Fierce Tiger

People who practice martial arts know that training in the coldest days of winter and the hottest days of summer is not without reason.

The Feng Kingdom is currently in the midst of high summer, while the Eternal Night World is incredibly cold.

Li Qing, who travels back and forth between the two worlds, is making progress in his martial arts at an unbelievable speed.

About seven days after Centurion Yuan Xiao led his army on campaign, a crisp sound like beans pouring from a bamboo tube echoed from within Li Qing's body inside the tent, which was as hot as a furnace.

Crack!

"Hoo! The Ancient Profound Hammer Technique has finally reached the introductory level!"

With nearly twenty days of standing meditation combined from both worlds, and having endured both extreme cold and heat, Li Qing's physical body had been unexpectedly well-tempered, laying a solid foundation for his martial arts.

Li Qing withdrew from his meditation stance. He felt a significant increase in his strength, with both the way he exerted force and his body's original vigor being greatly enhanced.

Whoosh!

Inside the tent, Li Qing suddenly unleashed a palm strike, and the burst of energy directly caused the roaring furnace fire to visibly flicker.

"Not bad, I should be able to take on two of my past selves now," Li Qing said, retracting his palm with great satisfaction.

Although he was still some distance from becoming an Outer Strength expert, he was already quite pleased.

With Centurion Yuan Xiao leading the army on campaign, the border seemed to have calmed down. There were no more reports of bandit activity.

The imperial grain transport team also arrived safely at the border a few days ago, without encountering any ambushes or incidents.

Of course, if the imperial court hadn't decided to send additional troops to the border, Li Qing might have truly been able to put his mind at ease.

Yesterday, a very clear and specific message arrived from the imperial court: General Lu Guanghong's entire Wu Li Army would arrive at the border within a few days!

To others, this was likely the best possible news. For example, Wu Chong, the cook, ate several extra large bowls of rice yesterday after hearing about it.

With sufficient grain in the granaries and a heavy military presence at the border, it was naturally a reassuring prospect.

However, Li Qing did not think so. With his sharp mind, he had considered many possibilities.

If there wasn't a war imminent, the imperial court would certainly not dispatch the entire Wu Li Army without reason.

"It's not necessarily a bad thing. The more people there are, the more chaotic the situation becomes, and the fewer people will notice a mere blacksmith's apprentice like me."

Having decided to keep a low profile, Li Qing muttered to himself.

The entire Wu Li Army had thirteen Centurions, with a total strength exceeding fifteen thousand men. Those currently stationed at the border were only a small fraction of the whole.

Each Centurion was a master, and the general commanding the entire army, General Lu Guanghong, might very well be a legendary Transforming Energy Grandmaster!

This army, built on martial prowess, was undoubtedly one of the cornerstones of the Feng Kingdom!

That night, after dinner, Li Qing returned to his tent.

Since Centurion Yuan Xiao's departure on campaign, the entire border army had become much quieter.

In the dead of night, Li Qing once again entered the Eternal Night World.

However, this time, he did not choose to continue his standing meditation. Instead, he took out the three martial arts techniques he had acquired from the Yan Family some time ago.

"In the path of martial arts, it is generally discouraged to bite off more than you can chew, but that's due to the limitations of human lifespan. Only by focusing on one martial art can one go further," Li Qing whispered to himself. He then unfurled the beast skin scroll for Fierce Tiger Pounces and began to comprehend it.

He did not lack time. If necessary, he could spend a considerable amount of time slowly grinding his martial arts progress.

"The border is about to become chaotic. To quickly improve my combat power in the short term, learning multiple martial arts is definitely a more rewarding endeavor."

His Ancient Profound Hammer Technique had reached the introductory level. The next step would be to repeatedly practice various hammer techniques. Over time, he could gradually develop Outer Strength.

For others, this was generally the case: dedicating their lives to mastering one martial art and then supplementing it with one or two others was the way to go further on the martial path.

Because each martial art had different focuses, unless it was some top-tier martial art, it was impossible to cover all aspects.

Gradually, Li Qing became immersed in the artistic conception within the beast skin scroll for Fierce Tiger Pounces.

This martial art was created by a powerful warrior. The beast skin scroll not only contained the essence of the technique but also the residual martial aura and will of that formidable expert.

After a long while, Li Qing slowly opened his eyes. He realized that he had unconsciously assumed the stance of Fierce Tiger Pounces.

"This martial art primarily trains the limbs. If mastered, one would at least become a grandmaster of Internal Energy," Li Qing's lips curved into a slight smile. He continued, "The artistic conception in the beast skin scroll is potent, but it's all spirit and no form. Without seeing a real fierce tiger, it's difficult to practice, perhaps even to get started."

The people from the Yan Family likely believed that Li Qing would never have the chance to see a real tiger in his lifetime, making it difficult for him to truly grasp the ferocity of a tiger and master such a powerful and domineering martial art.

However, they didn't know that the image of a tiger had been deeply imprinted in Li Qing's mind since his previous life.

Not to mention zoos, he had watched many documentaries. Naturally, he knew what a ferocious creature it was.

Within this beast skin scroll depicting a fierce tiger, Li Qing perceived three levels of this martial art.

They were Tiger Form, Tiger Intent, and Tiger Spirit!

From form, intent, and spirit, it perfectly embodied the ferocity of a fierce tiger.

"There's no written record, but this method of transmitting martial arts through artistic conception has its own unique advantages. It provides significant assistance when practicing the Tiger Intent and Tiger Spirit levels."

Speaking of which, Li Qing suddenly tensed his left arm. The muscles and veins on his arm bulged, and his hands looked even more ferocious.

"The person who created this martial art probably never imagined that the sun would eventually disappear, making it nearly impossible to find a fierce tiger to observe."

"This has worked out for me!"

That day, Li Qing practiced this fierce tiger martial art in the courtyard, completely engrossed.

Over time, his very being seemed to take on a certain ferocity, as untamed as a wild beast.

He moved like a true Fierce Tiger, leaping and bounding around the courtyard, the air whistling with every shift of his fists and palms.

After about three or four hours, he finally withdrew his stance, utterly exhausted, feeling as if he had just run a marathon.

"Hoo!"

Sweat streamed down his body like a river, and in the cold air, heat radiated from him.

In the dark courtyard, Li Qing opened his eyes, which seemed to gleam with a green light.

Hunger and fatigue washed over his entire body like a tide.

But he was exhilarated. This martial art suited him perfectly, with its broad, powerful movements and its direct, forceful approach!