Chapter 13: Like Rolling a Round Stone Down a Thousand-Fathom Mountain

Hurrying home, Lu Sheng relayed Lu Hai’s instructions to the few apprentices at the clinic before quickly heading into the backyard, following from memory the steps Lu Hai had taught him to lay nets and scatter medicine.

These tasks would have gone much faster with help from the apprentices. Yet, since they were not Lu Hai’s formal disciples—though Lu Sheng would politely address them as “senior brothers” out of courtesy—he never truly regarded them as such. Especially now, with the family’s great secret at stake, how could he dare let them inside? Thus, all these precautions fell to him alone.

Blackstone Fort had weathered several waves of serpents in the past and was well prepared for such events. It didn’t take long for Lu Sheng to secure the inner courtyard, placing nets and medicines at every possible point where snakes or insects could creep inside.

Once finished, Lu Sheng did not go to assist in the front yard. Instead, he checked his own health. After a few days of recuperation, his health status now showed “88% (minor injury).” He hesitated briefly, then fetched some medicinal herbs from the storeroom and swallowed them, expending a merit point on the “health” attribute.

Perhaps it was the effect of the merit—the moment a warm current surged through him, the herbs he had ingested were rapidly digested and absorbed, merging seamlessly into his body. His health quickly reached “100% (fully healthy),” the ideal state.

Feeling energetic and healthier than ever, Lu Sheng was seized by a strong urge to practice martial arts and stretch his limbs. The urge was so overwhelming that, for the moment, he ignored the chores outside and instead walked to the stone sphere in the courtyard used for training. Placing his hands on the orb, he set it spinning swiftly atop its pedestal, beginning to practice the Rolling Stone Palm.

Perhaps it was the exhilaration of a healthy body, or the muscle memory lingering within, or maybe it was all the contemplation he’d devoted to the Rolling Stone Palm in recent days—whatever the reason, this time, his practice felt especially smooth and natural. Although his moves were awkward at first, since he had never truly trained before, within moments his hands could already guide the stone, sending it spinning nimbly atop its base.

“The Rolling Stone Palm, inspired by the movement of the stone sphere, much like the Bedrock Palm, was a technique my great-grandfather derived from the Blackstone Palm. One embraces lightness and agility, the other weight and solidity. He transformed an ordinary mid-grade force-training technique into two superior ones, each complementing the other.”

“To practice the Rolling Stone Palm, one must use the stone sphere as an aid, rolling it to cultivate the technique. The speed is not important; what matters is feeling the motion of the stone and grasping its essence. When that understanding comes, the Rolling Stone Palm is perfected.”

“But attaining that perfection is no easy feat. My predecessor began training in this technique at twelve, and now, nearly four years later, he was still just a hair’s breadth from mastery, unable to wield it with true ease—let alone comprehend its full meaning.”

“But I am not him. My predecessor’s understanding was limited; he never truly grasped what it meant for the stone to roll. But I know—truly, I know!”

As this thought struck, Lu Sheng applied force, nudging the stone from its pedestal so it tumbled to the ground, rolling away with a rumble. As it was about to strike the courtyard wall, he stepped forward, caught up to it, and, with a deft motion, redirected its course so it rolled off in another direction.

“Rolling stone, rolling stone—it is not merely the spinning of a sphere, but the tumbling of a stone in motion!”

“This rolling might be the boulders thrown from city walls in defense, or the rocks crashing down a mountainside. As the Art of War says: ‘Like rolling a round stone down a thousand-fathom mountain, such is momentum’—that is the true spirit of the Rolling Stone!”

“The force of a rolling stone is unstoppable; the only choice is to follow its momentum. This is my Rolling Stone Palm!”

Following the momentum of the stone as it tumbled from its stand, Lu Sheng guided it through several rounds in the courtyard, already fully grasping the essence of the technique. The moves themselves subtly evolved in his hands.

To an ordinary observer, these changes might hardly register, merely making his Rolling Stone Palm seem more imposing. But to a martial expert, the difference would be striking: his palm technique now carried a sweeping, irresistible force. Though this diverged from the original intent of the Rolling Stone Palm, it, too, reached perfection.

