That evening, Zhang Yao left the Golden Furnace Martial Arts Hall again. By the time he returned to his small courtyard, the progress of the Golden Furnace Technique had already reached 5%.
"It seems my judgment was correct."
He sat on the stone bench in the small courtyard, reflecting on the training he received at the martial arts hall that afternoon.
Under Zhou An's meticulous guidance, his mastery of the Twenty-Four Bear Pole Forms had become quite adept, at least in terms of ensuring the accuracy of the actions.
Normally, an apprentice would need at least a month to formally begin, but he only took a single day.
"According to Hall Master Zhou, training in the Twenty-Four Bear Pole Forms is the foundation of the Golden Furnace Technique."
"Strengthening the bones and sinews, cultivating vitality, and enhancing blood energy... this phase will continue until the technique reaches Small Success."
"After achieving Small Success, a new form of training will take place, truly stepping onto the path of Horizontal Refining of Hard Skills, distancing oneself from ordinary folks."
As Zhang Yao pondered this, his mind churned with thoughts.
The practice of the Golden Furnace Technique undoubtedly requires consuming a large amount of Essence Qi, which directly conflicts with the Taiyi Pile Skill.
Normally, the amount of Essence Qi a person can transform daily is quite limited; even if you have six meals a day, you can't digest it.
The apprentices at the Golden Furnace Martial Arts Hall consume more food than ordinary people, with more abundant Essence Qi, yet they can only train for up to two hours a day without harming their bodies.
"But I have the talent for Essence Qi Transformation, so I'm not afraid of blood and Qi depletion."
"Excluding the time spent sleeping, eating, excreting, and handling miscellaneous affairs each day, I can have at least seven to eight hours for cultivation."
Zhang Yao furrowed his brows, calculating his training schedule for the future:
"Taiyi Pile Skill is nearing Great Success, and it cannot be abandoned."
"Yet if I continue this way, even with the talent for Essence Qi Transformation, juggling the practice of two martial arts will inevitably slow the progress."
"Better to temporarily pause the Taiyi Pile Skill after it achieves Great Success, and then focus fully on practicing the Golden Furnace Technique."
Zhang Yao has an exceptionally clear plan for his future.
......
Two months later.
At the Golden Furnace Martial Arts Hall, in the outer courtyard's martial practice field.
"Junior Brother Zhang!"
"Junior Brother Zhang, you're here early."
In the early morning, there were already over ten figures present on the martial practice field, and recognizing Zhang Yao, they greeted him warmly.
Zhang Yao responded courteously one by one, arriving at a corner of the martial practice field to begin practicing the Twenty-Four Bear Pole Forms.
Two months had passed, during which he devoted almost all his time to the cultivation of the Golden Furnace Technique and the Taiyi Pile Skill, living a life of commuting between two points daily.
He would spend the morning at the Golden Furnace Martial Arts Hall for training, and then in the afternoon and evening return home for solitary intense practice, often visiting herbal shops to buy herbs to supplement his Primordial Energy for maintaining his talent for Essence Qi Transformation.
Though he occasionally encountered minor hiccups, his adept handling ensured they didn't cause much of a stir.
Under such a life of intense training, his martial arts progress was quite remarkable.
Name: Zhang Yao
Talent: Primordial Energy Spring, Essence Qi Transformation
Skills: Herb Mastery (50%), Taiyi Pile Skill (69%), Alchemy (14%), Golden Furnace Technique (28%)
"Phew..."
Zhang Yao slowly adjusted his stance, exhaled a breath of Muddy Qi, and looked at the attribute panel with a hint of anticipation.
"The Taiyi Pile Skill will soon achieve Great Success, likely within these couple of days."
"Meanwhile, the Golden Furnace Technique is about to enter the Realm of Minor Achievement."
Despite his split focus, the rapid progress of the Golden Furnace Technique was astounding.
According to Zhou An, apprentices in the martial arts hall with average talent typically need to diligently practice for three to five years to push the Golden Furnace Technique to Small Success.
Yet Zhang Yao took only two months.
Besides the influence of his talents, the foundation laid by the Taiyi Pile Skill played an unexpectedly significant role.
An entire morning passed swiftly in this fashion.
Zhang Yao bid farewell to the other apprentices and left the Golden Furnace Martial Arts Hall, returning to his small courtyard.
Meanwhile, in the inner courtyard of the martial arts hall: Hall Master Zhou's family was having a meal, accompanied by Zhang Yannian, and two others—a burly man and a young lady dressed in red martial attire.
"Yannian."
Zhou An picked up a vegetable piece and looked at Zhang Yannian, asking, "Anything to report on the investigation I asked you to conduct?"
"No, not yet."
Zhang Yannian shook his head cautiously, "I borrowed connections from Second Senior Brother's family for a thorough investigation."
"But this Zhang Yao seems to have emerged from nowhere, having no familial or familiar connections in Changping City, nor does anyone recognize him."
"His origins are impossible to trace, the earliest lead breaking off at Yunlai Inn..."
Upon hearing this, Zhou An furrowed his brow and fell silent in contemplation.
For these two months, he had covertly observed Zhang Yao several times, and deployed connections to arrange some minor troubles to see how Zhang Yao would respond.
Through several tests, he acknowledged satisfaction with Zhang Yao's martial arts talent and character.
The only unresolved concern was Zhang Yao's unclear lineage.
"Master!"
The burly man spoke in a muffled tone, "Didn't you say Zhang Yao has practiced the Health Maintenance Stance since childhood? That's an obvious clue!"
"Such health maintenance techniques are numerous, but most are superficial; real longevity magic skills are essentially linked to Inner Family True Inheritance."
"Starting from this point, his true origins might be uncovered."
Zhou An shook his head, saying, "Zong Wei, I've certainly considered your approach."
"However, Inner Family True Inheritance is exceedingly rare, and in Changping City at most only a few families possess the legacy, all keeping it under wraps."
"Rashly inquiring about this is liable to offend people; I'm at a loss for a starting point..."
Zhang Yannian and Meng Zongwei exchanged glances, feeling somewhat helpless.
In these two months, they had been actively involved, conducting covert investigations; yet in these societal conditions, tracing an outsider's solitary origins proved exceedingly difficult.
Although the Golden Furnace Martial Arts Hall has considerable influence, it's limited to within Changping City, powerless beyond city borders.
Listening to their conversation, the young lady in red rolled her eyes: "I say, why bother with such roundabout ways?"
"Father, if you're curious about that kid's origin, why not just summon him and ask directly?"
The three were momentarily taken aback, facing one another.
"Right!"
Zhou An pondered for a moment, then suddenly laughed: "Direct and sincere communication might not be a bad approach after all."
......
That evening.
In the small courtyard, moonlight spread abundantly.
Zhang Yao continued to diligently train in the Taiyi Pile Skill, the transitions between movements endowed with a unique charm, akin to a river's flow—restless cycles, balance between haste and leisure.
Having performed over a dozen repetitions:
"This is..."
Zhang Yao was suddenly struck by a shock, feeling a long-lost sensation from within.
This time, the feeling was more distinct, clearer, as if a warm flow emerged, spontaneously coursing through his chest and abdomen.
"A breakthrough?"
Elated, he instinctively summoned the attribute panel.
Sure enough, the progress in Taiyi Pile Skill surpassed the final hurdle, reaching 70%.
"A whole year has passed!"
Zhang Yao's emotions were complex, his face displaying joy and satisfaction: "Taiyi Pile Skill, finally achieved Great Success!"