28: Chapter 28 Bajiquan Stance Training: Horse Stance as if Rooted

Section 1: Foundation in the Morning Dew

In the courtyard of the Shanghai Public Welfare Foundation, morning dew still hung on the taotie patterns of the bronze tripod, refracting rainbow-colored light. Chen Wu stood before the tripod, feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent at 90 degrees, hands folded in front of his chest with palms facing each other—this was the "Horse Stance" of Baji Fist, and the "First Foundation" emphasized at the beginning of the "Essentials of Baji Fist."

"Brother Wu, you've been standing like this for half an hour. Aren't your legs sore?" Xu Hao held the camera; in the lens, Chen Wu was motionless. Even the sweat beads on his temples slid down slowly without twitching a single muscle. "The livestream is guessing if you're frozen. The online viewer count is about to drop to 20 million."

Chen Wu didn't open his eyes. His tongue lightly touched his upper palate, guiding the "Qi" to sink into the Dantian according to the Baji Fist Mind-Cultivation Technique. He could "hear" his blood racing through his veins; every heartbeat precisely pressed the "Qi" toward the Yongquan point, then bounced back from the ground, forming a subtle cycle. This feeling was wonderful, as if roots had truly grown from his feet, drilling deep into the earth through the cracks in the bluestone slabs.

"Tell them, this isn't just standing in a stance; it's 'taking root'." Chen Wu's voice squeezed through his teeth, every word carrying the vibration of airflow. "Baji Fist emphasizes 'striking like pulling weeds, standing like planting green onions.' If the roots aren't deep, the power will be superficial."

The bullet comments in the livestream indeed became lively:

 "Planting green onions? That's a vivid metaphor, hahaha!"

 "My grandpa also does the Horse Stance; he shakes like a sieve after five minutes. Brother Wu is way too stable."

 "The person before me doesn't know what they're talking about. This is 'Qi' helping to stabilize the center of gravity! Look at the grass under his feet; it hasn't moved at all!"

 "21 million online! Someone dug up the details of the Baji Fist Horse Stance, saying the knees shouldn't go past the toes. Brother Wu's posture is so standard it could be a textbook!"

Zhao Mengmeng ran over with a backpack, holding a newly sprouted sunflower pot in her arms: "Brother Wu, my biology teacher said plant roots secrete auxin, which makes the roots drill deeper into the soil. Is your 'Qi' like auxin?"

Chen Wu finally opened his eyes slowly, his gaze falling on the potted plant. The sunflower's roots poked through the small holes at the bottom of the pot, trembling slightly in the air as if paying homage to the earth. "A bit similar." He smiled, his voice carrying a hint of fatigue but sounding even more composed. "'Qi' can guide power downward, just as auxin guides root growth. It's all for being more stable and firm."

Section 2: An Unshakable "Stance"

At nine in the morning, more and more Awakened appeared in the courtyard. Some were practicing Tai Chi, some were practicing Xingyi, and a few new young people tried to do the Horse Stance like Chen Wu, but they couldn't even last half a minute before wobbling.

"No, no, this is too tiring!" A college student wearing glasses rubbed his knees, grimacing. "I feel like the bones in my legs are fighting each other. Brother Wu, how can you stand for so long?"

Chen Wu didn't answer, just beckoned him with a hand: "Come here and try to push me."

The student froze for a moment, rolled up his sleeves, walked behind Chen Wu, took a deep breath, and pushed hard on his shoulders. He thought he could easily make the man stumble, but to his surprise, Chen Wu's body seemed welded to the ground. Forget pushing him; he didn't even sway once.

"Use more force," Chen Wu's voice was steady and calm.

The student's face turned red as he used every ounce of strength, his face almost pressed against Chen Wu's back. The surrounding Awakened burst into laughter, and the livestream comments joined in the fun:

 "Is this guy here for a comedy act?"

 "I could do that too! (Meaning being easily held back.)"

 "23 million online! Someone make Brother Wu move!"

Just then, Chen Wu suddenly gave a light shout: "Rise!"

A gentle but irresistible force came from his shoulders. The student was knocked back like he'd been hit by a spring, crying out "Ouch" as he fell backward, luckily caught by someone nearby so he didn't land on his butt. "You... you didn't move!" He clutched his chest, his face full of disbelief. "How could there be a force pushing me?"

