Tiger Form Muscle Tendon Strengthening Technique

At this moment, Elder Ping's voice slowly rang out, carrying a trace of barely perceptible approval:

"Qing River, you have practiced martial arts for less than two months. Yet in your match against Qin Wu, who was at the same realm, you nearly crushed him outright. This shows that your natural physique surpasses his—truly extraordinary."

"The effects of Body Tempering cultivation on you are far more remarkable than on ordinary people."

Jiang Qinghe stood with his hands at his sides. Hearing this, his heart stirred slightly:

It seems Master has completely attributed the increase in strength from the Wood Splitting Skill within me to my unusual innate physique...

That works too. Even I cannot clearly explain the Wood Splitting Skill. If anyone truly investigated it, it would be difficult to account for. This misunderstanding saves me a great deal of trouble instead.

As he pondered, Jiang Qinghe voiced the doubt he had kept in his heart:

"Master, what kind of physique does Qin Wu possess? When I fought him, I noticed that his strength also far exceeded that of someone who had completed Body Tempering?"

Elder Ping said:

"That brat was born with Copper Skin and Iron Flesh. Before he even began cultivating, he was already nearly at Major Accomplishment in Body Tempering. When he started cultivation, it was essentially a second round of Body Tempering, which was why he achieved results far beyond others."

Jiang Qinghe immediately grew curious:

"Master, on the foundation of completing the Iron Shirt Skill, if one cultivated another Body Tempering technique, could the effects stack?"

Hearing this, Elder Ping shook his head:

"You foolish boy. The circulation routes, tempering focuses, and even attributes of two techniques are not entirely alike. They can easily interfere with one another."

After a pause, he added:

"They would most likely subject the skin and muscles to completely different methods of tempering, resulting in severe bodily damage."

"Mm, Master, I understand."

Jiang Qinghe nodded after hearing this, looking as though he had been properly taught.

Yet in his heart, the thought of finding another Body Tempering technique to cultivate grew wildly.

After all, with the panel, he could directly use Potential Points to obtain results, without needing to consider all the problems that might arise during cultivation.

"Qing River, Body Tempering is only the beginning. Stepping into the realms beyond as soon as possible is the direction you should advance in. Do not pick up sesame seeds only to lose a watermelon!"

Elder Ping's voice abruptly rose:

"At its root, the martial path is a journey of constantly excavating one's own potential, shattering the shackles of the mortal body, and pursuing the road to transcendence! The repeated tempering and polishing of skin, flesh, tendons, bones, viscera, and marrow merely lay a solid foundation for you to climb to greater heights in the future."

At those words, Jiang Qinghe was suddenly startled, deeply shaken.

In his understanding, a Great Martial Master in the Viscera Refining and Marrow Cleansing realm was an existence high above all others.

Standing at the pinnacle of Lin'an County, they could summon wind and rain, revered by countless people.

Who would have thought that in his master's eyes, such a realm was merely called a foundation?

Just how vast and boundless was the martial path?

Once again, he felt its unfathomable strangeness and grandeur.

Before Jiang Qinghe could pull himself free from the shock, Elder Ping's leisurely voice sounded beside his ear once more.

"Ahem, enough, enough. Such vague and intangible things are still too early for you. They will only add to your troubles."

"You have now reached the completion of Body Tempering. Your skin and flesh are tough, your qi and blood abundant. The next step is Tendon Strengthening! Temper your great tendons throughout the body, connect the Bridge of Qi and Blood, and let your strength flow freely. Today shall count as your master's first official lesson!"

Before his words had faded, Elder Ping's slightly hunched body suddenly straightened.

An indescribably majestic aura erupted from him, as though a slumbering primordial ferocious tiger had awakened.

Beneath his formerly slack skin, thick tendons instantly tightened and bulged, releasing a faint but heart-palpitating hum.

Standing there, he no longer seemed old and frail, but like a volcano that could erupt with destructive power at any moment.

"Watch closely. This is the Tiger Form Muscle Tendon Strengthening Technique!"

Elder Ping gave a low shout. His voice no longer sounded aged, but carried a deep rumble, as though wind and thunder were rolling beneath it.

It made Jiang Qinghe's eardrums buzz, and even his heart began beating involuntarily to that rhythm.

At the side, Zhao Guangyi and Xiao Hei had long since held their breaths, their eyes shining.

They fixed their gaze on every subtle movement Elder Ping made, afraid of missing even the slightest mystery.

There were no elaborate flourishes, no dazzling techniques.

What Elder Ping demonstrated were the most ancient, most fundamental basic stances and stretching movements.

His movements were heavy and slow. His hands rose like claws supporting the heavens, while the great tendons of his back, waist, and hips stretched taut like fully drawn bows, snapping and creaking.

Then his body suddenly dropped and lunged forward. His arms curled inward while his shoulders spread wide, his tendons bulging like iron chains as a ripping hiss sounded.

