Overlord Lifts the Tripod, Chen Jue Lifts the Vat

Seeing the proficiency of the Tai Chi fist stance continuously ticking upwards with +1, +1 increments, Chen Jue focused his mind and began to carefully sense the manifest and hidden internal forces transmitting from Li Wei's hands.

In classic boxing literature, internal force is divided into four categories: manifest-hard, manifest-soft, hidden-hard, and hidden-soft. The fusion of all four forces constitutes the Hua-jin (Transformative Energy) stage.

Ever since he began his martial arts practice, Chen Jue had grasped the techniques of manifest-hard, manifest-soft, and hidden-hard through the advancement of various stance practices. Yet, he had repeatedly failed to find the entry point for this final technique: hidden-soft energy.

However, after engaging palms with Li Wei, the hidden force erupting from the other man's palms not only possessed the needle-like piercing rigidity of hidden-hard energy, but also carried a wave-like hidden-soft attack. The force pushed from his palms rippled like water, one layer rolling over the next.

One must realize that Chen Jue was currently immersed in the marvelous process of tempering his heart within the mortal world, actively pursuing his own path of cultivation. With his mind operating at a heightened state, he learned everything much faster than usual.

Not long after crossing palms with Li Wei, Chen Jue had already figured out the nuances of this hidden-soft attack almost entirely.

"So this is what a hidden-soft attack feels like!" Although these fluctuations of hidden-soft energy were almost imperceptibly faint to Chen Jue, had no one personally guided his energy screening, he estimated that trying to comprehend it entirely on his own would have required soaking at the bottom of the sea for ten days to half a month.

Of course, martial arts is a discipline where understanding and comprehending a concept is one thing, but completely integrating it into one's physical body still requires a gradual, step-by-step process.

Therefore, after half an hour of screening energy through Tai Chi pushing hands with Li Wei, although the level of the Tai Chi fist stance did not break through, his proficiency had increased by over 1,800 points. It was gaining about 1 point every single second, with an efficiency as rapid as running a 100x experience scroll. A few more sessions like this would likely trigger a breakthrough in his Tai Chi fist stance.

"No wonder those who wish to practice martial arts must take on a master and find a teacher suited to themselves."

"Having a master guide you across the threshold is truly crucial!" Chen Jue could not help but sigh inwardly.

"Alright, let's conclude today's pushing hands practice here."

"Master Chen Jue, your stamina appears exceptionally abundant. After practicing for so long, there isn't the slightest trace of sweat or fatigue on you. You truly live up to the title of a Daoist immortal who has formed the Golden Elixir! I am impressed!" Li Wei withdrew his stance and let out a long breath.

The art of Tai Chi pushing hands, used for teaching disciples, might look relaxed and effortless on the surface, but putting it into actual practice is extremely draining on both mental focus and physical stamina.

That Li Wei was able to sustain it in one go for over half a month—correction, over half an hour—was entirely due to his own cultivation as a grandmaster of the Hua-jin realm, supported secretly by the Daoist internal energy technique of Subduing the White Tiger, making him incomparable to an abnormal existence like the rule-breaking Chen Jue.

As for Li Xiang, he had observed the sparring session of pushing hands from the sidelines the entire time. Upon closer inspection, he too noticed Chen Jue's superhuman anomalies, praising him inwardly: "He pushed hands with my senior brother for so long without even breaking a sweat. This guy has truly practiced martial arts to the point of becoming an immortal!"

"Thank you for your hard work, Master Li Wei! Practicing Tai Chi pushing hands with you has profited me immensely."

"Since both of you built your foundations on the Baji fist and the day is still quite early, I will demonstrate the foundation exercise of my style—the Boat Boxing Eight Immortals Stance."

"They are both Daoist internal martial arts; by drawing analogies across different disciplines, I hope this will also be of some help to the two of you." Chen Jue cupped his fists and said gratefully.

For Chen Jue, half an hour of sparring consumed only a tiny fraction of his stamina. Since there was still plenty of time, he thought of practicing the Boat Boxing Eight Immortals Stance for the two Hua-jin grandmasters, which could also serve as returning a favor.

