Realm-Hopping Martial Master
Chapter 59 - 58: Martial Artists Gathering, Various Martial Arts Schools (Please Follow)

Chapter 59: Chapter 58: Martial Artists Gathering, Various Martial Arts Schools (Please Follow)

It seems like there’s still quite a bit of wool to be shorn from this cheap master of mine.

I had thought that the only thing I could learn at the Famished Tiger Martial Arts Hall would be the "Famished Tiger Roar Mountain Strength." I had not expected today’s sparring session with Qi Yuan to bring such a pleasant surprise.

Famished Tiger Annihilating Claw.

If I were to master it, and unleash my full power, I could definitely fight on par with a Martial Artist at the Stone Skin Realm!

The martial arts in Xuanxing are indeed developing as well.

But what has been passed down so far is only the training methods.

There are no combat techniques.

I will follow Elder Brother’s arrangements. thought Jiang Shu as he clasped his fist to Qi Yuan and spoke out loud with respect.

"Alright."

「A few days later.」

「Small courtyard.」

By the time Jiang Shu arrived, there were already five robust men chatting leisurely with Qi Yuan in the courtyard.

"Brother Qi, I didn’t believe it when they said you had given up alcohol, but seeing is believing. It’s really a pity; now when I want to drink, I can’t find anyone to join me."

"Qi Yuan, I lost to you by half a move last time. Now that I am also at the Stone Skin Realm, let’s continue with our sparring," another said.

"It’s over, even Brother Qi, who is as addicted to alcohol as life itself, has stopped drinking. It seems we need to train harder, or who knows how far we will be left behind," yet another chimed in.

"Where is that little junior brother you mentioned? Why hasn’t he arrived yet?"

"What’s the rush? He’s just arrived."

As Qi Yuan was talking, he kept an eye on the surroundings of the small courtyard. As soon as he saw Jiang Shu’s figure emerge, he immediately spoke up and pulled Jiang Shu over, introducing him one by one:

"This brother here who wanted to drink with me is Brother Li from Antelope Martial Arts Hall. He has reached the Stone Skin Realm, even before me. Unfortunately, he comes from an ordinary farming family and started as a hunter, so his journey has been particularly challenging."

"This brother who wanted to spar with me is Brother Yuan from Red Ape Martial Arts Hall. The boxing techniques in Red Ape Martial Arts Hall are both fierce and robust, incredibly powerful. Brother Yuan, when you spar with my junior brother, you’ll need to hold back a bit."

"This one who kept asking about you is from the Spin Turtle Martial Arts Hall. What’s interesting is that Brother Zhao from Spin Turtle Martial Arts Hall is rather impatient, while Brother Li from Antelope Martial Arts Hall is excessively calm. We’ve always said that if they had switched martial arts schools from the beginning, perhaps they might have progressed even faster."

Following Qi Yuan’s introductions, Jiang Shu clasped his fist to each in greeting.

Among the crowd, there were some at the Stone Skin Realm, and some like him, who had just entered the Bull Skin Realm.

After some idle chatter, Zhao Li, who was at the Bull Skin Realm, naturally stepped forward to spar with Jiang Shu first.

"I’ll take the liberty to call you Jiang too," said Zhao Li, clasping his fist. He stood steady in the Spin Turtle Back Mountain Stance. After a long moment, seeing Jiang Shu also crouching in the Famished Tiger Sitting Cave Stance, Zhao Li couldn’t hold back anymore.

Suddenly stamping his foot on the floor, his strength burst forth with a loud noise, and dust billowed. He unleashed a palm strike, swift as the wind, aiming directly at Jiang Shu.

Jiang Shu shifted his form slightly, calm and unhurried, containing his own strength while repeatedly blocking Zhao Li’s attacks.

After half a month of sparring with Elder Brother Qi Yuan, how could he be led by the nose by someone like Zhao Li?

He countered the moves in a measured pace, every now and then throwing out a few techniques for Zhao Li to deal with.

The two of them exchanged blows evenly.

Everyone in the courtyard watched attentively while chatting, occasionally offering a few pointers. Only Qi Yuan, trying hard to suppress a bitter smile at the corner of his mouth – others might not notice, but how could he fail to see that Jiang Shu was, in fact, giving face to Zhao Li.

Otherwise, within ten rounds earlier, a few punches would have been enough to send Zhao Li stumbling back several steps.

This little junior brother of mine.

Before long, in the fighting area, Zhao Li and Jiang Shu each took three steps back, managing to end in a draw.