"This is called 'Rebound Energy'." Chen Wu finally broke his stance, stretching his somewhat stiff knees. "The Baji Fist Horse Stance isn't just about being stable; it's also about being able to bounce the opponent's force back. It's like pushing a big boulder—the boulder doesn't move, but your hands will go numb instead."

He walked to the stone roller in the center of the courtyard—an old item brought from the countryside, weighing at least five hundred pounds. Chen Wu dropped into a Horse Stance, pressed his hands against the roller, took a deep breath, and slightly turned his waist and abdomen.

"Heh!"

Under everyone's gaze, the heavy stone roller actually began to turn as he pushed it! Even more startling, his feet never left their original spot; relying entirely on the rotation of his waist and hips and the stability of his Horse Stance, he forced the stone roller to draw a perfect circle on the bluestone slabs.

"Holy crap! Is this humanly possible?"

"That stone roller is at least five hundred pounds! Brother Wu's Horse Stance must be welded to the ground!"

"I finally understand why it's called 'taking root'! This is basically a human steamroller!"

"2500 million online! I suggest making this an intangible cultural heritage! This Horse Stance is incredible!"

Zhao Mengmeng's grandfather walked over leaning on a cane and tapped Chen Wu's leg with the tip: "Not bad, the 'Qi' has sunk deep enough. You've already touched the edge of 'Ma Xiang Long Ju'." The old man had practiced Baji Fist in his youth and knew that "Ma Xiang Long Ju" was a Realm of Baji Fist Stance Training—standing like a fierce horse treading the earth, stable like an elephant taking root, and moving like a dragon steed wagging its tail.

Section 3: The Livestream's "Stance Training Challenge"

Chen Wu's stance demonstration ignited the passion of global viewers. Soon, the "Baji Fist Horse Stance Challenge" hit the trending lists of major social platforms. Countless people uploaded videos of themselves doing the Horse Stance, from young children to elderly people in their seventies and eighties, all imitating Chen Wu's posture.

"Brother Wu, look at this!" Xu Hao ran over holding his phone. On the screen was a video of a large foreigner standing on a street corner doing a Horse Stance. A sign next to him read "Challenge for 5 minutes, reward $100." As a result, he was wobbling like a roly-poly toy in less than a minute. "This guy says he wants to PK with you!"

Chen Wu shook his head with a smile and pulled up the System panel. Due to the popularity of the "Stance Training Challenge," he had gained another 5 million points. The "Baji Fist Combat Variations" in the shop was now available for exchange. "Tell everyone, the Horse Stance isn't about who stands the longest, but who stands 'thoroughly'."

He explained to the camera while dropping into a Horse Stance again: "The so-called 'thoroughly' means the 'Qi' can penetrate through the soles of the feet and connect with the earth. Look—"

He extended his right hand, palm down. The green grass in the courtyard suddenly moved without wind, forming a circle around his feet, the tips of the grass pointing toward his Yongquan point as if in worship. The puddles next to the stone roller also rippled in circular waves, spreading outward.

"This is the pull of 'Qi'." Chen Wu's voice spread globally through the livestream. "When your 'Qi' resonates with the 'Qi' of the earth, it forms this 'Field'. Standing in this field, you are like the trunk of a great tree, and the earth is your root. No one can move you."

The online viewer count broke 28 million, and donations flooded in like a tide. A netizen from Malaysia commented: "My grandfather is paralyzed in bed. After watching your livestream, he tried to do the Horse Stance with his mind and can actually move his toes slightly now! He said he felt a force coming up from the bedboards!"

Chen Wu's heart stirred slightly. He suddenly said to the camera: "Now, let's play a game. To all my friends on the livestream, no matter where you are, try to do the Horse Stance with me and feel the power under your feet. You don't need to stand for long, just one minute."

In front of screens all over the world, countless people stood up. In offices in New York, white-collar workers put down their documents; on subways in Tokyo, passengers grabbed the handrails; on the African savannah, tribal children followed suit... Their postures might not have been standard, but they were all trying to feel that power of "taking root."

Chen Wu could "hear" the "Qi" from all over the world connecting like capillaries, gathering into a faint but tenacious torrent through the livestream signal. The bluestone slabs beneath his feet suddenly emitted a slight hum, forming a perfect resonance with the vibration of the bronze tripod.

