Ling Feng, however, seemed completely oblivious to the surrounding gazes.
He looked straight ahead as he walked through the crowd, stopping before Cao Feng and Li Qingxue. He bowed respectfully and announced in a clear voice, "Disciple Ling Feng pays his respects to Instructor Cao and Senior Sister Qingxue."
The youth was only fifteen, and his frame had yet to fully develop, but he already exuded a composure far beyond his peers.
But his eyes were as sharp as a falcon's, and his gaze carried an overbearing arrogance that made others feel a bit uncomfortable.
Cao Feng's eyelids twitched upward as he gave the boy a casual, sideways glance, but he didn't reply.
He strode to the center of the Martial Arts Arena and declared in a deep voice, "So-called Martial Arts are the skills used to defeat enemies, achieve victory, and preserve your own life!"
"What do you rely on to defeat an opponent, or even take their life in a battle to the death?"
"You rely on the strength in your fists being fiercer than a raging tiger, the speed of your feet being swifter than a cunning rabbit, the dexterity of your hands nimbler than an agile monkey, the accuracy of your punches sharper than an eagle's eye, and your muscles and bones tougher than unyielding stone!"
"This Twelve Forms Fist is the foundation upon which our Seven Stars Gang was built. When mastered to its peak, your body will be like a weeping willow swaying in the wind, your claws like a fierce tiger rending mountainside stone, and your palms like a black bear shaking a great tree!"
"Furthermore, it can help you strengthen your qi and blood and temper your muscles and bones. When your qi and blood condenses like mercury, that is when you will knock open the gates to the Martial Dao!"
"This process of strengthening your qi and blood is what we call 'Blood Nourishing.' The purpose of Blood Nourishing is to break through to the 'Blood Nourishing Realm'!"
Cao Feng's gaze, sharp as lightning, slowly swept across everyone present.
In that instant, the aura around him changed dramatically!
The previous air of lonely desolation vanished without a trace...
The seemingly listless middle-aged man's eyes suddenly erupted with a terrifying glint, like a dormant tiger abruptly opening its eyes!
Such was his majesty that no one around dared to meet his gaze!
He said in a deep voice, "Today, I will demonstrate the Twelve Forms Fist from beginning to end. I will explain every single move and stance in detail."
"All of you, pay attention! Watch closely, listen carefully, and commit it to memory!"
"How much you can grasp, how deeply you can understand, will all depend on your own natural aptitude and Comprehension!"
Hearing this, everyone in the arena instantly held their breath and quieted down, even softening their breathing. Their eyes were wide open, afraid of missing the slightest detail.
"ROAR—!"
A strange roar erupted from Cao Feng's mouth.
The sound started low and deep, then grew higher and higher, as if a true giant dragon were circling above the Martial Arts Arena!
He had only assumed an opening stance, yet the surrounding air seemed to be stirred by an invisible giant hand, faintly coalescing into a dragon-shaped current of Force, barely visible to the naked eye!
A pressure like a collapsing mountain range radiated out from Cao Feng, sweeping in all directions.
Those standing closer felt a tightness in their chests, as if crushed by a massive boulder. Their faces turned deathly pale, and they staggered back several steps in horror before managing to steady themselves.
"Sink the waist, retract the shoulders, hollow the chest..."
"Strike like a steel rasp; return like a hooking pole!"
"The elbows never leave the ribs; the hands never leave the heart!"
"The Dragon Form has the posture of a subduing dragon and the method of searching the bones. It coils and uncoils, rising and falling in constant transformation!"
"The Tiger Form has the posture of a crouching tiger leaving its lair and the ferocity of pouncing on prey. It can strike with the hip and is adept at sweeping with the tail!"
"The Monkey Form has a method for retracting force and the spirit of leaping through mountains. It is agile and clever, able to lighten the body..."
"Every step, a stake!"
"Every fist, an intent!"
As Cao Feng's body moved, he demonstrated the techniques of the Twelve Forms Fist one by one, all while explaining the essence of each move in a deep voice.
