Chapter 25

Wang Lishou left. As a martial artist, although he was about to enter the stage of physical decline due to his age, he believed that as long as it wasn't the last moment, he shouldn't give up. Therefore, Wang Lishou still insisted on the most basic martial arts training every day.

Lu Buqi naturally wouldn't just rest obediently. He was eager to try out this Force Technique. He knew that his entire body's meridians were almost at the point where one movement would affect the whole body. He believed that as long as his mental focus was there, all the meridians would respond enthusiastically.

Mental focus is not a kind of power, but a state—a state of no self, no other, just this one thought. It is the most critical point in cultivating the Force Technique. The cultivation method of the Force Technique differs fundamentally based on the different forms of mental focus.

For example, the Bear King Great Force Technique requires the practitioner's mental focus to enter a state similar to the Bear King's deep and domineering presence before finding and controlling the meridians. This is somewhat like a self-induced hypnotic suggestion, so that the entire body, to some extent, will gradually become steady and powerful.

In fact, Lu Buqi was no stranger to mental focus. Whether it was the Five Animal Imitation Boxing, Xingyi Boxing, Tai Chi, or the Eight Pieces of Brocade, true internal martial arts experts who have truly entered the gate all have this state of mental focus during cultivation.

To enter the "Bear King" mental focus state, Lu Buqi was undoubtedly very familiar with it. He just stood in the Bear Stance, and not only in terms of mental focus, but also physically, he completely transformed into a bear.

Then, Lu Buqi followed the Six Meridians of the Hand—Three Yin and Three Yang—to feel the six collateral meridians attached to these six main meridians! If Wang Lishou knew Lu Buqi's current state, he would be utterly astonished, because he had never taught Lu Buqi the six collateral meridians related to the arms; he only taught four.

Yes, the four collateral meridians—Hand Taiyin, Hand Shaoyin, Hand Taiyang, and Hand Shaoyang—were what Wang Lishou taught Lu Buqi. Additionally, there were five other collateral meridians in the body: Foot Taiyin, Foot Shaoyin, Foot Taiyang, Foot Shaoyang, and the Spleen's Major Collateral, totaling nine collateral meridians.

These nine collateral meridians are the common points in all Force Technique cultivation methods. The difference in the cultivation levels of the Valiant Force Realm lies in how many collateral meridians a martial artist can use simultaneously. For example, the so-called Ninth Level of Valiant Force means that nine collateral meridians can be activated simultaneously, which is similar to the whole-body power of internal martial arts.

Why did Lu Buqi look for six collateral meridians? Because in his previous life, the medical civilization of Huaxia had discovered fifteen collateral meridians in the human body, not just nine!

In addition to the nine collateral meridians taught by Wang Lishou, there were also the Hand Jueyin, Hand Yangming, Foot Jueyin, Foot Yangming, Conception Vessel, and Governor Vessel collateral meridians, totaling fifteen.

If it weren't for the fact that Lu Buqi was just testing the effectiveness of the Force Technique, he would have tried to sense all fifteen collateral meridians in his body. This was not being overly ambitious but a martial artist's confidence in their understanding of their own body.

However, just as Lu Buqi was sensing the collateral meridians, Xitu entered his room: "Buqi, I just saw Master Wang leave. He said he will test your standing sensation tomorrow. I think I can help you a bit since I've been through it."

"Alright, Old Hutou, you can share your insights with me," Lu Buqi said, though being interrupted was not a pleasant experience, he didn't show any displeasure, as Xitu's intention was good.

Xitu grinned: "I don't have much talent, so I don't have many insights. Just a bit of superficial feeling, but if it helps you, that's good."

Lu Buqi chuckled: "Old Hutou, when did you become so humble?"

"Absolutely, even the Sixth Young Master can't be proud in front of you, let alone an old man like me!" Xitu replied earnestly, then began to share his insights on the Force Technique with Lu Buqi.

