Chapter 1

In the inner garden of the Fang family, the "Myriad Phenomena Garden," located in the Longyuan Province, the largest of the great families of the Dali Dynasty, the morning mist had yet to dissipate. A group of young Fang family members had already begun their morning martial arts practice.

The head of the Fang family is the governor of Longyuan Province. The Fang family's ancestors, a hundred years ago, came from one of the ten major sects of the Immortal Path, the Feather Transformation Sect, and subsequently followed the First Martial Emperor of the Dali Dynasty to pacify the world.

Longyuan Province, with its name meaning "hidden dragon," was originally the capital of the previous dynasty. After the founding of the Dali Dynasty, the capital was initially planned to be established here, but due to the excessive moisture in the Longyuan area, the idea was ultimately abandoned.

The Dali Dynasty is a realm of fire virtue, and "Li" (離) belongs to fire. Being suppressed by water, it was unsuitable to establish the capital in Longyuan, so the capital was set in the southern "Lijing."

However, the court entrusted this ancient capital of the previous dynasty to the Fang family, demonstrating the court's trust in the Fang family.

Because of this, the Fang family is prominent, with a vast estate covering a thousand acres. Inside, there are numerous courtyards and gardens, and ordinary people would surely get lost and be unable to find their way out.

The name of the Fang family's inner garden, "Myriad Phenomena Garden," reveals its meaning of encompassing all things.

*Pound, pound, pound...*

The sound of fists cutting through the air, causing the air to vibrate.

These young Fang family members moved with agility, like fierce tigers hunting sheep, lions pouncing on buffaloes, eagles striking rabbits, and cranes standing atop pine trees. Their entire bodies moved in unison, with their waists and hips perfectly coordinated, swift and fierce.

Especially their limbs and spinal column, when moving and stopping, were like five bows fully drawn, their punches and kicks swift as arrows and landing like the wind, demonstrating a solid foundation.

However, at this moment, a pair of eyes was secretly observing their various movements from the darkness of the distant rock formations.

They were secretly learning martial arts.

The owner of these eyes was a teenager, about fifteen or sixteen years old, wearing a gray robe and a small hat, clearly a servant.

"Last month, I discovered a sewer that leads directly to the mud beneath the rock formations in the inner courtyard. If not for this, I wouldn't have been able to enter the inner courtyard to secretly learn martial arts. If I were discovered, it would mean certain death... But I, Fang Han, can't be a servant for the rest of my life, can I?"

Fang Han carefully observed the movements of the young Fang family members, memorizing every gesture and expression in his mind.

Indeed, he was secretly learning martial arts.

Fang Han was a small servant in the Fang family.

His father was also a servant in the Fang family, so from the moment he was born, he was destined to be a servant of the Fang family, and his descendants would serve the Fang family for generations.

A lowly servant, secretly entering the inner courtyard to steal the martial arts secrets of the family, was an act of extreme audacity and a death sentence.

"Here he comes!"

In Fang Han's line of sight, a middle-aged man in a purple robe appeared on the distant training ground, and his body froze.

This middle-aged man in the purple robe was nine feet tall, towering and majestic, with a straight back like a sword or a spear, resembling a mountain. Although he was far away, Fang Han almost stopped breathing.

This was a master of the Fang family, "Giant Spirit Hand" Fang Tong! His reputation was renowned throughout the land, and he was here to teach the Fang family disciples advanced martial arts.

"Officials have nine ranks and eighteen levels! The first rank is the prime minister, and the ninth rank is the local inspector! But our cultivation of the physical body is divided into ten stages! The first stage is health, the second is strength, the third is technique, the fourth is flexibility, the fifth is divine power, the sixth is breath, the seventh is internal strength, the eighth is divine bravery, the ninth is spiritual connection, and the tenth is divine transformation!"

As soon as the "Giant Spirit Hand" Fang Tong in the purple robe appeared, all the Fang family disciples on the training ground immediately stopped their movements, standing straight and listening to his instructions.

Fang Han also perked up his ears, listening carefully.

"If one cultivates the physical body to the tenth stage of divine transformation, even five horses cannot tear them apart! In the past, one of our Fang family ancestors was captured by the enemy and subjected to the five-horse dismemberment torture, but he released his full strength and pulled down the five horses, fleeing. This is the power of the tenth stage of divine transformation!"

The voice of the "Giant Spirit Hand" Fang Tong, like a great bell, resonated loudly, making Fang Han's eardrums throb as if they were about to burst.

"Five horses cannot tear them apart! How powerful must this person be? Can the physical body really reach such a level?" Fang Han was secretly astonished.

"However! Don't think that the ten stages of physical cultivation are the limit. This is just the beginning. Our Fang family ancestors once received teachings from the immortals of the Feather Transformation Sect, so we are different from other families. We know that above the physical realm, there is the realm of divine abilities! Only by transcending the limitations of the physical body and entering the realm of divine abilities can you truly dominate the world, be on par with princes, and bring glory to our Fang family."

"The physical realm, the realm of divine abilities!"

Listening to these words, Fang Han felt as if a door that had never appeared before was opening before him. He had been secretly observing martial arts every morning but had never heard such words. The ten stages mentioned by the "Giant Spirit Hand" Fang Tong clearly outlined a series of steps.

