Chapter 2

The Yunyu Mountains stretch for a thousand miles, shrouded in mist and clouds all year round. Like a coiled dragon, they run from north to south, spanning the entire Fēng Huǒ Empire.

In the mountains, the air is filled with an ethereal aura, and numerous palaces, training grounds, pavilions, and terraces have been built. White apes offer spirit fruits, and cranes carry lingzhi mushrooms, creating an atmosphere of a blessed land of immortals.

In ancient times, a great martial arts master, while passing through the Yunyu Mountains, was inspired by the grandeur of the mountains, the morning frost, the evening dew, the morning clouds, and the evening rain. This led to a profound enlightenment, and he created the supreme martial arts technique, 'Yunyu Great True Qi,' which could turn his hand into a cloud and his palm into rain, sweeping away all obstacles and personally founding the immortal sect that would last for ten thousand years... the Yunyu Sect.

The Yunyu Mountains were named after the Yunyu Sect.

The reputation of the Yunyu Sect is truly resounding in the present world, like thunder in the ears.

For thousands of years, the sect has produced countless talented and brilliant individuals, who have risen to prominence, creating legendary tales that move heaven and earth and make ghosts weep. In the almost endless war between humans and demons, they have played a crucial role, with their contributions indelible.

As one of the five top sects of the Fēng Huǒ Empire, the Yunyu Sect has a terrifyingly deep foundation!

It was late autumn. The autumn atmosphere spread across the sky, and the entire Yunyu Mountain Range was bathed in a lazy hue.

On a small, unremarkable peak at the outer edge, there was a martial arts training ground, covering several dozen acres. Scattered around the ground were various training tools for physical cultivation, such as stone stools, sandbags, and wooden stakes.

More than a dozen young men with broad shoulders and sturdy builds were in the field, lifting stone stools and striking sandbags, or running and jumping with sandbags tied to their limbs, moving with great vigor.

These young men had already honed their physical strength to a very robust level. Every kick and punch they made produced a sound that tore through the air. Their movements were agile and swift, with their entire bodies moving in unison, like eagles catching rabbits or tigers pouncing on sheep.

These martial arts practitioners were all initiates of the Yunyu Sect.

At the edge of the training ground, there were also dozens of men with relatively weak physiques and pale faces, ranging in age from teenagers to those in their thirties. At this moment, they were all trembling in fear, their bodies shaking uncontrollably, as they heard the sound of the initiates' punches and kicks. Their faces were as if they were attending a funeral.

These men were the 'live targets' for the initiates to kick and punch at will.

Among the live targets, there was a young boy who looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old. He was intently watching every move of the initiates in the field, occasionally nodding slightly, as if he had gained some insight.

This young boy was Xiao Han.

Xiao Han had returned to the Yunyu Sect from the small town where he helped his senior brother Fang to exorcise demons more than two months ago.

During these two months, Xiao Han had become noticeably thinner.

It was all due to the pain in his heart.

On the night he returned to the Yunyu Sect from the small town, Xiao Han felt as if countless ants and insects were gnawing at his heart, and it was as if thousands of small knives were stabbing him. The intense pain lasted for two hours, causing Xiao Han to convulse and faint.

Xiao Han thought he had been possessed by a demon and would not live long, but the next day, the pain eased slightly, lasting only one and a half hours.

On the third day, it lasted only one hour.

In recent days, Xiao Han still experienced heart pain every night, but it lasted only a few minutes.

Last night, the pain lasted only one minute, and Xiao Han finally felt relieved, thinking that he would not feel pain tonight.

However, Xiao Han always felt that something had entered his heart. But due to his limited knowledge, he did not dare to ask anyone, fearing that they might cut open his heart to examine it. Therefore, he could only keep it buried deep in his heart and ignore it.

"These initiates are practicing the 'Mighty Ox Bone Strengthening Fist,' which is said to be the basic physical cultivation technique of the Yunyu Sect. I have long memorized every move, but I cannot practice it. My physical condition is too poor, and my limbs and waist have no strength. Practicing it would be just a show, with no practical use." Xiao Han stared at the initiates in the field, who were moving like dragons and tigers, and couldn't help but lick his lips, thinking to himself. "Am I, Xiao Han, destined to be a live target for the rest of my life, never to rise to prominence? Damn it! Qi Shi, you bastard! If you hadn't stolen the high-quality pill that Senior Brother Fang gave me, I might have been able to practice martial arts by now... How hateful! How hateful!"

