"Qingshan, starting today, you will learn the spear from your Uncle Yongxiang," Teng Yunlong stated.

Although Teng Qingshan’s spear technique wasn't the most masterful, his actual skill level far surpassed his uncle’s. Knowing he shouldn't waste time, he smiled and countered, "Uncle, do you have any new moves you can teach me?"

"This..." Teng Yongxiang was too embarrassed to speak.

The spear techniques of the Teng Family Village were limited to standard stances; they had nothing truly new to impart. However, the same move executed by different people yielded vastly different levels of power. But this required experience, not just instruction.

Seeing how proficient Teng Qingshan already was in his fundamentals, they truly had nothing left to teach him.

"Our Teng Family Village spear methods are just that one set, yet that single set is worth dedicating a lifetime to immersing oneself in," Teng Yongxiang concluded.

"I understand the fundamentals and some common knowledge; I will study diligently on my own," Teng Qingshan replied.

Teng Yunlong, Teng Yongxiang, and the others exchanged glances, left without a word. Their level of expertise offered little more to teach Teng Qingshan.

"Starting tomorrow, will you train with the men of the clan during morning practice?" Teng Yongxiang inquired.

"I am just a child; it is better for me to train alone in the western woods," Teng Qingshan already had a plan in mind.

The Teng Family Village nestled at the foot of Great Yan Mountain, built right up against it.

Because of its proximity to the mountain, during heavy rainstorms or fierce gales, rolling stones would occasionally fall from above. For safety, the side of the village nearest the mountain—the west side—had a row of massive trees planted. Over a millennium, these trees had propagated into a dense forest.

Even if stones rolled down, they would be easily blocked by the rows of great trees.

At that moment, within the forest stood a child clad in a pale blue padded jacket, gripping a Green Nanwood spear. Teng Qingshan stood casually, his right arm stretched out horizontally.

"Hoo." His right five fingers clasped the butt-end of the spear shaft, managing to hold the entire long weapon perfectly level.

Teng Qingshan closed his eyes, standing motionless like that.

"What exactly is that boy Qingshan doing?" Not far away, Teng Yongfan and Teng Yongxiang watched secretly. Teng Yongxiang whispered, "Yongfan, your son is just holding that great spear, not moving an inch. What kind of spear practice is this? I don't understand it at all."

"Neither do I," Teng Yongfan shook his head.

"Holding a long spear like that drains immense strength. Qingshan has stamina, but he probably can hold it steady for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before the spear tip starts to droop," Teng Yongxiang judged.

Having spent half his life in the way of the spear, Teng Yongxiang certainly had the authority to speak.

Half an hour passed... Teng Qingshan remained utterly still.

An hour passed... Teng Qingshan still stood without moving.

"How is this possible?" Teng Yongxiang and Teng Yongfan, having completed their own morning drills, were astonished to find Teng Qingshan still standing firm.

"Let's go over there," Teng Yongfan finally said.

Teng Qingshan stood silently with his eyes closed, but strangely... the tendons and bones of his body emitted an extremely faint, low hum. Suddenly, Teng Qingshan’s ear twitched, and he lowered the spear. Turning, he smiled at the approaching figures. "Father, Uncle, why are you here?"

"Qingshan, what exactly have you been practicing until now?" Teng Yongfan asked, puzzled.

"What is the use of holding the spear like that?" Teng Yongxiang was equally confused. "You should be practicing staking the spear or thrusting."

Teng Qingshan hesitated inwardly: Should I tell them? If I do, Father and Uncle will surely be shocked. Never mind, I'll take a small risk and give them a hint. Teng Qingshan spoke with a child’s voice: "Father, Uncle! I've always trained this way. I've been thinking... no matter the weapon, it’s just an extension of the fists and feet. If I can train until the spear becomes a part of my body, then I will be formidable."

These childlike words left the two men stunned into silence.

"A part of the body?" Teng Yongxiang and Teng Yongfan were both startled.

