The Martial Saint of Humanity, I Have Transformed Low-Level Martial Arts Into Immortal Martial Arts - Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Eight Steps to Catch the Cicada! Heavy Mountain Fist!

On a night with a bright moon and sparse stars, Su Hao made his way home peacefully. Although there had been some unexpected events during his outing, he ultimately fulfilled his desires and obtained what he sought! It wasn’t until the afternoon break the next day that Su Hao found time to delve into two volumes of the secret books.

The first one he flipped through was titled “Eight Steps to Catch the Cicada.” This was a method of movement that emphasized explosive power over short distances, meaning one could chase down a swiftly flying cicada within eight steps. Mastering this technique would yield incredible results in times of crisis, whether in escape or pursuit!

After reading the secret book several times, Su Hao made his way to the wild forest outside the village to begin his practice.

Hoo!

With a quick motion, Su Hao dashed through the forest, following the breathing and strength techniques outlined in the secret book. He focused on circulating the blood and strength forces within his body, concentrating them in his legs, while adjusting his running posture. He envisioned himself chasing after a flying cicada, pushing his speed to the utmost limit!

This allowed Su Hao’s explosive speed to gradually surpass his previous capabilities—gaining even a second or half a second over a hundred meters represented a significant breakthrough!

[Eight Steps to Catch the Cicada (Initiation)]

As night fell completely, Su Hao wiped the sweat off his brow and ended his training for the day, marking his initiation into “Eight Steps to Catch the Cicada” on his attribute panel. This exemplified the ‘Excellent Talent Jade’ level of potential: with just a bit of effort in any area, one could achieve certain accomplishments! Not to mention that Su Hao worked doubly hard!

Having perfected Baduanjin, Su Hao felt energetic and could temporarily forego practicing it to have more time for studying other martial arts. The next morning, with some time before heading to the Blacksmith Shop, Su Hao began to study “Heavy Mountain Fist.”

As he perused the technique manual, Su Hao’s eyes gradually brightened. The Heavy Mountain Fist was fundamentally different from the Vajra Fist, which emphasized overwhelming strength aimed at brutal attacks. In contrast, the Heavy Mountain Fist focused on the application of power and technique, balancing offense and defense. When attacking, it felt like Mount Tai crashing down; in defense, it was as gentle as a thousand winds sweeping over the mountain—stable and immovable, embodying the principle of ‘lifting heavy as if it were light!’

Hoo, hoo, hoo!

While Su Hao controlled his breathing and practiced the Heavy Mountain Fist, his punches carried a heavy and forceful quality that gave off a majestic atmosphere. As he trained in the Heavy Mountain Fist, the surrounding air seemed to solidify. His progress, from initial awkwardness to proficiency and initiation, was so rapid that it drew attention!

[Heavy Mountain Fist (Initiation)]

In just one morning, Su Hao had already initiated himself into the Heavy Mountain Fist! It’s worth noting that when Su Hao first practiced the Vajra Fist, it took him three whole days to reach initiation; now, he had improved by more than ten times!

Of course, this was partly because Su Hao’s potential was extraordinary now, far surpassing what it once was. Additionally, he had perfected the Vajra Fist, providing him a solid foundation in martial arts, making it much easier and quicker to practice his second fist technique!

“The tools are extensions of the arms, so I can practice my fist technique while forging, integrating the martial arts into my forging skills!”

In the morning, at Zhao’s Blacksmith Shop, with his muscular upper body bare, Su Hao wielded a hammer, the flickering flames casting light on his chiseled face. He then swung the massive hammer down onto the glowing red iron block.

Whether it be swords, hammers, or other tools, they were all extensions of the arms, and Su Hao attempted to demonstrate his expertise in fist technique while hammering, allowing him to train his martial arts during the forging process.

“Clang!”

The Vajra Fist was powerful and unparalleled; each strike resonated like steel colliding with steel, creating a vibration that made the furnace fire sway and distort.

“Clang! Clang!”

Meanwhile, the Heavy Mountain Fist was immensely heavy and artfully simple, lifting the weight as if it were light. The hammer danced with incredible agility in every swing, causing the forge platform to tremble slightly with each strike, accompanied by flying sparks!