Xiao Han harbored deep resentment and anger towards Qi Shi for stealing his pill, but he dared not speak out.

At this moment, two initiates in the training ground, after throwing their stone locks aside and stepping back to rest, began to chat with smiles on their faces.

"Senior Brother Song, are those the 'live targets' you mentioned standing over there?"

"Yes, live targets. They are like moving sandbags, for us initiates to kick and punch at will, to hone our techniques and improve our coordination. Junior Brother Du Mu, you just joined, so you don't know this yet. But you will soon understand. Hehe, let me tell you, hitting live targets is very satisfying. Each punch and kick sends them flying, and the feeling is extremely comfortable. Hitting live people is much more interesting than hitting inanimate objects."

"Hitting live targets? This... this is too... too cruel, isn't it?"

"There's nothing wrong with it. Junior Brother Du Mu, what are live targets? They are just lowly beings. You shouldn't treat them as human. In the current world, the cruel and violent demon race often wreak havoc, causing chaos and destruction, leading to many places being in turmoil, with countless deaths. Ordinary people who cannot practice martial arts are in constant danger, and thus many orphans, refugees, and disaster victims have emerged. These ordinary people seek the protection of martial arts sects to survive. For example, the Yunyu Sect receives hundreds of thousands of refugees every year. There are so many people in the world, and so many refugees. If we were to take them in without reason, in a few years, our sect would be overrun with refugees and orphans, and there would be no place for our disciples to practice. What kind of order would that be?"

"As practitioners of martial arts, we should take it upon ourselves to slay demons. Killing one demon is like saving a thousand people! This is a great virtue! To waste time on refugees and orphans is to neglect the essentials and pursue trivialities! Therefore, martial arts sects will not take in refugees without reason. We cannot open this floodgate. If refugees want to be protected and live in peace, they must contribute to the sect. Many sects organize the refugees and orphans to serve as live targets for the initiates to practice."

"Senior Brother Song, this... this is getting more and more cruel... Ordinary people who cannot practice martial arts, being hit like this, would die in just a few hits... How pitiful, truly pitiful..."

"Ha ha ha, Junior Brother Du Mu, you are overthinking it. How easy is it to die? I'll tell you, before the live targets are hit, they wear rattan armor. This armor is made from the 'Tung Iron Vine' native to the Yunyu Mountains, processed and woven by skilled craftsmen, and soaked in tung oil for eighty-one days. This armor is extremely tough, resistant to knives and spears, and does not sink in water. With our initiates' strength, we can only injure or cripple the live targets, not kill them. Moreover, most initiates only hit a live target once or twice and then stop, not continuously beating them. Only a few initiates with exceptional talent and strong bones can break the rattan armor with one punch and tear the live target apart. But in a year, the entire Yunyu Sect only has a few hundred live targets die. It's not a big deal."

"Ah? Hundreds of people die every year, and this is not a big deal?"

"Junior Brother Du Mu, I told you, live targets are like pigs, dogs, cattle, and sheep, like ants. Don't treat them as human. If they were not live targets, they would have died in the chaos, either from hunger or cold, or even eaten by demons. Besides, they are happy to serve as live targets for the sect. After enduring the beatings for a few years, if they survive, they can receive land, cattle, and other resources, and live the rest of their lives in peace. Even if they don't, the sect still provides for them, giving them three meals a day and medicinal baths to heal their bodies."

"In this world, the lives of ordinary people are as cheap as dogs... sigh... These ordinary people have done nothing wrong, yet they have to endure such treatment..."

"Junior Brother Du Mu, incompetence is a sin. Pigs, dogs, cattle, and sheep have done nothing wrong, yet they are slaughtered and eaten. The principle is the same."

...

After a while, the dozen or so initiates in the training ground stopped practicing, threw their stone stools and sandbags aside, and began to stretch their muscles, making a terrifying sound of cracking bones. They then walked toward the live targets standing at the edge of the field, their eyes filled with mocking expressions, some even grinning wickedly. They looked like a group of tigers approaching a few sheep.