It must be said that Xitu's insights into the Force Technique were not very impressive, at least compared to Wang Lishou, and his words were somewhat pale and lacking. The feeling he described was quite different from his own, which is why many experiences can only be understood but not expressed.

However, Lu Buqi was very pleased because from Xitu's behavior, he could see that Xitu was increasingly treating him as one of their own. Lu Buqi enjoyed this feeling, which he had never experienced in the secret organization of his previous life.

After Xitu left, Lu Buqi re-entered the state of mental focus...

The next day, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, Lu Buqi and Wang Lishou, accompanied by Xitu, arrived at the East Gate. Since the transmission of the Force Technique should not be seen too closely by other slaves to prevent them from learning it, the slaves of the Northwest Household, including Lu Kang and Huiniang, could only watch from a distance.

Wang Lishou found several irregular wooden boards and sticks from somewhere and selected a board about half an inch thick and a foot long: "Buqi, are you ready?"

Lu Buqi pinched his nose: "If I hadn't been ready all night, your wooden board would probably have hit my forehead by now."

Wang Lishou laughed and nodded: "True, with your combat skills, this test is just a light rain. Come on, try to use your mental focus to drive the force of the Hand Taiyang collateral meridian and attack this wooden board!"

Lu Buqi nodded. As soon as Wang Lishou raised the wooden board, he didn't need to find his state and suddenly threw a straight punch at the board.

The punch wind was like thunder, and the punch force was like a surging cloud. As Wang Lishou's eyes lit up, Lu Buqi's tightly clenched fist hit the board with a standard half-rotational force.

With a "crack," the wooden board cleanly split into four pieces. Two pieces were still held by Wang Lishou, while the other two flew out and landed about ten feet away.

"You..." The light in Wang Lishou's eyes turned to disbelief: "Buqi, are you sure this is the first time you're using the Force Technique today?"

Lu Buqi pinched his nose again: "Uh... I'm sorry, I couldn't resist and practiced for half the night last night."

Wang Lishou was stunned, then laughed heartily: "Buqi, you are absolutely the most talented person I've ever seen in cultivating the Force Technique. In just one night, you not only don't need to gather mental focus, but your punch is also clean and decisive. And the state of your punch just now... tsk tsk, if I'm not mistaken, you at least activated the forces of the four collateral meridians related to your hands!"

Xitu's eyes sparkled: "Master Wang, are you saying that Buqi has already reached the Fourth Level of Valiant Force?"

"Probably more than that!" Wang Lishou's expression was very vivid. He picked up a wooden stick about an inch thick: "Buqi, try again. I didn't pay attention to the force in your waist and legs just now..."

Lu Buqi's lips curled slightly, and without any pretense, he made a slight forward lunge and threw a basic hook punch with his left hand, like a large hammer, forcefully hitting the wooden stick.

The wooden stick broke again, and Wang Lishou suddenly threw the two broken pieces: "Buqi, tell me, how many collateral meridians can you use simultaneously? Just now, I found that your hands, legs, and waist all had complete Valiant Force... but you, you can't possibly have reached the Ninth Level of Valiant Force in just one day, right?"

"If by your world's standards, I can't say it's the Ninth Level, but it should be the Thirteenth Level!" Lu Buqi didn't say this out loud; he just nodded: "If by Master Wang's standards, I can indeed use the forces of nine collateral meridians simultaneously."

"This..." Wang Lishou's facial muscles twitched, and he sighed: "That's just too damn crazy!"

Xitu's expression was even more vivid. Thinking about how he had shared his clumsy feelings with Lu Buqi yesterday, he felt a cold sweat. At the same time, shock, disbelief, and other emotions filled Xitu's heart. It took him over twenty years to reach the Eighth Level of Valiant Force, and he could never achieve the final step of the meridians' full circulation.

However, Lu Buqi had mastered the use of Valiant Force in just one day and reached the highest level of the Valiant Force Realm. Even if he included the one and a half months Lu Buqi spent recovering, it still meant that Lu Buqi had gone from zero to the Ninth Level of Valiant Force in one and a half months, an unprecedented achievement.