"System Prompt: Global 'Qi Sense' resonance increased to 12%."

"Reward: +8 million points, unlocked 'Baji Fist · Stance Training Nuanced' Realm."

Section 4: Taking Root Before the Storm

At dusk, the sky suddenly became overcast. Lin Xue from the Bureau of Abnormal Incident Management sent an urgent message: "Grey Shadow's Genetic Warriors have infiltrated Shanghai, targeting tonight's Awakened exchange meeting. Their genetic sequences show they have 'Super Strength' and 'High-Speed Regeneration' abilities."

Chen Wu was guiding the last batch of students. A former paraplegic patient, under his guidance, could actually hold a Horse Stance for ten seconds. Although his body was still shaking, the light in his eyes was brighter than the sun. "Remember this feeling," Chen Wu patted his shoulder. "Power isn't in the legs; it's in the heart. When the heart is set, the legs will naturally be stable."

After the students left, only Chen Wu and the bronze tripod remained in the courtyard. The wild wind swept dark clouds overhead, and the rumble of thunder came from afar; a rainstorm was imminent.

Chen Wu dropped into a Horse Stance again. This time, his "Qi" sank into the earth without reservation. Fine cracks began to appear in the bluestone slabs beneath his feet, and a faint golden light seeped from the cracks—it was the "Qi" deep in the earth responding to him. The entire Public Welfare Foundation building vibrated slightly but remained exceptionally stable, as if it had merged with the land beneath it.

"The Grey Shadow people are here." Chen Wu's "Listening Energy" captured four rapidly approaching figures. Their heartbeats were like war drums, and the "Qi" in their bodies was chaotic and violent, carrying a bloodthirsty aura like wild beasts.

He didn't get up, or even change his posture, just condensed his "Qi" in his Dantian, waiting for the optimal moment. The Stance Training of Baji Fist was not just a Foundation, but also the best defensive posture—if the enemy doesn't move, I don't move; if the enemy moves, I move first.

The first bolt of lightning pierced the night sky, illuminating four dark figures at the courtyard entrance. They had beast-like claws and fangs, bulging muscles, and their skin was an abnormal grey-blue—they were exactly the Genetic Warriors of "Grey Shadow."

"Found you, Chen Wu!" The leading Genetic Warrior roared and pounced, his claws carrying a fishy wind aimed straight for Chen Wu's head.

Chen Wu remained in his Horse Stance, only twisting his waist and hips when the claws were thirty centimeters from the top of his head.

"Beng!"

With a dull thud, his right fist shot out from under his arm at an incredible angle, precisely striking the Genetic Warrior's chest. The "Qi" on his fist exploded instantly, forming a miniature vortex that actually punched a bloody hole in the opponent's iron-hard skin!

The Genetic Warrior let out a shrill scream and flew backward, crashing into the wall and passing out. The other three Genetic Warriors froze in place, clearly not expecting this seemingly stable and immobile "stance" to hide such a fierce killing move.

The livestream viewer count broke 30 million at this moment, and the bullet comments were flooded with "Holy crap" and "666":

 "Is this the 'Crushing Power' of Baji Fist? So powerful!"

 "Sending someone flying without even moving? What kind of god-tier move is this!"

 "3000 million witnessing! This is the true essence of 'taking root'—stable as Mount Tai, moving like thunder!"

Chen Wu slowly withdrew his fist, his Horse Stance still as steady as a rock. The wild wind carried raindrops that splashed against him, but they couldn't move him an inch. He looked at the remaining three Genetic Warriors, a cold smile touching the corners of his mouth:

"Who else?"

The heavy rain poured down, and the bronze tripod emitted a low hum in the rain, as if cheering for its master's Battle Intent. Chen Wu's Horse Stance was like the deepest root in the courtyard; though the wind and rain swayed, he remained unmoved. This was not just the Stance Training of Baji Fist, but also his confidence in the face of the storm—only when the Foundation is deep enough can one stand tall in the wild wind.

The last frame of the livestream was Chen Wu's figure in the Horse Stance amidst the torrential rain, with the three Genetic Warriors who were too scared to step forward in the background, and golden bullet comments scrolling across the screen:

"This Horse Stance can take root in people's hearts!"