"This, this..." Teng Yongxiang suddenly exclaimed, "Yongfan, I once heard of a realm called 'Man and Spear as One' (Ren Qiang He Yi). What Qingshan is describing—the long spear becoming part of his body—isn't that precisely Man and Spear as One?"

Teng Yongfan’s eyes also lit up.

Man and Spear as One—the clansmen of the Teng Family Village had heard of it, but no one knew how to reach that state. After all, a spear is a spear, and a person is a person; how could they merge?

"Qingshan, how can a long spear become part of your body?" Teng Yongxiang pressed, and Teng Yongfan looked intently at his son.

Teng Qingshan smiled proudly: "This is a method I devised. By gripping this shaft, I sense the power within it. When I train to the point where I can clearly detect even a fly landing on the shaft, that’s when it’s almost ready." In reality, this method was the 'Great Spear Stance' (Da Qiang Zhuang), a foundation of Tai Chi, one of the three great internal martial arts from his previous life.

The Great Spear Stance sounds simple enough.

It is all about Listening Force (Ting Jin)!

When one trains to the point of clearly feeling even a single strand of hair brushing against the great spear, the sensitivity of 'Listening Force' reaches such a level that the spear is no different from one's own limbs. When reaching this degree, on the battlefield, upon contact with an opponent’s weapon, one could instantaneously follow the opponent's force, slipping in like a venomous snake, leaving a hole inside their body. True masters fight battles to be won in a single move.

From now on, spear technique would be the foundation of his survival, so he absolutely had to build a solid base. This 'Great Spear Stance' was something he was determined to master.

There were two reasons he chose the long spear as his weapon. First, in cold weapon combat, an inch longer means an inch stronger; long weapons hold the advantage. If his spear reached his opponent, their saber likely wouldn't reach him. However, the longer the weapon, the exponentially higher the difficulty in wielding it.

Second, Xing Yi Quan (Form-Intention Boxing) is inherently a spear-fist art; Teng Qingshan already possessed attainment in this area.

"Holding a spear, sensing the power of the shaft?" Teng Yongfan and Teng Yongxiang exchanged glances, harboring some doubt, but they said no more, offering a few final instructions before leaving.

Teng Qingshan smiled.

The Great Spear Stance was acknowledged as the best method for spear training within the internal martial arts.

"A weapon is always an extension of the fists and feet! To train a weapon to its peak, one’s fists and feet must first reach an exceedingly high level. Otherwise, what is the point of using a weapon? My Xing Yi Quan has already reached the Grandmaster realm; now is the perfect time to practice the spear," Teng Qingshan said with a smile, re-grasping his weapon.

Holding the spear with one hand, his body once again emitted that faint, low hum.

This was the sound of bone and sinew.

"A month for the staff, a year for the saber, a lifetime for the spear!" This spear method is the most complex. Although my fist technique has reached the Grandmaster level, my spear technique is far behind. The Five Elements Fists of Xing Yi naturally harmonize with spear techniques. Starting today, I will begin deriving the Xing Yi Five Elements Spear from the Xing Yi Five Elements Fists."

He had this plan in mind, but Teng Qingshan understood that transforming the Five Elements Fists into the Five Elements Spear would not be achieved in just three to five years. Many people spent their entire lives on spear techniques and still weren't masters; this showed how difficult spear work was.

Time flowed by, and more than three years had passed in a blink.

On the training ground.

"Mother, brother has been practicing his spear in the woods and still hasn't returned. Lunch is almost ready," the little girl with rosy cheeks asked her mother, 'Yuan Lan.'

"Your brother practices the spear all day long, as if possessed. Telling him is useless," Yuan Lan said, though a trace of a smile touched her lips. As a mother, she was naturally proud that her son was so diligent and hardworking. Moreover, over these three years, Teng Qingshan’s fame in the Teng Family Village had grown immensely, with many stories circulating becoming increasingly exaggerated.

