Chapter 5

"Perhaps the so-called lower-grade physical cultivation of the world, which grants seven levels of strength, is similar to the classification of internal martial arts in my previous life. However, their classification is more detailed, and the cultivation methods are likely different," Lu Qi pondered. "Lifting a thousand catties! Anze has such immense strength that, in terms of pure physical power, he is even stronger than a master of internal martial arts who has cultivated the manifest strength."

Although he was still unclear about the true system of martial artists in this world and was unsure if there were even more powerful figures than the supreme martial artists who had transcended the limits of their cultivation, the successful cultivation of whole strength gave Lu Qi great confidence. Since the Five Animal Play, which changed his fate in his previous life, was also effective in this world, he had the opportunity to rise to the top of the world through his own efforts.

"In the past twelve years, through the bear and tiger plays, my strength has only reached around four hundred catties. The whole strength has just been cultivated and is not yet proficient, so it is not suitable for a direct confrontation." Lu Qi, who did not fully understand Anze, estimated his chances of winning at only fifty percent, even taking into account Anze's underestimation. However, to reassure the Lu Kang couple, he had spoken with certainty.

Furthermore, as a martial artist, one can calmly analyze the strength comparison between both sides but must never lose the belief in certain victory. Once the desire to win strongly diminishes, the fighting spirit will also weaken, reducing the chances of victory even further.

An excellent martial artist understands the principle that "in a narrow path, the brave one wins." Clearly, Lu Qi was an excellent martial artist. Even with a low chance of winning, his fighting spirit remained intense, and his mindset was exceptionally calm: "Now, with only three days left, I should focus on the crane, ape, and deer plays..."

The Five Animal Play, originating from the famous physician Hua Tuo of the Three Kingdoms period, is a form of external movement and internal stillness, combining both dynamic and static elements, with both hardness and softness, and integrating both internal and external cultivation. Although it is not as widely practiced as Tai Chi and Xingyi, it has gradually evolved into a more rigorous form of internal martial arts.

The Five Animal Play consists of five parts: the tiger play, bear play, crane play, deer play, and ape play, which correspond to the five elements. Through standing postures and walking frames, it can cultivate the internal organs. The bear play and tiger play, for example, have the effects of strengthening the spleen and stomach and enhancing the essence and marrow. In both his previous and current lives, Lu Qi placed great emphasis on these two plays, especially the tiger play, which is particularly effective for building strength and laying a solid foundation.

However, Lu Qi never neglected the other three plays, as the five plays of the Five Animal Play complement each other, and none can be missing to achieve great success. The crane play, for instance, enhances lung function, regulates the flow of qi and blood, and unblocks the meridians. The ape play improves flexibility and cultivates qi and blood, while the deer play stretches the tendons and calms the mind.

"Exhale..." With a long exhalation, a slightly turbid stream of air was expelled from Lu Qi's mouth, who had been standing like a bear with his eyes slightly closed. His body suddenly relaxed, returning to his tall and well-proportioned posture.

After expelling the turbid air from his abdomen, Lu Qi's eyes suddenly opened, and his body slightly sank as he inhaled deeply, causing his abdominal muscles to bulge. Then, he raised his arms, slid his left leg up to rest on his right knee, and slowly lifted his right leg, with only the toes touching the ground, resembling a ballet dancer.

Of course, Lu Qi was not practicing ballet. He looked more like a crane, a crane standing alone in the world. At this moment, whether in his eyes or demeanor, Lu Qi was a proud, elegant, and outstanding crane with outstretched wings.

If Lu Qi were to stand like this in the real world, even world-class dancers would be amazed, as he stood on his toes for several minutes without any support. Even world-class dancers would struggle to maintain such a stance for more than a few seconds.

This was the pinnacle of Lu Qi's crane standing posture. In his previous life, he could stand for over ten minutes. At this moment, he could no longer raise his qi to make himself as light as a swallow, as his toes would struggle to support his weight.

However, this did not mean that Lu Qi was exhausted. When he took a step with his right leg, his body moved, or rather, flew. Of course, this flying was an illusion; he merely leaped lightly, flapping his arms as if he were flying.

From standing still to flying, it happened in an instant, so naturally that it seemed as if the proud white crane by the lake had finally rested enough and was spreading its wings to soar.

Walking, spreading wings, flying, landing, and then walking again, spreading wings... Lu Qi vividly portrayed the form of a white crane, perfectly combining strength and beauty. If he were to participate in a dance competition in this state, he would undoubtedly win the championship in any competition without any doubt.

Lu Qi's crane dance in the forest, from fast to slow, lasted for twenty minutes. Finally, he landed like a tired crane, but as his back rose and fell, he moved again, this time in a strange manner... He bent his body, jumped, and kicked his legs, completely losing the elegance of the crane dance, appearing more like a monkey performing acrobatics.

However, strangely, Lu Qi could completely freeze this lively and comical movement in an instant. His head stretched forward, his right arm bent like a monkey looking into the distance, his left arm casually swung, hiding a hidden threat, his right leg bent forward with the toes floating, and his left foot firmly planted on the ground, as if time had been frozen, and he was fixed in place.

This posture, which almost made one want to question the laws of physics, was maintained by Lu Qi for several minutes. Then, like a monkey released from a spell, his body moved nimbly around the broken tree, sometimes peering, sometimes picking fruit, sometimes offering fruit, and sometimes fleeing in fright.

At this moment, Lu Qi was a vivid representation of a monkey. Even if he were thrown into a group of monkeys, they would likely not consider him an outsider.

After a while of acting like a monkey, when his breathing became slightly disordered, Lu Qi re-established his stance. This time, he was not standing on one foot as before but on all fours, not in a normal crawling position but with his arms straight and touching the ground with four fingers, his legs slightly bent, and his body in a straight line, resembling a deer with its head raised.

After standing in this position for several minutes, Lu Qi began to show a relaxed and calm attitude, stretching his limbs and running on all fours in the forest, resembling a lively deer, with every movement and posture perfectly mimicking a deer.

Such seemingly leisurely and relaxed postures, repeated over twenty times, left Lu Qi's limbs trembling and drenched in sweat. However, even after finishing, he did not sit down to rest but stood in the bear standing posture, striving to calm his breathing. His heavy breathing gradually slowed, his healthy skin turned slightly red, and a layer of fine sweat appeared on his neck.

The bear standing posture not only allows the strength absorbed from high-intensity exercise to be fully accumulated, gradually increasing a martial artist's strength, but also helps them recover more quickly from physical exhaustion.

While Lu Qi was practicing alone, Hui Niang, who was still participating in daily labor, was washing a large basin of clothes on a rock by the pond. She overheard some gossip and her face changed slightly.

"I heard that Hui Niang's husband, Da Kang, was caught stealing food from the granary by the head of the household. He was supposed to be executed, but their foolish son came up with a plan to save him," said a woman in a black linen dress, who was also washing clothes by the pond. Her voice, though seemingly private, was as loud as a shout.

A few other slave women who had just arrived seemed unaware of this and were shocked, asking in surprise, "Is that true? Stealing from the granary is a capital offense. If their son could come up with a plan to save Da Kang, he must not be foolish, right?"

"Not foolish?" the woman in the black dress sneered. "Do you know what method the boy, who hasn't even grown any hair, used to save his thieving father? He said he would challenge the head of the household. Although it temporarily saved Da Kang's life, if he fails the challenge, both he and Da Kang will be killed and drugged, then hung in the forest to be eaten by venomous snakes or bears. Tell me, is he a fool or not?"