The second day.
Bright and early in the morning.
"Practicing martial arts requires perseverance. Especially the 'Iron Bull Skill' and 'Jade Belt Skill' of the Lul Family. Without daily hard work, it takes three years to achieve minor success, and ten years to master. Doctor Chen, with your average physical constitution but extraordinary medical skills, why go through such hardship?"
"..."
"I lost to 'Immortal Palm' Yangg Xu the other day. If it weren't for Doctor Chen, my twenty years of hard work might've been ruined in one day. Doctor Chen, for you to now desire to learn 'Iron Bull Skill' and 'Jade Belt Skill,' I, Lul Peng, truly feel ashamed."
"..."
"Alright."
"Since Doctor Chen has made up his mind, I won't try to dissuade you further. But let me warn you, once you master the 'Iron Bull Skill' and 'Jade Belt Skill,' their power is immense. When fighting with others, be cautious to avoid taking a life, as the authorities won't spare you."
"These two martial arts are the secret skills of the Lul Family, teaching them to Doctor Chen is not an issue. However, practicing them is just one part; it must be supplemented with a special medicinal wine, applied internally and externally, to avoid harming the body and to double the efficiency. The medicinal wine will be provided to Doctor Chen free of charge, but the formula cannot be disclosed. I hope Doctor Chen understands."
...
Lul Family Martial Arts Hall.
In the courtyard.
The owner, Master Lul Peng, looked at the unassuming Doctor Chen before him with some resignation.
This Doctor Chen might appear ordinary, but his medical skills were undeniably remarkable. With just a few techniques, he had pulled him back from the brink of collapse. His skill bordered on the miraculous, deserving of the title 'Divine Doctor.'
However, this 'Divine Doctor' was a little too cold and reticent.
Since yesterday, he had spoken only two sentences before falling silent, leaving people perplexed.
"Perhaps this is the demeanor of a Divine Doctor,"
thought Lul Peng, not minding it too much.
He was a man who repaid favors.
Chen Jichuan had healed his injuries, sparing him the devastation of twenty years of hard work going to waste.
Though, for the sake of his descendants, he could not share the recipe for the medicinal wine with Chen Jichuan. But when it came to teaching martial arts, he would be earnest, withholding nothing.
His earlier discouragement was purely because, deep down, he felt that with Doctor Chen's talent in medicine, the hardships of martial arts training were unnecessary.
"..."
Chen Jichuan said nothing, only nodded slightly.
It wasn't that he was haughty.
It was simply because his time here was still too short, and yesterday he had only learned two sentences on the spot. By now, he had even forgotten how to say them.
Fortunately, he had already discussed it with Lul Peng yesterday—
He would heal his injury, and Lul Peng would teach him the 'Iron Bull Skill' and 'Jade Belt Skill,' while also covering his food and lodging for a year.
Martial arts require wealth.
This saying might not be absolute, but the phrase aptly described the situation.
Last night, Chen Jichuan had observed how Lul Xiong and Lul Rong, the two martial masters of the Lul Family, could consume nearly half a barrel of rice in one meal, along with a large serving of fatty meat and vegetables.
For an ordinary family, how could they afford such sustenance?
As a newcomer to this place,
and with a language barrier,
he could only rely on the well-funded Lul Family Martial Arts Hall for his meals and shelter.
Luckily,
he had the Insight Skill, enabling him to diagnose Lul Peng's injuries. With his Source Power, he used massage techniques to channel the Source Power into Lul Peng's body, aiding in the recovery of his wounds.
The effect was remarkable.
In just one night, Lul Peng was able to get out of bed and walk. Although his face still appeared pale and he needed time for further recuperation, such accomplishments had already left the Lul Family in awe.
This awe was evident from the frequent glances cast at him by Lul Xiong, Lul Rong, and the six apprentices in the courtyard.
However, for Chen Jichuan, the cost was a depletion.
His remaining twenty-four points of Source Power were entirely spent, leaving him utterly broke.
...
Name: Lul Peng
Age: 44
Level: 4
Skills: Iron Bull Skill (Fourth Layer), Jade Belt Skill (Fourth Layer)
Chen Jichuan followed Lul Peng to a corner of the courtyard.
The Lul Family Martial Arts Hall was quite spacious, able to accommodate fifty to sixty people training at once during its peak. Currently, only six apprentices remained, making the space feel sparse and wide open.
"The Iron Bull Skill cultivates unyielding masculine energy. Once mastered, enemy punches will injure the hand, and weapons will break upon impact, making one unstoppable. However, overall, it is defensive rather than offensive, relying entirely on its masculine energy, which is somewhat passive."
"Thus, the ancestors of my Lul Family created a complementary martial art, known as the 'Jade Belt Skill.' It also channels masculine energy but incorporates a touch of yin softness. By leveraging the strength of both arms, interlinked and mutually reinforcing, one can shake trees with their power. When applied to the human body, few can avoid having their bones broken and meeting certain death."
"Therefore, when sparring or engaging in combat, caution is crucial to avoid taking a life."
Lul Peng explained the essence of the 'Iron Bull Skill' and 'Jade Belt Skill' to Chen Jichuan, giving him a general understanding.
To summarize:
The 'Iron Bull Skill' was like a kind of passive counterattack armor, cultivating a 'stringently tense and dense' body.
If someone hit you, they would injure themselves instead.
However, this skill lacked initiative and was overly defensive. The 'Jade Belt Skill' was developed to address this shortcoming, complementing the 'Iron Bull Skill.' Whoever you embraced would be doomed.
