Chapter 31: The Power of One Fist

  The "Yang Qi Lu" recorded in the "Qing Nang Jing" is the same breathing method that Grandmaster Gong Sun taught to Zhou Hao, which uses a unique breathing technique to solidify the foundation and cultivate the original energy, allowing this "original energy" to flow throughout the body, enhancing the functions of various organs, thereby achieving the effect of prolonging life.

  Gongsun's cultivation of "Nourishing Qi Record" began when he was twenty years old, and it was also thanks to the "Nourishing Qi Record" that he managed to save his life after taking the Dragon's Gall Fruit, sacrificing only his legs. However, the Dragon's Gall Fruit ultimately had a very strong medicinal effect, causing great damage to his internal organs, which would be difficult to cure in the future. By now, Gongsun's "Nourishing Qi Record" has been cultivated for over a hundred years, and its profoundness is unimaginable to ordinary people.

  Zhou Hao, having fully absorbed the essence of Longwan fruit, had his body's potential maximally unleashed, and cultivating "Yangqi Record" became even more effortless. Within a few days, he had already mastered the entire "Yangqi Record" and also grasped the method of using his own strength.

  Based on "Yang Qi Lu", it's easier to learn "Wu Qin Xi". "Wu Qin Xi" is a martial art that imitates the movements of five animals: bear, tiger, deer, crane and ape. It combines dynamic and static movements, with both hard and soft techniques. Moreover, the "Wu Qin Xi" recorded in "Qing Nang Jing" is more detailed and has more variations than those circulating in society. During his learning process, Zhou Hao couldn't help but admire and look up to Hua Tuo, the creator of this martial art. In addition, Gong Sun Da Fu also taught Zhou Hao some pharmacology from "Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing", allowing him to see how profound and advanced Chinese medicine was thousands of years ago.

  Watching Zhou Hao perform a set of "Five Animals Play" with vigor and might, the guiding Gong Sun Da Fu stroked his long beard under his chin in satisfaction. It has to be said that Zhou Hao's innate talent for martial arts is indeed astonishing. In just half a month's time, he had already mastered both "Nourishing Qi Record" and "Five Animals Play", although he still lacked some fire control. However, with Zhou Hao's astonishing strength, it would be hard to find an opponent outside as well.

  Li Ruolan on the other side was also looking at Zhou Hao, but her eyes were filled with complex emotions, unable to tell whether it was joy or hatred.

  Because her clothes were all torn, she was now wearing a gray linen garment made from the same linen cloth that had been used to cover her shame. Perhaps out of guilt, Gong Sun gave her some medicine to nourish her yin and supplement her qi, plus that wonderfully effective ointment, Li Ruolan's body recovered within two days.

  However, for the past half month, although she still took charge of cooking, she didn't say a word to Zhou Hao again, making him feel uneasy and not daring to provoke her. He could only put all his energy into practicing martial arts, almost self-torturing himself in training. Perhaps that's why his martial arts skills were progressing so rapidly. Moreover, he wasn't in a hurry to leave because after leaving, he wouldn't know how to face Li Ruolan either.

  "Actually, this kid is really good." Gong Sun arrived at Li Ruolan's side.

  Li Ruolan didn't speak, still silently watching Zhou Hao who was practicing martial arts on the other side. Due to physical changes, Zhou Hao now had a height of 1.8 meters, and his facial features had become more mature and angular, with a pair of sword-like eyebrows that exuded an air of heroism. Adding to his innate temperament, he looked nothing like a fourteen-year-old youth, but rather like a charming and mature male.

  If he were outside, he should be a man who is very popular with girls. Li Ruolan thought to herself. She didn't want to go out either, because once she went out, she and Zhou Hao would immediately resume their social relationship as teacher and student. However, she had already been intimate with Zhou Hao, and she herself didn't know how to face this fact.

  Gongsun Dafu glanced at Li Ruolan and said, "From the moment he swallowed the Dragon's Saliva Fruit, it means he is no longer an ordinary person."

  "What does it have to do with me whether he is an ordinary person or not?" Li Ruolan replied stiffly.

  "My point is that you don't have to worry about the relationship between teacher and student." Gong Sun said, "You just need to remember that he's a man and you're a woman, that's all."

  But Li Ruolan shook her head with a complex expression, "Things outside are not that simple. You've lived in the mountains for so many years and don't know how complicated human relationships are in society now. And I won't have any future with him either. Let's just consider past things as a nightmare." She turned her face away from Zhou Hao, but a hint of tears appeared at the corner of her eyes.

  Gongsun Dafu smiled, "Don't deceive yourself, I know you won't take all this as a dream." He ignored Li Ruolan and said to himself: "Right, after eating the dragon's gall fruit, his ability in that aspect will be greatly enhanced. As a woman, it's hard for you to satisfy him, so you'd better make psychological preparations for this."

  "What?!" Li Ruolan was immediately annoyed and glared at Gong Sun, "What kind of evil medicine did you give him to eat?! How could there be such a terrible side effect?!"