At times, his fist path was like a clever serpent striking from its hole—cunning and unpredictable.
At other times, it was like a fierce tiger descending a mountain—ferocious and unmatched.
After demonstrating each stance, Cao Feng would pause and meticulously break down the breathing methods and force-generation secrets contained within.
From how to channel Force through the fist's wind to how to place the feet in the Step Technique, he held nothing back in his teaching.
His movements seemed slow, each move and stance as clear as if in slow motion, yet where his fists and feet passed, they created a whistling sound as they tore through the air.
At first, the sound was like tearing silk, but it eventually became like the crack of a steel whip striking the air, a sharp CRACK that made everyone's eardrums buzz!
The surrounding airflow moved with his Fist Momentum, sometimes gathering into the shape of a galloping horse, other times transforming into the form of a slithering snake, perfectly displaying the essence of the Twelve Forms.
Chu Fan squeezed into the front row of the crowd, his eyes unblinking.
He stared intently at Cao Feng's every move, refusing to miss even the arc of his fingertips or the position crushed by the tip of his foot.
He felt that every move contained infinite wondrous principles, and he wished he could carve this Fist Technique into his very bones.
The others in the crowd were the same. Some frowned in deep thought, while others muttered quietly to themselves.
Every one of them had a look of intense concentration, as if the only thing in the world was the dancing figure in the center of the arena.
The time it takes for an incense stick to burn passed slowly...
Cao Feng executed the final stance, "Bear Fighting," pushing both palms out flat, generating a current of Force as heavy and solid as a mountain.
When the wind from his palms settled, he abruptly pulled back his fists and stood erect, his posture as straight as a pine tree.
Looking at his complexion, it was rosy as usual, and his breathing was even and clean. He wasn't even the slightest bit winded.
It was as if that incredibly draining Fist Technique had been nothing more than a casual stretch!
He walked slowly around the arena, saying as he went, "The Twelve Forms Fist has Twelve Forms, but it is not twelve different Fist Techniques."
"With the Bear Form at Great Success, you'll have the power of a vertical peak and the Force of a horizontal shoulder!"
"With the Monkey Form at Great Success, your body will be agile, and you can leap and shift as you please!"
"With the Serpent Form at Great Success, you can extend and retract freely and turn with great speed..."
"If you want to master the Twelve Forms Fist, you cannot aim too high too soon, nor can you be greedy for more or rush for speed."
"The most stable and fastest Technique is to pick one of the Twelve Forms and dive headfirst into it. Be like a stonemason in the deep mountains carving a stele, polishing it with the effort of ten years condensed into one, soaking it with countless beads of sweat!"
"Master one form, and you will understand all forms."
"If one form is not smooth, it's difficult to practice the others!"
"You must remember this firmly: what is truly important is not the fist moves, but the Pile Skills in your feet and the Breathing Technique."
"Pile Skills are like an old tree's gnarled roots; breathing is like a great river surging forth. Only when you've refined these two to purity can they merge with your fist moves. Then, you can guide the qi and blood throughout your body like rivers flowing into the sea, ultimately generating that vast and unstoppable Qi Blood Power!"
...
Chu Fan felt a ROAR in his mind, as if an invisible shackle had suddenly shattered. His vision cleared, and it was as if a great gate to a new world of the Martial Dao had been thrown open before him.
The principles in the Boxing Manual that had once seemed lost in a fog were now, after Cao Feng's pointers, as clear as the sun appearing from behind the clouds.
A warm current seemed to flow through his entire body.
Every word from the Chief Instructor seemed to carry a thousand pounds of weight, and Chu Fan benefited immensely.
At that moment, Cao Feng took a Cyan Bamboo Stick from Li Qingxue's hand.
The bamboo stick was about three feet long and emerald green all over, looking quite ordinary.
His gaze swept over the crowd, and the bamboo stick pointed casually at one person. He said in a low voice, "You, come out."
A skinny youth in the crowd trembled at the words, his face instantly paling.
