Chapter 244: Luohan Fist

"Come on, assume the horse stance, get into position, and let's begin learning Arhat Fist."

Lu Yang imitated Meng Jingzhou's movements, focusing his energy, standing tall, taking a half-step to the left with his left foot, and arcing both palms."Ha!""Not loud enough, again!""Ha!""Louder!""Ha!"Lu Yang's voice grew progressively louder until it finally met Meng Jingzhou's standard.

"My master taught me that shouting during combat is a way to unleash your full potential. The louder you yell, the more true strength you can exert, even surpassing your usual capabilities.""When you punch, keep your arm level with your sight.""Clench your fist tightly; imagine you're holding a small pebble and squeezing it with all your might, as if you're trying to crush it."These were the instructions Third Elder gave Meng Jingzhou when he learned the fist technique, and now he was passing them all on to Lu Yang.

"Arhat Fist emphasizes fluidity, where your upper and lower body move in harmony, your steps change with your hand movements, and your power combines both rigidity and softness. Your movements are too stiff; they need to be fluid and gentle!"Meng Jingzhou pointed out Lu Yang's mistakes one by one and corrected them, as these were common errors during fist practice.Lu Yang showed considerable talent in martial arts, evident from how he learned Pictogram Fist in less than half a day and then refined it into Lu's Pictogram Fist in another half-day.

"The sea of suffering is boundless; turn back, and the shore is there!"Lu Yang quickly grasped the essence, his brow furrowed with the compassion of a monk, making him appear like a great philanthropist.Meng Jingzhou's earnest teachings echoed in Lu Yang's ears: "My master told me that Arhat Fist is a martial art meant to encourage people towards goodness. As the saying goes, 'The sea of suffering is boundless; turn back, and the shore is there.' If a set of these moves can make someone lay down their butcher's knife and embrace virtue, then Arhat Fist has truly reached its peak.""It's just a pity that most people are ignorant and cannot put down their weapons to wholeheartedly pursue goodness. Therefore, historically, only two or three individuals have ever truly mastered Arhat Fist."Meng Jingzhou placed one hand on his chest, truly embodying the demeanor of an enlightened monk.

"When learning Arhat Fist, your mindset is also crucial. It's best to imagine yourself as a Buddhist disciple. When I learned Arhat Fist, I even studied Buddhist scriptures for a while.""Reciting scriptures?" Lu Yang felt he was close to finding the right method.Lu Yang didn't need to learn Buddhist scriptures from scratch; he had previously recited classics like the Diamond Sutra, the Bright King Sutra, and the Heart Sutra during his leisure time in the Scripture Pavilion, finding their hypnotic effect to be superb.He slowly closed his eyes, and the delicate face of the Immortal Fairy appeared in his mind.The Immortal Fairy, dressed in a cream-colored nightgown, tilted her head and met Lu Yang's gaze."...Fairy, could you please stand to the side of my mental space? I'm trying to recall Buddhist scriptures.""Oh."With the Immortal Fairy out of his sight, Lu Yang began to recall the scriptures. The contents of the Diamond Sutra, the Bright King Sutra, and the Heart Sutra appeared before him. Lu Yang pondered and understood the mindset of the scripture's authors, immersing himself in their teachings.

In reality, Meng Jingzhou watched Lu Yang in astonishment.Lu Yang kept his eyes tightly closed, his movements slower than before, resembling an aged, withered tree. Yet, every gesture radiated the compassion of a revered monk."Could it be that this kid Lu Yang is destined for monastic life?" Meng Jingzhou secretly wondered.As Lu Yang deepened his understanding of the Buddhist scriptures and Arhat Fist, his movements became increasingly fluid, flowing like water without any pause. It was as if he had practiced hundreds, even thousands of times, his actions ingrained as instinct.Bang—Bang—Each punch Lu Yang threw produced a sound of air displacement, accompanied by a faint echo of Buddhist chants, as if an old monk were reciting scriptures in the void, teaching people to be kind to others.Lu Yang continued punching with his eyes closed from dawn until dusk. Seeing that he had nothing left to teach, Meng Jingzhou squatted by the side, waiting to see when this 'grandson' of his would open his eyes.

"Hoo—"Lu Yang completed a full set of moves, regulating his breath, and opened his eyes. His gaze was bright and sharp."You've mastered it?" Meng Jingzhou stared at Lu Yang in disbelief. It had taken him three full days to learn it, but this kid had done it in just one day?Was there any justice in this world?"I've made a little progress," Lu Yang said modestly."Come, let's test it out." Meng Jingzhou was eager to see how well Lu Yang had learned. He couldn't believe that after practicing for half a month, he couldn't beat someone who had only learned for a day."Let's try it then," Lu Yang also felt an itch to test his skills.The two exchanged glances, simultaneously assumed their stances, and spontaneously began to perform Arhat Fist, engaging in a pure contest of skill.

"Black Tiger Steals the Heart!""Black Tiger Steals the Heart!""Downward Smash!""Downward Smash!"Their fists and feet collided with immense force, like thunderbolts exploding across the training ground, rattling the leaves of the old trees surrounding the arena.With identical moves and equal strength, they fought with exhilarating intensity, making it difficult to determine a victor for a time.

"I didn't expect it! After just one day, you've reached the same introductory level in Arhat Fist as me. Perhaps one day you'll master Arhat Fist and inspire others toward goodness!""Just luck," Lu Yang replied, though his smug expression showed no trace of humility.Just as Lu Yang was about to utter a few more modest remarks, his gaze unintentionally fell upon the top of Meng Jingzhou's head, and his expression subtly changed."What's wrong? Is there something wrong with my head?" Meng Jingzhou asked, utterly confused."N-nothing's wrong," Lu Yang's eyes darted away, as if he had a guilty conscience.Meng Jingzhou looked at Lu Yang suspiciously and instinctively touched his head.Wait, was something missing from his head?"Where's my hair?!"Meng Jingzhou pulled out a small mirror from his identity jade pendant and stared at his head for a long time.His head was completely bald, so smooth that even a sparrow would slip if it tried to stand there.He was bald.Like an Arhat.In the mental space, the Immortal Fairy burst into laughter, leaning back and forth.

"Lu Yang, explain yourself! What happened?!" Meng Jingzhou's first instinct was to suspect Lu Yang.His hair was part of his body cultivation; how could it have just fallen out for no reason?He had just noticed that his feet were covered in hair, freshly shed."I... I don't know either. I just noticed your hair falling out extremely fast while we were practicing. By the time I wanted to warn you, it was all gone." Lu Yang was a bit flustered; he truly didn't understand what had gone wrong.As he spoke, Lu Yang seemed to grasp something, suddenly realizing, "I understand now.""What do you understand?""Think about it: isn't the purpose of Arhat Fist to encourage people towards goodness? Where does evil come from? From worries. Buddhism speaks of 'three thousand threads of worry.' Without these three thousand threads, there is no malice, and thus one can turn to goodness.""Besides, your current appearance greatly resembles an Arhat; it perfectly complements Arhat Fist!"Upon hearing this, Meng Jingzhou pounced on Lu Yang like a hungry tiger. "I think *you're* the one who looks like an Arhat!"Feeling guilty, Lu Yang turned and ran. "This is Arhat Fist mastery; you can't hit me!""This isn't Arhat Fist at all, it's a hair-shaving technique! You stop right there!"