Body Tempering First Level

Wang Yu practiced until he was about to collapse from exhaustion before silently stopping.

Suppressing the soreness as his limbs went weak, he returned to rest.

For the next week, Wang Yu remained in the courtyard and trained bitterly.

His performance was the best among all the provisional disciples. Even Sun Chengshan, who appeared only occasionally, would sometimes offer Wang Yu a few pointers when he was in a good mood.

On the eighth day, Wang Yu arrived early as usual.

Practicing his forms in the early morning was especially effective, the golden hour for fist training. There was no way he would miss it.

+1

+1

+1

Wang Yu had long since grown used to the "+1" numbers flashing over his fists.

By now, he could trigger the numbers forty-two times in a single complete set of the Basic Fist Style, far more than at the beginning.

Soon, he completed one set of movements. Still unsatisfied, Wang Yu flowed seamlessly into a second round.

This time, he suddenly felt that everything was different.

In the past, he had always followed the prescribed fist forms. No matter how standard his movements were, they still seemed somewhat stiff and rigid.

It was like plugging numbers into a formula in mathematics.

But this time, he suddenly felt that was not the case at all.

A touch of insight arose within him. His punches became smoother, every step and every fist seeming perfectly natural, as though he had designed them himself.

There was no longer any stiffness—only naturalness.

Crack, crack, crack.

Joints throughout his body let out a series of crisp pops, as though his sinews and bones had been shifted and realigned.

After completing this set, Wang Yu had no choice but to stop.

He was already drenched in sweat, his skin flushed red all over, while his muscles twitched from time to time.

"It's different!"

Wang Yu wore a somewhat dazed expression as he muttered to himself.

Normally, two rounds of fist practice would not have made him sweat so heavily.

His sweat carried a great deal of grime, seeping continuously from his pores like muddy water, along with an unusual odor that made even him furrow his brow.

He immediately hurried to the bathhouse for a wash.

Name: Wang Yu

Race: Humanity

Cultivation: Body Tempering First Level

Martial Art: Shadowless Fist - Basic Fist Style +1

"I've reached Body Tempering First Level already?"

After washing up, Wang Yu stared at his personal panel, utterly astonished.

According to Song Hezheng, the path of martial arts was a slow grinding process. There was no such thing as reaching the summit in a single step.

Becoming a peerless master overnight was something that only happened in storybooks.

Sun Chengshan had given every provisional disciple three months to temper themselves to the Body Tempering First Level, this realm of martial arts.

In other words, three months was the passing line.

Yet only eight days had passed for him—or, strictly speaking, just over seven days.

He was not sure whether this pace was excessive. Perhaps martial arts prodigies blessed with extraordinary talent could accomplish the same.

But Wang Yu knew that his own aptitude was not like that. He could not even be associated with the word genius.

His innate constitution was mediocre, his understanding of the martial path ordinary. This body was nothing more than that of an average person.

The only explanation was that the panel in his mind had taken effect and brought him this far.

In truth, over the past few days, he had more or less figured out the panel's true function.

It gamified the proficiency gains of martial arts that could be cultivated.

Simply practicing the Shadowless Fist's Basic Fist Style over and over every day could steadily increase his proficiency in it.

This increase almost ignored the limits imposed by one's aptitude, constitution, and comprehension. As long as he was serious and focused, he could improve.

Wang Yu had accumulated his gains over eight days, finally achieving today's qualitative transformation.

The Basic Fist Style on his panel had leveled up. In essence, he had officially reached the first level of Shadowless Fist.

Only then had his physique undergone a round of tempering, simultaneously reaching the physical strength of the Body Tempering First Level.

After changing into a fresh set of clothes, Wang Yu began to assess the condition of his body after reaching the Body Tempering First Level.

It was obvious that the muscles all over his body had grown a full size larger and were exceptionally firm, a far cry from the thin frame he had when he first entered.

His eight days of bitter training had laid some of the foundation, but the greater part was the qualitative transformation from breaking through to the Body Tempering First Level in one go.

Along with it came a whole range of improvements in strength, speed, explosive power, and more.

