Back in the cave dwelling, Jiang Hao first studied the Moon Chasing Footwork.
With Jiang Hao's Comprehension, the Moon Chasing Footwork posed no great difficulty.
Especially since the most important part of this martial art was the footwork itself.
Once he comprehended the footwork, it was equivalent to grasping the secret.
One hour, two hours, three hours...
After only a few hours, Jiang Hao was weaving through the cave dwelling with a peculiar set of steps.
He appeared unhurried, yet anyone who truly tried to chase him would find that he was far too fast to catch.
After practicing it a few times, Jiang Hao's Moon Chasing Footwork had actually reached proficiency.
He even had a faint feeling.
With this Moon Chasing Footwork, it would take him at most ten days to half a month to reach Minor Accomplishment, and only a few months to reach Major Accomplishment.
Compared with the Fierce Tiger Fist, which required comprehending the "Tiger Form," the Moon Chasing Footwork was simply too easy.
Only the perfected realm was somewhat difficult.
After all, it required comprehending true intent.
That depended on an opportunity.
Then came the Five Elements Divine Skill.
Jiang Hao carefully read through the Five Elements Divine Skill.
The Five Elements Divine Skill corresponded to the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys.
It required long-term training of these five internal organs in order to give birth to their corresponding forces.
For instance, the force born from the heart was called Heart Force. Since the heart belonged to fire, it could also be called Fire Force.
Because the five internal organs lay within the body, the forces born from them were all called Hidden Force.
Ming Jin and Hidden Force were, in truth, both forms of force.
They were merely born in different places; there was no direct connection between them.
The internal organs were inside the body. How could they be trained?
Naturally, with Blood Qi!
Blood Qi filled every corner of the body, present everywhere.
Mobilizing Blood Qi could naturally train the internal organs.
However, the internal organs were fragile and had to be trained with the utmost care.
Jiang Hao considered it. The heart was one of the human body's vital organs.
The Fire Force born from the heart was also terrifyingly powerful, and it belonged to the most powerful type of Hidden Force.
"Then I'll train my heart first!"
Jiang Hao decided on his next cultivation goal.
Train his heart.
Thus, following the method recorded in the Five Elements Divine Skill, Jiang Hao began mobilizing his Blood Qi and vibrating his heart at a special frequency to achieve the purpose of training it.
This required extremely precise control over Blood Qi.
And the stronger one's Bone Quality, the stronger one's internal organs would be. They could withstand training with greater force, and the chances of giving birth to force would be higher.
Jiang Hao's Bone Quality had reached 7, making it naturally an exceptionally strong Bone Quality.
Thus, Jiang Hao used Blood Qi to vibrate his heart.
Once, twice, three times, four times, five times...
Again and again, he vibrated his heart.
After enough time had passed, his heart could no longer endure it.
If he forced it to keep vibrating, he would injure his heart.
He needed to rest for a while before continuing to train it.
A day passed.
Jiang Hao roughly calculated that he could train his heart over a hundred times a day.
What about ordinary Outer Gate disciples?
At most, ten or twenty times.
The gap was simply too great.
Moreover, Jiang Hao had not yet taken any medicinal pills that nourished the heart.
Jiang Hao went to the Huangtian Sect's trading hall.
There were all kinds of precious items there.
For example, divine weapons and sharp tools.
Or medicinal pills, cultivation resources, and so on.
Jiang Hao used contribution points to exchange for a large number of Heart Nourishing Pills.
These Heart Nourishing Pills could nourish the heart, and their effects were quite good.
But ordinary Outer Gate disciples would not dare be so extravagant.
One Heart Nourishing Pill cost a hundred contribution points, making it exceedingly expensive.
But to Jiang Hao, that was nothing.
Taking one Heart Nourishing Pill a day cost only a hundred contribution points; a month cost only three thousand contribution points.
Jiang Hao gave it a try.
After swallowing one Heart Nourishing Pill, he could train his heart a hundred and thirty times each day.
