Ming Martial Arts

The cold wind howled, as sharp as a blade. In the early winter morning, with the sky just beginning to lighten, Lu Sheng braved the biting wind and made his way to the central training ground of Blackstone Fortress.

Though it was already quite early, upon his arrival Lu Sheng found more than a dozen people already present, each one shouting and calling out as they tempered their bodies with rigorous exercises.

“Lu Sheng, you’ve recovered from your injury?” called out a tall, robust youth whose face still bore traces of boyishness. As he spoke, he gripped two massive stone locks, rolling them up and down his body with ease, clearly not yet exhausted.

Though Lu Sheng’s mind still lagged somewhat, preventing him from immediately recalling who the youth was, it did not hinder his reply. “Not yet, I need a few more days to recuperate.”

“Haha!” The youth laughed heartily. “You’d better hurry up, then. Soon my Stoneforce Technique will reach perfection. When you’re healed, let’s see whether your Rolling Stone Palm is fiercer, or my Stoneforce Palm is mightier!” His words brimmed with confidence.

After searching his memory, Lu Sheng recalled the youth’s name and remembered they were not only playmates of the same age but also relatives, frequently sparring with each other. Thus, he paid little heed to the good-natured challenge and replied with a laugh, “Well, we’ll see what you can do! Shi Qinhu, you’ve claimed your Stoneforce Technique was perfected more times than I can count—perhaps in a few days, you’ll still need a bit longer to really achieve