A Roar of the Tiger, Internal Force Achieved

Back in the outer courtyard of the martial arts school, Zhou You continued his daily training.

"Only 6 or 7 days left."

Zhou You felt as if he had something to hide, constantly feeling like Fang Guiqi was watching him.

Later, he realized it was just his imagination. This guy was elusive, his whereabouts a mystery, how could he have the time to monitor him?

The 13 applications of Tiger Bone Paste had to be used up quickly, otherwise, the lingering scent would surely bring trouble.

Zhou You applied 1 application of Tiger Bone Paste to his chest, back, and each of his limbs.

Using 6 applications of Tiger Bone Paste simultaneously brought a medicinal dosage six times greater than usual.

Such a lavish act directly infused his body with six times the potent medicinal effects.

"Hoo hoo hoo!"

Zhou You felt his blood boil, his muscle cells bathed in a warm current, growing stronger step by step.

"Strength +1, Speed +1, Defense +1."

"Strength: 13, Speed: 13, Defense: 13."

By the next day, 5 applications of Tiger Bone Paste had been absorbed, with less than 30% of the medicinal power remaining in his body.

Zhou You brought up the System Panel to check his stats.

Name: Zhou You.

Strength: 14.

Speed: 14.

Defense: 14.

Experience: 358.

Profession: Martial Arts Apprentice.

Skills: Tiger Subduing Fist Lv8, Basic Footwork Lv8, Movement Lv9.

He was only one step away from the threshold to upgrade Tiger Subduing Fist.

Zhou You took out another 6 applications of Tiger Bone Paste, applying them all over his body. He began to cultivate, driven by the medicinal power.

The medicinal power seeped through his pores into his skin and flesh, rapidly nourishing his skin, bones, and internal organs.

With each punch and step, he broke through the air with power, driving the muscles and bones of his body to absorb the medicinal effects of the Tiger Bone Paste.

After another half a day, Zhou You heard a "ding" in his ear.

"Strength +1, Speed +1, Defense +1."

"Strength: 15, Speed: 15, Defense: 15."

"Upgrade conditions for Tiger Subduing Fist met. Accept? Experience -90, Tiger Subduing Fist Lv9 → Lv10."

Zhou You didn't hesitate, confirming in his mind.

"Experience -90, Tiger Subduing Fist Lv9 → Lv10."

The next moment, Zhou You's mind felt like it had been struck by a large iron hammer, buzzing and vibrating incessantly.

An intensely itchy and numb sensation drilled up from the depths of his bone marrow, flowing through his entire body like an electric shock, penetrating his lungs and internal organs.

Internal Force had finally manifested.

Before this, Zhou You had cultivated countless times, attempting to grasp the essence of Internal Force, but had always failed to find the key.

It was like an invisible wind; he knew it existed, but he couldn't grasp it, let alone understand it.

Only now, after meeting the upgrade conditions, did he finally touch the true existence of Internal Force.

"As expected, physical condition is the threshold."

Strength? Speed, and Defense at 15 points were the basic requirements for cultivating Internal Force.

Tiger Subduing Fist was the foundational cultivation technique to catalyze Internal Force.

The new apprentices in the outer courtyard, whether they used wild punches or Tiger Bone Paste, were ultimately trying to stimulate their physical potential.

Some succeeded, manifesting Internal Force, while others failed and left dejectedly.

Zhou You came to Jianxiong Martial Arts School, enduring invisible pressure, cultivating day and night, and finally, at this moment, he touched the edge of Internal Force.

The manifestation of Internal Force not only required talent but also demanded post-natal training to excavate it.

In the final moments, Zhou You had used a full 12 applications of Tiger Bone Paste to break through this barrier.

He seemed to hear the sound of vast rivers surging in his ears; it was the sound of his blood flowing.

His blood flow accelerated, his body temperature rose, and the internal pressure on his organs far exceeded the level that ordinary people could withstand.

This was the frequency upgrade of flesh and blood!

Only by ascending to a frequency unattainable by ordinary people could one unleash a world-shattering strike.

At this moment, Zhou You was like a pupa on the verge of breaking free from its cocoon, his seemingly normal exterior hiding astonishing potential.

As dusk settled, the surrounding light gradually faded, and the outer courtyard's training ground became quiet.

The new apprentices left one by one. They were exhausted from a day's work and needed to rest and replenish their energy for better training the next day.

Zhou You stood before the wooden stakes, punching them one after another, the impacts ringing out.

The century-old hardwood stakes were the standard measure for testing one's power in the martial arts.

Without Internal Force, one could punch their entire life and still not break a hardwood stake.

If one cultivated Internal Force, even a single punch could easily break a hardwood stake.

"I'm just a sliver away from achieving the effect of Internal Force."

Practicing martial arts was a process of personal transformation. Even if all conditions were met, he still needed to deliver that crucial punch.

Zhou You roared, his muscles tensing, sweat flowing like streams to the ground.

He was at a critical juncture; success or failure hinged on this moment.

"It's this feeling, this hunger, this desperate hunger."

The image of an emaciated tiger lurking in the desolate hills appeared in his mind, its gaze calm, its lean, strong body filled with explosive power.

Zhou You felt his own aura merging with the fierce tiger from his imagination.

His eyes glowed with a faint light, and he longed to break and tear apart the hardwood stake before him, to devour it.

"I still have one Tiger Bone Paste left, I can't waste it."

Zhou You casually applied the last Tiger Bone Paste to his chest, and a new wave of medicinal power flowed into his core.

It was like the weight of the last straw, directly piercing the critical point where quantity led to a qualitative change.

Zhou You suddenly jolted, a tingling coolness surging from his tailbone straight through to the crown of his head.

Itchiness, numbness, tingling, pain – all sorts of sensations flooded his mind.

Zhou You could visibly see goosebumps appearing all over his hands, arms, and legs.

His body twitched involuntarily, and his fist shot out, unconsciously delivering a peerless punch.

The sound of this punch cutting through the air was different from before, sharp as a knife, piercing the eardrums and causing pain.

Faintly, the sound of the wind from his fist carried a subtle tiger's roar, exuding a fierce aura.

"It's done."

A profound and mysterious feeling arose within Zhou You. Even before his fist touched the stake, he saw it breaking.

Dong. His fist struck the stake. Instead of the usual resistance and strength, there was only the sound of breakage.

Zhou You felt an unprecedented lightness in his fist as he sent the broken hardwood stake flying several meters away.

Internal Force flowed beneath his skin, like nimble little fish.

Zhou You took a deep breath and took a step forward. Driven by Internal Force, his speed suddenly tripled.

His vision blurred, and he moved from the center of the open space to a spot near the wall, nearly crashing into it.

Looking back, he measured the distance he had covered – it was 7 to 8 meters, and he had crossed it in a single stride.

This was the marvel of Internal Force; it could greatly enhance strength, speed, and defense.

No wonder the martial arts school only considered one a formal apprentice after cultivating Internal Force. At this stage, one had truly begun to grasp the essence of the martial arts.

Zhou You took several deep breaths, dispersing his Internal Force. The heat radiating from his body returned to normal.

A wave of dizziness washed over him. The Internal Force consumed too much of his body's energy, especially since he had just mastered it and his body was not yet accustomed to it.

Fortunately, there was still residual medicinal power from the Tiger Bone Paste within him, which quickly seeped into his bloodstream, replenishing his depleted energy.

"Haha!"

Zhou You laughed out loud in the darkness. At this moment, he had grasped the reins of his own destiny.