The effect had increased by thirty percent!
Thus, under Jiang Hao's "frenzied" training, his heart became incomparably strong after only five months.
On this day, Jiang Hao trained his heart as usual.
"Thump, thump, thump."
Suddenly, his heart began pounding violently.
As it beat, a subtle force abruptly erupted from within his heart.
It was as violent as fire.
Whoosh.
Jiang Hao opened his eyes.
"Heart Force is complete!"
A smile appeared on Jiang Hao's face.
Once Heart Force was born, he had officially broken through to Hidden Force.
Jiang Hao had now become a genuine Hidden Force martial artist!
Even in the Outer Gate, he would be an elite disciple.
Counting it all up, Jiang Hao had taken only five months from beginning to train his heart to giving birth to Heart Force.
As for other Outer Gate disciples—
To give birth to Heart Force, they would need at least several years.
If their hearts were injured during that time, it would take even longer.
Hidden Force was not so easily born.
For someone like Jiang Hao to give birth to Hidden Force so smoothly, accomplishing it in one stroke, was truly exceedingly rare.
Bone Quality, resources, cultivation techniques, and Comprehension—none could be lacking.
What was more, Jiang Hao was cultivating a divine skill.
That made it even harder, like climbing to the heavens.
Jiang Hao focused his attention and examined his current condition.
Cultivation: Hidden Force (Early Stage) Incomplete Great Sun Golden Crow Divine Blood: 10% progress (Can be deduced) Bone Quality: 7 Comprehension: 8.1 Spirit: 2 Great Sun Battle Sacred Body: Not Initiated Fierce Tiger Fist: Major Accomplishment (Tiger Demon Form, forty percent enhancement) Moon Chasing Footwork: Major Accomplishment Ming Jin: 430% power enhancement Hidden Force: Heart Force
Sure enough, Jiang Hao's cultivation had reached the "Hidden Force" level.
Moreover, after five months, his Comprehension had surpassed 8. He was not far from 10.
Jiang Hao had a faint feeling.
If the data for his three talents reached 10, perhaps some changes would occur.
There was also the Moon Chasing Footwork.
In a mere five months, it had already reached Major Accomplishment.
The Moon Chasing Footwork had improved greatly, but it had stagnated upon reaching Major Accomplishment.
Without comprehending true intent, there was no way to reach perfection.
However, even the Moon Chasing Footwork at Major Accomplishment already satisfied Jiang Hao.
His weakness in Movement Techniques would be completely made up for.
"Since Heart Force has already been born, I'll train my liver next."
"I need to go to the trading hall and exchange for Liver Protecting Pills."
Jiang Hao's martial arts training plan proceeded in an orderly fashion.
He could endure solitude.
After all, whenever Jiang Hao trained in martial arts, he could feel himself improving every day.
That kind of "positive feedback" was Jiang Hao's greatest joy.
On this day, Jiang Hao was training his liver.
Suddenly, a familiar voice came from outside the cave dwelling.
"Junior Brother Jiang, an old friend has come to visit."
"An old friend?"
Jiang Hao opened his eyes.
He walked out of the cave dwelling and saw a familiar figure standing outside.
"Sister Hong... you've advanced to the Inner Gate?"
This "old friend" was none other than Xia Hong!
Back when Jiang Hao had been directly promoted to the Inner Gate, Xia Hong, the only person he knew in the Huangtian Sect, had not come to acknowledge him.
He had not expected Xia Hong to appear only after so long.
Xia Hong smiled and said, "Junior Brother Jiang, when you were directly promoted to the Inner Gate, I was still in the Outer Gate. I truly had no face to come see you."
"However, I finally cultivated Transforming Force a few days ago and advanced to the Inner Gate, so I came to see you."
Jiang Hao invited Xia Hong into the cave dwelling, and the two sat down.
"Junior Brother Jiang, I heard earlier that you went to the Outer Gate to attend classes on Hidden Force. There has been much gossip and criticism in the Outer Gate."
