Learning that Chen Yuan had broken through the Bone Stage with his Copper Skin, Huo Lin nodded in satisfaction.
"Quite impressive," he said with a smile. "I’m genuinely surprised he could make it this far."
Back when he first taught Xu Heng and Chen Yuan together, he had assumed the latter would quickly fade into mediocrity. He never expected Chen Yuan to still be pushing forward, now standing out as the most exceptional disciple in this batch—excluding Xu Heng, of course.
A strange gleam flashed through Song Bridge’s eyes. It defied his entire worldview that a penniless peasant, one who had even been cast aside by the Gu Family, could actually make a name for himself in martial arts. He wondered if the Gu Family, who had driven Chen Yuan out the door, would regret their decision if they knew of his current achievements.
Xu Heng remained silent, simply walking straight ahead. Seeing him approach, the other junior disciples quickly parted to make way, respectfully calling out, "Greetings, Senior Brother Xu."
After all, everyone knew his future was boundlessly bright.
Xu Heng gave a brief nod before his gaze finally landed on Chen Yuan.
"Congratulations, Junior Brother Chen."
Chen Yuan smiled. "You flatter me, Senior Brother. I’m still far behind you."
Xu Heng let out a soft chuckle. "Since you’ve broken through the Bone Stage, as your senior, I should offer a congratulatory gift. I don’t have any trinkets on hand at the moment, so how about I offer you a pointer or two? Let me help you, Junior Brother, familiarize yourself with the power of the Bone Stage."
Chen Yuan’s expression froze for a fraction of a second before settling into a calm smile. "Since you are so generous, Senior Brother Xu, it would be disrespectful of me to decline."
During his last breakthrough, it had been Senior Brother Tao who offered guidance. This time, Xu Heng was volunteering. Perhaps he just wanted to test Chen Yuan’s weight.
Chen Yuan wasn’t afraid. At its core, this was still instruction. Sparring with a genius like Xu Heng would be immensely beneficial, allowing him to clearly see the gap between them. Besides, with Master Huo present, his safety was guaranteed.
Seeing the two most driven disciples in the courtyard about to spar, the newest juniors buzzed with excitement. They retreated to the edges of the courtyard, eyes wide with anticipation. The other senior brothers also watched with keen interest, eager to measure the distance between Xu Heng and Chen Yuan.
Master Huo moved to the sidelines to observe from up close, ready to intervene instantly if anything went wrong.
Xu Heng took his position on one side and spoke in an even tone. "Junior Brother Chen, I still remember our last spar. We had just entered the Huo Courtyard, both throwing clumsy strikes of the Five Elements Fist, yet reveling in it. Over half a year has flown by, and we have both made vast improvements."
Chen Yuan smiled. "Indeed, it brings back memories. But things are pretty good now too, aren’t they?"
Back then, Xu Heng had been like a little kid, constantly calling him "Senior Brother Chen" with clear eyes burning with passion.
"True enough. Let’s end the small talk here. After you, Junior Brother Chen," Xu Heng said with a faint smile, shifting into the San Ti stance of the Heart Intent Six Harmonies Fist.
Chen Yuan’s expression instantly turned serious. He spread his legs and sank his breath into his Dantian. "Please guide me, Senior Brother."
Morning light spilled over the courtyard wall, slicing a stark line of light and shadow between the two combatants. The motes of dust drifting in the air slowly churned, stirred by their steady breathing.
The onlooking disciples held their breath in unison.
Chen Yuan made the first move.
He pushed off the ground with his right foot, his entire body winding forward like a coiling dragon. As he took a step, his spine twisted and snapped back like a thick mooring cable. Following the momentum, his right arm shot out, his five fingers loosely curled into a claw aimed directly at the Jianjing point on Xu Heng’s shoulder.
Dragon Form: Dragon’s Claw.
His fingertips pierced the air, emitting a sharp HISS.
The Five Elements Fist was the foundation, but their spar was no longer about who could execute the Pi, Beng, Zuan, Pao, and Heng strikes more perfectly. It was a contest of the Twelve Forms’ variations and the seamless transitions of their martial intent.
A spark of appreciation flashed in Xu Heng’s eyes.
He didn’t retreat. Instead, he pulled his left foot back a half-step and angled his body slightly. His right hand flipped out from his chest, fingers splayed like a tiger’s paw. Keeping the force contained within his palm, he swatted diagonally downward against Chen Yuan’s incoming strike.
Tiger Form: Fierce Tiger Swats the Mountain.
The Tiger Form was inherently fierce and domineering, but Xu Heng executed this swat with dense, yielding softness. The heel of his palm grazed Chen Yuan’s wrist, gently applying Yin to effortlessly redirect the force of the Dragon’s Exploring Claw off course.
