The next day, just as the sky began to brighten, Jiang Che arrived at the Martial Arts Hall.
Luo Kun was meditating on a cattail mat under the eaves.
As he crossed the familiar courtyard, several apprentices doing their morning exercises cast envious glances at Jiang Che.
Seeing Jiang Che's arrival, Luo Kun gave a slight nod and then rose to his feet.
"Follow me."
They passed through two moon gates.
Before them was a courtyard twice the size of the Apprentice Hall.
The ground was made of hard-packed, level yellow earth.
In the corner grew several old pagoda trees.
Under the shade of the trees were stone locks, wooden stakes, and other training equipment.
At the base of the western wall stood several large water vats, with a few fallen leaves floating on the surface.
Three people were already standing in the courtyard.
The tallest and most robust of them had a pair of thick, blade-like eyebrows.
It was Zhang Xiong.
The moment he saw Jiang Che, he strode forward and clapped him heavily on the shoulder.
"I knew you could do it!"
Standing beside him was a tall, thin, arrogant-looking youth.
He stood with his arms crossed, his narrow, high-slanted phoenix eyes half-closed.
This was Gong Yulei, the genius disciple who had broken through to the Qi Blood Realm in just over a month.
He gave Jiang Che a nod, which counted as a greeting.
On the far side was an unfamiliar young woman. She glanced at him once before looking away.
She was slender with fair skin, her jet-black hair tied up in a bun with a silver pin.
She looked like she came from a wealthy family.
Jiang Che walked over to stand beside Zhang Xiong.
"Lin Xue'er. She just broke through over at the women's division," Zhang Xiong said in a low voice.
The women's and men's divisions were separate, but that distinction was gone after breaking through to the Qi Blood Realm.
"By the way, why is it just the four of us? Where are the other senior brothers and sisters?" Jiang Che asked.
"Once their Realm is high enough, they all head out to make a name for themselves," Zhang Xiong said. "They either join an Escort Agency or a Gang. They rarely come back to the Martial Arts Hall. We'll be the same way in the future."
Jiang Che nodded.
"Finally, everyone is here."
Luo Kun stood on the steps with his hands behind his back, his gaze slowly sweeping over the group.
Though gaunt, he stood as straight as a blade, his presence so powerful that no one dared to meet his eyes.
"Today, I will first explain the fundamentals of Qi Blood to you!"
"So-called Qi Blood is the process of turning the tonics and nourishing foods you consume into your own strength through Martial Arts Training. You've all just reached the Entry Level, so you've only accumulated a tiny bit of Qi Blood in your Dantian."
"But don't underestimate this small amount of Qi Blood."
As Luo Kun spoke, he suddenly punched a nearby wooden stake.
CRACK! The stake, as thick as a bowl, snapped in two.
"Have you noticed that you're much stronger than before your breakthrough? And that your skin is getting thicker?"
Everyone looked at their palms; their skin did indeed feel tougher.
"That is the work of Qi Blood. It constantly improves the body's constitution, strengthening skin and muscle."
"Once you have consolidated the Qi Blood in your Dantian, you'll have the strength of three hundred jin, and your skin will become as thick as bull hide—impenetrable to an ordinary knife!"
"This is the first layer of the Qi Blood Realm, also known as the 'Bull Skin Realm'!"
'Bull Skin Realm!'
Jiang Che committed the name to memory.
Zhang Xiong raised his hand and asked,
"Master, how many layers are there to the Qi Blood Realm? What's it like at the very top?"
"Three layers in total."
Luo Kun held up three fingers.
"When you reach the second layer, Qi Blood will fill your internal organs, and your skin will start to become as hard as stone. At that point, you'll have the strength of five hundred jin! This layer is called the 'Stone Skin Realm'!"
"At the third layer, Qi Blood flows through every limb and bone. You'll be able to lift eight hundred jin, your skin will be hard as iron, and your fists will become your greatest weapons! This layer is the 'Iron Skin Realm'!"
"What about above that?"
Jiang Che couldn't help but ask.
Luo Kun shot him a glare.
"Don't get ahead of yourself! The Iron Skin Realm is the limit for many people!"
He paused, then explained,
"However, beyond that, you begin Inner Cultivation. Inner Cultivation is the Qi Blood Transport Technique, where you gradually convert Qi Blood into Strength."