"Jiang, that was impressive!"

Zhao Li tugged at the corner of his mouth. Noticing his cloth shoes were almost completely worn through, he clasped his fists.

"It’s all because Brother Zhao went easy."

Jiang Shu also clasped his fists in return. In fact, he had no intention of deliberately hiding his skills. He simply wanted to observe the martial arts of other schools more closely, and by exchanging a few more moves with Zhao Li, he could understand more.

Then, one by one, a few others took turns stepping up to feed him moves.

He memorized some techniques in his heart and pondered them in silence.

The martial arts of the Spin Turtle Martial Arts Hall were actually not weak. It was merely that Zhao Li was too impatient. The foundation of his stance work determined that he should focus on defense, drawing his opponent into the same combat rhythm as himself before counterattacking.

Although the Skin Grinding Realm involves tempering skin into a protective layer, the focus of force refinement varies with different martial arts.

The "Famished Tiger Roar Mountain Strength" focuses on the hands, waist, and legs. Therefore, its punches and kicks are fierce, with a formidable presence.

As it seems now, the martial arts of the Spin Turtle Martial Arts Hall are designed to focus on the chest and back, allowing for better defensive capabilities.

After eating and drinking their fill of alcoholic beverages, tea, fruits, vegetables, and hearty meat, everyone dispersed.

In the small courtyard, only Qi Yuan and Jiang Shu remained.

"How do you feel?"

After calling over an old servant to tidy up the mess, Qi Yuan sat on one side of the courtyard and chatted with Jiang Shu.

"The martial arts of the Red Ape Martial Arts Hall are the most formidable. Brother Yuan was holding back when sparring with me, but I feel that if both of us went all out, I would most likely not win."

"His stance work is extremely stable. It feels as if even if I attacked with all my might, he could stand in place and exchange blows with me."

"The martial arts of the Antelope Martial Arts Hall are not weak either. Despite the name, which sounds less fierce than a famished tiger, the reality is different. Brother Li’s legs are just as menacing. In our Famished Tiger Martial Arts Hall, the ’snip’ is done with the legs, akin to a tiger’s tail, with strength focused on the legs. But Brother Li’s power lies in his footwork."

"If he were to stomp down with full force, I fear even stone tiles would shatter."

Jiang Shu did not hold back and directly shared the insights and thoughts he had during the bouts.

"Red Ape Martial Arts Hall, they visualize the red ape. The red ape is similar to us humans but with an additional tail which aids in balance. Hence, the emphasis of their stance work is on balance. That is why you found Brother Yuan’s stance work to be so stable."

"And the Antelope Martial Arts Hall has a saying: ’The hands are but two doors, it is with the feet that we strike.’ For them, the function of the hands is to block. The true critical points lie with the feet."

"There were some things I didn’t understand at first. During our initial spar, seeing Brother Li swing his arms, I thought his strength was concentrated there. But when my lower guard was empty, I was caught unawares."

"That’s why we need to spar against each other. Only then can we understand martial arts more fully and, in the future, even if we’re fighting martial artists who are not from Pingling County, we can deduce the opponent’s strengths and weak points from their various subtle movements."

Qi Yuan explained it in great detail. Although he had neglected his own martial path for a while, his social interactions and understanding of martial arts was far superior to Jiang Shu’s.

Watching Jiang Shu reflect, he paused for a moment before continuing to speak:

"Of course, our current gatherings only touch upon a very small part of Pingling County’s martial arts."

"In terms of the variety of martial arts, nothing compares to the county yamen."

"In terms of the wealth of resources, none exceeds that of the large households."

"In the county yamen, they have a collection of all the martial arts from the schools of Pingling County, except for some fundamental martial arts held by large households, which are not recorded. However, these martial arts can be learned by anyone who joins the county yamen, at a certain cost. This is one of the benefits of joining the government service."

"A county yamen of a single county has the martial arts of the entire county. Just think about a commandery or a province?"

With an involuntary bitter smile, Qi Yuan continued, "The martial artists from large households are basically either direct descendants or favored illegitimate children, with an unceasing supply of resources. Starting with medicated baths and diets at around age fourteen or fifteen, and beginning martial training shortly thereafter, even those with the poorest talent can be strengthened into martial artists in just one or two years."

"Compared with them, we civilian martial artists are naturally lesser in both martial arts and resources."

"If we do not strive to improve ourselves, to delve deeper into our studies, and to broaden our horizons, then facing adversaries in the future, under the same realm, death is our only certainty."