"What is the realm of divine abilities?"

At this moment, one of the Fang family disciples asked.

"Divine abilities mean breaking the boundaries of the ordinary world!"

As the "Giant Spirit Hand" Fang Tong spoke, his eyes revealed a serious expression: "For example, when the physical body is cultivated to its limit, one can tear tigers and leopards and lift a thousand-pound cauldron. But can you lift yourself by your own hair?"

"Lifting oneself by one's own hair? That's impossible, clearly against common sense."

Another disciple quickly responded.

"It's impossible. No matter how strong one is, lifting oneself by one's own hair is impossible," Fang Han muttered to himself.

"Doing the impossible is called divine ability! Otherwise, what is a divine ability?" The voice of the middle-aged man in the purple robe was like a thunderclap!

"Breaking the boundaries of the ordinary world. This is divine ability! Lifting oneself is a turning point for entering the realm of divine abilities. In addition, there are various divine abilities, such as spitting water and fire, walking on air, controlling lightning, and killing with flying swords... These are all techniques of the realm of divine abilities."

"Uncle Tong, have you cultivated to the realm of divine abilities?" The Fang family disciples asked.

"The realm of divine abilities is no small matter. Those who can enter the realm of divine abilities are all extraordinary talents. I have only cultivated to the eighth stage of divine bravery in the physical realm. If any of you can cultivate to the realm of divine abilities, I can confidently say that the position of the head of the Fang family will be yours! And the Dali Dynasty will bestow you with a high rank to win your loyalty!"

"From the physical realm to the realm of divine abilities! It's harder than climbing to the heavens! If you can cultivate to the fifth stage of divine power within three years, able to draw a thousand-pound bow, run like a horse, and have the strength of a horse, that would already be a great achievement for our Fang family. Today, I tell you these legendary things to broaden your horizons and give you confidence in your hard training! The scenery is endless, and the wealth is boundless!"

The "Giant Spirit Hand" Fang Tong shouted: "Now, start practicing the 'Pine Crane Longevity Fist'! This is a high-level physical cultivation technique passed down from the immortals of the Feather Transformation Sect. You must understand its essence and flavor, and I will explain it to you one by one! Remember, you must cultivate your physical body to its limit to enter the realm of divine abilities, because our Fang family ancestors said that divine abilities are mysterious forces generated in the brain, called magical power. The saying 'divine abilities are vast, and magical power is boundless' means that only when the physical body is strong to its limit and the heart can supply a large amount of blood and nutrients to the brain will magical power be generated. Without strength, any divine ability is impossible."

"Pine Crane Longevity Fist..."

Fang Han suppressed his excitement and continued to observe...

In less than half an hour, Fang Han, listening to the "Giant Spirit Hand" Fang Tong's explanations, integrated all the martial arts he had secretly learned over the past month, understanding the principles of physical cultivation.

Physical cultivation is divided into ten steps, ten stages.

The first stage, health, involves maintaining a regular and healthy diet and sleep to keep the body full of energy.

The second stage, strength, involves various methods such as running, weightlifting, jumping, hitting sandbags, kicking, deep squats, and walking on balance beams to strengthen the muscles of the limbs and waist, making them full and powerful, far surpassing ordinary people in strength and flexibility.

The third stage, technique, involves practicing various techniques to coordinate the strength of the limbs and waist, align the bones, and regulate the breath, forming a unified whole.

The fourth stage, flexibility, involves harmonizing the strength of the entire body, from the waist and legs to the spine, shoulders, elbows, and palms, making the body soft and hard as needed, with flexibility and coordination reaching their limits. Movements are as swift as the wind, and landings are as swift as arrows, as agile as cats and monkeys.

The fifth stage, divine power, involves further cultivation after achieving flexibility, making the body increasingly strong, with the strength of a thousand pounds, like a galloping horse. When in action, the body moves like a well-trained army, swift and decisive, with the sound of thunder rolling through the tendons and bones.

If one reaches the stage of divine power, they are considered a significant figure.

As for the subsequent stages of breath, internal strength, divine bravery, spiritual connection, and divine transformation, the "Giant Spirit Hand" Fang Tong did not elaborate. Fang Han was not in a hurry; in the past month, he had secretly listened and pondered, basically understanding the basic principles of physical cultivation and could start practicing on his own.

"Mastering the steps and secrets of cultivation, I will secretly train hard and one day make a stunning appearance, escaping the fate of a servant!" Fang Han knew that his month of risky secret learning had finally given him a chance to change his destiny.

"Oh no! I forgot, today in the morning, the second miss is going hunting and needs the horse I raised, Qianli Xue." Just as he was listening intently, Fang Han suddenly remembered something.

Thinking of this, Fang Han could no longer focus on listening and quietly crawled into the sewer from the darkness of the rock formations, leaving the inner courtyard. Fortunately, he was not discovered.

This was also because the "Giant Spirit Hand" Fang Tong had not yet reached the ninth stage of spiritual connection in the physical realm; otherwise, he would have subtle perceptions of any gaze, and Fang Han would not have been able to escape his notice.