Chapter 25

Jiyu ignored the burning gaze of Chen Xi, casually waved his hand, and a green藤椅 (wicker chair) appeared beside him. He reached into his waist and pulled out a green-skinned gourd, from which a strong aroma of alcohol wafted, filling the room with fragrance.

He lazily leaned back into the wicker chair, took several large gulps from the gourd, burped, and then sighed contentedly, "Transforming into a human form indeed allows one to enjoy flavors that were once unattainable."

"Senior, do you like drinking?" Chen Xi asked.

"Wrong, I like good wine."

Jiyu corrected him, then said with a half-smile, "Not only do I like good wine, but I also enjoy fine cuisine. If you want to win my favor, start with these two aspects, and your chances of success will be very high."

Chen Xi felt embarrassed, but he said, "I happen to be practicing culinary skills. Although my skills are not comparable to those of great spirit chefs, I can guarantee that the dishes I prepare will satisfy you. As for good wine, there is a spirit wine in Songyan City called Drunken Pine Brew, which has a rich and lingering flavor, and I believe it will also satisfy you."

Jiyu was not surprised at all and nodded, "I knew your culinary skills were good, which is why I appeared here. There's no way around it; I've followed my master in battles all over the world, with no particular hobbies, except for my insatiable appetite."

So that's why!

Chen Xi finally understood, but the thought that Jiyu had appeared for the sake of good wine and fine food, rather than to purely guide his martial arts, left him feeling somewhat amused and exasperated.

"Senior Jiyu, what would you like to eat?"

"Roast meat!"

"Alright!" Chen Xi got up and went to the various ingredients, selecting some fresh and tender meat from demonic birds.

"The beauty of roast meat lies entirely in its freshness. The taste of dead creatures is no good. I'll take you to a place."

At the mention of roast meat, Jiyu sprang up from the wicker chair, his eyes bright, muttered something, and then waved his hand. Chen Xi felt a blur before his eyes, and the next moment, he found himself in a dense forest.

"Is this in the Southern Barbarian Mountains?" Chen Xi looked around, surprised.

Under the dark night sky, the trees stood like solemn ancient warriors, their trunks thick and their branches lush. Thick, bowl-sized vines twisted around the treetops, resembling hanging python bodies. Through the gaps in the branches, one could faintly see the undulating mountains in the distance.

Gurgling!

A roar and a screech came from the distance, adding a sense of danger to the forest.

Bang!

Jiyu appeared out of nowhere, casually waved his hand, and a thousand-pound wild boar with a green mane crashed to the ground, letting out a terrified and miserable cry.

"Let's get the roast meat going."

Saying this, Jiyu lay back in the wicker chair, took several large gulps from the gourd, smacked his lips contentedly, and looked as relaxed as if he were in his own backyard, despite the forest being a dangerous place filled with demonic beasts.

Without further ado, Chen Xi took out his kitchen knife and began to dissect the wild boar.

Sizzle!

Soon, a bonfire blazed, and the meat on the grill dripped with fat, sizzling as it fell into the fire. The aroma of the meat was so enticing that it made one's mouth water.

"Ah, after so many years, I finally get to taste roast meat again!" Jiyu couldn't resist, leaped up from the wicker chair, grabbed a piece of scalding hot roast meat, and began to chew it greedily, mumbling with his mouth full.

Seeing this, Chen Xi felt very happy. This time, when roasting the wild boar, he didn't pay attention to the combination of spiritual energies, focusing purely on the flavor to satisfy Jiyu's taste.

"Start practicing the Great Collapse Fist. In the natural environment, the essence, energy, and spirit merge with the universe, making it the most suitable place to practice martial arts. Practicing indoors cannot achieve this effect." Jiyu, while eating and drinking, didn't hesitate to give Chen Xi some guidance.

Chen Xi was waiting for this. He found a clear spot, sat cross-legged, and carefully studied the *Great Collapse Fist*.

The *Great Collapse Fist* is a basic martial skill, with the power of a taut bow and the force of a thunderclap.

"Like a taut bow" refers to the process of gathering strength, where the body is like a drawn bow, storing energy and transmitting it to every joint of the limbs.

"Like a thunderclap" refers to the technique of releasing power, emphasizing the explosive force and speed, known as "inch force" and "explosive power." When releasing power, the momentum is overwhelming, and the fist can shatter mountains!

After Jiyu's refinement, the *Great Collapse Fist* has even better techniques for releasing power, and its strength has undergone a qualitative transformation, surpassing the basic martial skill category and reaching the upper tier!

According to Chen Xi's understanding, martial skills can be divided into three realms: basic, subtle, and unity with heaven and earth, each with three grades: lower, middle, and upper.

For example, the *Great Collapse Fist* is a basic martial skill. When practiced to perfection, it only counts as mastering the basics in the martial arts realm. To reach the subtle realm, one must choose a middle-grade martial skill to practice.

