First, he practiced Tai Chi and mastered the basic steps.
Then, he practiced Tai Chi in the water and strengthened his entire body, especially the strength in his legs.
During brick-walking, he became skilled in applying force.
In sparring with wild boars, he gained practical combat experience.
Most importantly, practicing the Five Animal Forms significantly improved his physical condition.
Some of these training methods could be replicated, while some could not.
"I practiced Tai Chi for a short time in the swimming pool and also practiced brick-walking," said Wang An as he mentioned the two things he did consistently.
"I understand practicing in water, but what is brick-walking?" Hong An asked.
"Do you have bricks here?"
"We do. Please wait a moment."
In no time, Hong An brought over a stack of bricks.
Wang An stood the bricks up and arranged them in a row, with the short edges facing down. They were about twenty centimeters high. With a light jump, he landed on the bricks and then walked on them.
His movements were agile and precise. None of the standing bricks fell.
Hong An and Li Xinzhu's eyes lit up. Even the abbot, on the side, stroked his beard and nodded in silence.
"That is a way to practice the lightness skill. You achieved it?!" Hong An exclaimed in admiration.
"I wouldn't say I've achieved it entirely. Whether one can attain lightness skill is hard to say, but it can make a person more agile and give the person better control over the strength in the body, especially in the legs and feet. Practicing Plum Blossom Piles and the bucket-carrying exercise at the Faxing Temple have similar effects. You should have experienced that, right?"
"Can I try?"
Li Xinzhu stepped on the bricks and attempted to turn around, but he used too much force and lost his balance. The brick tilted, his body swayed, and he almost fell off.
"Whoa, this is a bit challenging!"
"You have to take it step by step. Don't rush," Wang An said.
When it came to martial arts, Hong An was obviously more serious and professional. He even presented a lot of insights of his own.
The years he spent practicing martial arts at the Faxing Temple were not in vain.
"Is it true that Faxing Temple has the Muscle-Bone Strengthening Scripture and the Seventy-Two Ultimate Skills?" Li Xinzhu asked curiously.
"Who are you?" Hong An glanced at him.
"Hey, you monk!"
"I also want to know about this. Master, would you mind telling us?" Wang An asked.
Anyone who had read martial arts novels or watched movies would be interested in the question.
"Some of them." Hong An nodded. "The Arhat Fist and Skanda Palm that I practice are among the Seventy-Two Ultimate Skills. It's just not as exaggerated as in novels and movies, though."
"Could it be because you haven't practiced them well enough?" Li Xinzhu asked.
"If you don't have anything useful to say, It's better to stay silent!" said Hong An. "Some martial arts are strictly controlled and not accessible to ordinary monks. As for the renowned Muscle-Bone Strengthening Scripture, I haven't had contact with it. Learning martial arts requires selecting suitable individuals."
"Still, there are published copies of the Muscle-Bone Strengthening Scripture, right?"
Hong An smiled. "Those are not the original versions. If you follow the exercises in them, it should be able to strengthen the body. After all, it can stretch tendons and bones."
The sky gradually darkened as they talked.
The abbot arranged for them to have a vegetarian meal and instructed Hong An to take good care of them.
The food at Songlin Temple was very delicious. Wang An enjoyed the meal, and Hong An was astonished by his appetite.
He knew that practitioners of martial arts often had a large appetite, and he had seen people with huge appetites, but this was the first time he had seen someone eat so much alone.
It was already dark outside by the time they finished eating.
Wang An and Hong An exchanged contact numbers and then bid farewell to each other.
"Did you really practice Tai Chi in the swimming pool?" Li Xinzhu asked Wang An in the car.
"Yes."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"You didn't ask."
"Where did you learn these training methods?"
"TV, movies, and books. That's what I mean by innovative and divergent thinking."
"Makes sense." Li Xinzhu nodded.
"What about the swimming pool? How much does it cost per month?" He was already considering spending some time at the swimming pool to practice the Intention Fist.
When Wang An returned to his residence from the mountain, it was almost 8 p.m.
After finishing squats and push-ups, he began to practice the Vajra Dhyana Palm in the yard.
He tried hard to forget Tai Chi and instead followed the diagrams recorded in the ancient text to strike palm after palm.
The force originated from the feet, but this set of palm techniques was more forceful and straightforward. It carried the potential to subdue ten opponents at a time.
He practiced and tried to gather the strength from his body into his palms. He used his palm to strike the air.
After a while, he stopped and thought carefully. Then, he continued to practice.
[You've struck three hundred and sixty-five palms. It seems like you've realized something. You should continue to persevere.]
"Oh, today's prompt has changed a bit. I'll keep persevering and continue practicing tomorrow."
Before going to bed, he read "Diamond Zen" again and also flipped through the "Diagram of the Meridians and Acupoints of the Human Body."
That night, he had a dream where he was practicing on a mountain. He sometimes practiced Tai Chi, and he sometimes practiced the Vajra Dhyana Palm. He even smashed a rock with his palm.
When he woke up, he was still lying in bed, and a new day had begun.
After breakfast, he went to the clinic.
Zhao Zhiyuan first gave him a brief and concise explanation of some techniques he had mentioned yesterday. Then, he began to explain new techniques.
The focus was on explaining the acupoints and meridians of the human body and the functions they played.
This time, at Wang An's request, he focused on explaining some acupoints and meridians related to the lower back. Regular massages could relieve some discomfort in the lower back.
Zhao Zhiyuan occasionally pressed on Wang An's body to help him understand the positions of the meridians and acupoints.
"Dr. Zhao, specifically, which meridian is it? Is it this one?" Wang An pointed to a marked meridian on the model.
"In traditional Chinese medicine, the "Heart Meridian" refers to the normal pulse of the heart, and it's not just a specific meridian. This one is the "Heart Meridian." It's one of the twelve meridians. The Heart Meridian of the Hand Shaoyin begins in the heart, with its initial point being "Highest Spring" and its endpoint being "Lesser Surge," with nine points on each side. It passes through the diaphragm and connects with the small intestine. Its branches separate from the heart system, run alongside the esophagus and connect to the eye system. Its direct line branches from the heart system and, after exiting, returns and runs upwards as it passes through the lungs. It exits under the armpit at the acupoint "Highest Spring" along the inner edge of the upper limbs and passes through the elbow. Then, through the posterior sharp end of the palm, it enters the palm, along the ulnar side of the little finger to the end acupoint "Lesser Surge" connecting to the Hand Taiyang of the Small Intestine Meridian..." Zhao Zhiyuan pointed to the markings on the human body and explained them in detail.
"Dr. Zhao, is it possible to cause a heart attack by striking at this position?" Wang An pointed to a spot below the heart.
This was the spot where he had heard that two people had been injured by the Pulse-Seizing Fist.