Chapter 20

The snow fell continuously for several days, the ground covered thicker and thicker with snow.

In the deep mountains, the thousand peaks were silent, and all the birds had vanished.

"Head up, waist down, body naturally relaxed, this is 'top strength, waist collapse, and relaxed dantian.' Standing post is about tightening the strength of the whole body, while the abdomen is empty, imagining yourself as a big tree rooted deep into the earth, the whole body relaxed, naturally..."

Yang Ji stood under a huge pine tree, his feet spread apart, silently reciting the key points of the "Divine Dragon Bone Marrow Posture Method," fully focused, motionless.

The "Divine Dragon Bone Marrow Posture Method" that Lu Ling taught him was different from ordinary methods, emphasizing the realm of mind. Although the name includes "Divine Dragon," it first requires standing with the "realm of a big tree."

At this moment, Yang Ji faced the ancient large pine tree, imagining himself as another big tree, his strength sinking, penetrating deep into the earth along his bones.

This realm is one of immovability, unyielding to any storm.

This realm is hard to achieve, not just imagining oneself as a big tree, but truly "becoming" a big tree, with thoughts and consciousness truly believing oneself to be a big tree.

There is a fundamental difference between the two.

It took Yang Ji three to four days to grasp this realm.

"Hisss!"

Yang Ji took a deep breath, and after feeling himself and the earth become one, he began the second step, visualizing the "Divine Dragon."

This step was actually easier than the first. The key was not the "Divine Dragon" itself, but the force and body reaction of being coiled and pressed by the dragon.

"Roar! ——"

A moment later, Yang Ji's body sank, and in the vastness of the void, it seemed as if a divine dragon roared, majestic and terrifying, spiraling down from the vast clouds and slowly landing on him.

"Bang!"

When Yang Ji grasped the realm of the divine dragon coiling, his feet sank three inches, as if a heavy weight was pressing on his head.

At the same time, a sudden change occurred, and a cool and refreshing essence of trees from the void seeped through the 84,000 pores of his body.

This is where the deeper meaning of Lu Ling's instruction to reach the seventh level of breathing before practicing the "Divine Dragon Bone Marrow Posture Method" became evident.

At the seventh level of breathing, the pores are fully open, and even mosquitoes cannot land. Only by opening all the pores can the power of the "Divine Dragon Bone Marrow Posture Method" be fully realized.

At this moment, the essence of trees seeped through the 84,000 pores, far surpassing the effects of "Tiger Leopard Thunder Sound."

Yang Ji remained motionless, his mind like a withered tree or an ancient well, silently absorbing the essence of trees from the void.

After an unknown amount of time, Yang Ji gradually felt that the essence of trees seeping in was decreasing, and his body felt fatigued.

"Enough, today's standing post is about done."

Yang Ji opened his eyes, realizing that he had reached the limit of the essence of trees he could absorb in a day.

He was not concerned, casually stretching his body, feeling his blood vessels full and his strength slightly increased compared to before the standing post.

After resting under the tree, Yang Ji took out a book from his pocket. It was filled with drawings of human figures and accompanying text, all of which were the "White Snake Martial Arts" that Yang Ji had secretly observed and recorded in the training ground.

Yang Ji had an extraordinary memory, having studied books for eight years.

In the training ground, whatever "White Snake Martial Arts" he saw, he recorded. Yang Ji did not greed for more, knowing the principle of "too much to digest," so he always recorded the training techniques of the White Snake Martial Arts, from the large movements to the small muscle tensions, in great detail.

He arranged his training and learning of martial arts in an orderly manner, neither hurried nor anxious.

Due to the lack of the core principles of the "White Snake Martial Arts," he recorded very carefully. After a few days, the book was filled with many drawings.

Yang Ji did not rush to practice, but every day he looked at the drawings he had recorded and pondered the techniques of force.

"The White Snake Martial Arts use the strength of the waist, achieving the effect of force through the stretching and swaying of the waist muscles. ..."

Yang Ji looked down at the drawings he had sketched, gaining some insights.

After pondering the White Snake Martial Arts for a few days and constantly calculating, Yang Ji had some vague understanding.

The White Snake Martial Arts emphasize the flexibility and agility of the muscles, not stiffness, but softness and elasticity, which is similar to the nature of snakes.