The live targets' bodies began to tremble uncontrollably, as if they were facing a great calamity. It was clear that they were terrified.

"Senior Brother Qi, yesterday you said that there were a few places where my 'Mighty Ox Bone Strengthening Fist' was not properly executed. After I returned, I carefully reviewed and practiced it again. Indeed, there were a few moves that were unclear and felt stiff, lacking the 'powerful and smooth, full and flowing' feeling you mentioned. Please, Senior Brother Qi, give me your guidance."

After the dozen or so initiates stopped, one of them, about twenty years old, with dark skin and a pockmarked face, stood tall like a tower, exuding a fierce aura, his arms crossed, looking proud. He was the main figure among them, none other than Qi Shi, who had brutally stolen Xiao Han's White Tiger Bone Strengthening Pill that day.

Immediately, someone bowed and flattered Qi Shi, asking for martial arts guidance.

"Hum~~" Qi Shi pretended to be serious and coldly said, "The 'Mighty Ox Bone Strengthening Fist' we practice is the basic physical cultivation technique of our Yunyu Sect. When practiced to perfection, the entire body's tendons and bones become incredibly tough, the skin as hard as ox leather, and the bones as strong as iron. The entire body, from the waist and legs to the spine and shoulders, and the limbs, are connected in strength, able to be soft or hard as needed, with a perfect balance of hardness and softness. When in action, the bones even make a grinding sound, like rolling thunder, giving a sense of mountain-like pressure!"

"Yes, yes, Senior Brother Qi, the 'Mighty Ox Bone Strengthening Fist' is indeed extraordinary, allowing us to reach the peak of the 'Bone Strengthening' stage in the physical realm. Once we break through, we will enter the 'Organ Strengthening' stage. Senior Brother Qi, with your exceptional talent, your cultivation has advanced rapidly in just two months, from 'Fifty Bone Explosions' to 'Ninety Bone Explosions.' You are just one step away from the 'Organ Strengthening' stage, and you can break through at any time." The initiate who had pretended to seek guidance flattered Qi Shi, his face full of flattery. "Hehe, once Senior Brother Qi reaches the 'Organ Strengthening' stage, you will advance to the status of an outer sect disciple, and your position will soar. We will rely on you in the future."

The other initiates also flattered and fawned over Qi Shi.

Martial arts begin with the cultivation of the physical body. The physical realm is divided into the Health Preservation Stage, the Tendon and Skin Strengthening Stage, the Bone Strengthening Stage, the Organ Strengthening Stage, the Marrow Strengthening Stage, and the Blood Replacement Stage. Each stage builds upon the previous one. In the end, the physical body becomes perfectly complete, invincible, impervious to weapons and fire, and unbreakable, like a human weapon capable of taking the head of a general in a thousand soldiers as easily as picking up an object from a pocket.

One hundred bone explosions. This means that at the peak of the Bone Strengthening stage, the body can produce a hundred consecutive bone explosions when the tendons and bones are slightly moved, marking the entry into the next stage, the Organ Strengthening stage.

Qi Shi, with his 'Ninety Bone Explosions,' is almost at the peak of the Bone Strengthening stage.

"Hmm, I am a person of great potential," Qi Shi said with a sense of self-importance. His breath was filled with the scent of medicine, indicating that there was still residual medicinal power in his body that had not been fully absorbed.

Qi Shi's rapid advancement in cultivation in just two months was entirely due to the White Tiger Bone Strengthening Pill, and had nothing to do with his own talent or physical condition.

"Great potential?" When Xiao Han heard Qi Shi's shameless words, his eyes almost burst with anger.

However, Xiao Han could not possibly stand up and expose Qi Shi. He could only endure it.

At this moment, Qi Shi waved his hand grandly, "What do you understand? What is advancing to the next level? What is a great leap forward? You are all shortsighted! The physical realm of martial arts is just the foundation! Only by opening the acupoints and guiding true qi into the body, reaching the True Qi Realm, can one truly advance to the next level! Only then can one truly soar to new heights!" He narrowed