Taking Medicine to Practice Fists

The two gangs had a fierce shootout, resulting in many casualties, and the yellow earth on the street was stained red.

The Wild Fox Gang and the Mad Horse Gang had a long-standing grudge. Even low-level members would provoke each other on sight, and they fought constantly.

This time, it completely ignited a violent conflict.

Tu Laosan and Gao Qiang each summoned their gang members, and the numbers grew.

In the end, it escalated into a large-scale brawl, even alarming the City Gate Guards.

After the incident, over 100 bodies were counted, and the injured gang members filled all the medical halls in the city.

The government intervened, bringing the leaders of the two gangs together for tea to resolve the matter.

The Wild Fox Gang insisted that the Mad Horse Gang made the first move, while the Mad Horse Gang demanded the return of three portions of Bone Tempering Powder that had gone missing.

It was a tangled mess, and the argument nearly tore the roof off without any resolution.

In the end, the matter was left unresolved, becoming another unresolved debt in the history of the two gangs' animosity.

Who was the culprit behind this incident?

When Zhou You saw the shootout erupt, he slipped away and returned to the Jianxiong Martial Arts School.

Seeing Gao Qiang's furious expression, he could confirm that the Bone Tempering Powder had not been tampered with and was indeed genuine.

He wasn't foolish enough to use unknown drugs on himself carelessly.

The fact that the Mad Horse Gang had lost so many men and repeatedly chased the Wild Fox Gang for the Bone Tempering Powder showed how precious it was.

Since the item was fine, he could use it with peace of mind.

Six or seven days passed after he returned to the martial arts school, and the Tiger Bone Paste for the outer court disciples was distributed.

One portion of Tiger Bone Paste and three portions of Bone Tempering Powder, collectively, were a considerable fortune.

"I've developed a resistance to the Tiger Bone Paste, but this is my first time using the Bone Tempering Powder."

"The best approach is to maximize the efficacy of the Bone Tempering Powder before developing resistance, then supplement it with Tiger Bone Paste, and push all three stats above 10 in one go."

Currently, Zhou You's personal attribute panel is as follows:

Name: Zhou You

Strength: 9

Speed: 9

Defense: 9

Experience Points: 62

Profession: Martial Arts Apprentice

Skills: Imperial Strike Hand Lv7, Square Step Lv7, Tiger Subduing Fist Lv6

Zhou You crushed the Bone Tempering Powder, mixed it, rubbed it into his palms, and began practicing Square Step and Imperial Strike Hand on the spot.

Time could not be wasted; while absorbing the medicinal effects, he also had to cultivate and gain experience points.

Streams of medicinal power flowed into his blood, nourishing his bone marrow and bringing a tingling, numb sensation.

Lu Qiang had mentioned the difference between a large tree and a vine when teaching martial arts.

"Tiger Subduing Fist centers on strengthening the bones. Bones are like the trunk of a tree; if nurtured well, it can grow into a towering tree. If not, it remains a limp vine, never able to reach the heavens."

As Zhou You executed each move, his understanding deepened.

The medicinal power of the Bone Tempering Powder gradually nourished his bone marrow, stimulating the strength in his joints.

The tingling sensation grew more intense, as if it were about to break through his skin and grow branches and flowers.

Endure, endure; this is a test during the process of transformation.

Seeing such a strong reaction from using the medicine, Zhou You was not alarmed but delighted. The potent effect of using Bone Tempering Powder for the first time far exceeded his expectations.

It was worth the risk of stealing the three portions of Bone Tempering Powder amidst the chaos he instigated.

This move was like walking a tightrope; a single misstep could lead to exposure and utter ruin.

Reason told him that such operations were fine once or twice, but doing them too often would inevitably lead to trouble.

But if he didn't take a gamble, how could he achieve such gains?

Zhou You moved with each punch and kick, fighting from day to night. His strength not only didn't wane but grew more powerful and formidable.

When the medicinal effect of the first portion of Bone Tempering Powder began to fade, he immediately took the second.

