Stance training, at its core, is a method of controlling one's Qi and Blood.
Though they appeared to be three simple movements, they held many profound secrets.
The first principle was stillness!
This step required one to eliminate all restless impulses and, in a state of absolute calm, perceive the flow of Qi and Blood within the body.
This was easier said than done.
Many people got stuck at this step, completely unable to achieve that state of stillness.
But thanks to the Ten Thousand Laws Tripod's analysis, Wu Liangchen completed this step with ease.
Wu Liangchen stood with his legs naturally apart, his hands forming a circle before his chest, fingers slightly spread as if holding a large ball.
His chest and back were straight but not rigid, his hips sinking slightly as if sitting on a high stool.
Upon completing this sequence, Wu Liangchen instantly entered an ethereal state.
Immediately, the rushing sound of his Qi and Blood reached his ears, rising and falling like the tides.
As the tide of his Qi and Blood surged, Wu Liangchen's tailbone sank, his neck straightened, and his shoulders squared.
CRACK CRACK CRACK.
With a series of crisp cracks, his slightly curved spine straightened, vertebra by vertebra. At the same time, an indescribable tingling sensation shot from his heels to the crown of his head.
Furthermore, Wu Liangchen felt as though the circulation of Qi and Blood was causing the muscles and bones throughout his body to grow rapidly, but the most noticeable change was in his skin.
The hair all over his body stood on end, and his skin swelled slightly, as if being inflated.
He looked just like a fierce mountain tiger that had encountered a powerful foe.
This was "a spine like a dragon, a body like a tiger"!
If any other Martial Artist knew that Wu Liangchen had achieved this state on his very first attempt at stance training, their jaws would have dropped.
After all, even Martial Artists with years of stance training experience found it difficult to enter such a profound state.
However, Wu Liangchen couldn't maintain the state for long. An indescribably intense wave of hunger washed over him, shattering his concentration instantly.
Hunger!
He was so hungry his vision blurred, and his whole body trembled.
Fortunately, Wu Liangchen had come prepared. He always brought food with him when he went out to practice.
He impatiently pulled a few oven-baked flatbreads from his shirt, devouring each in two bites. In the blink of an eye, they were all gone.
But it wasn't nearly enough. If anything, the flatbreads only fanned the flames of his hunger, making it burn even hotter.
Wu Liangchen got down from the city wall and jogged all the way home.
He had brought back a lot of leftovers from Jufude earlier, planning to eat them tomorrow. It looked like that plan was out the window.
After devouring all the leftovers like a whirlwind, Wu Liangchen finally let out a long sigh of relief, feeling much more settled.
Although he was still a little hungry, it was at least bearable now.
He never would have guessed the Hunyuan Stance had such a powerful kickback.
'I was too careless. Deducing the Cultivation Technique already consumed a lot of my Life Fire, and then I tried practicing it. I almost ended up fainting from hunger on the city wall.'
Wu Liangchen silently admonished himself, 'I can't be so reckless in the future.'
He then opened his status panel.
Just a moment ago, he thought he'd seen a line of text appear before his eyes.
But he had been so hungry his vision was blurring; he hadn't paid it any mind.
[Name: Wu Liangchen] [Age: 17]
[Life Fire: 0.5 Wisps]
[Rickshaw Pulling (Expert 23/500)]
[Five Animals Fist (Skilled 11/200)]
[Hunyuan Stance (Initiate 17/100)]
[Skin Refining and Muscle Forging (5%)]
Wu Liangchen was overjoyed as he looked at the status panel before him.
The biggest surprise, of course, was the new line at the very bottom.
After analyzing the Hunyuan Stance to the initiate level, he had finally entered the Martial Arts Initial Realm.
Even though it was only a meager five percent, it showed Wu Liangchen a world of infinite possibilities.
A single practice session had brought such immense progress. Even if his advancement slowed later, with the help of the Ten Thousand Laws Tripod, his martial Cultivation was bound to soar.
'It might not be long before I break through this current realm.'
On top of that, the proficiency of his Hunyuan Stance had jumped by a whole seven points at once.
This once again made Wu Liangchen realize just how powerful the Ten Thousand Laws Tripod was.
The analysis didn't just help him get started; it also came with a wealth of insights.
It was like having a master personally guide him, and the benefits were immeasurable.
Just then, the sound of a watchman's clapper came from outside. "Third watch of the night, all is well!"
Wu Liangchen was startled to realize it was already almost two in the morning. He quickly pushed aside his stray thoughts and fell into a contented sleep.
He slept soundly and didn't wake until the sky was bright.
When he got up, Wu Liangchen found that his sister had already left, but not before making breakfast.
There was a pot of steaming millet porridge, a few freshly made flatbreads, and a plate of a green onion omelet.
Seeing that more than half of the omelet was left on the plate, Wu Liangchen couldn't help but smile.
His sister used to be reluctant to eat any of the good food, always saving it for him. But after Wu Liangchen's repeated lectures and the recent improvement in their finances, that had finally started to change.
Wu Liangchen polished off the remaining omelet and flatbreads, and even drank every last drop of porridge from the pot.
After eating his fill and heading out, Wu Liangchen noticed some very distinct changes.
First, his strength had increased significantly, something he noticed immediately when pulling his rickshaw.
The handles felt as light as a feather, and he could control the rickshaw as easily as if it were a toy.
His running speed had also increased.
Thanks to the Five Animals Fist, Wu Liangchen could already run much faster than an ordinary person. Now, with another boost, his speed was truly astonishing.
On top of that, his stamina, eyesight, and other senses had all improved to varying degrees.
The feeling was incredible.
No wonder Aunt Fan had said that stance training was the foundation of the martial path. She was absolutely right.
Filled with joy, Wu Liangchen first headed to the South City market, but he found that they were still out of stock.
Sister Hu seemed quite embarrassed about it, but Wu Liangchen simply smiled.
He didn't actually need to go to the Long Wind Martial Arts Hall anymore, now that he had taken his first real step on the martial path.
Still, Wu Liangchen wanted to see for himself what the strength of an ordinary Martial Artist of this era was like.
Moreover, his experience learning the Hunyuan Stance from Aunt Fan had given Wu Liangchen a major insight.
'If I can trigger the Ten Thousand Laws Tripod's analysis just by imitating the moves correctly, does that mean I can trigger it by secretly observing and copying others?'
'If that's the case, then I'd have to call this Ten Thousand Laws Tripod a divine artifact.'
Of course, this was all just speculation for now. He would have to test it to find out for sure.
Wu Liangchen once again politely declined Sister Hu's enthusiastic invitation to come inside for a rest. Then, under the resentful gaze of the young apprentice, he pulled his rickshaw and headed straight for North City.
The moment he stepped through the gate, Wu Liangchen saw Aunt Fan.
She was standing under the large tree in the courtyard, holding a handful of soybeans.
Whenever a fly or any other insect buzzed past, she would flick her fingers. A soybean would shoot out like a marble, obliterating the pest in mid-air.
Throughout the entire process, Aunt Fan never even raised her eyelids. It didn't matter if the insects were in front of her or behind; the moment one came near, a soybean would instantly fly out to meet it.