To merge forging with martial arts while practicing the techniques during forging may sound easy, but it was certainly impossible for anyone else. It was only Su Hao, with his potential reaching 12 points and his status as Excellent Talent Jade, that possessed such insight!

“A Hao… really is a genius. Watching him forge is simply a delight; I doubt it will be long before his forging skills surpass mine.”

Zhao Tie, the shop owner, looked at Su Hao’s forging scene with a hint of admiration and satisfaction in his eyes.

“There is indeed a significant gap between people; those with talent and those without are simply different…”

The other old blacksmiths could only smile wryly to themselves. They had immersed themselves in forging for decades, yet Su Hao had caught up with them in just two or three years, and he was even on the verge of surpassing them. This was no longer something that could be achieved solely through hard work!

Su Hao, of course, was unaware of their thoughts. A hint of fervor glimmered in his eyes as he said, “At this rate of progress, I should reach perfection in forging first, and perfecting the Vajra Fist will also be just around the corner!”

Filled with motivation, Su Hao’s life became both fulfilling and busy.

The days of intense training were always calm, and unexpected events were indeed rare. Su Hao only ventured out once a month to Evergreen City to purchase herbs; the rest of the time, he either stayed in the forge or devoted himself to martial arts training.

In the blink of an eye, six months of peaceful and fulfilling days had passed, and winter arrived once more.

In the morning, after a night of wind and snow, the wilderness outside Longshe Village remained covered in snow, and the weather was frigid.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a shadow raced through the woods, so fast that it was hard to catch with the naked eye. The only evidence was the footprints left in the snow and the heavy snowfall drifting down from the branches that had been snapped in the swift passage.

One might suspect that a powerful tiger or a cheetah had just dashed by!

Su Hao could feel the frost and wind whipping against his face, and the exhilaration from such speed was utterly addictive!

He stopped and turned back to see that he had already covered nearly thirty zhang (around 100 meters).

“Not bad; it took me about four seconds to cover that distance.”

Su Hao silently calculated in his mind. The Eight Steps to Catch the Cicada, this light-footed technique, had been cultivated to great accomplishment just half a month ago.

The muscles in Su Hao’s legs had undergone tremendous changes, becoming more suited for running and instantaneous bursts of speed!

Now, applying the Eight Steps to Catch the Cicada, Su Hao was capable of achieving terrifying speeds of four to five seconds for 100 meters!

It’s important to note that the increase in speed and strength are not proportional. A person could work hard and perhaps lift twice the weight they originally could, but achieving double the running speed is much more challenging!

Running 100 meters in four to five seconds was already comparable to wild animals like lions and cheetahs!

“Once I master the Vajra Fist, the strength force within me will grow increasingly robust; I can feel that the breakthrough is not far off.”

Calming his mind after warming up, Su Hao began his practice of the Vajra Fist.

In the past six months, Su Hao made rapid progress; both the Eight Steps to Catch the Cicada and Heavy Mountain Fist had reached great accomplishment, and even his forging had achieved perfection. As a result, Su Hao’s potential had skyrocketed to over 16 points!

The Vajra Fist, the first martial art Su Hao had practiced, had also become increasingly responsive to his will. The strength force within his body had grown steadily stronger through continuous training, refinement, and nurturing. Su Hao could sense that he was just a step away from a qualitative change.

As he practiced the Vajra Fist, he suddenly felt the blood and energy within him boiling, with streams of strength force flowing through his body!

“The Vajra Fist has reached perfection… and the strength force within me is undergoing a transformation!”

Su Hao’s eyes lit up; he had experienced this feeling once before, reminiscent of the initial sensation of body tempering and strength refining.

During these past six months, Su Hao had been continuously consuming health tonics, and combined with his exceptional talent and daily relentless training, he naturally began to build up a significant foundation and started to break through!

“Whoosh!”

The surge of blood and energy within Su Hao amplified and spread throughout his limbs, making him feel as if flames were consuming him. Despite the pain, the impurities in his body were being expelled, washing away the superficial.

The high temperature within his body became trapped, making it difficult for Su Hao to release it. Sweat poured down like rain, but he gritted his teeth and persevered. This process of refining strength force was even more intense than when he first tempered his body!