1 Martial Arts Eternal

In the Infinite Continent, martial arts thrived, and practitioners of martial arts were as numerous as the fish in the river.

In the southwest of the continent, in the Dan family's courtyard, Tianyun City.

Huff, huff, huff!

Within the courtyard, the wind howled as the figure moved swiftly. A young man with sharp features and clear eyes was practicing the long-established martial art, the "Jade-Shattered Fist."

The young man appeared deeply focused, as if engaged in the holiest of activities. His movements were precise, disciplined, fast yet powerful, stable yet agile. His body was like a dragon, and his fists were like the wind. He executed a foundational low-grade martial art with a resolute and imposing manner.

The atmosphere in the entire courtyard seemed to respond to his actions, and a subtle breeze stirred, causing the leaves of the banyan tree to sway gently, scattering yellow leaves.

By the time he finished his practice, the ground was covered in fallen leaves.

"Huff, huff, huff! Just a bit more, and I, Dan Chen, will have mastered the Jade-Shattered Fist to perfection!"

The young man was filled with satisfaction. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and then returned to his room. When he emerged again, his legs were each strapped with two sandbags, each weighing a hundred pounds.

"In the past, I used fifty-pound weights, but progress was too slow. This time, I'll try a hundred pounds!"

Turning right as he exited, Dan Chen accelerated immediately. He ran with all his might in the direction deep within the Dan family's territory.

The Dan family was one of the five great noble families in Tianyun City, with numerous members and a vast estate.

Trees lining the sides of the road were sent flying backward one after another as Dan Chen raced through the area. He passed through rows of similar courtyards, then proceeded along a corridor. Finally, his field of vision opened up to reveal a large square spanning dozens of yards.

At this moment, the sky was already bright, and many young members of the Dan family were engaged in morning exercises on the martial arts training grounds.

As soon as they saw Dan Chen, these young people stopped their training and looked over in his direction. Laughter and whispers filled the air, and some gathered together, pointing and talking about Dan Chen.

"Look, that foolish kid is running again. He really is doing it rain or shine."

"He's already sixteen and still can't condense spiritual energy to become a martial artist. It seems he has no hope of ever walking the path of martial arts."

"Tsk, tsk, Dan Chen's talent may be poor, but his determination is admirable."

"Humph! Admire what? He's clearly not cut out for martial arts, yet he's like a toad craving for swan meat. Martial artists are a select few, not everyone can achieve it. What determination? In my opinion, he's just thick-headed."

A young man in yellow sneered as he looked disdainfully at Dan Chen. His voice was sharp and loud enough for most of the people in the training ground to hear, and his words were filled with sarcasm.

"Ha-ha, Dan Kang, your words are as sharp as ever. Do you have a grudge against him?"

"Dan Le, stop insulting people like that. He can't even condense spiritual energy, and his father, Dan Hao, has been missing for ten years. What qualifications does he have to be my enemy? I, Dan Kang, am a third-grade martial artist of the initial stage, and I wouldn't associate with someone like him."

The young man in yellow rolled his eyes, as if he had been greatly insulted.

"Humph, ants can't comprehend the ambition of a dragon! Even if I can't condense spiritual energy, I can still tread a path of martial arts. As long as the heavens exist, martial arts will live on!"

Dan Chen paid no attention to the contempt and ridicule from the young members of his clan. His eyes were filled with determination, and his heart was burning with a passionate love for martial arts.

Thump, thump, thump!

Dan Chen strode as fast as he could, quickly crossing the training ground and arriving at the back mountain of the family estate.

The back mountain was a branch of the Great Qing Mountain, home to fierce beasts, and it was said that mythical creatures roamed its depths. Ordinary people would not easily venture into these mountains.

With autumn approaching, the colors of the Qing Mountain gradually changed from emerald green to brownish-yellow. Insects and animals commonly seen in summer were either extinct or preparing for hibernation. The mountain was quiet, and only the occasional birdsong could be heard.

On the rugged mountain path, Dan Chen moved with heavy steps, as if carrying a thousand-pound burden on his back. Each step was arduous. His body was drenched in sweat, as if he had just been pulled from the water, his clothes soaked through.

After a while, he leaned against a rock to catch his breath and assessed his progress for the day. "I walked two more li (a Chinese unit of distance) than yesterday. There's improvement."

"My ancestor was able to carry five hundred pounds and travel a hundred li in the initial stage of martial arts. I've only tied two hundred pounds of sandbags and walked ten li. I must continue to work hard."

"Since my ancestor could do it, I, Dan Chen, can do it too."

After a short rest, Dan Chen resumed his journey. This time, he walked for nearly half an hour, entering a small mountain valley.

The valley was vast, a hundred zhang (a Chinese unit of length, one zhang euqals to around 3.3 meters) high, and in its deepest part, there was a dark river cascading down from mid-mountain, falling into a pool below, forming a waterfall about five zhang wide and more than twenty zhang high. The pool below was so deep that its bottom could not be seen.

Dan Chen removed his clothes, leaving only his underwear. He walked to a stone under the waterfall and jumped into the pool.

Splish, splish, splish!

The powerful water flow, over a thousand pounds in strength, hit his body, creating muffled sounds upon impact. Dan Chen's face turned pale as he endured the intense pressure, his vital energy and blood roiling, causing his upper body to sway.

"Hah!"

Dan Chen let out a loud shout. Gritting his teeth and holding firmly to the rock below, he refused to retreat a single step. His body was like a boulder, unmoving as a mountain.

After a good while, he adapted to the impact of the water flow. His body slowly sank, and with clenched fists, he laboriously raised them and began to move them slowly within the water curtain.

"Jade-Shattered Fist!"

"Fist Shattering the Heaven!"

Dan Chen struck out with a fist, creating splashes of water, resonating echoes, and startling birds into flight. At first, his punches were slow, but as time passed, his punching speed increased. His fists moved up and down like butterflies under the pearl curtain of the waterfall.

The idea of practicing martial arts under a waterfall was somewhat unconventional. Even Dan Chen himself initially found it difficult to achieve. However, after three years, he had already realized this goal, although he could now only practice ten times under the waterfall each day.

This method of practicing martial arts had a significant effect. It not only tempered his body and enhanced his strength but also improved his comprehension of the martial art. Having practiced the ordinary Jade-Shattered Fist thousands of times, Dan Chen was on the verge of reaching the state of effortless strength. Few of his peers could achieve such mastery.

Two hours later!

Whoosh!

Dan Chen jumped back onto the shore, wiped away the water droplets from his body, quickly dressed, and muttered to himself, "Today's training ends here; I'll come back tomorrow."

As the sun set, Dan Chen returned home and went to the Dan family's elixir store to pick up his mother, Liu Wanfeng. Since his father, Dan Hao, had gone missing, Dan Chen had taken up his father's duty.

Just as he arrived at the elixir store, he heard a strange, eerie voice from inside.

"Liu Wanfeng, Dan Hao will never return. It's your good fortune that I, Wang Changkong, don't mind that you're a married woman and am willing to take you as my concubine. If you don't appreciate it, don't blame me for not being polite with you anymore."

"Oh no, something's happened to my mother!"

Outside the Dan’s elixir store, Dan Chen was extremely anxious. He let out a low growl and rushed through the store's door at the fastest speed.