———

“The Rolling Stone Palm that my great-grandfather devised was, in fact, not derived from the Blackstone Palm, but from the Primordial Palm. Using the stone sphere’s circular motion to comprehend the revolving essence of Primordial energy, it served to conceal the true cultivation of the Primordial Palm. If one perfected the Rolling Stone Palm, the shared intent would make the transition to Primordial Palm twice as effective with half the effort.”

“That is the true function of the Rolling Stone Palm—not, like the Bedrock Palm, to transmute force into inner energy for the Blackstone Art of Blackstone Island.”

“Yet the way of Primordial energy is all-encompassing. Why cling to a single method? My version of the Rolling Stone Palm is equally beneficial for cultivating the Primordial Palm!”

Drawing his hands back and standing straight, Lu Sheng glanced at his [Martial Arts] tab: “Rolling Stone Art—Rolling Stone Stance 92%, Rolling Stone Palm 100%, Rolling Stone Force 29%.” A smile crept onto his lips.

Having experienced the true essence left by Emperor Jing several times, Lu Sheng found practicing the Rolling Stone Palm—derived from the Primordial Palm—came effortlessly. In a short span, what his predecessor had labored after for years but never achieved, he now mastered at once, even infusing his own understanding, reaching a state of perfection few could ever attain.

This progress further elevated his comprehension of the Rolling Stone Stance, bringing it to mastery without him even noticing. Even the Rolling Stone Force, which had dissipated, was now stirring again as he practiced, ready to condense within—had he not deliberately suppressed it, his inner energy would already be surging.

Ignoring the Rolling Stone Force threatening to erupt within, Lu Sheng’s thoughts continued:

“My swift progress owes not only to the foundational work laid by my predecessor and my own month-long contemplation to restore my strength, but even more to last night’s repeated insights into the Primordial Truth. Though its meaning is so profound that I gained little direct benefit at the time, the sense of utter perfection it bestowed let me instantly merge my desired intent into the palm technique today.”

“And so, in one effort, I brought the Primordial Palm to perfection and truly mastered this art.”

At this, Lu Sheng again marveled at the power of the Primordial Truth, feeling a deep awe for Emperor Jing, who had left behind that trace of insight—truly, a towering figure worthy of reverence. Now he understood why such supreme grandmasters were so admired.

Yet this did not mean Lu Sheng would simply follow in Emperor Jing’s footsteps:

“The intent I grasped in the Rolling Stone Palm is encompassed within the Primordial Truth, but it is not exactly the same as Emperor Jing’s own principle of circular, inward-turning energy. Mine, within the roundness and restraint, carries a force that bursts forth—a momentum not found in the Primordial Art.”

“Perhaps, if one day I encounter both the Primordial Classic and the Mountain and River Classic, I could try to merge their teachings: a primordial, unified mountain and river, surging forward with unstoppable might—could that be Emperor Jing’s true intent in leaving behind both classics?”

Shaking his head, Lu Sheng didn’t dwell on it. For now, such matters were far beyond him. “For me at this moment, the most important thing is to condense Primordial Force and be prepared for any battle that may arise!”

Though the myriad-insect whistle was mainly intended to stir up the snakes and insects in the snake pit, it could also incite chaos among those already within the fortress. Their numbers might not be great, but the danger they posed was not to be underestimated—especially for a youth like Lu Sheng, who needed to stay vigilant.

“Since the original Rolling Stone Force has dissipated, I’ll switch directly to cultivating Primordial Force. As a supreme force-training art, Primordial Force is not only more concentrated and robust, but when perfected can reach the realm of all-encompassing power—one of the finest techniques in the world!”

“I have already familiarized myself with the moves of the Primordial Palm these past days. Now I’ll use my perfected Rolling Stone Palm to see what level I can reach by converting to the Primordial Palm. I hope I can condense Primordial Force in one determined effort!”

Recalling the forms of the Primordial Palm, Lu Sheng’s mind was set. He had deliberately suppressed the resurgence of the Rolling Stone Force for this very purpose. While one could transition from perfected Rolling Stone Force to Primordial Force, why not cultivate the latter directly? With the Primordial Truth always at hand to contemplate, he was sure that cultivating Primordial Force would bring progress as swift as the wind—far surpassing what he could achieve with the Rolling Stone Force.