The scorching sun blazed, and sweat dripped down.
The concrete training ground was exposed to the blistering sun, the ground so hot that distorted waves of heat rose from its surface.
Most of the regular students, standing more than ten meters away, had stopped their training. They gathered in small groups, casting looks over as if watching a good show, pointing and making mocking comments.
"Tsk, tsk. Look at that. Can't even hold a horse stance steady. His lower body is so weak, it's as if he's walking on cotton. With form like that, he wants to practice martial arts? I bet he couldn't even win an arm-wrestling match against me."
"Just watch. I guarantee he'll be facing reality in three days. Weren't we all ambitious in the beginning? And look how that turned out."
"Tempering the muscles and bones is one thing; you can get through that pain by just gritting your teeth. The real problem is the breathing technique. Without a bit of talent, you can't even get your foot in the door. Forget about breaking through to Rock Hide later—you'll be lucky not to injure yourself."
"Let's make a bet. See how many days they can last..."
The chatter drifted into their ears, but Lu Chao and the other three were too preoccupied to listen closely. Their clothes were soaked through with sweat as they stood in a sorry state in an open area at the edge of the field.
A closer look revealed that each of them was holding a horse stance with their arms extended horizontally.
It looked simple, but they were in a deep squat, their thighs parallel to the ground. Furthermore, two full water bottles were tied to each of their wrists.
"This is the first basic stance of the Golden Stone Fighting Skill, called the Heavy Mountain Stake. It originates from ancient stake-standing exercises and can be used to temper your muscles, bones, skin, and flesh."
"Normally, this stance involves the 'Five-Point Burden,' where your legs and head also bear weight. But considering you four Junior Brothers are new initiates, I won't increase the difficulty."
Zheng Wu stood before the four of them, his voice steady. His gaze swept over each person's movements, and he would occasionally step forward to correct their posture.
"You four Junior Brothers only need to hold this for fifteen minutes. You're allowed to rest, but each break cannot exceed thirty seconds."
"When you can perform the Five-Point Burden without wavering and hold the stance for a full half-hour in one go, you'll have achieved some initial success."
He didn't stop the other regular students from talking, but to Lu Chao and the other three, his calm and kind demeanor was that of a demon.
It was only at this moment that they truly, physically experienced the pain of practicing a Fighting Skill.
Sweat blurred their vision, stinging their eyes before sliding down their cheeks and splattering onto the concrete.
Their legs felt as if they were filled with lead, trembling uncontrollably.
A tearing, swelling pain pulsed through their thigh muscles, and their extended arms ached so much they could barely hold them up. The water bottles tied to their wrists felt like the last straw, impossibly heavy in this moment.
"I can't... I can't do it anymore!"
Harsh, rapid breaths sounded out. A young man named Zhou Cheng was the first to break, his face flushed red as he hastily abandoned the horse stance.
Although rests were permitted, he was already gasping for air less than five minutes in, and the time between each brief respite felt like an eternity.
His collapse was like a signal. The other two men soon followed suit. In less than ten minutes, they had already taken more than seven or eight breaks.
In contrast, Lu Chao was still in his original spot, holding on for dear life.
He could clearly feel his heart pounding like a drum. His body grew hotter and hotter, and the aching, swelling pain from his muscles and sinews was like a thousand needles, threatening to tear his will apart.
But amidst this agonizing ordeal, a faint energy accompanied his breathing, circulating through his body and seeping into his flesh.
This was the orthodox method for developing Life Energy.
By relying on specialized, professional methods and coordinating them with breathing techniques, one could temper their body and flesh, hone their spirit and will, and then, with sufficient nutritional supplements, have a chance to grow their life force and raise their upper limits.
It was essentially the same principle as building bigger muscles through working out; there wasn't much difference at its core.
"Not bad."
'This Junior Brother Lu really has a lot of willpower.'
Zheng Wu nodded to himself, somewhat admiring Lu Chao's attitude toward his training.
Not everyone had this kind of patience.
He then glanced at Zhou Cheng and the other two. He shook his head. The difference between them and Lu Chao was just too obvious.
So far, Lu Chao had only rested twice. In terms of endurance and tenacity alone, he was miles ahead of them.
He didn't say much more. Once Lu Chao and the other three had all completed the fifteen-minute exercise, he began to explain the second move.
"In this practice, the emphasis is on power. Power comes from the ground."
"The second move of the Golden Stone Fighting Skill is called the Mountain Hammer Squat. Assume a horse stance, clench your glutes, and hold your hands in loose fists about a foot in front of your chest."
"As you inhale, rise onto the balls of your feet, grip the ground with your toes, and pull your hands inward. As you exhale, push your arms outward and press your soles flat against the ground... To begin, you would normally hold heavy hammers, but you four Junior Brothers only need to form hand seals. Each of you will repeat this two hundred times..."
As Zheng Wu's calm voice rang out, Lu Chao and the other three once again took their stances.
Their clothes were already soaked through, and the concrete ground was gradually becoming dotted with bead-sized drops of sweat.
Unlike Zhou Cheng and the other two, who were pale-faced and swaying on the verge of collapse, Lu Chao—though also struggling and gritting his teeth to endure—maintained perfect form as he completed one repetition after another.
Ten, twenty, thirty...
The tearing ache in his muscles was constant, eroding his will.
Sweat dripped into his eyes, causing a burning, unbearable sting.
And yet, Lu Chao clenched his jaw and forced himself to overcome all the negative sensations.
'My recovery... it really is much stronger.'
He sensed the difference in himself and had now fully discovered the power of [Basic Toughness].
Whenever he was on the verge of giving up, a warm current would emerge from deep within his flesh, alleviating his fatigue and soreness.
That was the only reason he had been able to persist until now.
His body was exhausted, but his spirit was soaring.
It was as if Lu Chao had seen a glimmer of hope. His eyes shone brightly as he allowed the tearing pain to stimulate his nerves, gritting his teeth and continuing the repetitions.