"This Strength is different from ordinary physical power. It can not only be used to attack enemies but also to automatically defend the body!"
"A single Force Integration Artist could easily defeat ten masters at the peak of the Iron Skin Realm!"
Everyone was dumbfounded.
Zhang Xiong's jaw dropped. "They're that powerful?"
"Of course, they are." Luo Kun lifted his chin slightly. "In all of Lin Yuan City, you can count the number of Force Integration Artists on one hand!"
"Master, are you..." Zhang Xiong blurted out.
Luo Kun smiled without saying a word, but his meaning was perfectly clear.
A strange light flashed in the eyes of the girl who had remained silent.
"Remember this," Luo Kun said, his tone suddenly growing serious.
"Qi Blood may be powerful, but it is also violent."
His gaze swept slowly across the group.
"I know some of you will think about consuming large amounts of tonics to increase your Qi Blood! But training too hard or taking too many tonics will damage your meridians. In severe cases, you'll end up crippled!"
"So, you must train in moderation every day and not consume tonics recklessly!"
Gong Yulei frowned and asked, "Then how do we tame our Qi Blood?"
"By meditating calmly."
Luo Kun pointed to the cattail mats under the eaves.
"Additionally, the Martial Arts Hall has a specially concocted medicinal soup that can help you pacify your Qi Blood. It's one bowl a day, for one silver tael. If you drink this soup, you can extend your training time!"
'No wonder the tuition is free. This is how they make their money.'
Jiang Che thought to himself.
But this was normal.
A Martial Arts Hall wasn't a charity.
There was nothing wrong with making a profit.
Compared to Fist Techniques, this Secret Medicine was the true lifeblood of the Martial Arts Hall.
Anyone could practice Martial Arts Techniques, but without the accompanying medicinal soup to regulate the body...
The more diligently you trained, the faster you would die!
If you forced your training, sooner or later your meridians would burst and you would die!
At this thought, Jiang Che sighed inwardly.
The path of the Martial Dao was indeed fraught with peril.
But in these chaotic times, how could he protect himself if he didn't practice martial arts?
'But if it's one tael a day, that's thirty taels a month...'
'And that's just for the medicinal soup. What if I need to buy other tonics to supplement my Qi Blood...'
Now he had to save money to move and also cover the cost of the medicinal soup.
Jiang Che suddenly felt the pressure mount.
'I have to find a way to make money...'
"Now, I will teach you the Cloud-Stacking Fist!"
Luo Kun's voice cut through Jiang Che's thoughts.
Luo Kun walked to the center of the training ground, his arms hanging naturally at his sides.
Then, he stepped forward with his right foot, and the hard-packed earth cracked in a spiderweb pattern with a CRACK.
Next, as he raised his fists into a stance, he stirred up a visible vortex of air, causing the atmosphere itself to seem to twist!
The three of them subconsciously took a half-step back.
"Watch carefully! The first form, 'Cloud Flow'!"
Luo Kun immediately brought his arms around in a circle, his sleeves billowing and emitting a low, thunderous hum.
Jiang Che suddenly felt a tightness in his chest, as if someone was pressing down on it.
'This suffocating feeling is back! And it's much more intense than when he performed the White Cloud Fist!'
Jiang Che was shocked.
"The second form, 'Overlapping Waves'!"
Luo Kun's fists suddenly accelerated.
Each punch was accompanied by a SWOOSHING sound as it tore through the air.
The afterimages of his fists stacked upon one another, forming a blurry curtain of strikes in front of him!
Zhang Xiong's jaw hung open, and he realized he had been holding his breath.
When he reached the fifth form, "Mountain Shattering"—
The airflow within a three-zhang radius of Luo Kun abruptly exploded outward!
Lin Xue'er, who was standing relatively close to Luo Kun, instantly felt a blast of wind graze her cheek, leaving a hot, stinging pain!
As he concluded the form, Luo Kun exhaled a breath of turbid air.
The white vapor shot out like an arrow, traveling three chi far!
The entire training ground was deathly silent.
"Did you see that clearly?"
Luo Kun asked in a deep voice.
Gong Yulei was the first to step forward, his face eager and ready to try.
"Master, let me try!"