At this moment, Wang Yu's punches truly possessed considerable destructive force.

"Should I tell Master now?" Wang Yu pondered inwardly.

He was weighing the pros and cons.

If he told them just like this, how would Sun Chengshan and the others react? Was the progress he had displayed normal? Would it arouse suspicion and bring trouble?

These were all matters he had to consider.

But if he waited another month or two before telling them, he would have no way to obtain the later training methods for Shadowless Fist. It would be a waste of time.

The Basic Fist Style was only the first level of Shadowless Fist, and its tempering effect was limited to the first level of cultivation.

If Wang Yu wanted to go further, he had to obtain the subsequent fist techniques.

With these concerns in mind, just as he was about to return to the courtyard, he heard a burst of shouting from outside the gate.

Several disciples from Shadowless Fist Gym came hurrying back, carrying a severely injured disciple between them.

"What happened?" Sun Chengshan, who had also heard the commotion while resting in his room, came out.

One of the returning young male disciples immediately said with a face full of grievance, "Master, we were eating and drinking at the Tavern today when we ran into Wei Yiming from Jifeng Hall, as well as Fang Shihao from Duanhu Saber Hall.

"They insulted Junior Sister Liu in public, and they even injured Senior Brother He Tie!"

"What! They've gone too far!" The disciples in the courtyard were instantly enraged upon hearing this.

As disciples of the same gym, they shared glory and disgrace. They had, to some extent, formed a sense of unity.

Standing among the crowd, Wang Yu also learned the full story.

He had an impression of Senior Brother He Tie, the man lying on the ground.

He was usually quite diligent as well, one of the earlier batches of disciples Sun Chengshan had accepted after coming to this town. He had already reached the Body Tempering Second Layer and held a decent position in the courtyard.

Wang Yu had not expected him to be beaten into such a miserable state outside today.

"He Zheng, take He Tie to the Medical Hall. Ji Fei, you and the rest of you, come with me!" Sun Chengshan's expression was grim as well.

Naturally, this matter could not simply be let go. Otherwise, as their Master, he would have no way to answer to his disciples.

"Yes, Master." Ji Fei stepped forward and nodded.

He stood nearly 1.9 meters tall. He did not look particularly muscular, instead appearing rather lean, but his broad shoulders made his frame seem large.

Among the disciples in the courtyard, his strength and standing were second only to Senior Disciple Brother Song Hezheng.

He had already cultivated to the Body Tempering Third Layer, and his Shadowless Fist had inherited a fair portion of Sun Chengshan's true teachings.

After picking several disciples, Sun Chengshan hurriedly left the gym early in the morning and headed for Jifeng Hall.

Song Hezheng, meanwhile, rushed the heavily injured and unconscious He Tie to the Medical Hall for treatment.

Only a pool of blood remained on the ground.

"This isn't Jifeng Hall's first time. They target our gym everywhere outside. The last time I took on a job to back someone up in a fight, Jifeng Hall's disciples ruined it too!"

"Sigh, what can we do? Master has only been in this town for less than three years. We're still a new gym, after all. There's nothing we can do in the face of suppression from those long-established martial arts schools.

"That's nothing compared to what happened earlier. Several Senior Brothers were beaten to death by them! Tell me, isn't that infuriating?"

An older disciple who had seen much sighed.

"Then... doesn't the Patrol Team do anything?" Hearing that people had been beaten to death, one provisional disciple shuddered and shrank back somewhat.

"Give me a break. Don't you know what things are like around here? The officials among the Superiors are beyond reach, and those Patrol Teams can't be bothered with the rotten business between our martial arts schools."

"Then... Master will be alright, won't he?"

"Master is at the Body Tempering Fifth Level. What could possibly happen to him? Don't worry!"

"..."

Wang Yu's gaze flickered. He turned and left, no longer practicing fists in the courtyard for the time being.

He had reached a decision.

"It seems that even Body Tempering First Level strength offers no protection whatsoever outside. I can't waste time. I have to obtain the later training methods of Shadowless Fist as soon as possible!"

This world was rougher and more dangerous than he had imagined.