However, there are those with extraordinary talent who can achieve higher martial arts realms through their own insights while practicing basic martial skills. Such cases are extremely rare. In the current cultivation world, as long as one has sufficient resources or is in a powerful sect, it is not difficult to obtain higher-grade martial skills.

Bang!

Just as Chen Xi was about to start practicing, Jiyu called him to a rock and struck it with a punch. The hard rock instantly turned into a pile of fine gravel, each piece the size of a longan, identical in shape, and scattered on the ground like a pile of pearls.

"This is the first level of the *Great Collapse Fist*: Shattering Stones into Pearls."

Jiyu moved to another rock and struck it with a punch. The rock instantly turned into a pile of powder, which was blown away by the wind.

"This is the second level of the *Great Collapse Fist*: Shattering Stones into Powder."

Jiyu moved to another rock and struck it with a punch. The rock exploded into a cloud of sharp needles. With a wave of his sleeve, millions of needles whistled through the air and pierced a nearby tree, creating countless pinholes.

"This is the third level of the *Great Collapse Fist*: Shattering Stones into Needles."

"Your divine soul is growing stronger, so it shouldn't be difficult to practice. If you can reach the third level of the *Great Collapse Fist*, your body's flexibility and power will be sufficient to practice divine techniques, sword skills, and body techniques."

After saying this, Jiyu lay back in the wicker chair, drinking and eating, completely at ease, and no longer paid any attention to Chen Xi.

Chen Xi, however, was already stimulated by the power of Jiyu's three punches, his heart racing with excitement and his body filled with determination. Without hesitation, he assumed a stance and began to practice the *Great Collapse Fist*.

As Jiyu had said, Chen Xi's divine soul was growing at an alarming rate due to his daily visualization of the Fuxi divine statue. As a result, every move and change in the *Great Collapse Fist* flowed through his mind like a clear stream, clear and precise.

Before long, Chen Xi was completely immersed in practicing the *Great Collapse Fist*, losing himself in the process.

Faintly, he could hear the sound of his blood flowing vigorously, like a mighty river, while his heart beat slower but stronger, its thumping like a drum, resonating through his entire body.

Rustle!

Chen Xi didn't notice, but as he was immersed in the *Great Collapse Fist*, a blue star in the vast sky above him began to pour down a stream of clear, gentle star energy, like a stream, into his flesh and skin, gradually kneading and strengthening his muscles and bones...

Three hours later, Chen Xi suddenly opened his eyes, leaped up, and struck a rock with a punch.

Bang!

The rock, as hard as steel, only cracked on the surface, shedding a handful of fragments.

"Such a hard rock, but my punch has clearly improved. At this rate, I should reach the first level of 'Shattering Stones into Pearls' within seven days."

Chen Xi retracted his fist, feeling the boiling blood in his body and the smooth, white, and resilient muscles, and was pleasantly surprised, "I didn't expect that in this short time, the *Heavenly Star Slaying Body Forging Technique* would break through to the fourth level, the Earth Grinding Muscle stage!"

The slow progress in body forging had always been a concern for Chen Xi. Due to his lack of experience, he had only practiced the *Heavenly Star Slaying Body Forging Technique* without considering other ways to enhance his body and speed up his progress. The benefits of practicing the *Great Collapse Fist* had undoubtedly provided him with a rapid way to strengthen his body.

"The principle is simple. This is the beauty of martial skills. They not only enhance martial arts cultivation but also nourish the body, using the energy to attract celestial star energy to strengthen the body." Jiyu raised his head, indifferent.

Rumble!

Chen Xi's stomach growled, as the energy from practicing the *Great Collapse Fist* had been completely consumed. There was still half of the wild boar left, and Chen Xi, without hesitation, sat down and began to eat greedily.

"Drink!" Jiyu tossed the green gourd to Chen Xi.

Chen Xi didn't hesitate, took the gourd, and took several large gulps. The spicy wine turned into a cool, rich, and warm stream, flowing into every corner of his body.

Boom!

It felt as if a furnace had ignited inside him, and a powerful, pure force surged through his body, like steel brushes scrubbing his flesh, skin, and organs.

Chen Xi's face turned red, and intense pain spread through his body, contorting his features.

"I almost forgot, this wine is too powerful and not suitable for him to drink." Jiyu was slightly stunned, slapped his forehead, and shouted, "Circulate your cultivation technique, focus your energy!"

Chen Xi didn't dare hesitate, gritted his teeth, and began to circulate his cultivation technique.

Rumble, it felt as if countless wild bulls were charging through his flesh and skin. The powerful force from the wine was extremely violent and scorching. Chen Xi relied on his supreme willpower to absorb all the energy after several hours.

By then, dawn was breaking.

When Chen Xi stood up, the first rays of sunlight filtered through the dense branches, shining down on him.

His lean and resolute face, his tall and strong body, and the muscles under his clothes gleamed with a jade-like luster.

Bathed in the morning light, Chen Xi seemed to have undergone a complete transformation, no longer the weak and frail person he once was.

"Body Forging Realm?"

Chen Xi felt a shock as he sensed the changes in his body.