"In truth, you need not pay them any mind. You're still young. Even if it takes you another few years to give birth to Hidden Force, that would be normal. Those people in the Outer Gate are merely jealous..."
Jiang Hao was somewhat puzzled.
Had Xia Hong come all this way just to say this?
Was she "comforting" him?
Was she afraid his mindset would become unbalanced?
Seeing Jiang Hao remain silent, Xia Hong became even more worried.
In her eyes, no matter how talented Jiang Hao was, he was still only an eleven-year-old child.
He had no family or friends in the Huangtian Sect, and he had encountered all manner of rumors and gossip.
His mindset would most likely become unbalanced.
Haste made waste. The more anxious Jiang Hao became, the harder it would be for him to break through.
If this continued for a long time, it would likely have a great impact on Jiang Hao.
Naturally, Xia Hong did not want Jiang Hao to be affected. That was why she had come specifically, intending to "comfort" him.
"Jiang Hao, with your talent, breaking through to Hidden Force is not actually difficult..."
Xia Hong still wanted to persuade him.
But Jiang Hao shook his head and interrupted her directly. "Sister Hong, I've already awakened Heart Force!"
"..."
Xia Hong's mouth fell open.
Jiang Hao did not explain. He merely extended his hand and lightly pressed it against the ground.
Heart Force erupted.
A palm print instantly appeared on the ground.
Xia Hong stared at the palm print on the ground.
Jiang Hao had silently unleashed his force, and the power had been condensed without being released.
Without question, this was Hidden Force!
Jiang Hao had actually given birth to Hidden Force without a sound. He had already broken through and become a Hidden Force martial artist.
"Good!"
"You've already reached Hidden Force! It seems you don't need my persuasion after all. You haven't been affected by those rumors from the outside world whatsoever."
Xia Hong was reassured.
Jiang Hao was still the same Jiang Hao.
Not only was his talent peerless, but his will was incomparably steadfast as well.
Only a genius like this might have hope of Entering Dao.
"Whoosh."
Just then, Big Tiger suddenly sprinted into the cave dwelling.
Big Tiger usually wandered all around the Huangtian Sect.
But this time, something seemed off about Big Tiger.
Jiang Hao smelled blood.
"Hmm?"
"Big Tiger, you're hurt?"
Jiang Hao saw Big Tiger sprawled on the ground, looking utterly listless.
It was clearly from excessive blood loss.
"Did you get into another fight with that old ape?"
Jiang Hao knew that Big Tiger often fought the old ape.
Big Tiger lost every time.
But that old ape, a Heterogeneous Species, was highly intelligent and always knew its limits. It never hurt Big Tiger too badly.
But why was Big Tiger so badly injured this time?
"Jiang Hao, look—there's a blade wound on Big Tiger's back."
Xia Hong suddenly spoke.
"A blade wound?"
Jiang Hao looked closely and saw that there truly was a huge wound across Big Tiger's back, deep enough to expose bone. One look told him it had been caused by a blade.
The old ape was also a Heterogeneous Species. It couldn't possibly use a blade.
Only martial artists used blades.
"Big Tiger, you weren't hurt by the old ape. A martial artist did this to you."
"Who exactly injured you?"
Judging from the wound, that strike had been truly vicious.
It simply hadn't hit a vital spot.
Otherwise, with the force behind that blow, Big Tiger would likely already be dead.
A faint rage stirred in Jiang Hao's heart.
Big Tiger was more than just his tiger pet.
Within the Huangtian Sect, Jiang Hao and Big Tiger spent day and night together, like family.
Now that someone had injured Big Tiger, he had to demand an explanation for him!
"Sister Hong, Big Tiger is injured. I need to treat him first."
"But someone hurt Big Tiger—I can't pretend I didn't see it. Sister Hong, you know many people in the Huangtian Sect. Could you help me find out who injured Big Tiger?"
Xia Hong nodded. "All right, I'll go ask around."
With that, Xia Hong turned and left the cave dwelling.
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