However, practicing this Boat Boxing Eight Immortals Stance on flat ground would look far too ordinary and mundane, lacking the grand, sweeping momentum and astonishing visual impact of the Baji fist.

Therefore, Chen Jue glanced at the courtyard's layout and ultimately fixed his gaze on an old-fashioned large water vat used for collecting water, situated by the waterfall at the back of the villa.

"Master Li Wei, would you mind if I make use of that water vat?" Chen Jue raised a hand and pointed toward the vat.

"Go right ahead! Master Chen Jue, feel free to use it. Everything in this courtyard is meant for martial arts practice anyway; don't hesitate even if it gets broken, as it doesn't cost much. That water vat was actually used by my junior brother in the past to practice Baguazhang," Li Wei nodded and said. Having expended a significant amount of stamina, the center of his forehead was flushed with a slight sweat, and his vital energy and blood were converging towards his brow. This was a qi-cultivating technique of the Daoist tradition known as subduing the White Tiger and nurturing the golden lotus with internal fire.

"Very well!"

"Then I shall make a fool of myself!" Chen Jue smiled slightly upon hearing this, strode over to the large water vat more than a dozen meters away, squatted down, gripped it, and lifted it—actually raising the water vat, brimming to the brim, high above his head.

Upon seeing this, both Li Wei and Li Xiang widened their eyes, dropped their jaws, and felt their hearts skip a beat as a single phrase flashed through their minds simultaneously: "Overlord lifting the tripod!"

This story recounts the late Qin dynasty period, when Xiang Yu, historically known as the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, raised troops in the Jiangnan region to expand his military forces. He went with his uncle Xiang Liang to contact Huan Chu to rebel together against the Qin dynasty. However, Huan Chu had adopted an arrogant attitude and said to Xiang Yu, "If you can defeat ten thousand men, we will submit to you. There is a large tripod in the courtyard weighing a thousand catties; can you lift it?"

Xiang Yu first had four of Huan Chu's strongest warriors attempt to lift the tripod together, yet the massive tripod remained as firmly rooted as if it were anchored into the ground, not moving in the slightest. Then, he rolled up his lapels, strode up to the tripod, gripped its legs, channeled his strength, and let out a resounding roar: "Rise!"

The thousand-catty tripod, which had seemed deeply rooted, was lifted high into the air by Xiang Yu—not just once, but three times up and down. Ultimately, relying on this feat of the Overlord lifting the tripod, Xiang Yu persuaded Huan Chu to combine their forces and rise in rebellion alongside him.

Whether the historical Hegemon-King Xiang Yu ever actually lifted a thousand-catty tripod is difficult to verify now. However, the large water vat lifted by Chen Jue easily weighed over a full ton!

An old-fashioned water vat of this type normally weighed at most a hundred or so catties, which was nothing remarkable and couldn't even compare to the weight of the large lead-mercury ball in the courtyard. But this vat was filled to the brim with over a cubic meter of water!

Such an astonishing weight was raised high above Chen Jue's head without him even breathing heavily. Even Hua-jin grandmasters like Li Wei and Li Xiang were plunged into utter shock at the sight.

In the eyes of the two men, an immortal who had formed the Golden Elixir should at most possess martial prowess slightly superior to their own.

Yet this "slight" superiority turned out to be boundless!

"Is this truly something human beings can achieve? After forming the elixir and consolidating the hips, does one really possess the ability to lift a thousand catties?" The exact same doubt flashed rapidly through the minds of the two martial brothers.

After hoisting the large water vat, Chen Jue tilted it, pouring the mountain spring water cascading out in a torrent into the waterfall pool at the back of the villa. Once the contents were completely emptied, he carried the vat back into the courtyard and placed it flat and steady on the ground.

Then, under the astonished gazes of Li Xiang and Li Wei, Chen Jue leaped with a single bound onto the rim of the water vat.

With both feet planted on the edge and his body flexing dynamically, Chen Jue stood poised in the Eight Immortals Stance atop the vat rim. This water vat, which should have tilted and lost balance under the force, remained completely motionless at that moment—as if the vat hadn't even registered that a living person weighing 180 catties was now standing upon it!