The most representative move is the first one, "White Snake Lying in Grass," which imitates the movement of a white snake pushing through grass. It is the easiest to learn but the hardest to master.

Ordinary people can jump only four or five steps, but those who have mastered "White Snake Lying in Grass" can stretch and contract their bodies like an arrow, shooting out more than two zhang (about 6 meters) in one leap, making it extremely practical for escaping or dodging attacks.

After an unknown amount of time, Yang Ji closed the book and stood up.

"Use the strength of the waist, the muscles tremble, stretch and contract, then bounce out..."

Yang Ji stood in a serious pose, following the principles he had grasped, and his body trembled with a "bang," flying out half a step and then falling straight down.

"The force is not right, the muscles are too stiff, not flexible enough, and there is no bounce. And this distance is even less than a normal jump."

Yang Ji smiled bitterly, sat down, and recorded the mistakes he had made during practice in his notebook.

After a moment, Yang Ji pondered and stood up to practice again, summarizing his mistakes.

Thus, Yang Ji continuously pondered and grasped the principles, then corrected his mistakes in practice, step by step, learning the martial arts steadily.

"My foundation is too weak, but I hope that diligence can make up for it, gradually building up my foundation."

Yang Ji thought to himself.

This was his first time learning martial arts, and compared to the clan's children, his starting point was too low, and he had access to very little martial arts knowledge.

For Yang Ji, this was not just about learning a skill but also about making up for his shortcomings in martial arts.

Compared to the other disciples in the clan who followed the clan's training step by step, Yang Ji's independent exploration, though arduous and with many detours, gave him a deeper understanding and feeling of martial arts that the ordinary clan disciples could not match.

"White Snake Lying in Grass!..."

With a "bang," Yang Ji bounced out one step.

"White Snake Lying in Grass!..."

Bang!

Yang Ji bounced out one and a half steps.

"White Snake Lying in Grass!..."

Yang Ji bounced out two steps...

...

Day by day, Yang Ji's "White Snake Lying in Grass" improved, and the distance he could bounce out became longer and longer.

Through continuous exploration, Yang Ji's understanding and grasp of martial arts grew day by day.

Later, apart from hunting food for the King Cobra, Yang Ji's entire mind was immersed in training.

Yang Ji moved to the deep mountains to train to avoid the attention of the Lady, but later, to avoid the trouble, he simply moved his training ground next to the King Cobra.

In this prolonged interaction, Yang Ji and the King Cobra became more familiar, and he gradually became less afraid of it.

However, Yang Ji never broke the last barrier between man and snake. No matter how close he and the King Cobra became, he would never approach it.

He helped the King Cobra out of sympathy, but he would never risk his life to get close to a dangerous King Cobra.

After eight years, apart from the old steward, Yang Ji could not even trust his closest clan members, let alone a highly venomous and dangerous snake.

"White Snake Lying in Grass... White Snake Lying in Grass... White Snake Lying in Grass..."

Yang Ji continuously trained beside a large rock. Now, he could bounce out about one zhang (about 3 meters) with a single leap, but he still had a considerable distance to reach two zhang.

On one hand, it was related to his strength, and on the other hand, he had not yet grasped the core essence of "White Snake Lying in Grass."

During this time, the King Cobra, with sufficient food and rest, recovered faster and looked more spirited.

Three days later, Yang Ji was training beside the large rock.

Boom!

Suddenly, a deafening sound startled Yang Ji. Before he could react, he saw the large rock, which even seven or eight strong men might not be able to move, tremble violently.

"What... What is happening?"

Yang Ji's eyes widened, and he let out a low exclamation. Before he could check what was happening, a black shadow shot out from under the rock, rushing towards him.

"King Cobra... It, it actually broke free! How is that possible!"

At this moment, Yang Ji's face changed, feeling a great sense of threat.

The King Cobra's arrow wound had not yet healed, how could it have the strength to break free from a two-thousand-pound rock?

However, there was no time to think. The black shadow rushed at him, and without hesitation, Yang Ji took a step back and instinctively blocked with his right hand.

Slap!

A long, black tail struck Yang Ji's chest with incredible force, disproportionate to the small and thin body of the snake.