The tingling sensation deep in his bone marrow immediately intensified.

"As expected, using secret medicines consecutively for body refinement is feasible."

"The reason the outer court disciples receive supplies every seven days isn't due to limitations in their physique but insufficient resources."

There were nearly two hundred outer court disciples, with more than half being new students who hadn't become official disciples.

Official disciples received supplies every three days, and the amount of Tiger Bone Paste needed was nearly doubled.

If supplies were provided daily, even if the martial arts school had access to the government's treasury, it wouldn't be sustainable.

Zhou You sighed inwardly, realizing that practicing martial arts was an incredibly resource-intensive and expensive endeavor.

The monthly tuition of twenty taels alone was enough to exclude ninety-nine percent of commoner children in the city, not to mention the stringent physical requirements.

If it weren't for the System Panel, he, Zhou You, would have been just another face in the crowd, with no chance to practice martial arts.

Precisely because of this, he cherished the hard-won opportunity even more.

The medicinal effects of the Bone Tempering Powder made him tireless, allowing him to break through bottlenecks and limits again and again.

"Imperial Strike Hand Lv7 → Lv8, Experience Points +70.

Square Step Lv7 → Lv8, Experience Points +70."

His experience points instantly surged to over two hundred. If his attribute points met the requirements, he could immediately improve his proficiency in Tiger Subduing Fist.

Zhou You decisively used the last portion of the Bone Tempering Powder and applied the Tiger Bone Paste to his body.

Two distinctly different medicinal energies converged within him, beginning to nourish his tendons and bones, and boosting his physique.

"Strength +3."

"Speed +3."

"Defense +3."

The plan had worked. The Bone Tempering Powder hadn't caused any drug resistance, and its effects were progressing by leaps and bounds.

Zhou You raised all three attributes to twelve in one go, meeting the upgrade requirements for Tiger Subduing Fist.

He decisively chose to upgrade!

"Experience Points -60, Tiger Subduing Fist Lv6 → Lv7, Remaining Experience Points 172."

"Experience Points -70, Tiger Subduing Fist Lv7 → Lv8, Remaining Experience Points 102."

"Experience Points -80, Tiger Subduing Fist Lv8 → Lv9, Remaining Experience Points 22."

Zhou You heard faint popping sounds in his ears as his muscles stretched and his bones strengthened. With each breath, a massive amount of martial arts techniques flooded his mind.

In an instant, his entire body underwent a transformative change.

In a single effort, his mastery of Tiger Subduing Fist reached Lv9.

"Tiger Subduing Fist, Lv9."

"Conditions to upgrade to Lv10: Strength 15, Speed 15, Defense 15, Experience Points +90.

Lv10 is a minor threshold. Breaking through it allows one to generate Internal Force and officially become a disciple of the Martial Arts School.

However, this step is as difficult as climbing to heaven for most new disciples.

Within the three-month deadline, many people stop at this very threshold.

Jianxiong Martial Arts School's selection mechanism is simple: only those who can cultivate Internal Force within a hundred days are eligible to officially join.

Those disciples who are eliminated, even if they can break through the bottleneck and cultivate Internal Force later, will have no chance to re-enter the school.

Yet, this threshold was nothing significant for Zhou You.

Zhou You stretched his muscles and bones, feeling as though a dormant fierce tiger was stirring within him, eager to break free.

He was only one step away from Lv10 and could already vaguely sense the direction of Internal Force breakthrough.

Internal Force was like a plant growing from soil, a power that transformed from the flesh and blood body as its foundation.

"The key to breaking through the bottleneck lies in developing the potential of the physical body."

Zhou You felt a power erupting from his bones, easily penetrating his flesh and reaching his skin's surface.

His body hairs stood on end, as tough as iron wire, capable of piercing pigskin.

However, this surge of power was fleeting, disappearing into the shadows and becoming silent once more.

"Still lacking a bit of refinement."

Only when he could truly master this power, controlling it at will and unleashing Internal Force with solid impact—

But Zhou You could already see the dawn of hope.