  "Any side effects? I doubt it." Dr. Gong smiled ambiguously, "I think you've also had a taste of it personally, do you think you can handle him alone?"

  Li Ruolan's face suddenly turned red when she heard this. She remembered that at the time, she was tossed about by Zhou Hao's violent passion for several hours, and for her, a young girl who had never experienced such things before, these few hours seemed as long as the entire world. The specific feeling was like having a red-hot iron rod inserted into her body and stirred around for several hours.

  If it were just herself, she indeed couldn't bear such hardship. Li Ruolan didn't know how the thought popped into her mind, and then she was shocked and amazed at herself for having such an idea.

  "Cough! Cough!" Gong Sun suddenly covered his mouth and started coughing violently.

  Li Ruolan hastily patted his back, "Are you okay?"

  Gongsun's wife shook her head and when she opened her hand, there was a patch of blood on her palm.

  "Time waits for no man." Dr. Gong Sun sighed and then beckoned to Zhou Hao, "Come here, young one!"

  Zhou Hao immediately stopped what he was doing and walked over. After seeing Li Ruolan, he respectfully said, "Teacher Li."

  Li Ruolan didn't respond to him, and Gong Sun Daifu said: "After these days, your 'Yang Qi Lu' and 'Wu Qin Xi' have been practiced well." He sighed, "There's no need to continue staying here either."

  "I... still haven't mastered some of the techniques." Zhou Hao muttered, he didn't want to leave so soon, at least here he could still see Li Ruolan every day, but if he left, it was likely that Li Ruolan would quit her job as a teacher to avoid him and thoroughly leave Xiangcheng City, then Zhou Hao wouldn't be able to see her again. However, Zhou Hao also thought, Yan Tong and Wang Xi Jun must be very worried about him, if he didn't leave soon, they probably wouldn't be able to hold on anymore.

  Gongsun Dafu knocked Zhou Hao lightly and said, "What are you staying here for? I'm not really going to let this girl accompany me. You can take her away!"

  Zhou Hao secretly glanced at Li Ruolan, but saw that she was looking elsewhere, her face expressionless as if she hadn't heard anything.

  However, whether you can get out or not still depends on yourself. Mr. Gong suddenly said, seeing Zhou Hao and Li Ruolan's faces change, he explained, "Earlier I said I knew the way out, actually I was deceiving you. Although I am familiar with each passage of this cave, but these passages are not one leading to the outside. The only way out has always been just one, which is over there." He pointed to the east side of the cave, where Zhou Hao and Li Ruolan had fallen down with that huge boulder, and a pile of mud, sand and rocks.

  "When you fell down, the stone also blocked the way out." Gong Sun said.

  Looking at the boulder, Zhou Hao's face turned white. "I don't believe it. If we can't get out, then where did all the rice and wild rabbit mountain chicken we've been eating these days come from?"

  "That was the food I had stored in advance, and it's placed in another cave." Gong Sun said: "Didn't you notice that the meat of those wild rabbits and mountain chickens were all dried? The grain I stored here is enough for one person to use for three months, but for three people, it can probably only last about a month. So now there isn't much food left either."

  After hearing the words of Gong Sun, Zhou Hao and Li Ruolan's faces changed drastically. At this time, Zhou Hao was thinking that no wonder his intuition had lost its spirit back then, it turned out that there was no way out from the beginning! However, when Zhou Hao saw the terrified and desperate expression on Li Ruolan's face, he gritted his teeth and said: "No, I must take Teacher Li out! Old man, you must have a way, otherwise you wouldn't have taught me Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing and Qing Nang Jing."

  "What you said is not wrong. If it were the previous you, you might not have been able to get out, but now you are different." Gong Sun smiled, "The power you possess now is extremely astonishing, as long as you shatter that stone, you will naturally be able to get out."

  Zhou Hao looked at the huge boulder and then at his own fist, "Can I do it?"

  "You must believe in yourself. If you really can't do it, then you and the girl will have to stay here with me forever." said Gong Sun.

  "Alright, I'll give it a try!" Without delay, Zhou Hao immediately arrived in front of the boulder that blocked his path and raised his tightly clenched fist.

  "Don't hold back, use all your strength." Gong Sun and Li Ruolan stood far away in the back to avoid being hit by scattered stones. And Li Ruolan also quietly cheered for Zhou Hao's back figure in her heart.

  Zhou Hao nodded, Li Ruolan's life was now in his hands. He couldn't fail just for her sake, let alone with so many people waiting outside for him to come out.

  He took a deep breath, and the true energy inside his body also circulated according to "Nourishing Qi Record", finally flowing continuously into his right fist.

  "Ha!" He let out a loud shout, and his fist heavily struck the boulder in front of him.

  "Boom!" The entire cave began to tremble slightly, and the boulder also showed cracks under Zhou Hao's impact, then shattered into pieces and rolled down.

  These tens of tons of rocks were actually shattered by Zhou Hao!

  After the mountain rocks cracked and rolled down, a wide path also appeared in front of Zhou Hao!