"Not a bad Dragon Form. The twisting force has integrated into your waist," Xu Heng commented in an even tone. "But your claw thrust is too straight. It’s easily deflected."
Before his words even faded, his tiger claw smoothly transitioned. His five fingers pressed together to form a serpent’s head, striking upward with blinding speed toward Chen Yuan’s armpit.
Snake Form: Spirit Snake Flicks Its Tongue.
The transition was as smooth as flowing water. From the rigid swat of the tiger to the tricky bite of the snake, there was zero hesitation. His fingertips carried a sharp gale that hissed through the air.
Chen Yuan’s heart skipped a beat. He rapidly retracted his right arm and dropped his left shoulder, twisting his entire body to the left while simultaneously lifting his right leg.
Rooster Form: Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg and Turning Kick.
With his knee tucked inward and his toes pointing outward, a side kick precisely intercepted Xu Heng’s snake strike.
CRACK!
The sole of the foot and the fingertips collided, producing a crisp sound.
Using the rebounding force, the two separated, each taking a half-step back before simultaneously lunging forward again.
The spectating disciples could barely keep up with the blur of motion.
In those brief exchanges, Chen Yuan’s opening Dragon Form had been neutralized by the Tiger Form, and the subsequent Snake Form transition had been severed by the Rooster Form. The shifts between offense and defense were so breathless they left the audience gasping.
A newly inducted junior disciple couldn’t help but whisper to a senior brother beside him, "Senior Brother, how come the moves Senior Brother Chen is using look completely different from our normal stance training?"
Without taking his eyes off the fight, the senior brother replied, "Stance training builds the foundation of the Five Elements Fist. In sparring, they use the variations of the Twelve Forms. Look at Senior Brother Xu—he hasn’t repeated a single form yet. Whenever you finally grasp Manifest Force, Master Huo will teach you this too."
In the center of the courtyard, the two had already exchanged over a dozen blows.
Chen Yuan’s offense rolled out in overlapping waves like a surging tide. The moment his Dragon Form was countered, he twisted his body to adopt the Tiger Form, thrusting both palms out with the domineering ferocity of a pouncing tiger. When that missed, he used his momentum to flip into the air, striking downward from above like a hawk soaring into the sky—Hawk Form: Sparrow Hawk Pounces on the Finch. When the Hawk Form was blocked, he landed and skimmed across the ground like a swallow skimming water, his Body Technique incredibly light and agile.
Xu Heng never once seized the initiative to attack.
He simply dismantled every move thrown at him. When the Dragon came, he used the Dragon’s Shrinking Hide to evade; when the Tiger roared, he used the Tiger Holding Head to block; when the Snake struck, he used the Snake Slithering Ground to dodge; when the Hawk descended, he used the Hawk’s Turning Body to counter.
Every parry was flawless. By gently guiding, applying Yin, or brushing aside the incoming energy along its natural path, he dissolved Chen Yuan’s onslaught into nothingness.
What made Chen Yuan’s heart sink even further was that Xu Heng’s eyes remained as placid as a still lake, his breathing as steady as when they started.
It was glaring proof that their understanding of the Heart Intent Six Harmonies Fist existed on entirely different planes.
Fang Minghai watched the closest from the sidelines.
He noticed an indescribable quality to Xu Heng’s Twelve Forms. While Chen Yuan’s Dragon Form relied on the twisting of his muscles and bones to generate clear, explosive power, Xu Heng’s execution made it seem as though every joint in his body had become a universal pivot. His power flowed effortlessly within him.
He could unleash it at will and retract it just as easily. There was absolutely none of the brief pause Chen Yuan required to cycle his breath after exerting force.
This wasn’t a gap in technical proficiency; it was a fundamental disparity in their Stage.
The more Fang Minghai watched, the more he felt Xu Heng’s martial arts had surpassed the realm of Manifest Force. Was it Hidden Force?
He couldn’t be certain.
After exchanging twenty blows, Xu Heng suddenly stopped defending.
He stepped his left foot a half-step forward and twisted his body, folding like a sinuous dragon. His right arm shot out, fingers loosely curled—an exact mirror of Chen Yuan’s opening Dragon Form: Dragon’s Claw.
However, the aura behind this claw was entirely different.
As his fingertips tore through the air, there was no sharp HISS. Instead, there was an incredibly deep, drawn-out hum, like the gentle tolling of a massive temple bell.
Even before the claw connected, the sheer force of the gale had already compressed the fabric tightly against Chen Yuan’s chest.