He nervously squeezed out of the crowd, his head lowered, not daring to look directly at Cao Feng.
"How long have you been here?"
Cao Feng asked, his voice not loud but carrying an unquestionable authority.
The skinny youth bowed and replied respectfully, "Re... Replying to the Instructor, this disciple has been here for half a month."
Cao Feng nodded slightly, tapping the bamboo stick lightly against his palm with a crisp sound. "Since it's been half a month, demonstrate the Twelve Forms Fist, move by move, for everyone to see."
"Go slowly. If you make a mistake, I will correct you."
"Yes!" The skinny youth's throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, fine beads of sweat already forming on his forehead.
He took a deep breath, his right foot suddenly stepping forward half a pace. He sank into his stance and began the opening moves of the Twelve Forms Fist.
But he had only reached the fifteenth move when Cao Feng's bamboo stick lashed out like a serpent striking from its hole. With a sharp "SMACK," it struck the youth's left leg!
The youth flinched in pain, nearly jumping to his feet!
His face flushed bright red, but he clenched his jaw and didn't dare make a sound.
"Rise and fall like a dragon ascending to the heavens, drop like a hibernating dragon churning the waves... When you step with the left leg, you must sink your waist into a horse stance and punch with the right fist in a fluid motion!"
Cao Feng's voice turned sharp, like ice scraping across a stone slate. "You're making such an outrageous mistake on the fifteenth move? After half a month of study, you're still this useless? Did all my previous teachings go to a dog's brain?!"
The youth vigorously rubbed his struck left leg with both hands. His eyes were red, and tears welled up, but he didn't dare utter a single word in his defense, only burying his head even lower.
"Continue!" Cao Feng snorted coldly.
The skinny youth didn't dare to delay. Forcing himself to endure the pain, he continued demonstrating the moves one by one.
Cao Feng stood beside him, never moving an inch away. When he saw the angle of a punch was off, he would tap the boy's wrist with the bamboo stick;
when he saw his Step Technique was a mess, he would tap his ankle.
He corrected and explained the key points as he went, his words utterly merciless.
In the crowd, Chu Fan, Zhao Tianxing, and the others held their breath and focused, their gazes fixed on the arena. They committed the youth's moves, his Step Technique, and even Cao Feng's corrections to memory, secretly analyzing and imitating them, afraid of missing the slightest detail.
By the time the skinny youth finished the entire Twelve Forms Fist set, he had received nine solid strikes from the bamboo stick.
The welts from each strike were clearly visible. He trembled uncontrollably from the pain, and tears finally couldn't help but roll down his cheeks.
Seeing this, everyone in the crowd felt a chill in their hearts, breaking out in a cold sweat. None of them dared to slack off in the slightest.
...
The sun's shadow slowly slanted westward.
The light and shadows on the Martial Arts Arena gradually stretched out.
In succession, another six people were called out by Cao Feng to demonstrate the Twelve Forms Fist one by one.
Among these six, some had learned it fairly well, while others had practiced it into a complete mess.
But even the one who performed the best received at least three strikes from the bamboo stick.
The crisp sound of the bamboo stick striking flesh rose and fell across the arena, making one's scalp tingle.
Afterward, Cao Feng's gaze shifted, landing like a hawk on the spot where Chu Fan and Zhao Tianxing stood. He commanded in a deep voice, "The eight who arrived today, all of you, come out!"
Chu Fan and Zhao Tianxing exchanged a glance. Though they felt uneasy, they didn't dare hesitate. They immediately stepped out with the other six and stood in a line before Cao Feng.
Cao Feng flicked his bamboo stick upward, pointing it steadily at Chu Fan.
Chu Fan froze for a second, then shuffled two steps to his right.
But Cao Feng's bamboo stick followed him like a shadow, still pointing steadily at him.
Chu Fan shifted two steps to the left.
But the stick seemed to have grown eyes, remaining fixed on him without wavering.
An idea struck him. He took a step back, pulling Zhao Tianxing in front of him as a shield.
Zhao Tianxing: "..."
The crowd: "..."