Night fell.
Chen Tang lay beside the stove, wrapped in cotton clothes and a thick quilt, and fell asleep.
He didn't know how long it had been, but he had a nightmare.
"What, you want to save her?"
A man in white with loose hair and a left lapel slightly turned his head, looked askance at Chen Tang, and mockingly asked with a smile.
Chen Tang said, "I humbly ask for your mercy."
"Do you two know each other? Is she your sweetheart?"
"I don't know her."
"Then you're just meddling in others' affairs."
"If snatching a girl in broad daylight is considered meddling, then meddling it is, for I, Chen Tang, will surely intervene!"
"Just you?"
The man in white sneered, "If you can withstand ten of my strikes, I'll let her go."
"Alright!"
...
"Ten strikes, it's already been ten strikes!" The girl's cries echoed around Chen Tang's ears.
"Nineteen strikes, stop already!"
"Twenty-five strikes, don't you keep your word?"
"Thirty-two strikes!"
Chen Tang lay in a pool of blood.
"Somebody, help us, save him, I beg you..."
The girl was still crying, sounding somewhat noisy.
Chen Tang forced his eyes open, and in the blurry view, he vaguely saw a tear-streaked, dirty little face.
"Did they... let you... go?"
Chen Tang spoke weakly, each word bringing blood from his mouth.
"Yes, yes."
The girl nodded while sobbing.
"That's good."
Chen Tang's breath was faint, and his eyelids grew heavier.
"You, don't die."
"I won't die."
"Big brother, what's your name?"
"My name is Chen Tang, I'm a Blade Master."
Before dawn, the fire in the main room's hearth dimmed, leaving only some burning red charcoal, flickering with light.
Chen Tang suddenly woke from the nightmare, sitting up.
Unknowingly, he was soaked with cold sweat.
The scenes just now, the crowd around, even the man's face in white and his mocking laughter, seemed as if they had just happened yesterday.
To be precise, it wasn't a dream.
His former self died because of this.
Now, these fragmented memories surged again, that man in white ever haunting.
Twisting and turning, unable to sleep, Chen Tang simply got up and went to the courtyard to practice the Tiger Subduing Fist.
"Huh?"
In the bedroom, at some point, the fat old man came to the window, peering through the gap at Chen Tang practicing in the courtyard, looking surprised.
"What is it, Master?"
Qingmu whispered.
The fat old man said in a low voice, "Just a month away, this kid has already cultivated Copper Skin, and judging by his strikes, he might have reached Ninth Grade already!"
"Cultivated so fast?"
Qingmu was shocked.
A month ago, when Chen Tang left, he hadn't even reached Entry Level.
And she knew well how difficult it was to cultivate Copper Skin.
Back then, her master gathered countless Spirit Herbs and Immortal Elixirs on Celestial Mountain, and she endured a year of hard training to cultivate Copper Skin, suffering greatly.
"That's not the most surprising thing to me."
The fat old man said in a deep voice, "A month ago, his Tiger Subduing Fist had already reached the level of Mastering Change. Now, he's gone further, reaching the realm of Attain the Spirit!"
Qingmu slightly opened her mouth, her mind shaken.
Her master had told her that in the world of martial arts, there are four realms: Form, Change, Spirit, and Intent.
Understanding Form, Mastering Change, Attaining the Spirit, Comprehending Intent.
Most martial arts are lower grade; no matter how one cultivates, they can at most reach the realm of Mastering Change.
Only superior martial arts could reach Attaining the Spirit and Comprehending Intent.
"Master, didn't you say cultivating to the realm of Attaining the Spirit would take at least a decade, or even decades to achieve?"
"Normally, yes."
The fat old man replied, "Throughout history, most martial artists remain at the realm of Understanding Form, accurately performing moves and countering them."
"Some exceptional ones might reach Mastering Change, perfecting their moves. In combat, they're adaptable, responding fluidly."
"Beyond this is Attaining the Spirit; very few reach this realm."
Qingmu, most proficient in swordsmanship, had just reached the realm of Mastering Change.
She completely lacked understanding of Attaining the Spirit.
Qingmu asked, "What traits does Attaining the Spirit have?"
The fat old man said, "Simply put, it's understanding the essence and capturing its charm; each move seems alive, vivid and expressive. In confrontation, they often have remarkable, imaginative moves."
"Moreover, once this realm is achieved, there's hope for embodying both form and spirit, even merging them, allowing one's own 'force' to be nurtured!"
Qingmu seemed to somewhat understand.
After all, this realm was beyond her knowledge.
The fat old man pulled her to the window, whispering, "Now close your eyes, calm your mind, and feel what's happening outside, and you'll understand what Attaining the Spirit means."
Qingmu complied, closing her eyes and attentive in listening.
In the courtyard, someone practiced fists, with vigorous energy.
Each punch and kick was full of power, with extraordinary momentum.
It wasn't long before Qingmu's expression changed!
In her mind, the figure in the courtyard gradually vanished, replaced by a majestic, fierce tiger!
"This..."
Qingmu opened her eyes, looking startled.
Facing such a fierce tiger, if one's spirit falters and momentum weakens, how could they be his opponent?"
"This person, with his Mud Ball Palace open, is likely to Enter the Divine State, making him reach the Divine Realm in martial arts easier. Yet even so, reaching such a level in just one month is unimaginable."
"Someone formidable must be behind him."
The fat old man pondered, his heart filled with curiosity.
"How high?"
"Certainly not higher than me."
...
Chen Tang kept practicing, tireless, until daylight, then he concluded and rested.
He went out casually to eat something before heading to Plum Blossom Martial Arts Hall.
In the previous dynasty, everyone practiced martial arts, and some Inner Cultivation Heart Methods even spread among the populace.
In this dynasty, only the court, noble families, and imperial family members had the opportunity to learn Inner Strength martial arts, which were prohibited from spreading.
It was said to avoid disasters if such knowledge fell into wrong hands.
Although there were martial arts halls in various places, they only taught External Skills, with limited potential.
The Plum Blossom Martial Arts Hall was no exception.
The hall master, Mei Nianzhi, was somewhat famous for his Plum Blossom Boxing Sword and Plum Blossom Pile Technique.
Over the past decade, the Plum Blossom Martial Arts Hall had also trained several Ninth Grade Martial Artists.
If a child from a prominent family in Changze County chose the martial arts path, they'd send them to the Plum Blossom Martial Arts Hall.
"I am Chen Tang, here to see Miss Mei Yingxue. Please inform her."
Arriving at the Plum Blossom Martial Arts Hall, Chen Tang greeted the guard at the gate.
The guard sized up Chen Tang, frowned, and said, "Do you think Miss Mei is someone you can see just because you want to?"
"I'm here to repay a debt, just report it."
Chen Tang didn't want to argue with such people, replied lightly.
After two months of martial practice on Snow Mountain, Chen Tang had transformed, his demeanor vastly different.
Although still dressed in coarse, cotton clothes, he had an extraordinary bearing and piercing gaze; the guard couldn't help but avert his eyes.
"Wait here."
The guard, uncertain of Chen Tang's background, said, and ran into the martial arts hall.