For instance, regarding 'literacy': the young men of the clan were expected to start learning to read characters from the age of six, mastering at least the most basic three thousand characters. Other children took years to achieve this, but Teng Qingshan mastered it in just one month.

Regarding spear practice: Teng Qingshan’s self-created 'Holding the Great Spear' (Duan Da Qiang)—which was, in fact, the Great Spear Stance—had led to significant advancements for the elite members of the clan, such as Teng Yongxiang and Teng Yongfan, men with considerable proficiency in spear techniques, after they attempted it for several months. The spear techniques seemed to have gained a spiritual quality.

Then there was his strength. Teng Qingshan, who was strong even as a child, managed to lift a massive stone weighing six hundred jin in a single attempt during the recent Year Sacrifice ceremony at the age of nine. This left everyone dumbfounded, as the other genius, 'Teng Qinghu,' had only managed three hundred jin at the same age. Outsiders mentioning Teng Qingshan would also exclaim, 'Boundlessly strong.'

There were many legends surrounding Teng Qingshan; in short, within the Teng Family Village, he was deemed a once-in-a-thousand-years genius.

Inside the woods.

A young man in plain cloth held a Green Nanwood spear, gazing up at the withered yellow leaves on the great trees. He launched himself like lightning, kicking three surrounding trees in rapid succession.

"Buzz!" The great trees shook violently, and a flurry of fallen leaves descended from high above.

As the first leaf drifted down to a spot three inches above his head, the Green Nanwood spear in Teng Qingshan’s hand moved!

"Swish!"

The entire spear instantly transformed into ten thousand arrows. Streaks of spear shadows cut across the air, completely obscuring the space above Teng Qingshan’s head. In mere moments, every single leaf had fallen. If someone had observed closely, they would have noticed that every falling leaf had been pierced with a small hole.

"Crushing Fist like an Arrow—deriving the 'Shadow Following' spear technique from the 'Crushing Fist' of the Xing Yi Five Elements Fists—it has finally reached complete mastery today."

He casually glanced at another nearby tree.

With a shake of his spear, it shot out like lightning. "Plop!" It pierced a fuzzy caterpillar clinging to the trunk, yet the bark of the tree showed no trace of damage.

Clearly, the moment the caterpillar was killed, Teng Qingshan stopped his spear, never even touching the bark. This level of precise control, if seen by his father Teng Yongfan or others, would likely leave them stunned. To them, this level of spear skill had reached the realm of the unbelievable.

However, in Teng Qingshan’s eyes, this was nothing special.

"Internal martial arts predecessors said training the spear takes a lifetime; this is truly accurate; this spear technique is indeed difficult! The so-called Man and Spear as One is merely the foundation for a spear master. Deriving the Five Elements Spear from the Xing Yi Five Elements Fists, I have only managed to evolve the 'Crushing Fist' into the 'Shadow Following' technique, and the 'Horizontal Fist' into the 'Primordial Unity' technique so far."

The Horizontal Fist, associated with the Earth element, is the sole defensive fist technique among the Five Elements Fists.

This 'Primordial Unity' spear technique is also a defensive spear art.

Teng Qingshan’s spear techniques had no fixed forms, only intent or concept (Yijing). Whether it was Tai Chi, Xing Yi, or Baguazhang, when reaching their apex, they all emphasized Yijing; if the intent was right, every strike carried immense power. This spear technique was the same.

The Yijing embodied in the 'Shadow Following' spear technique was that of the Crushing Fist. Transforming the intent of a fist technique into a spear technique is extremely difficult; Teng Qingshan spent three years to successfully achieve just these two moves.

It could be said that for three whole years, Teng Qingshan had only cultivated these two moves, and that was only because he was already a Xing Yi Grandmaster beforehand.

"An inch longer means an inch stronger. Applying the same intent with a spear yields far greater power," Teng Qingshan mused internally. "These two moves—one for defense, one for attack—my spear technique is newly formed, it’s time to test them." With that, Teng Qingshan turned and headed home. It was time for lunch.

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