Compared to the King Cobra, Yang Ji's seventh-level breathing strength was negligible. It was at least the strength of a martial artist.

Suck!

Yang Ji's thumb ached, and he felt a heavy bite.

"Finished!"

Yang Ji's face turned ashen, all hope lost: "I didn't expect that a moment of kindness would bring such retribution. Good intentions bring no good, and I am bitten in return!"

At this moment, he realized that the King Cobra had probably been accumulating strength and finally broke free.

The King Cobra is the king of snakes, with extremely potent venom. When Lu Ling was bitten by a Heart Sucker snake, he almost died.

Now, encountering a King Cobra with venom many times more potent, how could he have any hope of survival?

However, the expected death and the effects of the venom did not come. After a long wait, Yang Ji opened his eyes.

He saw that the King Cobra, after biting him, quickly bounced back and was now a few steps away, looking at him. It turned its body, showing the side with the arrow wound, as if asking him to help remove the arrow.

Looking at his wound, Yang Ji saw a clear tooth mark on his thumb, but no other signs. The blood flowing from the wound was bright red, and even if he knew nothing about medicine, he knew he was not poisoned.

Looking at the King Cobra, which was now looking at him with trust, and his fresh wound, Yang Ji's face turned red and then pale.

Clearly, if the King Cobra wanted to kill him, he would have been dead long ago.

The King Cobra was powerful, and even as a young snake, it had the strength of a martial artist. Yang Ji was no match for it.

"Ah! In the clan, I have suffered for eight years, with no one to trust except Uncle Liang. In such an environment, I have become suspicious and paranoid, even less trustworthy than a snake."

Yang Ji felt a mix of emotions.

"Little snake, little snake, I have misunderstood you."

Yang Ji felt ashamed, bent down, gripped the arrow, and with a strong pull, snapped it, then pulled out the broken arrow.

Sss!

After the arrow was removed, the King Cobra looked somewhat weakened but did not leave. Instead, it slithered to Yang Ji's side, curled up at his feet, and raised its head to lick Yang Ji's injured thumb, showing affection.

Seeing this, Yang Ji was stunned, and a strange thought came to his mind. Lu Ling had once said that the King Cobra is an extremely powerful pet, but the more powerful the pet, the less likely it is to submit easily, as Lu Ling's example showed.

But the King Cobra's current behavior...

"Little snake, little snake, are you going to follow me?"

Yang Ji asked tentatively.

To his surprise, the King Cobra nodded, as if it understood him completely.

This scene filled Yang Ji with surprise and joy.

The King Cobra's reaction confirmed Yang Ji's suspicion; it had recognized him as its master and become his pet.

The unexpected turn of events left Yang Ji unprepared.

"Little snake, little snake, since you have followed me, I will give you a name. From now on, you will be called... Little Ji."

Yang Ji finally reacted, stroking the King Cobra's head.

The King Cobra, or "Little Ji," narrowed its eyes, looking very content. But soon, its eyes opened wide, and it sprang up, wrapping around Yang Ji's arm.

"Hisss!"

In Yang Ji's shocked gaze, Little Ji's body rapidly shrank, from the thickness of a child's arm to the thickness of a thumb, then to the size of a chopstick, and finally to a thin iron wire, coiling around Yang Ji's wrist and lying still.

"!!!"

Yang Ji was completely stunned.

This transformation was completely beyond his imagination. Although he had seen the "King Cobra" in historical records, they were vague and did not mention that the King Cobra could change size so drastically.

"Is this some unknown ability of the King Cobra?"

Yang Ji was uncertain.

The King Cobra is the king of venomous snakes, and seeing it once in a hundred years is already rare, let alone studying its peculiarities.

It is normal for historical records to have omissions.

Yang Ji carefully touched the King Cobra, finding that it was not unconscious but had fallen into a deep sleep, which reassured him.

"I have been with it for so long, and I have never seen it change like this. ... I wonder if it is because it recognized me as its master."

A thought flashed through Yang Ji's mind, and he hurriedly left the deep mountains. [Today is the day of the ranking change, and there will be another chapter at 12 o'clock. A new week, I hope for your support, recommendations, and collections! Thank you all!]