CHAPTER 112: CHAPTER 112: THERE IS A WAY FOR THE SPIRIT

Lu Ren was quite disdainful of the shock expressed by this skeleton.

"No need to be so shocked. If you had the chance to get out, you might have the opportunity to see all this."

After saying this, Lu Ren silently added to himself: "Perhaps you’ll see these in a research institute."

He truly wanted to know the exact state of the other’s existence.

The skeleton sighed deeply: "No chance, no time. You basically don’t have the time to comprehend these things. If your heart doesn’t believe, you won’t feel the existence of Qi. Your Fist Technique... huh?! Fist Technique!!"

He suddenly stood up, and amidst the noise of bones rubbing and clashing, he said excitedly: "Can you demonstrate your Fist Technique?"

Lu Ren pondered for a moment and then nodded in agreement.

He thought to himself, given this place isn’t large, Lu Ren’s vision can cover a five-mile radius at a glance, the only place to hide is underground.

Aside from the broken temple where there are still bricks and stone slabs, there’s nothing else but some broken stones and heavy soil.

So Lu Ren was quite sure that the deceased Tie Feng lay underground, perhaps in the space where the skeleton mentioned an unparalleled Great Demon was imprisoned.

Previously Lu Ren had investigated in detail, and not far from where Tie Feng lay, there was a hole about a meter deep! Quite deep!

According to the skeleton, once the parasitic process was completed, Tie Feng might emerge from anywhere at any time, so where there are bricks and stones it gives Lu Ren some time to react.

Thinking swiftly, Lu Ren immediately took his stance and slowly practiced the Phoenix Falcon Fist Technique.

While the skeleton’s hollow eye sockets stared straight at Lu Ren, Lu Ren, who was always observing the skeleton’s actions, vaguely felt that there seemed to be a flicker of fire in those hollow sockets.

But this fire flickered like a candle about to be exhausted, restless yet without fuel, growing smaller and smaller, about to extinguish.

After completing the set, Lu Ren looked at the skeleton.

"This is the Phoenix Falcon Fist that I practice."

The skeleton pondered for a while and commented: "You’ve grasped the essence of this Fist Technique, and what’s more valuable is that you’ve managed to achieve subtle control over your entire body. With this alone, you can wrestle with a martial artist at the Great Perfection Realm of Fist Technique. Just a little more time, and it will come naturally, reaching the Grandmaster Realm."

Were ancient Grandmasters of such low level?

Well, productivity was low back then. Without modern supplements, he’d have to eat a whole cow every day.

Lu Ren complained inwardly, but outwardly remained calm and said: "So, is there anything else to say?"

The skeleton hesitated, and finally said: "I can teach you a Fist Technique, perhaps allowing you to feel the existence of Qi. But this Fist Technique, it’s not quite orthodox."

Lu Ren was taken aback. Is this Fist Technique divided into orthodox and unorthodox too?!

The skeleton realized he hadn’t made himself clear, and explained: "Each Fist Technique has its own style, whether grand and righteous, fierce and indomitable, or sinister and venomous, intricate and ghostly. The Fist Technique you performed pursues speed, with moves designed to kill, fierce and decisive with an unstoppable momentum, indeed like a predatory bird. But it lacks grandeur, making it hard to call it Phoenix Falcon Fist. Phoenix Falcon, being named with the phoenix, must match that name. Though possessing the fatal decisiveness of the falcon, striking with precision, it lacks the magnificent nobility, the unyielding rebirth of the phoenix."

The meaning was simple.

Young man, you’ve strayed off the path.

Lu Ren knew this too, Li Ziqing had also mentioned that the Phoenix Falcon Fist lost its essential Mental Visualization, and martial arts boxing eventually involves mental empowerment. Only with a powerful spirit, perfectly integrated with the body, can one exploit and control their physical capabilities to the utmost.

Which means the next stage after maxing out Skill Level is to comprehend the ’phoenix’ aspect.

He then slowly got up and said: "Watch closely."

Lu Ren watched indifferently as the skeleton posed. But after holding the pose for a long time, the skeleton finally lowered its arms reluctantly and said: "I forgot my flesh has perished, leaving only bones."

He thought for a while, then said gravely: "I noticed that your Mental Visualization doesn’t align with your Fist Technique, they’re not in the same system, this Fist Technique seems incomplete."

"That’s indeed the case."

"I have a Contemplation Method, which might pair with your Phoenix Falcon Fist, but how far you can go depends on your fate. Perhaps it will allow you to perceive Qi. This method is called ’Lighting the Lamp.’"

"Lighting the Lamp?"

Lu Ren instinctively looked at the flickering flame within the skeleton’s hollow eye socket, ambiguous yet real, quite mystical.

He was sure it was the key to the other’s rebirth with a skeletal body, and the core of its free and lively movements.

Talking with this skeleton, he tried probing several times, all skillfully evaded.

At this moment, the skeleton didn’t avoid the topic, pointing to his own eye sockets, said: "I think you should see that flame."

Lu Ren nodded slightly, curious, and asked: "What is this exactly?"

"This is the manifestation of spirit."

"The manifestation of spirit?"

Lu Ren quickly realized, the other wasn’t referring to Immortal Gods Buddha, but the spirit in the human essence, Qi, and Spirit.

Spirit.

"Spirit can manifest?"

"Manifest?" The skeleton mused over it, then nodded: "When your spirit grows to a certain level, it can manifest, this is also a shortcut you want to achieve the Great Perfection in the Fist Technique, or even break the limits, reaching the realm of Divine and Clear, dazzling brilliance. This is called Lighting the Lamp.

Taoism says to ’reach the ultimate emptiness, maintain absolute tranquility,’ when you meditate, free of all mundane thoughts, when tranquility reaches its peak, you abruptly gain insight into the essence and logic of all things in the world with the clearest intrinsic thoughts."

Lu Ren thought for a long while, yet vaguely felt that what the skeleton said seemed to be a different path, as the Martial Path emphasizes focusing the spirit into the subtle, mastering the body, believing that humans have infinite potential, capable of developing endless treasures.

The skeleton noticed Lu Ren’s confusion and didn’t beat around the bush, there was no time for that, so he said directly: "There’s a path that views the body as a mere shell, only the spirit can transcend. This was the most flourishing path of cultivation in my time."

Upon hearing this, Lu Ren finally understood, in ancient times, the Buddhist and Taoist families had many related examples, where Buddhist monks transformed into rainbows, and the Taoist Quanzhen transformed into white light, ascending to immortality.

Yet, whether it’s true is still debatable, no evidence has been found till now.

He asked: "Then those so-called transformations into rainbows, or turning into white feathers and ascending, is it true?"

"I don’t know."

"Don’t know?"

The skeleton said: "Those who reach the state of transforming into rainbows or white feathers are often the Taoist Quanzhen, high monks with great virtue, and they usually face a life-and-death trial in their later years, hoping to go a step further. I don’t know where they meditate in seclusion. It’s rarely disclosed, the retreat location is too important after all."

(Thank you Bing Jian, Book Friend 9351 for your rewards, thank you all for your support!

I know I’m short, but it’s truly because I need to work, and the author is a two-finger Zen... it’ll be on the shelves on the first of next month, there’ll be an explosion, thank you all for your support!)