tianxiong sneered. "I’m just offering a kind reminder. Young people who are too sharp-edged break easily."
Before his words had faded, a young man from behind him stepped forward. He was lean and wiry, with eyes as sharp as a hawk’s and noticeably large knuckles. It was Wu Xiao.
"You’re Zhao Yuan, right?" Wu Xiao stared at Zhao Yuan. "I hear you’re pretty good with the Fierce Bull Force. Care to test your skills right now?"
Zhao Yuan’s eyebrows shot up. "You think I’m afraid of you?!"
"Nonsense!" Yang Wei barked. "The competition is tomorrow! If you fight now, you’ll be disqualified!"
Wu Tianxiong waved his hand dismissively. "Young people have hot tempers. It’s normal. Xiao’er, come back."
Wu Xiao grinned, his gaze sweeping over the members of the Yangwei Martial Arts Hall with open contempt before he turned and rejoined his group.
Yang Wei ignored them and led his disciples into the mountain villa.