As his movements shifted, his tendons and bones cracked sharply. At the height of the sequence, the great tendons throughout his body resonated and trembled, releasing a deep, powerful roar like muffled thunder rolling across the heavens.

After completing the set of movements, Elder Ping suddenly froze in place.

His aura fully withdrew. He exhaled a long breath, condensed like a white arrow of air that shot more than a foot away before slowly dispersing into the air.

"Did you gain any insight?"

His body had once more become slightly hunched, returning to the appearance of an ordinary old man as he looked toward Jiang Qinghe.

Jiang Qinghe's face was full of longing as he promptly flattered him:

"This disciple only felt as though an ancient king of the mountains and forests had awakened, as if it were about to gather the strength of every tendon in its body into one point and unleash a thunderous strike that would shake heaven and earth."

Elder Ping seemed rather pleased. He nodded slightly and said:

"Tendon Strengthening tempers the source of the tendons and bones, connecting the Bridge of Qi and Blood. For every degree stronger the tendons become, strength increases by one dan."

"Ten degrees stronger is Minor Accomplishment, twenty is Major Accomplishment, and thirty is completion. One dan is one hundred jin, so that can add three thousand jin of strength. Given the uniqueness of your physique, it should be more than that."

As he spoke, he took a small booklet from his robes, its cover bearing the words Tiger Form Muscle Tendon Strengthening Technique, and handed it to Jiang Qinghe.

"From today onward, you will take this Tiger Form as your foundation. Practice every day without fail. Once your tendons roar like thunder, you will be able to achieve what your master just demonstrated."

"Yes, Master."

Jiang Qinghe accepted the technique manual with both hands, his heart blazing as he wished he could begin practicing at once.

"Qing River, remember this: a master leads you to the gate, but cultivation depends on the individual."

Elder Ping suddenly coughed twice, lay back in his chair, and rummaged through his robes before tossing something toward Jiang Qinghe.

"Take these and build a solid foundation. The road ahead must ultimately be walked by yourself!"

Jiang Qinghe caught the porcelain bottle and looked inside. It contained twelve fiery red Bear Tendon Pills.

Holding something worth two hundred and forty taels of silver in his hands, he felt a heavy weight settle in his heart. Then he bent deeply at the waist.

"Thank you, Master. This disciple will remember your teachings!"

"Alright, Xiao Hei, take him to find a detached residence to live in!"

Elder Ping picked up his pipe and waved a hand.

"I am somewhat tired. Go attend to your own affairs!"

The three answered at the same time before turning and leaving.

On the way back, Zhao Guangyi gave Jiang Qinghe a mysterious smile and said:

"Junior Brother, cultivate diligently. Once you have achieved success in Tendon Strengthening, I will take you to hunt Demon Beasts in the Wasteland Forest outside the county. Then us senior and junior brothers can fight side by side!"

"Demon Beasts? Senior Brother, how are these Demon Beasts classified?"

Jiang Qinghe had known little about this before, and he could not help growing curious.

Zhao Guangyi nodded and explained:

"The ranks of Demon Beasts correspond to the five realms of martial cultivation. They are generally divided from the First Tier to the Fifth Tier."

"And the heart meat of a Second Tier Demon Beast, the Savage Bear, is precisely the main ingredient for refining Bear Tendon Pills. It is also the foremost thing that can speed up your cultivation at this stage."

Seeing Jiang Qinghe nod, Zhao Guangyi continued:

"After obtaining the heart meat, we hand it over to the county pharmacy to help refine it. Once successful, we take fifty percent and they keep fifty percent, which covers the cost of other supplementary ingredients and labor."

"Then do they not skip the most dangerous step of hunting Demon Beasts and simply sit back waiting for their share?"

Jiang Qinghe was inwardly shocked. The split was actually fifty-fifty—such injustice.

Zhao Guangyi smiled helplessly:

"That is right. The core techniques for refining pills are firmly controlled by the pharmacies—or rather, by Hui Chun Pavilion in Cangfeng City. This place is merely one of its branch halls in the county."

Jiang Qinghe secretly shook his head, unable to stop himself from sighing inwardly.

Though the world was different, the essence of a system of exploitation layer upon layer, from top to bottom, was exactly the same in both his past and present lives.

As if recalling something, he said:

"Senior Brother, then the Blood Activating Powder that the pharmacy supplies free to the two Martial Academies every month can also be considered a form of compensation?"

Zhao Guangyi sighed:

"Heh heh, a drop in the bucket! That Blood Activating Powder can be made simply by mixing a few herbs, so the cost is low. Besides, it only has some effect during Body Tempering. After Tendon Strengthening, it is completely useless!"

As they spoke, the three reached a fork in the road. After Zhao Guangyi bid the two farewell, he returned to the small courtyard of his own residence to cultivate.