Mastering both together.
The results were extraordinary.
Chen Jichuan was intrigued, though his expression remained unchanged. Lul Peng, having grown used to this demeanor, began explaining the secrets and training methods of the 'Iron Bull Skill' to him.
He also had Chen Jichuan lie down, providing hands-on guidance on key points and inner techniques.
Thus,
Chen Jichuan officially embarked on the path of martial arts practice.
...
Time flew by.
A year passed.
It was September again.
On this day.
The sky was clear, and a gentle breeze carried a sense of warmth and harmony.
In a nearby grove just outside Langning City,
Chen Jichuan stood with his shirt off, revealing a sculpted back and a perfectly contoured neck. His face was set with determination, sharp like it had been carved by blades, with a hint of fierceness.
If Chen Shaohu had seen him,
he surely wouldn't have recognized this man as his fourth brother, with whom he had spent every waking moment.
Chen Jichuan approached a tree as thick as a man's embrace and sank into a solid horse stance.
He stood as still as a sculpture.
After holding the horse stance for fifteen minutes, he stepped forward two paces, wrapping his arms tightly around the tree trunk. With his hands clasped together in a lock, he exerted all his strength to embrace and lift it upward.
As he held the tree, a slight quiver of his force caused the tree to sway as though it might break, sending its branches and leaves trembling.
Such power was evident.
Yet a year of intense training had achieved more than merely this.
Chen Jichuan concentrated the power in his arms, lifting repeatedly. Gradually, the ground underfoot began to loosen. After several dozen attempts, when his strength was nearly spent—
"Up!"
With a sudden roar, the veins on his face and neck bulged, and the tree, as thick as a man's embrace, was uprooted, dirt and all.
Bang!
The tree fell to the ground.
This was truly the legendary strength of pulling willows from the ground, an awe-inspiring feat.
Chen Jichuan panted heavily, wiped the sweat from his face, and his brow carried a trace of satisfaction.
But he didn't linger.
Feeling the slight tearing ache in his arms,
he closed his eyes and guided a silver thread from the void of the Lotus Dimension to flow into his arms. A soothing coolness followed, and the fatigue and soreness subsided slightly.
Afterward,
Chen Jichuan took a flask from nearby, poured out some pungent medicinal wine, and smeared it on his reddened arms and chest.
Once he finished,
he looked at the fallen tree he had just uprooted and couldn't help but smile.
"Finally succeeded."
He opened his Immortal Record—
Name: Chen Jichuan[Primary Body]
Age: 19
Immortal-order: None
Official Position: None
Level: 2
Talent: Creation·Insight
Skills: Iron Bull Skill (Second Layer), Jade Belt Skill (Second Layer)
Immortal Salary: 1
Source Power: 0
...
"The second layer."
Seeing that 'Jade Belt Skill' had indeed advanced to the second layer, Chen Jichuan's smile deepened.
In a year's time,
he had trained diligently, rain or shine.
Every morning and evening, he practiced the 'Iron Bull Skill,' while dedicating his days to the 'Jade Belt Skill.'
The progress was steady.
The 'Iron Bull Skill' started with inflating the abdomen, followed by interlocking fingers, and finally striking with fists. When he switched to using wooden hammers some time ago, it marked a minor achievement and the attainment of the second layer.
The 'Jade Belt Skill' was slower,
but today's achievement of uprooting a tree indicated he had entered the stage of minor success.
Chen Jichuan was pleased.
From here on, he would need to seek trees with denser and more solid soil, applying the same method of embracing and lifting until he exhausted his strength each day.
When no trees could resist him, the second layer could be considered complete.
At that point, he would switch to training with stone drums or axles weighing about four to five hundred pounds using the same techniques. The stone's weight and slippery surface made it prone to slipping from the grip, requiring three to five years to master, achieving the ease of movement similar to Lul Xiong.
By then,
no matter how slippery or elusive his opponents were, if they were caught in Chen Jichuan's grip, they wouldn't escape, ultimately being crushed to death.
As for Lul Peng,
this master had trained the 'Jade Belt Skill' for twenty years. He could easily lift a thousand-pound stone drum and move at will. With the five-hundred-pound drum in the martial arts hall, he could even walk like the wind while holding it.
Such strength defied ordinary standards.
"With my Source Power, I've reached the second layer of both the 'Jade Belt Skill' and 'Iron Bull Skill' in just one year, equivalent to three years of effort for an ordinary person."
"To reach Master Lul's level won't take twenty years."
As Chen Jichuan walked toward the city, he mulled over this in his mind.
Source Power greatly enhanced his martial arts training.
Whenever he was utterly exhausted, Source Power could merge into his muscles and flesh, not only easing his fatigue significantly but also minimizing injuries caused by training. Its effects far surpassed those of medicinal wine. If he had an abundant supply of Source Power, Chen Jichuan could theoretically train day and night without rest.
The progress he could achieve—
was unimaginable.
Unfortunately, after spending a year in Langning City, he had found no trace of Spiritual Energy or Spirit Stones, leaving him reliant on his meager Immortal Salary to get by. Still, with just those 36 points of Source Power, paired with relentless practice, he had advanced two years ahead of what others could accomplish in the same time.
"Langning City has no Spirit Stones,"
"but the Black Prison does."
Chen Jichuan's heart leapt with excitement.
He anticipated the moment he would return to reality and re-cultivate the 'Iron Bull Skill' and 'Jade Belt Skill.'
...