Chapter 54: Xiangxing Fist Is Not Struck Like This

The Immortal Cult is one of the Four Great Fiend Cults.

"The Immortal Cult," Meng Jingzhou mused, recalling information about them. "I remember they worship the Immortal Celestial, who they claim lives eternally, imperishable and indestructible. They say that loyal followers of the Immortal Cult can avoid the 'Three Calamities and Five Tribulations' of cultivation and extend their lifespan."

This was all basic information, easily found with a little effort, though how much of it was true remained uncertain.

"The Immortal Cult is recruiting; that's a good opportunity. When they're looking for so many people, the bar will be much lower, and identity checks won't be too strict," Lu Yang said, delighted. This truly was good news.

He had been worried because none of them had practiced orthodox fiend cultivation techniques, and whether their method of controlling spirit servants would be enough to get them in. Qin Yuanhao had brought such good news; he was a lucky star.

"Should we still kill Qin Yuanhao?" Man Gu asked, as if there was no longer a need to.

"He's a menace regardless, so if we can kill him, we should. But let's not use his bone token," Lu Yang replied. Qin Yuanhao had to die, whether they managed to infiltrate the cult or not.

It was impossible for a fiend cultist to reach the mid to late Foundation Establishment stage without several lives on their hands.

Even though Qin Yuanhao hadn't killed his subordinates, it wasn't due to compassion, but because they were still useful.

If any of them lost a limb or became incapacitated, they would no longer be useful to Qin Yuanhao and would surely die.

"Why can't we use the bone token?"

Lu Yang gestured for the two loyal spirits to prepare some skewers. Eating as he explained, "The relationships among fiend cultists aren't as good as we imagine. We framed Qin Yuanhao, and after his investigation, he concluded that someone in the cult had it out for him."

"If we use Qin Yuanhao's bone token to enter the fiend cult, we'll be branded as his associates. That might lead to endless trouble for us, and it wouldn't be worth it."

Man Gu understood.

"Still, the fiend cult is quite cautious. They only announce the stronghold's location on the last day to prevent it from being leaked. Are they afraid we righteous cultivators will discover their position and eliminate them?" Lu Yang chuckled softly.

"Keep tracking Qin Yuanhao. See if we can find the location of the Yanjiang Branch through him, so we can prepare."

"It's getting late. Cultivate if you need to, rest if you need to. You're dismissed."

***

The next morning, Lu Yang yawned, got dressed, and had breakfast with everyone: beef offal soup made by Man Gu.

By then, Man Gu had already returned from the market, pushing whole cuts of pork, beef, and lamb on a cart.

He'd made the broth with beef marrow bones, seasoned it with a pinch of salt as a base, and added other condiments. After the beef offal had simmered for a while, a steaming bowl of beef offal soup was ready.

"Add more honeycomb tripe!" Lu Yang called out.

"Alright!"

After a delicious breakfast, everyone went about their business.

It was Man Gu's turn to supervise today, so after eating, he went upstairs, preparing to sit there for the entire day.

Meng Jingzhou was someone who couldn't sit still; like a frolicking rabbit, he disappeared to cause mischief somewhere.

The two loyal spirits dismembered the pork, beef, and lamb, chopped vegetables, and skewered meat. Four days had passed, and they were already familiar with the process. They'd skewer from morning until evening, just in time for opening, then head to the backyard to light the charcoal and fire up the grill for a night of roasting.

Working from dawn till dusk, their days were incredibly fulfilling.

Lu Yang also had his own task. He took out a manual on Imitation Boxing, curious if he could master the basics. He had never practiced martial arts before, so he felt uncertain.

"There's a first time for everything."

In the backyard, Lu Yang set up the simplest soundproof array. He couldn't hear outside sounds, nor could his voice carry beyond it.

He sat cross-legged, meticulously flipping through the book: "Imitation Boxing, a martial art that mimics the strengths and forms of various animals, and portrays human combat and daily life. It includes Tiger Fist, Monkey Fist, Eagle Claw Fist, Snake Fist, and more. This book only contains Tiger Fist."

"Tiger Fist emphasizes imitating the tiger's form, adopting its techniques, infusing it with principle, and merging it into the essence of the fist."

"The Tiger Fist routine is short, concise, and compact. Its stances and footwork are relatively small, primarily using the 'three-seven' stance."

"To master Tiger Fist, the most crucial step is observing tigers. Ideally, one should have experience fighting a tiger to deeply understand its combat form and better imitate it."

The most difficult step for Tiger Fist was, ironically, simple for Lu Yang; he had fought and defeated a tiger demon.

Lu Yang slowly closed his eyes.

Roar, pounce, tear... The tiger demon's various attacking movements appeared vividly in Lu Yang's mind, as if it were still there.

Although he had slain the tiger demon, he had to admit it was a formidable opponent, with aspects worth learning from.

Of course, calling for his wife's help wasn't something to learn, nor could he imitate it for now.

The tiger demon's form and his own gradually overlapped, merging into one, bestowing the human figure with the tiger's techniques.

Lu Yang repeatedly simulated the Tiger Fist movements in his mind. What were initially awkward motions became increasingly agile, as if he were possessed by a ferocious tiger, roaring within his thoughts.

This was something only possible for those in the Foundation Establishment stage, requiring extremely high spiritual perception, which ordinary martial artists simply couldn't achieve.

Lu Yang opened his eyes, revealing a fierce glint, his gaze harboring a lurking tiger.

He sprang up, landed steadily, assumed a stance, exhaled with a roar, unleashed his power with grand gestures, and stamped his feet to bolster his momentum, his movements powerful and ferocious.

The two loyal spirits skewering meat inside the house shuddered at the sound of Lu Yang's punching, thinking the tiger demon had revived.

They secretly peeked at Lu Yang from behind the doorframe. Only after realizing it wasn't the tiger demon did they relax and continue skewering.

After completing a set, Lu Yang felt invigorated, with an inexhaustible burst of energy to unleash.

Seizing the moment while his body felt responsive, he performed several more sets, each one more fluid than the last, every move forceful and potent.

Regardless of how effective it might be in combat, at this moment, even a Grandmaster of Tiger Fist would find no fault in Lu Yang's form.

"No, there's still room for improvement."

Lu Yang's movements grew faster, yet his mind was like a calm lake, as still as a bronze mirror.

This state was remarkable, every action revealing a deeper understanding of the fist technique.

Punching, kicking... As his comprehension deepened, a faint ethereal image of a tiger demon began to appear behind Lu Yang.

"Roar—"

Lu Yang's realization reached its peak, culminating in this single, satisfying tiger's roar.

"Huh? Why am I lying on the ground?" Lu Yang came to his senses, finding himself inexplicably prostrate. He tried to stand, but his legs felt weak, and despite wobbling and trying several times, he couldn't get up.

"What's going on?" Lu Yang couldn't understand. Could practicing martial arts go wrong like this?

He felt his martial arts talent was quite high; why would there be an issue?

A bad feeling crept over Lu Yang. He used both hands and legs, crawling to the edge of the water vat.

Lu Yang finally saw his current appearance.

He had turned into a tiger.

Tiger Fist had been perfected. How delightful.

"Lu Yang, guess what I saw on the street? A tofu shop has a really interesting mascot."

Meng Jingzhou returned from his stroll. He'd heard Lu Yang was practicing martial arts in the backyard and wanted to see how he was doing.

Then he saw a tiger demon looking at its reflection, perched on the edge of the water vat.

"Holy cow, a monster!"